Racing heats up in the Fort!

Steve Lacey — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 22:03:22 +0000

Tuesday evening I finally got the opportunity to check out the City Streets Crit racing down at the Fort Collins City Streets Department. My attendance was purely a reconnaissance mission to see how the races were run and what type of field it attracted. I must say, I was really impressed with the course they were able to squeeze in and around the depot. If tight corners, narrow straight aways or close racing weren’t enough to test a rider’s ability, the different riding surfaces certainly were! I was witness to more than one display of racers unweighting their tires on the smooth concrete sections and scrambling to their feet soon after!

Up front, the field was fast and nervous. “Inside inside” could be heard around every corner. As the field strung out, so too did the anxious calls, and between gasps for oxygen, words of encouragement now passed between the riders. Each minute or two that passed meant another lap for the riders and another chance for spectators to cheer for “daddy! daddy!” or have another chance for a perfect picture.

Unfortunately, next Tuesday, July 7th, is the last night for this year’s Crits so take a ride down and experience the event as a racer or spectator — you won’t be disappointed! Kids’ races start at 6:00 with citizen, open and master classes to follow. Visit Yourgroupride.com for more information and an entry form.

If the local races aren’t enough to get you fired up, how about a little Tour de Lance action on our nation’s birthday? Saturday, the 96th running of the Tour de Lance kicks off with the individual time trial which will surely reveal who the contenders are. Personally, I can’t wait for the resurgence of the team time trial brought back for this year’s tour. Sure, there will be mountain stages, sprints and breakaways throughout the 21 stages and 3500 kms but to see each team really working together is the essence of le Tour. It may also be the only time you see Lance and Alberto break wind for each other without following it up with an ‘excuse me’. Levi may have a tough call to make should Lance call in some favors from the Giro. I’m not saying there is any bad blood between Lance and Alberto but I bet they’re sure filled with competitive blood. If you have access to the Internet at work, now would be a good time to conceal the monitor screen in order to check out the daily live feeds at Versus.com

Now for the tip of the week - Do you have a creak (in your bike, not in your knees) you want to get rid of? Try a little grease on your seat post to start. If it still persists, remove your bottom bracket and ensure the threads are clean. Use some thread-lock when reinstalling and don’t over tighten it. Next, inspect the welds and paint around the bottom bracket for cracks. A little preventative care never hurts!

Hope to see you next Tuesday at the City Street Crits……Be safe.

Steve Lacey

Share your comments, experiences below!

The Power of Positive Thinking

Steve Lacey — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 15:05:18 +0000

Are you as fit or conditioned mentally as you are physically for your next ride or race? Whether you are going on a road ride or mountain bike ride your mental attitude plays a big, more like the majority, role in your success. Notice I said success and not failure…..we might as well get on the “right” foot here. There is no place for negative thoughts before a ride or obstacle and positive ones can always be found.

Just as the laws of motion define the way things move, the way we think defines how we move. For every negative thought, there is an equal and opposite, positive thought. Think of every obstacle you encounter on your mountain bike as a chance to excel; not a chance to put a scratch on your shiny bike. Think of every piece of road as purposeful; the ones less traveled are builders of character and strength. Think of the wind as always blowing in your direction; at your back,it’s helping you along; in your face, it’s giving you a taste of what’s ahead; to the side, it’s keeping you from traffic or from the shoulder. Your bike never breaks by itself and would last years if you didn’t touch it; never blame your bike. Hills are great; if we didn’t have hills, Shimano wouldn’t be in business!

One of my favorite quotes and words I try to live by came from JFK, which I have written on my top tube by the way, “Those who dare to fail miserably can achieve greatly”. A bit more profound than “Yes we can” because let’s face it, at times there are things that happen beyond our control and we can’t. If you have the chance to race against Lance, take it! Not because “you think you can” beat him, but because if you dare and he has a bad, albeit very bad, day you may succeed. If you go to a race and don’t win it’s not because you lost, it’s because someone else rode better than you and you had no control over that person. Likewise, pushing yourself to complete your first century or conquer an obstacle on your mountain bike takes a willingness to succeed.

I hope some of these thoughts help you get through your next ride; if they don’t, I’m positive you didn’t need them in the first place.

This week’s tip was inspired by a thorn in my tire which I was happy to remove from the street. When patching your tube, stretch the tube around your pump or other cylindrical object when scuffing it up. This allows the sandpaper to work better and provides a good base to support your tube. Don’t forget to remove the thorn from your tire before replacing your tube!

By the way…..Did you happen to see Lance lose the Giro or Team Astana win the Giro?

Have a good ride!

Brain picture by dierk schaefer

Steve Lacey

Lee's Cyclery Blog » giro

Racing heats up in the Fort!

The Power of Positive Thinking