On the road again..

First 'post-op' ride on the open roads, in wonderful company of The Rhino. We couldn't have picked a better day for my come-back, slightly windy with sunshine and temperatures in the 60's!


Though The Rhino has been loosing an enormous amount of lbs, he was still too much for this bridge...
It was a close call, but the bridge didn't collaps until Rhino barely crossed it.....
It was an awesome feeling to be on the bike, on the roads again!
Onward and Upward!

First ride since surgery

Since it's been 10 weeks since surgery and the fact my shoulder seems to be holding up well on the trainer, I decided today to go for my first post-op ride. I rode my Colnago C50 across Congress Street, on a 0.5 mile loop in a small sub-division. Hardly any traffic and smooth pavement. Got about 15 miles in at a leisure pace. Very pleased how well my shoulder held up! Tomorrow I'll have the company of the Rhino and hope to get 20-30 miles in. I have to say, even though I didn't forget how to ride a bike, it was a little nerving at first today... Just the way my mind operated and also the realization how vulnerable one is on a bicycle ;)

Selle San Marco REGALe Team Racing

Just arrived at my clinic, will be mounted on the Colnago C50 tonight. I am so excited.... ;)
____________

Evolution is what the “e” stands for in the new Selle San Marco's REGALe saddle. It’s much like the classic San Marcos Regal that has had a strong and loyal following. But with time comes evolution, and that’s what the REGALe is all about.

Still adorned with the signature six rivets, the REGALe screams vintage, exudes style and retains the quality of yesteryear but with a weight savings of a whopping 150grams! That’s like it lost the weight of a whole other saddle! Soft as ever, the cover is made from long wearing, light microfeel that is supple to the touch.

At 148mm wide, the REGALe is the same width as its predecessor, the Regal and the San Marco Rolls. The San Marco Regal design has been around longer than this anatomically designed craze we’re immersed in; which is a great bonus for those of us who do not fit the anatomical models. There is no center ridge; the top is flat and the rear is big. Let’s say big one more time, for effect. BIG! Yet now the amazing weight savings makes it accessible to even the weight weenies of this wonderful world.

As I always say, choosing a saddle is an extremely personal choice. The San Marco Regal has been said to be one of those models that you just keep going back to because it is so well tested over time, comfortable and will last for years. The REGALe will get the same reviews.

At only 220 grams, the REGALe will give you everything you desire in a great saddle. Providing it fits your butt.

San Marco Regale Racing Team Saddle Details:
Weight: 220grams
Length: 278mm
Width: 148mm
Rails: Xsilite

'3900 Saturdays', a Nice Story!

The older I get, the more I enjoy Saturday mornings. Perhaps it's the quiet
solitude that comes with being the first to rise, or maybe it's the
unbounded joy of not having to be at work. Either way, the first few hours
of a Saturday morning are most enjoyable.

A few weeks ago, I was shuffling toward the garage with a steaming cup of
coffee in one hand and the morning paper in the other. What began as a
typical Saturday morning turned into one of those lessons that life seems to
hand you from time to time. Let me tell you about it:

I turned the dial up into the phone portion of the band on my ham radio in
order to listen to a Saturday morning swap net. Along the way, I came across
an older sounding chap, with a tremendous signal and a golden voice. You
know the kind, he sounded like he should be in the broadcasting business.
He was telling whom-ever he was talking with something about 'a thousand
marbles..' I was intrigued and stopped to listen to what he had to
say........

' Well, Tom, it sure sounds like you're busy with your job. I'm sure they
pay you well but it's a shame you have to be away from home and your family
so much. Hard to believe a young fellow should have to work sixty or
seventy hours a week to make ends meet. It's too bad you missed your
daughter's 'dance recital' he continued. 'Let me tell you something that has
helped me keep my own priorities.' And that's when he began to explain his
theory of a 'thousand marbles.'

'You see, I sat down one day and did a little arithmetic. The average
person lives about seventy-five years. I know, some live more and some
live less, but on average, folks live about seventy-five years.

'Now then, I multiplied 75 times 52 and I came up with 3900, which is the
number of Saturdays that the average person has in their entire lifetime
Now, stick with me, Tom, I'm getting to the important part.

It took me until I was fifty-five years old to think about all this in any
detail', he went on, 'and by that time I had lived through over twenty-eight
hundred Saturdays.' 'I got to thinking that if I lived to be seventy-five, I
only had about a thousand of them left to enjoy. So I went to a toy store
and bought every single marble they had. I ended up having to visit three
toy stores to round up 1000 marbles I took them home and put them inside a
large, clear plastic container right here in the shack next to my gear....'

'Every Saturday since then, I have taken one marble out and thrown it away.
I found that by watching the marbles diminish, I focused more on the really
important things in life.

There's nothing like watching your time here on this earth run out to help
get your priorities straight .'

'Now let me tell you one last thing before I sign-off with you and take my
lovely wife out for breakfast. This morning, I took the very last marble out
of the container. I figure that if I make it until next Saturday then I have
been given a little extra time.. And the one thing we can all use is a
little more time.'

'It was nice to meet you Tom, I hope you spend more time with your family,
and I hope to meet you again here on the band. This is a 75 Year old Man,
K9NZQ, clear and going QRT, good morning!'

You could have heard a pin drop on the band when this fellow signed off. I
guess he gave us all a lot to think about. I had planned to work on the
antenna that morning, and then I was going to meet up with a few hams to
work on the next club newsletter.

Instead, I went upstairs and woke my wife up with a kiss. 'C'mon honey, I'm
taking you and the kids to breakfast.' 'What brought this on?' she asked
with a smile. 'Oh, nothing special, it's just been a long time since we
spent a Saturday together with the kids. And hey, can we stop at a toy store
while we're out? I need to buy some marbles.

A friend sent this to me, so I to you, my friend.

Time to kill

This is an incredible display of life in South Louisiana.
(Thanks Cam for posting this great photo on FB!)
Pictured here are my dear sisters Noortje (l) and Els (r).
Photographed probably during the late 70's- early 80's...
At the time Els was living in Lafayette, LA and Noortje was a frequent visitor.
Ah, the good old days, cher;)
CHEERS!!!

LOOK 596

Glad to be back on my LOOK 596, got two 90 minute sessions in on the trainer this weekend. Shoulder held up good!
The Rhino joined me today for about an hour on the trainer.

Then, in order to celebrate Rhino's 1st 'smoke-free' anniversary,
we both smoked a Dunhill bowl,
accompanied by an espresso and great conversation;)
FYI Rhino will limit this to an once-a-year smoke!
Needless to say, I am mighty proud of my dear friend!!

BikeRoom Stuff

Added shine, time and history to my bikeroom. Top picture shows a clock, made from recycled bicycle parts, (chainring, cog and rim)!
Pictures below are of the book "Cycling's Golden Age" -The Horton Collection-1946-1967.
This book is loaded with stunning photography from the past, allong with a wealth of stories about racing, racers and races of the old days.

L'Eroica 2009 Brooks England Report

New www.colnago.com and Colnago Club

Colnago wants us to know:

"We’re delighted to announce that we’ve just completed a full refit of our website at.
With a gorgeous new style and feel,
it’s the place to catch up on the full details of the Colnago bicycle range,
all the news from Colnago HQ in Cambiago, Italy and our exclusive bicycle technologies.

The new site has details of all our 2010 international teams, our USA and European granfondo events and the chance for Colnago fans to join our new on-line community,
the Colnago Club.

To reach everyone in the world who loves Colnago bicycles,
we have created the site in seven different languages.

We are live with 7 languages :English, Italian, French, Spanish, German, Chinese and Japanese versions.

Come and take a look at http://www.colnago.com/. "

Rapha T.O.C.

The Tour of California is as close as we get in this country to a Grand Tour like the Giro, the Tour de France or the Vuelta. What it lacks is the history, the legend and lore. It’s not because California is inadequate in any way, or the route is without drama and difficulty. From the Capitol in Sacramento to the Golden Gate, down the Pacific coastline and through ancient forests and wind turbine farms into the Central Valley. Then south, over the San Gabriel Mountains to the top of Palomar, the Tour of California is as epic a ride as it is a race.

Thermography

I did a thermographic study of the Rhino after our trainer ride earlier this evening. As you can tell from this study, he was on fire! We'll start on his therapy tomorrow morning @6:30AM, in the hope to get his bum knee back in shape;)

Ash Wednesday, Yvonne's Birthday

(Yvonne and her son Bas)

I'd like to wish my dear sister Yvonne a Happy Birthday!

Hope you had a wonderful day.
I tried to give you a ring, though no answer....
Many more years in good health, with peace of mind I wish you;)With the arrival of Lent, I announce the departure of my favorite Tilburg's Brown Ale or any other alcoholic beverages. It was Mark Miller who inspired me, as he does in so many other great ways! Got the Rhino on board for this mission, which means great support. At the same time this act will surely turn me to God more frequent, which will be a good thing ;)

At the same time I am ramping up my training on the bike and will be joining the riders on the road soon.... It'll be a bit nerving at first, and I might be very picky who's wheel I'll be sucking....
Just the anticipation of taking the Colnago C50 out has my heart skip a beat...

Post trainer gumbo

Had a good 1 hr training session with the Rhino earlier this morning.
To top off matters, I received an 8.7 (out of 10),
for my duck and sausage gumbo from this 'haut cuisine' consumer!
Thank God I didn't put any ocra in,
according to Jason that would have been an automatic 5 point deduction in his books...
After Jason headed home, to take his kids for a spin on his Phat Cycle with buggy,
I decided to hop back on the trainer for another hour of intervals!
Life doesn't get any better...

Happy Mardi Gras!

Rouleur: Now Every Two Months!!

And, um, that’s it really. It’s good news: Rouleur, while slightly po-faced at times, is for me far and away the best source of good writing on cycling. Focused very much on road riding, and majoring on the history of road racing, it features stunning archive photography and new work from some great snappers. The picture here is by Taz Darling of Yozo Shimano. There’s an interview with him and the beginnings of a history of his company in the current issue, as well as pieces on nutrition, Team Z and a photo story of the Tour of California.

A Trainer Ride in Pictures

*******Custom Rhino Mat*******

Wielrennerke and the Rhino in action on the Cyclops trainer.
(Photo credits: Jason Meaux and Ruud Vuijsters)

Trainer Time

Got a nice offer from Cole Leblanc to have some company on my Saturday morning trainer ride. Cole was kind enough to use this session in order to break in his new WHITE John Cobb saddle. Between his A$$ and my shoulder we were able to get 1 1/2 hrs in! And then to know some can spend 8 hrs on this torture device...
All in all the company of Cole made time fly by and at the same time it's nice getting to know this fine specimen better. Thanks Cole for the ride and company;)

Randa and Brintley

Enjoying the company of Randa and Brintley, short though very sweet! Had a good week so far.
Things seem to be falling in place at the clinic, most 'red tape' events done and Scott is ramping up slowly. On the bike/trainer I've progressed to riding with both hands on the handlebars, much easier on my body as a whole, still tough on the shoulder though...
Tomorrow will mark 8 weeks post-op and time to ditch the sling. I will use it 'on and off' during the day, in order to avoid a major scare to my 'new' SC-joint. Next step in rehab will be regaining my strength;) I think that engaging my left hand more in providing therapy, will be therapeutic for me in return. March 14th is the date for the Ride to Remember. I hope that the Metric 100 might be a possibility, though the thought of riding in a group still nerves me!
Wishing all y'all a great weekend, be safe in the sleet and stay warm... Where is our spring???

WHO DAT??? Champions baby...!!!

a Picture speaks a thousand words...

WHO DAT??

Who Dat??

Had a great start of the Superbowl Sunday. After coffee, a great service at Trinity Bible Curch, with plenty of 'Who Dat' by a complete horn section on the music team. Great message delivered by Dennis. Upon arrival home, 1 1/2 hours on the trainer and now ready for the Saints! Duck and Sausage Gumbo prepped yesterday...
WHO DAT???

Colnago Dunhill Pipe

This is a Dunhill 'estate' pipe, cut in 1950. It has a sandblast finish and somehow the letter 'C' appeared in the process, seen in this photo on the left side of the bowl. Needles to say I see the connection with Colnago!
This is a relative small pipe, that will fit in a vest pocket, so it was the perfect companion to a concert or an opera. In today's world this might be the perfect companion on a ride with any Colnago....
Needless to say this is an eBay find...

Mark Miller's Precision Bikes / Ruud Vuijsters Practice of Pain Management

I feel honored to be featured on the Precision Bikes Triathlon Top! Like my dad use to say:
"Regardless how the world will change, there will always be a demand for quality."
The names listed on this tri-top all have one thing in common; they all stand for delivering high quality and great service!
Mark Miller's Precision Bikes is the flagship of my daddy's slogan and it is a privilege for me to be a part of Mark's endeavour. All I can ask for now is, that some fast ass, elite athletes will flash this stellar looking top in front of those who want to 'get fast'.....

What if....

The Colnago’s man

Two great Italians, Colnago and former professional cyclist Paolo Bettini will work together as the former world champion joins Colnago as our ambassador.

In an agreement signed by Paolo Bettini and Ernesto Colnago at Colnago headquarters in Cambiago, Bettini will be an integral part of the development of Colnago’s 2011 bicycles, and will be a lead rider at the Granfondo Colnago San Diego on March 7.

Paolo Bettini and Colnago have a long friendship that goes back to Bettini’s successful years on the Mapei-Colnago team. That phase of his career culminated in 2002 when his victories included Liège-Bastogne-Liège, the HEW Cyclassics and the overall World Cup title, all achieved on a Colnago bicycle.

Colnago C50 ST02

Colnago-America announced today that the production of the C50 has come to an end!
It looks like I was just in time, taking this awesome bike of Mark's hands....
She's always been special, though even more so now!
I guess Mark will have to wait for Ernesto Colnago's 60th birthday
and the inception of the C60....
In the mean time Mark can showboat
the Litespeed Archon C1 on the road and aat Rouge-Roubaix
and the Litespeed Ti Blade at the time-trials...

along with the Ceepo Viper for the Triathlons/ Ironman events;)

WHO DAT???

Dunhill Unique Pocket Pipe Lighter

This is Christmas all over again!
My dear friend Jason once more overwhelmed me to the max..
He was sorry it shipped this late, I couldn't have been more excited!
This is Dunhill's 'replica' of their 1924 Dunhill Unique Pipe Lighter.
The flame 'shoots' out at a 90 degree angle, just right to light the W.O.Larsen 'Old Fashioned' Danish tobacco I like so much.
This is such a treasure, it'll enhance the pleasure of each time I'll light my Dunhill pipe!
Not sure if it'll increase my chances for the 'King of the Parking Lot',
though it'll catch quite some eyes of those familiar with the art of pipe smoking...
This isn't just a lighter, it's a piece of art and 'old-school' craftmanship!
I surely appreciate Jason's gift and generousity, but even more so the friendship we've developed over the course of time!
I can't wait till the Rhino and Wielrennerke will be seen on their stellar bikes, roaming the Acadiana roads together;)
Who knows..
We might be smoking a pipe when you see us....
Thank you so much my friend!!