Clean bikes are happy bikes!

Well, after yesterdays ride I think it's pretty safe to say that everyone who went on the ride had a filthy bike to show for it. I didn't realize how bad mine was until I got home and really started looking at things closer. My rear derailleur pulleys and cage was so full of coal cinders/sand/salt from the roads that the pulleys would barely turn.







I spent about an hour cleaning my bike, and I'm happy with the results. Someone had mentioned to me earlier in the year about using cooking spray or rain-x on your frame in the winter so road crap doesn't stick as bad... and that is definitely true. It took almost no effort to get all the stuff off the frame that used to take a lot of work and some scrubbing/wiping. After 1 go over with my awesome park tool cleaning brushes the frame was good to go. Threw on another layer of cooking spray and that's taken care of.



The drivetrain took a lot more work since surface rust had already started forming on the chain. The park tool chain scrubber made things a lot easier and cleaned up the chain and cassette very well. Got everything nice and lubed up and that task was done too. Definitely an hour or so well spent to keep things in shape and working properly.






I'll definitely be doing a complete tear down and clean at the end of winter when it looks like the road salting is done for the year. Everyone knows chicks dig super clean bikes.

-Chad

Back to School Wisp Trip!

I noticed that no one commented about the last trip we took to Wisp. We must have been too excited about the snow, because no one took pictures. The only image we have from that night is Balaji's "super sweet jump" on Main Street, but I don't have that because someone "borrowed" my memory card and never gave it back.

Anyways.... Jake, Lemma, Ryan, Zerbe, Steve, Jimmy, Bala, Liew, Liew's friend Izzat? and myself hit the slopes last Tuesday night with the student discount. It was quite snowy on the ride there....and a lot more snowy on the way back. Bala's car got stuck in Wisp's parking lot, & I think top speed on 68 on the way home was around 30mph in near white-out conditions. Liew rode the rumble strips the whole way back to Morgantown---and Steve just put his hazzards on and went like hell...

With all that snow and no crowd, conditions at Wisp were suprisingly good. After a few warmup runs, I think most of us did Main Street about 7 or 8 times--while the boys all played around on the variety of jumps, and Lemma and I "went fast." The group reunited when we finally caught up with Liew and Sponge on a blue diamond later in the night (and Liew says he can't ski!).

All in all, I think everyone had a good time. We have to do it again soon--perhaps with a larger group and some pictures!?!

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday...continued.

Sooooo, unlike the tough guys who wanted to put a few more miles in, the miserable crowd (Me, Jimmy, Janel, Chad, Brandon, James, and Evan) finished out the short loop and headed home via 100. Despite our frozen toes, we stopped to take some pictures on the way back. The group got split up piece by piece on the way back. Apparently I'd been riding with a slow leak in my front tire the entire day...and it waited til I was like 3 miles from home to give up on me. Not wanting to change my tube in the cold and wet nasty-ness. I stopped 3 times to pump it up, but each time it got worse. Since I'm a wimp, Bala came to the rescue (since he's a wimp and didn't ride). ;)

-Amber

Sunday sunday sunday.......

Hello readers,
The team have an awesome Sunday road ride today. It was the first group ride of the year and it's also the biggest turn out of the year (so far). We thought it's gonna be a bailfest 2009 because it's so shitty outdside, but we are wrong. We have a total of 10 cyclists showed up, Liew, Steve, Jimmy, Jake, Chad, James, Evans, Brandon, Amber.s, and Janel. We started out with a nice pancake breakfast, prepared and served by Steve Nutt. Thank you Steve.

Around noon, everybody get ready to bundle up for the first winter ride of the year, we rolled out with a nice day of 33F with light snow. The caravan are plan to head out towards star city bridge, RT100, Ft.Martin, and Home/Alps de Huez. After we hit first climb at Ft Martin not long, James the Bianchi guy has a front wheel flat, Steve stopped and help him. Thanks again Steve, you such a nice guy. Then, business resume as usual. After we hit Taylortown, there is a split between home and Alps de Huez, some of our teammates are getting cold after an hour in, they decided to take the majority vote of going home. So, they gone home, not sure what's their situation after the split. However, some of us still feel like want to put some mileage in, therefore Liew, Steve, and Jake took the right turn towards Alps de Huez. The road along Alps de Huez was nice, but wet. Along the road, we chat and deciding where to go after Alps de Huez, we made a decision to mile climb then home. Sounds like a great idea for a Sunday ride. So, we hit Mt. Morris then to Big Shanon rd, the road is still clear but wet again. Not far after few miles in on Big Shanon. A big snow storm were hitting on the road and it was crazy(a video was taken during the scene). We decided to turn around, on the way out, the road are totally white out which it's not like that when we are on the way in. It just ridiculous, insane, and crazy. But anyway, we rolled out slowly towards Morgantown. Everybody got cold, hungry and exhausted. But we still pedal! Finally, it was a 3 hrs ride with 40 miles in and averaging 13mph. It was an awesome ride, looks like a "Gef's ride". And here is the spilted team's ride info: http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/episode/view.do?episodePk.pkValue=7474863

FYI: Video is uploaded on Liew's facebook account or YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZhF0m5jNC4

Sneak Preview

Here is the sneak preview of what the team has been investing recently.

Happy New Year from WVU Cycling!

Happy 2009 to all! A new year- a stronger legs.
Although holiday break is in progress but some of our cycling folks were still in Morgantown to celebrate new year! The initial plan was actually hosting a party at Steve's house but unfortunately Steve bailed on us without telling us. Therefore, we pull up our backup plan to get things going. The party was hosted at Liew's apartment, it was an awesome party, Liew, Juliana, Balaji, Jake, Lemma, Ryan, and Zerbe were there. We had some good beers as starter, some alcohol shots as warm up and champagne toast as new year celebration! Alcohol shots were pretty sick, we have no shot glass in house, as an alternative, we used measurement cup as replacement. Also everybody had at least one shot except Ryan Post, he avoided drinking due to his current intensive work. Liew was excited too for his very first shot of his life, Zerbe did some crazy stuff like hoola hoop with a tube, Balaji happy that Amber.S called him after missing 4 missed call, Lemma were excited on her sexy road wheels, Jake is happy that he is a driver of the night and took 2 shots, couple beers and some champagne, Ryan were happy of just drinking non-caffeine 2 liters 7UP with pomegranate flavor for the whole night.Happy new year to all again, don't forget team gears are in town, will be on sale on first meeting, all team orders are processing now. See you guys at first meeting!

New Year champagne toast	Shots-Must Watch!

Zerbe on Hoola Hoop

Too Much to do!

It seems odd to me, that I've complained about not having enough time to do things for the past 4 weeks now. Thanksgiving break, I had 5 large projects to work on. The following week, dead week, those 5 projects were due as well as a couple presentations. Then finals week...which I was happy to be done with on Thursday capped off with the team meeting/party. Then got busy on my job, expecting to work 70hrs this week.
The whole time we had all these team orders to compile and send in, with all kinds of questions about colors, options, sizes, prices...between the 7 odd orders, the total was more than $50,000-fun checks to write.
I didn't have time to join in on all the team skiing this past week. :(
I feel kinda bad, not having time for the girlfriend, but having to make time for the bikes, since they have deadlines. Sure am glad she doesn't.