what piece of bike equipment is this?

do i need one?

and i will be selling this hoody... maybe...

snow man... number one drunk poster to my website...

it would be really cool if...

some of the more local races excluded pro riders... not every race has to have pros in it... and there should be some more local series races like in mountain biking... if then say... seasliver, sponsored the CBR series in socal and gave a ride to the top u-25 of the series for the next year that would be really cool... some of the pro and bigger amateur teams in their areas should do something like that...

new orleans flood

apparently the city is below sea level and is surrounded by a system of levys (dikes in holland) to keep water out... there is also a lot of rainfall which needs to be pumped out of the city because there is no natural drainage since the city has been made to sit in a bowl...

 

there is a lot of talk about the city being flooded by breaks in the levys... it is being implied that the problem is being exacerbated by the failure of the  city's rainwater pump system... but it is not being said that the pumps were never intended to pump flood waters, only excess water from the normal amount of rainfall...

 

in fact on one radio program it was explained that the pumps were knowingly constructed and placed in such a way that they would be surely rendered inoperable in the event of a very large flood... the pumps and levy system were conceived and designed separately and never intended to work in tandem during such a disaster...

 

counter top refrigerator

i think the time has come for countertop refrigerators for home use... like a side by side refrig-freezer that sits on the counter top... its the thing to do... i hate bending down into the veggie drawer and the lower parts of a standard refrigerator... even if you have a freezer drawer underneath you still have to bend down...

underneath you can have a cabinet with three wide and deep drawers to put related crap that usually would go in a pantry.. like bread or pb and jam... or all your tupperwares...

organized links

i organized some links a bit

bernegraben?

what the hell is happening to the berne in the bernegraben?... being that the city is underwater right now i hope they saved the berne... that would be a horrible way to go.. already they are stuck in that pit.. and they gotta drown too?...

"what the hell are you talking about?"... go to feb.22

falling girl

go

Jerk-O-Meter!

this is cool... i know some people who need this...

freeware games for treos

go here for some cool free games for palm os... they have asteriods... i love that game...

its all marketing folks...

they got every angle covered... i just dont ever trust anybody anymore... its rampant... i am not saying that its all gotta be stopped... but you just need to be aware and take more responsibility for being educated about things... you cant count on everyone to be impartial and calculating...

second opinon... 1min 56sec...

this is one of my all-time theme songs

sympathique... its a good song about being tired, bored and jaded... it makes it seem so sexy and desirable...

i would karaoke this song all night...

a good result for georege

he made a holy jihad to win GP Oest France... and second for usov who seems like he was stalled out as an up and coming rider... i thought he would have been doing these kinds of results for a while.. so its good to see him on the podium in a great race like this...

games

i downloaded some games from popcap.com for the treo... dope!... it can play any game for the palm os...

eat the press

since i love the 700 club so much this killed me.. its harry shearer doing pat robertson.. its so good.. if you have watched as much 700 club as i have you will really appreciate it... its pretty typical of the stuff he says on the show...

there is a link to the audio at the end of the article...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/harry-shearer/this-just-in_b_6135.html

red bull road rage

for years i have said that there should be pro road downhill... now there is...

www.redbullroadrage.com/

i plan to kick ass and hang it out...

Nov.5 Tuna Canyon, Malibu CA

star studded fieldof invitees...

George Hincapie - Brian Lopes - Paolo Savoldelli - John Tomac - Sean Yates - Dave Cullinan - David Clinger - Steve Peat - Gord Fraser - Joe Lawwill - Robbie McEwen - Eric Carter - Freddie Rodriguez - Greg Minnaar - David Zabriskie - Mark Wier - Jans Koerts - Colin Bailey - Kirt Vories - Wade Bootes - Myles Rockwell - Ned Overend - Geoff Kabush - Thomas Allier - Thurlow Rogers - Jamie Paolinetti - Ivan Dominguez - Sean Watkins - Mariano Friedrick - Harm Jansen - Max Sciandri - Butch Stinton - Mark McCormack - Shaums March - Kyle Straight - Marla Streb - Aaron Chase - Adam Craig - Carl Decker - Tyler Hamilton - Marty Nothstein - Chris Horner - Robbie Bourdon - Nathan Rennie - Sam Hill - David McCook - Axel Merckx - Bobby Julich - Robbie Hunter - Floyd Landis - Michael Barry - Tony Cruz - Aaron Olson - Chris Wherry - Jason Bausch - Roland Green - Todd Tanner - Erik Saunders - Rolf Sorenson - Mike King

all time silly acronyms

brac... braaaaak!... like that guy on space ghost...

tiny houses

http://www.tumbleweedhouses.com/
and in the links there are a lot of great websites about housing and related things...

saul interview...

HellaSaul: Hey E-man
Eriksaun: yo
Eriksaun: are you a big star now?
HellaSaul: yea
HellaSaul: you know how I do...
HellaSaul: :)
Eriksaun: how big?
Eriksaun: twinkle twinkle baby...
HellaSaul: you e-mailed "Hey man, IM me.."
HellaSaul: haha
Eriksaun: yeah... so i can make an interview for my website
Eriksaun: its only any good when you are on it
HellaSaul: I know...
HellaSaul: I heard you moved?
Eriksaun: so what funny happend in the race?
Eriksaun: no not yet
HellaSaul: m..
HellaSaul: Nothing really.. cold as hell every day and rain.. Fast too
HellaSaul: SOme guy walked in our room one night at 11pm wanting and autograph
HellaSaul: did not know or anything
HellaSaul: Did not knock, just walked in
Eriksaun: did you give it to him?
HellaSaul: No, my teammate almost kicked his ass.
HellaSaul: the guy was a little "slow" I had to calm him down
Eriksaun: and you didnt even sign his paper
HellaSaul: other htan that I nothing crazy happend.. Lance stuff.. etc...
Eriksaun: yeah.. i guess that was a big deal
Eriksaun: so you dont do vuelta
HellaSaul: na
Eriksaun: were you entertainig that idea in yur head at all?
HellaSaul: no worries. who wants to do an extra 10 days of racing?
Eriksaun: whats left for you?
HellaSaul: Aviner is next " I am the favorite" then a one day race the 17th.. and after that Worlds.
HellaSaul: Credit wasnt so sign
HellaSaul: wants
Eriksaun: so do you think you will win that?
HellaSaul: It is a little bit of a crap shoot.
HellaSaul: 6 man teams.
HellaSaul: Amature style.
HellaSaul: we will see, depends on the ountains.
HellaSaul: mountains.
Eriksaun: yeah?... you might have to attack...
Eriksaun: so would ou like to stay in the same team?
HellaSaul: http://www.pezcyclingnews.com/
HellaSaul: pelo pics
HellaSaul: good picture of me
HellaSaul: Yea
HellaSaul: I like the team
HellaSaul: its is cool
Eriksaun: did they have any kind of best young rider or something?
HellaSaul: na
HellaSaul: sucks
HellaSaul: I would have one it
HellaSaul: I would rathe rbe doing Poland than Aviner.
Eriksaun: poland is big time...
HellaSaul: Win some more protour points.. the hard races are better for me.
HellaSaul: you eathe rhave it or not
Eriksaun: but they are sending you to l'avenir to win
Eriksaun: you better just win...
HellaSaul: owinning is overrated.
HellaSaul: I want to win something big
Eriksaun: you are more of a hang-in when its hard than an attacker
Eriksaun: l'avenir would be huge
Eriksaun: for you at this stage in your career
Eriksaun: you go on the list of major riders n the world of cycling
Eriksaun: look at who lse has won that race
Eriksaun: its a good list
HellaSaul: Lemond
HellaSaul: About it,
Eriksaun: indurain (and also Felice Gimondi, JoopZoetemelk,Pascal Simon, Olaf Ludwig, Charly Mottet, Marc Madiot, Laurent Fignon, Pascal Lino, Johan Bruyneel, Angel-Luis Casero, David Etxebarria, Unai Osa, Iker Flores, Denis Menchov, Evgeni Petrov... yeah)
HellaSaul: Yea yea.
HellaSaul: I am coloring my hair
HellaSaul: I have to go wash it out
HellaSaul: Will finish this late.r
Eriksaun: ?
Eriksaun: what color
HellaSaul: It was black
HellaSaul: now I am trying to get it brown a gain
Eriksaun: oh
HellaSaul: I am going to go see Elvira
HellaSaul: Have I told you about her?
Eriksaun: no
HellaSaul: I'll tell you when I get back
Eriksaun: is she your lady?
HellaSaul: I have a picture on my website.. www.saulraisin.com
HellaSaul: be right back
Eriksaun: sauuuuuul!....
Eriksaun: nice cute girlfreind...
Eriksaun: i am coming to visit you.. get ready
Eriksaun: ok....
Eriksaun: bye
HellaSaul: let me know
Eriksaun: ok i will
HellaSaul: I am getting a bigger apt
Eriksaun: why?
Eriksaun: for your... giiiiirlfreind?
HellaSaul: for me
Eriksaun: ok...
Eriksaun: and for me
HellaSaul: of course
Eriksaun: well ok then...
HellaSaul: she is from sweden
Eriksaun: how did you meet?
HellaSaul: I met her on an Airplane
HellaSaul: coming back from a vo2 max in Lyon
Eriksaun: really?.. not at a bar?
Eriksaun: she lives there in nice or wherever?
HellaSaul: she was her only for a few days.. be have been talking after she left
HellaSaul: she was here
HellaSaul: haha
Eriksaun: is she in sweden then?
HellaSaul: I never ead what I type
HellaSaul: yes
HellaSaul: from sweden
Eriksaun: dont let kirk albers see
Eriksaun: well thats cool you have a girl you like...
Eriksaun: but you need to get her to come to france
HellaSaul: She will
HellaSaul: Maybe
Eriksaun: do you think we should assasinate hugo chavez?
HellaSaul: who is thaT?
Eriksaun: the president of venezuela
HellaSaul: I don tknow
HellaSaul: What do you think?
Eriksaun: crazy viginian pat robertson thinks its the thing to do
Eriksaun: well... thats all i got... i gotta bounce
HellaSaul: later hommie

(growing up in VA i used to watch the 700 Club all the time until i figured out that it wasnt really news...)

I bet this cereal is on sale because the box scared the shit out of little kids...

other new link

Cornerstone Life

new link...

Becky Broeder

Turkmenistan Leader Still Mad about Milli Vanilli

Milli Vanilli and other Western pop acts have gotten in trouble with fans for lip-synching. In the former Soviet republic of Turkmenistan, it's now against the law. Tired of seeing "old voiceless singers lip synching their old songs" Turkmenistan's all powerful president decreed there will be no more lip synching at concerts on television or even weddings.

hear it here

i remember this for some reason from RBR a while back.. i got a kick out of it...

and then there were all these posts about jihads for all these different riders...

The following message came to me in a dream -- this message is for George
Hincapie.


------------------------------­-----------


The Time has come to rage Jihad against the dopers, the climbers, the
wannabes, the Belgians, the French, and the puppet boy wonder of Johan
Museeuw.


Awake and make Jihad. But first, learn to listen for the 10 audio signals
which Jeff Jones will broadcast to you each minute of the race in your ear
piece. These 10 audio signals will instruct you in the cool Jihad of the
day. So, if you want to be cool when you make Jihad you must listen for the
10 audio signals and obey them... blah blah blah...

it was a pretty good thread about george's holy jihad against the belgians to win paris roubaix...

CA supreme court decision

California's Supreme Court rules that unmarried, same-sex couples are lawful parents and must provide for their children if they break up. The court ruled that if both same-sex partners intended to parent a child conceived by artificial insemination, then both partners have an equal right to child custody and child support, even if one partner has no genetic link.

this is the link to the story on NPR

interesting i thought...

power ranger murders a couple...

People suck... And just cuz you are on tv doesnt make you good or trustworthy or special...

In fact i believe that if you are in show business that you have a better chance of being on crack or something...

A guy who was a power ranger is on trial for murder...

google it...

Its a crazy story... To the point where you know they were high on crack to think it would work...

Treo 650...

There are all types of beautiful and sexy women at the airport

If you want to see nice looking women then go to the airport...

Treo 650...

Usa cycling should hire me...

Really... They should...

Treo 650...

Yeah...

Maybe i shouldnt say what happens in my team... Or maybe i should just keep stuff secret so i can try to propogate the myth of pro cycling in the usa...

Maybe...

The big problem is that it is WAY too easy to have a team in the US... Its a lot harder to pull off a year of racing than it seems.. And a lot of people get caught halfway through the year and they realize that its more hassle than they thought... That goes for riders and mangers...

Thats why there needs to be some step between random cat one's and continental teams... So people can get involved and learn what it takes to have an organized team...

Treo 650...

I dont really have any big problem over this whole not racing thing... It it what it is... And i agree with the commisaire on his decision to not allow us to start... If we cant get it together as an organization then we should not be in the pro race... Thats what the cat one race is for...

I have always thought that there are too many teams that shouldnt be operating at the pro level and that the federation should organize a national teir of teams and dissuade a lot of organizations from fielding uci teams...

teams could then grow and become continental teams when they are ready... Or maybe never if the national level was well thought out it may be that a teams competitive and marketing goals are fulfilled without moving up... And then it would be competitivw and there could be money for the riders in the national teir... Same as in other countries...

But thats asking too much of the feds... I know... To organize the sport...

Treo 650...

Miller time

uspro crit

yeah.. i came all the way out here and we didnt get to race... so i was pretty bummed.. but i tried to not let it ruin my day...

its just how it goes i guess... 5 guys and we need 6 to start.. no team manager at the national championships to handle this stuff... what can you do... i spend the morning with the head uci commisaire and he was willing to help us out to the extent of the rules... i appreciate that a lot but in the end we just werent here ready to take things seriously and conduct business like a PRO team is supposed to.. what can i say?... this was also my last real opportunity to make a result before the end of the year... so it really gets to me...

Missed my flight for the second time this year

So i just chilled out at home since the next flight was more than 6 hours later... And so i just show up all HOURS late and the guy at the counter conirms my whole itinerary even though standby was tight... He rides bikes...

Treo 650...

i think i seriously gotta start a band...

its been in my head for a long time.. and i think i gotta just go do that now... i think i will try to get a fretless bass and see what odd noises i can get it to make... i wanna really try to have a new sound in a group, something that everyone can groove to and enjoy live but that they may not think they would like... but something also really well thought out without losing a real groove driven vibe...

 

i like how a real good dub track does weird things to a song.. how those guys just get noises out of the machinery that you wouldn't think of.. but that's still really natural and intuitive... and then the real good guys still have these big bass grooves that just fill up your whole head like thick water... and you just find yourself not thinking of anything...

 

i would like to do something like that but less trance-enducing... but its gotta really fill up the space we play it in... hmmm...

fart bass

what do i need to get so i can make my bass sound like a big fart like bootsy collins?... on a lot of vamps he bounces on the one to drive the groove and it sounds like a big rubber fart on overdrive...

i wann play a big fart bass...

oct 1 and 2

in san diego there will be the 3rd annual 2 day madison.. its a fun race that's low key.. the teams are picked by the organizers to have a level playing field and the action the past 2 years has been really tight...

 

come out and watch or go to the website for more details... www.sdvelodrome.com

 

they sell beer and food there.. and its a good time... come watch...

So...

I am really done having anything more to say about track racing other than that there needs to be a scene with races and riders and a tiny bit of money...

I spent probably half the day talking about track racing with everyone i saw...

Somebody said something funny about B of A... "125 thousand?... You couldnt get a pro golfer to cross the street for that much... And you guys are killing eachother to get into that race"... And then another guy says "125 grand AND i have to pay my own hotel?!"

Treo 650...

eddie pretty well got it right...

the cycling news coverage was right on...

the mortgage guys wanted to pay for me to protest as well but i told them i didnt want to be involved...

it was jacked up.. but i am not willing to play games with it and have the worst colluders pay for me to protest some guys that give them a big fat dose of their own medicine...

these people dont realize that when you ride a certain way for years and people get pissed off they are gonna come back at you... its like a constantly escalating level...

i am sure huff and tiaa-creff felt justified in some way to do what they did because things had gone so far for so long with all the other guys working together against the individual riders... they were just sick of it and said "what the fuck?... lets just go for it and what happens happens.. they got two teams.. and now we can really screw those guys and their two teams.. so lets do it!"

its like a positive feeback loop where it grows and grows and grows... somebody has to just say "DONE." and then we can reset things back to a normal and fair competition...

i have said this for 3 years... and nothing...

i told those guys in carney's team that they shouldnt ride like that because everyone is going to end up hating them and nobody is going to come to the track anymore in PA... ang guess what has happened?... hmmm...

i asked marty and colby whats up with all you guys riding against eachother like knuckleheads so the other guy looses... 3 years ago...

i remember at a race my teammate at the time says to me that he wants me to sit on marty all day to frustrate him so he wont win... i refused to do that.. i dont ride that way... i was like man "man.. lets just go and race our bikes.. lets both just ride hard and see what happens... its BS to ride personally against one guy"...

i want to make sure that i am out way far on this... i have refused to be a part of this BS for a long time... i could have gotten into it but i have decided not to because its not right.. and its bad for the sport...

yeah.. more wierd collusion in the madison

wait and see what tehy say on cycling news about it... but it was another case of stupid racing and people tanking their own race just to help another guy win... i like the track and i come out to have fun and support it.. but shit... its just sad to see guys not racing their bikes to win...

me and bahati were third and we thought we had a shot till the shit hit the fan and we went from second with a chance to third with no hope at all.. but all in all i am happy with our ride.. we did the best that we could do in some really odd circumstances...

we havce never ridden together before and i am not super experienced in madisons even though i like them so much.. so our timing was really off... we were faster and stronger than freidman/lee and faster but not stronger than pierce/hartley... if we would have been better on the timing we could have been second but lee and freidman had a lot of expereince and it showed... they were exchanging at the right moments to beat us in the sprints and me an bahati were just not that aware of what was happening...

but i will see what comes in cyclingnews.com and then have some more comments and interpretations...

No results

For track nats in LA Times... Diving nationals are aparently going on in north carolina... Hmmm... Interesting...

Treo 650...

ok... now i will complain about team racing on the track...

usa cycling has to think about what it wants to do to develop track racing... if they want to organize things and have a situation where we develop good riders and racing.. or if they just wanna have a free-for-all...

i think that if they want to have a nice development scene they need to limit the amount of riders per team in endurance events to two... because as it is you have the j-me carney mafia and tiaa-creff making the racing negative and its very difficult to compete with two teams of 4 or 5 riders in the final of 24 guys... it ends up lop-sided and its kind of like a big crit on the track...

if the want to have a free-for-all like they do now, then go ahead and dont change anything...

i think in order to make the racing better they should limit the number of guys in a club that can compete... internationally you only get one rider per nation and thats how it is... and the racing is different as a result...

if 6 guys in an international race would have lapped early like they did at nats there would have been more opportunity for other guys to gain back the lap later because the team factor that shut the race down at nats would not have existed...

usa cycling just needs to figure out what they want out of the scene here...

i think its best to try to create events that are most like international track racing than crits... its better for all the riders to have a more fair and open competition...

ok.. nows lets talk about how poorly designed the building is...

there arent any bathrooms on the infield...

the tunnel goes out of the track to an access road and not to the parking lot...

the seats are uncomfortable and you cant lean back in them...

there isnt an easy way to get from the stands to the infield without crossing the track...

there are no showers or locker rooms...

the place is depressing and there isnt any ambiance...

i would rather race at t-town or encino anyday... or some nice place that is good to be at.. with some grass or something.. or some palm trees... and natural light...

yeah sure.. its a great track.. but the building that tehy put it in is retarded...

ok.. lets talk about how depressing track nats are...

there arent any spectators.. there were less than a hundred people last night... i hope that there are more people to watch the mens sprint tonight... there are a lot of good sprinters and it should be competitive...

after the points race i was looking aroung going "shit.. and then you are the national champion?"... there was nobody in the place!...

i remember in t town that the place had thousands of people out...

and even in texas there were more spectators...

what can you do?

So i went with a 53-15... It was ok... And i went through to the final tonight...

Treo 650...

Wreck

On the way to nats...

ok..

so i went to the track this morning and i was WAY too early and then i left to go get lunch and a coffee... and i came back and got on the track and did the scratch heats and i didnt even make it to the finals... it was pretty funny... i didnt care to tell you the truth because thats just one less thing to do later in the day.. so i drove home to the desert...

i had andy stone from shimano tech support put on a 51x14 so i can actually go fast and we will give it another go tomorrow...

i feel really good and the heats were silly easy but i just couldnt ride fast because i was really under geared... that track is really fast and i cant go with a 49x14 like i had on there before...

its typical that guys will ride 94 and 96 in a scratch race... for those of you who kow what that means...

pushbikes.ca this is going to very cool when she actually puts stuff on it.. i really like the format...

my favorite color is the red...

so its pretty much official that i am moving to winston salem... i found a house and everything... i am staying up waiting for an e mail from a loan broker with the numbers on a few different scenarios...

financing is a trip...

you can pretty much get any crazy loan you want... it all depends on the amount of risk that you are willing to take...

Nats

start tomorrow.. i missed registration today because i was running around all day trying to take care of loose ends that i have to do and then it started raining like crazy and there was bad flash floods everywhere and it was just stupid to drive in the road when its more like a river just so you can go to reg at a race...

so i will have to get my packet tomorrow morning and leave really early.. like 5 or something...

Patetroleum

this is no joke... next in the lineup is Saunders Soap... i am imagining a bald head icon like a brown mr clean or something like that...

One of the most dissapointing nights that i have ever had... Had good legs and crashed with one to go in the biggest crit in the world... My guys didnt get in the money... We came out here and made nothing at all...

Regroup mentally... I took a hit on this one...

Track nats start wednesday and i hope i can win something there... Would most like to win the madison with bahati...

Treo 650...

last advice from a reader... then i am done...

All these guys writing you about keeping their women and having time for cycling. It's all about keeping your wife or girlfriend involved. At least that's what I figured out with my wife. When I go for a long training ride I always ask my wife if I can call her if I flat, I take her to the bike store with me a lot of times. Tell her how stoked I am about whatever ride or race is coming up, ask her to be there. Also, I ride with my wife at least once a week, and it kills me because she rides a cruiser and on the city paths. But it's worth it. I think that's the key -- she sees cycling as something she's involved with me and not something she's in competition with. The proof dude? She bought me a DA group for my ride this summer for a birthday present and we're broke (especially now). But I always talked about it and she sees cycling as one of our connections. She definitely isn't one of those needy wife types either.

Hi Erik,

I have a question for you that probly applies to most competitive
cyclists. im sure this is something you've had to deal with before. How
do i get the girls i date to understand that i have to act the way i do
(the cockyness, the shaved legs, the vanity.....). many women that are
unfamiliar with the sport arent aware that we're all total badasses and
just assume that we're self-centered dicks. what do i do?

also, what do you do about the occasional girl that doesnt understand that
shaved legs are hot?

thanks

Myt Response:

dont be a self-centered dick... problem solved...

other things you can do are...

1) dont date girls you know you wont like because they are "hot"

2) dont let a girl give you a hard time and dont stand for any emasculative (is that a word) behavior

3) dont invest any time in a relationship with a girl who obviously doesnt get the whole bike thing and isnt open to it.. she NEVER will get it or be open to it...

4) you should move to france where chicks love cocky dick bike racers... but you cant suck.. so think about it before you go all that far just to get laid...

dear erik

Is it a good idea to bring your girl to races even
though she doesn't help with support,takes up a spot
in the car/van, and forces you to ask host housing if
it's ok if she stays (though you never ran it past
your teammates)?
oh...and you love her SO much!!

My Response:

leave you lady at home where she belongs (oh!)... if you bring her you need to sack up and take responsibility to provide her with a nice place to stay and good food... not on an air mattress crashed out with your buddies... shit.. a guy should just take care of his lady and that is that... if you are talking about a wife, then thats different.. if you want to bring your wife along on a trip and crash her out in a host house then she should divorce you because you are LAME!!!...

HEY

I'm going to Vegas with my girlfriend in two weeks to visit her family. I'm thinking about asking her to marry me when we are there and then going to the Elvis Wedding Chapel. Should I ask her BEFORE we go or wait until we get there?

My Response:

thats bold man... if you care at all to ask anyone for sure ask her parents... to go spontaneous like that sounds like a lot of fun to me...

Hi Erik!...

Is it appropriate to take a girl who likes you to a strip club on the 2nd date? Our 1st date was at a wedding, so this would be a substantial step down the ladder, but I’d like your input, soon, since I’m supposed to take her there tonight.

Thanks, and I look forward to hearing what you have to say.

My Response:

ok.. so you already did whatever you did...

it depends on what you are going for... long term partners dont like strip clubs in general... so that means this girl wouldnt be considered as a long term partner if you get my meaning...

i like to keep my strippers and my girlfreind separate... but maybe your girl is special though and you can have the best of both worlds...

Dear Erik,

how do I get the wife to understand my desire to ride and give me the time to
train enough to at least be competitive? She doesn't seem to understand my
attachment to my bike.

My Response:

ooh... yeah... see... there is nothing you can do about that... i am lucky in that i met my babe when i was in full swing with the biking thing and i think she accepts that i am not me without cycling.. and she understands that it will be my own decision to stop and it will have to be taken on my own terms... in other words- she cant do anything about it and i will stop when i am good and ready...

i am sure that your wife sees cycling as a theif that steals your time away from the family... nothing you can do will change that... i am sure also that she resents a bit the fact that you are not willing to give up a part of your selfish single man's life... they always want you to give up all the single guy stuff you used to...and if you came to cycling after your marriage thats even worse because you are picking up NEW SINGLE GUY HABITS!!!...

dom perras said to me that stopping cycling will be the greatest heartbreak of your life, no matter what the terms... so you will either have to live with the friction or decide which heartbreak is worse.. losing your wife, or a part of yourself...

thats what it comes to in the end... you will most likely have to quit cycling to stay married... or at least you will have to sacrifice what little happiness you could have had as a competitive cyclist... and settle for never ever improving...

would she be happy with a compromise?... does she wanna do stuff like walk around aimlessly all day and look at crap or drive to some far place thats exactly like where you live and do the same stuff that you do where you just drove from?... maybe you could do some of that stupid crap... i dont know... but that even makes it so you will have to sacrifice training time... and thats not the direction you want to go in...

i bet though that you could be fit if you used the time you have better... you are screwed... you cant change your wife or make her see anything new about cycling.. so its better to try to work at the real problem from another angle- try to get fit with the time you have rather than to allow your wife to give you more time...

please e mail me your quesions on romance and courtship and i will answer them for you... E-MAIL

ok...

this is the most fun i have had in a while... i talked to hamblen's polish neihbors...we drank beer in hamblen's front yard leaning on his truck.. and then we watched fight club... and then we raced cruisers around the block twice.. and a deer ran out in front of me and i almost hit it during the race... and then we looked at his AC in the basement because it was really leaky...

so when i move here i think i am going to have a lot of fun everyday like this... and i met some other bike racers that i didnt know before...

moment of silence please for the scotts who were defeated by the english