IKEA bikes

There has been some bicycle blog discussion regarding the free IKEA bike that was given to about 12,000 employees in the US. It is an inexpensive/cheap mtn. bike that was a reward for all the great work they have done this past year. Sure, it was cheap but why would they give something more valuable to a bunch of employees who may not ride and in a country that doesn't ride? It was a nice gesture and I am sure some of the employees will get great use out of them. Only in America will so called "bike advocate " people blog about how 'crappy' the free bike was. Perhaps if the bike advocacy world were truly interested in promoting bicycling they should show a little graciousness or at the very least acknowledge that a $1500 commuter isn't the only way a person can become a bike commuter. In fact the free bike from IKEA could very well be the beginning of somebody's commuting days. Don't be so arrogant, ignorant or pompous. Promote bicycling as a real option and not just a way to make a statement or as a status symbol. Here is a picture of the bike. To the enthusiast it isn't a pretty bike but instead of picking the bike apart look at is as an opportunity, an opportunity for someone else to ride instead of drive. This is in fact a great starter bike for someone somewhere and it is also a great opportunity for an astute salesman or bike shop to sell a slightly better commuter. As the sayings go, "don't look a gift horse in the mouth" and "don't shit where you intend to eat".

On another note here is another reason to value what IKEA has done. This transport bike/truck is used to transport all of your goods from IKEA. This thing comes in really handy for the thousands of people here in the Netherlands who don't have a car and rely solely on bike for transport. The box of this bike/truck is about 7 feet long, 4 feet tall and about 3.5 to 4 feet wide. Depending on how much the people need to transport, it can be ridden with one person but is designed for two. Cool idea. Maybe these should make more of a presence in the States.

Should I stay or should I go?

This past week it has been a little chilly. My favorite bike path was covered in snow since last Friday or Saturday and I had to resort to running and the indoor trainer. Both are great options to riding on the road but in no way can they be a substitute to the feeling and sound of the wind on your face and the feel of the asphalt, brick or cobbles rolling under the wheels. So today was a day for an outside ride. What a day it was. Two hours in complete solitude on the paths. Here are a couple of pictures from my morning. Hopefully this weekend with the high temps of 6C the ice will melt.

Now it's time for my coffee and spekulaas.

Sinterklaas

Yesterday in the Netherlands and today in Belgium the celebration of Sinterklaas has spread cheer to kids and adults alike. Sinterklaas is the traditional celebration of his birthday. It was at one time a Christian celebration of St. Nicholas but once the Netherlands became a majority Protestant country the celebration became St. Nicks birthday. Sinterklaas is also the basis of Santa Claus in the States.

Sinterklaas comes from Spain with his helper Zwarte Piet or Black Peter. Zwarte Piet is a controversial figure some go as far as to say the image is racist. Of course the shouts of protest come from people who don't see the historical value of Zwarte Piet only the image of a white man with a black helper(you can see a Piet in my picture above). Zwarte Piet has various explanations some say he is a slave to Sinterklaas some say he is a former slave that was freed by Sinterklaas and became so indebted to Klaas that he stuck around to help. Either way Sinterklaas and Zwarte Piet bring presents to adults and children all across the Netherlands and the happiness and spirit is hard to ignore. Here in the Netherlands they've created many versions of Piet, the helper Piet, the spying Piet who watches the children to make sure they are good etc.. etc.. Tradition has also said that kids who have been naughty get stuffed into a sack that Zwarte Piet carries and they get carted off to Spain. I'm not so sure that threat exists today or not. More can be found about Zwarte Piet on the internet. For you who are shouting racist! try to wrap your head around this possibility for a Zwarte Piet beginning, some say he was a Persian character called Haji Firuz......so not only can you get wrapped around the axle about Piet being black you can also get wrapped around the axle about him being Persian.....for you that don't know, Persian are people from Iran. We all know how bad people from Iran are......ok not really but I am sure for the haters of Piet the additional info regarding Piet is more fuel for your hating fire.

I like Zwarte Piet and Sinterklaas. They both bring a very good energy to the street of the Netherlands and the communities embrace them. Shops are decorated, parades go down the market streets and it is a really good time. So I recommend that instead of focusing on the color or ethnicity of Piet, focus on the happiness that he brings. Once people are able to focus on and embrace good, hatred will go away and happiness will follow.

Run? What? Who me?

Yes. Me. I know, it is a bit ridiculous actually both the thought of it and the sight of it. But with the bike paths currently under a few inches of snow and icy I've decided to give my on the road riding a rest and dust off the running shoes or my hardlopen schoonen......Dutch for running shoes or the actual translation......hardwalking shoes.

Runningis actually a very good alternative to riding and gives a great workout, all of which we already knew. But one thing that most cyclists don't realize about running is that it helps build bone density which is something that is lacking severely in cyclists. Anyway, not to bore anybody with the ugly details of my running or to beat the benefits of running into the proverbial horse. Here are some photos of what I've seen while out on the run.

Just In: UCI Rule May Cause Verge And NACT Cyclocross Series To Be Banned

Just In: UCI Rule May Cause Verge And NACT Cyclocross Series To Be Banned

UCI breaking the balls of the best US Cyclocross series.

Going Dutch

With the current growth in popularity of bike commuting in the States I feel obliged to share a couple of videos. They aren't new videos nor are they videos I made but they are great videos showing how commuting happens and has been happening for years in the Netherlands. This video was filmed last winter and shows just one example of what is capable with a bicycle. It is also obvious from the video that mass transit is a very popular mode as well. Where the video was made is a town called Utrecht, a bustling city with a little over 300,000 residents near the center of the Netherlands.

I support the U.S. interest in bike commuting and I hope that with all the hard work that is taking place something works out. As we all know there is a lot of work and re-education that needs to take place before the bicycle is considered and accepted by the majority as a legitimate means of transportation. Not only are bicycles efficient, inexpensive, reliable and healthy they are small and mobile; creating parking areas for them within the big city parking garages wouldn't be that difficult.

Now, the reality of it is this, in the U.S. the majority do not consider the bicycle a legitimate means of transport. Children in the States are brought up thinking that a bicycle is a toy and cars are a rite of passage. Even in the large cities bicycles aren't highly regarded, they are seen as rude, obnoxious, in the way, slow. A few cities understand the benefit but not enough. Even in the cities that understand the benefit of a bicycle there is an underlying resistance to the counter culture of commuters. What can change this?

People tend to embrace the "Amsterdam bike culture" and that to me is a sign that some supporters of bicycle commuting don't get it, it isn't the "Amsterdam bike culture" it is in fact a Dutch way of life. All over the Netherlands people ride, in fact 27% of the trips taken, are done on a bike the remainder with mass transit or walking, the auto is typically not the first choice. With 15,000km of bike paths, bicycle parking garages and a dependence on the bicycle that goes back several years it is easy to see why. Children learn at an early age how to ride and ride safely they see their parents and grand parents riding and more than likely they have a bike path right out their front door. Beyond even the Dutch way of life, Denmark and Germany use the bike as a legitimate means as well.

I've heard many excuses as to why commuting by bike isn't possible. I've even used a couple myself. I've been humbled upon moving here to the Netherlands and have learned more about the Dutch people and their personality, while developing my own "Dutch Dependance" on the bike, than I could have from the seat of my car that is for sure. Here are four of the popular excuses that I've heard and even used, and their Dutch response.

"I get too hot and sweaty" - Dutch response, "slow down, don't ride like a crazy American"

"There are hills on the route and I only have one gear"- Dutch response, "so? leave earlier the route is beautiful"

"It is very windy"- Dutch response, "Get used to it, it will get windier. Leave earlier"

"It's raining"- Dutch response, "rain?! this isn't rain, it's drizzle. It'll get worse. Bring rain gear"

For the Dutch there is no problem that doesn't have a solution. This belief and attitude is precisely what the U.S. needs regarding bike commuting. Does the U.S. have a big enough

problem that bike commuting can be the solution? With the number of obese adults and children, heart attacks, stress related health issues, I say yes. A couple of things missing are $8 a gallon gas and an educated public.

In order for the U.S. to succeed in their push for more bike dependancy politicians need to be convinced, local governments need to be convinced. Bike advocacy groups can only do so much. If you care or if you've ever had the interest in commuting, do it. I am sure the majority of the readers of this blog are already convinced of the benefits of bike commuting..so maybe I am preaching to the choir a bit, but if we really want the benefits of bike lanes and respect, we need to go out and get it. There won't be success by telling other bike advocates about the benefit, we have to convince non-bike lovers of the benefits. Lobby for it, find ways to prove it is reliable for your city and state. Don't just fly to the Netherlands, see how it is done just to go home and tell people how it's done. I see a bright future in the U.S. for the bike and hopefully more people will soon. Support your advocacy group, get out and commute it is the best way to sell the idea. You are the best billboard and spokesperson for the cause.

In the meantime here are the videos. Enjoy.

Belgium o' Belgium: Are you a lion or are you a chicken?

Or are you a licken? Well, that's not possible because the lion in you speaks Dutch and the chicken speaks French. Plus, the language a licken would speak would probably be called Duench and that probably wouldn't sound too nice. So, decide Belgium, a lion or a chicken?

I've read a couple of cycling blogs lately that ask the reader to pick between flags of Flanders. You know the flags that are flying at every cyclocross event around the world. Bright yellow beacons adorned front and center with a pouncing black lion. Both of these blogs said the same thing, that if you get caught flying one flag over the other you would be in for a heated political debate. Well, that may be the case if you were flying the Lion in the Wallonie region of Belgium which is the home of the chicken flag or if you were waving a chicken flag in Flanders. I honestly think they said this for the dramatic effect on the reader.

A bit of history on Belgium...........they've rarely seen eye to eye and in the north(Flanders) they speak Dutch and in the south(Wallonie) they speak French. So, basically, they rarely communicate with each other and are so politically polarized they make the former Czechoslovakia seem like a candy store. Then you have Brussels in the middle. As the constitutional capital of Belgium, the seat of both French and Flemish communities of Belgium and bi-lingual, they, more so than the country of Belgium, never see eye to eye. This is where the separatist come in. Their desire for separation has less to do with removing itself from the Belgian government than it does with removing itself with French speaking Wallonie. Flanders is tired of holding Wallonie's hand and some feel that a separate Flemish state would be best. Enter the confusion as presented by the other blogs regarding the lion of Flanders flag.

Here is the official Lion of Flanders.

Here is the Lion of Flanders that is most typically seen among the Flemish separatists. Contrary to belief this flag is not the all encompassing flag of the right-wing extremist. It is a flag symbolic of separation regardless of right or left. In fact one of the most active groups in support of a separate Flanders is a left wing group that is advocating for a Socialist Flanders. This flag is sometimes used in conjunction with the red highlighted flag shown above and has been in use before becoming a symbol of separation. This flag won't get you beaten up at a cyclocross race in Flanders, however, if you are an American waving this thing around like a madman or woman you may find yourself questioned as to whether or not you know what it means, but in all honesty Belgium is so polarized that most people spectating a 'cross race in Flanders probably wouldn't give a care. Again, this flag is representative of the desire to separate Flanders from Wallonie and have an independent Flanders and that would include separation from Belgian government.

That being said it wouldn't be recommended to fly that black Lion flag in the Wallonie region. Instead you should choose one of these flags........the Wallonie rooster.

You may be wanting to know more about why there are even separatists in Flanders anyway. At least I hope you are. Basically the Flanders region is tired of assuming all of the Wallonie debt and supporting the massive Wallonie unemployment, which has been published as being between 15-20%. At least that is a small part of the recent debate. I say recent debate because in all honesty Belgium, again, has rarely ever seen eye to eye. How could they possibly? Neither part can understand each other. Since 2007 Belgium hasn't had a government that has been able to agree on anything and some say they haven't had a government at all.

There is so much more to the discussion regarding Belgium. Because this isn't a class in European History or a Political Science experiment, I'll leave you the responsibility of doing your own research regarding the polarization, differences and complication that is Belgium.

So now that you have a little bit of background on the flags of both Flanders and Wallonie, all I can say is this........pick your flag, fly it proudly. Just remember what region of Belgium you're in and choose wisely between a lion or the chicken and wave it happily.........and watch more cyclocross....

Spread your legs and touch your head to the ground

I cannot place enough emphasis on being safe while riding.

The importance of this video is to show proper stretching technique, crashing technique and maintenance advice. All you need is WD-40 and an air hose......or a car wash.

Remember, just hop and land on your feet, "touch your head to the ground and spread your legs."

In all seriousness, I hope you can find the humor in this video.

GarageTV - Tatyana Storm - De cross gaat door (02:41)

One of the greatest sports of all time. Rooted deeply in cycling history and lore, cyclocross is no doubt a hardman sport.

Do you think 'cross in the States would have a better following if Shania Twain sang a song?

"from September to Valentines, the 'cross goes forward"

What a weekend in Cycling!

De Ketele blijft op miraculeuze wijze recht na klapband

Uitgebreid verslag van de wereldbekerwedstrijd in Koksijde

http://superprestige.vt4.be

6 Days of Gent

World Cup Cross in Koksijde Belgium

and

Super Prestige Cross in Gieten Netherlands

Chilly

First freezing night last night and a sure sign the winter is fast approaching. This picture is of the seat of my Omafiets this morning.

Some of our family and friends have told us to hope for a cold winter and nice freeze on all the canals and ponds......so we can go ice skating! Although I haven't been ice skating in at least 20 years, never knew how to stop then and probably won't figure it out this winter, the thought of ice skating on one or more of the many canals and ponds here has gotten me pretty excited. How much more Dutch of a sport can you get? Apparently, the International Skating Union was founded here in 1890.

If the canals freeze enough and the weather stays cold enough we can hope for the Elfstedentocht to take place. It is a 200km skating race/tour on the canals of Friesland in Northern Holland. I doubt I will be interested in 124 miles of ice skating but if it gets cold enough for the event to happen it will be cold enough here in Scheveningen for me to get the skates on and go. I hope it gets cold, real cold!

Check out the video of the 1997 finish. 1997 was that last time the event was officially held. Before you accuse global warming take a look at the official website to see that there have been many years it wasn't held. The two main reasons for it not being held have been war and ice that hasn't been thick enough. If the ice isn't at least 15cm thick the event won't take place.

http://www.elfstedentocht.nl/nl/de_vereniging/historie

Let's hope for some cold and some thick ice!

The Real Deal: The Stroopwafel

How can I possibly criticize the American fascination with Europe? Fast cars, beautiful women, fancy bicycles, romance, fancy handbags, chic sunglasses and most recently the Stroopwafel. Honey Stinger recently released their version of the Dutch Stroopwafel but it isn't anywhere near the same. It is a good attempt at emulating this little wafer of goodness but will most assuredly fall short. First of all it isn't Dutch and secondly it is filled with honey and not caramel. However, I guess with a name like Honey Stinger they couldn't really put caramel in the thing. I suppose I should cut them a bit of slack. As far as the Stroopwafel being used for a nutritional boost mid ride, mid ski, mid whatever I can't think of anything that tastes this good and packs as many carbs. I recommend that when you are ready to eat the Stroopwafel, do so at the appropriate time and place. Don't just pull it out of your jersey pocket or hydration pack and eat it, stop, get a cup of coffee, sit with your friends and enjoy the little treat as it should be.

The Stroopwafel originates in the town of Gouda (pronounced how-duh not goo-duh) which is known for its cheese but now you know that they should also be known for the Stroopwafel. They were first made in the late 1700's and were popular for everyone and mostly the poor. Loads of butter, brown sugar and flower were mixed and placed into a waffle iron and while they were still warm were cut in half and a syrup combined with brown sugar was placed in between the two halves and then put back together. They've essentially been done the same way since then. Obviously now there are factories that make them but I can't imagine the process being much different, just automated. In Gouda there are still several family bakeries that make them the old way and they each have their own recipe.

In my picture I show the intended way to eat a Stroopwafel with a cup of coffee. Of course you can eat them any way you like....but....I highly recommend the way that is shown. A hot cup of coffee with a Stroopwafel on top allows the sugars and caramel syrup to warm up and begin a slow melt and on cold days helps to keep the coffee warm, so, therefore you need at least 2 Stroopwafel. That slight melting of the caramel and the warmth of the wafel shell is astounding and you will surely become addicted.

For those that want the real deal Stroopwafel and not some honey filled substitute I've got some links for you.

For my San Diego friends this is where I got my Stroopwafel

http://www.tiptopmeats.com/default.aspx

For my Denver friends. It is a cool little store and deli. The owner is Dutch and she has some selection of nice Dutch treats.

http://www.dubbeldutchdenver.com/

For anybody else who doesn't have or know of a source, Dubbel Dutch in Denver also sell online.

http://www.orangepackage.com/

Happy Eating

Winter is Coming; What to Wear

Naturally for this time of year it is popular with all websites, that have anything to do with cycling, to have write ups about what winter clothing to use while riding. So, here is my contribution....with one exception I bought 90% of the clothing I am writing about.

I am no stranger to riding in cold weather as a man who grew up and began racing bicycles in Wyoming I can assure you I have had my time in the cold. However, for the last 15 years I have made my home between Hawaii, Guam and San Diego. Now making my home in the Netherlands I have to admit that I am a bit intimidated by the fast approaching Dutch winter. My thick Wyoming skin may be a bit on the softer side now.

When I set out to purchase my winter gear I had a budget and I had some expectations. Of course I could have spent a few hundred dollars on a pastel colored, trendy, wool jersey with some kind of fancy script on the front but I wanted to spend that and get a bit more than 1 jersey. So I set out on my search.

I kept finding myself on the Pearl Izumi website, it is a brand that I am familiar with and a brand that has kept me warm in the past. With my expectation of finding something warm, wind proof, thermal, water resistant and a reasonable price I settled on the Elite thermal riding jacket and the Elite thermal long sleeve jersey. I chose the Elite series for the price and the fit. Because I knew I would probably want to layer a few items underneath the jacket and jersey, the slightly more relaxed fit was my choice.

Now that I had addressed the upper body warmth I looked to my legs and my feet. Already having some thermal tights and neoprene booties I had to only get a pair of leg warmers and some shoe covers. So, some Pearl thermal leg warmers and a pair of Barrier lite shoe covers were the easy choice. Leg warmers are always good to have and the shoe covers are a good first defense against the cold and when paired with some thermal socks they offer just enough protection. For the really cold days the thin structure of the shoe cover will allow me to layer them under my neoprene booties.

That was it for my purchases and when combined with the apparel I already have, 5mm neoprene dive gloves for the cold wet rides, GORE paclite shell, various base layers and jerseys, plenty of bib shorts, and thermal bib tights I think winter will be kept at bay this year. Which is cool, because for the first time in a long time I am truly loving being back on the bike.

All that mumbo jumbo above is fine and great, but how does all of it perform? Good question, because today I found out.

I set out for my ride and the roads were wet from an earlier rain and the clouds weren't very menacing looking but the weather report said more rain was to be expected and anytime you ride near a big cold body of water like the North Sea things can change quickly. Because of that big cold body of water and its effect on the weather pattern combined with a forecast for rain, my rain jacket was rolled up tightly and ready to rock. For the rest of my clothing I chose the Pearl thermal jacket, standard baselayer, bibshorts, my thermal leg warmers, and my barrier shoe covers. With a temperature at only 38 degrees, a slight wind and a threat of rain I figured this would be enough clothing to keep me warm for the duration of my ride. I like to start cool and end warm. This turned out to be the right choice for the temp and within 30 minutes of leaving my house, the right choice for the freezing rain.

Everything that I chose to wear was worked very well and I can't express my satisfaction enough. The thermal jacket performed flawlessly. As advertised the water resistance of the thermal jacket excelled and because the rain wasn't going to stop I wanted a bit more protection from the rain jacket so after 40 minutes without it, I pulled the jacket on and I was set for the remainder of my ride. In the comfort of warmth and dry I plugged my way through the falling rain. Naturally my SCUBA gloves worked well. Sure, my fingers were a little raisiny at the end of the ride but they were warm as could be and the 5mm neoprene also kept the wind off my hands. The leg warmers got a little chill on the knees, but they were soaking wet and I was riding into a 15mph headwind on a, balmy 36 degree, windy and rainy day.

For anybody who is in need of winter riding clothes I recommend you look for great clothing at a good price as well as a great value. Your main concern should be the protection, fit, and style. I recommend my expectations and wants in these three qualities for any garment you choose.

1) Thermal

2) Wind Proof

3) Water Resistant

-and-

always have a good rain jacket just in case.

Here's to happy warm and dry winter riding.

www.pearlizumi.com

www.gorebikewear.com

http://www.joediveramerica.com/page/JDA/CTGY/glv

CRUD

After my previous blog post highlighting the filth of my bike I decided to write about how I am planning on minimizing any further moments of disgust like that one.

I knew I had to purchase a fender and each of the guys I ride with have a little fender that attaches to the seatpost and extends about 15 inches out and "kind of" over the rear wheel. I have seen these before and never found them to be too effective. Not only is it almost impossible for them to stay aligned over the wheel they don't really provide much protection for the people behind you. Perhaps the people who use these type of fender don't care about the people behind them but, when riding through piles of horse excrement that is a common theme for the bike paths here, I would prefer more coverage.

I started to look around and I saw a couple of brands of fenders that would work on a race bike without eyelets and they were all very nice, but I wanted more coverage. I wanted the splatter of road grime to be unable to get to my front derailleur. Most products that work on a racing bike failed here. Further searching lead me to an English company, Crud Products. I figure that England, being a rainy country itself, would have my solution. I found it in the name of the Road Racer MK2, the 2nd generation of this design. For the price of front and rear fenders shipped to the Netherlands was just 10Euro more expensive than one of the seatpost mounted fins. So, easy decision. I ordered a set and in 4 days they were here.

I promptly installed them in about 20 minutes. The only reason it didn't take me 15 minutes is because I had to change tires. My bike didn't have enough clearance to allow the full rear fender along with my 700x25 tires. So, I switched to some narrower and slightly lower 23c tires and the fenders mounted very quickly and easily. Full coverage on the rear wheel and more than enough on the front. My one major requirement was front derailleur protection and these fenders provide that in the form of an extended edge of the fender that covers a bit more of the wheel that spins closest to the derailleur, there is a picture below.

Another unique thing about the Road Racer fenders is the way they "float" above the wheel. there are two mounting bars, one on each side, that attach to the fender, seat stay and fork blades. These bars are semi-rigid polypropylene and allow enough movement to absorb road shock and return the fender to its place. Helping to re-center the fender are a Crud Products exclusive set of tiny brushes that attach inside the fender at rim height. These little brushes not only help the fender stay off of the rim, but when the fender does bounce around the brushes softly tap the rim and actually brush away road grime each time. Nice touch.

Now, naturally after I installed them the rain stopped. It had been a month of rain and as soon as I got the fenders on the rain stopped. However, with all of the moisture in the air it is hard not to ride through wet patches and to be expected the MK2 fenders performed flawlessly. I can't wait for the rain to come again so I can put them through some real work.

Here are 3 photos of the fenders mounted.

Here you can see the extended piece of fender that gives more coverage to protect the front derailleur. This feature, more so than the full coverage, was the main selling point for me

**the grime you see on the derailleur was there before the fenders went on........I was too lazy to clean the bike before putting the fenders on.**

My impression of the fenders is positive. If the possibility of having to change tires is too much for you to handle maybe these aren't for you. They look clean and don't clutter your bike and mount easily. Multiple thumbs up and I can't recommend them enough. www.crudproducts.com

I'm Back.....

So, after moving to the Netherlands in August I am finally back to blogging. I am sure my blog posts will be minimal but feel free to follow along as I document my time here in the windy country.

My first picture is the back of my bike after 4 hours in the rain. Lovely!

les américains à l'étranger

With the resurgence of cycling in the US and the fact that we now have, I believe, 17 Professional cycling teams registered here in the States I thought it would be a good time to introduce you to a couple of friends and former teammates of mine who took the path less traveled and pursued a professional cycling career in Europe, not as Americans on an American team but instead Americans on Belgian teams.

The first cyclist I would like to introduce is Seth Pelusi. Seth is from Texas and spent some time on the US National Cycling Team and his last race as a Pro was the World Championships in Portugal 2001. Because Seth still lives in France I sent him some questions via email and he responded. I was excited to get in touch with Seth and get some of his insite. Most of the questions came from any interested friend of mine and Rivet Cyclesport on Facebook.

The next cyclist I will interview is Pauly Burke. He raced on 3 different teams in Belgium and I am looking forward to what he has to say as well.

RC- Seth, thanks so much for answering these questions. My first question is What is your athletic background and what got you involved in cycling?

Seth- I've always been a cyclist and it was my father who got me involved. he and his riding buddies would drag me around on all of their rides, I was 13.

RC- As a Texan what was the cycling scene like when you began racing?

Seth- Much better than it is now. I don't live in Texas any longer but I know there are alot fewer races available than there are when I was racing there.

RC- I remember racing every Spring weekend in Texas, criteriums, road races, and tt's. It was great

RC- What steps did you take in your journey to turn Porfessional?

Seth- I went through the national team as a junior and espoir. In 1998 when I was racing for a French amateur team, Rene Wenzel the director for team Saturn gave me a call and thanks to my friend Levi Leipheimer, who gave good word to Rene that I was a good rider to hire, I turned pro with Team Saturn.

RC- What did a typical training week consist of? Did this change as you went to Belgium?

Seth- Depends completely on the week, but usually between 20 and 35 hours of riding. In Belgium it was the same except we had much shittier weather to do our 20 to 35 hours in.

RC- What was the major difference in racing as a pro in the states and Belgium?

Seth- I really enjoyed racing for Saturn. It was a great team, great staff, and great teammates. Mercury was a good team as well. But as a pro in the states all we did were parking lot crits. That is what I didn't like. In Belgium I raced for a division2 professional team called Flanders-Prefetex, it was a poorly organized team but we did some amazing races! Because of our division2 status we got into all the Belgian classics, some of the best and greatest races in the world.

RC- Where in Europe did you compete?

Seth- All over Europe, all of the Belgian Spring classics except for the world cup events.

RC- Did you have a specialty on the team?

Seth- Nope, I was average at everything.

RC- Who of the "famous" pros have you raced against? beaten? Lost to?

Seth- I got my ass kicked by all of them! But I was always happy to when I could do some ass kicking of my own at some of the smaller races!

RC- How were your arrangements in Belgium? Where did you live?

Seth- I had an apartment with a few of my teammates but I went back to France as often as possible to be with my wife.

RC- Did it take a while to adjust to life in Belgium?

Seth- I'm adaptable and because I was traveling so much adjusting was not a problem.

RC- While racing did you hang out with mostly english speakers?

Seth- In Belgium everybody speaks english but in France, you absolutely need to speak french.

RC- There are alot of new methods to training and alot of new cyclists tend to want gadgets to help them train. As a professional was the team ever concerned with watts or heart rates?

Seth- On a professional team they don't care what you do as long as you perform.

RC- Do you have any secrets to riding in cold wet weather?

Seth- Nope, but I wish I had some.

RC- Some people who ride bikes are really concerned with what type of tires they ride whether it be a clincher or a tubular. They are also extremely concerned about what types of nutrition will help them perform the best. So, do you have a favorite tire?

Seth- No, it never mattered to me. Either one is fine. However, tubulars can be a bit lighter so better for hilly racing.

RC- How about nutrition? Did you have anything special?

Seth- Nope, not at all. We ate what the sponsors fed us.

RC- Seth, what do you do now? Where do you live?

Seth- I live and work about 30kms north of Nantes and I work as a slate and zinc roofer.

RC- Do you still race?

Seth- Absolutely! I still race as an elite amateur on a team called CC Chateaubriant. I cannot live without racing!

It has been about 15 years since I last spoke with Seth. He is a couple of years younger than me and was always very fast. It was very cool to see his career go the level it did. He was never a household name but believe me the challenges and efforts he endured to race even at a division2 pro level in Belgium is just as admirable as the efforts of the "famous" pros. Unfortunately in America we are fans of only the stars and guys like Seth never get the respect or notoriety they duly deserve.

The Dutch and their bikes

Called Fiets in Dutch, the bicycle is a tremendous part of the Dutch culture. With around 14million people living in the Nederlands, there are around 12millions bicycles. Just about every person in Holland has a bike. Pretty impressive. It was in the late 1800's when the Dutch truly began their love affair with the bike and they haven't looked back. It has provided them an inexpensive, reliable and efficient means of transportation. But being the utilitarian culture that they are, the Dutch weren't happy with just having bicycles for transportation, they wanted bicycles for work, play, and bicycles that were going to provide them an exceptional tool for whatever need that may arise.

I truly wish that we as a country could find the same appreciation of the bicycle as the Dutch have. Unfortunately our country is huge and extremely vast and our cities haven't been set up to accommodate the bicycle. Some cities are trying and others not so much. So how can this change? How can the American perception of a bicycle as a toy change to a legitimate tool? I hope to show as many people as possible the many possibilities of a bicycle. A bicycle doesn't have to be a toy or a race machine, it CAN be transportation and a tool.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oq3gIVGFTk4&feature=fvw

rain rain go away..........

........well not anytime soon. So here are a few of my rainy day ride tips.

We all know that riding in the rain can be a bit miserable and at the same time it can take us to great places of our imagination. Imagining riding the rain soaked streets of Belgium bouncing over the slick cobbles with mud and grit in your face is definitely fun. But riding in the rain takes a little bit of skill. So here are a few of my tips for getting the ride done comfortably and as safely as possible.

1. Wear the proper clothing. As with any inclimate weather you need to be prepared. If it is a cold wet wintery day you'll need at least a base layer, jersey, warmers and a rain jacket. If it isn't so cold you will at least need a base layer, jersey and the jacket. If it is just a little spit of rain you may not need the jacket but pack it in your jersey pocket just in case. For your legs I recommend a good smearing of some great warming embrocation if it is a cold rainy day, covered with a thin layer of vaseline. This is a great way to get the muscles warm and the vaseline layer help keep the heat in and shed the rain water. If it "San Diego cold"(below 60 and above 40) at least wear a pair of knee warmers. Keeping the thin skinned, no fat, unprotected knee joint as warm as possible is crucial. For the feet, it isn't a bad idea to smear a little warming embrocation on them as well, with a little vaseline. I typically wear standard cycling socks and my tube sock shoe covers. This works well for our "cold" days. If you happen to be living in the Midwest where it can be unbearably cold rain you may want to consider a nice pair of neoprene shoe covers and legwarmers or tights.

2. Decrease your tire psi. I like to ride at least 15psi lower when it's raining. so for me that is about 95psi. I am not a big believer in high psi is better so I ride with a lower psi in general and even lower on rain soaked roads. This provides a bit more deformation of the tire in the corners and allows a slightly larger contact patch at the tire pavement contact point. This is always nice. Also, do your best to avoid the painted lines as they are typically very slick when wet. If you happen to be making a turn at an intersection and there are the big white crosswalk lines, slow down appropriately, start your turn, STAY OFF OF THE BRAKES WHILE ON THE PAINTED LINES, say a small prayer and then you should have no problem.

3. Anticipate your braking distance. In the wet it is possible to take a little longer to stop because of the water accumulation on the rims. So if you can anticipate where you'll need to be stopping or using your brakes, stop lights, stop signs, a crash, or something else, give your brakes a light squeeze, just enough to allow the pads to touch the rims surface this will get the excess water off of both the rim and the brake pad and then when you continue your braking to a stop the braking surface will be relatively free of water and other debris and your braking will be safer and almost as quick as on a dry day. But you need to allow a little extra space do do this.

4. Post ride warmth is critical. Alot of people shy away from riding in the rain because they "might get sick" well, you won't get sick from riding in the rain unless you ride by a feces and rain covered road, and that case just keep your mouth shut. But you will get sick if you hang around the bike shop or living room in your wet clothing. You need to get warm as soon as possible. So either pack a bag of warm clothes to take with you in the car while you drive to the ride start, change as soon as you finish riding. Dry off, take off all the wet clothes and put the warm fresh clothes on immediately. At home it isn't a bad idea to get in a hot shower with your wet, grimy cycling clothes on. Rinse your clothes out and get warm all at once. You may need to run this technique by your spouse. If they happen to need the same warm shower, like any shower they are best in tandem. Obviously after the shower get warm clothing on as soon as possible.

5. Watch out! As the rain falls heavier sometimes puddles occur. Which one of those puddles is a hole filled with rain water instead of just a puddle? So approach some puddles with caution. Sometimes it is easy to see that a puddle is only a little deep other times not so much. Also avoid riding into rain filled drain grates as these will eat your front wheel for breakfast, lunch and dinner, these meals are ones that will leave YOU worse off.

Those are just a few of my tips for riding in the rain. Stay safe, smart, healthy and as road rash free as possible.