• size: 58cm
• shifters: SRAM Red
• derailleurs:  SRAM Red
• brakesets: SRAM Red
• chain:  Shimano Ultegra (only 2 weeks old)
• cassette:  SRAM Rival/Force cassette 11-23
• crankset: SRAM Red (new!, took off my Trek Madone, only ridden 65 miles)
• wheelset:  Velomax ?? wheels (nothing special, just something to complete the package).
• handlebar/stem: FSA aluminum.

I have a price in mind, will disclose to interested parties upon request.

Step 1.  Removed SRAM Red crank and pulled the SRAM GXP bearings (I had to use my bearing puller to pull them out, so much for pushing in/out easily).

Step 2) Got FSA bearings ready

Step 3) Pressed in bearings.  I needed to improvise a rig using my Enduro bearing press and a front wheel quick release.  It worked well to push the bearings in on both sides in steps (close quick release, open, tighten nut, repeat).

Result:  drive side

Result: non-drive

I was surprised that the bearings ended up being so recessed in the frame… but it all came together okay.  Metal cover is drive side, wave washer on non-drive side.

Step 4) After verifying all was fine, I took it apart again and setup the magnet.  Since the Madone doesn’t have a bottom bracket cable bridge to put the SRM magnet under, I just taped a magnet on the chainstay.

Step 5) Re-installed the crank and bolt on the non-drive side.

Post Script (3/14/10 17:20)…. I didn’t check to see if the crank was free spinning (as it should be with new ceramic bearings)… I rode it today and checked it after… not so much.  My teammate Rick has the same crankset/bike combo, he put a wave washer on both sides.  I did that and it seems better.  I will have to ride it and then check it again to be sure, but it seems good.

The following is done using Firefox on a Mac, it is basically the same on a PC.

(1) Find your route…  and open it from the list (or make it new)

(2) Find the “ROUTES” menu when in map view.

(3) Open ROUTE menu… Select: “Save to GARMIN/CRS”

(4) Enter target speed (just guess, not that important) and select TCX file format. Hit “SAVE CRS” button even though you are downloading a “TCX” file.

(5) Save the file to you computer (somewhere where you can find it)

(6) Move this file to your Garmin mounted as a drive on your computer.  Under GARMIN/COURSES folder.

When you startup your Garmin 705, the course should be available in the Courses menu (under the main menu item “Training”).

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The course will be highlighted purple on your map screen(s) for you to follow.  When in a course, a few more screens are added to the rotation.  The speed selected will the constant speed “rabbit” that will go 18 mph all the time (or whatever speed you select): that is up/down hills and through traffic lights.  It is sometimes interesting to chase him and try to run him down on a long ride (the Garmin will show how far ahead/behind you are).   I also think that history files can be used as courses, but I haven’t tried that.  I normally use this feature for new routes and when I am riding out of town.

The race started out like last years.  First, the US61 “neutral roll out”  where improving your position is the name of the game.  Two riders crossed up in front of me at a pavement transition (US61 through St. Francisville is still under construction 1 year later, no visible progress).  When we turned off the main highway, I was maybe like 2/3 of the way back or so.  I would move up and slide back from the middle to the back over the course of the 25 miles to the first gravel.  The narrow back roads that make up a good part of the first part of the race were pretty much edge to edge despite not having a rolling enclosure.  This time it didn’t result in any close calls in the 4-5 cars to meet us coming the other way (riders just moved over nicely this year).

Hitting the gravel, I was again about 2/3 the way back and used the first part of the gravel to improve my position as some riders stalled and generally failed at riding the gravel.  The condition of the road was generally good, with not much deep gravel for the most part.  I moved up pretty much constantly until maybe 4 miles in and finally found my equilibrium, which was about 50 yards behind the main field.  I got in a small group that was closing the gap, but as I pulled through, I sunk down in some deep stuff (maybe mile 6 of 8?) and couldn’t bridge the gap to the main field.

I came out of the gravel section with a single 1/2 rider and we traded pulls for a few miles (and steadily lost ground to the field), until we were caught by small group.  We worked together (although I will admit I wasn’t giving it my all since I wasn’t going to pull these guys up to 2 of my teammates in the field.)  We made the catch at the Woodville feed zone and it was a nice ride all the way to Fort Adams.  At this point, the field was the front of the race.  As we approached Ft. Adams, there were some surges as racers tried to move up to set up for the 2nd gravel section.  Bryant Funston (M-B, cat2) was a few rows ahead of me and Will Stoffel (M-B, cat 3) was a few more ahead.  Things were looking good.  My shoulders and legs felt tight and I was generally pretty tired, but I hoped that I could make it alright.

As a group we made good pace through the trailer park neighborhood, the sketch bridge, and the sketcher potholed road to the base of the first important climb of the race.  The field was stretched in front of me as we approached the deep sand half way up.  Riders were stalled in all over, so I did the only sensible thing, I dismounted, ran through the sand/gravel (hoping my Speedplays would work after that punishment) and remounted just on the other side.  All of this went reseasonably well.  The next part (the rest of the climb) didn’t.  I went backwards and left the 2nd gravel section well of the field and with another rider (Greg Casals/ MetroMoto).  We traded pulls and were joined by Frank Moak (Herring) after 5 miles or so.  The three of us entered the 3rd gravel together.  All of us clearly not feeling it today (all 3 of us are better than the pulls we made to the Tunica gravel).

On the big and steep first hill, the gravel this year had a bunch of eroded pockets in it and I was unable to ride it in my 39×28 (last year it did it in my 39×26).  After trotting through the steepest part, I remounted and continued on the climb through the rest.  Frank stayed ahead and Greg behind and after a while, I realized I was alone (Frank climbed off at the end of the gravel).  I exited the gravel solo (like last year) and caught a Herring rider and we worked together (although he wasn’t racing for money as a 1/2 out of the money, so I did most of the work).

With a few to go, I cramped up bad on my left leg (calfs and top quad).  I laid up and drank some of my bottle and was able to continue.  We ended up getting caught by two others and when we turned up the finishing hill, they sprinted up the hill as I just rode it out (all of them were 1 and 2’s) and I didn’t want to revisit the cramping episode.

So this effort put me as the 8th place Cat 3.  I rolled in in 4:54, which was worse that my last year’s time (4:44?).  My power numbers were lower… I am sure it was a combination of the free ride from Woodville to Ft Adams and lower fitness.  Hopefully this race will springboard my fitness…daylight savings time and better weather await.

My wife (still sounds strange to say/type even after 3 months), didn’t have a great either.  We are both looking forward to the turn around…  maybe we can race well into June this year.

Last year, I fell off 5 miles or so into the gravel 2-wheel drifting in a corner and losing contact.  Ended up in a chase group and was going well in when I was forced on a bad line in the 2nd gravel and went down.  I recovered and managed to catch back some, but still ended up 24th overall in the A-race (1st cat 3).

This year, the Cat 3 has a separate prize list with a $500 check for the top spot, so I expect it will be a bit harder to repeat.  You might be wondering why I didn’t upgrade based on that, but if you look at the rest of my season, I was a category 3 racer with okay to good results.  I have no qualms about trying to defend my Cat 3 win this year.  I should get the results to put together my upgrade to Cat 2 later this spring, I just don’t have it yet.

I feel pretty good, but I not going as well as I was last year at this time due to work travel (China twice in a month!) and generally bad weather this winter.  That is okay, since the season is still young..  It will just take me pulling out something out of the air to make it happen again at Rouge this year.

I think I am in pretty good shape despite how hard my solo ride today ended up.  It wasn’t terribly long at 62 miles, but it was windy and I was alone out there.  Before I did my ride, I took Andrea’s Bulldog CX tires off my Dura Ace wheelset and put my Bontrager Hard Case tires on.  Those are going to be my wheels for Rouge.  My bike, at this point, will be my Felt.  Andrea’s team Trek Madone came in on Thursday, mine should be soon, but I might not be ready to race it in the few days that I have before Rouge.

Well, I suppose I should pack some clothes.  Andrea is out to race Spa City 6 hour.  It is an NRC mountain event in (relatively) nearby Hot Springs, Arkansas.

Here are a couple more from the ’stache series….