Anticipation…Elation…It’s the most wonderful time of the year.

I rolled out my door this past Saturday morning with lofty goals in mind. The weather was right which lead me to attempt the 126-mile jaunt from Royal Oak to Waterford to Fenton to Macomb by 5:00 for a family party. My steed of choice was my new Superfly SS. I was geared at around a 62-inch gear amidst a sea of elite riders on gears. I couldn’t help but think this was a bit of a suicide mission, but alas what doesn’t kill us only makes us stronger.


As I flew solo to meet The Godfather at his home in Waterford, I was riddled with anticipation/enthusiasm that this would be the first ride of the year in which “the gloves were officially off”. I’ve spent all winter rolling around at social paces in the snow, ice, and bitter cold. However, today marked the beginning of camaraderie-induced seasonal warfare. Although my single-minded choice of bike was much like bringing a knife to a gunfight, I was quite confident that I have been on top of my game this off-season and have been enhancing my ability to dodge bullets.

I arrived at The Godfather’s house at 10:00am to be greeted by his famous sustained energy “Ray-McMuffin”. We sat and ate breakfast while I discussed my current mental and physical state as well as aspirations for 2010. Ray then looked at me and commented, “You know, the next two weeks are always my favorite and special time of the race season”. He went on to further explain how this is much of a calm before the storm. The foundations have been laid. The work has been done. New seasonal equipment has been ordered/obtained and it’s now time to see where the chips fall. What return are we going to get on our investment?

Some of my early season targets are Barry Roubaix, 6hrs of Warrior Creek, Cohutta 100, and ultimately the 24hr National Championships: 24hrs of Big bear.

I fully concur with Ray’s sentiments. This time of the year marks a new beginning, a clean slate. No longer should we revel on our past victories nor fixate on any previous failed expectations. This time of year marks a distinctive period of forward thinking.

What finish lines are you beginning with in mind? What goals and targets will you aim for? A wise man once said, you are only as good as your next race.

As our ride transpired and the miles/hours ticked away I was pleased to ride with many seasonal comrades who I hadn’t ridden with during the banes of the winter. Selle, Joberon, and Tom K. were all riders I hadn’t saw since November and I was pleased to draw motivation off our synergistic movements and conversations as well as their lung busting multiple gears to mash.

All in all the day ended with the unanimous gesture that in the words of O’Shea Jackson (aka Ice Cube) “Today was a good day”. I had rolled just over 125 miles in 7hrs flat and was able to gain some early season confidence that I am pleased with my form right now. So for right now, I am going to savor the next two weeks.

Remnants of my Past

Many people who interact with me on a daily basis and are people whom I consider very close comrades have no idea that at one point in my life I made a living traveling around and playing with a yo-yo. This is no joke! Before all of my efforts and energy were channelled into turning the cranks over, I got paid to perform yo-yo shows for all ages. It was a lucrative gig and I can truly say I lived the dream. I think the only thing that can top it would be getting paid to roll around on two-wheels day in and day out.

Recently, American Cycle and Fitness decided to exploit my random talents and put together some entertainment for Travis Ott (Marketing Director at Gary Fisher) and the rest of the gang from Fisher Bikes/Trek.

Below are some of the highlights of the shenanigans that ensued…enjoy. Special props goes out to anyone who can guess the origin of the soundtrack.