the return

Team Chianti has returned. And let me tell you how much we miss the cool weather, smooth pavement, and near-trafficless roads of Southwest Harbor, Maine. It was also clearly evident the difference in air quality upon our return to Atlanta.

Yesterday we rode together in the sweltering heat, approaching Pisa status. I can now hazard a pretty good guess as to what it feels like to start suffocating. I felt like half the oxygen I was breathing was being out-competed by the sheer space of heat. And so, things are back to normal riding in Hotlanta.

Beyond that, it is complete torture to return to work.

The week of riding in Maine was the most I've ridden in a week, about 98 miles in 4 days. It was fantastic. I picked up some brilliant tips from Papa and the crew and also made some observations myself.

Beak, Bill needs to be forced into retirement - or you at least need a new rear derailleur.

Baguer, as Papa has always said, you have everything you need to be a serious threat. It could be scary next year if you actually ride more than once a week.

Papa, I'm afraid we're going to have to start calling you Skeletor. Put some weight on those bones.

As for the Pink and myself, there is lots of work to be done. By next year, though, I think the Pink might shake-up the overall classification. I'm sure I'll still be trailing, just barely hanging on to the peleton, if at all, but at least I'll pass the Beak on the descents.

deuce, advantage cake

19 days later...

After New Orleans my riding took a catastrophic turn. My first ride was miserable, with a miserable average and a miserable asthma attack. Pink had to domestique my a** home. It was the worst asthma attack I've ever had. Good thing Atlanta's air quality is so high...

I thought I was done for, thought I had pissed away all my hard work from the previous months and particularly from my break-through training ride with Pink on the Silver Comet. But I was wrong. I rode this past Sunday, something short to observe any ill effects from the lingering asthma. I was okay. Not great, but okay.

Monday I rode again and felt tons better. In fact, since Sunday my average has been steadily increasing and I'm almost back to where I was before New Orleans. We've got a ride planned tomorrow out to Stone Mountain with one of the guys I work with but Pink has run into a little bit of a snafu.

On his ride this morning he had yet another spoke break. I think this makes about 5. So he took Huggy Bear into the shop and Mike said that bad things have been happening with the Felts. Lots of other people have had problems with their bottom brackets. Pink had also been having trouble with this (you'll have to ask him for the details). So it seems like Huggy Bear may have been a lemon. Chances are they are going to send the whole bike back to Felt and he'll get a spanking new ride. Huggy Bear II? Who knows for sure, still waiting to hear back from Mike - he could be off the road for some time.

Here's my opportunity to push past Pink...

strange things are afoot...

Wow, it's hard to believe I didn't post anything for the entire month of May. There was certainly plenty of riding happening.

The most recent ride was Sunday, a week ago. Pink and I headed out to the Silver Comet Trail and did my longest ride to date, 40 miles. It was fantastic. The best part for me was that I was faster than Pink. Strange things could be afoot at the Circle K (or Casa L).

Last week I left for New Orleans for a strenuous 3-day volleyball tournament. Congrats to my team, Cheers!, for placing 5 the in the Nation for Women's BB. Since we finished 2nd last year this was a bit of a disappointment, capped off with the dissolution of our team immediately following the tournament. But, what can you do? Me, ride.

Pink was in the homeland over the weekend and took Huggy Bear on some old familiar terrain he used to ride in high school. I'll have to get the report when I eventually see him. Helix and I should get out Wednesday, after my legs have fully recovered.

48 days and counting.

rendezvous, oh la la

Pink and I rode separately yesterday, he in the morning and myself in the afternoon. It was just perfect weather at 6 pm last night when I headed out.

Pink did a short but strenuous ride while I opted for a distance ride (21.29 miles) since it is probably going to be my only time on the road this week. It's supposed to rain today and I'm leaving for MN tomorrow. Helix won't see pavement again until next Monday at the earliest.

The good news is that my average is up a little. The bad news for me is that Pink's is up more.

Only 90-something days of training left until the rendezvous. Time to kick it into high gear.

no match

Yesterday was the first day Pink and I have ridden together in over a week. Even though I have been working hard on my riding and have even dropped a few pounds, I am no match for the massive leg strength of Pinky. My climbing is a little better than his but I don't think that will hold up for much longer, especially given my limited availability to ride for the next two weeks.

We did a short loop on the access roads. On the way down the access Pink was ahead of me by a fair amount. A rider came up behind me, chatted a sec, and then dropped me faster than H&M dropped Kate Moss after the cocaine scandal.

As he approached Pink I could see my man pick up his pace to hang with this guy a little longer and then Pink let him go as he waited for me to catch back up.

As we made the turn to take the access back (completely uphill) our climbing skills, albeit in their infancy, helped us close the gap. Eventually, Pink made his move and reeled him in. I believe this was the conversation that ensued.

Pink: Hey there, Basso.
Rider: I thought I dropped you.
Pink: I have my tactics.

At that point we split off to go home, Pink satisified that some of his forgotten cycling prowess is starting to return.

my poor Beak

The two most perfect days for riding in Atlanta happened, consecutively, too! I am proud to say that I took advantage of both of them (the Pink only one).

With yesterday's ride, though, I had a taste of what I think the Beak must suffer through trying to ride in the N of the Y of the C. I was in traffic hell.

I thought I planned out this great ride and the first part was fantastic, except for the semi that was holding up traffic so awfully that even I was waiting, coasting with the car right behind, for him to turn off somewhere, anywhere, please, for the love of all that is right in this world. When that finally happened the railroad tracks forced all the cars to come to a near dead stop to cross them, which of course I too had to slow for since these jerks were so far to the right that I couldn't get by them. This of course killed any momentum I had for the impending hill.

And then the absolute worst. Traffic was so backed up that I had one foot out of the pedal for about 5 minutes, just coasting a few feet at a time between red lights. It was awful. Beak, how do you do it? Light after light after light...all freakin red for 2 minutes, green for 10 seconds.

But, all ended well. After my halfway point things started to ease up and I got a good rhythm going. I even bumped up my average speed from the day before, despite all the coasting at 3 mph.

Today I rest. Tomorrow afternoon Pink and I will ride before celebrating his birthday with a nice dinner. Yes, the Pink turns 29 tomorrow and he still gets an ice cream cake. Isn't is great to still be a kid?

rally the troops

And so it begins.

Huggy Bear and Helix hit the road today and I don't think the driveway has ever been such a challenge. It's been 2 1/2 months since we last rode, together at least. Huggy Bear saw some game time earlier this week.

Pink averaged 2 miles an hour faster than Cupcake. I've already missed my 1-2 ride window where I am faster than him. It's going to be a long, hard 3 months before we put ourselves in Papa's hands.

Disaster is afoot.

it's not the gran torino

Elvis is in the building. Well, not really, but Big Red's successor had made his official appearance.

Welcome to the family, Huggy Bear.


With the help of The Mighty Cuban, Pink tested a couple of rides today and made his selection. Thanks to Mike at Peachtree Bikes for giving us the star treatment. We gave him his first sale as the new owner. Congrats all around.

Huggy Bear's stats:
Felt F75
Shimano wheel set
Ultegra 27 cassette (Mike hooked us up)
Ultegra derailers
105 shifters
carbon fiber front fork
carbon fiber rear seat stays

Tomorrow, we ride. On a sadder note, we also bid the Baguers farewell.

Helix is still prettier, especially now that he is tricked out with all of my Christmas presents. Re'to jet and kick some Huggy Bear ass.