Packed

Mornin' Bike Riders...

T-Minus 22 hours until the journey officially starts. Actually, the journey started back in Sept. when I was given the go ahead to start booking it and then started the training.

The bag is packed already... partly to make sure I got it all packed and partly because it's swim practice night for the kids... time will go fast.

~c

Ted, the PRO

Howdy Bike Riders...

I'd like to talk about a fella I knew back in my LBS (Local Bike Shop) days. I only knew him as Ted. Ted was supposedly a former PRO that rode with Zoetemelk as a teammate back in the old days... the days of Merckx, DeVlaeminck and the like. Ted was from the Czech Republic and had quite a thick accent. He was a domestique supposedly.

Ted was a customer at the shop. He would only talk to me for some reason and he only brought his bikes to be serviced to the shop when I was there. I think it had something to do with the fact that I raced road and the other shop help was into BMX. Regardless, he'd call down and bring his stuff to be worked on. Make no mistake, all of his equipment was PRO. Colnago frames with Campagnolo C Record gruppos... all needing prep and builds... even the wheels. He would bring in the correct spokes all the way down to the bar tape and PRO cable crimps... all for me to build. In a shop that serviced the local POS Sears bikes and pretentious BMX'r bikes... it was the highlight of my day.

After a couple of seasons of building up his steeds, he asked me if I had time for a ride. I agreed. I have to say that the day I rode with him was the cap on the bottle that he had ridden as a PRO at one point in his life. He never left the big ring and his sinewy legs hinted that he had lived a hard domestique life of getting bidons and having his nose in the wind all of the time. That 40 mile ride was an exercise of hanging on for dear life. I was wrecked... and he was all smiles.

After that ride I asked him about only coming to me at the shop... his reply. "You build the wheels for me last year. I see you use spoke prep, spoke washers and checking to make sure each spoke was right length. I see you respect the parts I bring in and that you feel each spoke for tension. You ask me how I ride and how I want them to feel and you adjust the tension. You ask me if I want rear tied and soldered. These things tell me that you know what you are doing. I still ride and love those wheels and they are still true after one year."

I never did ride with Ted again. My time at the shop was coming to an end as I was heading to college. He did ask me for my number to do work for him and I did build a few more sets of wheels.. one set of tubs and a light set of clinchers for him. 23 years later, I still think about the pride I felt in my work from his comments and how if I ran into him today (if he's still kicking around)... that I'd be more than happy to build up some wheels or a bike for him.

Oh yeah... why I tell this story... on that ride we took, he told me of the years he rode Paris Roubaix and having to fetch bidons for his captain... and of hitting the deck multiple times. He also told me how hard the cobbles are and how he rode them to survive. I told him I would someday ride those roads and remember his tips to me.

I remember these details with only 7 days left until my trip.

~Curly

Business Simplification

Afternoon Bike Riders...

Ol' Curly is down to 14 days for a trip over the cobbles and many details are being settled. The bike being one of them. After much pondering over the last 20 minutes and in light of my Tour guide's e-mail suggesting I simplify my experience by "hiring a proper" racing bike for the ride... I have decided to forego the $300 expense of bending over for TSA and American Airlines and hiring one of the fine steeds from Sporting UK's stables.

Now this part is for Martaint: YES, I know it has a compact crankset... Yes, I f'n know that those wheels will probably explode under the forces that I generate from just sitting on a bike... YES, I'm fully aware that I'll have to tweak the fit a bit to make sure it mirrors my race bike in true Baratto spirit... I'd like you to consider a few other things Mr. Martaint that figure in...

• It's going to cost less than $100 for me to rent it
• It's going to cost less than $100 if I destroy it
• It's going to be lovingly cared for for my entire trip by someone else
• It's going to weigh 17lbs vs 21lbs
• It's going to be carbon and not steel
• and finally, I'm going to bring my own stem, saddle, pedals and the like for good measure

Yes, it would have been a nice sentiment to have Il Barone take on the stones and come back with some battle scars, I'll admit... but now I'll be freed the 60lbs of travel girth and the fear that my precious rain bike might get verbally and physically abused by American Airline's gorillas for the mere price of $300...

So... bring on the Verenti... I welcome this rental bike with open arms and taint...

~Curly

More Frites than you can handle!!!

Not much research needed for the best Frites in Brussels. Antoines is hands down the number one pick for frites and most likely I'll gravitate towards Andalous sauce for my condiment... and maybe Mayo...

Parcours - No Arenberg

Mornin' Bike Riders...

The course map and rundown is up and posted. Ol Curly was a little bummed that the Arenberg Forest was omitted from the course probably due to the severity of that secteur and the amount of mechanical help riders might need after rolling that collection of stones...

Oh well... might just have to divert over to it...

~Curly

A Baron in Roubaix

Howdy Bike Riders...

We're down to a Gent-Wevelgem and a Ronde van Vlaanderen away from rolling the stones of Roubaix. That said, I'd like to cover some of the details of the bike that's going with me.

Now Ol' Curly would be lyin' if he said he didn't secretly want to ride his 17lb carbon steed into the Roubaix Velodrome... hands in the air... pounding his fist at the accomplishment... but it ain't gonna happen. There's just too good of a chance that said carbon bike would be shipped back to the good ol' USofA into a few more pieces than it left with. So... with a few modifications, Ol' Curly will be rollin' the Baron Outsider over the Euro-stones. Here's a rundown of the mods to the bike.

First off, the bike got a good teardown and cleaning. In replacing the cables, Ol' Curly discovered that he'd really only had a few more miles left in his rear derailleur cable anyway as he had missed the nearly broken through part that entered the rear D... The bike also got a new 44t inner chainring... since there's not much elevation change, probably more important to have a tall enough inner for keeping the tension on. In replacing this chainring, Curly's gargantuan stremph busted one of the FSA alloy bolts in 2... probabaly good that it happened now...

Tires were lovingly mounted with new Vittoria tubes to the handbuilt by Curly wheelset... and a new set of copper wires is about to be tied and soldered to the rear wheel spoke crossings. If'n Curly breaks a spoke, he'll want it staying in place until he can safely fall into the gutter. Surprisingly, with 1200 miles on them, these wheels didn't need to be touched. They still sing with the trueness that comes from a Curly wheelbuild. The cassette also received a thorough polishing.

Among other mods... Scuffing of the brake rotors, new brake pads, Simicrome hub polishing, severe chain cleaning, new BB and a giant smathering of Loctite on each and every bolt that needs to stay put.

Lastly, not pictured are the new rolls of white handlebar tape and chainkeeper to keep that Wipperman in its' place. I also added a hose clamp around the base of the seatpost to add a little insurance to the seat height.

So, there you have it... That's pretty much it... A steel rain bike should have enough strength to survive the cobbles... and beers... and frites...

~Curly

Tires for the Euro Stones

Howdy Bike Riders...

With less than 3 weeks left until Paris Roubaix week, it is time to start configuring the bike to roll over the Euro stones as much ease and grace as one can when you're riding on paths meant for cattle and farm equipment.

I'll give a broader overview of the entire bike in the next few days... in the meantime, I'll toss you a few bones. Today, we're talking about tire choice. For Paris Roubaix, I've decided to go with the Vittoria Open Pave EVO CG. I usually ride the Open Pave CG in a 23 for the Summer and I've had great luck with them. I can count maybe one flat in the last 4 years and it was due to my own stupidity of riding through some glass and not performing the moving tire brush maneuver.

I will concede that if you use these tires out of the box, they will pick up cuts more easily. The workaround is to be diligent and clean your tread every so often... back filling the cuts with a little black contact rubber. Fortunately, I've learned that next season's tires need to be purchased this season and allowed to cure a little. Even more fortunate, is that I have a set of seasoned Open Pave EVO CGs nicely cured and ready for some cobble riding... and they're 24s.

I am sure that I will flat at least twice during the route... and these tires seem to be easy to change on my DT rims. Loose enough to handle with a single tire lever and supple enough to locate any perpetrating tire flatteners in the casing. They also have one helluva nice tread pattern which makes me feel more secure even though there have been many studies and marketing efforts to convince me that a slick tire has more road contact. I call BS and will always go for treaded tires.

I will not be riding with Tuffy's or Slime or any other crap like that. I know from experience that these "24s"... they actually look wider... will cushion my ride as much as possible with out pinching as long as I don't go below 85lbs of pressure. I also know that while they are "FAT" as racing tires go, they do not feel fat or slow. Of course, I have real perspective on how bad some of the roads will be, the majority will be on paved roads and I wanted a tire to be able to roll along on those as well without making me feel like I'm riding through mud.

So there you have it... Of course, I'll let you know how they worked or didn't work... but then I'm not sure there is any kind of tire that would be perfect for everything.

~Curly

Alexi Grewal Comeback... YESSSS!!!

Howdy Bike Riders!

I can't believe Ol' Curly missed the news on this, but better late than never right? Curly's hero, Alexi Grewal... winner of the 84 Olympic Road Race... rider of the Tour de France... winner of multiple Bob Cook memorial hill climbs... is making a PRO comeback at age 50... Fuggina 50!

His base training has been on a bike that most would laugh at... with regular old pedals and hiking boots. This is the kind of comeback America needs. A Rocky-esque approach to kicking ass again and taking names.

You can follow his chronicles HERE! You can support his efforts HERE!

Ol Curly will be pulling for Alexi... and you should too. This could be one of the best things about 2011 PRO cycling.

Later... 46 days until the Cobbles.

Curly

Embrocations... aka The Hot Cream

Howdy bike riders...

As promised, Curly is offering his wisdom this morning on a thing called "embrocations"... which is just fancy talk for leg cream that gets hot on your skin to keep you warm when it's cold.

Now, Ol' Curly has always been a fan of The Greyhound Juice for his skin scorching needs, but since they have retired and the last remaining jars of it will be running out soon, I decided to source something else for the upcoming trip to cycling's cobbled mecca. Yes, by the looks of the weather patterns of late, Roubaix should be cold and wet... only by the grace of the good lord, will it be dry.

Now, some of you might be sayin'... "but Curly... you should just wear leg warmers or tights"... to which I say... Bullshit! You don't do a ride like this without doing some intentional harm to yourself like wimping out and wearing warm clothes... Besides, with all of that vibration, they'll most likely ride down and piss me off 400m into the ride... sorry "race".

So, what's the verdict on this Mad Alchemy? I've done a couple of rides with it and I must say that like a lot of embrocations, it has just the right sting to it. Enough chili powder to cause a rash and keep you warm.

So, let's cover some of the DOs and DON'Ts of wearing embrocations on yer rides...

DO:

• Wash yer hands after applying it liberally to your legs
• Not touch your eyes or membranes with this stuff
• Not touch your balls or genitalia with this stuff**
• Wash it off post ride with soap and very lukewarm water

DON'T

• Touch your eyes or membranes with this stuff
• Touch your balls or genitalia with this stuff
• Wash it off with warm water
• Hop into the hot shower thinking that's a good way to wash it off
• Rub it into your manly chest thinking it'll feel good

**You may touch the balls and genitalia of your riding buddies at your own risk and leisure

Now, some of the previous lessons Curly has learned the hard way. Like the HOT shower wash off method. Just when the embrocation gives you the "all's clear" sign to wash it off, is a bad time to do so... It's a trick... Don't do it.

So, in summary... Mad Alchemy is a fine product... easy to goop on your fingers and rub into your uncovered legs. The color gives a pseudo-tan to the pasty-white legs of the terminally trainer bound. Ol' Curly gives this brand a thumbs up... and will be using it for the Cobbled Classic.

Kicks Addendum:

It seems that Curly's last post prompted someone to question Curly's actual ownership of The Northwave Tom Boonen Editions... This was due to the use of the stock photo. So here you go varmint... A fine artistic photo of Curly's well-worn shoes...

Cobbled Kicks

How Bike Riders...

83 days until Paris Roubaix week, and now is as good a time as any for Ol' Curly to talk about the kind of shoes you need to ride Paris Roubaix. Now a lot of folks will tell you that it don't matter what kicks you use to ride such a race, but I think they're wrong.

It takes a special shoe to help you get through the cobbles. I know half of you are now out on the interwebz... Googling up photos of the last few Paris Roubaix winners to see what shoes they're wearing and you're wasting your time. You're only going to find cleverly doctored images of Sidis. I'm talking about a real shoe for us fellas who feet shaped like clubbed feet. The kind of shoes worthy to never be covered by a sissy winter shoe cover... which don't really work anyway.

I'm talking about the Northwave Aerator 3V (V for velcro only)... Why this fine shoe is used by none other than Tornado Tom Boonen. I know it was used by him too, cuz they have his signature on the top strap. Talk about a carbon sole stiff enough to put your foot to sleep in just a few pedal strokes. These shoes are so tough, they come with a manly yellow paper-thin footbed and a cork footbed option.

Of course, I own a pair. Anything good enough for Tom is good enough for Ol' Curly. Why I'm no Podiatrist, but I'm 110% sure that these shoes have magic powers. I remember quite well, my very first ride with these fine shoes. It was the STP. My glistening white with blue accents cycling shoes were the buzz of the other riders for sure... I also remember jacking up the carbon soles quite well trying to get an onion burger at the Winlock burger stand... but that story is for another day.

Now, I didn't make it to Portland that year... but I attribute my retirement in shame to my lack of doing any rides over 50 miles that year than I do to the shoes.

So there you have it... a Curly endorsement for the Northwave Aerator 3V Tom Boonen Edition shoe... I'd tell you to go out and buy some but all of 2007's stock was snatched up from Chainlove.com when they were blowing them out at $50 a pair...

Ol' Curly will keep feeding you a nugget or two for the next 80+ days... Next stop... Embrocations.

Keep yer shirt on.

Curly

Paris Roubaix Research

Howdy Red Riders...

Ol' Curly has been doing some research for this big bike race called "Paris-Roubaix"... ever heard of it? Seems that the little ol' tour that curly signed up for prior to the PRO race is going to be something of a race... and sponsored by the ASO-holes... OK, so maybe a cyclotour isn't really a big race like say Pacific Raceways or Chilly Hilly... but I guess people go fast and try to get a good time. Perhaps Ol' Curly should think about getting a TT bike for it and a set of them fancy disc wheels.

Regardless, Curly will be rolling a 62 up front to help ease the taint pounding good time that will occur.

By I digress... Ol' Curly has been doing some research on Paris-Roubaix and it seems that the roads aren't really all that great. People get hurt and stuff and ifn' it rains, those cobbles can be slick. There's an entire book out (see picture above) on how painful and dangerous this cyclotour can be... I found it interesting that there's never been a "women's" race... Now the old Curly might have offended some in the past around this subject, but I'd like to think that the reason that the lady-folk don't try to pound themselves into a pulp to try and win a trip around a velodrome and a fancy cobbled trophy is that maybe they're just a lot smarter than the men-folk sometimes...

So, back to the book... it's a good read... packed full of pretty pictures for those that don't read so good as well as some tidbits about Curly's old friend "The Cannibal" and some other fellas that didn't die doing the race... It gets a two thumbs up from Ol' Curly.... even if all you want to do is look at the pretty pictures.

Stay tuned... Ol' Curly has a few posts coming soon about the type of equipment he'll need to ride the cyclotour... and I don't mean Chimay glasses and brown paper to wrap the frites in...

Peace...