Project bikes: a project

By its definition, a project bike is more than a simple build. There are all sorts of dumb things that come into play.

Maybe you're like Chris, my bike-shop cohort who scored an old Raleigh frame from a customer (the customer was OK with that, by the way). Turns out, this thing was a one-off masterpiece of dumb components. So, after ordering a very nice BB and crank, he got it done. But then he swapped the bars. Modifications were in order.

Now I will say the bike rides nice. It's a low, aggressive zippy little thing. It's a fun bike. But it was a lot of work. My TT bike is turning into the same sort of thing. Of course, when handed a frame/fork/seatpost setup and nothing else, it's going to need some work.

So I added the Force derailleurs from my Felt, the clip-on aero bars I used previously for time trials and stopped. Then I scored a base bar, ordered some SRAM TT900 shifters and brake levers (both of which are in hand now) and got ready to build.

Whoops. Missing a couple of cable stops. I knew about that, but didn't do anything about it. Those are on the way. Whoops again. Oh, and one of the two stops that remained from its original build is ripped (they're rubber plugs, basically) and stuck inside the frame.

Also, the brake levers - which are awesome, by the way - have internal cable routing, meaning the housing comes out through the base bar farther down the track. That base bar, however, has no exit holes.

So ... yeah. It's officially a project. Before it was just a bike. I was reasonably busy at work yesterday and didn't have much time to dig into it. But the pieces are all here now. I just have to get it done. And maybe drill some holes.

Maybe this weekend, maybe at night, maybe fueled by beer.

Cranksgiving challenge update: We have four people who pledged to match my $50 donation. Here's a note about the online procedure from Mark. -- FYI - I made the donation online. A note to others: confirm your amount prior to filling out credit card and address information. (Otherwise, it reads the amount as zero and gives an error message.) Also, the "special instructions" option is at the end of the process, where you confirm payment.

I'm taking notes

For much of my life, I've been lucky enough to have a very good memory - I can keep track of times and dates and responsibilities with ease. And until recently, that system has been flawless. For example, I have no notes on Cranksgiving, or how to operate it. I just go through my mental checklist and it all happens.

But now, I find myself in the nexus of appointments, meetings and deadlines. And it's making my head hurt trying to fit it all in there.

It should be noted my lack of note-taking isn't because I don't have access to capable tools. I mean, I have an iPod Touch that had a delightful, syncing calendar feature. I've just never used it.

Yesterday, however, I started adding things. A lot of things. Story deadlines, work meetings, Cranksgiving reminders, project deadlines, training plans ... . The list got long, to be honest. And it kind of freaked me out a bit.

When I told Chris - a longtime and fastidious note-taker, planner-carrying organizer of the highest order - she smirked and said, "Well, look who decided to be a grown up."

Nice.

For the record, I've been a grown-up for a long time. I just haven't had this much going on. So there.

Sinking in

Somehow, despite being told numerous times exactly what my new job entails, the full gravity of its responsibilities hit me last week.

Maybe it was a happy fog, maybe it was "I'll ease into this," but ... ummm ... holy crap. I think the 2010 budget talk got my attention, followed by the strategic business plan bits, along with the capital expenditures and the marketing and inventory and charts and analytics and hiring (maybe firing?) stuff.

Wow.

It's not that I don't think I'm up to the challenge, it's just forcing me to think in an entirely different way. Rather than be an important piece of someone else's puzzle, I'm the one moving pieces around. And yes, of course, I have help. But the big calls will ultimately be mine.

In a way, it's a bit like changing my mindset in regards to racing. For the longest time, if I was in the mix at the end, I was happy. Even as a solid Cat. 4, I was thinking that way. It wasn't until the Omaha weekend last year that I really starting thinking about the win, rather than being there at the end.

So, rather than thinking about my little role in the big bike shop picture, I'm going to think about all of the little roles in the big bike shop picture. And which ones can be improved, or streamlined or ... this could go on for a while.

And no, my bike isn't here yet.

Cranksgiving: FAQ/information is here.

I'll put this challenge out here (and on Facebook and Twitter, too): I have $50 ready to drop into the bucket for the Food Bank.

Thanks to wholesale pricing and federal programs, the Food Bank can buy food for pennies on the dollar. The going rate is this: $1 = $10 worth of food for them. So with my $50, that's $500 worth of groceries at retail.

Anybody care to match me? Top me? Shim's already jumped into the pool, and you can only imagine how he swims. Leave a comment or send an email. Let's fill the truck this week.

The daily routine

Trek has an internal dealer system that allows for tracking of orders, research and such. It's called Dexter. It's really cool.

The graphic above is what I check on every day, sometimes several times a day. The bike on the top line is another Madone destined for an employee. It was ordered on the same day as mine. Note how it says "Shipped and Invoiced" while mine still says "P1 in Manufacturing?"

At some point late last week, the other Madone went from that same Manufacturing tag, to "Work Order Complete," to "Ready to be Invoiced" to its current status. All in about a day and a half. It should be in the shop today or tomorrow.

So that's what I'm looking for. Please, just a change in status. That way I'll be within a week of climbing aboard the new bike. In the meantime, I'm also waiting for my TT parts and riding the Bianchi. It's doing the trick, but faster is always more fun.

Cranksgiving is coming. Don't forget.

We're 10 days away from Cranksgiving. Prizes from sponsors are mostly here (I think we have a few more on the way) and volunteers are getting lined up. If you want to help out, send an email -- we have a need for cooks (it's really easy) and event staff. If nothing else, you get to eat free. Depending upon how many riders we have, you might leave with a sponsor prize.

And that's it for now. It's time to make the grocery list. OK, maybe I'll go for a ride, too.

Maybe we're getting somewhere

I think it's fairly safe to say that most car/bike confrontations begin with a lack of respect - often on both sides. Drivers too often don't respect the rights of a cyclist, and cyclists too often don't respect the rules of the road (and sometimes fellow humans). Yes, that's a generality, but rare is the city in which "too often" is replaced with "seldom." We're just not there yet.

Two bits of news came out yesterday that could be a good start to building more respect for cyclists rights, with real consequences if those rights are violated. The first item was a well-publicized , and can be found here.

The second item was in Omaha. A local cyclist was run off the road, confronted and assaulted. In both cases, judges rendered drivers at fault - cyclists have the same rights to the road as motor vehicles. And in both cases, the drivers will likely see jail time.

It's nice see a case in which a cyclist, who was riding in accordance with the law, gets the backing of a court. Too often I've read about cycling deaths that result in only misdemeanor charges. And too often I hear "you don't belong on the road."

Bikes do belong on the road. If respect is given, respect will be returned. We can do this, people.

A fighting chance

When this picture was taken last year, in early June, I was just a few weeks away from the kind of form that allows you to think about nothing but a win when you get to the starting line. By the time the Omaha race weekend convened a month later, I was on top of my game.

But since then I've had only tiny bits of that feeling. I was on it in April, at least for a day or two. And I had a good shop ride or two in early June again. Not even when I lined up for the state road race in September did I have any sort of snap in my legs.

Since then, each ride has been a flogging of sorts. Beating at the door to try to get back to the land of the living -- or at least the land of the bike racers. You can't be on your game at all times, but you can at least have a good day or two every week.

And on Sunday, finally it was my good day. I felt strong the whole time, I climbed well (on the Bianchi, no less) and chased a couple of attacks by the Big Puma. I was able to keep the tempo high, and yeah, it hurt, but I felt really good.

Now, perspective is an issue with all of this. Because it's not like I was off the front, drilling it, with wagging tongues behind me trying to keep up. It was more like being able to hold tempo with guys who have a full summer behind them and have recharged after a break.

Regardless of the circumstance, though, it was nice to get out and go fast again. Hopefully this is the beginning of a return to normal.