Pedaling Squares @pedalingsquares - Tumblr Blog

cross season

it's almost here and i am too fucking stoked.

fuckyeahcycling

pedalingsquares

fuckyeahcycling:

Tour de France 2011 | Rest Day

PhilGil gets a visit from son Alan.

Kids got a rad name.

August, you're looking good.

In August Kate and I are headed to Colorado to visit her brother and his fiance. I can't really figure out what I'm most excited about. Is it the time off work? The exploration of a new place? Checking out bike shops in a bike city? Drinking too much? Honestly I think, no, I know it is going to be attending the Breckenridge stage of the US Pro Challenge. Over the last few years I have slowly fallen in love with the history, culture, and stories of pro cycling. The breakaways, feedzones, service courses, mountains, cobbles, all of it. I have a recurring dream of being on the side of the road where the decisive move will be made or where a wheel change will take place. Maybe a bidon will get tossed or it will be steep enough to run along with the break away. Whatever happens it should be good.

I've combed images from BKE, embrocation, and Ten Speed Hero of behind the scenes images from the elite cross races, spring classics and grand tours and it gets me more and more excited to be there.

And after that it's cross season. Mmmmmm.

via rnnbrwn

fuckyeahcycling:

Tour de France 2011 | Stage 4

Cadel recovers from a puncture, camera-bike falls over in sympathy.

(AFP PHOTO / JOEL SAGET)

My boy, bringing home the bacon in fantasy cycling. VIVE Butt Chin!

velogogo-blog

pedalingsquares

velogogo:

moots compact (by tokaschu)

one day it will be mine. one day.

fuckyeahcycling

pedalingsquares

fuckyeahcycling:

(Photograph via @euanlindsay)

Is that Andy's or Fabian's?

velolove-blog

pedalingsquares

velolove:

Steph & Danzig

I wanna steal that dog.

helmeteering

pedalingsquares

cycleboredom:

helmeteering:

I can’t talk about this…

Nice.

I need these.

Rocket City Circuit Recap

Yesterday a large contingent of the Bici team rode up to Huntsville for the road race portion of the Rocket City Criterium Weekend. It was pretty simple, 6 laps around a 3 mile circuit of an almost flat course around the Research Park. All of the Bici guys, Sam, Ross, Zach and I were in the Cat 5 race and being a Cat 4/5 combined field meant we weren't actually racing most of the guys. With that being the situation my game plan going in was to hide from the wind and follow some of the heavy hitter 4's who I knew would have good placement going into the bell lap. It was windy as hell and always being in the perfect place to hide from the wind proved to be difficult.

We did a couple warm up loops before our race and of course got to the start in the back of the pack. RAD! We did a decent job getting up to mid pack in the first half lap. Sam and Ross made their way up a little further over the next lap and Ross was able to cover a couple of accelerations at the front keeping it together. In the third lap we had an intermediate sprint for some shwag that the promoter brought from home. A guy went off the front at the beginning of that lap and no one really worked to bring him back. Sam however was able to win the field sprint and take 2nd overall in the intermediate sprint nabbing a wireless computer. At this point I was stoked to still be in the pack and feeling ok.

With 2 laps to go I was able to kind of figure out where to be going into the sprint for the finale. I was still feeling pretty good and hadn't had any problems at that point keeping up with the accelerations coming out of the corners. Also I was checking for any Cat 5's around me. There were only a couple and then Sam and I in the top 15 positions of the peloton, I liked our chances.

About a kilometer after going through the Start/Finish the guy in the Snapple jersey that attacked in the 3rd lap went again. And just like before he was able to get away. I just had to tell myself, "it doesn't matter, he's a 4." I just continued to stay on the wheels of the fast guys who were going to have the best spots for the sprint. In turn 1 people started to get nervous and you could tell. Coming out of turn 2 a group started to ramp up the pace on the outside so I jumped on with them and was in perfect position for turn 3 and the sprint. About 10 wheels back with no Cat 5's around. I latched onto Kevin Pawlik's wheel with about 500 meters to go and followed him as he picked off people that went a little early. I was able to make it in 6th place overall, 1st place in the 5's. Oh and that guy in the Snapple kit got caught with about 50 meters to go and got 5th. Sam finished 4th in the 5's. Zach got 10th and Ross DNF'd.

Just after we finished a gnarly storm came through with the possibility of producing a tornado, that explained the wind. The weather conditions kind of killed the podium ceremony, which I was a little disappointed about but oh well. It was a good day on the bike and we had a good time after the race grilling and consuming recovery beers.

#Rocket City Criterium #Bici Coop Racing #bicycle racing

rollersinstinct

pedalingsquares

cadenced:

From Cycle Sport’s supplement Giro d’Italia: Scenic Images of the Race.

Tomorrow begins my favorite Grand Tour. Bring on the Dolomites and the ladies.

Just went on a ride through Cahaba Heights and Mountain Brook. Pretty rough stuff. I am really thankful that Cahaba Cycles and Primavera made it out ok. More than I can say about others.