So after my blow out last weekend of my wheel and Tufo, I got around last night to putting on my Tufo clincher/tubular. I realize some secrets after struggling like a muthafugga to get them on in the past.

1) Let them sit for a few days inflated when you get them.

2) Keep them indoors (especially in the winter) to allow maximum stretching.

3) If you get the chance, stretch them during the time that they are waiting to be installed. How? Literally let the air out, put your foot on the floor holding on to the tire and streeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeetch them like an old school Jack Lalane workout tool. Careful to have the valve on the side not where your foot is or near your hands. I did this like twice in two days for like 3 or for minutes.

4) When it is time to install, start with the valve area like you would with a tire and tube.

5) Get the valve in and start by squeezing the tire between two fingers to seat the lips that attach themselves to the rim. Work this system of squeezing and seating those lips about ¾ away around the rim.

6) Things at this point start to get tight. You need to more or less stretch that remaining part of the tire you’re trying to get on the rim up and upside down…almost as if the tire tread is looking at the nipple wells of the rim (remember with clincher Tubulars you do NOT use rim tape).

7) Note that to get that last part up and over the rim as you are stretching, I learned a secret from Brandon at Boulder Cycle Sport: You use your toes! Literally hold the rim like you see here while stretching that bitch over the last part.

8) You then flip and roll that remaining part of the tire up and onto the rim.

9) You’ll note that it is not yet seated in the rim in that last remaining area. I inflated the Tufo to like 20PSI then squeezed and seated the lips of the clincher tubular all the way around the rim.

10) Done! In like less than 4 minutes. The stretching and pre-inflation over the foirst two days is the key.

Go big!

OK, it's late in the season I realize, but my new custom frame Paul is building is done! I've been riding and racing (and testing!) Rock Lobsters in various connotations for years and I can not believe how beautiful these frames feel. For this season I order from Paul who still has my measurements a new Scandium beauty to have identical dimensional steeds with the same parts groups, gearing etc. First time I have ever been 'blessed' with this in my cross life. Together, the wonder twins looked like this when they were a happy family:

Once I dialed it with some FSA bling, the Scandium one, my primary looks like this:

So the old blue frame I cherished, raced on the West Coast, won Surf City races on etc etc met a horrible death: The low hanging garage at Vail Ski resort (which has seen a zillion bike collisions apparently). Brand new mini van, 4 brand new Rocky Mounts lariats and a Rock Lobster, Dean and Santa Cruz on top. Kids going OFF in teh back seat after a 2 hours in the car hingry for food. "Look! A parking garage!" I bang the left and errrrrrrrrr (metal scraping noise...). Done. The effect:

Anyhoo, the new one Paul worked his ass off on while finishing other frame jobs...oh and TAKING A 9TH PLACE AT THE USGP's in his age group! (SICK!!) he somehow found time to jam out my frame for me. A photo negative image of my black one...whote frame with black stickers. Boing! Thanks Paul!

Well, we'll be CX-ing in snow fo shoa this weekend. I remember when I first moved here from CA in 04 doing a race at Xilinx in a blizzard and thnking "holy crap, this is what it's like CX-ing in CO. Oh, and I can;t breath at this altitude...". Here's what it looked like then:

Come get 'em at www.rockymounts.com. Nice embroidery Bobby.

I guess we really can't complain about the weather....considering we haven't raced in rain or snow once this season. I guess the folks who did Arapaho HS got a taste of Pac West CX with all the mud but I skipped that and with it my derailuer. I'll be skipping the Wed CX workout as I suspect most will given the 7 inches of pow pow (and still falling...)

This is a pretty rad film. I had to buy it to see my boy Brandon oversees getting soig'ned by a big old Belgian soigneur. It is interesting to see the behind the scenes look at what it takes to be 'over there'. There's a lot of bitching about how tough it is to be there by the US guys but J Page says it best and is about sacrifice sacrifice sacrifice.

Anyhoo, I'll be there to support the Juniors this premier is fund raising for:

Cyclocross Movie Premiere To Raise Money For Junior Racers

Boulder, CO – November 27, 2006 – Boulder Cycle Sport will host the Colorado premiere of TRANSITION 2 'CROSS THE POND at the Boulder Theater to raise funds for the American Cycling Association's Cyclocross Development Programs. All proceeds will be given to the TIAA-CREF/CLIF BAR Junior/U23 and Mudskipper Youth Cyclocross Teams.

Transition 2 spends the 2005 holiday season following a group of North Americans as they travel through Belgium to compete with the best in the world in the harsh and unforgiving heartland of cyclocross racing. The documentary is a portrait of the Belgian cyclocross scene from the perspective of American racers and truly offers an intimate look at their experiences on and off the race course. Colorado racers Danny Summerhill, Brady Kappius, Alex Howes, Troy Wells and Brandon Dwight are featured in this 90-minute film.

Where: Boulder Theater

When: Wednesday December 6th

Doors open 7:00 p.m.

Movie begins: 7:30 p.m.

Seating: General admission

Tickets: $10 available at www.bouldertheater.com or at Boulder Cycle Sport

##
Contact: Brandon Dwight: brandon@bouldercyclesport.com / 303-444-2453

Cold today! Jerome and I rode Betasso. Me on the Mooooooots and he on his CX bike. Nice work on the technical stuff Jayrome. I still felt the G-Men race on Sunday and I am still pissed about the start! Ruined a Mavic Ceramic and Tufo. Beeatch! Two more races to go to try and stay in the BCR top 10 even with an absolute crap ending to the season with mechanicals, sickness...blah blah blah.