Seriously, more later, but in the meantime:

Last night:

Ommegeddon

Tonight:

Dogfish Head Black and Blue

I noticed one of the rider signed up for ‘cross camp this weekend rides for the Ommegang sponsored club in New York. Please God, let him bring beer.

I know I haven’t blogged in a while. I’m trying. Too busy actually doing things to take the time to write about them. Until I get to it, here’s my theme song for the past month, and my mantra to keep me from cracking:

Deadline - Tree

I’ve got to get things done 
Before my permanent vacation 
I’m always running 
Running out of time 
Is it true that haste makes waste 
I can’t afford to hesitate 
I’ve got a Deadline on my Lifetime 
Tick tock goes the clock 
And it’s never ever gonna stop 
Until it falls off the wall 
And we all fall to a crawl 
Is it true that haste makes waste 
I can’t afford to hesitate 
I’ve got a Deadline on my Lifetime 
A body in motion stays in motion 
A body at rest will stay at rest 
No matter how severe 
I’m gonna persevere 
I’m always running in a circle, within myself 
If it’s true that haste makes waste 
I can’t afford to hesitate 
Deadline 
A body in motion stays in motion 
A body at rest will stay at rest 
A body in motion…

MORRISTOWN, N.J. (August 20, 2008) Van Dessel Cycles will span the nation this cyclocross season by sponsoring racers from ‘cross hotbeds in the Northeast, Mid Atlantic, Pacific Northwest, and Colorado. Elite racer Kerry Barnholt, who finished fourth last season at the national championships, junior national champion, Jeff Bahnson, masters national champion, Fred Wittwer, and Mark Kutney, who finished second in his masters age group, will be joined by Adam McGrath and Adam Myerson, to make sure that Van Dessel will remain at the front of races nationwide. The team will be showcasing Van Dessel’s new proprietary 1.5″ tapered forks on its premier Gin & Trombones ‘cross bike.

Myerson, who is regarded as one of the mightiest influencers in the growth of ‘cross in North America, will be representing Van Dessel for the first time.

“In the past 20 years, I’ve watched things go from very regional and very local – where race registration took place out of the back of a truck and where racing scenes from New England, the Northwest, Colorado and California only go to bang heads with each other at nationals - to one where the best riders get to race on the best courses every weekend,” Myerson said. “The biggest thing I’ve been working on these past few years is to bring all those regional organizers together in a national association of UCI organizers to create a calendar where pros can make a living, and regional riders have well-organized events to compete in.”

In addition to his ‘cross influence, Myerson also had a bit to do with the geometry of the G&T. The addition of the new fork stiffens the front end up quite a bit, which gives better handling and less brake chatter. The frame remains mostly unchanged from last season - except for a 1.5″ tapered headtube and added barrel adjuster for the rear brake. The bike pairs extra-light reinforced 7005 aluminum with just enough carbon to create a bike that subscribes to the “light, strong” credo demanded of today’s ‘cross bikes. Born out of a race environment, the G&T was created exclusively for performance, function, and dependability.

“People get carbon crazy so we do get a lot of requests for carbon ‘cross frames,” said Edwin Bull, Van Dessel’s owner and president. “But, the problem with carbon frames is that while they are quite strong when ridden “as intended” - they do not crash well.”

As Bull puts it, carbon fiber tubes on a ‘cross bike can act much like a Dixie cup, which crumples on impact. Since crashes are pretty likely in ‘cross, Bull maintains that a high-end, triple-butted 7005 aluminum is - by a long shot - still the best choice for a top-end cyclocross race frame. This is probably why Van Dessel’s Hole Shot ‘cross bike also features high-end, triple-butted 7005 tubing throughout.

The Hole Shot, a full alloy version of the G&T, uses larger diameter tubes for added strength and 1-1/8″ carbon fork with alloy steerer to keep the cost down. While the sizing is a bit different (five sizes for the Hole Shot compared to six for the G&T), the geometry and handling are the same. Upgrading the fork to a full carbon fork would bring the performance on par with the G&T.

Carbon seat stays, oversized chainstays, and the new 1.5″ tapered fork compliment the aluminum G&T frame to tip the scale at 1450 grams (54 cm.). Shoppers can choose from five different builds including Shimano Dura Ace, Ultegra SL and 105; and SRAM Force or Red. The cost of a complete stock Gin & Trombones ranges from $2,199 - $3,899. Frame, fork and headset are available for $999.

For racers on a budget or racers desiring a sturdier frame, the Hole Shot’s modest price defies its performance capabilities. The Hole Shot offers the same builds as the G&T but stock builds range in price from $1,799 - $3,449. Frame, fork and headset are available for $649.

To try out a G&T or Hole Shot, Van Dessel will have bikes available for demo as part of the 8th Annual Cycle-Smart Northfield Cyclo-cross Camp, which takes place September 5-7, 2008 in Northfield, Mass. For more information about the camp, visit cycle-smart.com

To set up an interview with members of Van Dessel’s ‘cross program, or for editorial test/demo requests, high-resolution images, or further detail, contact Bull directly at: Edwin@vandesselsports.com or via phone at 866-835-5454

Ride inspired since 2000, Van Dessel Cycles is dedicated to maximizing performance, function, and dependability in every Van Dessel bike. Van Dessel’s 2009 line of bikes debuts at www.vandesselsports.com and features the Gin & Trombones with 1.5″ tapered fork, carbon Rivet road bike, the full-suspension Jersey Devil FS and the single-speed Country Road Bob. Determined to build up the sport from its grassroots, Van Dessel believes in promoting cycling through talented, results-oriented athletes. Look for Van Dessel Cycles beneath teams like the New England Van Dessel Factory Team (formerly Colavita New England), the New Jersey Van Dessel Factory Team, the Virginia Van Dessel Factory Team, Deno’s Wonder Wheel out of Brooklyn, NY, Kissena, Project Velo Racing, and the Iraq Junior National Team. In addition to these teams, Van Dessel now sponsors the Juice Plus+ pro women’s team, the Colavita U-19 team and the Georgetown University cycling team. To see Van Dessel bikes up close, find a dealer at www.vandesselsports.com

2008 CYCLE-SMART NORTHFIELD CYCLO-CROSS CAMP

Cycle-Smart is proud to present the 8th annual Northfield Cyclo-Cross Camp, taking place September 5-7, 2008 in Northfield, Massachusetts.

The camp’s unique attraction lies in its beautiful setting, fun atmosphere, mix of levels and personalities, and the opportunity to learn and practice skills with some of the best ‘cross racers in the United States.

“Adam Myerson passed along one tip about ‘cross starts that was worth the entire price of camp alone! No matter what level racer you are, camp will fit into your agenda.” said Chris Mayhew, multiple-time camp participant.

Cycle-Smart coaches will provide hands-on instruction in technique and training for cyclo-cross, with an aim towards a 1:5 coach:rider ratio. Full vegetarian meals and lodging will be provided.

Mechanical services will be handled by Mavic Neutral Support, and Van Dessel Cycles will have demo bikes available all day Saturday. Van Dessel will be offering a one-time deal to camp participants, offering 15% off on all demo bikes present at the camp. This is an opportunity to not just test ride a bike, but actually race and train on one before deciding to buy. Tifosi Optics and Crank Brothers will also be providing merchandise giveaways to camp participants.

The camp is open to riders of all ability levels, although everyone must have a USCF or NORBA license. Unlicensed riders can purchase a license at the camp for an additional charge.

Registration is open at BikeReg.com. For more information, visit cycle-smart.com or contact Adam Myerson at adam@cycle-smart.com.

In addition to the Northfield ‘Cross Camp, Cycle-Smart organizes the Verge New England Championship Cyclo-Cross Series, and the Cycle-Smart International Cyclo-Cross, the oldest UCI event in North America.

However, I will leave you with this gem:

A little cultural competency goes a long way at a time like this.

I was thinking a Dead Kennedys primer might be in order for those of you who have to ask. But then I realized if you had to ask not only would you never know, you didn’t deserve to, either. I’m still bitter about MTV and the internet ruining punk rock, I’m not going to help it along even this late in the game. Find it yourself, kid. That’s how we did it.

I always forget Joe Papp has a blog.

http://joepapp.blogspot.com/2008/08/my-sanction-ended-last-month.html

I think he complimented me but I’m not sure.

Just a quick update from the Concord Crit and Bow Road Race here.  Not too much to report, overall, but the Fdf boys are riding pretty well.

The Concord Crit was fast, as always - that course lends itself to an average speed of 30+ mph, so it’s pretty tough to get away at all, and is almost always a sprint finish.  A last-lap crash took me out of the lead-out train, though I managed to escape without hitting the deck, after surfing my bike with wheels locked up for 30 meters.  Luckily for me and MetLife’s Ryan Fleming, I stopped with my front wheel in his arm pit, just before I thought I was going to pitch over my bars.

The Bow RR:  the new course is tough!  I didn’t get up to that race last year, and was pretty stoked to race this year’s edition.  The field was small, but a break went from the neutral roll-out, and some standard New England August racing ensued (if you’ve race road races in New England, you know what I mean!).  Thunder and lightning rolled in, and with the ensuing medieval weather, the promoters canceled the race half way through.  Bummer.

Coming up:  Nashua and Tokeneke.

This is a picture of a sprint in Elk Grove for a $2000 prime:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos.php?id=/photos/2008/aug08/elkgrove08/elkgrove082/2008ElkGrove3_08

There are 5 people watching.

Hey Elk Grove, how about you spend some of that $200,000 prize list on advertising your race to the local community so someone actually shows up to watch? Not conflicting with Charlotte might help you get more than 50 riders to show up, too.

Two different paths to arrive at the same place; compare my PMCs from 2007 and 2008.

2007:

2008:

What you should see here is that in 2008 I did a much better build up. However, I did a lesser job maintaining what I had build through my California trip than I did in 2007, so the drop-off is steeper. In both years I was able to build back up some for Philly week, take a rest after Philly, and then move right into “crit season.” I’ve had much better results this year, even though I’ve been slowly backsliding on CTL, because I’ve been backsliding still from a higher level. If the period in later March and early April had gone better this year, or if I had more room to build up before Philly, I believe I would have had even better form than I have so far this year.

The other important issue is where to go from here. Last year, I started coasting from this point forward, and my CLT slid down until I took my big break in early September, and then ramped back up for ‘cross. This year, I’m doing that whole process an entire month earlier. I’m taking my rest week right now, and will be ramping up the last 3 weeks of August. I will train straight through crit nationals and Binghamton, and expect to have really good form by the time I dial it back in mid-September. That should leave me ready to start coasting off good form going into the last rounds of the USA Crit Series in San Francisco and Las Vegas, as well as the start of the ‘cross season. We’ll see how it pans out.

You do what you can to minimize the distance.

Thank god for video chat.