Growing!

Some stats at age 2
37.5 inches tall (95th percentile)
30 lbs. (75th percentile)

Balance

On the bike riding front, this week was one of zen-like balance.

Fun vs. Suffering
Smiling vs. Drooling
Enjoying the scenery vs. Tunnel-vision

One adds to the appreciation of the other.
Too much of one leads to burnout.
All things in balance.
Word.

On Tuesday we lined up a babysitter allowing us to get out on the trails together.
We rode a casual pace, catching up and enjoying being out in the woods. Leaves and foliage that had only been hinted at on Sunday seemed to have busted out into full existence overnight.

We loosened up sore muscles and stretched the legs on a few of the climbs, but overall it was a relaxing, social ride. It's really nice to share that with the love of your life.

Leaving work on Wednesday I scrambled home in order to meet up with the Singlespeed Outlaw crew for their weekly ride. Traffic had me running late so I hammered from my driveway across the Park and over toward the Rolling Rd. trailhead, making it to the base of the entrance trail in under 30 minutes. I was winded from the effort so I rode slowly up the trail trying to recover before meeting up with the ride. I knew this ride was going to be fast so I was a bit nervous. Halfway up to the road I heard the sound of a train of riders bombing down the trail.

Sure enough, it was a band of singlespeeders out to rock the trails. I joined the group and did my best to hang on. The speed on the downhills had me pushing my limits. That was cool. I enjoy trying to follow and learn from riders that are on a different level. We zipped over to the HoCo side and headed up the steep water-bar climb. Joe and RickyD were putting the hurt on us! I was cross-eyed and trying to muscle my way up the trail.

Once up on the ridge we flew around the singletrack, railing turns and flowing with the trails. I was nose-to-stem and breathing hard trying to maintain the pace, but damn it was fun!

I peeled off from the group over by Landing Rd. in order to get home for dinner. I’m guessing the speed and suffering levels remained high as those guys were heading back over to the Hilton/Hilltop area to ride the re-route from last weekend.

I’m going to try to make this ride on a more regular basis. There’s nothing like chasing fast guys around the trails to build fitness and technical skills.

Earlier in the week I was on the fence about Lodi. Now I’m committed and fired up to do the race. Perkins and I are planning to race the Duo class on singlespeeds, but RickyD might decide to join us for the 3-person SS class. The competition there looks tough, but it would be cool to give it a go. It’ll be fun to hang out and race with a bunch of mtb and ‘cross friends that will be there.

Two

Two is a big number for us this year.

Birthday cake is good.



New bikes are always fun. Note the sweet Leopard motif.

A very good day

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Originally uploaded by cbnystrom.

Creek

This is how my weekend closed out, sitting by the creek throwing rocks in the water. Rooting around in creeks getting dirty was one of my favorite things to do when I was a kid. Sharing this with my son was really cool.

Before chilling at the creek I helped out with trailwork over at Patapsco. I showed up late, but still got to help out cutting trail, moving dirt, and (most importantly) drinking beer. We rerouted a section of damaged trail over on the Hilton/Hilltop side. The new singletrack is a big improvement and it has plenty of technical bits.

The crew of volunteers that does trail work is amazing. Good people dedicated to the proposition of sweet trail and good times. They put in a lot of hard, unheralded work that benefits all trail users (exept for the jackasses riding 4-wheelers in the Park!).

After the work session there was a cookout/beer session over by the tire park. Clipper City donated a keg of Red Sky at Night Saison, a tasty Belgian style beer. It was a nice afternoon for downing a few of these.

I did get in some solid riding too, including a 3 hour Avalon tour with Melanie and friends. What an awesome ride! There were a lot of smiles and grins.

Now I need to decide whether I'm doing Lodi next weekend. There are a lot of what-have-you's to consider.

Either way I'll be on my bike because riding bikes is the f-ing bomb!

Birthday Burrito!

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2nd birthday dinner at Chipotle

Cap

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Logjammin'

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29 in. wheels

Big tree

I'll need more than a few white russians to sack up and try to ride over this beast.

pushing aside my worries

Chaos, uncertainty, and anxiety permeate my mind on many fronts: work, financial security, and our current geo-political cluster-f#ck among them.

Subprime lending and the over-supply of credit will have real consequences...and not just for the poor saps that reached too far to rip down a bigger casa. Our leaders in the executive branch continue to pull off mind-blowing displays of incompetence/criminality. We continue to piss away lives and money in Iraq. Work is at least entertaining for all of the usual ridiculousness, but it's a downer for the same reasons.

Aside from all that bullshit I'm really happy! 8-)

A big part of the way that I deal with stress is to ride my bike. It's good for the body, mind, and soul.

Unfortunately, it's not looking good for riding this weekend. Crap weather is moving in quickly.
This could potentially get me down, but my legs are due for a bit of rest. I rode the trainer briefly this morning, but my ass was not into it. I don't understand how I can feel perfectly comfortable riding a bike for hours and hours outside, but 45 minutes on the trainer is torture on the 'ol taint. I tweaked my saddle position and angle 4 times this morning and nothing felt right.

It'll be a great weekend anyway...food, family, & fun...starting with dinner at our favorite mexican joint tonight! When the weather gets back in synch with the calendar I'll be back outside on the bike hungry to ride.

Happy Child

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Originally uploaded by cbnystrom.

Here's our hard hat wearing dump truck driver delivering a load of imaginary dirt from the kitchen to the family room.

It's incredible watching someone grow from a newborn to an interesting, curious, loving, and FUN individual...easily the most rewarding thing I've ever experienced.

Haircut #2

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Originally uploaded by cbnystrom.

Haircut #2 at Cartoon Cuts

sonogram

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Baby #2 is a Boy!

Due to arrive at the beginning of September.

2 boys will save us a lot on clothing. 8-)

Panic

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Originally uploaded by cbnystrom.

Widespread Panic played the Hippodrome in Baltimore Wednesday night. Beautiful venue with excellent sound and plenty of bars. The show was solid overall with a couple of hot moments.

The first set in particular was big...Chilly Water > Jack > Chilly Water was nasty, dirty, and LOUD.

Back in-tha-day I'd hit every show within a 5 hour drive, but nowadays it's down to once a year. I'm perfectly ok with that. It was nice to have a night out. Beers after work, sushi, and a coupla jack & coke's during the show.

I'm looking forward to hanging with the family tonight and getting to bed EARLY!

What a weekend

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Originally uploaded by cbnystrom.

What a weekend.

On Saturday we had a babysitter (Grandma) so we met up with some buds for a mountain bike ride over in Avalon. Me, Mel, Bob & Di, John, Perkins, and SuperDave hit most of our favorite trails. This was a fun, social ride, but we still covered some ground.

Later in the day we got a bunch of landscaping stuff done around the yard and the 3 of us put away a bag of white cheddar popcorn.

We missed the expected rain on Sunday so I got out early to meet up with Bob, Perkins, and SuperDave for a spirited ride around the trails. This included playing around on the jumps and stunts. I was the only one that didn't hit the deck, but that's because I was only doing the small jumps and e-z skinnnies.

It was fun & by the end my legs were feeling back-to-back longish rides on Rita. That bike is so much fun to ride. Viva la singlespeed!

In the afternoon the kid and I cruised over to the playground and hit it hard on the swings and slides. His climbing has really taken off in the last few weeks. I still spot him, but he's doing it all on his own.

To cap off a wonderful Spring weekend we hit up El Salto for a Mexican feast! Word.

The kid loves chocolate chip pancakes

But, honestly, who doesn't like chocolate chip pancakes?

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Originally uploaded by cbnystrom.

fighting weight

I did not have a plan to drop the usual 0ff-season weight gain.

I was just going to let it happen naturally as warmer weather led to more riding.

Well, nature decided to make it happen quicker. Somehow I lucked into getting the stomach nasties. Two days of puking and peeing out my ass have left me 5 lbs lighter and fully cleansed.
Sweet. Insta-diet!

As a bonus my appetite is way down so I'm eating quite a bit less.

In a month I should be down to fighting weight.

Norovirus: It's a brutal way to drop some weight, but it works!

I've got the fever!

Sunday was a day for Spring fever.

I might have overdone it.

I rolled around on my way-overgeared fixie for 2 hours with secret-training-Sean and Chris.

The rest of the day (before and after) was spent gardening. My super-helper/protege and I planted a row of hedges along the back of our yard and an azalea in front of the compost bin.

We shoveled, wheel-barrowed, moved dirt, played with worms, and threw rocks in the creek.
That's good stuff.

Later, he helped Mom wash bikes. He's pretty handy with the hose and a sponge. In a few years I'll put him to work in the pits at 'cross races. 8-)

We wired up some outdoor speakers on the deck so we can listen to tunes out back. C'est tous bon.

Spring fever is good for the soul.

It's also tough on the body. The riding (grinding) and shoveling have me sore all over.

Dinosaur tracks

Saturday was a rainy. A perfect family day. After a breakfast of pancakes we rolled downtown to the Maryland Science Center. They have a kid's room that is really cool. There's a big water table, trains, building blocks, and other fun exhibits for the 6 and under crowd.

In the main exhibit hall there's a large dinosaur exhibit...another winner. Here's a shot of a big dinosaur fan checking out a dino footprint.

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Originally uploaded by cbnystrom.

Go away

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Originally uploaded by cbnystrom.

Matty z. is not happy about mofo's riding the trails when they are muddy...among other things.

Family self-portrait

At a small airport outside of Atlanta watching planes and helicopters take off.

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Originally uploaded by cbnystrom.

One more snow ride

One more snow ride for the season. For a Winter that started off on the mild side it's really piled on with a blast from February through mid-March. We got the best snow riding I've ever seen.

Now warm temps have returned so the thaw is on. Hopefully the trails will dry up quickly before they get too torn up by assholes riding in the mud.

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Not bad

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Not bad, but we'll need a solid week of dry weather to really dry things out.

Wow

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Quote: "Oh...Wow!"

Home Depot is always good entertainment...tractors, tools, and lumber. What more could a kid want?

part deux

woohoo! 8-)

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k-dub

There's a nice piece in today's Wall Street Journal about musical freek and Fredericksburg, VA native Keller Williams.
WSJ
Thursday, 2/22/07
D7

Or at www.wsj.com but you have to be a subscriber.

fast & frozen

It was nice while it lasted.

From Friday to Monday we had a Winter version of slickrock. With temps in the 50's it's gone now. The trails will be wet and muddy for a while now. The upside is that riding the road will be tolerable with Spring on the horizon.

It's amazing that we had some of the most incredible conditions ever and I only saw a few other riders on the trails all weekend. They come out of the woodwork to ride when it's muddy (as long as it's not cold!) but give 'em once-in-a-decade trails and they stay home.

I'm glad the timing worked out over a long weekend, but if it had been mid-week I would have taken a couple of half-day snowdays to ride. It was that good.

I hope we see these conditions again next Winter...every Winter!

Alas, it's time to put some slicks on the 'cross bike.

baltimore sun: Chris Eatough

bloomberg.com - Michael Lewis on those who think they can do whatever the fuck they want...Wall St.

gigglewatts

Today's ride was all about the gigglewatts. I was pumping them out, having so much fun that I was giggling.

Trail conditions right now are a once-a-decade phenomenon. The snow/sleet has frozen solid producing a surface similar to slickrock. It's smooth, fast, and surprisingly grippy. You still have to use caution and run lower pressure, but traction is pretty good. Now, if you get off your bike and walk you'll be on your ass, so stay on the bike!

I had a nice ride this morning hitting most of Patapsco Avalon. The trails are only a guide as you can pick your own lines to ride the killer frozen contours in the woods. I had fun, though I did take a swim in a creek over on the Hilton/Hilltop side. Both hands and both feet went under when I lost traction transitioning from ice to an icy rock. It was chilly!

I hope these conditions last a couple of more days. The frozen 'slickrock' makes for a completely different riding experience. I want to get a little bit more because it could be another 10 years before it's this way again.

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Originally uploaded by cbnystrom.

up yours Sven

A creative "2nd Place" salute



I thought this gift back in 2000 was plenty, but Groenendaal wants more. Very classy.

fellas night out

Fellas night out at La Fiesta for tasty enchiladas, guacamole, & cerveza (or milk).
The aquarium is a big draw for the little fella.
I'm hoping to ride some frozen trails in the morning. We'll see.

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Originally uploaded by cbnystrom.

Changes are afoot

from the Beeeb - A change for the better in French café culture. nice! No need to inhale Gauloise smoke if you just want to sit there and drink your coffee. Prior restraint!

Crossbabble recently reported on a pretty significant Cyclocross rules change for Nationals starting this year. It appears that men will need to be a cat 1 or 2 and women will need to be cat 1-3 in order to race in CX national championships. Given the huge growth in the fields this makes sense, though it'll have some consequences:

-Like a lot of people trying to cat up (me included) so that they can race Natz. I think I can make a case for the upgrade, but it's marginal. I've got about half the official upgrade points I need. I could have tried to do more smaller races like the VA series, but getting upgrade points has never been a priority for me. But if I want to race Nationals I don't have a choice. Hopefully, the upgrade coordinator will buy into my story.

-Which will mean more people in the Elite or Masters fields at local races...and thus smaller B fields. UCI events will still have the 2/3 (old B) race. My season is up in the air, but I'll probably race Masters if I get the upgrade to cat 2. I'd get smoked in the local A races, but it would be good training so that's an option too. This might help move some people out of the huge B fields. But it might just move them into the equally large Masters fields.

-Bigger B fields at Nationals. Could they possibly be any bigger? Probably not.

-Or maybe fewer people bothering to go to Nationals if all they can do is a B race.

Anyway it's a good rule change (even if I don't get the upgrade). I just want to be able to do some good races and soak up the 'cross vibe.

snoozer

This morning I stopped outside my protege's door and heard him talking (probably to a stuffed animal). He was practicing new words. I listened to him work on 'crayon'. I'm amazed at how many words he understands. Every day he probably learns 20 or more new words and he understands most everything we say to him. Now he's starting to say more words. Sometimes he'll babble conversationally and other times he'll work on pronouncing specific words. It's a fascinating process! Mind-blowing in fact.

Nathan Spear has the GOODS yet again.
The elite races at this year's 'Cross Worlds were riveting. They are worthy of multiple viewings.
Download the elite men's race here.

Quick rant against the forces of evil
sycophants
sick of 'em
they weaken organizations, nations, etc.
and they are annoying as shit
how about thinking for yourself and taking the risk to express your own opinion?

Cold fingers

Last night I charged up the lights and got all my gear together in the basement. I figured this would make it harder to bail on riding this morning. When I opened my eyes at 4:50am I wavered for a moment before nutting up & crawling out of bed. Quietly.

I grabbed my contact lenses and headed to the basement to suit up. I couldn't find my heavy duty mittens so I wore my normal winter riding gloves. No big deal I told myself. Ha!

As I rolled down the street to the trailhead I got worried. It was colder than the proverbial witch's titty on a January night in Lapland. The benefit of the cold was that the trails were frozen solid and offering super-hero traction. The downside was that my fingers started to freeze 5 minutes into the ride.

The last 15 minutes of my hour ride were miserable. I couldn't feel my fingers and I was dreading the thawing out process. I've been there before and it sucks. Despite the issue of the cold, I was still out on my mountain bike on a weekday in January. I ignored the misery and enjoyed the ride.

Back at the house I had trouble getting the key to unlock the door. Gee. Zero feeling in the digits means very little coordination. Once inside my fingers eventually thawed out in a sink of warm water. I moaned a bit, but didn't shed any tears. 8-) No fun. It's after 9am now and my fingertips are still sore. Mittens next time! And perhaps a flask of hot espresso or brown liquor!


bloomberg.com - Michael Lewis on Davos.

npr.org - Juan Williams interviews our fearless leader. wtf. Is it 2008 yet? Snippet - “I’m not that good at pronouncing words.”

cyclocrossworld.com - Chris Milliman talks to the keeper of the Dugast flame.

fatmarc - Still on hiatus. Temporary I hope.

Jonathan Page - He's earned his spot on the top tier. Time for a new website. And perhaps a big RV.

cyclo-cross.info - My Flemish is rusty, but it sounds like Vervecken says...Of his 3 world titles he had to work hardest for this one (nice compliment to J. Page). When Erwin crashed and took Nys down the crowd was booing him, but the same fans booing were the ones cheering him along in the last lap. Wacky (drunk) Belgies. Wellens is done for the season. boo hoo.

www.wcsn.com - update: They have the Sporza feed from 'Cross Worlds and the picture quality is very good. It seems they have their own commentators from the U.S. and A. There are two links for the World Championships on the site. One of them is the Women's race. It's an on-demand streaming feed. I'm almost half-way through the Women's race and the quality is excellent! What a race! Katie is on the front of a big group pulling back Hanka. Check it out.

excellent 'cross worlds report

PezCycling News has a very nice report with some stunning photos.

Check it out here.

And you can still watch the elite Men's race at www.wcsn.com

You just have to pay $4.95 for a month-long subscription.

US 'Cross is riding the wave

Wellens, Nys, & Vervecken hit the deck.
At least Vervecken was able to come back from his uphill endo to ride back to the front and win the jersey. He is a class act and a nice guy. He's even travelled to the US and A to race & support cyclocross. I'm a fan.




cyclingnews - World Cup for the US in October. I hope this comes to fruition, but it doesn't sound like it's a done deal yet. It'll take a lot of money and an immense amount of work to get it done. The announcement and hype should help rally the troops to make it happen. I've been thinking about what Tom Stevens can do to the track at Roger Williams Park to make it more technical. Maybe a dumptruck load of sand? Right now it's too fast and untechnical if conditions are dry.

SSWC07 Singlespeed Worlds are on for September 1st & 2nd in Aviemore, Scotland. IMBA recently gave Scotland an "A" and named it Global Superstar in mountain biking. The Scots are known for their enjoyment of the drink as well. I won't be able to make it, but I predict a good time for those that make the journey.

I got out for a ride with Rita at Avalon on Saturday, but kept it short because we had a babysitter lined up for Sunday morning and a big ride planned. I woke up at 5am to watch the Elite Women's race at CX World's. After watching Katie take Silver I was fired up to ride. Then I poked my head out the door. 40 degrees and light rain. Not only did the trails not freeze up overnight, but the rain was making them worse. I had to settle for a very boring ride on the trainer watching Gunga Din. Ugh. The upside was that I rode during the little guy's name so we had more time to play...that's a workout too! 8-)

CitybikesMike had some cool news about the progress of the proposed skills park at Patapsco.
I'm looking forward to moving some dirt to help out with the construction.

The cold temps have returned so I might be able to get out for a 5am pre-sunrise ride in the morning.

wellens=douchebag

from www.cyclingnews.com

"Even though I had the best legs of the season I couldn't do much more than what I did. The jersey went to the wrong person, he shouldn't have won it even though he's a teammate. He deserves to be on the podium but the other guys don't," Wellens said.

To the beer tent!

Man, I'd love to be in the beer tent right now.

Party!

Last lap

Page and Vervecken have a good gap.

Page attacks!!!!!!!
XL BALLS!!!
He has a small gap.

My hands are shaking just typing this.

Don't look back Jonathan!

Franzoi is closing the gap to Vervecken and Page.
And the other chasers are close too.

Vervecken is back on Page but he's digging deep.
He passes Page.
Will it come down to a sprint?

Page attacks again!!!!!!!
Whoah!

In the sand.
Page rides it smoothly!!! Yeah!

Not much left.
It's going to be a sprint.

Page in front.
Vervecken right on his wheel.

Lapped rider in the way.
Page still in front.
Vervecken attacks up a short steep rise!

Shit!
Small gap.

Page needs to dig NOW!
Slick turn.
On the road.

Vervecken wins!
Page 2nd!
Franzoi in 3rd

3 Silver medals for the Americans!

Keep it clean

Page and Vervecken riding very smoothly and working well together.
This is a good situation for both of them.

Vervecken is attacking up the climb!
Page is gapped slightly.

It's not or never. He needs to dig deep and embrace the pain..
There's just over 1 lap to go.

Page is back on Vervecken's wheel.
The chasers are splitting up and not making up much ground.
But Wellens is still moving up.

Vervecken is looking good.
Page pulls through on the road section as they get the bell.
One lap to go!

Tiny gaps

The gaps are still very small in the first 7 riders.
Vervecken closes the gaps up the stairs. He is a great runner.

2 laps to go.

Page and Vervecken
Then a group of 4, but those guys have trouble in the mud.

Wellens is still fighting and moving up. Props for not giving up.

Page lets Vervecken through to do some work. Erwin sure as shit doesn't want to be caught by 2 Dutchmen! He must figure he can drop Page on the last lap.

Damn, I'm proud of Page and all of the Americans right now.
USA 'Cross is moving up in the world.

Here comes Vervecken!

Defending champion Vervecken is pushing hard to catch Page.

He's getting close, but Page is riding well, hitting the sand cleanly.

Franzoi goes over the bars in the sand!

Vervecken is going after Page.

Page changes bikes. Damn, he is staying cool and collected.

use the force

Come on Jonathan

Stay smooth

The Americans at the race must be going nuts

The chasers are right on Franzoi, but Page still leads by a few seconds.
I think it'll come back together.

Page looks smooth. He's staying within himself.
If they catch him I hope he can respond and stay with them for the sprint.

They are slowly bringing him back.

Therapy

The belgians are going to need some therapy.

Vervecken is still up there in the chase, but overall the Belgies are not having a good race.

Page leads up the road by a couple of seconds on Franzoi and a few more on the chasers.

3 laps to go.

How deep can he go?

Nervous moments

There's a lot of racing left, but if Page can stay at the front of the race the dude can spint.

My heart is racing just watching this race.

The chasing group is flying, but Franzoi and Page look smooth with a lead of about 5 seconds.

Page rides the sand smoothly and gets a little gap!

But uh oh, here come the chasers.

Jonathan looks good, but he'll need a little luck...but he's due some good luck.

dude!

Groenendal goes down in the mud!

Page and Franzoi catch and pass him as he has to get a fresh bike.

Holy shit.

Lotta racing left.

So far cycling.tv has been smooth. Although the picture is a bit fuzzy the audio is clear.

Nys down again!

Sven Nys joins the growing number of riders executing an uphill endo in this world championship race...all in the same spot! I think it's time to try a different line!

That's 3 crashes and counting for Nys. The guy has skills so you know this track is tough.

If J. Page can dig a little deeper right now he's going to be away with Groonendal and Franzoi with a decent gap. Holy shit.

He's up with Franzoi now, but the Belgians and Dlask are chasing.

Will Nys help Wellens chase down his Rabobank teammate?

Good stuff.

HARD & FAST!

Holy shit!

This course is HARD and the pace is FAST!

Page is still up there in the lead group in about 6th.

Grooenendal has a rocket up his ass, but one of my darkhorse picks Dlask is right there on his wheel.

Another crash as Vervecken and Nys tangle and go down.

I'm waiting for the Belgian fans to start losing it. If a Dutchman wins they may riot!

crashes

What's with all the crashes???
Nys, Wellens, Vervecken
The Belgians are choking like a bunch of rookie pole smokers!

Katie rocks!

It's 5:44am and I just watched Katie Compton put in a beautiful ride to take the Silver medal at Cyclocross World's, just a second or two off of the win! The last few laps were dramatic. I hope someone posts the full race on the web because I want to watch it again. I'll post a link here if that happens.

Katie - One step higher next year!

Time for some coffee.

I'll crack a beer for the men's race.

Guide to 'Cross Worlds

The best way to experience the Cyclocross World Championships is to catch a plane to Europe and watch the races in person. If you can't swing the trip then here is a guide to enjoying the races at home.

First, you need to figure out how to actually watch the race. As far as I know the only way is to subscribe to the UCI Live channel on Cycling.tv and tune in at 8:00am eastern. Barring the usual technical difficulties they will be broadcasting live with English commentary. I assume they'll show the elite Men's race, but I hope they'll show the others as well.

You might want to print out a map of the track so that you can follow along.

To get the full experience you need to be bundled up, standing in the cold, & drinking to stay warm. So, set up your laptop outside. You might need an umbrella to protect it from the elements and the beer. One bonus to watching outside means that you can go to the bathroom out in the open like the euros.

How cool would it be to get the live feed from Sporza and watch it on big-ass plasma?
Or, maybe you can hook up your computer to a real TV? If anyone knows about that let me know.

Now that you're set up to watch the race you need to gather Essential Supplies. Don't skimp here. Your enjoyment of the race will be predicated on your level of preparation.

Beverages
You need Beer and plenty of it. Preferably Belgian. Here is one area where you have it better than the slobs actualy at the event. They'll be stuck drinking Jupiler or some other swill. You can stock up on the good stuff. Just make sure you have the correct glass for each type of beer!


To really have an authentic experience you need to get a bottle of Apple Krones (some kind of schnaaps) and heat that crap up. Time to bust out some shot glasses and hide car keys.

Food
For any 'cross race you need a lot of calories. For Worlds you need extra. It would suck to bonk during a race of this magnitude.

Make a batch of Belgian waffles.

And then cook up a bunch of Frites


Eat plenty. You can diet later.

Spirit
In the motherland everyone shows their support for their favorites whether it's with the ubiquitous supportersclub jacket or in other creative ways.

Even though you'll be watching at home you need to find a way to show your support. The positive energy will find it's way over to Belgium and give your rider another gear.

To fully experience the mayhem you need to get a little crazy and let your freak flag fly. With the beer, shots, and food you should be primed and ready.




Post-race
If you did it right you might not remember exactly what happened so check the results and then get the first-hand scoop from racer blogs & websites.
Jonathan Page
Ryan Trebon
Erik Tonkin
Barry Wicks
Tristan Schouten
Christine Vardaros
TIAA-Cref youngun's
Simon Zahner posts here

I hope this guide helps you enjoy the experience to the fullest. If you have any other ideas or know of some Belgian dive bar that is broadcasting the races live please let me know asap.

Cheers!

Didn't they pre-ride?

No, this is not the C race. This is a World Cup.

Yo, how 'bout some hay bales?

Cue up Richard Fries..."Oh, the humanity!"

fun fun ride this morning

A couple of weeks ago the word spread that Fort James and some of the DE/PA crew were coming down for a tour of Avalon. Mel and I immediately lined up Grandma to babysit so that we could join in on the fun.

A big group of us met at the Rolling Rd. park-and-ride. This ride was organized by Trevor and included riders from all over, with many singlespeeders in attendance. I didn't know everyone, but there were a lot of us. Trevor, Jonathan, Dave, RickyD, Jason, Bob, Di, Bernie, Harshman, Poz, Tracy, Dominique, Melanie, Me, and a few others from the local area. Plus, we had a nice group come down from the Delaware/SE PA area: Fort James, Buddy, Ted Logic, Mike, and Randy (I think that was it). If I had all the nicknames this would sound like a fatMarc post. 8-) Needless to say, we were rolling deep.

We met up early to take advantage of the frozen trail conditions. It was cold. Actually it wasn't all that cold, maybe 29 degrees, but it was windy. Standing around in the parking lot the wind was sucking the warmth out of everybody. The upside is that we got moving pretty quickly as nobody wanted to linger and freeze their nuts off. Once we were in the woods it felt a lot warmer since we were protected from the wind. I pity the poor bastards that rode the roads today.

The ride started well and then after about 2 minutes Buddy's rear tire decided to blow off the rim. Luckily he was able to get it to seal back up with a hit of CO2 and some pumping. Stan's did the trick. Once we got rolling again we started climbing. Trevor wanted to show off some of the better downhills at Avalon so that meant hitting a lot of climbs too.

We worked our way over to Hilton/Hilltop. On the way we got to do a bunch of climbing, ride a lot of rocks, and even see Tracy take a swim in an icy creek. That was good entertainment, but unfortunately it meant that she and Poz headed home early to avoid hypothermia. Good call.

I think everyone enjoyed the riding over in the Hilton area. I know I did. Although I did chicken out on the last steep, sketchy pitch down the slope to the bike path. My mtb skills are rusty and mentally I'm seeing endos whenever I'm riding down something steep that has drops and rocks. I guess two cracked helmets in a season will do that, but I need to get over it.

After the plunge down from the Baltimore Co side we rode the path to the swinging bridge and crossed over into Howard Co. Then it was up the fire road and over to the Cascade trail. That's always a good climb and the rocky stuff above the falls is a fun challenge.

We avoided the next nasty climb and instead rolled up the gradual climb up to Landing Rd. and then to the jump trail. I hit a couple of the smaller jumps, but stayed off the bigger ones, but some of the guys were hitting them and having fun doing so.

Coming out of the jumps our group got split up a bit. Most everyone headed down toward the horse farm loop, but a few of the guys ended up bearing left and hitting part of the Ridge Trail. I was with the group on the farm loop. Aside from a couple of guys crashing on one of the downhills it was good.

We rolled back over to the 4-way and dropped down the waterbars at high speed, enjoying a bit of air on the way down. I think we would have been happy to keep riding, but everyone had things to do so we headed back to the cars for a beer.

Many of my mtb rides are solo and I enjoy them, but getting out with a big group like this is really a blast. Nobody's worried about training or any of that bullshit. We're all just out there enjoying the trails and each others company.

I can't think of a much better way to spend a Winter morning and I hope we do it again real soon!

Oh, and congratulations to Chris and Allison Eatough on the birth of their baby girl yesterday!

24 Solo Trailer

Check this out now!

The trailer for 24 Solo is up here.

I'm really looking forward to seeing this film.

unfavorable conditions

Photo 12
Originally uploaded by cbnystrom.

This photo from our Fall 2003 trip to Fruita is an illustration of good mountain biking conditions. You've got your sun, scenery, rocks, singletrack, and a good taco stand in town. Another trip out West to do a Fruita/Moab combo is on the to-do list for sometime in the future. I don't know when, but it'll happen.

Current conditions here in central Maryland are not favorable for mountain biking. We've had rain, followed by rain, and more rain. The trails are a mess.

After 'cross season I like to get out on the mtb a lot to make up for all the primo Fall rides I missed out on during the season. That hasn't happened this year.

Instead I've been torturing my legs riding the fixie around the Ellicott City hills. Yesterday I tried to hang on a group ride on my undergeared, overweight 'cross pit bike.

~MY~ road rides usually involve a stop at the Old Mill Bakery for coffee and pastry...just the fuel for a climb out of the valley. Fun stuff, but my legs feel like they do after the first run of the year. I guess I'm using my leg muscles differently?

What's next?

No 'cross worlds for me. I'd really like to go back, but it's just not going to work out this year. I know that everyone going over will have a blast. I'll be drinking a beer as I follow the coverage online.

My adventures for the coming months will be local, hopefully getting reacquainted with the local trails (if they either dry or freeze). Since I haven't been able to ride the trails I've been doing some maintenance on the piece of singletrack that leads from my neighborhood into the trail system. It's got a couple of low spots that hold water and widen as people ride around the muck. I've made some progress, but I still need to haul in a bunch more rock and gravel to shore things up.

I'm riding a 29er SS these days...yeah, I jumped the bandwagon. She's a Bianchi Rita and I'm in love. Initially the 32x18 gearing was a bit stiff on the steepest climbs. They were doable, but I always felt like I was going to get a hernia trying to muscle my way up.

I've got a 20T cog on there now, but I haven't been able to put it to the test. I think it'll be just right and make the Hilton/Hilltop area much more enjoyable.

Until things dry out I've got to find a way to get my mtb skills back. Maybe some urban assault at the local middle school? Use it or lose it.

A view with a memory

View from one of the 21 switchbacks
Originally uploaded by cbnystrom.

Digging through photos past I came across this shot from one of the switchbacks on Alpe d'Huez in 2004. I'm looking forward to riding in the Alps again someday.

let the good times roll

these are good times...really really fun times



What's also good times is having a babysitter this morning so that we could get out for a 2+ hour mtb ride in Avalon. My mtb skills are rusty while Melanie's have gone to the next level. She cleaned one nasty rock section that I flailed on (walked). 'Cross season is done so I'll be out on the trails more trying to get my mtb-groove back.

Laissez les bon temps roulez

Working

Hard at work on the Sesame Street work bench

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Originally uploaded by cbnystrom.

trains and trucks

IMG_2086.JPG
Originally uploaded by cbnystrom.

trains and trucks

and a day for family

Merry Christmas

Christmas morning

Merry Christmas

More Million Man Race video

2006 Cyclocross Nationals 35+ B



Thanks to Jeff Anderson for the footage

coffee time = chamois time = training time

Early morning spin down to the Old Mill Bakery for a mocha and a muffin.

122306_08391.jpg
Originally uploaded by cbnystrom.

I'm going to enjoy riding the fixie this Winter.

What's gonna work? Teamwork!

It looks like it's a toys and tv morning at home.
I'm guessing it's everyone's favorite show "The Wonder Pets"

122206_0913.jpg
Originally uploaded by cbnystrom.

Natz Souvenir

The bruise on my left leg is starting color up.
This is my souvenir from the 35+ B race when a guy swung his bike into me as we ran over the hurdles. Whoever it was I'd like to thank him. That was some fun racing!

122206_10501.jpg
Originally uploaded by cbnystrom.

CX Natz Sunday

Sunday at Cyclocross Nationals
35+ B race (196 starters!)
otherwise known as the Million Man Race

Sunday was a good day on the bike. My legs were still pretty cooked and I was tired, but I told myself over and over that I would race aggressively from start to finish. There would be no holding back, saving energy, or conceding a position. I was going to give everything and see what happened.

I joked to Bryan that I would get the hole shot and instead of turning right onto the grass I would go straight to the Compound to drink beer. I did get the hole shot, but I was feeling good so I kept on going. My plan changed to going as hard as I could until I blew up.



I made it across the off-camber cleanly and I was still on the wheel of 'cross legend Paul Curley.
That guy is strong and very crafty on the bike. I learned a few new tricks when it comes to controlling the riders behind you.



I was putting a hurting on myself riding near the front, but the cheers and encouragement of friends around the course helped me dig a little deeper. It meant a lot to me to have so much support.

Late in lap one as we came by the Pit I accelerated to the front of the lead group. I've actually got a video of me leading the freaking race for a bit. That's one for the digital scrapbook. I'll find a way to get the footage posted for posterity (my ego).

Attacking at this point was probably a bad idea since I ended up pulling the lead group along the gravel path and road right into a headwind. But I didn't care. This was my moment of glory, my chance to take race aggressively and not worry about the consequences.

Sometime toward the end of lap 2 I paid for my early aggressiveness. I was determined to turn myself inside out to hold onto the leaders, but a moment of inattention (or crosseyed-ness) allowed a small gap to open. I dug hard to close it, but I kept slipping away.

A strong chase group was close behind and they quickly caught me. I wasn't going to let them get away so I got out of the saddle and latched onto them on the upper road section. My buddy Mike Birner was in this group and we hung together for most of the race.



For the rest of the race we dropped some guys and got passed by other strong dudes (like Dag Selander) that started further back, but we didn't give up much ground. We gave it everything and pushed hard the entire way. With so many racers in the field you couldn't ease up for a second or there would be 10 guys riding past you. We suffered and we hurt, but it felt good!



This time over the hurdles was clean, but on the last lap I had a tangle with a guy that tried to squeeze me into a tree on the right side. His bike slammed my leg and I pushed back pretty hard with the elbow as we ran. It was intense, aggressive racing and I was loving it. I got around him and rode away.



I gave it everything on the last lap. Coming onto the road at the finish it was another guy, me, and Mike. When I hit the road my teammates and friends were screaming at me to catch the guy in front of me. The pain went away and I sprinted with everything I had to beat him by a wheel at the line to finish 20th, only 1 minute behind the winner. It was a very satisfying way to end the season.



Though I've had better placings this was my most rewarding race ever.
I pushed myself from start to finish harder than I ever have before.

20th place might not sound like much, but I feel really good about it.

With that my Nationals weekend came to a close. We loaded up the car, said our goodbyes, and rolled out during the collegiate race. I would have liked to have stayed for the Super Cup and Elite Women's race, but we had a 6+ hour drive home and I really wanted to get home to my family before my son went to bed.

We made it with an hour to spare and the smile on Thor's face when he saw me made my weekend. When I finally got to bed I was exhausted. I slept soundly until 1:30am when I awoke thinking about the race, the weekend, and the season. So many great memories and feelings passed through my brain as I lay there that I couldn't go back to sleep. Needless to say I was pretty wrecked on Monday, but I was still smiling.

CX Natz Saturday

Cyclocross Nationals Saturday

Exhaustion and beer led to a solid night of sleep. We awoke early to fuel up on coffee , oatmeal, and yogurt at the buffet. Morgan and Sam were racing early and we wanted to arrive early to get set up in the Pit.

Those guys had solid races against tough (and older) competition. They'll be back to challenge for the jerseys next year.

Sam's Dad, Harshman, Bernie, and I had the Pit covered.



After the Junior races I finally got my cooldown from the day before. I did a super-easy spin on trainer and then did a couple of laps on the course. It was firm and much faster than the day before.

The rest of the day was spent watching the U23 and Elite races. Fast dudes on a fast course was fun to watch. Trebon did as expected and went for the win immediately. He got the gap and kept riding away. Wicks was a good teammate as he had the chase group covered. Tim Johnson and Todd Wells put in an impressive charge to ride up to the chase group. I would have liked to have seen a couple of guys stick with Trebon longer, but it was still fun to watch.

I was pretty beat from running around and spending most of the day on my feet so I made the drastic decision to forgo beer on Saturday night. I was desperate to salvage a good ride on Sunday.

After another cold shower (I was 0 for 3 on hot showers) we hit Bertucci's again for another solid, no surprises Italian dinner. Butts drank enough beer for all of us. I got an Advil gel cap stuck in my right nostril in an attempt to swallow it through my nose.

On the way back to the hotel we had the surreal experience of seeing the police approaching an SUV that literally had the rear wheels falling off the axle. The lady in the passenger seat was dressed in a shower curtain and had some monstrous something or other on her head. And I really didn't drink that night. Bryan made a bid at getting us arrested by hooting at the cops as we drove past. Good times were had by all.

Back at the Holiday Inn Express I cleaned my drivetrain and did openers in the hallway. I'm sure that embarrassing photos will show up here sometime soon.

It had been a long, fun, and interesting day. Sleep came easily.

CX Natz Friday

Cyclocross Nationals Masters 35-39 (146 starters)
Friday, December 15, 2006

I'm disappointed with how I raced on Friday.

My legs felt good.
I had the course dialed in.
I got a great start.
I suffered, but had good power all the way through.

What did me in was that I was not aggressive enough. In a race of this caliber with 146 starters you have to get angry and fight for position. Hesitation is punished immediately. It looks like I was bit too mellow on the start line.

At the top of the starting stretch of road a few of the front guys slowed a bit before the curb bunnyhop onto the grass. I had a lane on the outside to keep accelerating, but I coasted and stayed on the wheel in front of me. Once I conceded that lane it was filled with a line of riders flying past me.

Onto the grass guys were throwing shoulders and chopping wheels to move up. I meekly allowed guys to move me off my line.

Once we made the tight turn next to the pit I snapped out of it and began asserting my position, but by this point I had been shuffled pretty far back.

I rode for a while with fatMarc in a pretty big group.


photo by Gina Harshman

It was good to have a friendly face in the group, but neither one of us was pleased with where we were in the race.


photo by Gina Harshman

Marc got the front of the group and I got tailed off the back. I was stuck solo with this group of about 12 dangling in front with another group of 10+ hovering just a few seconds behind me. I don't know where my head was, but I wasn't doing what is needed to stick with a group, much less ride through them.

Marc kept drilling it at the front of this group and I was pretty sure he was going to drop them all. My goal and motivation became keeping the group behind from catching me.

I started to feel better on the last two laps and was picking off a few guys from the group in front of me. Near the end Marc crashed and drifted back to me. I was bummed for him, but we still had racing to do. I got by him on the final run-up and hit the road 2nd wheel in our group.

I followed the intial sprint easily, but I hesitated when the front guy slowed. Marc came blasting around us with an impressive sprint. It was another moment of hesitation for me, but as fast as Marc was sprinting I wouldn't have been able to hold him off. I still got second in the group for a less than stellar 62nd place finish.

My cool-down consisted of riding back to the car, changing clothes, and running to the Pit to work for Harshman and Butts in the 30-34 race.

This race was amazing and erased any negative vibes from the day. Chris and Bryan rode well, although untimely crashes cost them some spots. Neither one needed a bike change, but I yelled myself hoarse everytime they came by the Pit. Teammate Dusty Labarr also rocked it to finish a very respectable 28th. He started 88th.

The highlight of the day was seeing Ryan "DVdV" Leech put in an inspiring ride to win the 30-34 National Championship with a puke-inducing sprint to the line. Wes Schempf also rode a brilliant race to finish 9th after a first lap bike tangle at the hurdles.

At the end of the day I was exhausted and hungry. After a shower it was off to a Thai/pan-Asian place called Lemongrass (i think) for a very good dinner.

After dinner we hung out at E-Town (check his racing mullet in photo #9) and D-Dub's suite drinking Belgian beers and socializing with the DCC of D. Katie Compton was in the house, relaxed and confident. That's the first time I've met her and she is very cool. I hope she puts on a show at Worlds.

After a few beers it was time for some much needed sleep.
zzzzzzzzz

CX Natz - Thursday

Cyclocross Nationals Thursday

Bryan and I rolled out of my driveway by 6:30 for the drive to Providence. After a quick stop for bagels, juice, and coffee we were on I-95 heading North.

The drive up was surprisingly easy. We made it to the Holiday Inn Express in Warwick (Waaahwick) by 12:30. The parking lot was full of bike racks and bike racers. Everyone was getting ready to head to Roger Williams Park to preview the course. After checking in and dropping off our bags that's where we headed too.

We pulled up to the impressive DCC of D - Mid-Atlantic Compound. The brainchild of Tom McDaniel it consisted of a heated changing trailer, rows of bike racks, a line of stationary trainers, and a multi-room heated tent. In the tent was a food/coffee area and a lounge. Everyone pitched in to make it happen, but special recognition has to go to Tom and Suzy Gerlak. Our compound was the envy of many. Wristbands and a bouncer kept the riff-raff out. 8-)

At quarter of two a massive crew of MAC racers crossed the tape to preview the track. Course pre-ride's are one of my favorite things in 'cross and doing it with such a great group of people was really cool. I was smiling the entire time...except for during a couple of start efforts where I was definitely not smiling.

I wanted to keep riding the course until dark, but with a big race the next day I rolled back to the car after an hour and a half. It's easy to get lost driving around Providence and we did our best. I-95 runs right next to the Park, but it took us over 30 minutes to find a way to get on it. We did get to explore some sketchy neighborhoods and listen to people with thick New England accents try to give us directions. Even they weren't quite sure how to get on 95.

Next up was a slow dinner at Bertucci's. Bryan ate about a dozen rolls and I think they tacked on an extra charge for them. From there Suzy drove us to the Westin to pick up numbers. Of course, we got lost and made some interesting turns to make our way there. Number pick up was super smooth and we were on our way very quickly.

Back at the MAC race hotel we drank a beer and got our numbers pinned on before turning out the lights. Thankfully, sleep came easily.

35+ B video

Someone posted this video on YouTube.

It's from the 35+ B race (Million Man Race) on Sunday at Cyclocross Nationals.

This was on the roller-coaster section of the bowl about two-third's of the way through the first lap.

I'm in 4th place at the time going all out to escape the carnage that is inevitable when there are 196 riders in a 'cross race.

A few words about Natz

I'm back from Providence, but I'm pretty wrecked so this will be short.
I have a lot to say once I can figure out how to put it into words.

Here are some things from the trip that were amazing:
-Ryan Leech's heart-stopping, come from behind, jersey winning ride in the 30-34 race.
-The MAB/S
-The DCCofD and auxilliary organizations
-Tom McDaniel's uber-pimped out Mid-Atlantic Race Compound
-The support and camaraderie of everyone.
-The pain I put myself through on Sunday. I think I pushed through to another level.

I'll try to put the weekend into words (and hopefully photos) soon.

Dieter wins!

I didn't think a Belgian was eligible to win the jersey, but perhaps he has dual citizenship

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Originally uploaded by cbnystrom.

Uber-Pimp

The DCCofD/Mid-Atlantic Compound

121506_10471.jpg
Originally uploaded by cbnystrom.

Providence

We're here.
Time to get unloaded and check out the course.

121406_12381.jpg
Originally uploaded by cbnystrom.

final approach

Cyclocross Nationals are just days away and the weather is looking up. Warm & mostly dry. I am looking forward to not dealing with frostbite and hypothermia. Last year my fingertips were still numb 2 weeks into January.

Wed 48/41 60% chance of showers
Thurs 52/38 partly cloudy & slight chance of showers
Fri 51/35 partly cloudy & slight chance of showers
Sat 51/43 partly cloudy
Sun 53/35 partly cloudy

I could see the track being a little sloppy on Thursday, but gradually firming up as the weekend progresses. For Friday I'm guessing it'll be a little torn up and slick.

I hope the organizers get everything together. Last year was a bit chaotic, but the weather was partly to blame. So far things still seem pretty unorganized.

If they took some of the energy being used to pimp the host hotel and used it to communicate some details about the event people wouldn't perceive a lack of organization.

I'm pretty tranquil about it but for an event of this importance there should be more communication between promoter & racer.

It sounds like the racer technical guide will be released later today so that's a step in the right direction.

Our crew is rolling deep and in style. I've got my bikes as dialed in as they're going to get and my gear and supplies are piled up in the garage awaiting an early Thursday departure. One more stop to the store from some Belgian beers and I'll be ready. I hope to have good legs, but either way I'm going to have fun.

Playground

After days of frigid weather we got a nice break on Sunday.
It was sunny and almost 60. We headed over to the playground for fun playing on the jungle gym and picking up rocks...and visualizing a cyclocross course in the park.

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Originally uploaded by cbnystrom.

Choo Choo

The local fire station has an amazing model train display set up for the holiday. Trains + Fire Engines = A lot of fun for a 19 month old toddler.

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Originally uploaded by cbnystrom.

pvc boots

Now we're looking at rain Wednesday through Friday with decent weather for the weekend.
Mid-40's and Partly cloudy Saturday and Sunday.

We'll have mud for sure, but it'll be much nicer if it's not raining.

I picked up a cheap pair of 16 inch rubber boots last night.
As long as the hotel has a washer & dryer I'm ready for the slop.

A buddy of mine is building a pump track and a trials area in a big wooded section of his backyard. Looks like I'll be doing some digging and log hauling this winter. Maybe I'll actually acquire some skillz. It'll be fun trying.

Natz weather whether wither

The extended forecast for Natz...

Wed - Few Showers 30%, Hi/Low 48/37
Thurs - Scattered Showers 60%, 49/36
Fri - Scattered Showers 60%, 49/32
Sat - Scattered Showers 30%, 42/31

Rain + Temps above freezing + A lot of racers = A torn up course and plenty of action in the pit

The weather in New England is finicky so this could change dramatically, but for now it looks like rubber boots and rain coats will be the fashion trend in Providence next weekend.

Fringe sport

Cyclocross = Bike racing + chess match + NASCAR + WWF wrestling + travelling circus

Speaking of utopia

One thing consistent in all visions of utopia must be the concept of doing a night ride on singlespeeds with your wife.

Tonight we had a babysitter and got out for a beautiful SS ride under a full moon.

It was cold.

It was fun.

One step closer to utopia.

Time to finish this bottle of Blue Moon Pumpkin Ale.

word.

Utopia

To clarify an earlier point I believe we have achieved a state of killer B utopia in the MAC.

Nobody dominated.
A lot of guys were consistently good.

We had parity.
And not a watered-down NFL parity.

Each race a lot of different guys believed they could win...and they were right.
If the season were longer there would be more different winners.

The competition was fierce.
Nobody gave an inch.

The only downside is that we don't have anyone to target for email abuse.
Except maybe that Bike Doctor guy in the 10am race at Reston.