Ravin' on... Racin' Goals

[RoadRaven]

ShubieGA: The EMC really pops, and the Giant looks like she'd blow you off the line standing still! Nice stable.

MissyMaya: Hey Ravin'
I haven't been on too often due to work and trying to fit time into to ride. Those bikes are hot and look fast, so I could only imagine how quick you are while riding them I was looking into a time trials bike but decided to get a competitive road bike instead (new purchase yeah for me), so I know the feeling of new stuff and upgrading. Awesome bikes

MimiTabby: Persons who are amused by looking at cool bikes might not think to find them under race results!
You'd be better to post them in their own thread (like this one)
nice shots

Lisa SH:
Originally Posted by RoadRaven: Yep, wanna flip the stem, want to get just a tad lower at the front... but I need to completely shed my belly first cause otherwise its too uncomfy when my thighs hit my tum...
Just get a few extraneous lower ribs removed and you'll be good to go....

Jiffer: Very nice! I'd like to do a race in my future, but I don't know about time trials. A whole 'nother world to think about, plus the very interesting looking bike to buy!
It's nice to have a bike you can be excited about, huh? Or in your case, two. (Well, we have the tandem, so I guess I have two. Hubs has the MTB in addition to his road bike, so he has three. Then there's the kids who each have their own bike. Our garage looks like the LBS!)
Have fun with your beautiful bikes!!!

KiwiGirl: oooh - my 2006 Fem Equip 5 http://www.emc2bikes.com/index.php/p...il/bikemodel/8 is jealous of your Etape's better bits

SouthernBelle: Nice. I have a Giant. different from yours though!
Maybe we should have a special section for bike porn. Everybody can have their own thread where we take sexy pics and post them. Sorta individual bike porn blogs.

Meg McKilty: This could be bad if one of the bikes lies about it's age, though.

BikerHen: Oh my gosh! I feel dirty just looking at those sexy bikes!
Very, very nice! bikerHen

Smiling Cat: Hi RoadRaven, I thought I had posted my comments of your bike. You've been giving me lots of good advice for my TT bike so I thought I did... If I forgot in the excitement, I am really sorry.
I do love your bikes. They are gorgeous.
meowmeow
Smilingcat

ShellyJ: Hi RoadRaven, those are some nice bikes that you have. Thanks for showing them to us. The TT bike is gorgous, well they both are but I do like that Giant.

DDH: Love the bikes!!! I'm very impressed with you and racing both TT and road races.
I can't believe you want to get down lower on that bike, are you going to be riding upside down? LOL Just kidding!!

Python: Aww. Poor bikes feeling sad and lonely
Cheer them up. Tell them they are absolutely gorgeous
What's your top speed on them?

Artisan:
Originally Posted by RoadRaven: Yep, wanna flip the stem, want to get just a tad lower at the front... but I need to completely shed my belly first cause otherwise its too uncomfy when my thighs hit my tum...
Your bikes shouldn't feel sad because they did not go unnoticed...you have awesome bikes and I wish I had your wheelset.
It's funny, I never thought I had a belly until I got my TT bike and my leg started bumping into something I thought was nonexistent. Sigh...reality slapping me in the thighs!

[RoadRaven]

Hey there folks - really appreciate everyones replies!
Its really strange, having responded to so many of you on your bike pics (when the pics load for me), to now be on the "receiving" end.

Mimi... I was just trying to be economical with the number of threads I start... and it made sense to me to pop them in the thread where I talk about all my rides and training and racing goals.

But point taken, my bikes believe they are due adoration and have instructed me in the future to create their own special thread where everyone will notice them!


LOL DDH, you know, being upside down might not be such a bad notion... if I could get so low I could fit under the top stem, maybe have my legs shortened so they don't stick out sideways.... LOL, sorry, just playing with the image...

Maybe it would be easier to just get a few ribs removed... good suggestion Lisa!!!

Python... top speed? Well, downhill in full tuck position on the EMC2 my top speed (this is a straightish downhill mind you, with a long stretch of straight flat at the bottom) is 72kph.

EMC2 Top speed on the flat with a tail wind is 46kph, top speed on the flat in a racing bunch, 38kph (but I can't sustain that for too long - about 2-3km and then I fall off)

Giant - my top TT average is 32kph over 25kms, mostly flat but unhelpful wind. Top speed, pushing a big gear, on the flat, no wind (but again not sustainable over a TT distance) is just under 40kph.

Jiffer, sounds like a nice stable - we've got a few too - partner has 4, son 1 has 3, son 2 has 2, son 3 has 2, son 4 has 1, I have 2 (all road bikes) plus 3 mtn bikes, a bmx and my daughter's city bike which we are buying today. We're contemplating building a bike shed/workshop, because our cars are living outside!

Artisan... the wheel set is awesome. My partner bought them for me a couple of weeks ago - he'd had a root canal and felt sorry for himself, so to cheer himself up he bought me those Vipers! The back wheel is 1/3 lighter than his HED disc. I have yet to ride on them because the only nice weather we have had has been while I have been at work in the office! There is a TT Saturday week and I am really hoping for nice weather as I want to use the front wheel. (I need to lose a bit more weight before I can use both of them - great motivation, huh?

MissyMaya, congrats on the road bike - I can't remember if I have seen it or not. But you really need a TT bike too... Really, you do...

Kiwi! Aren't EMCs sweet to ride? I got it and it was just so clean, and smooth and comfortable and just felt like a part of me - and such a purty colour. Eric really knows how to design a niiiice bike. I reckon you made a good choice!!!

Shubie... Belle... BikerHen... Cat... Shelly... thanks all for your comments... when I walk past them this morning, I'm sure my bikes with purr and preen when I tell them what has been said.

LOL, Meg... my bikes? Lie about their age? Never! They always give the age of their most recent upgrade!




And then Zen had to have the last (most amusing) word...

ZenCentury: Originally Posted by RoadRaven... my bikes? Lie about their age? Never! They always give the age of their most recent upgrade!
With that reasoning, Joan Rivers is ten years old

[RoadRaven]

Well conditions were pretty severe... forecast for hurricane winds, turned out to be only severe gale gusts!

Still, we had only 57 turn up to the previous race, and for this one there were 125 riders...

Only about 15 of the women rode in the women's only grade, but it was a good race. However, the organisers cut most of the rides short and our race ended up only being 25.5km long...

Partner and I wondered why - I mean, its either safe to ride or its not, right?

Started well, the controlled start remained controlled with us not getting above about 27kph til we got round the corners and over the bridge... then the pace went on and thats when I got a bit peeved... came round the corner onto Swamp Road with the bunch and then three girls (literally - about early-mid teens) sat up, 3 abreast...

By the time a couple of us had got around them the front bunch were way in front of us. We kept pace with them for a long time at about 33-34kph, but I just couldn't lift it anymore to close the gap, the head and cross gusts were rageous at times and the Caro began to really feel it as she has had a few weeks off her bike. So I did most of the work into the wind as we closed the gap to a woman in front.

So Caro and I picked up the woman infront, a visitor for the day (whom neither of us had met before) and a young woman, Ash caught us so all four us worked well worked well along the next two roads as we wound our way back to the start.

We came in together and the Ash sprinted round me as we came up to the finish, and then the visitor and Caro zipped past me too - I couldn't be bothered, there were no p[oints to be gained (every one in the women's race got 5 points).

It was an excellent workout and a good race and alot of fun to work with others and not come in on my own.

We had an average of just under 29kph, which is not bad considering it was cold and blustery and we didn't have the benefit of the bunch.



This coming Saturday is a time trial (YAAAAAY!) over a hilly course(WAAAHHHH!) .... should be a most excellent workout if nothing else. I am still focused on losing weight so do not expect a "stella" performance...

[Eden]

Hey Raven - where are you! It's been nearly a week since we've heard from you. Hope you're just on vacation or busy and all is well.