Monday, March 05, 2007

neutral support is so dang cool. before the race my gears were slipping so linda said go to neutral support. so off i went, a little intimidated, to bring my old cannondale with dents, dried salamanders clinging to the downtube and the crazy plastic doll thingy on the handlebars. i rolled up and offered my technical analysis of the problem. "er, it won't stay in gear and stuff." immediately the mechanic put it up on the stand and went to work. while i waited for him to turn a screw here, adjust a nut (on the bike) there, and send me on my way, a few other riders rolled up with various problems. one wanted her back wheel trued (uh, this is ten minutes before the start). another rolled up and said that her chain kept dropping into the small ring, the rear derailler wouldn't shift down, her left shifter was sticking now and then, and would he mind oiling her chain.

meanwhile my mechanic was diligently adjusting, readjusting, lubing and relubing and still my silly gears were suffering from major slippage. I was about to say, "that's fine. i'll just stay in those 3 gears," when he grabbed some pliers and ripped out the cable and started from scratch. so cool. i think I'll follow the NRC calendar for all my bike repairs.

and racing with the men was super fun. i hung on the whole way (a lot like the salamander on my downtube) and then got shelled with 5K to go. a super good fast steady workout. ippoc has such good ideas.

22 comments:

X Bunny said...

and i think you finished ahead of cblack so maybe pab owes you something....

PAB(a.k.a.CID) said...

mkitty beat cblack??

woohoo! beers on me.

and yes, ippoc is a smart little kitty. glad you had fun!

oh, and Andy Stone is an old friend who runs the Shimano technical support. I think I remember seeing that it was him working on your bike. He is just the best.

Anonymous said...

amazing...riding with men's group that long!

Ippoc Amic said...

Andy the Shimano guy is the best...always a pleasure to see him at Natz and other places...

EB said...

Nice job! It was fantastic seeing both of you ladies there. What guts, too, to stick it out with the fellas...

marscat said...

don't get me started about cblack. first he rides up to me on the first lap and asks if i can spare a GU. i offer him a vanilla and he says you got any Berry? i really like Berry.

then he sits on my wheel for like a whole lap. get off chris, i finally shout at him, get off my freakin wheel.

then i see him suffering on the last rollers so i give him a little push.

chris, i tell him, you've got to do more hill repeats. i know, i know he says. just go on, i'll be fine.

i really tried to help the dude.

Velo Bella said...

Oh...thats precious.

so so precious.

Did you really give him a push? That just kills me. The vision of it makes me break out into uncontrollable laughter.

Some day we should tell you about the time he tried to wipe his sweaty glasses off on Bunny's bunny suit.

Beers on me too!

Ippoc Amic said...

then we were speeding home on I5 and who pulls us over but CBlack in person having switched his team issue specialed tarmac for a chipper issued harleyhog...he sees it is marscat driving and says "you helped me, I'll help you" and turns away...off we went in the little toyota pickemup with grins on our faces...or was that grime...

Ippoc Amic said...

specialized...

X Bunny said...

i'm trying to figure what microfragment of a draft that 45+sprinter could get off of our little kitty

i think we need to do some windtunnel testing...

Velo Bella said...

I call foul!

You guys don't speed.

marscat said...

i'd like to hear that bunny wipe story...

Nrjetik1 said...

wow, you 2 rock!

Allison Krasnow said...

neutral support mechanics? i had no idea. that's it. i'm quitting my job to travel for NRC races...

Velo Bella said...

So Bunny and I are standing around at Cherry Pie last year. We weren't racing, just watching. Bunny was in her (at that time) brand new bunny suit. You know, that cute little pink Patagonia jacket with the pink fluff?

So she's standing around in it all cute and pink as can be.

And the masters race is just finished. CBlack rolls up to us (well not really us, but the Safeway guys who like to stand around us)and he starts jibber jabbering about the race.

As he's jibber jabbering, he's still sweating and panting profusely from the race effort.

I mean dripping from the forehead sweat.

While he is talking about himself, he takes his sweaty glasses off. He sort of looks down at them and notices how clunked up with sweat they are.

He starts to dry them on his own jersey, but realizes its too wet with sweat to work.

So without even looking at Bunny, never mind asking her or feeling sheepish, he reaches down and tries to wipe his gross ass sweaty glasses on her pristine pink bunny suit (while she's still wearing it)

Bunny was at first disgusted and then dismayed, but managed to jump back in time while eeking out a "ewwwww! Not on my Bunny Suit!!!"

Cblack actually looked shocked that she wouldn't let him.

So that is why I believed the story. The whole berry GU part seemed right.

marscat said...

that's just not right.

bunny suits are not for sopping up man sweat.

EB said...

Who on earth is this clown and what barn was he raised in?

norcalcyclingnews.com said...

bunny suits are not for sopping up man sweat.



... bwwhahahahahahahaaaa ...

~ lauren said...

especially man sweat from someone who's not your lover or husband.

gross.

shawnkielty said...

oh god -- I am laughing so hard now. I can't believe it.

Eclectchick said...

Ahhh, yes. A moment of silence for these wondrous folk. Magicians!

marscat said...

eclectchick: understood.