Spills and thrills

Versus has an ad for the Tour de France targeting a low-road demographic. "Next time you're in your car," an English-speaking rider intones, "at 50 mph, strip down to your underwear and jump out the door — and that's what it's like to crash in a professional bike race."

[Update 7:20 a.m. July 14: I have since learned that the intoning voice belongs to Jonathan Vaughters, directeur sportif for Garmin Chipotle.]

This afternoon I performed the extremely slow-speed equivalent. At this left turn, which I've made dozens if not hundreds of times, my back wheel slid out and I bit pavement. So what if I was going 1/10 as fast as the rider referred to in the ad. My road rash is still impressive even if it's not uncomfortable and my kit was appropriately underwear like. My right foot popped out immediately and my left came out with little effort. Only one water bottle came out that I was able to quickly grab and run to the curb. Evans Road is not heavily trafficked so I was not at risk of having any body or bike parts crushed.

The frame, tires and wheels appear to be fine. Road conditions were great. I wasn't on paint (Phil Liggett warned about that during Saturday's rain-soaked stage), the weather was dry, dry, dry and the surface on this recently repaved road is practically virginal. The intersection is near the more or less flat top of a long hill and I had slowed considerably to let a car pass before I turned. The only thing I can think of is that I dropped too far left for the turn at too slow a speed.

Suckin' wheels

I did the 100K Firecracker Ride this morning in about 3 1/2 hours, thanks to the people in front of me. As I rode I saw a few other folks I know but no groups I'd ever ridden with. So I'd catch the end of a paceline, let them tow me along in their draft and then move forward to another group when the line came apart. This is a very rude way to ride, but I did it anyway. Some of the pulls I got were incredible and I would've been happy to reciprocate but I was only allowed the front a couple of times. Anyway, when I got home I was comparatively fresh as a daisy. Lesson? If a solo stranger can catch your line, let the stranger pull when his or her turn comes.

Just like in the movies

I may live in a Bicycle Friendly Community but it may also be a cycling culture backwater. The Triangle is more than 500 miles from the closest venue for the Bicycle Film Festival. Full programs have been announced for New York, Toronto and Minneapolis. Two historical films, "Road to Roubaix" and "The Six-Day Bicycle Races" and lots of the shorts look real interesting. Fortunately for rustics such as myself, both of those features are available on DVD. It's not just racing documentaries. There are also classics such as "Breaking Away" and what appear to be nice bits of nonracing movies and advocacy. In short, something for everybody — as long as you're there. Thanks to Savant Guardian, who lives close enough to go, for the tip.

Impending disappointment of Olympic proportion?

This post may be premature as the Olympics are still six weeks away. The word now is that NBC will put the squeeze on online content from the games to keep people glued to their televisions. What concerns me is that, even with DVR, I won't be able to get wall-to-wall cycling. NBCOlympics.com and the official Olympics site appear to be intensely uninformative about what will be broadcast. Perhaps my anxiety will be for naught but I am waiting to be convinced. If you've got better information about anything from keirin to the road race, please share.

On the road again

Of the 400-plus miles I've pedaled this month, the overwhelming majority have been cranked out in the privacy of the garage on the trainer. So today was something of a novelty as I was illuminated by sunshine, buffeted by wind, restrained by road resistance and humbled by hills. In other words, it was a real, normal ride. But enough has changed that I could tell it had been a while since I'd been out. Some roads have been repaved. Tobacco is maturing. The blazes for next Friday's Firecracker Ride are already down. That reminded me to practice signalling in case some group lets me catch a wheel — and to hope I catch a wheel to make some of the more inclined sections more tolerable.

Rained out

As prepared as I was for the time trial, it was no surprise that I arrived at Lowe's Motor Speedway just more than four hours before my start time. No shock, either, that I was the first person with any connection to the race to get there. So I changed a tire, set up my trainer, rearranged other items to maximize efficiency, checked messages and read for a little while. About 5:40 p.m. I went for a lap to see if my freshly purchased time-trial helmet would cause my head to explode. No, but the wind is loud when it can go between your ear and the helmet.

When I got on the trainer about 5:50 p.m. I could see from my garage bay that the big flag was blowing south. Hard. Fifteen minutes later it was blowing north. Hard. Ten minutes after that a race official told everyone to get in the garage and said a decision on whether to start would come at 7 p.m. Then the sky opened; thunder, but none of the promised hail. I stayed on the trainer for a few more minutes but only pedalled distractedly. The race was cancelled at 7:05 p.m. The latest is that race officials are working with the track to see if a makeup date is available.

The day was nothing close to a total waste. Even though I didn't get to learn the advantages of the helmet and shaved legs, I get more time to just get used to the helmet. Plus I got to eat at Steak n Shake and enjoy my monthly cheeseburger ration. I'll probably go out along Old U.S. 1 over the next couple of weekends and see if I have the helmet positioned and sized correctly.

Cycledork is coming to town

My race day No. 2 is Wednesday. Now, about 44 hours before the time trial, is when I need to start figuring out what to take. That's what the list is for. The list is comprehensive and meant to include everything that I normally would take for a ride or would not have in the car with me under normal circumstances. For instance, in day time I always wear sunglasses when I drive but since they're critical for the time trial, they go on the list.

It's a big, big deal for me to make a list. Some of you may know that I keep all my phone numbers, appointments and directions in my head and can drive myself crazy enough about work that I don't forget assignments. But the potential freakout-to-time-and-distance ratio involved with this exercise is too great for even me to trust to memory. In other words if I got to Charlotte and realized my skinsuit was in Cary I'd be fucked and very angry; I'd so much rather that didn't happen. The list I made a list before the last time trial that had 33 items on it. This time around, since I know a little more and circumstances are a little different, 34 items, a few of which are different, will go with me. They are:

1. bike
2. trainer
3. trainer wheel
4. skinsuit
5. helmet
6. gloves x 2
7. socks x 2
8. rules
9. seminar notes
10. aero shoe covers
11. shoes
12. iPod
13. shades
14. short hair ties
15. shorts
16. jersey
17. tools
18. torque wrench
19. pump
20. saddle bag
21. split sheet
22. allen bits
23. safety pins
24. fan
25. turn over watch
26. move up watch wrist strap
27. set watch to stop watch
28. lunch
29. fig newtons
30. water
31. pillow case
32. blue bin
33. CDs
34. list

New to this list are the aero shoe covers that I didn't have last time and the fan. The fan was a bit of wisdom shared at the seminar in February. It will help keep me cool on the trainer since it will be about 500 degrees at Lowe's even in the garage. Missing are zip ties, which I might throw in with the tools anyway, and a second stop watch, which I don't need since I'm going solo this time. The torque wrench and allen keys might seem to be tools (and they are) but since I store them separately from my bike tools I account for them separately. Some of these things are not things but directions, such as turning my watch (so I can see it when I'm in the aero bars). Every item has a function. The hair ties hold down the flappy parts of my watch and helmet straps. The pillow case contains all the clothes. The blue bin is home to the tools in the broadest sense, the pillow case and contents, iPod and papers. Why CDs if I'm taking an iPod? The CDs are for car use; the iPod and headphones are for the trainer.

About 37 hours remain before I head to Charlotte. During that time, I will check the list twice. At least.