TC Training Camp: Day Seven

The day began with a kiwi cup of coffee and oatmeal with my dad, the Bill Murray look-a-like that refused to be captured on film. The pellet stove hummed warmly, staving off the disgusting cold weather out of doors. They day only needed a bike ride to be perfect.

This afternoon, the last scheduled ride of the TC training camp, I was joined by Dennis Bean-Larson of the famous Fixed Gear Gallery and Hell Yes clothing. DBL showed me his workshop, filled with tons of rare and attractive bikes, parts and memorabilia. It was a dusty sort of heaven and a real treat to finally see. We headed back out toward Cedar, spinning and talking bikes and life, genuinely enjoying both for the moment. I worked in a 35 minute attack on Lawson Road and the climb up Bellinger, but the majority of the two hours and twenty minutes was spent rolling nice and easy. Every cyclist should seize a day to just that. Appreciate it; we never remember just how lucky we are.

Big shout out to DBL for the ride and the knowledge.

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Barry-Roubaix Preview

Here is a quick video preview of the 35 mile course at Barry-Roubaix in Middleville, Michigan. March 26th, 2011 will mark the first race of the season for the Bohunk, the beginning of a ninth month expedition around the state, seeking cycling glory and free stuff.

http://vimeo.com/20900076

 

Thanks to Rick Plite, the race promoter and the other guy in the video.

TC Training Camp: Day Six

The Bohunk scurries up the Muur…(This is what I imagine I look
like on the bike. Everyday.)
About a mile and a half from getting home from my ride today, a middle-aged woman waddling across the road with her equally wide pal made a comment about me. It’s rare I actually hear people say anything because I am most often cruising along too fast or too far away. But this lady, I heard. As I rounded a corner and tore into the pavement to keep the pace up, she said, quite flatly, “Well, he is serious.” Yes, ma’am, I am. And let me tell you why…

Your skills of perception, madam, are lacking. What you saw was a 22 year old in tight clothing on a full suspension bicycle that is more than a bit too big for him. But what that young man really was doing was launching an attack off the front to get a gap over a select group of eight, including, just to name a few, Fabian Cancellara, Thor Hushovd, Tylar Farrar and Juan Manuel Garate. And trust me, the young man you saw was digging himself to China in an effort to get away.

You believe you saw this on a normal, cold and wet Thursday in Traverse City, Michigan, whilst in (my) reality, I was really just rolling of the top of the Muur climb at the Tour of Flanders, Belgians yelling and spiting obscenities at me in a drunken fervor as if I was Lance Armstrong his very self. You can see then, ma’am, that yes I was indeed quite serious. Thank you heartily for taking a moment to notice.

The sixth day of the TC Training Camp was a mountain-bike-on-the-road-ride because of the deep slush and snow on most of the roads. I only did an hour and twenty minutes and about 22 miles because of a very strong and cold wind, but I was really feeling the effects of a long run yesterday. Looking forward very much to the weather tomorrow, which promises partly cloudy skies and a temperate 37 degrees. More from the roads tomorrow!

TC Training Camp: Day Four

There are, in the lives of men, moments of clarity and unrivalled certainty. Today, whilst on my bicycle, I absorbed some of those moments. Not in a performance sense, but an olfactory one. It is Fat Tuesday, and the small village of Cedar fell into my route about an hour and a half from starting. The quaint little town is famous for the Polish Festival each summer, and it flashed its famous Polish freak flag today as well. The local mini-mart/bakery/butcher/gas station filled the entire town with the sweet sugary scent of paczkis so thickly that I had a bit lingering on me for a mile or two, and that on top of an awful lot of sweat and mud. The Polish flag thhst flies on the hill overlooking Cedar was proudly flapping, and the Bohunk has never been so fond of my fellow Eastern Europeans as on this very day. The ride itself was forty miles with about 1,700 feet of climbing on four hills and a handful of undulating inclines around lealanau peninsula. The weather got up to a very comfortable 36 degrees and the wind was only troublesome for a short portion of the ride. Afterwards I was lucky enough to see the fixed gear wizard himself, Dennis Bean-Larson, for some bike talk. We are looking to create a Cyclocross squad for the fall. The kit, I will note, is awesome and I think the project as a whole would be an impressive product to get the Fixed Gear Gallery and Hell Yes Clothing some great exposure. As always, the link to both sites can be found to the right of this post. Thanks for checking on with the Bohunk, and I'll keep you updated on everything as it comes up.

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