Mixing Business With Pleasure

San Diego Custom Bike Show, Bike Jumble, and Gran Fondo this weekend. I have to owe it to my hubby, not too many men would give up their weekend to help sit behind a table pedaling their wife's wares to bike show attendees. Actually it was just Saturday, Sunday we did the Gran Fondo, although I don't know which was worse for him. 60 miles is kind of hard on a body after a shabby winter of riding, add to that a crappy saddle (I will not mention which one he has but it looks like it could use some viagra), not the happiest of bums, that's for sure.

Our Post For 6 Hours

No One Bought My $25 Banana

Bilenky's Infamous Shelly Horton

My Personal Favorite, Winter Bicycle's Cross Bike (Sweet and Simple)

Back to the show, kind of small. I was too cheap to buy a booth at the show so I opted for the Bike Jumble. It unfortunately was not like the ones that go on in New York. We had 8 vendors total, and it was upstairs from the show. If you don't know about it, it's a bike swap meet, were you can buy whole bikes, bike parts galore, bike related crafts, anything cycling. This one was like that, just on a more miniature, half-assed scale. My table was next to the big window and I got to watch Bilenky do a photo shoot in front of a fountain. That was the highlight for Saturday.

More Than Halfway Through on Sunday

I Got Chocolate GU on my Jersey (front and back)

Therefore Hubby Called me Shit Tit For 26 Miles

The Gran Fondo was good, medio route wasn't completely flat but it didn't kill you either. I'm curious how the 100 miler was. Not that I was ready for it by any means. Couldn't ask for better weather. I don't think it got hotter than 80 degrees, and not a cloud in the sky. Well, after the marine layer burned off, once that happened my fingers started gaining feeling. If you ever get the chance I highly recommend doing it, friendly people, it's organized pretty well, and we didn't get lost. Good sign placement. Only thing I would change is the finish line. You have to cross 3 lanes of busy traffic to turn into the expo/finish line. My hubby used this to his advantage, he knows I'm a scaredy cat when it comes to heavy traffic. Little bugger went on red to get to the finish line first. His trash talking came to fruition. C'est la vie.

Yep, It's a Pup

I Saw The Great American Hero(Google if you don't know him) in Chula Vista

The Cursed Kit

As you might of known I signed up for the women's public race during the Redland's Bicycle Classic. Bigger turnout than last year for sure, which is a good sign. 4 girls in the 18-35, 4 in the 36-44, and one lucky lady in the older group. I will not say which group I was in but there were 4 girls in it, nough said. So the field doubled from last year and I actually had some competition. Not really. They were all sweet ladies, very nice, and I half wanted to ride slow to be a one woman cycling morale booster. Just riding from one little woman to the next, urging her on. Back to the race.

I decided on my I. Martin, Belgian kit because Tour of Flanders was going Sunday. Big mistake. I'm superstitious, I knew putting it on I shouldn't be wearing it. Every time I wear it for a race or sportive something crappy happens. I'm either bringing up the rear in a crit or riding the San Diego Gran Fondo in 2 inches of rain. Don't get me wrong I won my age class. The fact is I lost a 6 mile race to a woman wearing a Bike Chick jersey, and nose ring. Don't let those power bottom chicks fool you. Ooooh, the humiliation, the mental anguish. I replayed the could'a, would'a, should'a scenarios in my head over and over.

How it came down is simple.

First lap- 3 riders- I sit behind

Second lap- loose a rider- sit behind Bike Chick

Third/Fourth lap- I'm an all day sucker baby

Final lap- she took off, I didn't realize it was lap 5. Chased her but couldn't get her wheel. Ugh.

I blame Todd Gogoulski. He did the race announcing and I felt guilty seeing him because I bad mouthed him on the blog saying he and Steve Schlanger sound like a morning radio duo. So now I have bad Gogo karma. I actually felt honored having him announce our race. I take back my comments. All in all, I had fun which is what it's about. Keeping it fun at this level is a good way to keep and bring more women into the sport.

Redlands Bicycle Classic Sunset Loop Stage

Just finished watching the men run around Sunset. Got to see the ladies go this morning, HTC were killing it. Always had at least 3 in the lead group. Cath Cheatley won the stage for Colovita. Enjoy the photos, I ran my ass all around this stage now I got nasty allergies. Ladies take up the first 4 photos, men are after. Check out Velonews for full race results.

Redlands Bicycle Classic Day 3

Third day of Redlands Bicycle Classic. I didn't go to the Beuamont stage yesterday because it was my adorable hubby's birthday. Today was crit day. For the ladies we had Theresa Clif-Ryan take a win for Colavita. For the men we have Roman Van Uden for Pure Black. What did I tell you about this team, definite one to watch this year. Could be New Zealand's answer to a future TdF team. I'm just saying.

Colombus Steel Tattoos

Redlands Bicycle Classic Prologue

The Classic is in town and I love it. It's like being a little kid back in the 40's living in Iowa and the circus just got to town. I have to keep my enthusiasm to a minimum when I see the HTC or Jelly Belly vans driving around town. I think it upsets the hubby when I become a hyper little monkey bouncing in my seat pointing at them.

So down to business, I watched the men's and women's prologue this morning, it was Africa hot, 95-97f. The course is 5k, 680' total climbing, hilly as fcuk, I rode it Tuesday. Fransisco Mancebo(Realcyclist.com) won for men and Amber Neben (HTC) won women's. And my personal favorite, Evelyn Stevens(Nat. TTChamp) was second, 9 seconds behind her teammate.

Brit, Katie Coclough

Kristen Armstrong, back in the saddle.

So Veiny.

New favorite domestic team, Pure Black from New Zealand.

I would not want to be around when he takes those

bad boys off. 95 degrees and leather do not mix.

Weekend Show and Tell

This is what my bike would look like if it did 70's style porn

I'll be short with the words this week and leave you with a few pictures. First up are photos from my little Saturday morning ride which included some strade bianche, first time ever on a road bike. Kept waiting for something to 1) bend 2) break 3) snap 4) pop. All good. Then I got some shots from the San Dimas Stage Race on Sunday.

Super Clean Huffy Rawhide

Cat 3/4 Crits

Which Would You Rather?

Which would you rather put a leg over?

Little Black Beauty Here, or......

Ronald McDonald's Race Machine

Where is Bianchi in the pro peloton? I know Androni Giocattoli is riding them this year but what about the big guys? Just putting that out there.