Falling In Love, Not Off Bike

Way back in the 80's they marketed "click shift" or Shimano SIS.
It revolutionized shifting on your bike. I was one of the few remaining hold outs then, opting to stay with my ultra aero Dura Ace AX top mount friction shifters. ..so close that I could shift both front and back to perfection with one finger and thumb of the same hand. At one with my bike. I took the old AX down tube shifters off two months ago.



Now not only do I click when I shift but I shift from my brake levers too. It's something to fall in love, but to fall in love with two things at once....I feel like Milli Vanilli.

So, My hip is good. Only a little sore. I have raced on it twice and felt pretty good. Two Tuesdays ago was Spokane Rocket Velo's Twilight installation The Liberty Road Race. I was to drive a follow car but felt good enough to ride and Alan found a replacement so I put on my helmet. A short description of the race: Great rolling course. Emde guys launching off and staying off constantly. I took one vicious pull at one point determined to reel in the White, Blue and Red Emde....pull him back a bit and the rest finished only to have them jump again. That's what we're here for. Good work Emde guys! I noted two other things...Joey "JT" Fountian and his crazy spinning single speed legs, and his buddy Zach who almost never stopped talking the whole race...really loud too. I mean, he's a funny and nice guy but at one point I actually moved my pack position just to get some quiet. ha ha...well, he ended up taking the sprint win. I crossed a happy 13th barely edging out Matt from Two Wheeler Dealer in a kind of joking finish...Thanks to the Eric and the SRV fellows for offering to have me race with them that night...Ah, to race with my teammates again.....

Tonight was the Chapman Lake Long course. Another nice roller course. The Rollers almost killed me once but thanks to a little encouragement from SRV's Mike Sirott I had to buck up and hold on. SRV raced with a plan tonight. It was pretty much all orange and blue. Matt(two wheeler) and orange and blue were off the front for almost half the race....finally being caught. Erika(riverstone) did some good work at the front, i noticed a new young blue jersey kid racing hard....there's a kinda squirrely dude who wears a yellow jersey who ALWAYS throws up a few attacks too...
The infamous finish line crash from early season happened on this course so many of us were a little anxious...the sprint was WAY slow to develop. It was well after the 1K sign that Scott McSpadden rumbled up the shoulder like a frikkin bear...a fast bear....I was row three-ish, went around a few people and jumped on an orange and blue wheel and stayed on that wheel, in my saddle till about 150m at which time I did my best available sprint....no one came around me...no crashes...and right at the line...for the second race in a row....I edged out Matt. When I noticed it was him we both laughed....3rd and 4th is better than 13th and 14th! I'm sure you'll get me soon bro!


I love riding and racing. Thanks to the clubs and volunteers for your work.

Whitefish with my teammates? word.