The inaugural TiChiBo and O-cup #1 pre-ride were delayed to 8am on Saturday…the anticipation and anxiety was killing me, I just didn’t know it. The added delay was ok as I still hadn’t looked at the thing since it was yanked from the wall at the Toronto (INTERNATIONAL) Bike Show in March.

Turns out that my 11pm (Friday) inspection was ill timed. You see the Stans were flat, the spokes not quite to tension and the brakes rubbed like a poodle in heat.

Stan’s was easy, add air and bring tubes – 35 seconds
Spokes were easy, tighten them some and drop in the stand, sometimes it’s a gift – 12 minutes
Brakes…bloody ‘ell.
Without a doubt the Magura Marta SL’s are a superior brake. Without a doubt the service from Magura USA is some of the best in the cycling world…but sometimes I’d kill for a little more adjustment…the rear caliper ate up some 8 shims, the front…just plain started too far inboard. So far in that was almost out, there was spoke contact at two points…fiddle di dee…dremel dremel…nope, not going to work, stupid titanium – 2 hours…bed.

At six am Saturday the combination of forking doubt and now brake resistance got the better of me…the ti fork was yanked and replaced with a White Brothers Rock Solid…sure it was heavier, no it didn’t really match but it just felt better.

As a special treat the images ACTUALLY link to real-live photos…they do…medium size even. If you want more, then FLICKR is the place.

How did it ride?

Like a bike that weighed 10lbs less then my TR machine…like a bike that weighed 5lbs lighter then anything I had dared ride offroad in the past…it was fast. It was screaming for a rider.

SUMMARY:

• The frame? Ti versus 6061? I don’t know??? Really I don’t. It wasn’t flexi in the back end like I had feared, but, it did get a stay upgrade… So my conclusion today is that perhaps the aluminum frame rides soooo well – perhaps even titanium like… that maybe, just maybe, I should raise the price of the diSSent… Then again what do I know, if you gave me a Blue when I asked for Canadian I wouldn’t know the difference…details are for tuxedos…but I would say thank you for the beer sucker.
• The fork? It is rigid, I can confirm that. Actually it felt as compliant but no more compliant then my current alloy version…more later.
• Brakes. Awesome. I used them frequently and they stopped us.
• Flat racey FSA Carbon bars (and not FU Bars) this was a bit of a problem. It’s been a LONG time since I ran traditional bars and I (felt) that I was stretched waaaay out. No reflection of my fitness of course but it felt difficult to muster the leverage necessary to climb the steeps…
• Rotor Cranks. They didn’t scream ‘I’m efficient, love me’. Then again, there were so many things changed on this incarnation that it was more like my anti-bike…my bizarro bike. In the interest of fairness I have discussed my fitness state, so given even a moderate decline or plateau, the cranks did something…at the very same race (albeit different course) in 2007 I pushed a 32:18, this year I pushed 33:17. Average speed was 19.67 kph versus 17.74 kph…I think they worked…either that or I’ve been sand bagging myself (which is still a crime in Manitoba and Saskatchewan). I did notice two small issues with the cranks. First is that chain tension needs to be monitored much more closely then with traditional rings as ‘normal’ slop is super sloppy if unattended. Second, consider not only your power lead (forward leg, as suggested in the instructions) but also your downhill lead…mine are different. So while my drive side leads on the climbs my non-drive leads on the descents…slapping of my red chain of death was ample on the way down. I either need to change my habits or the ring rotation…both may effect performance.

CONCLUSION:

• It is a fast bike.
• I am not fast.
• It is a bike.
• I like bikes.
• More (frequent) testing is going to be required…it is in the best interests of cycling and the advancement of humankind that I make these sacrifices. You’re welcome.

More on the actual race some other day, I’ve hit my brain quota.

One third of the Misfit Psycles Corporate Empire has changed today.

Fight the power!
Down with the man!
FTW!
Heck no we won’t go!

These radically superficial slogans have inspired so much fist waiving, head shaking and water cooler indifference that their loss, their suppression, will effect the very being of whom so many people pretend to be…I wear the jacket, therefore, I am an adventurer. When I am an adventurer, my Jacket of choice is NORTH FACE…now a word from our sponsor…

Sadly, these idyllic ideals may have quite possibly been sorta crushed under the financial strain of bitter reality. Forevermore contained and controlled by traffic generation, click-thru’s, reciprocating links, banner placements, conversions rates and the ever-heavy hand of my-brand-first censors. REALITY: Apparently a whopping single-speedy-only variety, too-hard-for-you/you’re-not-worthy appeal and the simple fact that the face of the machine is a giant prickerious…all drastically limit your revenue potential and ROI. Speaking of REI and good value…now a word from our sponsor…

So you ask, Is this the end to shallow independent thought and niche me-too individuality at CorporatePsycles? NEVER!
Unless THEY tell me it is.

See for yourself: WWW.BESTSINGLESPEEDBIKE.COM

If the program is successful…rest assured there will be no Revere riding through towne shouting “the sell out is coming, the sell out is coming! One if by blog…two if by misfitpsycles…three if by psyclestore” and so on. Nothing will be safe…now if you really want safe and affordable you NEED to fly WEST JET, the official airline of some people…now a word from our sponsor…

Folks.
Attention please.
Please take under advisement and without prejudice that today I hate what you have made me a little bit more then I did yesterday…because today I can see it all too clearly (it being my legacy of the non-subaru variety), MISFIT PSYCLES was the EMO of SINGLESPEEDING.

Damn.

There is no time for basking in the warm glow of my weekend not-loss…well maybe one small thing.
It was brought to my attention (by a rider who wishes to remain sackless) that I missed one very impotent person in my Post Paris Breakdown…I was even accused of acute bias when I lunged (albeit backwards) at Mr Summers for his shocking performance…in fact it is true, I allowed one Craig ‘Pshyco-Cross’ Fleetwood off with nothing. While Mark, at least came prepared to slug it out on a level playing field…single-a-single Mr Fleetwood packed the mighty whollop of a full derailed Specialized Trippy-Cross…begs the question, what’s it going to take?

So to rehincape:
176 Peter Keiller 2:19:55 MISFIT PSYCLES
257 Mark Summers 2:26:15 Sound Solutions
332 Craig Fleetwood 2:33:52 Bolton
449 Thomas Lowry 2:42:22 Misfit Psycles

Enough of this drivel…for 2009 I will set only sights on the fast 175 that remain in front…so close.

So now it’s back to the grind and looking forward to the next 90minute sprint.

MANSFIELD OUTDOOR CTR and OCUP #1…Mansfield is a great venue, great mix of climbs, hikes and single track – virtually ‘weather-proof’…bring on the TiChiBo…

It’s time to put that fork to the test…that is correct, circumstances (like invisible carbon inventory) will necessitate running the TCB in all of its matching segmented Titanium glory. The prospect of forking fragility has my teeth curling in anxiety…I’ve already folded on fork in my life, that of course was an experience I really hopped to ne’er repeat.

Other changes? Possibly. Maybe…but since I haven’t lifted a finger on repairs since 07 alternative components are rare.

Really thinking of changing list:
Carbon Seat Post to FSA Alloy
Carbon Saddle to WTB Rocket V
Stans Crows to ANYTHING ELSE

Really possibly thinking of changing list:
33:17 Ratio to 33:20
Rotor Waif Stem to FSA Alloy
FSA Carbo Riser Bar to Misfit FU Anchor

These changes ought to make it Peter-safe and bring the weight up from 17lb 3oz to a more respectable 21lb…ever been to sea Billy?

Suggestions? Comments? Concerns?

Like a desperate chimmy on a sloppy wet chonga, the Great Paris to Ancaster debacle was done. Over. Kaput.

Leading up things didn’t look good for your hero…a very white, very stiff stinker of a winter all but ensured fitness levels were at an all time low.
Del low.
No.
Hannem low.
If Del and Hannem somehow produced a three-eyed portly devil spawn of trans-fatty death, then called it Dannem, fitness levels were at Dannem lows.

Loading twinkies and talking smack about glory years, wasn’t enough. Then I remembered the monkies, because sometimes it’s just not about ekg’s, cadence, hr’s or the inverse decibel of a dot com in the forest.

In the week prior to the P&A I managed to more then double my outdoor mileage and log the first dirt track of 2008. Not necessarily the regiment one might consider days/hours before the big day. Very much like the all-nighter cram session, if not effective, it at least gave me the necessary assurance that I had “done everything possible under the circumstances”.

I could regale you with start line tales of intense comradery, jostling to maintain my game-place and staring down the evil smooth skinned skinny people. But I will not, you’ll just have to go to someone in cycling’s web’spert class for that. Truth is I heard the sound of music, beautiful music…the race went off with the usual bang followed closely by several other bangs and the strange hum that only two waxed legs can produce when rubbed together…“I am sixteen going on seventeen” …legs felt great…good…not-so-bad…I didn’t care… “Innocent as a rose”…look hundreds of waterbottles, a bike, a broken body… “Bachelor dandies, drinkers of brandies” …my waterbottle… “What do I know of those?”

Why was Paris a success this year? I went – VICTORY! While I was only 45 seconds faster…I wasn’t slower – VICTORY! I made a quantum leaps on the page two results – VICTORY! From 223rd overall in ’07 to 176th. From 13th in SS to 8th (awaiting classification correction you content nazis). Hell, it was good enough for second in the clyde class if I went that way – VICTORY! VICTORY! VICTORY! 60km in 2h 19m 55s, whatever that means.

Are the results sullied? Did I perhaps pass some of southern Ontario’s greats as a result of mechanicals or injuries?
Who cares. In your face MARK SUMMERS!
My season is over, I win on points…Noah, I have mailed you a large paper bag, you may wear it until you are able to move your belongings to the Court of Dingle.

Life is good.

A solid week of work, particularly work on the road can play havoc with fitness, never mind the stringent training regime of elite athletes. Responsibilities and commitments can be such a bore.

Despite temporarily re-locating to Kansas City, I was able to net more saddle time this week then any week (to date) in 2008.
Sure the infamous Kevin Nierman and local celebrity Joe Snook, had me rolling out of bed at 430am…the plan was to attack a 10 mile blacktop loop surrounding Longview Lake.
Yes tuesdays ride was hovering around freezing…
Yes wednesdays ride was into a perpetual headwind…
60 miles down.
What doesn’t kill you.

Early wednesday evening netted the first single track ride of the year…the Kansas Kingpins and DirtRag (Forum) hoodlums were in attendance.
The elusive double day ride…priceless.

Thursday was wet and a well deserved fitness-free day…
This brings friday…home day. Home day is normally chalked full of stress and rubber gloves.

So for friday, Yoga Kevin says…Yoga Joe says…Yoga it is.
Up at 5am was I. A complete lack of balance, flexibility and patience aside…it was…most excellent. According to Kevin the above wet-header is the reason he HAD to wear the sparkled mitten of love during the class…others stared.

Either way, divulging details of the class would be in direct conflict of the secret society. Instead allow me to share an email sent to Kevin describing how it effected the rest of the morning:

So I was digesting my bagel on the hwy back and the clouds were effecting my earlier calm and balance, it appeared that once again the external forces of negativity would pounce on my lack of action. I abruptly exited the hwy and headed to longview lake.
Victory.
Pedals installed, pee’ed right on the road and pedaled away. Freedums.
Victory.
Wind was moderate but acceptable, there was only a headwind and some rain-spray on the hill stretch. The other three legs were calm. Laps sprung off with little thought…30min, 29min, 27min. The tank was near empty in the end and that’s good.
Victory.
Another coffee, another bagel, 2pm checkout and a 6pm flight…bags are packed, everything is in order. Lotus to Cat.
Victory.