Hey what a great day to try a new route on my commute into work today. That is not what I thought to myself as I departed. I did notice that feeling in your legs that one rarely feels, the feeling of power almost at your command in the legs. That’s not to say I averaged 30mph on my way to work in a head wind. The wind was friendly, but not a tail wind. I was just pedaling along, feeling good on the bike, with a seriously misplaced smile on my face in the midst of that much rain. Brand new tires on the bike for the first ride, and it was the last ride for the ubercool white stripes on the sides of the tread. Yep, the gleaming white is now gone forever. Good idea, white tires on a bike, c’mon man didn’t we learn that lesson in the late nineties? Guess not…Up ahead was a turn I usually take, today I did not. Straight ahead I proceeded and stumbled my way towards my destination. It’s not a route I’ll take again…Who does that shit, pedal around in rain looking for a NEW route to work. The question tumbled round and round in my head as I got locked into a dead end street, the human gps had failed in the rain. A dead end that cost me almost 15 minutes. Oh well, it’s not like the weather sucks outdoors today, I’ll just keep rollling along. Like some kind of oblivious machine I just pedaled on, as images of spring classics drifted by in my head. Bringing me to some kind of deluded state where I am again in the solo breakaway and the race has been broken apart at my doing. As I rolled up to my destination, my first ride brand new tires began the pssst…psssst…psssst hey buddy routine. On the doorstep of the shop, they went flat, allowing me to mend this minor setback under a dry roof. A nice ride indeed, for a weirdo bike guy.

What the hell I thought, might as well get my race on. The Tour of Elk Grove Village, is about as far away from a dirtbike race as one gets, but it was a good bit of training for some later goals in the season. Namely, the ChiCrossCup. Crits are a great simulation for cross racing, minus the grass, sand, getting off and on your bike, barriers, and slow speed turning. There is plenty of elbow banging to be enjoyed. The speedometer topped out for me at 35mph, and I never even stood up to sprint. It was a blue collar race for me…I showed up at the office. . I punched the clock… and went right to the front and did everything I could to stay there. Our friend Newt, would not leave me alone for my squeaky brakes that told everyone just how much brakes I was using at any given moment. I came in a close second for most annoying rider of the day. That award went to the guy that repeatedly cut people off, causing an almost constant stream of curse words to be hurled in his wake. I chased a few breaks, and half heartedly tryed to inniate one. It was my first crit race in well over a year, so the high speed corners were of great fun for me. Without any time in the peloton one forgets how close the others are to you at 25mph going around a corner without brakes. Good stuff, skinny tires, no dirt, but I was the only racer that toed the line on a cross bike! So I did keep it at least 2 Derkas.