Lael Wilcox won the 2016 Trans Am Bike Race!

Screenshot from Trackleaders.com

In a truly amazing effort, Lael Wilcox has just won the 2016 Trans Am Bike Race, becoming the first racer to cross the finish line. She rode 4,270 miles from Astoria, Oregon to Yorktown, Virginia in 18 days and 10 minutes. Terrific job, Lael. Congratulations to you and Nick both. Cheers from your fan club here in suburban Colorado.

Get more info on Nicholas Carman's blog Gypsy by Trade.

Lael when we met up with her during her record-breaking Tour Divide race last year.

Go Lael, go!

The instant that she realized those random people cheering on the side of the road were us.

The Tour Divide, for those who don't know, is probably the most challenging long distance race in bicycling. Unlike more well known events, such as the Tour de France, riders have no support teams, can accept no food, water or assistance from anyone, are competing for no fabulous prize money, and many rarely, if ever, encounter a bed or a shower for the duration of the nearly 3,000 mile race. The route traces the Rocky Mountain Continental Divide from Banff, Alberta in southern Canada to Antelope Wells, New Mexico on the U.S. border with Mexico.

If you've been keeping track of the Tour Divide this year, you'll undoubtedly know about Lael Wilcox. If you haven't been paying attention, Lael is one of the most exciting parts of this immense race, which, this year is more full of excitement than ever. The best way to keep track of her, in addition to her Spot tracker, is through the blog of her adventure partner and mechanic, Nicholas Carman.

After a 2,100 mile warm up ride from her home in Anchorage to the Tour Divide starting line in Banff, Lael started out strong on the 2015 Tour Divide race. Then, she almost immediately caught a severe case of bronchitis and a cold, yet still managed to rack up well over 100 miles a day as she fought her infection on the trail, eventually with the help of antibiotics. For the first week of the race, I can't imagine how difficult it was for her as she battled a serious respiratory illness, in addition to the elements and grueling distances of the route.

When her Spot tracker showed that she was beginning to cover ever greater distances, passing many competitors along the way, it was a sign that she was feeling better. We've been watching her pink Spot marker move quickly down the map, and when she rolled through Steamboat Springs yesterday, I decided we'd try to find a place to cheer for her along the trail. So today, we made the trek from Denver to a place where the Tour Divide route intersects Highway 285 near Como, Colorado.

The leader of Lael's Colorado cheering section. The sign says, "Go Lael! You can do it!"

We found a place to wait a bit North of Como, and had a picnic lunch. Before I could get my camera out, racers Joe Fox and Andres Bonelli rode past us. I knew that Lael had been picking off the members of the group of riders that they had been a part of, so she couldn't be far behind. About 20 minutes after they went by, we saw her signature light blue helmet, and were happy to have not missed her.

Lael was all smiles when she realized it was us. In order to answer multiple questions, she gave a quick tour of her bike and what she's carrying. Other than snacks, water, navigation devices, and antibiotics, she isn't hauling much. I have a feeling many Tour Divide racers will reevaluate their loads after seeing the minimal amount Lael carries.

After a few minutes, it was time to send her on her way. It was great to see Lael in the midst of the race, and I'm happy to say that she's looking healthy and strong, even if she still has the remnants of a deep cough that she described as, "nothing compared to what it used to be."

We first met Lael and Nick nearly three years ago. She, at the time, was an experienced rider, but novice mountain biker, gaining a footing aboard a used Raleigh XXIX 29er that Nick put together for her. Since then, we've seen these two adventurers when their path took them through our part of the world, or our path through theirs. It's now an honor to see Lael again as a top-tier athlete during a likely record-breaking run. At present, 11 days into the race, she's almost a day ahead of the current women's record. We all wish her the best on her way to Antelope Wells.

Happy trails, Lael!

My official Team Lael cap. 

Littleton Criterium

I don't do much with racing or competition on this blog, or in real life for that matter. However, I felt obliged to report that we watched at least part of the Littleton Criterium a couple of weekends back.

We had a good time, and especially enjoyed watching the women's intermediate race. Both girls were duly impressed with the speed of the riders, and enthusiastically rang our cow bell to cheer them each lap.

Dark clouds and nap time approached in the afternoon. We nearly won our race against the downpour, but were caught a few blocks from home. No breakaway for us. Drenched, but still a fine day out.

Capulin volcano run

Me, just after finishing with the girls, each fun run finishers themselves

So my last post wasn't Big Dummy or Daddy related. At least this one is Daddy related but suffers from lack of bike content.

This weekend I traveled to another state to take part in a run. Yes a run, not a ride. It was the Capulin Volcano Run in an incredibly scenic area in Northern New Mexico. We met my brother and his girls, and my mom (otherwise known as Oma) near Folsom, NM.

I ran the 5k, as did my Mom, while Chris and Jen ran the half marathon. Those who know me know that I am a fairly recent running convert, but have fallen dormant in my running activity for over a year. Lacking in raw talent or speed, I make up for in... something, I suppose. I'm good at lacing my shoes, maybe. In any case, the event was hosted by a gracious community, and well supported with great food and amazing views. It was also notable as most likely the only time I will even come close to finishing near the top of a timed event.

That's me in 4th place, just off the podium out of 20 some 5k finishers

I suspect that the real draw is the half marathon and not the 5k. The half marathon course winds up the side of an extinct volcano, to the very peak after gaining about 1,100 feet in 2.1 miles, then back down and on to the village of Folsom. The 5k is not nearly so demanding; climbing a couple hundred feet out of Folsom and then back down again. Needless to say, it was demanding enough for my taste.

Afterward, we all enjoyed the great food, including pork chili, breakfast burritos and home-baked goods. I can't say enough about how great the food was. Really terrific. As I've stated before, I'm not really a racer or a runner, but it was a great time. I look forward to next year.

Oma and Jen

Near the summit of the volcano

The view from the top included parts of several states

Near the bottom of the crater

Hamming it up

Girls in a tipi

Tipi camping is fun

Retina-vibrating, skinny-tired time capsule

Yes, that's me in spandex and clipless shoes, not a common sight

UPDATE 18 Sep 2014: I've added a post featuring seatpost size and images of the seat tube cluster, per a reader request. See it here.
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This post veers far away from Big Dummying or Daddying. In fact it's about a bike with no provision for fenders or cargo at all. Nevertheless, rest assured it is chock full of the bike nerd-ness you've come to expect.

You may remember my recent encounter with speed on two wheels. I was surprised to find that as non-competitive as I am, I enjoyed racing, at least against myself. I had fun as part of a team triathlon, even though my equipment was not well suited to all-out speed. While all-out speed for me remains a distant possibility, I now have a real road bike.

Enter a 1991 Diamond Back Master TG via Craigslist that I picked up for a mere $6.52 per pound. It has a 60cm center-to-top seat tube and a 58cm center-to-center top tube. The bike has been a garage ornament for the better part of the past two decades. It was obviously un-ridden, with grease having seeped out of every bearing assembly, collecting a translucent encasement of oily dust. 

1991 Diamond Back Master TG as it was when I got it

The Master TG has a full Shimano 105 7-speed group including Look compatible pedals. No unserviceable STI or finicky 9 or 10 speed parts, and it has a threaded headset; all big pluses for me. The tubing is Tange oversized chromium-molybdenum steel, TIG welded together. The bike maximizes use of quality steel with an Avenir 4130 heat treated seatpost and a Tioga Prestige stem. The rims are hard anodized Sun Mistrals, 36 hole front and 32 hole rear.

The previous owner bought it new from Pauli's Bicycle and Lawnmower in Metairie, Louisiana. He later equipped it time trial style, with a Profile aero bar, a Vetta C-10 cyclocomputer and a CO2 cartridge emergency pump. Other than these additions, the bike was stock catalog spec. The original bars were included, as were a pair of size 44.5 Lake shoes (unfortunately a bit too small for me) and a seat pack containing two new tubes with their receipt from a bike shop dated 9/10/91, a bottle of Motrin that expired 6/94 and a multi-tool.

The OEM 22mm Vittoria Zefir tires were flat but in good condition and held air confidently when I pumped them up. I've always liked the look of gumwall tires on dark gray hard anodized rims. I wonder why good gumwalls are so hard to find anymore?

Tange 100% OS CRMO tubing and a slightly askew dealer sticker

Dig the cool matching pink splattered black Paramount bottle cage

Other than old grease, dust and a few paint chips from leaning against things, the bike was immaculate. The photos don't do the intensity of the salmon pink color justice, which I have to admit I quite like. Although the color clashes with current ideals of a proper color for a bike, the paint itself is impressively high in quality, flecked and streaked with gloss black over top. The combo of garish 90s era paint, non-horizontal dropouts, lack of lugs and oversized tubing makes this bike unappealing both for hipsters looking for a fixie frame and collectors looking for a holy grail classic. These features contribute to a lack of respect culminating in low market value for what is really a great road bike, well suited for my purposes.

The frame is a descendant of the highly sought Centurion Dave Scott Ironman road bikes. It was made less than two years after Western States Imports (WSI), the owners of the Centurion brand, apparently decided to capitalize on the name recognition of their Diamond Back mountain bikes by re-branding their road bikes. As a remnant of this lineage, the bike has a decal on the left chainstay declaring it "Designed by Centurion." Sheldon Brown has some info about Centurion bikes, but there is very little info on the web about the short era of high quality steel Diamond Back branded road bikes, starting in 1990 and going to about '94 or '95. 

Furry with dust, prior to cleaning

WSI owned the Centurion and Diamond Back brands

The frameset was made in Taiwan, and appears to be of very similar quality and build characteristics as the two Surlys I own, which were also built in Taiwan. In this respect, it seems a bit like an antecedent to the Surly Pacer road frame. Overall, the welds are clean and the finish work is more than competent, though well short of custom. This is actually preferable to me; I am averse to owning a bike that is too expensive or pretty to ride. That propensity once kept me from buying a Rivendell Atlantis, and I'm glad to now know and acknowledge it.

I enjoy working on a bike as much as riding one, so as soon as I had the time I completely disassembled the bike and cleaned, adjusted and rebuilt everything from the bearings outward.

After cleaning and a coat of wax, it's almost factory fresh and completely rust free

The bike rides smoothly and quickly. After reassembly, I took it for a ride to Chatfield on the Platte River Trail and it performed well, with the resilient liveliness and subtle road surface feedback of a good steel frame. It's not the lightest or the quickest thing out there, but neither am I. At about 23 pounds, the Master TG feels like a svelte and nimble rocket after having ridden so many miles on a loaded Big Dummy.

1991 Diamond Back Master TG, resplendent in Pepto-Bismol colored glory

I've never been a fan of lycra-covered gel saddles, so the original Avenir saddle is off in favor of a vintage Flite from my parts box. I also temporarily swapped the Shimano 105 pedals for some SPD compatible units until I have the time to install Look cleats on my shoes. I returned the stock Centurion drop bar to its place, bringing the bike back close to original spec, with the exception of saddle and pedals. I haven't taped the bars yet, because I may exchange the stem with something that has a shorter extension than 130mm. I might go with a 110mm Salsa CroMoto to keep the TIG welded look, but a Nitto Technomic is also a possibility.

It's a little odd for me to ride a bike that doesn't have a utilitarian purpose, but I enjoy it anyway. I'll definitely be doing some more road riding, and who knows, maybe even some casual racing.

Riding with Lance Armstrong and friends

We lent the assistance of our wheels to Lance Armstrong and his pals Governor Bill Ritter, Davis Phinney and a lot of other celebrities and local bicyclists to celebrate the announcement of the Quiznos Pro Challenge, a new professional level cycling event in Colorado.

Lance making the announcement

Of course, many of our friends were also there...

Piep of BikeDenver

Maggie of Bicycle Colorado and Emily of Denver Public Works

The crowd at the state capitol was large

After the press conference, we took a ride with Lance and company to Washington Park and back downtown for lunch at Taki's with Julie/Mommy.

The front of the peloton with Lance somewhere in there as they lapped us in Wash Park

Our rig probably weighed about as much as any eight or so of the bikes in Lance's group, which is only fair because we had home street advantage.

Doing an impression of a chipmunk storing edamame at Taki's

We had a great time and wish the best for the Quiznos Pro Challenge and all bicycling in Colorado.

(Sorta) Speedy Daddy

Hey, guess what? I rode in a race a couple of weeks back. I'm not fast or even very competitive, but my brother and sister-in-law were doing a team triathlon and their bike segment guy dropped out only a couple of days before the event. They asked me if I'd be interested, and as a surprise even to myself I agreed. This was the first race for my brother since he had back surgery, and my sister-in-law was just there to have fun. I knew I would be slow and had no chance of winning, so the pressure to be fast was off.

Without a time trial bike, I had to consider my steed from among my roadiest bikes. Those would be a 29 year old Trek 710 touring bike (more or less a museum piece) or my (single speed) Surly Cross-check. I even thought about pulling some of the cargo parts off the Big Dummy and riding it. In the end, I went for comfort, familiarity and dependability in my 1990 Titan Half-Trac mountain bike (better known as the one with license plate fenders). About 35 pounds, give or take. Albatross bars. Platform pedals. Seven friction-shifted gears. Continental Town and Country 1.9 tires. Vintage Rock Ring as a chain guard.

So early on a Saturday morning, I rode the Titan 30 miles in 1:56:54 from Lake Loveland to Horsetooth Reservoir and back in the company of guys in pointy helmets and 16 pound carbon-fiber bikes. To put it mildly, I stood out. As it turned out, the relay teams started in an early heat, so I got to see much of the field as they went by me. The elite riders just shot past, with their surprisingly loud disc wheels. A lot of the normal riders took the time to compliment me on my fenders or bike or remarked their impressions of my tenacity necessary to ride such a bike. A pointy helmeted guy even screamed, "Go 290! Woo!" (my number) on his way by. In a bit of a surprise, I did actually pass several people who were riding more suitably equipped bikes, but who were likely below my modest fitness level.

The experience made me really think about how compartmentalized the thinking of bicyclists is with regard to the equipment of bicycling, a perception that I noted even in myself when choosing a bike to bring to the race. Sure, I was slow and uncompetitive, but only marginally more so than if I had chosen my touring bike. At a certain level, there are distinct advantages when it comes to bike equipment, but for me and the rest of the ordinary racers, there probably isn't much of a difference. If I had added a second chainring to my Titan and taken the race slightly more seriously, I could have easily chopped 20 minutes off my time, without abandoning my 20-year old quirky bike.

That said, at least for the present time, I'm now considering a real-ish road bike. For some reason, I'm liking the idea of a "magenta and macaroni" colored late 1980s Dave Scott Ironman Centurion. In the mean time, don't be surprised if I'm riding the Big Dummy a bit faster than normal.

Heading out onto the course.

Team Molasses. Photo by Hazel (age 4)