My chrome is shining just like an icicle...

..the Slovakian rides around California on his Cannondale bicycle-bicycle. Make sure to get out and support the city of Monterey for hosting stage 4 of the Tour of California on May 14th.

SW Trivia - Tour of Nevada City the Clinton years...

Question #1. Who is in the yellow jersey with the gold bling?

Question #2. Who is the guy on the far right (dark t-shirt) who announced the race and what movie was he in?

Hint: The race winner had a wicked sprint for being a skinny dude (I found that out the hard way) and he won on an incognito Bridgestone RB-1 with a orange Ritchey paint job. The race announcer had to learn some Italian for his movie bit...oh yea and be quick with a silca pump...

Steel WÜl Trivia - Cotopaxi hill repeats...who's in?

Question: Who is this lung-on-a-stick?

Answer: Esteban Fraga

You don't get get-away-sticks like those by cycling alone, he spent some time in the old gym at UC Davis. He was the original high cadence spin master and was named KOM in Philly even among all of the unethical cheaters...

Is it time for bed, because I'm starving...

As I write this post, I'm 24 hours into a 36 hour renegade fast. There's no rhyme or reason behind this particular haphazard calorie strike, I simply became intrigued after listening to a KSCO podcast discussing the topic and the arguable benefits to it. My only fasting experience has been the obligatory 12 hours mandated by a physician for a garden variety blood draw. Considering you usually sleep the majority of that time away, I don't think those count.

Mama WÜleur agreed to 24 hours of sans caloric intake and reported no "real" issues other than being a little "grumpy" and safely ended her version at 24 hours and 1 minuet with a plump salted cashew. It's safe to say that cashew along with a tasty concoction of sweet potatoes, onions, feta, and olive oil had been on her mind all day.

Being a lifelong cyclist who has experienced every iteration of being "bonked", I thought I would feel a bit more hypoglycemic and have delusional thoughts of food as the day unfolded. I felt surprisingly balanced even after a tandem mountain bike ride with Olive (on our blue Co-Motion thank you Craig). As usual, my tapeworm announced a couple of grumbles early in the day (10:15am) which made me kind of nervous because I historically fix that problem with a couple of bananas, a half a jar of almond butter, a handful of chocolate covered cashews and 2 yogurts.

Today was different though, I had to push through those moments of perfunctory hunger and remind myself that this dude has more than enough stored calories to sustain life on a typical weekday (or two or five). We read about the health benefits of intermittent fasting and blood pressure, blood sugar, and memory seemed to be the topic of discussion on the majority of sites.

The one benefit that was missing from all of the fasting sites is that your perception of time practically comes to a standstill (in a good way). Mama WÜleur and I both felt as though useless distractions seemed to melt away and take a back seat to everything present. We look forward to our next episode.

-Happy Hungry WÜleurs

Steel WÜl Trivia - "Hi, Cino it's me..."

Question: Who is this California cycling icon?

Answer: Spence Wolf

Peter Flanders deservedly owns this piece of trivia!

Cupertino Bike Shop

I would kill for a fig newton...you mean this one?

Babysitter Boogie: "Are babysitters entitled to FLSA overtime, if so, we better pick it up"

Steel WÜl Trivia - KÜbelwagon

Question: Who is this ex-pro?

Answer: Chris Bauman

Rumor has it he would warm up for crits listening to 'Attack'

From lace-up Duegi's to a modern Caletti...

AC (3rd generation Aptos hills) has been pedaling road bikes for almost 30 years and finally treated himself to a custom steel frame. He's one of those guys that will get a bike and simply ride it into the ground over a couple of decades. His first pair of road shoes had wooden soles with nail-on cleats. It's great to see him getting back to his roots with a custom ferrous frame. We were informed that it might be slightly stiffer than his 89' aluminum Univega. 

For the record: If Merckx was a little shorter, funnier, half Italian, had a bachelors degree from UC Davis in Molecular Biology and could fly fish, he would remind me of Andrew. You have to admit, there is a hint of resemblance there.

CARLISLE - the original hidden gravel boogie...

1959 ramble across Gazos Creek truck trail

We are all about their Merit Badge rules:

1. Ride 6 rides of 25 miles each during 3 months. 
2. Ride 50 miles in 10 hours
3. Repair a puncture
4. Take apart and clean a bicycle
5. Know and demonstrate safety precautions 
6. Read and follow a course on a map
7. Submit a report on an interesting route taken to a merit badge counselor

Jimmy - doing his best Cat.3 pack filler impression

If Fallon's audition for the Tonight Show was anything like his original SNL audition, I'm sure he nailed it.



You have to admit he was looking quite lean back then.

Steel WÜl Trivia - put another shrimp on the barby

Question: Who is this American?

Answer: Derek Bouchard Hall (2000 Sydney Games)

Might I use your rain-cape, I'm off for a hard-man ride...

For the record: The last time we saw Ray Manzarek he was knocking back a super burrito at Taqueria Vallarta station 1 in preparation for a gig at the Rio Theater, may he rest in peace. Steel WÜleur Chris Appleton happens to resemble a young Manzarek.

AC's Caletti - in the hopper, on-deck, next up...

Original WÜleur Andrew Carroll (91' CCX cyclocross champion) has finally decided to replace his lugged PUCH with a handsome steel Caletti. We were pushing him in the direction of extreme tire clearance but calmer heads prevailed and the spec sheet for his pure road machine looks toight as a tiger. If he can sneak in a ride once every 2 weeks, he can drop almost anyone in the county on the steep stuff.

Did we try this one yet?...I don't remember

Sir Silky & Doug E. Fresh finally found 'Santa Cruz St'. I'm curious if they were able to pedal the final pitch.