Spotted in Bruges, City Center

A case of Rochefort 10 says that this structure will be full of dudes in spandex Sunday morning.

Podium Picks

Hey, do you guys all remember last year when I crushed the Podium Pick Contest with the Schleck brothers in my picks?  I thought I would reprise my amazing guesswork this year.  Here are my podium picks in no particular order...

1. Todd Hero
2. Andy Schleck
3. Cancellara, Fabian

Are any of these people besides Todd Hero racing?  I will NOT be wasting a pick on Boonen, you all know how I feel about him.  Unless he is racing in a star wars helmet...unfortunately I do not remember where that photo has gone.

Get Excited

95th Tour of Flanders. Sunday, April 3, 2011

Frothing in Flanders

Tom Boonen, winner of the March 27 Gent-Wevelgem, and third-place Tyler Farrar, happily send forth. Second-place Daniele Bennati coaxes his cork, teasing an expectant crowd.

Hero Header Archive

At long last Tenspeed Hero headers have begun to be collected in the Tenspeed Photo Annex. Browse banners past, leave comments, revel in the venerable art of the Hero Header.

(Enter The Annex through this post or on the link to right of the blog ⇒ )

Special thanks to Jon hero.

Dwars Door Vlaaderen 2011

Cooling down--and warming up for the next few weekends.

Lief Hoste, 7th place, took some long pulls.

Tom Boonen, 9th place, sat in.

Merckx Parade

Another image from the View-master set that THC gave me last year. Or maybe it was the year before.

Jenny Hunter's 52 cm Benotto

This photo influenced by Todd Hero's similar photo take at Brian Baylis's shop.

Tractor Heroes

Summer 2011 is Already Here

Campagnolo Nuovo Tipo Hubs

Seven For Milan-San-Remo 2011

1. Goss Another HTC Star That Will Tire of Working For Cav.
2. Fabian Looking Strong!
3. Boonen?
4. Pozzato?????????
5. Thor's Rainbow Curse
6. Heinrich Out of Shape for 300K
7. Gilbert The Most Exciting Rider for 2011

when Formula 1 and professional cycling come together

it is a beautiful thing. look for the McLaren Venge tomorrow at Milano-Sanremo

Ken Hero

Ken Hero is Just Chilling Outside Hero Headquarters

Freddy Maertens, Roger de Vlaeminck, Eddy Plankaert

up the irons

Boise Bike Project

THC, seated, getting a pointer from former goat herder, Zach G.

THC and I met this afternoon at the Boise Bike Project. He to install his 185mm TA crankset

and I to install my chrome fork.

But alas, the steer tube is too short. And also alas, THC's BB spindle was also lacking length. But as the old aphorism goes: the worst day working on bicycles is better than the best day working.

Hero Recruiting in Venice

Joseph Mallari, aspiring young racer just a day or two before his first track race. He's moving to Chicago. Presumably drawn east by the Double Loop. Welcome.

One Speed Hero Forever

The more time I’ve spent on a bicycle, the more I’ve come to realize that there are so many reasons people ride one. Yet, there are strong commonalities amongst riders of all types – from the hard-training racer, to the guy with the bum bars salmoning up Elston Avenue. I believe that the sense of freedom one gets from saddling up and going for a ride is that common tie – whether you’re riding in Belgium or to the bar.

I’ve ridden with many types of riders, and, prior to riding with many of my fellow Heroes, I never felt I fit in with most of them. Pete, however, always got it. We both had a significant penchant for adventure and we often used our bikes to seek it out – as well as for primary transportation (and my own “racing/training”).

Pete was a Hero in many ways, from his relentless desire to continue riding and maintaining his French-threaded Motobecane, to his passionate love for music. I remember, many times, wanting to criticize his handlebar configuration, but could not bring myself to do so because, basically, he had better taste in music than I.

His heroics on the bike were also impressive. He and I once rode to Milwaukee, on singlespeeds -- him wearing blue jeans, a t-shirt and Chuck Taylors, in the middle of the summer, got lost in the ghetto of Racine and, when we arrived, drank beers and Jim Beam ‘til 5 a.m. with some girls he knew. We made it as far as Kenosha the next day, when the empty fifth he was now using as a water bottle ran dry and he got stung by a bee.

He also had his fair share of hard times on the bike, but persevered. He was hit by several cars, crashed as a result of someone releasing his front QR while it was locked outside an establishment, had the ‘cross bike he bought for a move to Olympia, Washington stolen upon his return to Chicago, even jumped, but he kept riding.

I always enjoyed riding with him, because it was only about having fun – and he truly knew how to. Getting on a bike and riding out of town was never about the mileage, but always about the fact that it was a cool thing to do – a diversion, or even an escape. There was no way he and I could not have a great ride, and it didn’t matter if I would’ve been wearing a skinsuit and he a jean jacket. There was also little hope to get home before dawn if we went out for drinks afterwards either.

In short, Pete had the Hero’s love for the bike and the other beautiful things in life. I am lucky to have had the pleasure of riding with him. I wish I had done it more. Pete tragically lost his life last month to a drug overdose – essentially on his 34^th birthday. Ride on in peace, Hero.


Photo: Marko Mihailovich

Saxo Bank's New Image

Any major change roster change begs for a new public image. Notice how the understated and elegant wing from the Schleck days has evolved into a soaring Riis cycling Full-Eagle motif. Although the bird of prey has an undeniable presence emerging from the loins of the Spanish champion, the paint job on the Saxo Bank team car is the real gem, bearing a striking resemblance to a late 70's Pontiac Firebird.

Neighbor's Cat and My Shirt

It's the little things

That keep me coming home everyday.