This from a team-mate of mine, ah, ours....... hard to believe he lines up with his bike pointed forward...
5:00 PM Tuesday
Brian: Hey Dr Greg PhD, what's up? What time should we leave tomorrow?
Greg: oh, we should leave like at 7 am and go with Dan so we can like ride the tt course
Brian: How many bikes are you bringing? I have Thuly rack with square bar. You sure your yakima mounts & wheel rack will fit? Maybe I should come over tonight and set it up...
Greg: Heh... i think it will fit man. Let's do it tomorrow. It wil be fine. dude, don't worry.
Brian: OK.
6:50 AM Wednesday morning
John & Carol, Dan & Elisa pack up to John's huge SUV. Dan's truck is parked in John's garage. All doors locked, organized, hit the road on time.
6:30 AM Wednesday morning
Brian: Hey Sue, let's go. Car's all packed and we gotta get to Greg's house.
Sue: ok (sue is jamming something into trunk which has been pricely packed with wheels). Slam! Trunk shuts.
Brian: I better put some wheels on the rack so we have more room in the trunk. (take out a front racing wheel). duh... why are these 2 spokes hanging out sideways? Sue? did you put something in the trunk?
Sue: yes, I had to put some extra sox.
Brian: Crap. there goes my racing wheel. Oh well, I will just use this american classic carbon tubular wheels I borrowed from friend. I never rode it before but better use it now. (Slap the wheel on the rack and drive to Greg's house)
On the way down to Greg's house on Hwy 50, "thump". Brian pulls over and the carbon wheel is laying sideways on top of the roof hanging on by the velcro. "Yike. I guessed I didn't tighten it".
7:15 AM
Brian: Hey Greg, sorry we are late. I almost lost my wheel. Let's pack.
Greg: Cool dude, let's put the rack on...
Brian: how many wheels do you...
Greg: Uh.. we have a problem. my yakima mounts are not gonna fit dude. These round things won't fit on your square bars...
Sinking feeling... 3 bikes, 6 sets of wheels and crap load of stuff...
Brian calls Dan and admit state of chaos... "Dan, you guys left at 6:50 am? wow."
Fast forward... Lance has mount that fits, stack wheels in back seat. everything fits
9:20 AM - heading north out of town on I-5 going about 70 mph
Brian: Finally, we are on our way man. 2 hours late. oh well. It's really windy out here. Wow, look at that wheel whobble on the rack. I'm gonna call Dan and let him know we left. (practical joke feeling comes on)
Brian: Dan, I don't know what to do. We can't fit the bikes. We can't find any racks. We are not going to Hood race anymore.
Dan: WHAT??? What do you mean you are not coming? BRIAN, CALL WILSON.
Brian: No Dan, we are giving up. Greg went back into the house and he's not talking to me anymore. I think he's crying. I gonna do modesto race instead.
Dan: What??? Brian, CALL WILSON. Go rent a car. Just get up here. Even if you leave at noon, you will make it.
Brian: We don't have any money to rent a car. Can you come back and get us?
Dan: WHAT? No way! we are 3 hours ahead of you almost to Shasta. There's no way we can turn around now. (everyone in John's car is cracking up)
Brian: I don't know what to do. We just can't deal with this anymore. We are stressed.
Dan: John, can they get into your garage and use my car or my rack?
John: no, all the doors are locked. There's no way to get into my house.
Brian: I just don't know Dan. We are screwed. I will call you back.
Dan: Uggg. (hang up the phone).
Right after Brian hangs up... THUMP! Brian's carbon wheel flys off the rack. Greg watches in amazement.
Greg: Dude, your wheel just rolled down the highway across the grass into the other lane. It was still rolling dude."
Brian: no way! That's my only racing wheel.
Greg: Dude, those carbon wheels are pretty tough. Plus it was still rolling so it should be ok. But it went right in front of the mack truck...
2 laps around Zamora exit.
Greg feels bad and calls Dan and tells the truth that we are on our way but we lost a wheel and we are driving slowly on the shoulder looking for Brian's wheel.
Dan doesn't know what to believe anymore. He's skeptical about wheel story.
Wheel is found cracked in the ditch.
We are back on course heading north.
Brian calls Dan again
Brian: Dan, we found the wheel.
Dan: Did santa clause find the wheel for you? or did tooth ferry find it for you?
Brian: Heh? we really found the wheel but it's shattered
Dan: That's what you get for lying to FBI agent.
Brian looses 2 wheels before race even starts and is down to 1 front training wheel. Reprioritize... just get to race with a working bike with a number pinned on. Rest is details.
Beginning of a beautiful stage race call Mt. Hood...
Brian: Hey Dr Greg PhD, what's up? What time should we leave tomorrow?
Greg: oh, we should leave like at 7 am and go with Dan so we can like ride the tt course
Brian: How many bikes are you bringing? I have Thuly rack with square bar. You sure your yakima mounts & wheel rack will fit? Maybe I should come over tonight and set it up...
Greg: Heh... i think it will fit man. Let's do it tomorrow. It wil be fine. dude, don't worry.
Brian: OK.
6:50 AM Wednesday morning
John & Carol, Dan & Elisa pack up to John's huge SUV. Dan's truck is parked in John's garage. All doors locked, organized, hit the road on time.
6:30 AM Wednesday morning
Brian: Hey Sue, let's go. Car's all packed and we gotta get to Greg's house.
Sue: ok (sue is jamming something into trunk which has been pricely packed with wheels). Slam! Trunk shuts.
Brian: I better put some wheels on the rack so we have more room in the trunk. (take out a front racing wheel). duh... why are these 2 spokes hanging out sideways? Sue? did you put something in the trunk?
Sue: yes, I had to put some extra sox.
Brian: Crap. there goes my racing wheel. Oh well, I will just use this american classic carbon tubular wheels I borrowed from friend. I never rode it before but better use it now. (Slap the wheel on the rack and drive to Greg's house)
On the way down to Greg's house on Hwy 50, "thump". Brian pulls over and the carbon wheel is laying sideways on top of the roof hanging on by the velcro. "Yike. I guessed I didn't tighten it".
7:15 AM
Brian: Hey Greg, sorry we are late. I almost lost my wheel. Let's pack.
Greg: Cool dude, let's put the rack on...
Brian: how many wheels do you...
Greg: Uh.. we have a problem. my yakima mounts are not gonna fit dude. These round things won't fit on your square bars...
Sinking feeling... 3 bikes, 6 sets of wheels and crap load of stuff...
Brian calls Dan and admit state of chaos... "Dan, you guys left at 6:50 am? wow."
Fast forward... Lance has mount that fits, stack wheels in back seat. everything fits
9:20 AM - heading north out of town on I-5 going about 70 mph
Brian: Finally, we are on our way man. 2 hours late. oh well. It's really windy out here. Wow, look at that wheel whobble on the rack. I'm gonna call Dan and let him know we left. (practical joke feeling comes on)
Brian: Dan, I don't know what to do. We can't fit the bikes. We can't find any racks. We are not going to Hood race anymore.
Dan: WHAT??? What do you mean you are not coming? BRIAN, CALL WILSON.
Brian: No Dan, we are giving up. Greg went back into the house and he's not talking to me anymore. I think he's crying. I gonna do modesto race instead.
Dan: What??? Brian, CALL WILSON. Go rent a car. Just get up here. Even if you leave at noon, you will make it.
Brian: We don't have any money to rent a car. Can you come back and get us?
Dan: WHAT? No way! we are 3 hours ahead of you almost to Shasta. There's no way we can turn around now. (everyone in John's car is cracking up)
Brian: I don't know what to do. We just can't deal with this anymore. We are stressed.
Dan: John, can they get into your garage and use my car or my rack?
John: no, all the doors are locked. There's no way to get into my house.
Brian: I just don't know Dan. We are screwed. I will call you back.
Dan: Uggg. (hang up the phone).
Right after Brian hangs up... THUMP! Brian's carbon wheel flys off the rack. Greg watches in amazement.
Greg: Dude, your wheel just rolled down the highway across the grass into the other lane. It was still rolling dude."
Brian: no way! That's my only racing wheel.
Greg: Dude, those carbon wheels are pretty tough. Plus it was still rolling so it should be ok. But it went right in front of the mack truck...
2 laps around Zamora exit.
Greg feels bad and calls Dan and tells the truth that we are on our way but we lost a wheel and we are driving slowly on the shoulder looking for Brian's wheel.
Dan doesn't know what to believe anymore. He's skeptical about wheel story.
Wheel is found cracked in the ditch.
We are back on course heading north.
Brian calls Dan again
Brian: Dan, we found the wheel.
Dan: Did santa clause find the wheel for you? or did tooth ferry find it for you?
Brian: Heh? we really found the wheel but it's shattered
Dan: That's what you get for lying to FBI agent.
Brian looses 2 wheels before race even starts and is down to 1 front training wheel. Reprioritize... just get to race with a working bike with a number pinned on. Rest is details.
Beginning of a beautiful stage race call Mt. Hood...
Brian.
1 comment:
Ladies and gentlemen... this is why we race. The racing part is neat and all, but the real EXPERIENCE comes from all the other events that happen before and after the race itself. I love it!!
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