You have to love EBAY

I needed a stem for my "new" CX bike I've been working on. Being a cheap bastard I went to EBAY 1st. Sometimes you get lucky & find a real deal. For the price of one stem I ended up with eleven(11), yes you read that right 11, 1" aheadset stems. Six 130mm & 5 120mm. I could have gotten 5 more 120mm stems but what the hell is a guy going to do with 16 stems? Hopefully by the weekend I'll be sporting 2 CX bikes, one geared, & one SS.

I've developed some middle of the cogset shifting issues in the past month on the Felt. Needing to check my derailleur alignment I decided to get crafty. Instead of going to a shop or buying the tool, I made one. Park Tool had a handy break down diagram so I figured what the hell. Having access to a full shop & an overflowing scrap dumpster helped.Here's my version. Not an exact copy(copyright skirting) but a pretty good working model.

Mia & I are hanging out this AM so Amber can sleep in. Mia has been a little fussy lately& Amber has lost some sleep. Couple this with her starting to train for the Turkey Trot, I figured she needed her recovery time. Amber is going to run while I run with Mia in the jogging stroller. Mia has already been out for a few runs in it with Amber & one brief one with me. She seems to enjoy it.

The weekend in pictures

Saturday was our annual September BDAY party. My nieces & my dad share a BDAY on the 17th & my brother in law Eric's is on the 24th. So we have a group party for the lot.

Dad, Ashton, Nina, & P.E, Eric's dad

The Smith's: Ashton, Serena, Eric, Nina, & their dog Bailey, & rat dog Temperance.

Trick or treat

All the grand kids

The sis in law pissing Mia off. Way to go Danielle

I'm going to have trouble staying under 70 kilos eating like this

Yummy! Oatmeal!

Grandad helping out
My "nephew" Reese. Really he's my nieces neighbor but I've never been up there & not seen him. We played a mean game of catch waiting on the cake.

All wore out.

Look what came in today's mail

That's right the dog owner is now fighting the tickets & I get to have my day in court.

I got out finally

I manned up & braved the drizzle @ 3:30. Got in a solid 2 hrs with a hard TT home being chased by some nasty clouds.It cleared up for awhile

Then it started raining again

Then I looked behind me

Oh Crap! Made a quick call home to make sure those VERY BLACK Clouds weren't going to kill me. Did a 10 mile TT home being pushed by a very strong tail wind.

Still Raining

Its now 3pm & its still raining though its let up quite a bit. We're now under a Flash Flood Warning. I'm giving it another few then I'm out for a ride rain or no rain. Hard men ride in bad weather or is that stupid men I get them confused.

I did turn this

into this today.

that's between watching several hours of online cyclo cross videos & the finish of Crit Nats. I probably should be taking a nap with Amber & Mia about now instead of worrying about saddle time. But I haven't ridden in a few days & I'm getting antsy!

Wait for it, wait for it, wait for it, go?

Opened the garage door this AM to head out for a long ride when I was greeted with this:
When I quit racing MTB's I said I was through training in the rain. That went out the door last year when I decided it was time to turn my pedals in anger once again. I do draw the line @ lightening. With the year I had I think I won't chance fate & will wait for, I hope, a break in the weather to get in my ride. This hasn't been the greatest week of practice for me so was hoping to redeem myself today. So to pass the time here are some pics.

Mia is a roller

Thanks Sophia!

I heard Vaughter's was looking for some young talent.

MMMM,Carrots!

I'm bashful

I working on this eating thing.

If its on the internet

it will be found. Look what the SPR's Pro has been doing in Bermuda while I've been immersed in Carbon Black(more on that later). Pics jacked from Miss Broeder's site :

You'd think the US PRO crit champ could afford some descent shorts.

"Missouri loves company"

Labor Day Pool pics

Here a link to a recent article about my moms chicken's. Mom's chicken coverage.

Thoughts from the shower

While showering tonight more to the point shaving my legs I had a few thoughts. I'll be 35 in December that'll make 17 years of shaving my legs. Gay I know. Another thought was Pro bike gamers get paid to shave their legs. Since its job related do you think they get to deduct shaving expenses on their taxes? As my mind pondered that thought I was struck with question Do pro bike gamers get workmen's comp if they crash? I bet if they got the right lawyer they could get it. I know soccer players, football players, & horses all get performance insurance how about bikers? HMMM all thoughts from shaving my legs too long.

Have you heard Hogan is getting my name entered in Websters. " DunsmuirÂ’s (new word, defined as: to crash, or to eat shit and then crash, from Latin Dunsmirenetions-past participle of Dunsmirelentions)."

Where have you been?

I'm sure that's the question everyone is asking. Why haven't I updated lately. I've been busy dammit cut me some slack. I've been getting in a lot of bike practice. The family & I went to the lake for the working man's weekend. I cut my grass. I've been working on my bikes. I made a trip to the doc. That's about it for this update, just kidding.

Saturday I made an epic ride to my parents house. 112 & change. 6 hours in the saddle with about 9000' of climbing( I wore my altimeter). 18 ish mph avg all solo. Not too shabby. I've been practicing about 270 a week for the last 3 or 4 weeks in my build up to Cross.

On that topic I might not have a cross season. The collarbone isn't healing & I now have to wear a bone stimulator daily. The crap news is if no healing in the next month, no cross. Since according to the Ortho if I crash the bone will poke right through the skin & then I'll have real problems. I now know why Pro Bike Gamers get surgery so they can race right away. Bones are meant to stay inside our skin not stick through it. This bone stimulator is so expensive the Rep comes from the factory to your house to fit you for it. That's service for a few thousand grand.

Mia can now lay on her belly @ will.

Mia in her stylish Baby Gap wet suit. Getting ready for a dip in Nannie's pool. The pool is heated so the wet suit was kind of over kill.

The SS almost built up. Just need to decide on what bars & get a KMC 1/2 link.
My cross bike in the background is also on deck to become a SS crosser when the bike below is painted & built up.

My first good bike is becoming a crosser. All brazed up (TIG'd actually). It used to be white. Now its stripped, sandblasted, & ready for a coat of flat black paint. Very stealthy. Would you believe the frame is a full pound lighter without paint? Its true!

This frame & a few components are for sale if you need a full suspension MTB.