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Otodus megalodon, Mosasaurus hoffmannii,

Livyatan melvillei, Otodus obliquus, Killer Whale - Orcinus orca, Great White Shark - Carcharodon carcharias

 

 

 

 

 

Man I miss Tilly....

I hate getting half wheeled. It doesn’t really matter by who, but the stronger the rider, the more I dislike it. That being said, I do, on rare occasion, half wheel myself. I’m not sure that I actually half wheel because I am cognoscente of the action. To truly be half wheeled, or to be half wheeling, the half wheeler has to be oblivious to the action.

If you don’t understand the definition of half wheeling, it is the action by an individual, when he or she rides beside you, when you are riding two by two, and is always just enough ahead of you that you feel like you are always trying to catch up or get back even with them. If a rider is a true half wheeler, they don’t have a clue that they are doing it. 

The funny thing about the whole situation is that the rider that is “behind” is actually controlling the speed, so there really should be less mental stress. 

I’ve been unfortunate to be half wheeled by some pretty great riders. Like I said above, the better the rider, the more stress it causes the rider on the receiving end. The most famous rider I was half wheeled by was Bernard Hinault. I didn’t train with Hinault enough to know if he is really a half wheeler, all I know is that I was riding with him, before a time trial in Colombia, and he definitely half wheeled me for 30 minutes or so. 

Michael Engleman half wheeled. Nearly always. And he was strong enough, more than strong enough, that you should have been stressed. Micheal was so strong that he could keep nearly any pace, virtually all day. 

I didn’t mind it so much from him. He and I lived together in Boulder and I rode with him a ton. I like training hard and once you get used to the situation, it really isn’t much of an issue. It’s only when you’re having a really bad day that it wears on you. Before the Tour of the Americas, back in 1988, we were training in Florida and I’d do some pulls with him at the front of a group of 10 for over 30 minutes at 25 mph +. Sometimes for an hour. Alan McCormick, Broz, and most of the other guys on the team would purposely not ride beside Micheal because of the high chance that was going to occur. I finished 2nd overall in that stage race and the reason was because of getting half wheeled for weeks.

I really hate to be half wheeled by guys I don’t know. Getting half wheeled by complete strangers is worse than getting half wheeled by Tour de France winners. When you have no knowledge of how strong a rider is next to you, it just stresses you out that much more. It’s like you’re going up a huge climb, but you have no idea where the top is. This usually occurs when I’m really tired. Usually on a Monday, after a weekend stage race when I’ve stayed around a city to do the local group ride. Everyone that didn’t race on the weekend shows up and the Monday ride eventually turns into a pseudo race. I don’t mind it turning into a race, I just hate the pulling at the front, 2 x 2, at 28 mph. 

The same thing can happen on a MTB. When you go to someone’s local course/trails, and they are so excited that they take you out and ride at race pace on trails you’ve never rode on. It is a drag. Tom Ritchey had a reputation of doing that. Thomas Frischknecht would say that he needed to rest up to ride with Tom, if Thomas was heading out to San Francisco after a race. He say that Tom would take him out and just hammer him. I always felt for him, getting hammered after a Norba National or World Cup, by your sponsor. That is a pretty weird situation.

Anyway, everyone that has ridden much has experienced being half wheeled. If you haven’t then you most likely are a half wheeler and just don’t know it

 

1. A is for Ann Arbor training series, the place that set the tone for the upcoming road race series..now it’s vaguely a shadow of its former self pony up the grip and get away Mellons Eggs, and Whatvr is gathered up the night before..

2. B is Base Media, Brad Lako, Big Big B, The Blue Wave, Brian Hancock, Brian Adams, Big B and all the other cool shit now n before that started with this letter..

3. C is for Cicciaro…pay the UCI it’s paltry sum and spend the evening racing around this historic place, if your a west sided…it’s for Cosdi Dental..second best looking kit in the scene..

4. D is Detroit, it’s on the comeback, maybe another big time crit will comeback 

5. E is for..Eclipse on Tap…hand down the coolest kit currently in the scene..

6. F. Is for friends, text one call one..cuz u never know when you be able to 

7. G is Grand Rapids…it’s beer city, and well in our opinion much nicer than D town.

8.  H, is for Hastings home of one of the most neglected nationally gravel events 

9.  I is for idiot..like the one this morning that had no idea on how to use a four way stop!

10. J is for junk..like anything SRAM I’ve ever owned..

11. K is for Krispy Kreme doughnuts…I’ve never liked them fresh or store bought 

12. L is for like..I like liking things…

13. M is money, and money wins every time..

14. N is for New Archive cycling..not sure what the name represents, but we do love that it..

15. O is for Onion Rings…despite the farts they will produce we will pick em over fries every time 

16. P is people..and man watching them is underrated 

17. Q is Quick flavored milk…Strawberry is my favorite after an interval session 

18. R is RAD…the original word for rad shit..

19. S is style..everyone has but not everyone is great

20. T is Track..the scene is pretty lucky to have one despite its neglect from this shitty blog

21. U is underwear …something I rarely wear

22. V is for Velveeta, it makes the best Grilled Cheese hands down 

23. W is for women and need to ban together for more change 

24. X is for Racer X Speed Racers long lost brother 

25  Y is youth, and scene looks to be tipping that way..

26. Is for Zinger, that cheap copy of a Twinkie, and think I still have a petrified one in my locker..

 

 

 When your a Strava user and you never give Kudos to anyone 

 

 

 Snapshot of Marilyn Monroe in Mexico, 1961.

 

 

 Leigh Donavon cuz we knew you didn’t know 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 lady gaga doing yoga