Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Thursday, September 24, 2009
O-O
Obscure Omiums - For the Win (FTW)
Fall Fling is this weekend and I have not ridden my road bike in a long time. I have been swamped building wheels. The riding I have done has been cross.
I have ridden a few cross rides out of the shop (3 so far) and 3 bandit cross races. BTW - Bandit Cross is the shiz. My props to our man "Rear Derailler". Great Series.
Today is my dedication day to Wayne Simon. He rocks. He's like our area's own little Chuck Norris. All those Chuck Norris lines go through my head when we're riding/racing together....err....well in the general vicinity of each other - no cat 4 hack is holding Simon's wheel.
Things like:
"Wayne Simon doesn't glue tubulars - he just stares at them and they melt to the rim."
"Wayne Simon doesn't use public transportation - he pulls public transportation behind his TT bike."
"Wayne doesn't 'warmup' at the start of a race - he acquires targets."
"You don't pass Wayne Simon. He goes behind you because that's step 1 in Wayne's book entitled 'I'm going to crush your soul'"
"If you're in front of Wayne Simon...it's because he's about to lap you."
"Wayne Simon IS carbon fiber."
"Wayne Simon airs up his tires with crushed souls."
"Embrocation is sweat from Wayne Simon."
"Wayne Simon wasn't born - he saw a gap and filled it."
"Wayne Simon eats chains, sleeps on a work bench, bleeds lube, and poops excellence."
MJH2 called me one day a few months ago in the middle of a weekday and said, "You know why Wayne Simon is so awesome? I just passed him while he was motorpacing in the middle of the weekday. That's why he's awesome. What are you doing right now? Exactly."
That just about sums it up.
Fall Fling is this weekend and I have not ridden my road bike in a long time. I have been swamped building wheels. The riding I have done has been cross.
I have ridden a few cross rides out of the shop (3 so far) and 3 bandit cross races. BTW - Bandit Cross is the shiz. My props to our man "Rear Derailler". Great Series.
Today is my dedication day to Wayne Simon. He rocks. He's like our area's own little Chuck Norris. All those Chuck Norris lines go through my head when we're riding/racing together....err....well in the general vicinity of each other - no cat 4 hack is holding Simon's wheel.
Things like:
"Wayne Simon doesn't glue tubulars - he just stares at them and they melt to the rim."
"Wayne Simon doesn't use public transportation - he pulls public transportation behind his TT bike."
"Wayne doesn't 'warmup' at the start of a race - he acquires targets."
"You don't pass Wayne Simon. He goes behind you because that's step 1 in Wayne's book entitled 'I'm going to crush your soul'"
"If you're in front of Wayne Simon...it's because he's about to lap you."
"Wayne Simon IS carbon fiber."
"Wayne Simon airs up his tires with crushed souls."
"Embrocation is sweat from Wayne Simon."
"Wayne Simon wasn't born - he saw a gap and filled it."
"Wayne Simon eats chains, sleeps on a work bench, bleeds lube, and poops excellence."
MJH2 called me one day a few months ago in the middle of a weekday and said, "You know why Wayne Simon is so awesome? I just passed him while he was motorpacing in the middle of the weekday. That's why he's awesome. What are you doing right now? Exactly."
That just about sums it up.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Monday, September 14, 2009
Illinois State Road Race
The 2009 Illinois State Road Race - was the most interesting race I didn't race.
Mrs. P was working so I was babysitting...errr...parenting little P. I took it as an opportunity to get a demo set of my carbon clinchers under some guys in races.
I asked around and got a few volunteers. Jason Senffer (Masters 30+ 4/5), Peter Kelley (Cat 5), and Joel Friedman (Cat 3). It was going to be hard to work the logistics - me with a 3 yr old in a trailor with wheelsets and tools to change gearing and brake pads - with all of the races being back to back.
It was just a weird day all around. I set Jason up and he was off racing. First time through I didn't see him. I've built a lot of wheels and I have always had great results but you do this a while and you begin to understand that just about anything can happen. So I started thinking "oh crap...what happened?"
With it being a road race I would only get to see them every 1/2 hour or so. I got to sit around and wait for them to come back around. I was about ready to poop my pants. When they did come around I saw Jason hanging right near the front and he gave a thumbs up - whether or not it was to me was immaterial, he was OK. "Whew."
We couldn't see the finish but the racers came rolling back in. I had already changed Pete's brake [ads and was just waiting for the wheels. Jason said he thought he won but it would be a photo finish for sure. Little did either of us know that would turn into a huge ordeal.
I had set all of this up to get these under Joel and adding everyone else was kind of an afterthought. So Joel arrived. Told me he put a new chain on and worked on the bike. He's a mechanical guy and an engineer to boot but lacks application experience with bike drivetrains...so I'm thinking "great - don't know what condition everything is in and I will be puttnig a new wheel and cassette on...and no work stand...I hope everything works"
It took me a while to swap his brake pads and adjust his gearing. I test rode it over to where the cat 5 racers where coming back to meet up with Pete. Found out Wiz ended up blowing chunks at the top of the hill (big thumbs up), Hillary finished in front of 2 other racers in the womens and Pete went to early and missed out in the sprint. Justin got 2nd though. Not bad at all!
I swapped wheels and headed back to set the pad correctly. Couldn't toe in the fronts enough so I knew they were going to end up screaming like a banshee. Got Joel up and running in time.
We were standing at the pub near the rollout area and I was swapping back the pads from Pete's bike, talking to everyone I knew when little P comes walking up to me drenched from head to toe saying he fell in the waterfall....long story.
I had people calling, people texting, racers talking, kids running, wheels going everywhere, AAAARGH! This was more stressful than racing for sure.
The 3's went off, the girls went to the hill to watch and I found myself with Peter, Wiz, little P and Little K. Next thing I know it's just me and the kids. The Master's results were finally posted and they put Jason in 1st. Sweet. I was checking for Lenski who told me he placed 5th. He was out racing the cat 4 race at the time. I look and they have him 34th or some such crap. I'm thinking, "Oh crap"....the area fills with riders going, "WTF??!!!"
I can feel a big protest coming on. At that time the kids start running off and I turn and see Joel coming backwards towards us. "Oh, SHIZ!" He starts yelling, "I need a wheel!" My heart sank. Turns out he had a flat. It happens and it made me feel better because it had nothing to do with the wheel, but it still meant he was basically done with the race. Then Cory shows up saying he's out with a mechanical. I check it over and the front brakes are dragging. Ara calls out that the lever slid down and tightened the cable. Both levers were loose. He already told the officials he was done. Total suckage. I felt bad for him.
MJH2 is lawyering and politicing in the melee that became the results protest. The 2nd place rider is contesting the results. No one knows WTF is going on and the finish line is quite a distance away. They all run off to check the results/tape. I start getting texts saying, "they may not even have tape of the finish. This is a joke" etc.
The whole time I am just thinking, "I promised Lenski I would stick up for his 5th. I threw the kids in the stroller and went to walk to the finish line. I didn't know where it was and it didn't take long to figure out I wasn't goint to make it there so I turned around.
At that poing I just wanted to get out of there. Little P hadn't eaten since breakfast - apart from snacks all day. and hadn't takend a nap....We were both getting grouchy.
I got a text saying Jason won - it stood. They came down and I took some podium shots of him...alone because 2nd took off and they hadn't figured out who third was yet. He also won the Illinois Cup then as well. Psimet wheels - first race - podium, state championship, Illinois cup....not bad. Congrats Jason. That was a lot of hard work that paid off for you.
Soon after that I was done. Joel was still out there riding around and I needed to get his brake pads switched and swap the wheels. I had picked up another wheel that was trashed to fix. So I had 3 wheels in the trailor. Then I got a call that Scott K had crashed....bad. I was sitting there when the medical truck brought him in. 2 strollers, 2 kids, one's father is in the back of a medical truck, I was slightly stressed. When it was apparant he would live I took a look at his new Reynolds 68 tubular front wheel - first race - and half of the spokes were bent and broken. He wants to race on it this weekend....psimet to the rescue :D
After that I looked and the Pro 1/2 had been going for a while...we had a guy in a break. Awesome. I wanted to stick around but that was all I could handle. I got home and had pizza and beer and passed out - sleeping to 10am the next morning. I think I'd rather race.
Net results:Later - along with pictures...
Mrs. P was working so I was babysitting...errr...parenting little P. I took it as an opportunity to get a demo set of my carbon clinchers under some guys in races.
I asked around and got a few volunteers. Jason Senffer (Masters 30+ 4/5), Peter Kelley (Cat 5), and Joel Friedman (Cat 3). It was going to be hard to work the logistics - me with a 3 yr old in a trailor with wheelsets and tools to change gearing and brake pads - with all of the races being back to back.
It was just a weird day all around. I set Jason up and he was off racing. First time through I didn't see him. I've built a lot of wheels and I have always had great results but you do this a while and you begin to understand that just about anything can happen. So I started thinking "oh crap...what happened?"
With it being a road race I would only get to see them every 1/2 hour or so. I got to sit around and wait for them to come back around. I was about ready to poop my pants. When they did come around I saw Jason hanging right near the front and he gave a thumbs up - whether or not it was to me was immaterial, he was OK. "Whew."
We couldn't see the finish but the racers came rolling back in. I had already changed Pete's brake [ads and was just waiting for the wheels. Jason said he thought he won but it would be a photo finish for sure. Little did either of us know that would turn into a huge ordeal.
I had set all of this up to get these under Joel and adding everyone else was kind of an afterthought. So Joel arrived. Told me he put a new chain on and worked on the bike. He's a mechanical guy and an engineer to boot but lacks application experience with bike drivetrains...so I'm thinking "great - don't know what condition everything is in and I will be puttnig a new wheel and cassette on...and no work stand...I hope everything works"
It took me a while to swap his brake pads and adjust his gearing. I test rode it over to where the cat 5 racers where coming back to meet up with Pete. Found out Wiz ended up blowing chunks at the top of the hill (big thumbs up), Hillary finished in front of 2 other racers in the womens and Pete went to early and missed out in the sprint. Justin got 2nd though. Not bad at all!
I swapped wheels and headed back to set the pad correctly. Couldn't toe in the fronts enough so I knew they were going to end up screaming like a banshee. Got Joel up and running in time.
We were standing at the pub near the rollout area and I was swapping back the pads from Pete's bike, talking to everyone I knew when little P comes walking up to me drenched from head to toe saying he fell in the waterfall....long story.
I had people calling, people texting, racers talking, kids running, wheels going everywhere, AAAARGH! This was more stressful than racing for sure.
The 3's went off, the girls went to the hill to watch and I found myself with Peter, Wiz, little P and Little K. Next thing I know it's just me and the kids. The Master's results were finally posted and they put Jason in 1st. Sweet. I was checking for Lenski who told me he placed 5th. He was out racing the cat 4 race at the time. I look and they have him 34th or some such crap. I'm thinking, "Oh crap"....the area fills with riders going, "WTF??!!!"
I can feel a big protest coming on. At that time the kids start running off and I turn and see Joel coming backwards towards us. "Oh, SHIZ!" He starts yelling, "I need a wheel!" My heart sank. Turns out he had a flat. It happens and it made me feel better because it had nothing to do with the wheel, but it still meant he was basically done with the race. Then Cory shows up saying he's out with a mechanical. I check it over and the front brakes are dragging. Ara calls out that the lever slid down and tightened the cable. Both levers were loose. He already told the officials he was done. Total suckage. I felt bad for him.
MJH2 is lawyering and politicing in the melee that became the results protest. The 2nd place rider is contesting the results. No one knows WTF is going on and the finish line is quite a distance away. They all run off to check the results/tape. I start getting texts saying, "they may not even have tape of the finish. This is a joke" etc.
The whole time I am just thinking, "I promised Lenski I would stick up for his 5th. I threw the kids in the stroller and went to walk to the finish line. I didn't know where it was and it didn't take long to figure out I wasn't goint to make it there so I turned around.
At that poing I just wanted to get out of there. Little P hadn't eaten since breakfast - apart from snacks all day. and hadn't takend a nap....We were both getting grouchy.
I got a text saying Jason won - it stood. They came down and I took some podium shots of him...alone because 2nd took off and they hadn't figured out who third was yet. He also won the Illinois Cup then as well. Psimet wheels - first race - podium, state championship, Illinois cup....not bad. Congrats Jason. That was a lot of hard work that paid off for you.
Soon after that I was done. Joel was still out there riding around and I needed to get his brake pads switched and swap the wheels. I had picked up another wheel that was trashed to fix. So I had 3 wheels in the trailor. Then I got a call that Scott K had crashed....bad. I was sitting there when the medical truck brought him in. 2 strollers, 2 kids, one's father is in the back of a medical truck, I was slightly stressed. When it was apparant he would live I took a look at his new Reynolds 68 tubular front wheel - first race - and half of the spokes were bent and broken. He wants to race on it this weekend....psimet to the rescue :D
After that I looked and the Pro 1/2 had been going for a while...we had a guy in a break. Awesome. I wanted to stick around but that was all I could handle. I got home and had pizza and beer and passed out - sleeping to 10am the next morning. I think I'd rather race.
Net results:Later - along with pictures...
Monday, September 7, 2009
Hawt. Like Carbon Hawt.
Please welcome to the Psimet lineup...his new line of 50mm carbon clinchers. Here they are displayed lovingly (albeit with temporary and incomplete decals) on his Salsa. Speaking of the Salsa Mr. Psimet here was not aware that many of you did not know about it's existance....well here you go.
I am riding these tomorrow night and then I will put them under as many bikes as I can for the State Road Race Championships on Saturday.
The set pictured here are laced up to some White Industries H2 hubs using DT revs in a 1X in the front and DT comps in 2X in the rear. Both of the wheels are stiff. Like mega stiff. Weight wise I can't remember where they come in. They are full carbon clincher so they ain't light but they're something like 930g for the rear and 700ish for the front....which would make it 1630ish. Still a light wheelset I guess.
It's hawt. Oh...and you can buy your own versions custom made for you. Go to and/ or mail me (psimet at psimet dot com) for a quote.
I am riding these tomorrow night and then I will put them under as many bikes as I can for the State Road Race Championships on Saturday.
The set pictured here are laced up to some White Industries H2 hubs using DT revs in a 1X in the front and DT comps in 2X in the rear. Both of the wheels are stiff. Like mega stiff. Weight wise I can't remember where they come in. They are full carbon clincher so they ain't light but they're something like 930g for the rear and 700ish for the front....which would make it 1630ish. Still a light wheelset I guess.
It's hawt. Oh...and you can buy your own versions custom made for you. Go to and/ or mail me (psimet at psimet dot com) for a quote.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Blues be gone
Every year/season I get "burnout" or mental fatigue with riding. It's normal and everyone gets it. Sort of seems like everyone has it now. Luckily I can have 1 or 2 weeks of this and then find myself head over heels back in love with cross...
...well it starts with a shop cross ride tonight that I am leading.
Then this - Sunday. 7am. c. ya. th3r3.
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...well it starts with a shop cross ride tonight that I am leading.
Then this - Sunday. 7am. c. ya. th3r3.
View Larger Map
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Honorable Mention....
I just got referenced on the Chicago Cyclocross Cup website. It links to my new cross builds. Slamming deals.
Now if only my supplier was in stock with the Niobium rims...nothing will ever go my way I believe.
I'm selling through the site and direct through Bicycle Heaven.
Now all I need is wheel decals and a logo....anyone? Got lots of leads but nothing has come through so far...
Oh....and Game On
Now if only my supplier was in stock with the Niobium rims...nothing will ever go my way I believe.
I'm selling through the site and direct through Bicycle Heaven.
Now all I need is wheel decals and a logo....anyone? Got lots of leads but nothing has come through so far...
Oh....and Game On
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