THE INSIDE LINE

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Fischer) — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 00:39:00 +0000

New Inside Line Equipment kits, handmade by Bobby Endo in Los Angeles.

So its been a while....

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Fischer) — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 06:00:00 +0000

So its been a while since a meaningful post, but I have had a lot going on...
I started a company called Inside Line Equipment and have put a lot of time into designing, sewing, and marketing bags. They are "cyclist inspired" but have a lot of great features that are essential for an everyday bag. Thick padding on the back and shoulder straps, easily accessible pockets, and all waterproof.

But don't worry, I will be racing next season! I have 29 out of 30 points required for a cat 1 upgrade, so I hope to be starting out the 2011 season as a 1.

Lap 1

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Fischer) — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 23:44:00 +0000

Broken front derailleur--

Dropped chain

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Fischer) — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 20:55:00 +0000

Watching Andys chain come off in the midst of an attack was frustrating for all Schleck fans, but being a mechanic, it sits a little different. Nobody wants to be responsible for an athletes misfortune! Especially one wearing the yellow jersey.

But race mechanics work under extreme pressure of time and the need for extreme precision. This attention to detail definitely carries over to their hairstyle and everyone knows that the best way to work on bikes is while kneeling on the ground like a dirty BMX'er--

Le Tour

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Fischer) — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 14:41:00 +0000

The tour is in full swing, and is as exciting as ever!
If you dont have cable like me, you can catch the highlights on steephill.tv

GO ANDY!

U23 National Championships

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Fischer) — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 05:38:00 +0000

The U23 riders form Clif Bar (Blake, Joe, and I) had a nice beating by the Trek and Garmin development teams in the U23 Road Race. The circuit is rolling with some tough little climbs, and the teams set a steady fast pace to keep the early breaks in check. High altitude and dry dessert heat kept us uncomfortable.

I attacked midway through the race to form a break of 3 with a strong Bissell. We were taking even pulls, but we never got much of a gap and got reeled in 10 miles later...

After that, I realized that I had decent legs, and tried to conserve, but also not get gapped off as riders were getting popped on every rise. 8 bottles of water, and 6 shot blocks later, I was still hanging on. On the last lap Joe was still with me but not feeling well. Going over the last climb with 5km to the finish there was Ben King off the front and then a Garmin and another dangling just off the main field of about 30. I had legs to move to the front, but then got stuffed to the back after a flurry of attacks.

It ended in a lame bunch sprint of twig-ish climbers--pretty entertaining--I ended up 24th

7 seconds

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Fischer) — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 17:24:00 +0000

After a troubling ride at Mt Hamilton, where I went over the top with the leaders, then proceeded to ride directly off the road on the decent, and lost contact, I got a shot at Mt Hood.

After a wet start in Portland, where we had a Prologue TT and a hilly crit, the racing really got underway on stage 3 around Mt Adams in Washington. The course was absolutely beautiful, but I was unable to take my eyes off the riders in front of me as we were pretty much single-file for the entire race with the United Healthcare team setting tempo for the 100miles. I was feeling good, and even made it too the front on one of the technical snow covered descents. Unfortunately, I got caught out towards the finish, when the race leader Morgan Schmidt flatted and the field sat up to let him rejoin. When he made it back to the front, there was a HUGE surge, and the road at that point was little more than a dirt path and a steady 6% grade that caused major splits. I got stuffed into the second group, while a few cat 2's made it into the lead and got over a minute on us. I finished 5th on the stage.

The following stage was the 18.5 mi TT along the Columbia River. With a headwind and 2 moderate sized climbs, it was a very difficult stage. After a demoralizing start where I was passed by both my 30sec and 60sec men after only 5 miles, I settled in and managed to turn a decent time. I moved into 2nd place on the cat 2 GC.

With the Queen stage of 10,000 feet of climbing, and 92 miles, I knew anything could happen...but I didn't expect to be the "virtual leader" on the road. The leader got a puncture on the first major climb and was unable to make it back into the speeding peloton. UHC was setting tempo and other teams were attacking all day, but a breakaway never escaped which kept the pace brutally fast the entire race(Avg 25m/hr!!!). With 20km to go, I knew that I had to hold the wheel of the guy behind me on GC (13sec. back) and I could win the race.....but, by then I was pretty trashed...when you are riding single file for hours, it is hard to eat anything.
With 5km to go all I could do was stare at the hub of the 3rd place guy and follow its every move. He(and his teammates) threw in some pretty hard digs, but I kept contact...until about 1km to go where I was completely spent, and I let the smallest gap open, but he saw, and attacked yet again-like a shark tasting blood.

I let him go, I had nothing. A deep breath refueled my brain, and then I realized what slipped through my fingers, but there was no fixing it--he was gone. Scott Grey ended up with a 20 second gap which gave him a 7 second lead on GC. And after a wet, and essentially neutralized crit the following day, It was final--2nd place. A bittersweet ending to my favorite Oregon Race.

My fitness is coming along nicely in preparation for the U23 Nationals Road Race in 2 weeks. I am hoping for a little better conditions, as last year, it was over 100 degrees as we raced in the middle of the day. Warm Bay Area weather will at least get my body acclimated to riding in the heat, but nothing like that dry desert air.

1000% Focus

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Fischer) — Sat, 29 May 2010 21:17:00 +0000

Tomorrow will be my third time racing up Mt Hamilton, the tallest peak in the Bay Area. I have never done particularly well at this race, but tomorrow I am going to change that. A rare, cat 2 only field was created this year and gives us a great shot at some upgrade points. Im planning on taking advantage of that and being the one to break up the race.

In recent years, Professionals such as Ben Jacques-Maynes, Paul Mach, and Jackson Stewart show up and destroy the field right from the first pitch, so it will be nice to have a shot at the win this year...

Wish me luck!

Giro de Italia: Plan de Coronas TT

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Fischer) — Wed, 26 May 2010 15:04:00 +0000

2 years ago- I was there! It was an awesome experience. We took a gondola to the top of a ski resort, and watched the riders come through, each with their own position on the bike and grimace of pain on their faces.

Yesterday was the same stage in the Giro, and it makes me want to go back to IT.

Scotts Valley Grand Prix

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Fischer) — Mon, 24 May 2010 15:46:00 +0000

...attack from the gun!

Race rigs at Gila

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Fischer) — Tue, 11 May 2010 05:19:00 +0000

Lance's RV

Team United Health Care/Maxxis has a sweet setup

The Sprinter Van seems to be the most versatile race vehicle--this one had a cool bike rack inside to hold a dozen bikes with plenty of room for gear and passengers...

Tour of the Gila

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Fischer) — Sat, 08 May 2010 23:16:00 +0000

You know those movies that start off at the end, and then flash back to the beginning of the story? And somehow you always are still surprised with the conclusion.....

4 bikes/1 Xterra

I headed out to Gila with my friend Paul from Berkeley. A 16hr drive, through the desert, in a car with a broken gas gauge.

We got to Silver City New Mexico on Monday night, and were able to check out the courses a little and settle in before a Wednesday morning start. At 7000' even just brushing your teeth gets you out of breath.

The first stage was mostly flat for 90 miles, then a tough 4mile climb to the finish...I was happy to let a break go, as it was a bit windy and exposed, so they should be pretty cooked by the time we hit the climb, right?...WRONG!

It was pretty chaotic, with a couple near crashes and a handful of punctures early on, plus a bunch of attacks and surges. Finally a group of 4 or 5 rolled of, and the field mellowed out....Fast forward to 80 miles, we hear they have a gap of over 5 minutes, and there are actually 13 riders up(never saw that move?!?!)

I wasnt sure how I would react to the altitude on an all out effort up the finishing "Mogollon" climb, but I was happy to be mostly out of the wind the entire day...Ended up 25, and one of the top racers from sea level(the climb tops out at 6700')

A confusing/frustrating start to the race, but at least the nerves of the first day were over.

The second day started with a lung searing climb up to the Continental Divide at 7000' and I made the front selection of 12 or so, but then it mostly came back together on the decent. We kept tempo for another 45min, and dropped a few, and then a few more on the very technical(SUPER FUN) decent. As soon as we hit flat ground, attacks started to fly again, but I was unable to choose the right move, and was caught out again(along with the GC leader!) We worked to bring back the break, and it even got within bridging distance, but 40mile/hr winds kept me tucked into the field. Ended up 15, 10th out of the field.

The time trial became a lot less important with the time gaps so large because of the breaks, so I decided to not go full throttle, just try to conserve for sunday, because I KNEW a break would win the race, stage and overall.

Even still, the lack of oxygen hurt like hell.

The crit was 4 corners with a slight rise and a "roller coaster" on the back. It ended up being pretty mellow, so I decided to take a flier in search of primes....Dave Towle hooked me up, and gave Clif Bar a huge shout out!

Getting ready for the big stage, Paul and I cooked dinner at our host house(thank you Steve & Denise!)cleaned and lubed our bikes, and got bottles and musette bags ready for a friend to feed us(thanks Brian) and studied the course profile religiously. I have never been so excited to crush a bike race.

Ten miles into the race, the field is strung out with a wicked pace being set by the GC riders. I kept good position, knowing that I had to be in the that first break....then all of a sudden, I notice my front tire is flat, I stick a hand up, to indicate, and drift to the side, looking for the wheel car. It took way to long to change the wheel, as the neutral wheel had no skewer, I had to switch it off of mine, then remount, and chase....no help from the wheel car...

At that point I was 2 minutes down, chasing as hard as possible, head down, feeling strong, but not able to reconnect, I was passing dropped riders, and could not see the field, but then the road tilted downwards and I knew I had no chance....Game Over.

Gila Pain

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Fischer) — Sat, 01 May 2010 15:33:00 +0000

Top 20 on GC with a Crit and a 104mi Road Race to go.
Going full gas on Sunday for the Gila Monster, 9000' of climbing, and 104miles...

Stage 1--25th
Stage 2--15th
Stage 3--32nd

Preparing for Gila

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Fischer) — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 19:36:00 +0000

With Tour of Gila less than a week away, I am dialing my training back to taper for Gila. So this past week was my last high intensity training. I had a couple long endurance rides through the week, and I hammered through the rain doing intervals in NYC Central Park on Friday, followed by a circuit race the next day. I rode out to the race over the Brooklyn Bridge out to an abandoned airfield in Queens New York.
It was a flat, wide open course, but enough wind that a break was sure to go. There were a few moves in the first couple laps, but then the field split, and I was in a chase group of 6 with 4 up the road. I launched a couple attacks trying to weed out the guys who were not pulling through, and make it up to the break, but that didn't work. Long story short, our group got caught with 15 mi to go, and we had a dozen riders fighting for 5th place. I countered one move with 2km to go and went solo to the line.

It ended up being a 90mi day and got in some good practice riding in the wind efficiently in a pace line.

Tomorrow I am headed back to California with 6 points and a ton of motivation for Gila. New Mexico here we come!

Tour of the Battenkill

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Fischer) — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 03:48:00 +0000

Had a great race on Saturday at the Tour of the Battenkill in upstate NY, a race held on dirt roads with some steep hills and also some fast paved sections. Chris Johnson and I had a great opportunity to pre-ride(and drive) the entire course and got a good feel for it. For those that have raced Leesville Gap or Copperopolis in California, the surface is not quite as rough, but has some steeper climbs.

The race got off to a quick start with some people testing the elasticity of the group (surprisingly easy to get a gap off the front!) and I found myself in a few moves, but didn't get anywhere. Early on, a pair of riders ventured off the front, but ended up just sitting 15 seconds off for a few miles, then all of a sudden, it seemed, they were two minutes up! The pack started an unorganized chase and the pace was pretty strong on the climbs. With 25 miles to go, most of it dirt, we had no time check, but the group was mostly intact and the pair was still off the front. I kept good position (set tempo on one of the bigger climbs) and followed a couple good attacks, and then on the roughest section of the course, the elastic broke and I made the selection of 4.

We worked together well, but came apart on a large roller, and again-I made the split(I was pretty stoked) I was then trading super strong pulls with a smaller rider, fighting for 3rd(but hopeful of catching the break at 60sec). The problem was, I wasn't getting enough draft from him to recover, and I was burning matches even sitting on his wheel.

On the last climb, a long, undulating, dirt path, I was on the limit trying to drop him-but then he turned the table and he got a small gap on me, but I could not close it.

Rolling over the top of the climb, things got worse(I was pretty cooked) as I was re-joined by a previous break-mate(also a short guy) for the few flat miles to the finish. We traded pretty even pulls until I saw him grab his water bottle at 1K and I figured that was my moment. I attacked(from too big of a gear) but he caught me at 200m and came around me at the line...

Being and outsider and not knowing the riders(especially the guys that went early) I am pretty happy with how I raced. I am hopping to also race SoYoCo in Pennsylvania this weekend, and get in some more good training.

I still have Tour of the Gila on the radar for when I come back....

Full Swing

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Fischer) — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 16:32:00 +0000

It seems as thought the season is in full swing and I am just a Fred. I have had a relaxed start to the season, but things are coming around. I have been putting in an enormous amount of miles since December, steady 4-6 hr rides. I never really tapered into a racing schedule like last year where you do wicked intervals on Tuesday and Wednesday, ease off for a strenuous weekend of racing, then recover on Sunday and Monday before repeating the cycle. I have done a handful of races this season, but compared to last year, where I already had raced Valley of the Sun and Madera, I feel fresh. I am still excited to ride my bike. Last year at this time I was already getting burned out! I have had a lot of things on my plate this year, and that kept my mind off my goal -- being a Pro cyclist...now that vision is back, and I am ready to get to it.

I have a stacked calender ahead of me, starting with the "Spring Classics". Copperopolis is the Ronde van Vlannderen of the west coast--rough roads and steep climbs on a 20 mile circuit....5 laps=100mi
I had a pretty good race last year(alongside Levi Leipheimer, Scott Nydam, and BJM) but it ended 2 laps early with an aggravating flat tire.

Then I am heading back to the East Coast to meet up with my good buddy Chris to race Tour of the Battenkill in upstate New York. That is a similar race, and will draw a large and unfamiliar field. I dont know any of the names on the start list! We are also going to race a couple local races in Philly, as that is Chris' city(Really, he probably knows more people than the Mayor!)

A week or so after that I will be headed to Silver City, New Mexico to race Tour of the Gila. That is one of the races of climbing legend. Climbs that last forever, take you up out of the desert, up to altitudes where you taste the blood/iron in the back of your throat. This is a true climbers race, and I hope to be firing on all cylinders.

After that, we will re-evaluate where I am....A 16 hour drive back from NM will force you to do that....but I also planning on Mt Hood Stage race and U23 Nationals as big goals. Lots of work to be done on the TT bike, but I would like to race well at Nationals.

But, first-things-first....Copperopolis

Flat racing

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Fischer) — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 04:22:00 +0000

After getting taken out from behind in a crash at Snelling the previous weekend, I decided to rethink my racing callender. Why am I doing flat road races with 100+ riders? They are very dangerous in the early season and often end in a field sprint.

Instead of heading down to Merco for the TTT, Crit, and RR, I decided to use that time to get in some good training. I spent the weekend doing a small group ride, a tough HOP workout and a nice tempo ride up Mt Diablo, a total of 11 hours. I came away with some good training, confidence, but unfortunately, also a minor cold/sore throat.

I was pretty stunned to see that a break got away at the Merco Road Race, and Ben Jacques Maynes won.

What a coincidence, last year, I was in an early break with Ben and his twin brother Andy...too bad that one didn't stick!

Next race will be Madera Stage Race this weekend...and San Dimas Stage Race the following weekend. So much pain to come!

East Coast-in

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Fischer) — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 05:19:00 +0000

I just booked a flight to my first non-west coast bike race! Im headed to Upstate New York /Vermont/Pennsylvania for 2 weeks of bike racing. Chris Johnson and I are doing a couple races in PA as well as the Tour of the Battenkill(April 10th)...steep climbs, rough roads and covered bridges! And a Cat 2 field that I am hoping to be competitive in. I hope this could yield a few points on my way to a Cat 1 upgrade.

Last year, the Pro race was won by one of my favorite riders Scott Nydam. Its such a tough race, with a stacked field, and to win it solo off the front is so impressive. Unfortunately he has had to take a break due to medical issues.

Chileno Valley Grass Hopper

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Fischer) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 08:12:00 +0000

I had an awesome time up in Occidental for the Chileno Valley Grass Hopper "training ride" (race)
I hope to make it out to a couple others if they fit into my racing schedule. You cant tell from this photo, but over 200 people came out for this!

Central Valley Weekend

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Fischer) — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 18:46:00 +0000

I spent the weekend out in the Central Valley doing some early season road races for training. I stayed with my old Safeway teammate Jonathan who lives in Fresno, a central location for both Cantua Creek and Pine Flat road races--My second and third road races of the season, and after a relatively tame Cherry Pie Crit last week, I was excited to test my fitness.

This year, training has been very different for me. I am doing much more endurance riding(4-6hrs) and less intervals like last year. I have noticed that my top end is not quite developed yet, but I feel super comfortable on my bike, and have a ton of base miles to build off of.

Cantua Creek is a mostly flat, out and back, road race in Coalinga. On the first of 3 laps, the Yahoo! guys took control of the race and launched consistant attacks until one stuck with 4 of their riders....and nobody else. Needless to say, they had the 100% of the strongest guys....and 12 riders (57% of the field)
It made for some pretty negative racing as they would block every attack, and at one point, stretched their remaining riders shoulder-to-shoulder across the road....With 4 guys up the road, they could have 2 attacking the field and still 6 sitting in....
On the small climb of the second lap, I decided that it would be more fun(and better training) to get off the front. Chico Corsa was setting a good tempo on the "climb" but I came over the top in a full sprint to get a gap. I drilled it as hard as I could to the turn around, and could see that a couple Yahoo riders were chasing, with the field stretched out chasing them. On the decent, It was 3 yahoos, and I. They would not pull through, so I stayed on the front and set a good tempo. At one point I had a nice gap, but slowly got reeled in. Im sure it looked pretty ridiculous, with me pulling 3 purple guys around.
The front 4 stayed away to win in TTT formation.

Pine Flat is more my kind of race. The same 12 Yahoo's were in the race, but they raced more positive. After the first out and back section(which was full of attacking) they put 6 guys pulling on the front until we got to the flat orchard area. Then the attacking resumed. After getting in some good moves, I missed the one that stuck, 2 Yahoos and Sean Rosenthal(Zteam). They never got a huge gap, which made for a lot of attacking in the field. As we got to the climb, we were going pretty steady, and brought back a cracked Zteam. Phil Mooney(Y!) took the opportunity to attack and I was right on his wheel. When he settled in again, I hit it over the top of him, but brought another 2 Yahoos with me. I kept the pace, but they attacked off my wheel, and I couldn't follow. At this point, I just laughed. There were just too many of them...

I ended up 9th, but it was an excellent weekend of training.

Next race will be Snelling Road Race.

New 2010 BMC kits

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Fischer) — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 08:47:00 +0000

Last fall after hearing that Ballan, Hincapie and Evans had signed with the BMC team I was ecstatic! Partly because I knew they were good riders(Ballan being my favorite cyclist) and mostly, because I knew that they would each have personalized jerseys... Ex-world Champ, US Champ, and Current World Champ. I have the utmost respect for the designers at both ASSOS, and BMC. And I really admire their "Industrial" style...I had high expectations.

But then the ultra chic Swiss company ASSOS, was replaced by Hincapie clothing, my heart was broken, things were not going to be the same. I knew the team wouldn't be quite the same, but I didnt expect this.

Their bikes don't even really match the kits either!

After hearing my friends complaining as well, I decided to give the BMC kits the "Euro" treatment. I turned all the red into white.....I toned down the "digi" effect on the chest, but left everything else the same.

Maybe they will be able to change mid-season like Cervelo did when they went from all black to all white for the Tour de France....
Alas, nothing will beat the 2008 BMC/ASSOS kits.

Buona fortuna nel 2010 Ballan!

OPERATION TAN LINES 2010: no leg warmers

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Fischer) — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 05:08:00 +0000

Yesterday was the first day without legwarmers since September! A strange feeling, the wind ~~in my hair~~ on my skin, and the sun's rays beating down. This year I have hopes of rivaling the tan lines of Lindsay Myers, but it will take some hard work. Tan Lines are very important to cyclists, earning rule number 5 on OREC: The Official Rules of the Euro Cyclist.

5. A prominent line where one’s kit ends and where one’s deep tan begins is essential to one's image. Artificial tanning is BANNED. The tan shall reflect the level of training commitment.

From THE INSIDE LINE

It was a strangely warm(almost sunny) day here in the East Bay, that has been fraught with rain for the last couple weeks . Consecutive days of rain are always frustrating. A "State of Emergency" if your trying to become a pro cyclist. I rode a couple days on the trainer, took a couple days off, and braved the slick roads and cool temps a few days.

2010 Race Calender to come!

Good ride-better views

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Fischer) — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 19:09:00 +0000

Had a really fun/long ride last week with my teammates last week. We started near Golden Gate Park and rode south to Half Moon Bay, then up my favorite climb, Tunitas Creek. Then back through the bike paths at Crystal Springs....really fun ride with great climbing and INCREDIBLE views along the coast.

Chris has some great pics
http://stopandspin.blogspot.com/2010/01/half-moon-bay.html

Specialized Shiv.....Tandem?!?!?

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Fischer) — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 01:40:00 +0000

My friend at Specialized showed me photos of a new project bike....a Tandem Time Trial bike...

most ridiculous bike I have ever seen, but I totally dig prototype projects like this....
- shaft drive between driver and stoker
- Magura hydraulic disc brakes F+R (how is this even possible?)
- 75+cm front reach?!?

On a ride with Jeff Louder

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Fischer) — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 16:13:00 +0000

I have always been in awe of the BMC team (c'mon, they're sponsored by Assos!) and was a bit shocked that Jeff Louder showed up to our training ride in Marin. I had a chance to talk with him a bit, and he is excited to be riding the Giro this year. Look out for him and Cadel! Photo by Chad on bike path parallel Sir Frances Drake.