Dan Action

Overtime!!!! September 3, 2008

Wow, it’s the first time I have gotten to sit down to write in a while. So much isgoing on, as usual.

Listening to Herbie Hancock’s “Hang Up Your Hang Ups” right now. Getting me psyched for the rest of this day which includes finishing a pair of bib shorts I started the other evening, and going to the first CX training race tonight. Oh man, I can feel it coming.

Last week I went up to a little dirt crit/ oval track training ride with my co-worker Woody. Not knowing what exactly to expect, we were pleasantly surprised to find a maybe 1/8 mile track beat into the grass of a park with a bunch of folks, both A and B groups tearing around it to the tune of Track events. I got into a miss and out race and a scratch race. It was totally fun. Equally as entertaining was sitting in the park til way after dark having a few beers with some of the folks and shooting the shit.  The evening left me and Woody cruising the bike path towards home drinking one for the road. Nice.

So I am perfecting a pattern I made for bib short uppers, while truly getting a handle of  the shorts themselves. This pair features Eco-wool inner panels which has 40% or so 4 way stretch. and Pro cool side panels, rear end and uppers. Now that I personally have 3 machines, bringing me and Nathalie’s collection up to six (two sergers, two regular machines, one coverstitch, and one embroidery/ sewing machine), I have the luxury of leaving one or two machines set up for certain functions. Makes everything faster and pro.   I’ll get some pictures tonight and post them. I think you’ll be decently impressed.

Whenever I get to sewing, I invariably remember my mother. Imean, I think of her all the time, but sewing was her passion, and that has tranferred to me in an enlightening way. I find it the best way to sort of meditate on her, still finding so much appreciation in her breadth of knowledge and her gift of teaching all that she knew in such a patient and easy manner.

Nathalie and I went and spent a weekend in western Mass for the ride known as D2R2, or the Deerfield Dirt Road Randonee’.  It was a 115 mile, 15,000 feet of climbing ride that took place on 70% dirt roads that rambled from western Mass up into Vermont then back down. This was the only organized group ride that the Rapha squad was doing this year, and one I looked so forward to.  So many unexpected familiar faces were there. Matt R., D. Wilcox, A, J.B., P & N Gengler, and more. The ride was the most gorgeous ride I have ever done. Matt had said the promoter had take 10 years or so to string it all together, and I believe it. Cars and other traffic were a rare sight, as was pavement in general, and the roads, if you can call some of them that, went from nice hardpack to washout central to straight up jeep tracks over rock and rut.

It was the kind of ride where you are climbing so much you forget that you are climbing. So many times kicking the pedals over trudging uphill for so long and over and over, mostly seated mind you, that your brain forgets that the terrain is steep and malleable.  The first half we rode, a lot of the time, together. I dropped a bottle on the first good dirt descent, and rather than litter up the place, Brendan Dee’s voice going off in my head, I went back up the climb to retrieve it.  Happily riding back I found Nathalie and Aaron Suko riding along after making a rough wrong turn, and rode with them for a bit til I passed a couple of throngs of people on a climb, looking for my Rapha-mates. Pierre waited up a bit for me and we rode, a bit awestruck, together til the first check point. I was feeling good, but afraid to push it and crack myself. More and even more climbing later, we headed into the lunch spot. Not wanting to let the legs sit too long, I left with Matt & Dave W. and what I thought was the rest of the crew, but not. The three of us soft pedaled in hopes that they’d be coming up right behind us, but they were not. The three of us, along with various others who we caught up with rode together well. It was nice catching up with the two of them. In the relative quiet of those back roads, we could actually talk to each other, even ride three abreast. Rad. Everyone’s demeanor was wonderful, as if the challenge inherent in the ride was a great neutralizer, and the peace of the surroundings let people smile more and chat. One guy, a pretty fantastic chap, John Bayley, was nice enough to talk to me all the way up the last climb; a 25% grade monster that went from paved to dirt to absolute shit. I was gasping and this guy was cruising along chatting me up all the way. I was pretty impressed. Did I mention I did this ride in the Rapha bike? 53-39 gearing with an 11-26 on the back and 25mm tires? I did. The old Igleheart wanted more climbing and dirty descending. It ate it up.

Towards the end I couldn’t believe I still felt all right. Down a paticularly heads up descent, trying to follow David’s wheel as best as I could (He can ride.), we hit the last few miles of pavement and I could do nothing less than drill it straight for the finish.

My ride time was 7hr, 45 min with all the back tracking I did, and elapsed time was a bit over 8hrs I’m guessing. I  can’t wait for next year. This ride is going to be a perennial one for me. Keep up the great work!!!

In other news, I have a new CX frame on the way from the nothing short of amazing friends at Circle A. I am merging the Men’s Elite Circle A team, comprised of: myself, onto the Embrocation team. This will be super rad, taking a lot of the autonomous aspects of the rapha team into the idea for a cross team. Look out for us. I am so glad Circle A is a willing participant in the team, but ever more gracious for them being such an incredible support for my racing and riding in general, and my life. Not only do they make some of the finest frames in the world, they are also unsurpassed sweethearts and scholars.  Time to go ride mine now. Thanks for being patient.

Spills, Thrills, still no Chills. August 1, 2008

Not much break in the heat down here. The city feels like a bacteria breeding ground, god knows what is festering in the humid, sauna-like city known as Philly. I wonder what might be growing on the sugar-water covered triathlete’s bikes. A Cervelo P2C in the heat, the “P” comes to stand for petri.

In the week leading up to the last night I got to spend with my mother, as you might imagine, it was hard to keep my focus on whatever task was at hand without my mind going back to thoughts of her. As this pertained to my riding, my focus was shot. At best I’d sporadically sprint with a short fit of anger or a similar sentiment or my mind would come back around to what I was actually doing and I’d be coasting down to 12 mph or so.  At worst, it meant turfing it. While riding in the dirt, I’d be a little spacey and find myself on the ground. Once after riding myself pretty tired I fell off a little plank ride and damaged my ass, not to mention a few other parts of me. Another time led to missing the sight of an object directly in front of me as it put me in prone position into the ground. I felt my teeth push some dirt around, I also worked up a great abrasion on my face. There is not too much that drives me to enrage than to hit my face or head. Most times with a head injury though, I am able to concuss myself out of the memory and most of the pain. The face however, oooh do I get mad. Luckily I have given up the habit of throwing my bike. Well, except any mountain bike I might have. Mountain bikes don’t really count.

Looking so forward to the D2R2 ride. I keep searching for maps or cue sheets or any other ride reports I can find. Milliman is set to shoot this ride by moto. Sooooo sweeeet.

Been tuning up a bit here and climbing a lot on the dirt with the cross bike. One thing a bout hard dirt climbs; they really let you know where you are as far as your core strength is. Woof.

This just in….

Litchfield ride is up on The Rapha Continental site. Photos were shot by Chris Milliman. So gorgeous.  Check it all out.

So much to say… July 27, 2008

… This summer has already been on of life-changing proportions. What with the move to Philly, starting a new job, living with Nathalie and our two dogs, it seems so different when I stop and think of it. But honestly, not too much. I hardly ever live somewhere for more than a few years, and have been a part of so many households so widely varying, it hardly seems like a change of pace. I always tend to do more or less the same things wherever I am so in a way,even through the changing scenery, company of friends, and geographic location, I have to say my life still has an air of consistency. I mean, wherever I am I tend to ride the bike, eat the food, and have some decent beer.

Furthering my feelings of being extremely new to this town, I have decided to take a new job. Who wants to feel settled? I will soon be working at the prestigious Cadence Cycling and Multi-sport Center of Philadelphia. I am truly excited about this prospect. If only to be working in service again. B. Therapy is a phenomenal shop, but I’d be lying if I didn’t say I’m awful tired of working the sales floor. I just feel slightly under utilized at times not getting to work on bikes.

It’s not often that I write at all about equipment here on this site, but I’ve been gearing up a bit for the upcoming cross season, and I feel like talking about it.

Crank Bros. pedals work so well for me. I have ridden them in cross for 2 years now with no issues, and now, as they are a sponsor of the Rapha team as well, I ride their road pedals too. I have to say they always feel right. I am thinking about changing over from candy’s to egg beaters for CX, but who knows. Whatever I end up with I am happy. Their support of the Circle A team has been awesome.

I got some Challenge Grifo XS tubulars the other day, they’re stretching now, but I can’t wait to ride them. The consistency of the tread is impeccable, and they feel so soft!! I could use these thing as pillows or toilet seat doughnuts if I so desired.

I may get to test out some of the new Dura-ace wheels this year. The scandium tubeless ones. Hutchinson is making two tread patterns available this year to run tubeless. One file tread, one real knobby. The only thing I think may hinder the tires is they only come in 34’s. That’s pretty wide, but if they ride well, then that’s awesome. Shimano Super Rep. Matt Hagen has made an aside comment to let me race, “ahem”, field test his demo set of wheels, which I will gladly help out with. Other than that, I also started talks with Brian at Circle A about a new frame. I am going into my 3rd season on the first frame, with minimal damage. That’s astounding seeing as how I love to take this bike on any trail, rock garden, downhill course I can find. What a stellar ride. What stellar folks.

Less often than I write about equipment, I omit many things ongoing in my personal life from here, but I am incredibly saddened to say that my Mother, Janice Walsh, has passed away this weekend. She had a very brief and horrible bout with cancer that lasted four months or so. It was incredibly virulent and was not receded by chemo whatsoever. She was still very young. Many of the folks that read here are probably familiar with her in some way. She was always an excited face at many cross races and was eager to travel to them and supported me and my racing in many ways that I can’t quantify. She was a gracious host to many, and took much interest in my friends in a way that was completely genuine. She died yesterday, which was my birthday.

Getting faster? July 8, 2008

I ask the question in a twofold manner. Is the cosmos celestially changing? Is time moving faster? September will be biting on my heels soon, and before I can say “Three more laps!?” with excited , I will be lining up, maybe even called up to the line at the start of another race.

Which brings me to the other side of my original and pointed question; Am I getting faster? Will I be able to be a stronger racer than the one I was last year? I am pretty sure I will be, but the question always lingers. With last year’s season under my belt alone, I think I will do better, seen as the tactic of “racing yourself into shape”. But I went backwards as the end of the season drew closer. I also have to mention that my living and working situation were as such that they worked against me. This season, like all the rest, will be brand new. I will try out another formula to stay ahead and keep my form through ‘cross season.

The Rapha squad did a great loop around eastern MA. the other weekend making Walden pond a focal point of the ride.  As some know, the riding around those parts would have to be exaggerated a bit to be called “epic” even at just over one hundred miles. So even though the operative word of the team may be the “e” word, I prefer to think of the ride by another alliteritive term: essential. Maybe I think of the ride that way because all the roads are so familiar to me, bending and rolling almost aimlessly, or because the scenery of deciduous forests amd colonial buildings recall many memories. If only as the amount of other riders out on the road as we rode as an indicator, we needed to ride this route. Haters stay home.

I managed to negotiate my work schedule that week and stay away from home fr a few days. In a whirlwind of public transport and my sister, I was able to swing down to Worcester, after returning to Boston on our ride, and make it to the Go-Go anniversary party and catch up a bit over drinks and then breakfast. I then rode uphill all the way to my dad’s house and got to spend some QT with him and my stepmom, with my sister arriving shortly after with my brother-in-law and their six kids in tow. I spent the night there and departed the next day with sis and the gang to my mom’s house in CT. It was nice catching up with so much family, sometimes I get used to the rarity of our visits, but when we do get together, I so enjoy the times. I spent the night there and took the train into NY, got some coffee at Cadence NYC, and then made my bus in Chinatown departing for Philly. I got home, said Hi to the mutts, walked them and got back on the bike for the Drives ride: the fast, fast group ride here. Whew.

Stay tuned for some possible actually interesting news regarding my employment. I am in a pickle to say the least.

photo by Daniel Sharp.

Caught out June 18, 2008

  Got out for a ride on the ‘cross bike today after spending an hour or so trying to get to somewhere in Jersey. That place is where decent driving directions go to get slaughtered. I got caught out on the trail when the rain came. I origionally put myself under a bridge when the rain first started. Smart. I got a bit cocky as it lessened and headed out once again only to get dumped on.  Everything on the trail got real slick, and on the CX bike, that’s not my favorite, not to mention I got real cold. I headed in.

Mornings have still been my jam. Getting a few hours on the bike before work, but also riding early on the days off, giving me a whole day to do whatever. It feels so good,  plus it makes my naps that much sweeter.

I have been taking out some of the demo mountain bikes from the shop lately. Namely an Orbea Lanza 29′er, and an FSR expert 26′er. Both have there merits. I have not ridden trails on a 29′er before last week, and I have to say, I’m psyched about it. I always thought of them as being a bit unwieldy, but I was wrong. It was so fast and agile. I chased my friend Lee all over the woods and had a blast.  The Stumpjumper as also pretty stellar. It climbs like no other full suspension I’ve extensively ridden which kind of blew me away. With 120mm travel, it handles all the rocks and crap really well, but I found the bottom of the suspension right around the same time as i found the dirt jumps at the local trails. The bike definitely took the hits, but didn’t really like it too much.  So to give it a break I was checking out Spec.’s specials page during a slow time at work and happened upon a freeride hardtail they were blowing out. It’s pretty much just like my last one, which was a Santa Cruz chameleon but with better brakes.  It was cheap, and I am excited. I will get it tomorrow, so Friday morning hopefully I will see those jumps again.

Where have I been? June 3, 2008

The answer to that question has many sides and as many asides. I will try to cover a good amount of ground here.

Let’s see, on the home front things are truly spectacular. Two dogs now playfully reside in the house. Work is getting to be a really comfortable place. It is completely full of great folks, I don’t even mind, and in fact, aim to get in early every work day if only to shoot the BS over a cup of coffee with everyone. Not to mention all the help and advice I’ve gleaned from them over minute details of the city. The likes of which make it easier to find the genuinely wonderful things in the city.

“What things could this be?” you may wonder. Well I’ll let you in on some of them.

One- John’s water ice. Folks down here refer to Italian Ice simply as water ice. This place is the tops, and I don’t say that just because it’s 4 blocks from my house. They also make their own ice cream. The mixture of their chocolate ice cream and the cherry water ice sends me to dreamland.

Two- It is not as easy as other places I’ve lived to buy beer here. Seemingly very few stores are allowed to sell. You either buy your beer as a 6-pack to go from a bar or go to the local deli or pizzeria to get some. Both of these, I may add, a re usually exceedingly expensive. Taxes on booze are high, as is public demand, therefore dumb, dumb beer prices. Though if you are of more quantitative thinking, you can also buy cases at a beer distributor. Prices vary pretty wildly, and you can not walk out with anything less than 24 beers.

Three- Travel to NY. There are a myriad of ways open to the auto-less Philadelphian to get themselver to Ney York. There is a series of two commuter rails that are scheduled in tandem to get you ther in 2 to 2 1/2 hours. There is also a few different bus companies that run from Chinatown Philly to Chinatown in New York. Each is usually $20 round trip, $12 one way. These buses haul ass and will have you on Canal st. in under 2hrs.

This is the tip of the iceberg as far as the helpful things my friends and co-workers have imparted on me. It works out great.

Riding has been going well. On the Rapha side of things, we all got our new bikes!!! I am riding a Chris Igleheart. It feels amazing!! The other fine folks that made frames for the team of guys were Bilenky, Independent Fabrications, Circle A Cycles (yahoo!) , and Richard Sachs. What a line up. The day after getting them we gave them a 100 mile whirl around the constantly undulating terrain of north-central Massachusetts. Departing from Fitchburg, we plodded north to touch down a little in NH, then returned south and completed the loop just after climbing the mount Wachusett summit. Kind of my old stomping grounds. We made sure to get some good photos, and to stop a lot to make adjustments on our one day old bikes.

Riding here in Philly has been pretty good, and I’m happy to say I’m finally back on a way more consistent schedule. I have actually been getting up to ride before work on most days, starting rodes at 7a.m., and usually going out for a good 2 to 2 1/2 hrs. It’s so much easier when there are people you agreed to meet. Days off, like today I usually do the morning ride, then try to squeeze in a second ride towards the evening. Cross season is beginning to pick at my mind. I need to be in killer shape by the end of September.

I have borrowed the demo Spec. FSR full suspension ride from the shop a few times and gotten out to the trails. There is some super fun riding out here, about four or five miles from the house. I love riding rocky, swoopy trails. The Wissahickon has got them everywhere. Not to mention a couple of long, gross climbs, and some nicely sculpted obstacles and berms. Fast!!!

That’s it for now. I’ll try and scare up a few pictures. Internet here at the house is more or less donated anonomously and sort of cuts in or out frequently, so that is no help for me trying to relieve the absentee-ism from my blog. Thanks.

The Move Complete May 6, 2008

I write this from my desk in my new house. Sorry for all the delays in the posts here, it’s been a cyclone of tying loose ends and moving for the past few weeks.

Riding is just picking up again for me after a week or so off. Since I left the road bike in Philly after the Rapha ride, I only really had my track bike to train on back in Gainesville. I’ll say it was a great change of pace for me. The group rides had hit the critical mass they always do towards the end of the University’s semester, leading to inevitable squirrely riders trying to test their mettle. One good crash happened while I was away where someone was going into the red and not able to keep their head head up. They hit a sizable piece of garbage in the road and flew into the pack causing a couple serious injuries and a lot of bike damage. No thanks, not for me. Not on a training ride. Crashes happen in races, it natural, but that kind of stack-up is ludicrous on a training ride. Me and Mike Arena opted out of the training rides and went out on our own. We found some killer limerock roads to bomb down, and generally just drilled it. He is one of my favorite people to ride with. We have god rides and manage to keep a good tempo+ pace without trying to drop each other, or be really aggressive at all. I will say that a good 45 mile ride on the track bike is like a 60 mile ride on my road bike. I forget how much of a difference coasting makes, if only for a few seconds at a time.

I finished out my schedules at my two jobs. It’s a shame, I feel like I was just hitting my pace with it all. Then I go off and move again. That really has to stop. All said and done Gator and B-n-M treated me so much more than fairly, I owe everyone involved the deepest gratitude.

I got to a couple of shows with Travis just before leaving. This made me immensely happy. The music we made filled the void where my creative energy is too often ignored for all the rigors of the days. We really learned how to play together and were synched up to the smallest of cues. Every time we played it was different. Some things work, some things don’t. You have to try different formulas all the time. Why not?

We drove the at-capacity van up the coast to our new house and got right down to business. Within a few days we had a functioning kitchen, done first of course, then a nice living room, decent storage organizing in the basement, and we’re at 80% of a bedroom. Our house rules. We are set up for visitors, so figure it all out and come see me. We can make some coffee and hang out in the alley that is our street, or take a walk over to the outdoor Italian Market that bustles all day. Oh, the smells; Atwells ave. in Providence wishes it was this.

I started at Bicycle Therapy last Sunday. What a shop. It’s so PRO. It is such a comfortable place to both work and shop. The commitment to customer service really makes me smile. No hard sells, no attitudes. Tight. I got to get taken out for a three hour jaunt out to the Pennsylvania farmlands with Lee and an few friends of his. It was a gorgeous ride of roller after roller, and even an alpaca farm! It was a ride I needed bad. Tonight, as with any town, there is a Tuesday night ride around the art museum (the Rocky steps) and along the Schuylkill river. It’s supposed to be about an hour at race pace. I’ve been a little off the intensity workouts of late, but I’m stoked to go out there and ride around. I’ll let you know how it goes. Stay tuned for more of the same, but actually more. Some fun Rapha rides coming up. These seem to be getting increasingly adventuresome, so check it out here.

Wild Years

At the first shop I ever held a job at, the owner would constantly repeat a certain line or two on how we should operate much in the same way sharks keep themselves alive. It was simple, keep moving. Luckily my pulmonary system operated in a much different way than any shark I’ve ever heard of except for, maybe, the kinds that deal in loans or cards. I do not have to constantly concentrate to stay animated enough to force air into my lungs, I am quite well equipped to stay still, and these days I very much enjoy it at times.

When I was not too much younger, I constantly avoided sleep or inactivity because I was sure I was going to miss a great moment somewhere I could have been had I not been in slumber. This led me to sleeping in more than a few kitchens during long, friend-filled nights of horsing around. I would shrug off exhaustion to get an earful of another slew of awful jokes and elaborate and wild stories of unremarkable events. It may seem silly or unnecessary, but when you’re young and thirsty for adventure and genuine experiences, this was the stuff that was golden.

Now-a-days I tend to think that I’ve slowed it all down a bit, that I’ve dialed back my wild style. Until, that is, that I look back on just how hectic each year has been.  This past one, looking back from now, has seen me living in the shed I built in Florida, then back to New England for a intense CX season, then back to Fl to live in yet another apartment with a new partner. Now the saga continues as I settle into my new home in Philadelphia.  The past year has seen me hit the end of my financial resources and race on the most tenuous of budgets, and stretch a few relationships as far as they could possibly go, it has had me working in a slew of shops, and has hopefully made me a better person. Who knows?

Have I slowed down? I guess not, not that I am looking to any time soon mind you, I suppose I’ve just acclimated to the rapid changes and pace that I’ve always known. I just do get a bit more sleep these days, which works out well for me.

Where to start? April 20, 2008

As per usual, I’ve had a pretty busy time of late. Last week found me and Nat-a-tat driving up the eastern seaboard to the ever so familiar northeast. We got to New York Friday afternoon, had some stellar Indian food, and went to meet the other members of this Rapha team’s eastern faction. We all met up at R. Bravo’s house in Park Slope, had some great beer via Sam R.’s brewery workplace, and settled in for a meeting of everlasting duration. I felt like a kid on Christmas opening all the cellophane bags holding our new pristine riding togs. We were all trying them on and parading about the apartment. Primping ain’t easy. Saturday morning we were on our way to New Paltz to start our first ride. It was 6:00 am, so needless to say, I slept the whole ride up. All bad weather broke as we hit the road. The sky cleared and the temperature was hitting in the 70’s as we rolled over hill and dale into the Catskills state park. Much clowning around was had throughout the 6 1/2 hour ride that had us climbing an estimated total of 12,000 feet. Much food was consumed, a few stops taken, a couple wardrobe changes, and one crash. Not too shabby considering. I do love riding with a group of guys that love to goof around, but are not afraid to put in some monster efforts.

Sometime late that night we were back in Brooklyn, preparing for a brunch in the morning, then heading to Philadelphia for a few days of job and house hunting. Traffic was pretty brutal, but we got to Philly in the early evening and sat around some friends’ West Philly apartment and caught up a bit. Job hunting went well over our three day stay, landing me a job at the one shop I had my eye on before even getting there: Bicycle Therapy. It’s quality shop on South street. I was incredibly impressed by my first impression upon walking through the door, and even moreso after talking with the owner, Lee, for a while. I believe it is going to be a great fit. We also found a great house just south a few blocks from South st. It is super close to a wonderful outdoor Italian marketplace that is in full swing every day. Cooking will be so nice. Can’t wait to get up there. One more week.

In other recent events, Last night in honor of Wayward Council’s 10th anniversary as a volunteer run record store/ practice space/ community meeting place/ etc., they held a night of rollerskating. I will tell you that few things make me happier that to see all your friends get goofy and klutzy while strapping wheels to their feet and zip around an oval. Since there is no way to be cool at all when skating, nobody seems to try, all defenses are down and that makes for a great time. my hips are a bit sore from stacking up a few times but it was all worth it. I’ll be back up North in a week, but it can’t come soon enough right now.

Next Rapha ride is in New York. I can’t attend because of the move, but I encourage others to check out the events at Cadence in New York, it’s gonna be tight.