Lighter Fare

With things still winding up for the season and racing yet to begin, my mind is starting to wander. After logging some time yesterday in 60 degree weather I finally didn’t have to psych myself up to go for a long ride. Before heading out into below 40 degree temps. for four hours or more you have tell yourself how badass you think you are for doing it and think about how suffering through the cold will result in you crossing the line with your arms in the air at some point of the season. But yesterday, the first time I've seen my knees while riding a bike in ages, I was just loving being out on the bike with a good group of guys and I was able to expend mental energy on things other than how bad it sucks to not be able to feel your toes.

As my mind wandered to different places, it dawned on me that I had been so caught up with training and trying to get stronger that I had forgotten about possibly the most important part of racing bikes, style! During that euphoric ride it dawned on me that I was not going to be able to rock my own style while on the bike this year. Now that I've reached this level of racing I'll be sporting the same things all my teammates are wearing. Don't get me wrong, I'm far from complaining. The teams' sponsors are all great and we'll be riding some really flash gear this season. The kits are amazing, I’ve heard the Kane bikes look great, the gear is all top notch. All things said, I think Mountain Khakis fueled by Jittery Joe's is going to be one of the best looking teams in the world this year and I’m eternally grateful for anything I’m given to ride. I couldn't be more excited. Having said that, in years past when I have had to pay for equipment I've been able to add my own flair and twist, making it distinctly Evan. Now that I’m fortunate enough to have great support from amazing sponsors, I've been forced to look for style outlets in other places.

I've been pondering the Euro mullet for a while now. I've been close before but never pulled the trigger. With the mane getting out of control and in need of a trim, it could be right around the corner. I could immediately go into a full-on Euro mullet as we speak. But then you have to decide if you want to keep it trim, like a Giovanni Visconti, or maybe bring some old school fury Ekimov style. There’s also the question, are you fast enough? In order to sport the mullet you have to back it up with your legs. Nothing’s worse than a Cat 3 with pro syndrome that thinks he can back up the $5,000 bike his parent’s bought him with a trip to Great Clips. Hmmm, I don’t know if I can handle that pressure yet.

My new Timex Expedition, courtesy of my amazing boss Chris Ramm, is atrociously huge, orange and awesome. How more PRO can you get than a watch that matches your kit? It will also compliment the rugged outdoor theme I’ll be rocking to races courtesy of Mt. Khakis. You can believe I’ll be enjoying a bud and some coffee in my original mountain pants (follow the link for an explanation). Throw a cyclist in the pants that coined the term ‘MK butt’ and you can’t miss, with the bartender or the barista. I’m no Cipollini, but then again, he’s no Evan.

The quest for ultimate coolness will never end, but I guess that’s it for now. Up next, who knows, maybe I’ll race some bikes.

On Track

Wow, I'm shocked and ashamed that it's been over a month since my last post! It's odd since there were multiple times I found myself wanting to write but something always seemed to get in the way. It's time to get my social media priorities straight fo real.
Fresh on the brain right now is my trip to January Nat's yesterday. Isaac, Zach and myself piled into the Mountain Khakis team car for the trek over to my old home turf on the roads outside of Chapel Hill. While not an official race, it's a coveted title and everybody who's anybody shows up, kind of. More than anything it's a gauge to see where your fitness is at before racing gets underway. I can say I'm content with where I'm at right now. I'm definitely not ripping it by any means but for the first hard efforts since the last cross race I feel like I'm on track. It puts my mind more at ease since I would like to get started off on the right foot with the team. I'm pumped about riding as an amateur for Moutain Khakis fueled by Jittery Joe's this year. It's an amazing program and I couldn't be happier to remain a part of it. I can remember when I first started riding bikes, Jittery Joe's was hot shit. They were pro, and they were cool. They were in another dimension. They were guys I looked up to and when I saw them in pictures I dreamt that one day I would be there. While I'm definitely not there yet, I feel like I'm getting closer and knowing that Jittery Joe's is going to be on my jersey this year is an amazing feeling. At the same time, when I line up at a race in that kit I have big shoes to fill and I don't take that responsibility lightly. I still have to prove that I deserve to wear the jersey. Being faster is what I think about, whether it be during those long hours out on the bike, when I'm in the basement on the trainer, when I get my very small paycheck from work or whenever. It has become part of who I am. Hopefully that transpires into results and validates my position on the team, I guess time will tell.
The roads and old friends from Chapel Hill also brought back memories and it was nice to catch up with some people I haven't seen in a while. It's hard to believe it's been five months since I've moved from Chapel Hill. It felt like yesterday that I was out on those very same roads. It's probably because I trained on those roads for four years and know them inside and out. I can remember going out there when I first started riding and was working my way up to two hour endurance rides, wondering what racing was going to be like. Ahh, such a long time ago. It puts into perspective what a long road it's been yet I've still got so far to go. It's motivating to look at how far I've come and look into the future and think about how far I can take it. It's the start of another year and I'm still just as motivated as I was then. I'm stronger, smarter and more mature but when I look inside myself I still see the same thing I did then, a bike racer.
Up ahead there will be much to write about. The first couple races, team camp with lots of sweet new gear, as well as a probable trip to ECU for some performance testing in the lab. All that in addition to the usual so it should be a fun several weeks. I'm mos def looking forward to it and I'll be sure to keep you better informed.

Photo Finish

The last several weeks now seem like a series of snapshots forever ingrained in my mind. Whether it’s the immense relaxation of reading the paper and drinking coffee while watching the snow fall before everyone wakes up, or remembering how amazing it is to once again have my entire music library at my fingertips (thanks Santa), the snapshots are all going into the vault I like to call fond memories. One of my particular favorites was the flight back from Chicago, watching the last rays of the sun disappear, leaving an amazing array of colors in its wake on one side and the lights of the city fading into darkness on the other. Chicago is an amazing place and I always love spending time there. The flight back is always a contemplative time. I’m refreshed from the time spent off the bike with the family but I’m already starting to miss them. Thoughts of the long year ahead are also racing through my mind. Cliché as it may be, sitting in that coach seat, oblivious to the others around me as I pick some mood music, is the calm before the storm. The year ahead is sure to hold its ups and downs with immense amounts of training, racing, working and just life. Life is never easy but hopefully along the way there will be a couple of those fleeting, special moments that all bike racers dream of. Those moments that will be forever ingrained in our minds. They’re not always wins or results and might not even happen during a race. However, they are the reason we get on a bike time and time again when others have given up long ago.

So to everyone who made last year such a memorable one, thank you. I can’t say it enough and you know who you are. And to everyone who is or will help take this year to another level, it’s going to be long, hard and amazing with many more snapshots to come. So saddle up!!!

Tis the Season

Here is a link to my housemate Travis’ blog post on cyclingnews.com. He’s been killing it on the cross bike all season and he’s in Belgium at the Euro camp right now. It’s nice to be living with someone else that’s hungry and focused but still knows how to enjoy life. Good things.

I’m off to Chapel Hill tomorrow to hang out with some friends before flying out to Chicago for Christmas. It seems like I just left but at the same time it feels like forever since I’ve seen them. It also seems too early to be nostalgic but I guess that’s how it goes after you spend 5 years somewhere and make so many lasting memories. It should be the perfect break before coming back and getting into race mode 100%.

Quote of the week, “…five hours of training up in the mountains by myself isn't that different from sitting in an alley doing crack.”
-Chad Gerlach

This Post Isn't About Anything

This past weekend brought the last cross race of the season. It was a nice way to go out. I had a good start, crashed a couple times, then came from behind and won. Definitely not the pro race but it was fun which was the reason I did cross in the first place. I’ll have to take it a little more serious next year if I want to be competitive in the pro races but I’ll save that for later, much later.

With cross officially over it’s time to switch gears and get back to the road. Check out the team Web site for next year. Where else can you have your name put on a pro team’s jersey? Constant innovation, that’s how we roll. The Web site is still in the early stages so keep an eye on it. There are not really any new revelations otherwise.

I’ve lost some of the initial fascination with Pandora.com but it’s still pretty sweet. Especially if you take some time to tweak the stations a little bit with the thumbs up/down. We’re definitely rocking it at the shop as well.

On that note, I did get the job I mentioned in the last post. It’s turning out to be a really sweet gig and I’m enjoying it so far. Check us out on Facebook.com, be sure to become a fan of Recycled Outdoor Gear. The rock wall should be good to go in a week or so and the coffee bar should be in sometime in January, good things. Between the coffee bar at the shop and the Jittery Joe’s sponsorship, I’m going to be running hot next year, real hot.

Wow, this post took way to long as a direct result of Jersey Shore. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, I envy you. It’s terrible but I can’t stop watching it. Read a book meatheads.

This is a snack attack and it's happening!!!

I’m happy to report things have been happening the last couple weeks. On the cross side, I had a couple solid rides in Charlotte with an 11th and a 4th. Then I finally got a decent start the next weekend in Southern Pines and ended up winning after riding the entire race with only my teammate and coach Zach Lail. We talked on the last lap and he thought it was better for the series overall standings for me to win so I rode across the line first but we both deserve credit for the win. I also took advantage of some flat tires in the Tuesday night race in Charlotte and came away with another small win. The last couple days were spent at the North Carolina Grand Prix in Hendersonville. Being a UCI race, the CX 2 and 3 fields were combined so there was much more firepower than I’m used to at cross races. I sucked pretty hardcore on Saturday and was told I finished 30th. Sunday turned out to be fairly epic with temperatures in the mid 40’s, steady rain most of the day and a thrashed course from the previous races. Another mediocre start was followed by some surprising speed and I was able to splash my way back up to 11th. It was good fun though. Big thanks to the guys in the pits and everyone that yelled and/or heckled, you make riding in 40 degree mud enjoyable. An amazing night with the crew in Asheville also made the trip well worth it. One more cross race to go and it’s back to training for hopefully a big season on the road next year.

I just finalized the road situation as I will be riding for Mountain Khakis fueled by Jittery Joe’s as an amateur. It’s going to be pretty amazing wearing the jersey, even as an amateur. I think wearing the kit without pro status makes me even more motivated to prove I deserve it, to myself and everyone else. In any case, I’m excited to be a part of such an incredible program and am really looking forward to next year.

Now for a reality check, I don’t want to jinx it but I am being offered a job. I have a meeting tomorrow to work out the details but I think it will be a good situation. I’ll be keeping it part time to maintain the focus on training and racing with hopes of a good year on the road. More on that as it develops.

In other news unrelated to cycling, I finally jumped onboard the Pandora bandwagon. It’s amazing. Especially for me since my music selection always reflects what mood I’m in. With Pandora, it keeps playing songs with the same feel but you get a variety of artists and I rarely find myself hitting the skip button. You’ll undoubtedly hear songs you love but haven’t made their way to your iTunes and it might just make your day.

I’m also going to reinvigorate my social media efforts. So look for a Facebook facelift as well as more regular updates there and more consistent blog posts. Twitter is going to have to wait. My life is not that interesting right now and if you feel the need to see pictures and comments on what I’m eating, where I’m at and generally what I’m doing at every moment, get a life of your own. When I consistently have a constructive reason to Twitter I will most certainly do so, but that time is not now.

P.S. I just read the last post and I would like to apologize. That was weak, na, it was lame. I promise to do better.

Cross Continues

So last weekend was spent slogging through the mud until my rear derailleur decided it really wanted to be in two pieces. Day done, at least I got to spend the weekend in the mountains and enjoy a Black Cat burrito as is always necessary when in Boone.
After a practice race in Charlotte on Tuesday and another good cross ride with the Mock Orange boys on Wednesday I’m starting to get the feel of riding in the dirt. The key word there is starting since I’m nowhere near proficient yet but I think it will help my handling skills on the road as well which never hurts.
The move to Winston is more or less complete. I’m kickin’ it with Joe and T-Nasty for the moment, which is awesome. The Winston crew is really fun. Combine that with the change in scenery and you have an amazing place to live and train. It was definitely the right move. Good life decision, I’m pumped.
I would put up some pictures from last weekend but I decided it was a little self-centered to keep putting up pictures of myself so if you want to see them check out the Facebook page.
Now it’s time to do a little work on the man cave. Get ready, it’s gonna be huge.