On the Street......Short over Long, Tokyo

Men wearing leggings under shorts, a very popular "look" in Tokyo right now.

Veloce means Fast.

I'm told veloce means fast. Which puts us at mildly interesting position given that today we are highlighting MD's 1999 Bianchi Veloce. We love MD here and he's a lot of things. Is fast really the best adjective to use in describing him? Well, he's one hell of a sales manager and is fast at a bunch of things like: the quick punch line, the smart ass comment and I'm fairly certain he can run faster than I can.

But... is MD fast on a bike? Well, let's call him pretty fast.

Enjoy his write up on his steed:

OK, so I get this job building bicycle wheels and I didn’t even have a bike.This was obviously just a short term job until I find something in my field. I mean who can make a living building bicycle wheels? Ummm….yeah, that was four years ago, and now I have a career, and a couple bikes.

I didn’t get the appreciation for bicycling until I recognized what a skilled art wheel building is. It’s precise, detail oriented, patience testing, hands on, work, and I got hooked. I’d spend so much time on each wheel, making sure it was a perfect as I could get it. I started to take a lot of pride in my work, and you just cant build these beautiful wheels all day and not get the urge to ride them.

After a little over a year, I left the truing stand for a desk. Before Betsy Hilgendorf left Velocity to pursue her career at QBP, she had purchased a Bianchi Veloce frame on Ebay. Betsy quickly determined that the bike was the wrong size for her. “It doesn’t fit me but do you know who it would fit perfectly?” So I bought it. My first bike as an adult, and I love it. It feels like driving a vintage Ferrari or something. She’s faster than I am. And…of course, I’m rolling the Helios wheelset, that helps!

P.S. I don’t want to hear any sh!t about the saddle! It’s comfy. It’s my bike and my urethra, so lay off Bolt Man!


A few of the 1999 Bianchi Veloce features:

- Chromoly Frame with Carbon fiber composite fork
- Campagnolo Veloce 9 Speed Groupo
- Crank 53/39
- 9 speed 12-23
- Helios Wheelset

On the Street......High School Hooky, Sydney

Australian Patio Furniture??, Sydney

I could shoot this same picture all over Sydney.

So, what's the deal with the house couch on the front porch?

WOD

We may be running an outdoor workout this Sunday @12pm weather dependant. We will make a decison tomorrow. Check back here for updates.

Rest Day / Skill Day / Make Up Day

Amazing gymnastic skills!! I am in complete awe at the strength levels displayed by these gymnasts!

On the Street......Aoyama, Tokyo

On the Street......Fine & Dandy, Tokyo

On the Street......Oxford St., Sydney

Back in Black.

Back in Black.

Black is the new black.

Classic. Clean. Fresh.

However you want to say it there is just some thing about the color that encompasses all colors. It never gets old. Especially when it's high gloss.

As spring fast approached, the perfect storm, named 'Black O', hit Velocity headquarters: [Popularity of our black anodized color + the ultra popular Deep V/B43/Dyad] multiplied by the large demand = low inventory. Fortunately the Storm Team V Weather Trackers here were quick to jump to the rescue, enter the high polished U.S. powder-coated black rims. This is an extremely limited run of some super eye catching rims.

Because we offer our image rims, we have a number of mill finished rims in stock awaiting for their paint. We were able to partner with a local powder-coater here in Grand Rapids to provide you with a rim that has gotten everyone here uncomfortably excited once they see them, or randy as J-Bolt puts it. Price remains the same for the Non MSW as the Black Ano Non MSW, so please consult your local bike shop for details.

A few things to note about the High Polished Black Powder-coated rims:

_ Only offered in these rims/size/drillings:
> Deep V / 650c, 700c / 32H
> B43 / 650c, 700c / 32H
> Dyad / 700c / 32H

_ We will not be stocking this color so once they are gone, they are gone. The Black Ano will return in June

_ Braking surface: since this is powder-coated you will need to have machined side wall to have consistent and reliable braking. This is different than our anodized that do not require a machined surface. There is a small fee to have these rims machined.

WOD

5 Rounds For Time:
26 Wall Ball
4 Deadlift @ 80% BW

Post time to comments

On the Street......Oxford St., Sydney

UPDATE: Of the 100 comments so far, for this image, only two mentioned what I thought was most important element - the strong eyebrows of the girl on the right.

That is a real stylistic choice, as much as choosing a great pair of shoes or a bag.

So what about a strong brow? Can it be a trend or is it totally dependent on the person?

On the Street......Oxford St., Sydney

On the way back from Tokyo, I made a quick stop over in Sydney. I still have more shots from Japan, but I wanted to get these Sydney shots up right away.

WOD

Some reading for you:
•The case against pasta
www.feastingonfitness.blogspot.com/2009/09/pasta-sans-pasta.html
•MDA on dealing with overtraining
www.marksdailyapple.com/how-to-deal-with-overtraining/
•How much protein is too much?
www.primalbody-primalmind.com/blog/?p=295

Week 3 of 531 Strength Cycle
Press 5-3-1+
Check your spreadsheet or ask Julie for your working loads!!

Met Con:
5 Rounds For Reps
1 Min Box Jumps 24in/20in
30 Seconds Rest - Rest must be spent in either a handstand or a tuck sit. Pick one and stick with it.
Post number of reps for each round to comments.

At the Flea Market with Rei, Tokyo p.3

At the Flea Market with Rei, Tokyo p.2

At the Flea Market with Rei, Tokyo p.1

The sheer ferocity of Velocity

Yesterday we got an email from across the pond of what can only be consider a pretty awesome feat. On April 10th, a group of riders decided to ride the classic Paris-Roubaix course, in classic form... fixed. Yes, that sounds just as crazy to us as to you, while at the same time extremely incredible. From the website of the ride, here was their game plan:

Distance : 260km + 10km
Cobbled sections : 27 (52,9km)
Bike : fixed gear
Date : April 10th 2010
Estimated time : 10 to 14 hours
Why L’Arbre? Le Carrefour de l’Arbre is one of the most difficult cobbled section (section°4) of the Paris Roubaix race. Le café de l’Arbre is located at the end of the 2100m. The legend says that the first racer at l’Arbre will win the race...
Why this project ? PR is my favourite race,my fixie is one my favourite bike, the finish line is in the famous velodrome of Roubaix. So, riding this race with a fixed gear is logical!!!

There are plenty of pictures and videos to check out at their site. From all that I can gather, these are a group of un-sponsored riders who simply love to ride, who sought out a challenge and conquered it. A huge hats off from all of us at Velocity, to all of you who pursue challenges like this... whether it be on the road, on the dirt, or on the cobblestones!

And oh yeah, the leader of the ride rocked these and another rider these. Just saying.

Commit to it!!

A real lesson from the bra boys in pushing your limits, committing to something and going for it!

For Time:
"Nancy"
5 Rounds of:
Run 400m
15 Overhead Squats
Lets get some new PB's on the whiteboard!!!!
Post time to comments

Murky matters

Early yesterday evening, after seeing an IMAX film at the American Museum of Natural History on the Great Lakes, I was inspired to put on my swimsuit and head to the pool. Going into taper week, my schedule called for only a modest 35 minute cross-training session, so I figured I could use a nice, easy swim. My gym’s pool is always a bit of an adventure: flippers and snorkels abound, few swimmers know proper lane etiquette, and the water is much, much too warm. But such is life in Manhattan, where we take any 25 meter pool we can get.

I jumped in the “fast lane” (again, a sign that the pool is really for novices, since I’m anything but a fast swimmer) and was surprised to find the water moderately cool. So far, so good. My lane was shared by only two other relatively good swimmers, which was also a positive sign. Maybe the conditions were right for a solid workout? Unfortunately, when I pushed off the wall on my first lap, I found it next to impossible to see through the murky water. I asked my lane mate if it was my goggles or if he was also having visibility issues, and he confirmed that it was indeed cloudy water. Yuck.

I tried to ignore thinking about what was really in this water and continued my swim, taking it lap by lap. This seemed to work pretty well, except when the wall would suddenly come into focus without warning -- there were definitely a few awkward flip turn moments when I realized the end of the pool was only a few inches from my face. But I managed a one mile swim before heading home to make one of my favourite Jamie Oliver recipes.

Last night’s swimming experience is probably a sign of what’s to come on May 2. Just as I decided on a whim yesterday to go for a swim, I finally registered Zdenek and myself for the marathon today (registration closes tomorrow, and this is definitely the longest I’ve ever waited to register for any race). The conditions for my marathon are murky: Zdenek has been battling some sort of illness for the last few days, and just today I woke up feeling that a cold is imminent.

So I’m trying to decide whether I want to run hard and try for a solid marathon (if not a PB), or whether I should make having fun my top priority and run without any concern for time. I figure I’ll take it mile by mile and see how it goes. If I feel good, maybe I’ll lay it all on the line. If it seems more appropriate to just treat the day like a 26 mile long run, maybe I’ll do that.

I just hope I have time to see the wall and adjust accordingly before it smacks me in the face.

On the Street......Circles & Color, Aoyama

On the Street......Husband & Wife, Aoyama

WOD

Week 3 of the 531 Strength Cycle
Deadlift 5-3-1+
Check your spreadsheet for your working percentages.


Met Con:
For Time 2 Rounds Of "Barbara"
20 Pull Ups
30 Press Ups
40 Sit Ups
50 Squats
Post number of reps completed on last set of deadlift and time to comments.

Mother Nature Won.

As she normally does, Mother Nature threw down at Trans Iowa making it the epic that is. 58 riders starting, 0 finishing: race was called between the 1st and 2nd checkpoints. We've gotta love technology, there were plenty of live audio updates from the event organizers and a few of the riders kept their Twitter feeds live and going throughout the event... check out #tiv6 and see a little of what all the riders went through.

A hats off to all of you would showed up to ride and battled with the elements. Of course, the final group of riders that made it the longest in until the event was called deserve a special shout out:

Joe Meiser

John Gorilla

Corey "Cornbread" Godfrey

Matt Braun

Eric Brunt

Jay & Tracey Petervary

Charles Parsons

For more insight, reports and pictures on all things Trans Iowa related check out the Trans Iowa site, Guitar Ted's site, and the TI History page.

In all things Grand Rapids related:

The other event we told you about last Friday was the Hop Cat Alley Cat here in Grand Rapids. From all reports the event went off without a hitch and the weather held off all allowing our GM to take 2nd overall in the event.

The Grand Rapids Bike Park is in it's final push to meet the deadline for completion. We've mentioned this a few times on the blog and can't help but bring it up again. This week there are 3 days people are going to be out there getting this place into shape: Tonight, Thursday Evening and Saturday. Keep up on all things GR Bike Park on their Facebook page.

We all love riding the local trails, it's easy to forget all the work needed to develop and maintain the trails we love. Regardless of where you are, get connected to your local MBA and play a part.

WOD

I will post a few more of Kelly Starret's videos as they are VERY beneficial. By working on tightness in certain areas you are going to "free" yourself up and produce more power and torque as a direct result of increased range of motion.

3 Rounds Of:
100m Sprint (Rest = To Time Taken)
200m Sprint (Rest = To Time Taken)
300m Sprint (Rest = To Time Taken)

Post times to comments

Compare & Contrast, Tokyo

Rosie, Vintage Photo Contest

Recently I ask my grandmother to send me some old pictures of herself and our family, as my girlfriend and I started decorated the apartment. This is one of those photos. She was 14, a freshman in high school and apparently on Belle Isle in Michigan. She looks beautiful. Also, she said at that time, 1949, she made her own clothes, which is pretty neat.

WOD

Freddy Camacho SFPD SWAT team member and CrossFit Oneworld owner and general bad ass maintains an excellent blog and talks SENSE this is an extract from a recent post. Add his blog to your favourites!!

Some people just love long distance running. Yuck! I can kind of understand why. On the rare occasions I have ran more than 5 miles, I sometimes see why someone might enjoy it. Put your headphones on and turn the rest of the world off. You have those "moments of clarity." In a few miles of running I can come up with a whole new "life plan" and solve all the world's problems. Unfortunately, the moment I finish running, I realize I have forgotten anything and everything that I was thinking about... Plus, usually when I am done running I have aches and pains that I don't enjoy. I know this likely has a lot to do with footwear and running technique. I just don't run long distances enough to care about dialing in my long distance technique.
One thing that always miffs me when it comes to running.... Why the fascination with the marathon? 26 miles.... I don't even like to drive 26 miles! In the last four years of being a CrossFit trainer, I can't even put a number on how many times I asked a new member or potential new member what their fitness goal was and they told me me that their goal is to run a marathon. I have especially heard this goal from people who are just getting into working out after not doing any type of training for quite some time (if ever).
The marathon...the gold standard for fitness? Anyone with a set of somewhat healthy limbs and a bit of training can run a marathon. We are actually built to travel long distances on foot. Our ancestors did it all the time. I am not taking away from the accomplishment of completeing a marathon, I just don't think it should be held in such high esteem as a fitness standard. A marathon is not a measure of being "fit." If a marathon is your goal, than go for it! Just remember that a long run is only a thin slice of the pie that is being "fit and healthy." You can run a marathon and still be unhealthy. The constant pounding on the joints, the loss and/or lack of muscle mass. Some doctors even say that the stress on the heart during the actual marathon race negates any positive gains to a healthy heart made during training.
Many people say that when it comes to running, the short distance runners are the fit ones. We're talking the 100/200/400/800 meter distance guys. You be the judge:

Week 2 of the 531 Strength Cycle

Squat 3-3-3+

Check your spreadsheet for your working percentages.

Met Con:

5 Rounds For Time:

10 Push Press

10 Box Jumps

10 Ball Slams

Post number of reps for last set (3+) of Squat and time to comments.

Nine sleeps

A couple of years ago, Reebok came out with a series of ads telling people to just “run easy,” rather than “just do it.” At the time, the ads were mocked for encouraging people to strive for mediocrity, and I kind of agreed. Today, though, I seem to be looking at these ads a little differently and a bit longingly. Not necessarily a good sign when the race is only nine sleeps away.

On the Street.....Young Tokyo

Axle time

There is a demographic within the cycling world that we all know, the Clydesdale class. This is a group of riders that share the same love for the sport but are more of a diesel than a race car. One of the most notable, but now former Clydesdale's is Fat Cyclist. To achieve the prestigious title of Clydesdale rider, one must be 200+ lbs. That's it.

I don't know if proud is the right term for it but I am an unashamed member of this class, coming in around 225 lbs. If you're like me, you have encountered a few tiers of weight requirements within the cycling industry: 175 lbs, 200 lbs, 225 lbs and 275 lbs. There a lot of factors that come into play with these recommended rider weight requirements. Depending on a riders style, intended use and material strength to weight ratio there can often be a fluidity to where one can land. Race day products perform differently than that of training and can have a differing longevity.

I say all this to lead into today's Friday Product Highlight. Our ability to custom build wheels to your exact specifications and desires does not end at rim and spoke combinations. We know that all sorts, sizes, and abilities of riders are using and enjoying our product; because of that, on our rear road hubs we offer the ability to change out the stock alloy axle [left side in picture, 20 grams] for chromoly axle [right side in picture, 56 grams]. Our rear road hubs come in at a competitive 250 grams with the alloy axle and a respective 286 grams with chromoly.

So who would be a candidate for the cromoly axle? Remembering that the differing factors which come into play, we would suggest anyone over 200 lbs consider using the chromoly axle. And here's the rub, what do I ride? Based on my riding style and use [mainly commuting] I rock the alloy axles and have had no issues. It's always important to note that, we all ride differently and consulting your LBS can help clear up what might best suit your needs. These axles are available aftermarket through your local bicycle shop or can be installed when we are building up your custom wheel.

_ _ _

Two races going on this weekend, as mentioned before Trans Iowa looks to be soggy affair, I'm looking forward to following G-Ted and David Pals [event organizers] updates on the race throughout the weekend on Twitter [hashtag #tiv6]. Here in Grand Rapids we have the 3rd Annual Hop Cat Alley Cat. The previous years, this has been an extremely stellar event and this year looks to be the same with 79 people already slated to come via the Facebook event page. $15 for a great time and a chance to get your hands on some Benny Gold rims!

At United Arrows Party, Tokyo