Roll with a Good Crew

It's the Friday before Hotter 'n Hell and I already miss my team.  My season came to a premature end and I decided not to go to this race, but I am already missing the camaraderie that you can only experience by traveling with a team.  Primavera, Mineral Wells, Wichita...these were my favorite races of the year.  Not because the courses were killer, the weather sublime, or the results outstanding.  These were my favorite races because of the experiences I had with my teammates on and off the course.  I just stumbled upon this article from Embrocation Cycling Journal called Roll with a Good Crew and I realized that I shouldn't take these experiences for granted.  So to all my teammates who are at Wichita Falls, TX this weekend, good luck and have a great time and thanks for all you have given me this year. 

P.S.  Back by popular demand is the @TeamToms Twitter feed gadget.  Enjoy! 

Finding the Right Saddle

Maybe it's just me, but the search for the perfect saddle is akin to the search for for the Holy Grail.  Even if I am saddle sore and numbness free I wonder if there is not another saddle out there that would offer me additional comfort (especially on those 5 hour rides). I did find this article on finding the right saddle to offer some decent guidance on what to look for in my next saddle.  I think this off-season is going to be a good time to try some new offerings and really find the right saddle for me.  If you have any recommendations out there, please let me know.

Fueling for a Hot 100 Mile Ride

It has been a long time since I passed on some helpful material in the blog.  Coming back from the incredible Summer weather in Colorado, I find myself less and less interested in riding in the unrelenting hot weather of Oklahoma.  But Hotter 'n Hell will soon be upon us so training in the heat is necessary to perform well in these conditions.  On Monday, I received a newsletter from First Endurance and I found this article on nutrition and hydration strategies for endurance cyclists particularly pertinent.  I have had some success with the Liquid Shot this year but I have not tried their other products.  I would be interested in any first-hand reviews of the First Endurance products specifically the EFS Drink.

All in the Family

I read this post on Glenn's blog--Sprinting the Bell Lap.  I share the same sentiment as Glenn, so I am re-posting it here in its entirety (without his permission).

Joining a cycling club or team is a rite of passage for the fledgling cyclist. You have the choice of joining some clubs by just signing up and paying a small fee and then buying their kit, proving to the world that you ride for a team. Other teams are semi-selective and you get nominated by a current team member. Some of the elite teams ask, or invite you to be a part of their team.

I joined a small first time team, with a single bike shop as the sponsor, a little over a year ago. My wife knew one of the founding members and so I had my "in".

I had no idea at the time, but I didn't join a team or a club. I became a member of a family. We don't have a Mom or a Dad, but we do have Moms and Dads. There is a Godfather, an el Jefe, a Brown Bear, the infamous la Verde, and a Doc or three. We have "Workers" and "Winners", but no losers. We function as a family and we have our problems, but what family doesn't?

When I pull on the bib straps and zip up the jersey for a ride or a race, it is not for the sponsor on my kit. (Although they are very important). It is for my family. We ride and race together, but we also are there for each other off the bike.

We are leaving to go to Colorado to ride. It's not a race, it is for fun. We tell everyone we are going for "training", but we know the truth. Will we gain some fitness, sure, what we are doing is pretty much like the summer trips you went on with your family.

I was very disappointed when Frank crashed out of the Tour, because I love to see him ride, but more importantly I love to see Andy and Frank work together selflessly. They get so excited when the other wins. I see that with my team, I mean family. When someone gets a podium or does well we are ecstatic for them, as they would be for us. We are not driven by results, we do what we do because we have fun doing it. Together