Nearing the end of dormancy

Hmm ... so this is what normal people do ... . The end of the rest week is near, meaning it's time to get on the bike and make myself hurt. A 30-minute TT is on tap for tomorrow, when it will be above 40 and sunny and delightful. I'm not sure on Sunday yet, but I'm guessing I'll be out in some capacity, somewhere.

And then on Monday, we get fast. Work days become harder, rest days become more resty, focusing on technique and form. That will add to the edge needed when I get thrown into the Cat. 3 mix in just a couple short months.

Gonna be fun. Right?

I'm a shill: Go to Twin Six and check out the sale this weekend. Good stuff for cheap. Do it.

GamJams Reviews: Winter gloves

In some places -- say, places where it doesn't really get cold -- a guy can pick one pair of gloves and be set for the winter. It'll handle anything down to 35 or so, and when you get up near 50, you don't really need full-finger gloves anyway.

I don't live in that place. I live in Nebraska. That one pair of gloves would only make up about a third of the temperature range required to survive on a bike. So here's how it works, and what I use to make it work:

Glove No. 1: Adidas Climawarm something or other. (Current model is here.) I've had these for a couple of years now, and they'll probably make it through one more winter. They have light padding on the palm and good enough insulation to get down into the low 30s. My only complaint is that the cuffs are a bit short. Ideally they'd be a couple of inches longer, to get rid of exposed skin between an arm warmer or long-sleeved jersey.

Glove No. 2: Pearl Izumi Zephrr. At some point in the low 30s, things get uncomfortable with just the Adidas glove. But if it's in the low 30s -- or even the upper 20s -- it's probably too warm to break out the arctic gear. So I keep the Adidas glove on and add these. It's little more than a thick nylon shell, but it does the trick. It's water resistant -- but not water proof, as I found out on my first ride with them -- and wind resistant. Plus, they pack into a pocket easily. Get them one size larger if you plan on using them with a lightweight insulated glove. Too tight and the fingers will get cold. And that kind of defeats the purpose of gloves.

Glove No. 3: Pearl Izumi Inferno. And this is the point where you stop screwing around. Around 25 degrees -- or a little warmer if it's windy -- I break these out. They keep your digits warm well into single digits (but don't get nuts and stay out all afternoon or anything), and even allow sweating when it's in the teens and generally horrible. I resolved to get these gloves early in my racing career after suffering through a god-awful paceline with some of my team's Cat. 1 and 2 riders. I was seeing stars, about to throw up and had to visually confirm each shift because I couldn't feel my hands.

We had just pulled into a gas station for a pit stop when one of my teammates said, "These gloves are great, but I'm sweating like crazy." It reminded me of the scene in "Dumb and Dumber" when Lloyd says much the same thing after a frigid ride up the Rockies on a minibike. Here I was thinking about peeing on my hands in an attempt to regain some feeling (I told you I wasn't in a good state mentally) and he's complaining about sweaty hands. "I must have those gloves," I thought as I drooled all over myself while attempting to drink from a near-frozen bottle.

A couple of years later, even if it's cold, I don't worry too much. I know I have the stuff to keep at least my hands warm. For everything else, there's always Carhartt.

Join the ranks: Hey, ever wondered why I post a review of something every Thursday(ish)? It's because I'm a GamJams Ambassador, which basically means I know some stuff and have a blog. The GamJams network operates mainly in the Mid-Atlantic region, and strives to be the source for racing, training and general cycling knowledge. The network is expanding, and it needs your help. I'm on board. The guys at Elkhorn Valley Cycling are on board. You're next -- well, if you want to be, I guess.

Go here to get started. When you get your confirmation stuff, you'll have access to sponsor deals and inside info. The goal is to duplicate what GamJams has going in the Mid-Atlantic. You can be from Iowa or Nebraska (and maybe even South Dakota, assuming you have the Internet up there). With a strong regional network, advertisers will take notice, which will eventually lead to more sponsors, more ads and more (or even some) money. Don't quote me on all of that. It's cool even without the money.

There's my sales pitch for the day. Get to it.

See? This is what happens

I mentioned yesterday that because the lack of hard training this week, my mind is suddenly free to do whatever it pleases. In a general sense, that means I basically check out. Because training is so structured -- as is the time around it -- I'm pretty focused. But this week? An hour on the bike here or there? You lost me.

On Tuesdays I pick up Jack from daycare. Chris goes to the gym that day. Same for Thursday. This week, though, the schedule is flipped around because of conferences. Of course, that's at the end of the week, not Tuesday. Despite that, something clicked in my head at some point late in the afternoon -- "I don't have to get Jack today."

So I kept doing what I was doing. Picking up a copy of iLife 09 from the Apple Store, filling up the car with gas. No problem. Well, one problem -- I was supposed to pick up Jack.

When my phone rang at 5:45, I recognized the number and said, "oh hell." I was out the door pretty quick. And when I got there -- it's only about five minutes away -- he was waiting, coat, hat and gloves on. Whoops. Sorry.

I have the schedule straight for the rest of the week now. I may even follow it.

Since I haven't posted pictures in a while, go here and here for plenty of Jacket.

Grinding to a halt

After weeks and weeks of early mornings, early evenings and a lot of water bottles, this week feels positively sloth-like. Nothing yesterday. One hour today (30 minutes on the rollers, then core work and stretching), another 90 minutes tomorrow. All in zones 1/2.

And it feels kinda strange. Though I was tired and sore and whiny, I was used to getting on the bike and getting to work. Every day. So now, with no work to do ... hmmm. Maybe I'll catch up on some reading or something.

That's all there is for today. I'm trying to figure out what to talk about when I'm not thinking "bike bike bike" all the time. Bike parts, maybe?

Whew -- just in time

Base 3, you've been great. But we'll speak no more ... until next year.

I finished off the Base period on Sunday by spending 3.5 hours on the trainer. JP joined me for 90 minutes, but the rest was solo. That followed Saturday's 3.5 hours on the trainer, which included a nasty power workout. I was pretty cooked after that, but rebounded pretty well and had a good (enough) ride on Sunday.

So that's the end of that. I slept in today, and will be staying pretty light the rest of the week. I'll do some testing later on -- Friday or Saturday -- but not much else. The end of the phase came at the right time, mostly because my body (and mind) is sending some signals. I was craving sleep and food most of the time last week, and I was slower to recover from a tough workout. This week should take care of that, though. And I'm really looking forward to the next phase.

But, ultimately, I'm ready for a break. Plus, any more time on the bike right now would turn this festering saddle sore into a frickin' grapefruit.

The thin, crazy line

Heading into my third season as a bike racer, after many hours of research, I think I've finally isolated the quality that makes everybody think I'm crazy.

Check out the contents of the mailbox yesterday at our house. Two pairs of socks for the upcoming campaign -- yep, they'll match the new kit -- along with VeloNews (featuring the Tour of California preview) and Bicycling (by the way, they're unveiling another four ways to make your bike faster. They never list the most obvious one, though -- pedal faster.).

As a cycling fan, you may look at that haul and say, "Cool. That makes me want to go for a ride. I wish it was sunny and warm so I could go do that right now."

And here's what I thought: "I want to go shave my legs."

Yeah, I know ...

Gam Jams review: bar tape

There comes a time in everybody's cycling odyssey when they look at their bike and say, "you know, that's a cool bike. What can I do to make it cooler?"

You have two choices, corresponding with budget. You can go all super-bling and just outfit your bike with Dura-Ace or Red or Super Record 11 and get it over with. But that's the lazy way. Plus, that costs about a bajillion dollars. And pretty much any weekend ride will feature at least one bike upgraded in this manner. That rider probably just asked for "a cool-looking bike" and rolled out with a $7,000 race machine that only gets ridden once a month.

The other way -- also known as the better way -- is to take a look at the little things. Components are one thing, but what about the saddle? Bottle cages? Cable housing? Hoods? Bar tape? Ahhh ... bar tape. Little stands out like bar tape in a contrasting color.

But where to go? You could stick with the cork-like stuff that probably came on your bike (probably black). But that's boring. Go with white. Or silver. Or yellow. OK, not yellow. And when you go to one of those colors, go with Fizik tape.

It's technically made of Microtex, which is basically fake leather. It's grippy, but not blister-causing. When wet, it stays grippy. It's very, very comfortable -- I usually ride sans gloves, except in races. Prior to switching to Fizik tape, my hands were usually sore after long rides. I've had no pain since.

I was warned against white tape by a friend -- "It'll get dirty sooo fast." Note the cleanliness of the bars in this picture, taken after an hour in the rain and dirt in last year's Cliff Drive Classic in Kansas City. Note also my skin tone -- I'm not normally gray. Everything was gray, except my bar tape.

It's not the easiest to apply, and it's not as cheap ($17) as cork tape. But damn ... it looks cool.

Kind of all over the place

I mentioned it in the Sunday ride wrapup, but it came back and visited again yesterday during the high-end aerobic intervals. My power was not exactly consistent. I did 5x12 minutes in HR zones 4 and 5a. Ideally, you get up to that HR zone and settle in. At the same time, you hit a power zone and settle in.

Ideally.

The first one featured low power. The second one high. The third was better. The fourth was high, the fifth was -- finally -- right on. Ugh.

So what's the deal? Well, I'm tired. My last easy week was Christmas week. That'll be fixed next week, but in the meantime, there's still work to do. Got my ride in this morning, and I'm looking at another two hours tonight. Tomorrow is technique and skill work, Friday is ... I don't know, just a longish ride (I think). And with plunging temperatures on tap, Saturday and Sunday look positively awful. Because I'll probably have to be on the trainer the whole time.

But then comes Monday. Sweet, sweet Monday. I'll be doing nothing that day, other than sleeping and eating. And probably staring at VeloNews or something.

Feeling the effects

As the hours pile up, so too do the numbers on the SRM.

Saturday was climbing with Mike. I hit pretty consistent power and HR numbers the whole time, which is what I was aiming for. That was 3.5 hours total, plus a flat about 15 minutes from home.

Sunday was just a steady ride -- another 3.5 hours and another flat. Yeah, that tire is done now. Sunday was tougher, mostly because of the wind. My power numbers were all over the place. It seemed like my legs would come and go at will. I'd be going into the wind at 20 mph, then suddenly be at 15 or 16, then back up to 20 again. Strange.

Anyway, that was the end of Base 3, week two. I hit my goal for hours, with 16. This week is 18. That's a lot of bike time. Then, mercifully, a rest week that will feature fun things like power testing.

After that, things get really nasty. Sprints, above-threshold efforts (many of them) and other uncomfortable things. And yeah, I'm looking forward to it.

They can't all be good days

I didn't expect this morning to be good, considering yesterday featured sprints, and later lifting and core work. Even though all I really needed to do was 90 minutes of steady, easy stuff, it didn't go well.

I still did the 90 minutes, and then stretched afterward, but it was one of those slogging days. I think I may have gotten more out of it mentally, considering my heart rate was in upper Zone 1 mostly, and my legs felt heavy.

But you get that sometimes. There's a chance of training outside this weekend, which would be really nice considering the hours I'm scheduled for (seven). But we got a little bit of snow last night, and it's not supposed to get above freezing today. When it warms up tomorrow, it's gonna be a mess.

I'll probably go outside anyway. I know how to wash a bike.

Riding by rote

I've been following the plan word for word this week. That's pretty much how all of the other weeks went, too. No big deal there.

But I'm in the middle of the second week of Base 3, the period with the longest hours in the saddle. It's 16 hours this week, 18 next. My mind for the past week or so has been this: get up and ride, work, eat, ride again (sometimes, or maybe lift), sleep. Repeat. It's kind of a mind-numbing sort of thing.

When the alarm stirred me from my dream -- I was actually dreaming about turning off the alarm and sleeping in -- I climbed out of bed, dressed and got on the bike before I knew any better. I guess it's hardwired by now. Get up, ride, get on with the day.

Anyway, today was sprints. Eight of them, gently. A gentle sprint -- sounds a bit oxymoronic, really. The idea wasn't to max out, but rather to get the body ready for the next few weeks, when sprinting and high-intensity stuff is added. They went well, and I'll follow it up tonight with core work and weights. And then it's the weekend -- when the weather should be good.

And then ... that 18-hour week. That'll be interesting.

More talk about food

The past few weeks have featured a steadily increasing workload for me -- both in number of hours and intensity. That, of course, means more calories are being burned. And that's great, really. That's how it's supposed to be.

But I'm hungry. Really hungry. Like, all the time. And I already eat a lot.

On Monday I started eating more. Well, more breakfast, at least. I usually have a gigantic bowl of cereal after my workout (Chris called it obnoxious this morning), but I also usually get hungry around 9. So I've been adding a couple of pieces of toast with honey, along with a glass of chocolate milk. It's now 9:10 and I haven't had the bagel I usually eat at 8:15 or so. I'm doing OK ... so far.

I'll probably go attack that bagel in a little bit, but by now I'm usually thinking about the 10 a.m. feeding (small bag of Cheese-It crackers). I think this might be working.

The ETA for the SRAM stuff got pushed back a bit. Probably gonna be late Feb. when it arrives. Ugh. I just hope it gets here at least a week or two before the first race. I don't want to line up with anything less than an intimate knowledge of how that stuff works. So hurry it up! I have my money ready and everything!

Training: 90 minutes this morning, 90 more tonight. I was in upper Zone 1 pretty much the whole time, as is the norm in an E2 base mileage workout. Looking back through my logbook, I've noticed a pretty significant jump in power output while in Zone 1. As in, my average for 90 minutes -- which included 15 minutes of really low output while I was warming up -- was higher than the output for earlier workouts conducted in Zones 2 and 3. A lot higher, actually.

So that's pretty fun.

Beyond the horizon

It's out there, somewhere. Still a month or two off, but it's out there. My first race will likely be at the end of March, in Sioux City. I'm sure it'll be a bloodbath -- it comes at the end of the Build 2 phase, which features three weeks of nastiness. But an uptempo ride is a part of that phase, so I'll line up. (Probably.)

Despite looking at my training plan for the rest of the month several times a day -- it's here beside me right now -- I hadn't realized exactly how far along things were. But waiting for me at home yesterday were a couple of things to remind me.

I had GU, a lot of it, on the doorstep. Jack liked the little boxes that contained the limited Mint Chocolate flavor. (Mint Chocolate, by the way, is far more awesome than you can imagine. It's like a really thick peppermint mocha. Or, as I like to think of it: candy for the bike.)

So here's what the stash looks like right now. The leftovers from 2008 are on top of the box on the right. The box on the left is Espresso Love, which is my second-favorite. See the silver and red Clif Shot packets in the right box? Double Expresso. That stuff is like rocket fuel. 100mg of caffeine. If you ever wondered why I started fast in crits last year, look no further. That stuff gets you worked up in a hurry.

And my license came, too. From here on out, I don't know if any of the numbers -- other than my age -- will ever change. Considering the pressure of putting in the needed hours right now, I'm not sure Cat. 2 is a possibility. There's the very real chance that despite the work I'm doing, it might not be enough to be competitive in Cat. 3. And I want to be so much more than just "competitive."

I feel good, though. Strong. I guess I'll find out what that means in a couple of months.

A pretty good weekend

It started with the mail on Friday night, while the snow came down -- VeloNews. I could tell right away, before I even got it out of the mailbox. No other magazine would have an ad for Dura-Ace 7900 on the back, right?

It ended with an old Cubs game on the MLB Network (which is beyond awesome). It was from April 21, 1991 -- Cubs at Pittsburgh. We picked it up in the seventh inning or so -- around 9:30. According to the onscreen menu, it was supposed to last until 11. Hmmm ... the Cubs were up 7-2 at the time ... yeah, something crazy has to happen in the next 90 minutes. It did. Check that linescore -- a pair of giant rallies from both teams.

As a bonus, it was an old WGN broadcast, so Harry Caray and Steve Stone were doing the game. This was before Harry went downhill. It was pretty entertaining to hear those two again. It was not cool to see Andre Dawson gimping around the outfield on the old turf at Three Rivers Stadium. My knees hurt just watching that. Oh, and Barry Bonds was in this game. He weighed about 180 pounds. Maybe. No way he did steroids. No way.

In between a new magazine (new Rolling Stone came, too) and an old Cubs game were a pair of rides -- simulated hill climbs in a god awful gear on Saturday (53x13, 15 minutes each, five times) and a three-hour road ride on Sunday afternoon. I also helped JP establish a training plan for 2009, since his 2008 plan (don't ride) didn't turn out well.

And Chris and Jack and I got to spend time together. We went shopping on Saturday afternoon, mostly because we hadn't been out like that in a while. So that was nice, too.

I ended the week about 45 minutes shy of the hourly training goal. I'm cool with it. With the exception of Sunday, all of the work was done on the trainer. And as we know, the trainer is harder than the road. This week, it gets bumped up to 16 hours. Only 14.5 more hours to go -- I spun for an hour on the rollers and did my core and weight work.

Clearing the decks

It's funny how things work out sometimes. Wednesday's post about the Zorinsky Hammer finished with almost twice as many comments as the original, which in my mind was far more inflammatory (but also way funnier). Those comments were the basis of a large, long-winded debate that brought up a couple of good points.

1. I feel like I should mention it again -- the Zorinsky Hammer bit is a joke. It's meant in fun. It's not based on any one person. It's a stereotype seen by many riders every day. I'm glad people are out exercising, no matter how they look. Get a load of me when I head out tomorrow -- tall skinny guy in tight, bright-red clothing. Yeah, that's cool. The point is getting out of the house -- I support that, no matter how it happens.

2. Changing things -- ideas, attitudes, infrastructure -- takes action. It's not easy. It's not quick. Talking is a start. Doing is the next step. Organize, be present, be approachable. Be a pain in the ass. The more you're heard, the more seriously you're taken. And have a plan. You don't like something? Fine. How can it be done better? What are the benefits for the city as a whole? Sell your vision. Be a role model.

3. The way you use your bike is different than the way other people use theirs. Get over it. (This is the part where you can call me a hypocrite if you want. Yeah, I slandered the Zorinsky Hammer. You'll note, though, that I never said he shouldn't ride at all. I just said he was funny.) You may think somebody's a freak (or an insecure, washed-up wannabe pro from west Omaha), but I probably think you're a whack-job, too. But we're both on bikes, and we both have different reasons to be on the bike. More importantly, we both love the bike.

4. Post your name if you're going to dive into the discussion. Be accountable for your views.

Tomorrow: I'm down for about 2.5 hours' worth of work, mostly in the form of climbing intervals. That'll be a treat, I'm sure. The weather -- snow of some sort likely today and tonight -- may have an impact of that. I can do the intervals on the trainer, but I was hoping to get outside. But if the roads are nasty ... well, you know. Now, I just have to find the right hill ...

Today's the day

I got a card in the mail a few days before Christmas. It had a handwritten address, but it came from VeloNews. Cooool. Inside were details about a gift subscription (thanks, Mom). But a date shone through the boilerplate thank-yous and congratulations and such: January 8.

That's today. My first issue of VeloNews gets mailed today. And yeah, I'm pretty worked up. I love mail -- who doesn't? -- but I love getting stuff like this. I snagged a copy at the Tour of Missouri when Puma and Mark and I headed down in September -- read it cover to cover a couple of times.

While I read pretty much any cycling news I can get my hands on, this was different. Tech stuff, racing, more racing (though our anonymous friend below would scold me for that) ... it was great. Then I got my next issue of Bicycling. Hmm. I'll say this about Bicycling -- and also Runner's World -- they're very good for the beginner. For someone who knows nothing about cycling, like me a few years ago, Bicycling is great.

Now, though, it's just not good (not that I know everything about cycling). "Get Fast Now!" was the banner headline in November. Right. November's not the time to get fast. And after a while, it kind of feels like you've been reading the same thing over and over. I guess that's because I'm not the target reader anymore.

I'm happy to say, though, that I wrote this before reading this.

Training: With no trainer and a deep desire to not ride anything today, I got up anyway. Did a bit of core work and a bit of stretching. I'll lift tonight and stretch again. My back has been tight lately. Easy workout tomorrow and then some nastiness on Saturday. It has something to do with hills and barfing, I think.

GamJams Review: Best cycling gift

Christmas is long past by now, but we're still (hopefully) reveling in the gifts we received -- and gave. I have to say the best cycling gift I've received was a Nike Pro thermal baselayer I got last year. It's not even cycling-specific, but it's fitted tight and really warm. How warm? Into the mid-20s, I don't need anything else except a jersey. That's warm.

Review update: Remember a few weeks ago when I said my CycleOps trainer was not too bad? It's bad now. The Magneto resistance unit has already been replaced once, and it's about to go back again. This is where that lifetime warranty comes in handy. I'll have it back in a week, but it's a little inconvenient.

For the hammer in your life

Last summer, I wrote about the Zorinsky Hammer, a wild and wily Omaha creature currently deep in hibernation. When the Hammer does come out of hibernation, there's a good chance his markings will be significantly different than in years past.

But with summer looming (well, sort of), it's time to start making preparations in the event of a Zorinsky Hammer encounter. For other cyclists -- and pedestrians -- on-bike identification of a Zorinsky Hammer isn't a problem. It's fairly obvious that the guy blasting past you in a full aero tuck, weaving between the kids on training wheels and cutting off the runner is a Hammer.

But off the bike? God, they could be everywhere. That's why the (great) guys at Twin Six have this shirt. Unfortunately, the irony will probably be lost on the Hammer. Because of that, we'll all be left in the dark, twitching nervously, constantly checking behind us, waiting to be mowed down by this silent killer.

Unless it's the Zorinsky offshoot that doesn't lube its chain.

Real riding: 1:15 this morning, another 1:30 tonight probably. Just a typical base mileage day. Rinse, repeat.

To embrace the cruise interval ...

... is to embrace (ahem) discomfort.

The menu said 1.5 hours today. M2 workout -- cruise intervals. That's Joe Friel-speak for LT-plus intervals. The goal is working into HR zones 4 and 5. After an 18-minute warmup (why 18 minutes? Technical difficulties. I'll leave it at that), I ripped into the first of five 10-minute intervals. Each had 3 minutes of rest between.

And this is where I finally come out and say it: I really like training with power. While my heart rate varied throughout the workout -- the first interval didn't get me into zone 4 (mid-zone 3), and the last one was tickling Zone 5c once or twice -- I was able to keep my wattage and cadence constant.

The result was a steady, consistent workout that did exactly what it needed to do. Namely, make me sweat a lot and spend a good deal of time near or above LT. Fun, no?

Fire sale: Anybody want/need a couple of pairs of cheap shorts? I have two pairs of Pearl Izumi Quest shorts (retail $50) in size M. They were used for one summer and then put away. They don't fit me very well, so I never wear them. They're yours for $10 each. Send me an email if you're interested.

Again with the rain, huh?

I don't mind riding in bad weather, really. Sure, it's uncomfortable -- but lots of stuff is uncomfortable. Besides, it's only for a short while. Ten minutes inside and you're fine.

With that behind me, I need to make it clear that I don't seek bad weather. If it pops up, fine. Chances are, I'm prepared for it. So grin and bear it, right? Right.

It popped up on Saturday. And after a solid start, we (Mike, Brady, Lucas, Paul) found ourselves cold and wet and an hour from home. Fog turned to mist, which turned to drizzle. It was 34 degrees at the time. So yeah -- a little uncomfortable.

But it was a good ride. We got in about 2.5 hours or so, including some pursuit practice through Boyer Chute. Lucas got away and Paul and I (or, rather, just I) decided to chase. I think we spent about 10 minutes well above LT before rolling into Fort Calhoun. Good times there.

And we were soaked when we got back to the shop. I had two pairs of gloves, including a new shell glove I got for Christmas, but my fingers were wet. Shoes: wet. And my bike was a complete mess. But it was better than being in the basement for 2.5 hours.

I capped the weekend with a day off. Base 3 started today. 13.5 hours this week. I did an hourlong spin on the rollers this morning and will follow it up with core work and weights tonight.

This weekend we rearranged our basement so it's actually a functional living space -- rather than where our computer and my bike lives -- and I gotta say ... it sucks for training now.

The TV I used to distract myself from the doldrums is now at a funny angle and across the room, which is now bisected by a gigantic couch. So the rollers won't work where they did before. I have no idea how the trainer is going to get set up. Also, I crashed on the rollers because all of this is messing with my head. Well, that and I tried to blow my nose.

Jack, if you're reading this years in the future, these are the kinds of things I do so you have space to color and watch those weird Baby Einstein DVDs. Enjoy it, kid.

So this is the new year ...

On the first day of 2009, I rolled the Felt down the driveway for the first time in about three weeks. The roads were dry, the temperature was warm enough. It was a great ride. I felt strong, smooth, powerful. It was a great way to start the year.

And that got me thinking about what's ahead.

True, I don't know what's coming -- nobody does -- but I'm looking forward to the next 12 months. I'll start with the bike, because that's probably why you're here. That's why I'm here, at least.

--SRAM. In a couple of weeks, I'll be switching my shifters and derailleurs to SRAM Force. I'm keeping a good bit of Shimano stuff -- Ultegra crank, adding Ultegra brakes, cassettes, wheels, chain -- but the brains of the operation will be Force.

It'll be lighter and snappier -- I tested Red shifters at Bike Masters last week -- and essentially serves as a preemptive strike. I was likely going to need to replace stuff after the 2009 season anyway. And, obviously, I'm more than a bit excited about that.

--Team Kaos. The red and black is gone -- we're now sponsored by Alegent Health. We'll be blue and white, with a touch of orange. I had a hand in designing the new kits, so I'm pretty excited to wear it. I'll post a preview of it in a couple of weeks or so.

-- At home. Jack will be two this summer, which will be pretty wild. He's like a sponge -- soaking up anything and everything that gets in his way. Watching him develop is amazing.

I think that's it for now. I'll save Cat. 3 ruminations for another time. I'm not even sure I can wrap my mind around what's in store anyway. I'll just keep grinding away -- 4 x 10-minute big-gear intervals today, by the way -- and see what happens on the road.

Gam Jams Review: Winter tights and such

When the temperature dips here in eastern Nebraska, it tends to stay low for long periods of time. There are very few fluctuations back up to, say, 50 (or even 40, really). That shift to 50 doesn't generally happen until April or so.

Because of that, we know about thermal clothing. Actually, we know a lot about thermal clothing. We have to. We'd die if we didn't.

(Before I get too far, I need to mention my body's amazing, freakish ability to stay warm. I actually don't wear much compared a lot of other guys. The guideline for several of my friends is "add one layer to whatever Bryan has.")

Here's what I have: Pearl Izumi stuff. I snagged a pair of Thermafleece bib tights a couple of springs ago for $35 on clearance. I don't break them out until it's between 25 and 30, depending upon the wind. They've done the trick, mostly because the bib part goes up higher than on bib shorts. Keeps your stomach warm and everything, which is nice. It does make it harder to pee, though. Remember that, I guess.

Because those bib tights aren't much more than a thin layer of fleece, they're not much good when the temperature gets below 20ish. Should I find myself out in those conditions, I just wear bib shorts and Pearl Izumi Thermafleece knee warmers (I don't have leg warmers -- they seem unneccessary) under the bib tights. I've never had a problem with that combo. And that includes Wednesday, when I rode to work with the temperature hovering around zero.

I have friends who swear by Pearl Izumi's AmFIB bib tights, but they tend to dress heavier than me. A lot of it comes down to how you handle the cold. If you do well, dress lighter. If not, just wear some Carhartt coveralls and get out there already.

But don't think I won't call you a wussy for wearing all of that extra crap.