Monday, February 13, 2012

Getting Fit


After school this past Friday I went over to HED to get fitted on my P4 by Chris Edin, Ian Stanford, and Steve Hed. I've been working with HED a ton the past few years and they've been a huge help ever since I started with them.
I really got a good fit from those guys and went to Sushin afterwards. I had a great time hanging out with all the HED guys and can't say enough how great they all are!
On Saturday, I headed up to Excelsior with my Dad to do the 318 ride with Chad Macy. It was wicked cold at the start of the ride, but once we got going the temp got a little bit more bearable. I had a great time on the ride, especially since I haven't gone on a long group ride in a few weeks.
Sunday, I headed to the bike swap up in Blaine to try to sell some of our stuff. I had a pretty cool time there seeing some people that I hadn't seen in a while.
After we got done at the swap my dad and I met up with Dan Swanson to go on an adventure ride for a few hours. It was a super fun ride on some crazy icy trails with some classic Swanson stories!

Sunday, February 5, 2012

Getting To The "Core" Of Things


This weekend I went to The Fix Studio to learn some core exercises that are going to help me out tons this season. I've known Sophie and Larry for several years and they have helped me out a lot over the years.
I was at The Fix for about an hour, and in that hour Sophie showed me several super useful core exercises and dynamic stretches. It's really nice to know that we have people like Larry and Sophie at The Fix that really know how to help an athlete out. I recommend them to anyone, they really know what they are doing!!

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Making the Grade

Jordan missed 16 days of school last semester. A couple were sick days, but most of them were attributed to travelling for Bike Racing.

It took a lot of self-discipline on his part, but he still earned 6 A's and 1 B for the semester. He knows a career in bike racing is a long shot. Fast, but uneducated leads to a tough life.

While his school and teachers have been very understanding of his unique situation, Jordan is subject to state mandated guidelines of missing a maximum of 5 days per semester. His school's policy is 10 days per semester, but next year, they have to amend the policy to match state guidelines.

The consequence of missing more than 5 days per semester is no credit for work missed, making it virtually impossible to make the grade.

This has led us to a crossroad with Jordan. We are applying for open enrollment for next year, with the expectation he will attend school online. This will allow him to maintain his schooling, but allowing him the flexibility to travel. This is very common for elite junior cyclists in the U.S.

Obviously, the downside of online school is the lack of socialization and structure that you get automatically with normal high school.

One alternative we are seriously considering is enrolling Jordan at the Lone Star Academy in Wimberly, Texas. The school is run by Christian Williams, who is the director and coach of Jordan's Slipstream Craddock Junior Development Team. Jordan would travel to Texas Oct-May, in a boarding school environment with other promising junior cyclists.

While this would be a big step for us as a family, it is a great opportunity for Jordan to pursue his cycling goals without sacrificing his education.

Monday, January 30, 2012

Sold: 2011 Ridley Damocles RS DuraAce Easton EC90 Wheelset

Sold on 3/9/12.

Selling my 2011 Ridley Damocles RS w/DuraAce 7800 and Easton Carbon Wheelset. Size Medium.




This bike was used sparingly last season as a backup race bike. Excellent condition, perfect working order. 15.5 lbs as pictured. Size Medium.
$3250 as pictured.

Specs:
Full carbon frameset/fork w/integrated headset - Size Medium - Color White
Brakes: Shimano DuraAce 7800
Shifter/Brake Levers: Shimano DuraAce 7800 10speed
Front Derailleur: Shimano DuraAce 7800
Rear Derailleur: Shimano DuraAce 7800
Cassette: Shimano DuraAce 7900 12-23
Chain: Shimano DuraAce CN-7800
Crankset: Shimano DuraAce 7800 53/39 172.5mm
Bottom Bracket: Shimano DuraAce 7800
Wheels: Easton EC90 Carbon Aero Tubular
Tyres: Continental GP4000 Tubular
Seatpost: Ritchey WCS Aluminum Black
Saddle: 4ZA red
Stem: Oval Aluminum 100mm Black
Bars: Oval Aluminum 42cm Black
Bottle Cages: Blackburn Carbon red (2)
Bar Tape: Fizik Microtex Black

More info and geometry here: http://www.ridley-bikes.com/pd/us/en-gb/1/499/road/damocles

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Lost my Wisdom this weekend

This past Friday I had school off so I went in to get my wisdom teeth removed. I wasn't really feeling much when they gave me nitrous, but then I got the "Count backwards from 100" and made it to a solid 98 before I was out.
About 20 minutes later, I was wicked dazed and laughing my face off in the recovery room. I can't remember much of anything super clearly until I was home and just chilling on the couch with a super numb face.
I spent most of the weekend hitting Netflix pretty hard since I can't really do anything else.
I'm pretty pumped to recover from this whole wisdom teeth thing so I can get back to skiing and riding.

For Sale: 2010 Ridley Oval Track Bike - $900

Selling my 2010 54cm Ridley Oval Track Bike is for sale.





Raced sparingly for two seasons. Excellent Condition. Complete as pictured, including new wheelset $900

Specs:
2010 Ridley Oval Track Aluminum Frame 54cm Silver/Black
Carbon Fork w/integrated headset
Brand new Vuelta Zero Lite 700c Clincher Wheelset 16T Cog
Serfas Seca RS Tires
SRAM Omnium Crankset 167.5mm 48T chainring
Ritchey WCS Seatpost - Black
Selle Italia Flite Signo Gel Saddle - Red
Specialized Comp Stem 100mm - Black
Specialized Pro Shallow Drop Bars - 42cm c-c
Fizik Bar Tape
Track Chain

More details on Ridley's website: http://www.ridley-bikes.com/pd/gb/en-gb/6/203/fitness-track/oval