Pssssss...Check this out, don't tell anyone!

Click on this:Can he do it?

One Less Car at the Bar

After recently moving to Royal Oak, I realized there is no reason for me to drive to the bar anymore.

In an effort to negate obligatory house work and to embrace my final days of freedom before going back to work, I spent most of the day Monday building this little bar cruising beauty! I found myself accidentally buying a new wheelset for it, but it was all worth it.


I tested out its watering hole commuting abilities earlier this week and all I heard were screams from the females saying, “Wow, look at that guy on the hot bike, what a dreamboat!”

Ciaciaro Cliff Notes

Only 2 more left…Attacks…Attacks…Attacks…Papa T takes the helm…more attacks and feeble breaks…Some Italian Canadians aren’t having it…John Talbot goes ass over tea kettle into the guard rail…Abulance, stretcher, neck brace, Dr. Chase assists…neutralized race…race restarts:25:00 remaining…Ray D. attack, Klein Attack x2, Finkel attack=it sticks…2 man break rolls with sizeable gap…Papa T shuts it down and elicits the catch with 1 to go…Dan K. puts it down at 35mph into last turn…a bunch of Italian Canadian sprinters win and take all the glory…beer time.

Quotes to beat the Dog Days of Summer:

The vibe around the scene lately is that many riders are struggling with motivation as we tie up this 2007 season.
Allow me to provide you with some inspirational quotes from the unarguably BEST movie EVER made!

“You're willing to sacrifice a solid future for a bicycle race. It's very self-destructive.”

“The only thing I'm good at is riding this bike. Now I have the chance to be the best, maybe the best in the world. I can take those S.A.T.'s anytime, maybe in six months. But this is the only chance I'll ever have at this. I started out as one in a thousand. Now I'm one in twenty. Now to give that up, I think that would be very self-destructive.”

“Hey Cru, just pretend your in the lumber yard, go balls out!”

“Here is Taylor stopping. He wants Cru Jones one on one.”

“You think your brothers so good, he’s nothing next to Bart Taylor!”

“Oh my heart, A BACKFLIP!”

“The way you ride that bike it's like it's natural it took me six months to learn how to airwalk it only took you one afternoon.”

“Alright dudes, let’s walk this sucker”

“The porch! I've told ya a million times the porch!”

“Get this, the paperboy thinks he’s a pro”

“You know, you're letting your body turn your head. You see if you let your head lead your body will follow naturally.”

“It's going to take a radical miracle to beat this guy...”

Kickball Trumps Downers!

The decision is in! This weekend I will be venturing north to Port Hope rather than south to Downer’s Grove. It will truly be a test of my kickball attrition as I will be playing three games Friday night, and a full day of games the next.


However, I will not masquerading as a sexy panther this weekend, but rather a leg sweeping Cobra Kai!


For those of you who are not familiar with how taxing Kickball can be versus the intensity of bike racing let me break it down for you:

Tour of Holy Hill-Superweek ProTour

Distance Covered: 160k
Duration of Workout: 3hr 58min
Calories Expended: 4362 Kcal
Calories Consumed During Race: 800 cal
Average Heart Rate: 166 bpm
Max. Heart Rate: 187 bpm

Kickball game against the N.A.D.S.

Distance Covered: 0.8 miles
Duration of Workout: 1hr 45min
Calories Expended: 357 kcal
Calories Consumed During Game: 1232
Average Heart Rate: 71 bpm
Max. Heart Rate: 122 bpm

*Note. Calories consumed during Kickball are 100% liquid

The evidence is irrefutable…kickball is where champions are born.

WHO CARES? I'M FLYING!

I had the privilege of riding out to the BTR crit with Jeff Gray. For those of you who do not know, Jeff was diagnosed with Leukemia just days before Christmas this past year. After chemotherapy this winter, Jeff is now in remission and back on the bike racing. Yesterday, he finished the race in the field and reported that, “he felt strong the whole race”.

After the race we went to Bell’s Brewery where Jeff enjoyed his first beer since discovering his sickness in December. I felt honored to share a beer with him as we toasted to life.

As I sat and listened to Jeff’s story about what he had been through in the last six months it dawned on me that he is this week’s very worthy recipient of the “Who Cares? I’m Flying” Award.

So lets all tip our cups to Jeff! He’s alive, he’s healthy and he’s flying.

BTR Race Report

I was really excited for this race because it took place on the campus of my Alma Mater, Western Michigan University. I always get a good feeling when I venture back to K-Zoo.

The course was smooth and fast with a bit of headwind on the back section. As the race started, it took a few laps until the field got used to the corners and figured out the best lines to take. About 4 laps in a field split occurred. I bridged myself to it and we quickly had a group of 13 with a sizeable gap. Dan Klein, Luke Canvender and myself were all representing the WSC in the group. We rolled a very dilapidated pace line for awhile until some of the Lathrup/Ford guys decided it was time to “reshuffle” the deck and shed the weak links. An attack occurred and five guys got of the front including Dan K. Unfortunately I had just taken a pull and did not have the legs or the reaction at the time of the attack and did not make the front group. Quickly, two more guys from our chase group bridged up the top five. I was then left with six of the “weak links” from the original break. Eventually, our chase whittled down to three guys (unfortunately shedding Cavender who then resulted in a DNF).

In the end, Dan Klein ended up 2nd and had also won all of the primes. I rolled in at 9th, which was in the money. Overall it was a good day for the WSC. Ray Dybowski had also won the Masters 35+ race just prior to our race in a three man breakaway effort.


Naturally, we celebrated our successful day at Bell’s Brewery afterwards.

60% of the time we lose every time!

The Sex Panthers once again took on the NADS Friday night. We came with a fire in our eyes and a huge appetite for sweet victory and retribution for our spanking we endured last time we battled it out with this team. However, our fire was quickly put out as we got mercied in the first game and lost 4-7 in the second.

Playoffs start next Friday. We must keep our heads up…we must stay focused. In the words of Eminem, “you only get one chance, do not miss your chance to blow because opportunity comes one in a lifetime…WHOOA”.