#TINAR1000 State of the Union

In case you didn't hear, or read, or see on Instagram or Twitter, I have

embarked on a simple challenge for the month of January.

It's not a resolution, I hate that word. I believe gyms and the diet industry

have taken it over and made it their own. To them the word resolution = $$$

Do I get a little too riled up about it, yes, but you should see me 

when I get going on the greeting card business and all their pseudo holidays.

Okay, so I devised a simple goal for the month of January. A way to kick off the year,

a way to give my sad little legs some much needed miles and 

some much needed muscle tone. Let's just say last year was less than stellar for them.

Here's a brief rundown of what I've put in 

since January 16:

Kilometers: 392.0

Miles: 243.6

Elevation gain: 19,399 feet

As you can tell, I may have gotten myself into a pretty big hole.

(that's what he said)

It's the 18th as I write this and I still have a long way to ride. 

Once a procrastinator, always a procrastinator. 

Let's just say, I'm going to be doing some rides that may 

end with me in a fetal position crying for my mommy 

sucking on an empty salted caramel GU packet.

My legs are doing work and I want to treat them right,

so I'm making sure they know how much I appreciate them.

As you can see in the picture above I've succumb to the sweet smell 

only Rapha can create. Yes I'm using summer embro,

it's January in the Northern Hemisphere but Southern California has been averaging 

80 degrees F the whole month of January. Using this embro gives me a chance to 

warm up my legs before leaving the house. It also gives them a nice sheen, 

gives me some added color, and makes them smell like I've been romping through a 

Mediterranean forest. I've also been using Rapha's shave and post shave lotion. 

I don't know if it helps my legs any. It's supposed to smell like Mont Ventoux.

I like to imagine I'm channeling all the great riders over 

the years that have conquered that climb.

I basically have a seance in my bathroom every time I shave my legs.

So there you have it, I'm not exactly killing it, but I'm not epically failing either.

The last couple weeks are going to have some fun with me, let's hope the weather holds up,

or more importantly, let's hope my legs hold up. I like a bit of challenge in my challenges.

If you're doing your own challenge I hope you're doing as well or better than me. 

Let's see some more photos. 

Remember, share your Instagram and Twitter pics with the hashtag 

#tinar1000 

All decent submissions will get a TINAR sticker or something useful.

I Prefer See's Not Whitman's

Alrighty, Christmas time is here again and I've made my annual list of Must Haves. 

I have either been lusting after or have actually used these awesome product(s) over

 the the past year, so I am here to share them with you. 

Maybe you're looking for some ideas for your precious loved one, maybe you want to kiss your 

boss's booty or maybe you just wanna scream out: 

"screw you all, I'm buying a motorcycle, you're all getting Whitman's chocolates!"

As for me, whether I see any of these things

under my 10 inch Italian Stone Pine super-ghetto Christmas tree remains to be seen.

Here we go:

Allen and Bijou are geniuses because this is the best drink mix ever.

I don't get icky belly while in the saddle, they're pretty tasty,

and these single servings look pretty snappy to use. Plus I have a

short attention span so the multiple flavors look right up my alley. Skratch Labs, 

believe the hype, because YES, they're just that good.

My deep, deep, undying love of cycling started with mountain biking. I was a fan of 

Missy Giove, Julie Furtado and John Tomac, so it's only natural that when 

I want to return to my roots I turn to Yeti, they've been around since those days 

and there's a good reason for it. They make frickin good bikes, that's why. 

I've had an itch to hit the dirt for awhile, there are trails calling my name, 

and it's not fair I have to look at them across the street all week while I'm at work. 

My dream rig would be the 

Yeti SB66 Enduro (lime) with SRAM components. 

Yeah, just something to spin around on.

Maybe, just maybe if I put this pic up my Hubby would be more likely to buy me some of these 

Assos knickers. Not a fan of their douchbaggery advertising but I would love to try a pair of their chamois for longer than 5 minutes. Because dancing around the dressing room is not the same as

sitting on a saddle. I tried on their bibs and fell in love with them, I just couldn't pay the $300. I'm happy with Rapha's 3/4 bibs but would like to have a pair of fall/spring knickers.

Clear the counter Darling, mamma wants a new toy! 

I'm not a genius when it comes to espresso but I do know that Eddy rode for Faema and how

bad could this machine be. It can't be worse than what they carry at Costco. And besides, 

everyday you get to be reminded of monsieur Eddy Merckx, I couldn't think of anything better.

Halsa mats, I wanted one last year and kind of forgot about em, 

but now I want one. I'm getting old, I have back pain and insomnia,

both of which can be helped with the help of these pokey mats. 

It's widely used in Sweden which may sway Hubby's view. 

.

Aaaaghhhh, I love Deus. Their custom builds are absolutely beautiful and they have more

soul than any new rides found on a showroom floor. Trust me, we looked this weekend and it's pretty sad. Plastic cookie cutters galore (except Triumphs of course).

Last but not least, the women's Rapha long sleeve jersey. It seems like I'm always 

on the fence about long sleeve jerseys. Living in Southern California can be 

kind of tricky, but for those early morning rides it just makes 

sense. I never take off my arm warmers anyways so why wouldn't I wear one. 

I kind of like the orange in men's but they're out of stock in small, 

not that I'm hinting or anything.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO EVERYONE!

 I want to thank everyone who has supported

FreeBird Velo this year, and I don't just mean buying a tee or two, 

although that's really nice, thank you.

 I want to thank everyone for sharing their input and sharing FBV with others.

It means a lot to me and my little clubhouse company. I love sharing my ideas and 

I get so stoked that there are others who share the same brainwaves.

Do You Neon?

George was ahead of the game

Which camp do you fall into? Do you dare not leave your house in pre-dawn hours without your high-visibility neon-pea jacket? Or do you sacrifice some visibility for a bit of common fashion sense. In recent years we have seen fluorescent jackets take over charity rides and Stateside gran fondos. For some reason being in a group of 500 to 1000 cyclists isn't safe enough for some people, they have to don their neon-garb, even if it's 80 degrees and blindingly bright. Most days I can spot at least one jacket or vest while I'm out riding. Up until recently Sugoi and Canari were the only brands that had a corner on the fluoro market. You could walk into any massive sports retail store and find the cycling section by following the soft neon glow of sub par wind jackets. Nowadays more brands are hopping on the neon band-wagon.

This is not me, It's the Tiny Neon Girl

Don't get me wrong, I understand where these people are coming from. They maybe had some close calls, have known someone who has gotten hit, watched the news or read an article about how dangerous it is to ride around on 2 wheels. Therefore they follow the soft neon glow in their local Sportchalet and find the neon-jacket that will protect them from agitated soccer moms and teen drivers. I have had close calls with both types of drivers but never once have I thought about buying high visibility clothing, I just keep my eyes and ears open. I have never owned a single piece of neon cycling gear, although I'm sorry to say I wore nothing but neon skiing gear in the 80's, on the mountain only. Not a good decade for me, besides the fact I was kind of pudgy. That may have been where my hatred for bright clothing originated.

Embrocation Cycling Journal Hi-Viz bundle

Rapha Pro Jacket

Smart and Classy just like…uh,

not like me.

This all changed when Embrocation Cycling Journal came out with their Hi-Viz shoe covers this spring. I got scared because I had visions of hot pink ski pants and neon purple parkas, what if my OCD comes back, I have a tendency of going overboard when I like something. I did some more research on the shoe covers and I'm ready to buy. I then thought about maybe picking up a brighter jacket for the dark and danky winter season. I personally am going for the Rapha rain jacket in red. I needed more of a rain jacket, but the Rapha yellow Pro-jacket gets style points, maybe when it goes on sale.

Rapha Rain Jacket

My cold weather/rain jacket of choice this year

Assos Air Jack Jacket

If you can afford it, congratulations

I've seen research where green is the most visible color while driving, I'm in a rush so I can't find the exact article but I did read it, I swear. I think the Assos Air Jack seems perfect for winter riding, sans douchey model. It's bright but not annoyingly bright, plus, who wouldn't want to look like a june bug. Red is a good go to color too, you can see it and it's classic looking. I understand that neon yellow and green is the optimum color when riding at dusk and dawn but I believe that if you have bright enough lights and reflective stripes/bands on your clothing the cars aren't gonna get you. Riding is dangerous, we except it every time we throw our leg over the top tube. You guys can buy/wear whatever you want, I'm just giving my opinion on what I like when it comes to being seen while riding. Have at it.

The Rapha Brevet Jersey and Vest gets an honorable mention. I saw it at the Rahpa store up in San Fransisco and fell in love with it, alas, I sacrificed it for the Woman's Vest. It has reflective stripes on both the jersey and vest. The vest is bright pink and is kind of reminiscent of my 80's ski days, I guess that's why I liked it so much .

Randomness

Look who made it to the big time! My 'Rapha jersey pocket stuff competition' photo made it to the Rapha email thinga majiggy. I'm the pink club jersey in the middle. If you don't believe it looky here. Yes that is all the crap I carry around with me. Dehydrated glue, old Kleenex, dirty 'ol $5 bill,valve cap, bolt and wrapped up multi tool with duct tape. I was not carrying my spare tube that happens to have 2 patches on it already. Now you know why I carry around duct tape.

What San Pedro Thinks Of Cyclists During A Tsunami

Random photo from a couple weekends ago. Went down with the Hubby to try and visit the USS Ronald Regan during fleet week. But all we got to see was 2 hours of traffic and having a tiny Asian man take my picture (?) and flip me off from his champagne colored Prius(enough said). Let's just say he lacked flippin ability because his middle finger was basically the size of a vienna sausage. Smack.

It was craft day today. I happened to have the wood burner out and some bottle caps handy so I made this Notorious F.I.S.H. Big Poppa tribute plaque-a-ma-jig. It's for the hubby.

Giro Countdown

Available @ FreebirdVelo's shop

It's May, time for the Giro. I'm celebrating by putting on pink brake hoods, but they're only staying on there for the month. I don't want to be one of THOSE women. Besides, I don't think they're going to look to hot, photos to come.

Rapha California from RAPHA on Vimeo.

Another big thing for the month of May is the opening of the Rapha Cycle Club in San Fransisco. There has never been a better excuse to head North than to visit my wallet's mortal enemy- Rapha. Love them.

Speaking of the Giro and Italy, I just discovered Capo's new Spring/Summer line up. And looky what I found- a celeste colored kit. I need a new swimsuit but this kit takes precedence over that for sure.

I Can't Think of a Title

Spotted at the Track, horse track that is.

Weekend is here and now almost gone. Got some good riding in but not the mileage I was hoping for. I guess there's plenty of time for those back-breaking, cramp-inducing rides that I love to hate, or hate to love I don't know which. I've been wearing my new Rapha gear lately and I believe it helps me ride a little faster. It might be because I want to do it justice. I can hear that English guy from the Rapha Gentleman's Race narrating my rides. "Don't stop, don't stop, okay stop for a moment.."

Did something a bit different yesterday, got to go to Santa Anita and bet on the ponies. Ah, not really, I watched the pretty ponies and wished for my ranch in Colorado. Preferably one near a ski resort with good roads in the spring and summer. I didn't bet because I'm done with gambling after all my crappy Vegas experiences. Money is better spent on other things, like the new Fizik saddle bag I got at Incycle on the way home, thanks hubby. I'm pretty impressed with it. It has a tiny bit more room than the old strap version and it looks clean attached to my Fizik saddle. Another plus, I can see the 3T logo on my seat post. I don't know if it was exposure to ponies or what but I found myself saying 'easy girl' to my bike today. Like when there were riders up ahead, I found myself pedaling at a faster clip, like I was trying to keep up with my bike. Maybe Herbie the Love Bug got reincarnated into my bike. Now that would be a good movie.

Time for business. Freebird Velo has a few new shirts. My favorite is the 'Real women love men with shaved legs' tee. I realize this might be taken the wrong way, by like perverts and such, but if you're in the cycling world you know what it means. A new Spring Classics tee is out too. Enjoy and take a look at my shop on Etsy. RIDE, RIDE, RIDE.

Rapha Karma?

Yes, I made fun of Rapha's Festive 500 by introducing the Half-Assed 250. My idea was kind of serious though, I was gonna do it, I started off good, I did 20 miles on Christmas Eve/day. I was doing good until I started getting sick on Sunday. I made the English God's of fine craftsmanship angry and for that I paid. Although, it was probably the toddler/ petri dishes at my Aunts house on Xmas Eve who were "just starting to catch colds" that did it to me. 'Just starting' usually means contagious and that's why I didn't come within 3 feet of them the whole night. Little buggers must of busted through my force fields when I wasn't paying attention. Right now I may sound like a raving hypochondriac wombat but this is nothing if my cold gets any worse. I also ate too much candy on Christmas day so I felt like poop on the 26th. The candy also probably led to a weakened immunity system. Sadly my planned EPIC Sunday ride did not occur. But it was raining so I kind of felt a little less guilty. So in conclusion, love everyone, don't make fun of them, and ride your frick'n bike. And wash your hands.

On a lighter and more happier note, my dreams have come true. The one after finding Prince Charming. Yes folks I got real wheels. Ones that actually come in a carrying case. Campy Shamals. When I unwrapped the box it looked like a Jared comercial, or whoever does those lame engagement commercials. I felt like a little kid again, my pulse quickened, I stammered, I hugged. Visions flashed in front of me, like blurred too fast to see visions. Maybe I can beat my husband downhill, maybe I can beat him up a hill? Yep, the world is my little oyster on these babies. Unfortunately I have to wait for a new cassette before I put them on. I also got the saddle I've been lusting at for over a year, the Fizik Vesta. So yea, I had a very good Christmas. I'm off to drink my FRS. Best thing to drink when you're sick, swear to Buddha.

I added some of my favorite cyclocross videos cause they make me happy when I'm sick. Kind of like watching Golden Girls.

Cross Crusade #6 Astoria - Chapter 2 from Burk Webb on Vimeo.

HALF-ASSED HOLIDAY 250

HALF-ASSED HOLIDAY 250

ARE YOU TOO BUSY TO RIDE 500 KM, IS IT COLD, WET, SNOWY?

ARE YOU FULL FROM EATING TOO MANY TRADER JOE'S, JOE-JOE'S?

WELL JOIN THE HALF-ASSED HOLIDAY 250 KM RIDE. FROM

DECEMBER 24-31 RIDE 250 KILOMETERS AND NOT ONLY FEEL OKAY WITH YOURSELF BUT GET A T-SHIRT. FIRST 5 TO SHOW ME. (MAYBE MORE?)

I was at Target this morning doing last minute shopping wondering to myself if I could do the Rapha Festive 500. I know for sure I was the only person in that store thinking that. Which made me feel kinda special in a tingly way. I came to the conclusion after the feeling passed that no, I couldn't do it. Not cause I didn't have the cajones, I got obligations and a marriage to consider. So, while looking at John Frieda hair calming creme I came up with the Half-assed Holiday 250. 250 km in a week. That's do-able, huh? I'm not stealing any thunder away from Rapha, I love 'em with all my hard earn cash, um heart. If you want to join and get a chance to win a t-shirt leave your blog addresses in my comment box or vimeo/flikr. I will be very fair, and quite possibly allow more than 5 winners. T-shirt design is still in infancy stage, should be ready by New Years. Check out my shop at http://www.etsy.com/shop/freebirdvelo to see my previous t-shirt art work.

Good Day

I had a good day riding yesterday. I've been riding consistently lately and it feels pretty damn great. Maybe it's the fact that I know I have a full Rapha kit waiting to be opened on Christmas morning. Or maybe it's the fact that I got to wear my new Rapha full gloves and winter socks. Both fit so perfect and felt so luxurious that I wanted to wear them all day. Well I wore the socks all day, don't judge me, you don't know. The bottoms have extra padding on them and they're super soft. Never again will I wear a synthetic socks, it's merino for me from now on. Like I said earlier I had a good day riding and who wouldn't, I got to climb Sunset loop in cold weather (which makes a difference), and I got to enjoy the view that comes after a winter storm. And so, now I have to go pack, I'm off to Vegas for Thanksgiving. What have I become. All I can say is Esspresemente. My one saving grace in Vegas. Best coffee and gelato in town.

New Stuff

Poppy likes to try new hair styles

I Like to try new stuff. Sometimes. People who now me are going to laugh at that remark because it's what I like to think. I'm trying Rapha, that's new to me. So far so good, just got my leg warmers and t-shirt. I danced around my bedroom in my legwarmers to make sure they stayed in place. Yep, they got the thumbs up dance. The t-shirt felt stiff but after the first wash, very nice and sturdily constructed, it's tailored for a riding position. Damn Brits, they know how to design. Motorcycles, Aero mint chocolate bars, Mark Cavendish. Well Cavendish's cycling ability, take him off the bike or let him open his mouth and he goes to pot.

This morning I went for a ride after going to the gym. I downloaded some new music to my shuffle so I get a sort of extra boost from my new music selection. You want to see some of my new stuff? I thought you did.

-Jerry was a race car driver Primus

-My Adidas RUN DMC

-Lay all your love on me ABBA

-Gimme, gimme, Gimme ABBA

Wow! what a fine collection you must be saying. Yes I do have good taste, thank you. I listen to my shuffle religiously at the gym because their taste in music is just for poo. I was still on a kind of new music high so I decided to listen single ear'd while I went for a ride. You know what? it helped. Not that I need help getting inspired for a ride. Well kind of lately, I got the autumn dumps, it's dark out! Nothing is more exhilarating then flying around the Sunset loop listening to Swedish pop.

New Items also showed up in my Etsy Freebird Velo shop. Got some new t-shirts in their now and some new paintings are coming up soon.

It's Halloween and I'm a Heavy Breathing Fatty

I went for a ride this afternoon, which is weird because It's Sunday and I left at 1:30. That's pretty late for me, unless it's an evening ramble. I was either really hungry cause I hadn't eaten lunch or my binge the night before on my Wonka candy had finally caught up to me. No matter what excuses I write on this blog today I have to say one thing, damn I'm out of shape! But don't worry faithful reader I read my UK Cycling Health & Fitness magazine this morning after my healthy breakfast of a carrot walnut muffin and latte. While reading that fine publication I found a pull-out 8 week training guide to help me ride no handed and how to make u-turns. Is there something about the Brits we don't know about. I will admit they had some good nutrition info and Autumn riding tips. It also made me want a cup of tea and some of those chocolate covered biscuits. One thing that always annoys me about their cycling models is that their gear is so missy matchy. They're wearing Assos tops with Pearl Izumi shorts and Specialized knee warmers worn way too low for my taste. I thought the UK was the land of Rapha, classic, tailored, cycling gear that matches. That's enough of my rant and Rapha booty-kissing. I just know they're (Rapha not the Brits) going to find me on this damn blog and send me a jersey (club jersey, pk/white/grey in small) or even some of their soap made from the herbs and flowers from the slopes of Mt. Ventoux. Oh what a beautiful company.