Ritual

Almost everyone I know who races has some sort of pre-race ritual. These rituals can vary as widely as the personalities that they are attached to. From what you eat, and when you eat it, to how you prepare yourself for an event. These rituals can range from how you pin your number on, to which shoe goes on first. We all have some form of ritual, whether we recognize them or not.

As for me, I go one step further. The pre-pre-race ritual for me focuses entirely on the machine. For without the machine, I am merely a spectator. The pre-pre-race ritual involves a top to bottom review of the machine. And the first step always includes a wash. Sure a dirty bike proves to an onlooker that you actually get out and train. But a clean bike on race day shows that you care about what the outcome of the race may be. Showing up to a race with a dirty bike in my opinion is like showing up being prepared to lose. Why? Simple. Someone who looks after their machine on a regular basis knows that it will work for them when they may perhaps need it most.

To start a race being undertrained is one thing. To start a race not knowing for sure if your bike will work flawlessly is inexcusable. I'm sure you have heard the stories post race of how someone would have made the selection or out kicked someone in the sprint if only their derailleur would have shifted better. I have also seen more than once someone lose a crank arm. A crank arm? Yup, had that racer gone over their bike and been familiar with all of its parts a crank arm would have never come off. This is where the pre-pre-race comes into its own.

The most important thing is to start with a clean bike. Get a bucket, a hose, a few brushes, a sponge and some dish soap and water. A good cleaning can go a long way in keeping a bike running smoothly. And a routine cleaning after muddy or rainy events can prolong the life of a drivetrain. Rinse it off, scrub it down, repeat as necessary. A clean bike can also reveal things that a dirty bike may not. With the abundance of lightweight carbon fiber parts on bikes these days, a clean bike can reveal the tiny cracks in stems, handlebars and seat posts that otherwise might not have been noticeable. I would rather discover that I have to replace a seat post that has devoleped a crack in it in the driveway, rather than the crux of a race when the post fails.

Once the machine has been throughly cleaned and dried, take the time to look over the shifting mechanisms from the derailleurs, to the shifters, and cables. A smaller brush and some degreaser can clean out the rear mechanism and a few drops of lube on the pivot points can keep everything running smoothly. At this time you can also check and make sure the brakes are working properly and the pads are hitting the rim squarely. A quick check of the cables and their tensions is also a good idea at this time. The chain should have been scrubbed with a stiff brush during the wash. Now check for any tight links and apply a lube to each roller. Wipe off the excess and the drivetrain is complete.

At this point you should turn your attention to the frame, fork and components. Check the high stress areas first. If there were any crashes recently check for any additional damage. Check the fork crown for stress cracks and make sure the drop outs are in good condition. Seat posts, stems and handlebars are the controls of the machine. Make sure they are secure and are not broken in any way.

Wheels and tires are the last thing to be checked for me. Start with a spin of the wheel and make sure there are no wobbles. A rim that rubs a brake pad not only wastes energy, but could signal a larger problem. Check the tires for cuts, and make sure they are seated in the rim. If using tubulars, make sure the base tape is still firmly attached all the way around and on both sides. Finally check the wheel alignemnt in the frame and fork and make sure the skewers are securely fastened.

One final thing. If you are using white or colored tape, a scrub brush and some soapy water will return them to a new appearance. For the ultimate in PRO cleanliness, also be sure to clean the mud off of the bottom of the saddle.

Doing this all sounds like a lot of work. But so is all of the training hours that we all put in. A little bit goes a long way if you can ensure that you can cross the finish line with a bike in working order. There are so many variables come race day, from the weather, to the parcours to the competition. Why not eliminate one of them and make sure your machine is as ready as you are.

My Clincher Can Beat Up Your Clincher

I have a feeling that I possess the only known pair of these in the City of Chicago if not the entire state. I bought these back in 1997 and have used them ever since. Quite possibly the best cyclocross tire. Ever. These babies hook up well in the loose stuff, hardpack, mud and grass. Fetching upwards of $100 sometimes for only one on eBay and often used, I feel lucky to have held onto them for so long. Now the question is which wheelset should I mount them on?

New Toy

After spotting one of these at Church a few weeks back everyone who was present knew they had to have one. We all joked about how Amazon was going to crash because we were all going to be logging on to buy one. Bob took the plunge first and had his at the last Church race where he put it to good use, rumor has it that he was charging $1 a bike!

As of yesterday there were still a few left over at Amazon, I ordered mine on Sunday and had it yesterday, so there is still time to have it for Jackson Park, although the weather looks like it will hold out til then. Even so, I expect to hear lots of little orange pressure washers at races this year, get yours while supplies last! Now I just need some rubber rain boots.

Exciting News Coming

Stay tuned for exciting news from BBVP. There is a new game in town, actually it isn't in town yet, but will be shortly. This news is so recent that the rest of the team doesn't even know yet as all of the details are still unfolding. Stay tuned, check back often, and be prepared to get hooked up at the next race.

Ever Wonder What The Pros Ride?

Specifications: Tim Johnsons Cannondale/cyclocrossworld.com Team Bike
Frame Cannondale Optimo CAAD 9 52cm
Fork Easton EC90X 1-1/8
Headset Ritchey WCS integrated 1-1/8
Handlebars Ritchey WCS Classic 44cm 31.8
Stem Ritchey WCS 4 Axis 100mm 31.8
Tape Fizik Bar Tape
Front Brakes Avid Shorty 6
Rear Brakes Avid Shorty 6
Crankset Cannondale Si Carbon Integrated 172.5
Chainrings TruVativ 46/42
Chain SRAM Force
Cassette SRAM Force 12-26
Bottom Bracket Cannondale Si Integrated
Pedals Shimano M-959
Seat Fizik Aliante Ti/Carbon
Seatpost Ritchey WCS Carbon 27.2
Brake Levers SRAM Force
Shift Levers SRAM Force
Front Derailleur SRAM Force
Rear Derailleur SRAM Force 31.8 clamp
Wheelset Mavic Ksyrium ES Tubular and Clincher
Tires Duagst Rhino 32
Tubes Salsa
Notes Tim switches from Ksyrium ES clincher and tubulars. He also has the choice of any tires available. For tubbies though he chooses Dugast Rhinos and Flying Doctors. The Flying Doctors are mounted on Mavic Carbones

In other words, nothing you or I can't run out and get at the shop. Now if I can only find a pair of legs to match!

Updates

Just wanted to let everyone know that the team kit from Champion System has shipped and should arrive on Friday. I will try and have everything sorted by individual person so that you can come by and grab everything that is yours. Not everything shipped with this order, but I don't know yet what items are coming later, I will keep everyone informed.

In case you werent aware, the SRAM Force groups have arrived and they are BEAUTIFUL! The cranksets look sweet, and the rear derailleurs are piece of art.

Still no word from Cannondale yet as to when the frames will arrive, but it looks like we are going to get socked with some really lousy weather anyways. Mechanic Rich is chomping at the bit the get the bikes built up for us before the rest of the inventory starts to show up.

If you need components to build your bikes such as stems, handlebars, seat posts etc. please contact Elvis so we can get the order processed as soon as possible.

Rich Delgado has dropped off samples of the Northwave Shoes for us to try on if you plan on getting a pair. If you are please get over to the shop on Friday and let them know what you want.

There will be a team meeting next week, either on Wednesday or Thursday evening at the shop to discuss and plan for the cyclocross event on Feb. 10th. Participation is mandatory at the event so mark your calendars now.

If you ordered Neuvation training wheels, they should be shipping shortly. We should expect them by late this week or early next week.

We are also currently finalizing arrangements with Spinergy Wheels for our racing wheels. It looks as though we will be getting four sets of the Xaero Lites with red spokes, and four sets of the Stealth SS. If you would like to purchase your own set, please contact Damon or Elvis.

Well I can't think of much else that has happened in the last few days. We are getting close on all fronts to having a race ready team. These last few weeks have certainly been frustrating and exciting for me at the same time. I hope everyone can appreciate all the hard work that has gone into organizing the team on your behalf.

Final Equipment Selections

Today we locked in some selections for wheels, hoods, and tape colors. Hopefully everyone will be happy with the choices, but probably not! We are going to split the wheels between the Spinergy Xaero Lites with red PBO spokes, and the Spinergy Carbon Stealth SS. We felt that this was a nice mix of wheels for crits. road races, and even time trials. On race day they will be available on a first come first served basis, however will make sure everyone can use them at least once, if not many more times this year. SRAM cassettes will also be purchased for all race wheels, so that every wheel will have an 11-23 on it. Keep in mind, these wheels are for race day only, we want them to last at least on full season.
An executive decision was also made on the hood/bar tape colors. We would like everyone on the A squad to go with the red SRAM hoods and red SRAM bar tape for a unified look. We will also encourage either a white or red saddle. Personally I like the "euro trash" white saddle myself. Wait did I say "euro trash", I meant PRO!

The Kits Have Been Ordered

After dozens of hours of design and several revisions by Ed Garza-"Decade 1324" we have placed an order for our 2008 team kits. The kits are being produced by a company out of New York City named Champion System, and will be a completely custom uniform. As a team we decided that to make the best impression in 2008 we needed a kit that would become easily recognizable from the rest of the peloton. We also tried to incorporate a red, white, and blue theme with a bit of a twist. When we were in the design process we wanted a look that would stand out and have bold color blocking to it. I feel that Ed came thru in all departments and developed a design that not only highlights our sponsors, but also brings a bit of class to the road. In order to have the PRO look we also opted for the full hidden zipper on all the jerseys and jackets, I love being able to unzip all the way in the summer.

All in all it was quite a sizable order for a relatively small team, hopefully Champion System can bump us up in their production schedule. As it stands today we should recieve everything no later than March 9th, just in time for Hillsboro-Roubaix. The order consisted of 15 different items and nearly 200 individual pieces including 41 jerseys.

We do plan on re-ordering sometime this year, however, it is too early to say for sure when. The good news is that the quantities are actually pretty small on the re-order. There has also been speculation that after the Hillsboro-Roubaix race we may have riders interested in joining the team. The opinion is that we will be presenting such a PRO image, not only through our kit, but also through our ability and our level of organization, that riders will come flocking to us.
In the event this does happen, we have ordered some extra short sleeve jerseys.

If anyone is interested in ordering any additional items or would like to see Champion Sysytem's complete line check out http://www.champ-sys.com/. Personally I have my eye on both a long sleeve skinsuit and a cyclocross skinsuit for the fall. Champion's prices are incredible, and their quality is top notch. We certainly will not be disappointed when the shipment shows up in March. Heck if their stuff is good enough for Toyota-United and Jelly Belly, it is certainly good enough for us.