If You Chose Not To Decide...

For anyone who comes here regularly (I'm sincerely sorry.  Wait, if you still come here after all these years you obviously have some sort of genetic flaw so you're parents should be apologizing, not me) you know that I've been having a not so internal debate about this year's race steed.  I WANTED the Salsa Spearfish but they were in such high demand that everything available to the team was already sold (unless I want to wait until July).

So, I thought that maybe I'd go with the Santa Cruz Tallboy.  A super sweet bike with a big price tag.

And then, just when I couldn't be any more conflicted, Bikeman.com became a Niner Bikes shop bringing the Jet 9 to the front of the heap of aluminum and carbon goodness.  Our team window for ordering a Niner was short and I came ever so close to buying an xt built Jet but by the end of the weekend (our deadline) I was so conflicted that instead of buying a new bike I did nothing.  If you chose not to decide, you still have made a choice. (don't think I've ever quoted a song before, let alone a Rush song...)

What finally sealed my no bike decision was KillBill telling me that I'd probably have to change my riding style in order to enjoy any full suspension bike.  Most notably (and the real deal killer) is that I'd have to sit while climbing hills.  Now, who's stupid idea was that?  Hills are meant for standing as far as I'm concerned.  If it's long and gradual I will sit but if you tell me that if I want to attack on a hill (one of my favorite spots) my bike is likely to get all boingy on me and suck my energy than that is a definite problem.  To be honest, I don't have enough time on any of these bikes to make a true call as to how much it would affect my riding but, after hearing that, there was no way I was going to pull the multi thousand dollar trigger on any bike.  So, my indecision has led me to a new decision.  For the first part of the season at least, I'll be riding my once retired dos niner.  She's just a frame, headset and bottom bracket right now but with a few parts steals from my other bikes and a couple of purchases she'll be ready for prime time again.  Let's just hope she's less Brett Favre out of retirement ready and more (ummmm, somebody else who came out of retirement and didn't suck.  help me out, I can't think of any....) so I don't regret that decision.  Either way, it gives me a bike to race on and the parts can always be switched to a new steed mid season after I've had more time to try the other bikes.  Makes sense right?  Right?  Please tell me I'm right because I want to stop thinking about this...

Wow, looking back, I'm over a week behind on my mileage calcs.  This is exactly why I stopped keeping a paper training log and training plan.  I just can't handle the structure.  Let's see if I can remember it all.

3-21-11

X-train time: 5:00
Ride time: 6:45
Ride distance: 85 miles

Total x-train time: 27:45
Total ride time: 37:45
Total distance: 336 miles

Weight: 188

Wish I Had Something

But I don't.  The weekend got away from me with no riding but I did get some snowshoeing in with friends and got two window seats for the house built and ready for paint in the shop today so all is good.  Plus, I was able to sneak a commute in this morning so I feel I'm starting the week off right and with up to 18" of fresh snow coming tomorrow night, getting a good start is imperative. 

What other boring shit could I tell you?  My weight is holding steady in the 188-189 range, only 3-ish pounds from my goal race weight for the season so no worries there.  Speaking of race season, I'm still no closer to deciding what to use for a race steed this year.  I dragged my feet too long to even consider asking Santa Cruz for some help on a Tallboy because I'm still nervous that I won't like the platform's efficiency.  Apparently anyone who's been on a full suspension for years love it's efficiency but mr hard tail here is still nervous after my unsuccessful test ride this summer.  So, pulling the trigger on that type of purchase seems crazy at best-reckless and foolish at worst if I end up detesting the bike.  The Salsa Spearfish is still very much in play though since I've heard that it's a stiffer platform to work with which I like but until I can try one myself I won't be plunking down any plastic on that either.  Oh to have such worries...

Serious A.D.D.

I've got problems, serious problems. To anyone who reads this blog (or rides themselves for that matter) you know that bike lust is an everyday occurance. There is always something out there that gets my panties moist. Usually my lust is directed at one, maybe two things. This time of year, I'm usually trying to decide what to race next year and if a new bike aquisition will be made or not. That's nothing new. What is new, is the number of bikes that I feel like I MUST HAVE!

Item numero uno is next season's race rig. The Selma all geared up worked quite well last season but I missed being able to chose on a day to day basis whether I wanted to run gears or SS so she needs to go back to SS duty next season. As mentioned before, I plan to move up to the elite class in EFTA next year and if I have any hope of not embarrassing myself I'll need all the weapons I can gather. There are a couple of courses in the series that an SS can be competitive in any day of the week, throw in nasty weather and an SS can shine so I need that at my disposal. There were also some races that you needed to be a serious meth head to WANT to race a single speed. So, a geared bike needs to be in the arsenal next season.

Will it be option 1, a Salsa Spearfish?

Or option 2, a Santa Cruz Tallboy

I've talked about their virtues a few times recently but I can't seem to decide.  A while back I got to ride a demo Tallboy and while I loved it through the rough stuff, I felt it wallowed while climbing.  I chalked it up to a faulty rear shock but KillBill just picked up his own Tallboy and said that the two ride identical so it may be that I really don't like full suspension.  I liked it back in the days when I raced a carbon fuel and I'm told that bike (at least back then) sucked but I loved it so I can't imagine I wouldn't love a modern full suspension but who wants to lay down 4g's only to hate it's carbon soul and the Taiwanese freighter it rode in on?  The Spearfish is an unknown to me since it's so new.  Early reports are that it handles and climbs well but a certain someone put it in my ear that since it's aluminum it will be flexy as hell.  Of course this is the same someone who, just last season, poo-poo'd me for my 29'er only to have one himself now so I try not to pay attention but the bug is still there.  Thankfully, there are reviews out there that say exactly what I want to hear:

"It was very efficient up the paved on the loose climbs. The three inches of suspension action is a bit stiff. Compared to the many multilink and higher travel bikes that I tried, this one was not quite active. The design does not sit much into the rear travel and sems to be optimized more for pedaling efficiency."

That right there is how I would describe my perfect race bike.  A rear that is not super active and is geared more for pedaling efficiency than small bump compliance but can still gobble up the bigger stuff.  I may have answered my own question right there.


But, but, but, there's more.  As you know, I've also been lusting after the Salsa Mukluk.  I've wanted a snow bike for years but could never pull my shit together.  With Salsa's introduction of the Mukluk things changed pretty quickly.  All of a sudden I needed to have one NOW.  Sadly, despite Marcy giving me her blessing (bless her!) on the purchase, none seem to be available because demand is so high.

Team manager Big Al says not to despair, he'll have one to me with plenty of snow left but I've got an itch in my pants that needs a scratchin.

Lets see here.  I was also this close (imagine me holding my thumb and forefinger close together) to picking up a cyclocross frame.  The shop has a Redline Conquest Disc frame available for uber cheap and it would function very well as my new commuter/ghetto cross race bike for next season.    Thankfully, I get the cross itch every fall but it subsides come January so I hope that one will pass.

and finally, at least for big ticket items, I had hoped to pick up some new spinners for the road bike for next season.  My Bonty Race's have been good wheels but they're old, the breaking surface is getting worn and they are heavy.  What do I want instead?  A set of Ultegra tubeless compatible rims of course.  They are not the most chi-chi wheels out there but they'd shave well over a half pound off my bike and allow me to go tubeless which would be a dream come true.  Throw in some tubeless juice and you've got many miles of (almost) worry free riding.  Me wants.

I've seriously run out of time so the rest of my list will have to wait for later.

Ahh Sweet 2011

Things are starting to shape up for 2011.  I'm fully in the "regenerative" stage of my training.  Meaning, I'm barely touching the bike these days.  Normal work and home life stuff is there but throw in a new pooch producing copious amount of urine and feces and a star fangled nut that won't go in the stupid fucking steerer tube and you have the recipe for ZERO riding.  All is good though, I've got a star fangled nut installer thing-a-ma-jiggy ordered and the pooch seems to be learning the difference between the great out-of-doors and the doody free in-of-doors so by next week I suspect things will be back in order.  Plus, PLUS, Marcy and I are signed up for a fundraiser this weekend that'll have us as part of a 12 hr spin bike team with me putting in 2-3 hours in the sweatatorium.  There's nothing like 3 hours riding inside to make you want to get outside to ride. 

Looking ahead to 2011, I've started getting my sponsorship proposal letters out for 2011 and hope to get them all wrapped up by the end of the weekend so I know what's what for next year.  Big things are going to happen.  I'm sure.  Really.  So, if you happen to be an industry insider (only one follower that I know of.  Hi Endless!) who reads this drivel and you have copious amounts of stuff (parts and money) that you want to part with, drop me a line.  If you have a product that I actually like I'm a very cheap date...  I've cleaned out my e-mail so that I don't overrun my storage allotment with the massive amounts of inquiries.

As for 2011 plans, as I've mentioned before, I intend to get pummeled in the Elite class for most of the xc season.  To that end, I'm shoppin for a new xc rig.  Previously, the Santa Cruz Tallboy was the leading contender but just recently my boyz at Salsa came out with the Spearfish (pictured above) as well so the decision is a tough one.  I can nab the Salsa complete with a pretty solid build for the price of the Tallboy frame but that Tallboy sure is sweet.  Me thinks that it'll all come down to cash-ola when the card slides through the slot but there's still time for Salsa and Santa Cruz to kiss my bum and beg and plead for my support in 2011.  Or not.