Road Race Cycling

The first Friday ride of the year! (3/12)

Thursday, March 11, 2010 by Toby Holsman

Decent weather + morning daylight = let's ride tomorrow. Meet at the shop at 7:15, rolling at 7:30. Mild Indianapolis mornings are hard to come by in March, so grab the opportunity!

Chances are that we'll get a little wet, so you might need a fender, like this one from SKS. Or you can just wrap up with your favorite rain gear, like Pearl Izumi's Zephyr vest. I wear the Cannondale Morphis jacket all the time during the spring.

In other news, the pro racing season is well underway, and my favorite, the Tour of Flanders, is fast approaching on April 4th. It'll be followed directly by my racing debut at Ceraland on April 17th. I haven't been using the power meter much lately, in favor of just enjoying the sensation of being outside, but I'll be sure to get that fired up again soon and start posting my eletronic self-worth for all to admire/scorn.

But the bottom line is: let's get riding.

Why Sell Bicycles or Offer Bicycle Fittings?

Tuesday, March 9, 2010 by Frank Radaker

Bicycles are not just for recreation and exercise. Bicycles and cyclists can change the world.

Bob Walters is currently in Africa. His work will help improve the local infrastructure and distribute donated bicycles. The bicycles are very important to the pressing transportation needs of the locals. While Bob is there, his own transportation is a Cannondale Touring 1 he purchased from BGI. "Fortunately" for Bob, Cannondale did not have the spec wheels in stock. BGI accepted the bike sans wheels. After discussing with Bob where he would be riding, I designed and hand-built a set of wheels for his new Cannondale. That's why he specifically mentions them in his blog. I encourage you to visit his blog and read about Friendly Planet.

Helen Steussy and her daughter Alex are cycling cross country to raise money for the Red Tail Conservancy and "local land trusts everywhere." Alex is relatively new to cycling, so Helen decided to get her off on the right foot with a Bicycle Fitting from BGI.

I encourage you to visit the blogs by both Bob and Helen and consider donating if you support their causes. Personally, I think it's great that bicycles are being used to change the world.

BGI Is Going to Provence France - Info Party on March 30th!

Monday, March 8, 2010 by Connie Schmucker

Looking for a new bicycling experience this year? Join Bicycle Garage Indy on the trip of a lifetime to Provence France. BGI will be hosting a private Trek Travel trip for 22 persons going to Provence for 6 days and 5 nights on September 19-24, 2010.

Whether you are a historian, a foodie, an artist, a wine connoisseur, a leisurely rider or a serious cyclist, you'll spend the week in Provence France sharing in the art of living well. The beauty, location and style of each of our hotels are beyond anything one could imagine. You'll have the opportunity to experience quintessentially French moments, from perusing the Bédoin market in search of the best locally grown produce to tackling the mighty Mt. Ventoux. Travel treasured cycling routes to the most prized hilltop villages and features a landscape whose beauty was destined to be captured on a canvas.

Find out more from Trek Travel's Angela Horvath at the Provence, France Luxury Tour Info Party on Tuesday, March 30 from 5:30 - 8:00 pm. (Registration required - Limited to 40 people)

Connie Szabo Schmucker
Advocacy Director
Bicycle Garage Indy
Indianapolis and Greenwood, IN

My First (Tri) Bike

Saturday, March 6, 2010 by Customers, Friends and Fans of Bicycle Garage Indy

I was getting started in triathlons back in 2007 and needed a bike. The guys at BGI were incredibly helpful in guiding my decision. They warned me against spending too much, and not getting a sport specific time trial bike. This was invaluable advice and one that I have heard echoed many times since in various publications. BGI also made sure that the bike I selected fit me properly and worked for exactly what I needed it to. Since that day in 2007 I have finished a number of triathlons including some half-Ironman distance races, all on that bike. Without the expert advice of BGI, I wouldn't have come as far as I have. Thanks BGI!

Name: Blake Matheny
Bicycle: Cannondale Six13
City: Indianapolis
State: IN

Bicycle Fitting - Start with your Feet

Friday, March 5, 2010 by Frank Radaker

Your most important bicycle contact points are your feet. They experience the greatest amount of pressure and, with your knees and hips, experience the repetitive motion of cycling. Adjusting your pedal cleats is the foundation of every bicycle fitting adjustment you make above your pedals.

The simplest cleat adjustment is the fore/aft position. Even that requires an off the bike observer who can note your foot angle while pedaling against resistance. Simply stated, the more toe down you pedal the more forward on the shoe the cleat needs to be. The more flatfooted you pedal the more aft the cleat needs to be. Within this range though, we're only talking a few milimeters. The idea is to make sure the pedal axle is essentially centered under the ball of your foot when the crankarm is pointing straight forward (e.g. 3 O’Clock for the right crankarm). The Bicycle Fitter can then fine-tune the fore/aft position depending on whether you are a spinner / gear masher, have small feet / big feet, etc..

The stability of your feet on the pedals also relates to your knees. A significant amount of forefoot side tilt relative to your lower leg can result in your foot rocking inside your cycling shoe. This rocking effectively pulls the knee first toward and then away from the bike’s centerline on every pedal stroke. Since your knee is designed to flex backwards and not side-to-side this can sometimes produce sharp pain on the inside and/or outside face of your knee. Shoe Wedges, either under the cleat or inside the shoe are designed to fill the gap created by the forefoot tilt. They produce a stable platform for your foot and eliminate the rocking thus knee stress.

Another symptom of this forefoot tilt for most cyclists is excess pressure on the outside margin of the foot (less often on the inside margin). The smaller toes frequently become numb on a foot experiencing this pressure or the foot experiences "hotspots." Cleat wedges fill in the gap created by this forefoot tilting and allow the pressure to be spread across the entire ball of the foot thus numbness and/or hotspots are usually eliminated with the correct number and orientation of wedges.

Although overlooked by many cyclists, a proper cleat fitting which addresses fore/aft, rotational, “Q” Factor, forefoot tilt and leg length discrepancy issues will produce a less painful and less injurious cycling experience. Odds are, you’ll be faster on your bike too.

Good times and great rides

Tuesday, February 23, 2010 by Customers, Friends and Fans of Bicycle Garage Indy

This bike has been with me for more epic rides on more roads and trails than any other bike I own. The good times I had with friends and the quiet rides on the trail by myself-this bike has so much history. In the 10+ years I've had it, it's seen most trails in Indiana and many trails in all of our neighboring states. It was with me for the 50+ mile road ride that included a nap on the side of the road. It was with me when my wife and I got lost in the Wayne National forest in Ohio. It has raced the DINO series with me and done countless group trail rides. Riding this bike feels like an extension of myself, like we're linked together, a feeling you get after thousands of miles in the saddle. When I look at this bike I can't help but think of the rides it's been a part of and look forward the rides that are yet to come.

Name: Mark Degunya
Bicycle: 1999 Diamondback Team Issue
City: Greenwood
State: IN

BGI North Hosts Lady's Night and Fashion Show

Saturday, February 20, 2010 by Jay Hardcastle

Thursday, February 18, our Lady's Night at Bicycle Garage Indy - North was a hugh success. Over 60 women attended our first fashion show, which included women's cycling wear from Cannondale, Sugoi and Apres Velo .

The evening began with a social hour including massages, food provided by BGI, wine tasting by Oliver Winery and sushi from Taki. After introductions from Connie Szabo Schmucker, BGI Advocacy Director, Jason from Cannondale explained some of the women's only design elements of Cannondale's road, off-road and hybrid bicycle. That was followed by our fashion show, with Kevin from Sugoi and Pam from Cannondale explaining fabrics and features of over a dozen different outfits. The evening concluded with a shopping hour for all attendees along with door prizes provided by Sugoi, Cannondale, Taki Japanese Restaurant, Apres Velo and BGI.

Many thinks to Pam Keith and Jason Edinger of Cannondale and Kevin Gamper and Dan Surdenik with Sugoi.
Sugoi, Cannondale and Apres Velo are just three of the many brands of bicycle clothing Indianapolis found at Bicycle Garage Indy's two locations, North (Rivers Edge in Indianapolis) and South (just west of I-65 on County Line Rd, Greenwood)

The next BGI Lady's Night is planned for June. (Along with the pictures here, you can find more on Flickr - Bicycle Garage Indy.) Video now available at Bicycle Garage Indy on YouTube.

77 Days

Saturday, February 20, 2010 by Jay Hardcastle

TOSRV 2008, my son Tyler(l) and I, w/ the TOSRV Murals in Portsmouth OH.

I now have 77 days to get ready for one my annual riding traditions and favorite rides, the Tour of the Sciota River Valley. Starting in Columbus, OH, TOSRV is a two day, 210 mile ride that has run on every Mother's Day weekend since 1961. My history is a little shorter, only having ridden my first "TOZ" in 1979. Ever since I saw the picture 6,000 riders on the steps of the Ohio Capitol building in an early `70s Sports Illustrated, I knew it was something I wanted to be a part of.

2010 will be my 11th return for this spring classic. TOSRV is a unique challenge, due to both the early date and distance, and the amazing permutations of Midwest spring weather. I have experienced temperatures from the low 40's to high 80's, headwinds, tailwinds, sunny days, rainy days and even a flash flood. Yet each return has been a reward of reunion with old friends, fellowship with thousands of riders, and the unique beauty (really) of Midwest riding.

Having an early season goal and an annual tradition ride are two ways to keep bicycling fresh and interesting year after year. Do you have a riding tradition? And if not this year, 2011, the 50th TOSRV, is going to quite a show!

Making the best of the best.

Wednesday, February 17, 2010 by Customers, Friends and Fans of Bicycle Garage Indy

I work at BGI and usually buy a new road bike every year. It's always a little melancholy, to sever that attachment and start a new one, but it's wonderful to try all the different options out there. Last year I took the plunge and bought a much nicer bike than I'd ever had before (that's me in the yellow). I was a little concerned about the extra investment, the risk of expensive damage, etc, but as soon as I started riding it: holy moly. Fast, agile, and most of all, smooth. I wasn't sure if it was the right choice when I ordered the bike, but it's been a great year, and I'll remember it fondly. I rode it a bunch, I got my best race results on it, and I'm sad to see it go--until the next one arrives.

Name: Toby Holsman
Bicycle: Trek Madone 6.5 Pro
City: Indianapolis
State: Indiana

Bicycle Love

Tuesday, February 16, 2010 by Customers, Friends and Fans of Bicycle Garage Indy

My husband bought me my first "real" bicycle the spring before we were married. We were going on a bicycle vacation in Vermont for our honeymoon and I needed a better bike to ride than his old Schwinn Varsity. He bought me a Trek 400 Elance - a sport/ touring bike that I continue ride today. It cost more than my wedding ring! My bike has taken me on lots of adventures in many states, but now mostly serves double duty as my in-town touring and commuting bike. It only travels outside of town when our tandem is out of commission. Although I've biked throughout my life, my first "real" bike started me on a life-altering love of bicycling, infusing bicycling into every facet of my life, which ultimately led me to a career as a bicycle advocate.

Name: Connie Schmucker (Advocacy Directory for BGI)
Bicycle: Trek 400 Elance
City: Indianapolis
State: IN

40,000 Miles and counting!

Tuesday, February 16, 2010 by Customers, Friends and Fans of Bicycle Garage Indy

I took delivery and assembled this hand-built Assenmacher Touring frame during the 1980 Winter Olympics. 40,000 miles later, I have ridden it in 17 states, on day trips, centuries, tours, and even a day with Chris Carmichael. Over the years it has had components by Campy, Phil Wood, Specialized, TA, Suntour, Shimano, Ritchey, Mavic, Bontrager and Mavic, and those are the ones I can remember! I have new bikes, but it is still my favorite ride. It may be retro, but it is Maintained, not Restored!

Name: Jay Hardcastle (Marketing Manger - BGI)
Bicycle: Assenmacher Custom
City: Carmel

Even the best laid training plans…

Tuesday, February 9, 2010 by James Sells

So you have a training plan. You have goals. You faithfully record all the data from your workout into your journal. You are on track!

Then it happens, an obstacle gets in the way. Maybe it is an un-expected visit from a relative, or a family emergency, or the boss is demanding that you finish that project this week. Or in my case…SNOW!

What is a budding endurance athlete to do? We all know most of us athletes are type “A” personalities. If you are not careful, this sudden obstruction to your training schedule will send you in a downward spiral. You may become a fierce ogre biting the head off of anyone who crosses your path. Or will you toss the whole season, saying that there is no use in continuing! Maybe you will overcompensate for the loss workouts by overindulge the next few workouts and send your body into a state of “Over Training”? I know, these outcomes sound silly and outrageous. Laugh if you will, however, these are all traps that lie and await endurance athletes.

The good news is this…the answer is simple. RELAX! One or two even 5 missed work outs will not end your career! We are all human and have lives outside our training and racing. We have families, careers and other demands on our time and energy. This is the reason why I consider myself a Professional Endurance Athlete, not because I race on a pro circuit or have a sponsor (because I don’t have either). But because I make it work with a family, job, commitments outside racing and training. I have learned to live with interruptions in my training schedule; I have learned to make difficult decisions. To know when racing and training comes second or even third. I now recognize this makes me a more successful endurance athlete!

So what did I do Saturday when my training plans were put on hold due to the snow storm?

I engaged in a game of full contact “Tackle Daddy”. Surprisingly, this game was very challenging cardio work out!

The Cycling Den

Saturday, January 30, 2010 by James Sells

Every cyclist should have one, a place that is dedicated to his or her passion for cycling. It is a retreat, an isolated place in their living space that accommodates bicycles, tools, motivation, and training. It can be anywhere, garage, basement or even an out door shed. My first such place was in a large walk in closet under the stairs that lead to the apartment above mine.

Here is a picture of my space. I call it "Sanctuary".

Here is a few pictures of a friend’s cycling den. We call it the "Den of Pain" as you can see it is the meeting place for full contact indoor training.

Nick’s reply to my excuse for not riding this night!

Note the weights and Power Rack. Great for the off season!

Note the Park Work Stand….

Cycling Dens are great place to get into a zone and ride your troubles away, with the help from Cyclops Indoor Trainers…

Cycling Den’s are tradition…I encourage you to claim a space in your home and create your own Cycling Den…Send me a picture and I will post it here!

A Problem with Trial & Error Bicycle Fitting

Friday, January 29, 2010 by Frank Radaker

While the bicycle industry and many experienced cyclists have finally awakened to the importance of bicycle fittings performed by trained shop employees, the majority of bicycle riders are still operating under the belief that they can handle the task all by themselves. While it’s true that given a few years of trial and (mostly) error and a few hundreds if not thousands of dollars (for wrong-size parts), most serious cyclists can in fact get their bicycles pretty well dialed into a comfortable and efficient set-up. Unfortunately, most of those years will be filled with uncomfortable cycling. And that’s the best case scenario. More likely is that the years of repetitive motion in an improper position will cause overuse injuries that require long healing periods.

Here are the numbers to consider:

A beginning recreational cyclist pedaling at 70RPM over the course of an average season –
2 hours / week = 8,400 pedals strokes / leg / week
26 weeks / season = 218,400 pedals strokes / leg / season

The serious club rider pedaling at 90RPM over the course of an average season –
5 hours / week = 27,000 pedals strokes / leg / week
26 weeks / season = 702,000 pedal strokes / leg / season

So if you’re the serious rider using the personal trial and error method to get comfortable on your bike, over 5 seasons that’s repeating a improperly aligned pedal stroke over 3 ½ millions times before you finally get it right (hopefully without injury). Food for thought.

Great Story from one of our Customers

Friday, January 29, 2010 by Jay Hardcastle

Bob Walters, a customer of Bicycle Garage Indy - North, has a great blog post about a new Cannondale Touring 1 bicycle being assembled and customized for his missionary work in Africa. Looks like a very interesting story worth following.

The Touring 1 is just one of many high performance Cannondale Bikes Indianapolis, available at both Bicycle Garage Indy-North and Bicycle Garage Indy-South in Greenwood.

Bicycle Fitting Yourself - Not Really Cost Effective

Tuesday, January 26, 2010 by Frank Radaker

Trying to adjust your own bicycle fit can sometimes be like trying to paint your car while running alongside on the highway. Not such a good idea.

There are aspects of your pedaling that simply must be observed from off the bike if correct adjustments are to be made. Arguably, the most important of these relate to your knees. Optimal leg extension (i.e. saddle height) is virtually impossible to accurately measure from the saddle. "Too high" or "too low" is determined by your leg length as well as flexibility and pedaling style (flat footed, toe down, etc.). The optimal saddle height required by any specific cyclist's pedaling style can only be accurately determined by someone observing that cyclist pedaling against resistance.

Determining your optimal knee alignment relative to the pedal both fore/aft and laterally must also be measured by an outside observor while you're pedaling against resistance. Locating the knee directly above the pedal (through the use of pedal spacers, cleat adjustments, etc.) is the basic goal. This can be performed with a plumb, with a projected laser, with video freeze-frame, with motion-capture or just eyeballed. The more experienced the bicycle fitter the more reliable the result regardless of the method used. The more reliable your bicycle fitting results, the more unlikely you are to experience over-use injuries.

Similar concerns apply to the fitting adjustments of your pedal cleats and saddle. More on those later.

BTW - Love the headlights.

Summertime goals and winter plans

Wednesday, January 20, 2010 by Toby Holsman

Goal: to win at least one Cat 3 criterium this year.
Winter plans: determine what would be needed to do that and implement it.

Two components to winning races: fitness and skills. Unfortunately, during the winter in Indianapolis, it's hard to practice the race skills that are needed for this goal. So this is the time to focus on fitness.

I'm a big believer in maintaining high-intensity workouts all year long. Here's an article from Pez Cycling News discussing it in more detail. So right now I'm trying to develop sustained high intensity, but not too high--just trying to stimulate my aerobic system a bit and get ready for higher-intensity efforts later on.

Tomorrow I'll be doing this workout on my Cycleops JetFluid:
My standard warmup (20 minutes)
10 minutes at 270W, followed by 5 minutes easy. Repeat twice more.

65 minutes, short and sweet. The interval pace should be hard enough to make you breathe fast and deep. You could talk if you had to, but you'd rather not. If your breathing gets ragged and short, back off.

One other note: most people are hesitant to disclose their power numbers. I can understand that if you're a pro who has a serious disadvantage if the competition knows how strong you are, but I don't think I care whether my cat 3 competitors know. Bring out the measuring sticks and let's compare, says I. It's better motivation for the winter, and after all, we don't really know until we get to the finish line, do we? Bring it on!

January 9th 2010 - Another day in the life of a professional endurance athlete

Tuesday, January 12, 2010 by James Sells

It is 6am in the morning when my alarm sounds off. I instantly realize it is my day off. How do I know this? Because if it was a work day, the numbers on the clock would read 5am, I get to sleep an extra hour on my days off.

I stumble to the garage and turn on the small space heater. Hopefully in the next 45 minutes, the garage air temperature will climb into the 30 degree range.

Bikes in a Row

On tap for today, 1 hour on the trainer with grade "A" training partner, Nick! Quick breakfast and a cup of coffee and Nick shows up. We set the bikes up on trainers and prepare for our workout session.

The garage was a balmy 30 degree when we started, however it didn’t take long for us to get a good sweat going! When I took this photo, I was hoping to capture the steam rising off Nick’s back and head!

Thank you Cyclops for great trainers.

Here is my new ride, thank you Giant!

We each finished an hour +. Nick is a stud so he did some one leg pedaling drills while I went inside to make coffee.

We had a post ride meeting to discuss race schedule.

So far good day off! I love the relaxed atmosphere of the "Off Season"

How to add to your trainer time

Sunday, January 10, 2010 by Toby Holsman

If you're like most Indianapolis cyclists, you've been stuck indoors to on the trainer lately (you do have a trainer, don't you? Good). My last post was about indoor cycling training strategies, so let's take a look at how we can apply those.

I've found it very helpful to have a standard 20-30 minute warmup that you have memorized and can do without thinking. Here's my standard warmup. It seems complicated, but once you do it a few times, it'll be easy to remember:

start with light, smooth pedaling, gradually increasing cadence and gear.
3:30: 1 min of fast pedal (>110 rpm) in an easy gear)
4:30: easy pedal at 90 rpm
6:00: 1 min in a big gear, starting at a hard intensity and increasing to very hard by the end of the minute.
7:00: easy pedal at 90 rpm
8:00: 1 min in a big gear, standing pedaling slowly. This is to stretch the back, give the butt a break.
9:00: easy pedal at 90 rpm
10:00: 30s pedaling at 100rpm with one leg in an easy gear.
10:30: repeat with the other leg.
11:00: 30s in the same gear with both legs.
11:30: 30s pedaling at 100rpm with one leg in an easy gear.
12:00: repeat with the other leg.
12:30: 90s in the same gear with both legs.
14:00: 30s pedaling at 100rpm with one leg in an easy gear.
14:30: repeat with the other leg.
15:00: 30s in the same gear with both legs.
15:30: 30s pedaling at 100rpm with one leg in an easy gear.
16:00: repeat with the other leg.
16:30: 90s in the same gear with both legs.
18:00: 1 min in a big gear, standing pedaling slowly.
19:00: easy pedal at 90 rpm
20:00: ready to start the rest of the workout.

It'll help you get mentally and physically ready, and then you only have to do another 40 minutes or so to get an hour total. Seems more attainable already, doesn't it?

Next time: we'll talk about my goals for the year, and how I'm planning workouts around them.

GPS Recovered, Lesson Learned

Thursday, December 31, 2009 by Brian Clissold

It's been quite a while since I posted on anything on the BGI Blog, and my last post was about my super cool, way fancy, totally awesome Garmin Edge 705 GPS. Soon I'll be doing some posts about winter bike commuting in Indy, but I have a very valuable story to tell before I do that....

Early in December I rode my bike to school. It was a chilly day, probably about 25 degrees, and various plastic accessories on my bike were buckling under the cold. When I arrived at school, the little bracket for my cable lock broke. While fussing with it, I also removed my computer (the Garmin) from its bracket. I must have placed the computer on the rear rack while I futzed with my lock. I finally got my ride locked and, seeing I was running late, I grabbed my bags and headed inside to get changed for classes.

About six hours later I headed outside to get on my bike and ride home. I discovered my GPS was not in my bags. It was not in my pockets. It was not on my bike. It was not near the bike rack. It was not in my office. It was gone. I put out an APB at the Butler School of Music and many people looked for it, but to no avail. It was completely gone. I gave it a couple days to turn up, and finally filed a stolen property report with the BUPD. You should have seen the look on the officer's face when I explained what it was, that it was for a bicycle (yes, officer, a bicycle) and the approximate value. So that was the end of it. I was depressed.

I put an APB with all my colleagues at BGI, and one friend posted on a local cycling blog. Still nothing.

I checked Craig's List and eBay. Still nothing.

So, then, last Saturday, I did a different search on eBay. I searched by the specific unit and didn't pay any attention to location. Previously I'd searched and then sorted by "distance from buyer". Bingo. I saw a very, VERY fishy post from someone in Illinois trying to sell a 705. There was no stock photo, it was being sold "without a charger or holster," and there was zero useful information on how the gps actually worked. It was very fishy.

So, I did a super quick Google search with part of the seller's name, Butler University, and the location of the seller. Bingo...an article from the Butler website popped up with the seller's full name. A quick Facebook status update and in about 30 minutes I had a mutual friend who knew this guy call me, agreeing to work as a kind of mediator.

In exchange for this young man sending me the unit via FedEx and removing the eBay post, I agreed not to press any charges and remove the stolen property report from BUPD.

I'm writing this on New Year's Eve (also my birthday) and I have just received my beloved GPS in tact, working perfectly, and without any damage whatsoever.

It is all happy, but I thought I should share this experience with you for a couple reasons. First, I learned a lot and was very fortunate to be able to track down the seller on my own and get the unit back. That said, if I hadn't, it would have been sold. Second, and most important, here's what COULD have happened.....

When I filed the police report, I also contacted Garmin. They said as long as I had the serial number and could email them a copy of the police report, they would tag my account. If my 705 had been sold, it is very likely that the new owner would have tried to register the unit, or at least update the software. At that time Garmin would have recalled the unit for "repair" and worked with BUPD to get the item back. This young college student would have been on the hook for selling stolen property, and it's entirely possible that I would have eventually gotten it back anyway.

Here's what else I learned: Even though my account was flagged, that's about all Garmin could do. The unit does NOT emit any kind of signal to enable Garmin to track it. Ironic that a sophisticated GPS can get "lost" ain't it? In my next email to customer support I'm going to suggest adding this feature for a couple reasons. The first is in case of theft, but the other reason is for those of us who use the 705 on extended cyclotouring adventures. If I got into a serious bike crash and was keeled over on the side of the road on a solo tour, relatives could alert Garmin that I have been MIA for an extended period of time and they could track me down, potentially saving my life. Hmmm, that could be a nice little marketing bit, dontchya think?

So, I've learned many lessons at the end of 2009. I'm looking forward to getting back on my bike, now that I won't get lost, and I'll be super-gluing my 705 to my nose.

Stay safe, keep the rubber side down, and remember that a clean bike is a happy bike!

brian