its workn for me

Well half way through the week and I fell that I am finding to grove already with the training in the early morning. Just like back in the old school junior days, up early before school out training on very quiet roads. Whilst the roads around here have become somewhat busier due to urban sprawl in the last 20 years there is something nice about early rides and the feeling you have post ride. I dig it.
Ran in to the Belgium National Track Team out for a spin this arvo on the way home. I got a few nods and cheers of approval with my kit (Rapha Belgium Jersey). They were all having fun blowing out the cobwebs of jet lag. Me, I was just trying to get home as fast as I could to escape the heat and pick up the car from the mechanics. Hence with commuting today no mtb ride with the Fatties tonight. Next week though should be cool with the riders coming out of the wood work for the nostalgia ride.
For good reading head over to visit Andy White's Fyxomatosis site and read the Ghost Writer piece. It hits a cord with me about the issues of our sport at a grass roots level. The sport is attracting cashed up bogans.
I will say that I do support the local industry when it suits me, as I need to get as much value for my hard earned dollars. I have a family to support, hence I will look OS for deals on parts. It is only natural to get stuff cheap if it suits you, come on who wouldn't and lets face it Ebay can be a gold mine. I would support the local industry more if they supported the racing here more, all too often we are getting shafted by the local industry. Since bikes have outstripped cars sales for the last few years, surely bikes are getting cheaper.... maybe not, maybe I am thinking shit.
The one point it did raise was how the new comers to our sport are all to lacking about the culture and politics involved in this sport of cycling. Andy's blog brought me back to a place a few months ago.
I was at the LBS, my friend owns the LBS and has been in the trade 20 years, me I have been riding and racing for 21 years. I have been around, served the apprenticeship of coming through the junior ranks to seniors, ridden the majority of bunch rides before they were cool and turned into unofficial drag races.
Now I am in the LBS for some technical support, as I try to fix what I can. I am a little old school and don't have a huge interest in carbon, I am a steel fillet braised type of guy who happens to like Brooks products, hand built wheels, wool products.
Another customer is buying a TT bike, never really had the need for one even when I raced the Tour of Bright back in the early 90's, maybe I would slap a set of TT bars on back then. He looks at my bike and gives it a look over and starts criticising my choices. I am not one for this and ask him why he needs a TT bike. The explanation being is you need it for a few of the races (maybe 4 races) each year, a $7000 bike that only really performs in a straight line.
I kindly explain that when I started racing he was a itch in his Dad's pants and that it was uncool to ride bikes back then, the racing community was small, everyone new each other. Beach Road had a few bunches usually after the races on a Sunday at Dunlop Rd back then not the thousands it has now where he and his mates cruise on the weekend looking cool. That, when he gets bored and hangs it up I will still be riding, in the rain of winter with my mudguards, rocking on my steel frame, with my leather bar tape, wool jersey.
Hubbard's they are everywhere, even this years Tour of Bright finishes on the top of Tawonga Gap cause of successive years that fools drop em selves on the descent back down to Bright. Fuck me we are encouraging these guys!
I ride cause, I like it not cause its the new fukn golf!
Happy rolling!