The bells ringing in my head won't stop...

All I can say is this better not be an early April Fool's joke... this one took me a long time.

Don't forget about the Love Calculator prediction. I'm guessing that percentage is a tad bit low based on the schmoopfestival noted elsewhere.

Congrats you crazy kids you!!!

New hybrid GinCycle

Now getting up Diablo will be easier than ever

Quote of the day

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up

Alternate training techniques

Last year our very own daddy to be Paul enlightened us on his secret training program.



....and by the looks of things the next day it was a great workout...you should try it!

Measuring Performance

With all this yabber about training, resting, intervals, yada yada yada....you need to remember how our Expert class bike freak Isaias calculates his performance level

Quote of the Day

"Tell me and I forget, show me and I remember, involve me and I understand"

Vacation time....

Granfondo Cycling Tours Features Eddy Merckx as Guest Rider MARCH 29, 2006 -- POWAY, CA (BRAIN)—Granfondo Cycling Tours has inked an exclusive deal with Eddy Merckx to ride with its clients in the hills of Tuscany. The tour will pass through Tuscany and feature a full day of riding with the famous cyclist.“We’re thrilled to offer our clients this exclusive opportunity. The chance to ride with such a living legend only comes once in a lifetime,” said Tobias Panek, Granfondo's founder.The eight-day tour will pass from Florence to Rome and take in roads Merckx himself raced on his way to winning the Giro d’Italia five times. The tour will run from May 13-20, and daily rides will range from 40-70 miles. Accommodations will be at three- and four-star hotels.In addition to the riding with Merckx, the tour will take in the local culture and cuisine, stopping by a wine festival along the way.For more information about the tour, visit www.gftours.com.

Quote of the Day

"Because books are like bicycles: You travel under your own power and proceed at your own pace, your riding is silent and will not pollute, no one is endangered by your journey, not frightened, maimed or killed, and the exercise is good for you."

-William H. Gass

Someone put a fork in me...

Okay, can someone help me here? What is the difference between overtraining and working hard to break through a plateau? Is it really a plateau or have you overtrained? What if cat were spelled, D-O-G?

The whole one step forward, two steps back thing I can deal with. But the one step forward, two steps backwards off of the cliff really kinda sucks.

Okay, maybe it is neither. I did have some blood drawn, but I keep telling myself, "they only took about 4-6 ounces of blood... can't make that much of a difference can it?" Maybe now that they're done testing it they can put it back in me. Hey, is that legal? Your thoughts Tyler?

Great, and Sea Otter is less than two weeks away. Muther phucker. Oh well, it is just a bike race. And it is still early in the season. D-ville is a long way away... Repeat. D-ville is a long way away...

Quote of the Day

“Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgement that something else is more important than fear.”

'07 XTR

Shimano to Offer First View Of '07 XTR During Sea Otter

If you want to be the first to see Shimano’s upcoming M970 XTR group, check out Adam Craig, Walker Ferguson, Marie Helene Premont, Bart Brentjens and Roel Paulissen’s bikes at Sea Otter. Shimano’s racers will be testing the new parts in competition, including XTR wheels, pedals, rear derailleur and shifter prototypes.

“Putting XTR to the test in professional competition, we are at once publicly displaying our engineers’ hard work on the new group and furthering the research and development process,” said David Lawrence, Shimano’s marketing manager.

While the group is still in development, Shimano plans to release it to OEMs in August, meaning '07 XTR could turn up on showroom floors as early as September. Product for aftermarket sales should be available at about the same time.
The most impressive feature of the upcoming group is its universality. Shifting can be with Dual-Control or Rapid Fire Plus pod shifter, rotors are available in Centerloc or 6-bolt universal mounting, rear derailleurs come with rapid-rise or traditional function, the XTR crankset adopts current XT-style chainring set-up and the new XTR pedals are cross compatible with the rest of Shimano’s off-road pedal line. Offering six-bolt disc rotors means a rider can use Shimano’s discs on any bike with any wheelset they choose.

“We redesigned the Rapid Fire index finger lever so that it is accessible to your thumbs, allowing you to release cable with either finger,” Lawrence said about the SL-M970 RapidFire Plus Shift Lever. And it is possible to pull or release enough cable with one lever push to jump three cogs if wanted.

The tubeless ready M970 wheelset shaves 187 grams from the previous M960 wheelset through the use of a titanium freehub body, 36-notch engagement system, Scandium rim and 7075 alloy axles. And the M970 pedals are not only the first high-end off-road offering from Shimano in years, it is the first XTR level pedal ever offered. Still using standard cleats, the completely new pedal body is 25 grams lighter then Shimano’s other pedals.

intuition

A woman was shopping at her local supermarket where she selected a half-gallon of 2% milk, a carton of eggs, a quart of orange juice, a head of romaine lettuce, a 2 lb. can of coffee, and a 1 lb. package of bacon.
As she was unloading her items on the conveyor belt to check out, a drunk standing behind her watched as she placed the items in front of the cashier. While the cashier was ringing up her purchases, the drunk calmly stated, "You must be single." The woman was a bit startled by this proclamation, but she was intrigued by the derelict's intuition, since she was indeed single. She looked at her six items on the belt and saw nothing particularly unusual about her selections or their possible applications, separate or combined, that could have tipped off the drunk to her marital status.
Curiosity getting the better of her, she said "Well, you know what, you're absolutely correct. But how on earth did you know that?"
The drunk replied, "'Cause you're ugly."

I'll take two pieces puh-leeze

You know it's funny... just when you think you're getting into shape (mind you that is a relative term), that damn dessert tray gets carted out and you just can't help yourself. It comes in many shapes and forms, but the end result is the same:

IT TASTES LIKE CRAP!!!

Sure seems like life sometimes would be easier if you just ate bon bons and watched Oprah.

Spotted... TWW of yesteryear

Our very own BHam (looking quite dapper BTW), discovers a relic from the past... a TWW sign in Japan from when we had a presence there. We had quite the international following at one point - Japan, some Eastern European country, Fresneck, and so on.

Okay, so it was only two people in Japan and one in that Eastern European country, but that counts, right? We even had a shot of our racer in a Euro mag. I'll try to track that down...

Quote of the Day

"About the only time losing is more fun than winning is when you're fighting temptation."

Quote of the Day

MARCH 24, 2006 -- "I think men who have a pierced ear are better prepared for marriage. They've experienced pain and bought jewelry."

Bored with your current roller workout?

Yes, riding rollers can be very monotonous - plain boring at times. But at least they do provide some advantages over a standard trainer - improved balance and spin. But unfortunately you can't really stand and hammer on rollers. So mix this roller workout in to get your standing muscles activated.

SORRY FOR THE DELAY.

Courtesy of our Friends at Clifbar, we now have the hottie(s) of the month.




if that's not hot enough

Team Wrong Way

If you ever feel stupid, then just read on.

If you've learned to speak fluent English, you must be a genius! This little treatise on the lovely language we share is only for the brave. Pursue at your leisure, English lovers. Reasons why the English language is so hard to learn:

1) The bandage was wound around the wound.
2) The farm was used to produce produce.
3) The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.
4) We must polish the Polish furniture.
5) He could lead if he would get the lead out.
6) The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert..
7) Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was time to
present the present.
8) A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum.
9) When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.
10) I did not object to the object.
11) The insurance was invalid for the invalid.
12) There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row.
13) They were too close to the door to close it.
14) The buck does funny things when the does are present.
15) A seamstress and a sewer fell down into a sewer line.
16) To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.
17) The wind was too strong to wind the sail
18) After a number of injections my jaw got number.
19) Upon seeing the tear in the painting I shed a tear.
20) I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.
21) How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend?

There is no egg in eggplant nor ham in hamburger; neither apple nor pine in pineapple. English muffins weren't invented in England or French fries in France(Surprise!). Sweetmeats are candies while sweetbreads, which aren't sweet, are meat. Quicksand works slowly, boxing rings are square and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea or is it a pig. And why is it that writers write but fingers don't fing, grocers don't groce and hammers don't ham?

If the plural of tooth is teeth, why isn't the plural of booth beeth? One goose, 2 geese. So one moose, 2 meese? Doesn't it seem crazy that you can make amends but not one amend. If you have a bunch of odds and ends and get rid of all but one of them, what do you call it? Is it an odd, or an end?

If teachers taught, why didn't preachers praught? If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat? In what language do people recite at a play and play at a recital? Ship by truck and send cargo by ship? Have noses that run and feet that smell?

How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites? You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language in which your house can burn up as it burns down, in which you fill in a form by filling it out, and in which, an alarm goes off by going on.

English was invented by people, not computers, and it reflects the creativity of the human race, which, of course, is not a race at all. That is why, when the stars are out, they are visible, but when the lights are out, they are invisible.

P.S. - Why doesn't "Buick" rhyme with "quick"?

Can't we all just get along?

I wasn't at the meeting regarding the proposed trail in Huddart Park in Woodside, but the reports coming back from it are really kind of sad. It reminds me of the days when anti-mountain bike people would join cycling e-mail lists to try to find fuel for their cause. Some were so extreme that they would report people on these lists to their employers to let them know an employee was doing non-work related stuff on work time. And even worse were the types who strung up wire across trails so that it would take out a cyclist. Crazy.

The whole NIMBY thing cracks me up - people talk about how they want to help the greater good but really are just thinking of themselves. I remember when a neighbor wanted to increase her in-home day care from 6 to 12 kids. Had to go to City Council for a hearing. People were saying how important good childcare was but that it would ruin their golden years, increase traffic (on a street that already served a high school), noise would increase, etc. Then one finally admitted she was more concerned with her property value. Funny, her house was put on the market a couple of months later. I spoke about the positives of it - I was one of the few. But it did make a difference. So thank you to those that represented cyclists at the meeting, and continue to help move things in a positive direction. Your efforts are appreciated.

I hope someday people will realize just how fortunate we are to have what we have and look at this episode as just some silly blip in the big picture. I mean really, we're bickering over access in a park by people that have an awful lot (million dollar homes, expensive bikes, etc.). Seems silly when there are so many more pressing issues out there.


Okay enough - when's the next Hottie of the Month post?

Rx for racing pains

Take two with a couple of Moose Drool and watch your whole perspective change

Well that settles that...

Just don't beat my a$$ too badly at the Sea Otter, okay?

You have learned well from me my disciple - spew all kinds of schmack and then get beat badly. Perfect TWW material.

Current score:

Loren - 1, Rook - 0

Mr. T, what is your prediction for this year's Sea Otter XC race?

Painnnnn!!!

Happy St. Paddy's

A friend of mine turned me on to this little mascot...

albeit a bit commercial, I found it cute enough to share.

Let's Get Ready to Rummmmmmmmble!!!

This Sunday, Sunday, Sunday at CCCX #3. Or for $55.99 you can order the Pay-Per-View (cash only puh-leeze)

Who says retirement is such a good thing?

You've heard all the stories of retirement... shuffle board, bingo, knee high socks with shorts, RV'ing, white dress shoes with gold buckles, etc. Also, there are the stories of people going crazy (or even worse) once they stop working - they don't know what to do with themselves.

Clearly retirement and/or getting a real job has taken its toll on AJM. Hard to believe they're twins...

Get in now before he's big time!

Check out these cyclist inspired concrete countertops - yes, concrete. Perty suh-weet, eh? You know you want one. Well, now you can have it - Team Wrong Way's very own Jabba the Nick can now do these beautiful countertops.

Yes, they aren't cheap - but they're bombproof (practically) and the sky is the limit when it comes to design, in-beds, colors, etc. Consider it a piece of art for your kitchen or bath. Perhaps he'd offer you a friend of TWW discount... but once he is buried with countertop jobs, all bets are off. Nick, get me in the queue and sign me up for a bathroom counter...

http://www.icondesignz.com/

Quote o' the Day

"Wear warm clothes and bring jackets just in case we have to sit outside- it's enclosed with a plastic tarp and there are heat lamps, but if you wear skimpy clothes trying to be all sexy and shit, you'll be cold!"

- Jenny regarding the St. Paddie's Day TWW soiree (and all but one person on the distribution was male)

Dude can rail...

But no helmet?

Heck*, no clothes even. (1.1mb)

E-mail o' the Day

So the tenative plan is to meet at Buffalo Bills around 7:30 ish or so...kinda need to get there early to grab some seats for everyone. Free beer to whoever gets there early and saves us seats!! Bring your party hat, your green peckers, pink moons, or whatever the hell you feel like bringin...just leave therollertrainingblogbeatermrcccxracingissoeffenimportantigottabehome
before9pmwhippedasscrybabybullshiteathome and come party with yo homies!

Dang* funny (at least to me). Lotta inside stuff that most won't get but you'll probably still laugh.

You in Walnut Creek over the weekend XBun?

Even if not, appropriate for the weather we're having. Mt. Diablo and North Peak look beautiful today - reminds me of some of the rugged Alps in Switzerland kinda sorta.

I'm afraid though we're going to have a tornado or something... did y'all see the 28 car pile up on the north side of the Waldo tunnel?

Gotta work on the technical skillz

Well, there was a break in the weather so got off the rollers (which don't seem to help one's technical skillz much) and got outside. Nothing like the vaunted flamingo trials course to improve one's handling skillz.

Looks like it's back to the rollers though as more rain and snow is expected on Sunday... :(

Okay, this is getting ridiculous

The road to Mt. Hamilton closed due to snow... Highway 17 closed due to snow... snow on Mt. Diablo... snow down to 1,000'... Hell freezing over...

Next year, we'll take care of that little rodent before he has a chance to see his shadow...

Shoulda listened to you Reed...

Frank is one mean sunovabeotch when he gets angry...

Dude has clearly gotten off of the Jan training program too.

Must be done remodeling the house.

I'm scared...

To reply, or not to reply, that is the question...

Okay Mo, this is what you really wanted, right? To be on the TWW blog - you don't care about that whole reply thingy, right?

* Photo stolen from VB's gallery

Little did Kathleen know...

"...Frank started screaming 'Don't slow down.' Oh no, he is right behind me and Paul is directly in front of me. This is not the sandwich I want to be in."

- Dave McCrimmon

Sure Dave, sure. At least now Kathleen knows why she was the first one to the top of Jackass mountain...

* The term Brokeback Mountain Bike apparently was created by Matt "Rookie-boy" Leonard so I'm giving him credit here. Happy now Rookie? Lucky you're getting pretty darn fast otherwise I might pimp slap you on the trail. Unfortunately I don't think I'll be anywhere close to you...

This one's for you Jed...

When you need a schmoop-free post you can always count on us...

More porn...

The Internet is all about porn right? Here's a nice follow up to the SRAM road group porn...

The front hub off my new CX bike. Two words: Luh scious.

Got it from our friends at Cyclepath. Tell them TWW sent you. They might laugh at you but they've got some suh-weet toys in their shop that are worth checking out. Ask them about their 2005 Specialized FSR's...

Volunteer with TWW and get free schtuff!!!

Hey so the Sea Otter folks came begging to us to get some volunteers rounded up fo' them. They know we're good at rounding up warm bodies. So come on out and have a swell time with TWW at the Dual Slalom on Saturday. What's in it for moi you ask? Well, you'll get one race entry fee comped, you'll get into the venue fo' free, and there are some other bennies too. Oh yeah, you get the best seats in the house for the Dual Slalom. And lunch.

What are you waiting for? You're already gonna be there so might as well get in on some of this action. Contact Rich "FOF" Henthorn at rhen_tww@yahoo.com fo' mo' details fo' shure.

Wood

Dang*, darn* near rivals a Hottie of the Month post.

Read more about 'em at Velo News

TWW's new best friend BJM was riding this stuff in the Tour of Cali. Dude, can you pull some strings for us? I mean, I did fix your website and all...

Apparently someone is in a little tighter with BJM than TWW. Sonuva...


Make that double wood...

Tour of Cali is over and...

I have no more content for the blog. Waaaaaaaaaaaaa!!! Where are all my blog helpers? Anyone? Can you hear me now? Can you hear me now?

Actually I think I'm finally over my cold and crazy allergic reaction so back to working out and blogging again.

Sea Otter is just over a month away!!! Jiminy Christmas!