Just bought a travel bag from Rome Bike Bags (www.bikebags.com) for $125. I had a long talk with one of the guys there and he convinced me that it was worth a try. Seems like a small company that has been doing this for 15 years and probably know what they are doing. This bag doesn't have as many straps as the Pika Pack or the BikePro, but it is WAY cheaper. You can fortify it with additional padding. It is light (8 lbs). I'll let you know how it looks when it arrives next week.

Just booked my tickets. Flying in Wednesday. Out Sunday night.

@dstokes, thanks for bike bag suggestion. That's what I need to figure out now. Was also considering buying a hardshell travel case.

Those who are coming:

Please visit a doodle poll via the link below and check the (Thurs-Sun)days you are available to ride from about 9AM to 2-3PM or so.

http://www.doodle.com/gmx4ef5wfgyfsud7

This will help me plan the coolest rides on the days where the most guys are there. We could also show up at a local crit perhaps.

**And just to re-iterate so everyone knows what to expect:** it is your responsibility to show up at the ride launch points at the start time.

And again - these will be long, challenging rides with long mountain climbs and some very fast, technical descents. And, some of the guys who are coming are strong (anyone wanna follow Wojciech up a mountain climb right now?). So its going to be fast. Within reason, we will wait and regroup at the tops of climbs as we always do. But if you are dropped very far back (like, more than 10 minutes) or you are dropped on flatter terrain, you WILL be left behind.

I don't say all this to discourage participation - but just to be clear about expectations. And again, I will provide ride maps, and its not very easy to get lost out there with a little common sense.

   

Wojciech - holy cannoli. You guys are hosed.

Posted By: WilliamDCdont worry joe

we can have our own training weekend

your bathtub or mine?

I'll bring the ice cream!
(cue Marc!!!)

No worries boys, my legs won't have seen a bike in over a month by then!

BUMP

Okay: This is the list, am I missing anyone? Jules, Whitey, Stokes, Ros, Aly, Wojciech, Nosson.

Any last second additions? It's gonna be one for the ages...and you know Jules is going to film like, every pedal stroke to taunt you as you miss it.

I think Jules is going to film it so the rest of us can be fuming and screaming...

"Khaaaaannnnn!"

As he does when we're out riding.

Believe it!

I never put a bike on a plane what should I know before I do this?

Nosson - you need a bike travel bag or a bike case. Or, a cheaper alternative can be a bike box that you get from a local shop (but you should be sure to pack very carefully as this is not as secure).

Also, Nosson, where are you staying in Los Angeles?

Nosson, you can have Ride Brooklyn box up your bike, but you'll have to bring tools to reassemble it when you arrive. You'll need to keep the box so that you can ship it back home the same way. It's not that hard if you watch them box it up.

Oh my god I can't wait for this I'm on my trainer now and I'm so f ing sick of this

Seriously.

Good times today!

Got a ton of photos with the GoPro and every one of them has a giant smile.

Ryan led us to a gnarly 9 mile climb; I hung with Rocket Ryan and Aly for 20 minutes of "over 300 watts" entertainment before they both danced off towards the horizon. Magnificent descent home, and a fun little rocket back down the PCH with a big old tailwind.

Accumulated just over 30 minutes over threshold today; tomorrow should be even better.

Leaving my place this morning some wing-nut with a big dog started screaming at me "You should put positive messages on your uniform! Kissena? What the fuck is that, anyway?!?"

Dude, I'm from Brooklyn. Positive messages? Fuck you and your little dog too.

It was really, really, really, really, really, really cool having a bunch of Kissenas out here to join me all over my old stomping grounds.

Around 9:30 this morning we assembled: me, Jules, Whitey, Nosson, Wojciech, Aly,and Ros. Stokes will join us tomorrow.

We rolled up the coast on PCH for almost 30 miles before the turnoff to the day's big climb, Yerba Buena - a twisty 7.9 mile ascent up to about 2500 ft. A PDF of the ride profile is attached for anyone interested.

Jules laid it down for the first twenty minutes with Aly and I in tow. Nine minutes in I'm thinking "okay I can't average 290 watts for 40 minutes" but I figured those guys would have to slow down so I elected not to let them ride away. Sure enough, soon as my lap timer hit 20 minutes Jules laid off. "Just as I suspected" I said to myself. "A 20 min threshold interval."

Jacking the average up that high at the start helped me (I think - haven't plugged in yet) to a 40 minute power record.

Lots of fun to come in the days ahead. Only wish more of us could be here!

Epic-ness. All I can say

jealous

bring me back some sunshine, dudes!

I got dropped at the beginning of the first climb.

D :

I've been doing marin raids and sf hill intervals. Record highs in the bay! Did a training session at hellyer velodrome with some state champions, nice to get some short and hard intervals in.

I call this one "The Replacement Racers"

v. cool!

thanks for report, keep posting, we chilly/wet newYorkers are following on vicariously through your western exploits...&images &video would be great.

ps& special hello to wojciech. -h;>

wojciech -- overtrained?

Wojciech has a different kind of fitness right now - I suspect if we were doing consecutive one nine hour days he's be a little better off. He's also been off the bike for a month because he's been hiking and hanging out. He'll be crushing us again soon.

I updated the post above to include the picture

This one needs a title

Many more watts, wicked views, winding descents and Wind-swept pictures. We actually rode to where we could look DOWN on the clouds...!

All the riding and post-ride feasting has some stiff competition though:

Isaiah, my 10 month old son stood on his own today!

Big thanks to Ryan and Über Euro-cool Alyosha for helping me squeeze a few more watts out of my loudly complaining legs. (Proper report after kids go to sleep)

Oh and Woj is riding like an animal...