GCRad1

HAHAHHA - it should, Marketing owns me - I own marketing as well... I work in marketing... THE STORY OF MY LIFE!!!

"I grew up in the woods riding motorcycles, flattrack at Talladega [I saw Kenny Roberts race flattrack there before he went Road Racing], a little go-karting, listened to birds, drove down dirt roads in my dads truck, a little farming, coon-hunting with my uncle, shot guns for fun and then a skateboard and a magazine came into my life... IN ALABAMA! That was nineteen seventy seven” - GCRad1

GCRad1

While waiting on my Columbus Super Muscle Fork - I got this on order:



See more Cinelli Jerseys at Ital-Tecno: [link to jersey page]

GCRad1

OK, it's just been too long of a wait! No matter how much I love my Cinelli and wish for it to go back together proper.. the "proper" will wait a few more weeks! I GOTTA' RIDE! While I have sneaked in a few good MTB rides, it's not the same!
SO, Temp'fork it is...

My bike is getting a temporary front fork and a little tune up along with some MAXXIS Xenith Hors Categorie tires!

Cutting the fork tube:


Surf City Cyclery of Costa Mesa is the new shop by my house!!! Here, the SCC-Crew is cuttin' and sawin' getting my wip ready to rip!

Fork is mounted and ready...

But I see a scale... before, with the stock Columbus Muscle fork it was 16lbs and change.


This fork has added a little weight to the bike and or the original scale that I weighed it on was talkin' smack that day. Will see when I get the Super-Muscle fork back on.... either way - I'm RIDING SOON!!!!!!!!

CHAIN CHECK!


I'm at 50% wear. I have more riding to do... but a new chain will be a must at some point as I have 1,500+miles on this chain already. Yea, I'm that guy... no computer.. don't want one either.

NEXT UP - NEW SHOES!!!

The MAXXIS Xenith Hors Categorie tires will be going on. The packaging between the two looks different, but it's the bright light blowing out the package on the right making it look different from the package on the left - they are both the same color... bad photo, but I was in a RUSH!


Miguel, MASTER MECHANIC of Surf City Cyclery - Costa Mesa giving my wheels the once over.

AH - before I forget...

The temp'fork is a Cervelo Wolf Classic Fork doing the duty as a temporary fork until I get a Columbus Super-Muscle.

THE RIDE VERDICT:
This fork already seems really stiff! Good for crits maybe but I think I like a wee bit more flex for distance rides. Either way, I'm STOKED - I'm pedaling again!

GCRad1

Just ran cross this image that my buddy took of me at the Cinelli Booth while attending the 2008 Interbike Show. This was just months before I found the Cinelli Aliante that became my very own!

GCRad1

Well friends... it's been too long since I have last posted!

Work has kept me real busy these few months, but I'm still a fan as a fan can be! If not even more so, just because I love to ride and when I am not riding, I'm thinking more about riding! So I got this Cinelli T-Shirt:

On the back - SPICY...

Polpette Piccanti – Spicy Italian meat balls, traditionally braised in a fresh tomato sauce...
With that, the weight comes back up... and it has...

SO! I'm finally getting back out on the bike on a semi-regular basis, so I can get the weight back down in time with patience... I'm not pro, not racing.. just riding for "fit" and "fun" with emphasis on FUN!

Of late, I got a new helmet, new shoes and finally - FINALLY got the Columbus Super-Muscle fork back on the bike! And with only a day on the new fork I can notice how much more supple the ride is over the Cervelo straight blade fork.

All the stars aligned and some buddies and I took off to Big Bear Mountains for Stage 6 of the AMGEN Tour Of California and we had the best of time!!!

Here is the Cinelli all ready for the mountains! I like how the whole bike fits right into the ADV80 without having to remove a wheel. Although I did pick up tow more bikes and we removed wheels to fit the bikes tighter along with all our gear.

The coolest part about going to the TOC was that we got to ride the route.. like as in when the first pack of racers came through, we jumped on our bikes and made way up to the next view-point. Stopped, waited for the next breakaway pack and then the peloton and again, played chase and screamed down the mountain making use of the closed roads and all four lanes that drop into Big Bear Lake! THAT WAS AWESOME!!!

Sunday I spent 7.5 hours riding!!! My body feels it today!

GCRad1

Finally getting back into action!
After the Tour Of California Big Bear - Stage 6 [Friday], on Sunday I did a big 7.5hour ride and paid for it! I was dead for two days! But it was so fun, I would do it again tomorrow! but I would not be back on the bike for four days. As Friday rolled around, I managed to get on the bike for 1.5hours, then 2.5 for Saturday and then another 2.5hours for Sunday. Sunday took me down PCH to Dana Point and back.


Sunday morning, breaking out the gate!


Early in the morning, Corona Del Mar was putting out the flags out along the streets for the Memorial Day activities.


Some propaganda on the climb up from Crystal Cove, just before Laguna Beach.


Lightopia Lamp Shop in Laguna Beach always has some cool stuff!


PCH was quite in Laguna Beach. Climbing up from Main Beach, heading south towards Dana Point.


It's a little blurred, but I was not stopping... This is Aliso Beach... it will never be the same for me without the pier. Spent a many days skim boarding here. This is basically home for Victoria Skim Boards.


Rolling into Dana Point.


Nice shaved 55-Shoebox!


The drive through line in Dana Point. My last photo - tail wind home and gone!

RichinPeoria

Welcome back
I have been gone for awhile as well and I was wondering what ever happened to your rebuild....

That shirt is awesome. Where did you get it from?

Next time you need Cinelli parts send me a PM. I have connections in Italy.
You have a great bike there.

RichinPeoria

Oh and btw get yourself some Continental GP4000 from Total, Ribble or Probikekit in the UK. Maxxis on an Italian bicycle; you should be ashamed of yourself.

GCRad1

Yea! I hear ya! But, but, but... I had these flowed to me. I needed new rubber at the time too.

I want some Vittoria Open Pavé Evo CG 320TPI Tires!!! That would set it off!

GCRad1

The proper...


The Specifications:::


The tease...


The fork for slicing!

I have some images of it on the bike in my next posting.

GCRad1

Just trying to put time in the saddle.




On the way back, I turned up into the residential hills of South Laguna:








[Click for all my images from the ride]

GCRad1

I've been on and off the bike... seems like the only thing consistant has been work...
And while I have had some pedal sessions, the camera has been less in tow...

This little session is from September 5th, 2010 - I got inspired to write:


Why I Bicycle

I ride bicycles because I like to.. because its fun and because it is both simple and challenging. Riding bicycles has many challenges yet is also carefree. To pedal is to escape, to pedal is to find freedom and to discover.

Pedaling a bike can also be a rebel-cause for protest against fuel companies. In fact, I tell people it’s the only real way to protest fuel prices, “just shut up and pedal!” Complaining about gas prices is just grounds for frustration and no real way to actively “do something” and protesting on the corner or with rhetoric and banners are short lived. Start pumping the pedaling instead of pumping the dead dinosaurs into the fuel tank - this is the only way to really protest. Driving your vehicle to a protest rally - preposterous! To pedal is to re-discover simplicity and gives you new insight and perspectives.

I did not nor do not pedal to protest, it’s just the excuse I thought up while pedaling a 38-mile round trip commute to work while finding great time to THINK and to get into shape! It’s a moment of escape and adventure, however quick, short or long the trip, just mustering up the courage to step out onto the pedals as a means of transportation to work will bring a sense of accomplishment! That is 99% of the issues that prevent most people from commuting by bicycle, courage to step outside the “normal” and doing it. While I know simply some people can not, for many that actually think about commuting by bicycle, getting past “thinking” and “doing” that is the 99% issue part... That would be a great survey: How many people commute by bike / how many people think about commuting by bike / and each year, how many actually make the leap to actually commute to work by bike. Heck, survey just the people who read-subscribe to bicycle magazines! That would be an interesting survey. I’m sure that survey has been done. Research project!

Once you activate the bicycle commute to the office gives you great insight and time to think about the real issues at work. Pedaling back home at the end of the day relieves the stress of the non-real issues at work. Sometimes pedaling this distance just clears the mind as you just find this wonder-rhythm while cranking out pedal strokes. I find that some of my best thinking is done on the bike... to the point I sometimes start stopping and taking notes. And at my age, it’s time to invest into ME!

The single largest investment one can make life for themselves is to invest in personal health! I’ve worked all my life. I’ve played some too and while most think that my life is play, I have tried my best to make my work fun. But mental stress is by far the worst enemy to personal physical health. Pedaling directly helps melt stress away! Pedal enough and melt some pounds away as well. Pedal for wealth - pedal for health and these are the true personal accomplishments to be proud of. One of my goals when I turn 65+ years old is to pedal somewhere in the neighborhood of 250+ miles a week! I know plenty of people do! I never thought about what to do after you retire, and now I have a true goal for those years. But you can not wait till then and start pedaling, you could, but I do not want to. I did manage to squeak in some 250-300 miles weeks consecutively for about three months straight, but its a constant juggle to balance life, work, family and TIME! But the pursuit, dream and goal all fire the life-long passion.

I started like everyone, pedaling a 20” bicycle at a very young age. With that type of bike, no kid just pedals it around. You start jumping Tonka trucks and garbage cans and on and on usually with product failure in the process, at least in those days before the modern BMX bikes, failure was a guarantee! Growing up around the farm in Alabama, luckily my uncle was a welder and would keep me rolling. The bike was the transportation to the 12-mile commute to town, only to look for more jumps, so reliably had it’s price. One day while grocery shopping, my younger brother brought home a BMX magazine, like in 1980 and my world was CHANGED! My little world was opened to a whole new world!

Before web sites, email, blogs and forums, the monthly magazine was THE ONLY SOURCE to fuel my new-found passion. By tenth grade I would open my own BMX shop. We built custom bikes for customers that felt our passion for the best products and our desire to help our customers beyond just selling them a bike. We had a team and raced all over the state as well as the East coast. We even raced at the 1982 Worlds Fair. I had met all my BMX hero’s, but here at this race, I would see first hand a new trend within BMX, called Freestyle as an exhibition was performed in front of the Worlds Fair spectators and BMX racers. This was cool and expanded the horizon of my perceptions of what could be done with the bicycle.

While running my shop I had two experiences with road bikes. One experience was a DAILY EXPERIENCE as I road a road bike from my house to the bus stop for my commute to school. And yes it did have Campagnolo components! My other experience was my sales rep had a road bike and wanted to use my work stand to do a little tune up. It was a Colnago. I remember it very clearly! My rep asked if I would like to ride it. I first refused as I respected his bike too much but he insisted I ride it. So I did! I pedaled it so hard and so fast, the bike asked me to! It was awesome, but it just did not stick to me to ride, I was into BMX. But that experience stuck with me. It was candy red and those cool lugs with the clover-like cutouts. I remember it because it made a strong impression. it would just take 35+ years for that impression to materialize into me actually road-biking and a little doctor note saying I should stay off the mountain bike for a while...





For you So-Cal'ers...
Costa Mesa to here:

It's about a 50-mile round trip down and back on PCH to San Onofre State Beach and this is actually apart of the old Pacaific Coast Highway...
https://maps.google.com/maps?client=s...ed=0CBoQ8gEwAA

geist

This thread was fun to read.

tagaproject6

This is good stuff! I love my Cinelli!

GCRad1

OK, another long one... for internet / forum standards:



Bicycle - Roadie Enthusiastico!
entusiasmó mucho but not’so easy though’so...

Yes, I am a road bike enthusiast! I love the history, the color, the style, the EVERYTHING about road biking! But it was a long time, very long time coming and it did not come the easy way. Yes, my first real road bike was in high-school. My first taste for the Italian flavor also came during high school in the way of a Colnago lent for a quick test ride. But, I WAS HARDCORE BMX!

That lead to a fifteen year transition to mountain biking. It was a natural transition from BMX.
I would however ride the mountain bike on the road as I would ride tarmac to dirt trails. I would ride further are tarmac to further dirt trails and sometimes I would just ride on tarmac just to go see different sites. I would always see the road bike guys out pedaling, all so serious. Very few would talk to me as we would ride along. Sometimes I would get on a roadie wheel and try to tag along, sometimes I could keep up and sometimes even get a little pull only for the roadie to get out of the saddle and blaze off. I was always curious about road bikes, but never found an enthusiast that was enthusiastic enough to give me that spark.

It is easy to say in that fifteen years, there is or was a major separation between road bike enthusiast and mountain bike enthusiast. While I knew MTB'rs where road training, it was just that - road trianing. I did have a brief stint where I put a big chain-ring, flat bars, rigid fork and slick-fatty tires on my mountain bike. I did get my hands on the 1990 edition of Greg LeMonds Complete Book Of Bicycing. I was going to do the Rosarito to Ensenada 50-mile bike ride [not race]. I heard about the big mountain climb toward the end of the ride and the steep decent on the backside into town and how some bikers would run out the turns, skid road tires off the rims and generally run out of talent. So I wanted to be fast down the backside and I figured my mountain bike would be as stable fast if not faster than any road bike down the backside. Fatter tires I figured would yield more grip. I got passed by riders going up the hill, but I passed a lot of guys going down. A lot of guys would yell out for me to slow down, but I could see ahead and continued to push the limit. I did that event one time and converted my bike to full MTB-Spec. I’ve pedaled with 26” wheeled knobbies for 20+ years up to 2007. Started commuting with this bike to work too - knobbies slapping all the way on the nineteen mile commute - one way! My continuous commuting sparked a co-worker to start talking to me about road biking. We even started riding a loop together after work. I was clocking a total of roughly 65-miles a day! But I was push pedals hard when my buddy was coasting along side of me, tell me the whole time I should get a road bike. I was not having it! I remembered my old MTB’road conversion so I mounted up the fat-boy 1.50 slicks and was content enough for the time being because I was in the best physical shape of my life since high school!

I grew up also riding dirt bikes [motorcycles] and still ride so the mountain bike served and physical training for the motorcycles and the demanding terrain of the desert and mountains. But 2007 Turkey Day weekend while participating in the LA2B2V Desert Dual Sport Motorcycle event, the following day we where traversing the desert back home via dirt roads and trails. We wanted to do as much dirt as possible. I unfortunately had a nasty off. I actually broke my neck! And if any of you know anything about neck injuries, I broke the C1 bone and I am still walking with full use of all my limbs and zero physical side effects! Yes, walking miracle! I am now the unofficial-official spokes person for the Leatt-Brace®. Yes, I own one, yes I ride motorcycles and mountain bike still, but there was a very dark six week period where I was seriously thinking I would be doing some serious hiking going forward. Adventure is in my blood, by any means necessary.

When my rehabilitation got me back to active status, I asked if I could start back with some light mountain biking. Doctor said no, but I could do some road riding as long as it was not too rough. I was constantly monitored and was also doing lots of professional physical therapy. I was in heaven as I was putting in big miles again and getting pro-sports level physical therapy! My riding buddy finally broke me. I remember us going out Santiago Canyon Rd and going down a hill and him coasting up next to me while I was pedaling my brains out! Mind you, I had further reached for more efficiency by mounting up 1.25 tires instead of the fatty 1.50 tires. I gave in! I said OK! I WANT A ROAD BIKE!!! I finally had that enthusiast influence that I needed while seeing first hand how much more efficient the road bike was over the mountain bike. I knew it was all along, I was just resistant to joining the “roadie brigade!”

While I have kept a couple of my BMX bikes from my youth, I did not keep my road bike. It was about this time that I wish I had just because it had Campagnolo components on it. I do not even remember the name of the frame, but I do know it was Campagnolo equipped. My plan was if I was going to build my first serious road bike, I was going to be an Italian snob about it! It had to be Campagnolo equipped. There is no one particular pro that pops in my mind when I think Campagnolo. I just know the brand, bits of the history - most importantly they invented the rear derailleur, the mystique and the status within the circle of road biking.


Yea, it's dirty - it's ridden!

AndyK 

Really great read!

Sad how that beauty of a Cinelli threw you off and broke your head/face!? Ouch is right! And the poor brake levers! Did you ever figure out what you hit, or, why the fork broke? I was confused as to how your front wheel was in perfect shape, with the fork shattered like that. If you hit something that hard, the wheel would be out of true minimum. Could the fork have been the cause, and not the symptom??

I have a carbon fork on my De Rosa - I'm getting worried!

GCRad1

HEHEHEHE ANDKYK....

Don't loose faith in your bike/carbon fork.... I still have no memory of exactly what happened, but I think I hit I coyote or dog. Why do I think this?

Because I had been seeing a pack of coyotes running around there early in the morning when I was riding over there and they were OK with walking across and in the middle of the road as I had came up on them a couple of times before. But at the time of the accident, I did not see them, but at the same time the bushes where close to the road of where I went down. It would have been easy for them to dart out in front of me.

Animal of such would be enough to toss me over the bars, but the animal would be soft enough to not warp or bend the front wheel. The fork must have shattered after the big flip. All I could think was about my previous accident and how I was going to land and not hurt my neck - YES, I thought about that very thing as I was getting ejected out of my seat and over the bars....

I put it behind me and roll on... with caution!

GCRad1

Just trying to catch up, I did make it out to Interbike this year and way too much cool stuff to post in the thread so here is a link to all that I saw:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/rodneyw...th/5032613540/

GCRad1

When work is just going crazy and can not get in daylight riding time, the winter shift is coming in, stress is building, you just have to get out and ride. EVEN IN THE DRIZZLE!!! Just seems like even when the elements are nasty, the better...
I call it Belgium Riding Weather.

The NightRider Tri-Newt has been an awesome light as I have used this light for maybe three + years. It never gets a "photo moment of fame" as it's just a workhourse lighting my way through the dark of night.

So here is the NightRider Tri-Newt moment of reconition:

GCRad1

Back from SEMA Show, been on the motorcycle in the desert for a few days, been off the bike for a couple of weeks so... It's time to get my pedal on!

So it's off to pedal the Santa Ana River Bike Trail:


I've pedaled this trail for YEARS!


Always seen and wondered about this painting...

Just up ahead is Glassel Street:

It's where I exit and go over to Placentia. It's where my wife is originally from. Started pedaling over there back when we where dating at least 17years + ago. We've been married 17years.

She will drive over with the kids to see the parents and I will cut out early and get my ride in. It's 15-miles by road from my house to the in-laws.

On lucky days, I will pedal back:

Yes, that is the "BIG A" as in Anahiem Angeles Stadium. The bike path runs right beside it.

Where the river meets the ocean between Newport Beach and Huntington Beach:

tagaproject6

That bike path looks awesome.

GCRad1

Its been a while since I've last posted, but a job change came mid-November and anew job in December. There was some great pedaling during that time, to keep the brain clear.


Long shadows and great weather ended out the year in Southern California, or so we thought as the rains came and came good in December! But, I enjoyed as many sun-days as possible getting out pedaling!

PCH - Pacific Coast Highway:

Going south on PCH coming into Newport Beach.

A California Sunset:

From Corona Del Mar.


Now to wip around the Back Bay as this body of water feeds in from Newport Harbor, I live on the upper side of here and I have to get around quick with the sun going down and the NiteRider TriNewt is on the shelf at home.

Almost home:

Great way to end the day.

GCRad1

Almost forgot, you may or may not have any interest, but I grew up on BMX.
I went to the 40 YEAR HISTORY OF BMX EVENT in Bellflower, CA Nov 14th, 2010


I wore my old '83 Alabama State Championship T-Shirt:


If it's of any interest, you can view all my images from that day on my Flickr account:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/rodneyw...7625388083874/

GCRad1

So it rained rained rained and rained some more!!! ALL THE RAIN...

Brought us some SNOW to the local mountains.


Finally a break in the sky and I had to get out! Holiday family shopping is done... with all that rain, what else is there to do... so I went out for a little ride from Costa Mesa down to Laguna via Irvine and the HWY 133 that drops into Laguna via the canyon that got flooded. But today, clear skys and a killer view of my favorite mountain... ok, closest mountain by my house: SADDLEBACK Mountain. Good mountainbiking over there!

This is HWY 133 going into Laguna Beach:

It was closed going into the canyon due to water still over the road.


Not so bad, but when you let the common person blast through, it could get silly.


Road side hazard a little further down.


Coming out of Laguna and already on PCH another little road side hazard.

OK, blast on up PCH back home:

Just another day in sunny Southern California.

GCRad1

It's COLD!

And while you do not see a jacket on my body, I have two baselayers under the jersey. But it is chilly as the wind is blowing.

And my bike is CRUSTY!

Will all the rain and riding, wet grounds has made for a crusty bike and I have not taken the time to give the dirvetrain a good cleaning. Ride ride ride... you know the routine.

Pacific Coast Highway has a view:

From PCH looking East across the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve at the San Bernardino National Forest - COVERED IN SNOW!!!

From PCH, turn Right - here:

This is the San Gabriel River Trail that will take you all the way to the base of Angeles National Forest. One day I gotta' pedal it up all the way - and back. Thats going to be an all day trip for sure!

Get to right about here:

This is the Norwalk area and a minor change of plans strikes..


FLAT TIRE! Man, I need to get some new tires, and should have gotten some "winter tires" for the crusty season. So, one tube in the bike and none in the pocket means I do not feel so well about pushing on. If I turn back now, it will be a "good enough" ride for the day equaling about 65-miles. I'll be back!

LUCKLY:

One of the only shops along the path is Pat's Cyclery, Inc. in Norwalk, CA. The've been around for 50+ years! They gave me the low-down on riding up to the mountain, of which is 25-miles from the shop to the base of the mountain.

Clouds are coming back:

I'm on my way home as well...

17th Street & Orange Ave in Costa Mesa:

Turn right at 17th and my local shop I ride out of is located on the right: Surf City Cyclery
I'm going Straight 10-stop signs - home!