I Got Wheels! (and some final pre-season thoughts)

I got wheels and I can’t even believe it!  I put them on my bike and placed the whole rig right in the center of my apartment, so I literally see them anytime I walk anywhere in there.  Sometimes I get lost in their big, dark gaze on my way to the kitchen and just stand there admiring them.  I’ve wanted a set of race wheels basically for as long as I’ve been racing bikes.  For a number of reasons I never got any until now, the main one being they are impossibly expensive.  But I knew if I wanted to be taken seriously at the pro level I would need to make every effort to get some – they make a HUGE difference (or so I hear).  Besides, if I was the only guy out there without fast wheels, I’d probably look like some pre-adolescent Swedish boy on a scooter who mistakenly wandered onto a race course.  It’s all about the appearance, and the lack of facial hair and totally unlabeled trisuit are going to be incriminating enough.

So I took advantage of an actual tax return this year (I’ve owed at tax time for the past 35 years, it seems) and a killer offer from a friend and benefactor and pulled the proverbial trigger!  Without further ado, I present…

Thing One and Thing Two - behold the power of carbon fiber

For inquiring minds, this a 2007 Zipp 606 wheelset, meaning it’s their 404 up front and 900 rear disc.  Both are tubulars, with Conty Gatorskin tires to *hopefully* prevent flats.  And I need to give credit where credit is due: thank you Monte Still.  Monte is the previous owner, and something of a triathlon mentor to me.  To give you an idea of their pedigree, they have been ridden by him to numerous wins in the professional ranks over the years, and speeds upwards of mach three.  A collegiate runner-turned triathlete, the guy was recruited to relocate to the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs back in the day, but decided not to in order to start a family and his own architecture firm.  He is also a sub-four minute miler.  So yeah, he’s a real slouch.  Best thing is I know he took meticulous care of these wheels, and I’m a big believer in good mojo, which he undoubtedly imparted with all those wins.  Lastly, the “friend” price he gave me is ultimately what made this purchase possible.  So thanks Monte, I hope to ride them half as well as you did!

A whole new Black Stallion

Now I’ve never even ridden on a set of carbon tubulars, let alone raced with any.  But for better or worse I don’t get much time to try them out, because my first official pro race is this weekend.  It’s Wildflower time!  I’m going to ride them on rollers tonight to make sure everything is clicking, and hopefully again at the race site on Friday to get some on-road feel for them.  But that’s all I got.  I’d be lying if I didn’t say I feel a bit underprepared… Throughout the winter and early spring this race felt so far away.  Like I had all the time in the world to get ready for it.  But all of a sudden it’s here, and I’ve got a whole list of ways I feel underprepared:

1). I’ve never ridden on these wheels.  As mentioned, this will be my first outing on tubular carbon race wheels.  I’m assuming it will still feel just like riding a bike, but all the same, would have been nice to get comfortable on them before racing on them.  Also, I’ve never changed a tubular, so I’m just praying I don’t’ flat.  I’ve never even used a crack pipe.  (Mom and Dad, don’t worry.  It’s just a little add-on that lets you inflate the tire on your disc, since the valve stem isn’t exposed like it is on a standard tire.)

2). I don’t really have a proven nutrition plan.  There is a LOT of room for improvement for me in this department.  As any serious endurance athlete will tell you, races are really just eating competitions with some exercise thrown in.  In the past, I pretty much just winged it.  Now at least I have a basic idea how I'm going to eat on race day, but this will be my first time putting it to practice.  Further, I’ve done a lot of product research but until recently didn’t really have the means to make an order and actually acquire the nutrition products.  Fortunately, I have the stomach of a hardman, so I should be able to get through the race as long as I eat reasonably well (knock on wood).  But it would have been nice to train with the same products I’m going to race with, to get the body accustomed to using them.  Oh well, thankfully there are many more races to come.  So if I don’t nail it this time there will be more opportunities.

3). I’m really hoping my saddle-mounted bottle holder doesn’t launch my water and electrolytes all over the race course.  Then I’d really be screwed.  This will be my first time using my new drink holder (starting to notice a theme for this race).  Hopefully I’ll have some time to rig up some sort of rubber-banded tension system to hold them in place.

one of these things
Incidentally, this isn't me.  This is Torbjorn Sindballe.  He pretty much wrote the book on bike position.
Damn he looks good.  Also, he is a world champion.

That may have been more detail than y’all needed, but those are some of my concerns as I exit the off-season.  With those in mind, it’s logical that I have no real expectations going into this race.  I have some goals, but zero expectations.  I find that is generally the best way to go into these things: embrace the suffering, race your guts out, and let what will happen… happen.  In a nutshell, do your best, because that’s all you can control.  It is how I raced as an amateur.  And it is definitely how I am going to race as a pro.  It allows me to remain calm heading into the races, without getting too anxious.  But more importantly, it keeps me from putting too much pressure on myself, and helps me maintain that pure sense of gratitude and joy that comes from racing.  Truly, nothing is more fun.  If you lose that, it’s time to ask yourself why you are doing these things.

The off-season is over; racing season is on!  I’m pumped for this weekend.  I’ll get a report up as soon as I can afterwards.  In the meantime, be well and I’ll see you on the other side!

Andrew