Merry Christmas.

Zanconato, Part 2: Centerfold Photography

(Editorial Note: This was moved out of the Potpourri Friday post. Why? Because the Zanconato update deserved a life of it's own. But more importantly... Because I can.)


Actually I planned to do this update much sooner and had something more creative in mind. Yet time slipped away so I decided that it would be best to let the finished bike speak for itself when making its debut at the races. Well... as we all know... best laid plans. Even though there has been a spy (Tom Dominic) or two that have seen the completed bike, I'm still not yet prepared to release photos. But to whet your appetite here are some nude shots of the frame taken by Zank before paint.








Well… Maybe one teaser can’t hurt.

The Official Riding With The Devil Theme Song.

(Editorial Note: This was moved out of the Potpourri Friday post. Why? Because I can.)


Since the creation of this blog I’ve been on a quest to find a theme song that fits the spirit of Riding with the Devil. The song needed to embody the creative process and trying to make a happier place in the world. After an exhaustive process of working with some of the finest thrash, death, speed, and grindcore metal bands in the world, the official RWTD theme song has been completed. I hope you enjoy this scrumpdiddleumptious song as much as I do.

Vote or Die!

Thanks Mehul for the link.

Potpourri Friday: Updates, Observations, and Candy Corn.

Just like a Halloween candy bowl, this edition of RWTD is wonderful mix of sugar coated goodness. So lets dig in quickly before the neighborhood kids show up and trick or treat all the tasty tidbits away.

Personal Update
Since my back wasn't healing as quickly as it should have been, my physical therapist referred me to a Doctor of Orthopedics for further evaluation. From my perspective I could not have been referred to a better D.O. in Northeast Ohio. Not only was he a former team doctor for the Cleveland Indians, he is also an active cyclist that competes in duathlons and (as a plus) totally understands the discipline of cyclocross. So after being pricked, poked and prodded (lines stolen from UNBEATABLE - A Bold New Musical) the doctor said I either had a herniated disk or sciatic nerve damage. Herniated disks and sciatic nerve damage are very slow to heal so basically there's not much you can do for either situation other than taking a regimen of Prednisone and a wait and see approach. The Prednisone did its job but it came with a host of side affects like:


• Bloating/weight gain – There are times when I look like I'm 2-3 months pregnant. And thanks again Dan for noticing this week that I'm starting to get a double chin. I guess that’s what teammates are for, huh.

• Migraine headaches.

• Lack of focus.

• Nightmares – One nightmare was so overpowering that I almost leapt out of bed to tackled Laurie as she was getting ready for bed. In the nightmare I thought she was a burglar coming to do harm to us. Yeah... I guess subconsciously I'm still dealing with the hotel break in that happened this summer in Phoenix.

• Inability to sleep.

• Uneasiness/anxiety.


• Quick to anger – As an example I'm flipping off 80% more hypermilers than usual on the commute into work.

• And as a whole I just don't feel like my normal self.

Still it’s been worth it all because this Wednesday the doctor says I'm healed enough to get back in saddle. Just riding close to home or on the trainer is what's prescribed, but no racing. And for the record John, he was very clear on the NO racing. If things continue as they should the doctor believes that I'll be able to participate in the last one or two cross races of the season. So much for best-laid plans of a full season of cyclocross racing.


Economic Stimulus
To help kill the psychological pain of missing cyclocross racing, I started down the path of pippin' out the Zanconato. Now in reality the bike didn't need one thing. You'll have to trust me on this since most of you haven't seen the bike. But as built the Zanconato was put together with some of the finest cross-parts on the market. Other than killing psychological pain I also felt it was my patriotic duty to help drive our country out of the economic recession by spending some money. Though this could be viewed as being self-serving. It's true that it’s in my best interest to spend the money that I’ve earned now before socialism (and don't be fooled... Obama and McCain are both socialists) is voted into the White House and the redistribution of wealth is enacted. So with the help of Zank putting me in contact with Molly Cameron I was able to score some sweet, hand-made, French tubular tires.


These FMB Sprints will set the bike up for dry, fast course conditions and the FBM SSC wheel set will be used for muddy, nasty courses. The Sprint wheel set hasn't been built yet but it will be very similar to the SSC's set up. Working with Molly was a pleasure too. He was very helpful and friendly. Plus he included a signed postcard with the tires! That for me was icing on the cake.



Political Observation

Speaking earlier of politics, it seems that every Presidential election there tends to be one candidate that gets vilified as the Anti-Christ. And this time around it appears that it’s Barack Obama's turn to hold the pitchfork. All joking aside I really hope that he is the biblical Anti-Christ that's been described in Revelations. It just means that Christ is all that much closer to coming back to earth and I'm one more step closer to going to heaven with Him in the rapture.




Have a happy and safe Halloween everybody!

The Spiral of Despair!

This fun course detail was designed by the folks at NYCROSS.com

Personal Update: There's not a jar big enough.

So that I don't have to respond to a ton of e-mails and phone calls about why I wasn't at the first local cross race of the year... Or at any cross races over the next month, here's what’s going on.

Over the Labor Day weekend I slipped a disk in my lower back. But like an idiot I didn’t see a doctor and kept riding the bike, which made the problem worse. Eventually the pain got the to point where I couldn’t ride any more and this past Monday my body had said ENOUGH! The good news is that after one chiropractor visit and three visits to a physical therapist that I now call “Jesus” my back is starting to feel somewhat normal. The bad news is no cross racing until the end of October.

At this point I’m not sure what hurts more… My back or the sick feeling in my stomach from training since the beginning of March, losing 14 pounds, and getting in some kind of race condition so that I wouldn’t embarrass myself in the B’s all so that I can miss a WHOLE MONTH OF CROSS!!!

Trust me on this, there’s not a swear jar big enough for how I feel right now.

Yehuda Moon: Confirmation through humor.

For the longest time I've felt that the worst drivers are those that get behind the wheel of any white cargo van. Whether it was a conscious or artist choice to make the van white, it still feels like validation to what I've been saying for years

Fleet Foxes: One of my new favorite things.

White Winter Hymnal from Grandchildren on Vimeo.

The Pennsylvania clothes dryer.

While visiting family in Pennsylvania over the Labor Day weekend I had the opportunity to use a technology for drying clothes that is hard to come by today. This environmentally responsible technology is found in areas considered to be fly over country where the people cling to their guns and God.

Yet these people should never be so easily dismissed. They are the heart, salt, and soul of this great nation. Instead of talking, they are working hard by the sweat of their brow every day to make change happen for their families, friends, neighbors, and community regardless of who’s living in the White House.

Where's Waldo?

And can you find the cyclocross in this photo?

In case you missed it.

My wife was on the front page of the Sunday Arts section of The Plain Dealer. Laurie shared the page with Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails (which was one of my favorite bands from back in the day). Here's the link to Laurie's article:

CLICK THIS NOW!

Or... You can copy and paste this into your web browser:
http://www.cleveland.com/arts/index.ssf/2008/08/unbeatable.html

Also new to my blog are links to UNBEATABLE's blog, website, book, merchandise, and Journey Projects.


And for the record, The Plain Dealer did spelled my name wrong. :-(

I'm going to show you a picture, and you tell me what that person might say.

Today I came across the above picture while doing research for a potential blog. As it did mine, I hope the photo brightens your day like Ludwig Van Beethoven's dreaded Ninth Symphony.

Thank you Cobra.

Thank you Ricco for renewing my belief and love with Le Tour. You made professional cycling a fun and exciting adventure. As Chazz Michael Michaels once said, "Riccardo Ricco is cycling."


Oh… And by the way, thanks for ripping out my heart like a stone cold bitch.

Dear Blog.

Dear Blog: After riding on my stationary bike for months in the safety and comfort of my home, do you think I should start riding with my friends and teammates on the open road?

Knowing you can always count on me, for sure…

That's what friends are for.


Thank you John for reminding my calf muscles during the ride last night that gym fitness and real life fitness are two different marks of the beast. For all you do, this video is you for.

Forgive me Devil for I have sinned.

It’s been 93 days since my last blog. Life has finally slowed down long enough to brush the cobwebs off this confessional. And that’s no bullsh*t (CLINK, a quarter falls into the Holy swear jar located in a dusty back corner of the confessional near a pile of empty Budweiser bottles). Truly life at times have been more than I’ve cared to handle.

Now I’m not saying that my life sucks because it’s just the opposite. Just so we’re clear, the life of Donny Frey rocks harder than the 1988 Monsters of Rock Tour. It’s just there have been some potholes along the way that went beyond running out of backstage passes for groupies and Jagermeister. Rather than getting into the nitty-gritty details, like snorting ants with Ozzy Osbourne and Tom Boonen, I’ll just cover a few of the highs (pun intended) and lows.



• Some of you are probably wondering, “Don… Are you even riding your bike?” The answer is yes. Basically I wake up at 5:45 AM and ride indoors on the trainer or rollers until 7:00 AM. If I’m lucky I’ll get in another one hour, indoor ride in the evening after Andrew is in bed. In jest I’ve told Laurie that the most expensive stationary bikes in Northeast Ohio are at our house.

• Life without Dylan (Old Smeller) is not as sweet. To this day we still miss him. He wasn’t ever a dog to us but a member of the family. Even that last statement trivializes the relationship we had. In realty words can’t describe what he meant and the loss I still feel. Maybe this short Dylan story can give some insight to the loss. One of his favorite places to hang out was under my legs when my feet were on the coffee table. And though he passed away in January, to this day I’m still catching myself to make sure I don’t step on him when getting of the couch.

• After 39 years of being on this big blue marble called Earth I’d come to the conclusion that there was nothing new to learn from my father. I was wrong.

• Growing a full beard is liberating. Shaving it down into the classic Zorro porn mustache… Zabriskie-rific!



• There’s nothing better than putting 28’s on the Colnago and riding the dirt roads back home in Pennsylvania. Don’t believe me? Then let’s go on a road trip and I’ll show you a good time in PA. Dear God… What I’m I saying? Oh no! The Zorro porn mustache has taken over my brain!!

• Andrew’s observation of The Smiths while on trip to Toy’s ‘R Us: “Dad, the singer sounds like Barney. You know… the guy that’s on The Simpsons.”



• Some of you are probably wondering, “Don… Are you ever going to race this year?” The answer is yes. If (and the key word here is if) everything falls into place I’ll be racing plenty of cyclocross. The goal this year was to do some local time trials events, race the Westlake crits at least once a month, and of course race cross. As stated earlier those goals had to be adjusted around the real world and now I’m just racing against myself on the trainer.

• Being awaken before the pre-dawn trainer ritual by Andrew to the tune of “DAD! WAKE UP!! GRANDMA NEEDS HELP!!!” is not the best way to start off your day. Going upstairs to find a two-pint trail of blood from the guest bedroom to the bathroom definitely is not the best way to start off the day.

• Let’s be honest. Riding and racing are a lot like the lyrics to the song by Judas Priest, Pain and Pleasure… You give me pain, but you bring me pleasure. So when Campagnolo teamed up with Trojan Brand Condoms to redesign the rubber hoods for the 2009 shift levers I got… well, how would you say… a little aroused.



• Start saving your pennies everyone. Laurie’s book, UNBEATABLE - The Whole Story, will be published at the end of the month and will be available through all major bookstores and Amazon. If asked nicely there’s a good chance she’ll be able to arrange a signed copy of the book for you. But only for a price so start saving your pennies. :-) When more details are available I’ll post an update.

• This is classified information for Dave only. If your name isn’t Dave or your initials are not DS then the information below is not for you. I repeat…STOP READING THIS TOP SECRET, CLASSIFIED INFORMATION IF YOUR NAME IS NOT DAVE!

Hey Dave, you can get the (un)official Riding With the Devil t-shirt at velogear.com.

• Some of you are probably wondering, “Don… Is the Zanconato cyclocross bike one sweet pimped out ride?” The answer is… HELL YEAH!!!


Well this is the abridged version of the past 93 days of living the rock star lifestyle with Donny Frey. The audience is calling for the band to get on stage for an encore so I’m going jump back into the limelight. The show must go on.

The Official Riding With The Devil T-Shirt.

I was so upset the shirt was no longer in my size that I had to add a few coins to the 2008 swear jar. :-(

How observant are you?

Stop me if you think that you've heard this one before.

The Smiths are the pioneers of the bike messenger/fixed gear fashion genre. Seriously … the only thing separating this video from todays Portland bike culture is the lack of oversized, $600 messenger bags and custom-made cotton cycling caps.

All my heros are weirdos.

Ladies and gentlemen, can I please have your attention.

I've just been handed an urgent and horrifying news story. I need all of you, to stop what you're doing and listen. Winter storm warning!

With the winter Apocalypse upon us there's no better time to enjoy the high life.

Sheldon Brown: 1944 - 2008

Sheldon Brown was cycling's version of the Encyclopedia Britannica. His website was my first reference to the world of troubleshooting bicycle related problems, especially when there was frame shimmy issues happening with one of my bikes. Godspeed Sheldon Brown.

Now that's just super.

These are the three best ads from Super Bowl XLII. How do I know that they're the best? After 19 years in the advertising/design industry I know what makes an ad worth merit... Plus I'm never wrong. Enjoy.

3. Timberlake's performance in this commercial is 'N Sync.

2. A magical blend of beer, basketball, and Will Farrell.


1. Audi makes an offer I couldn't refuse. Plus spending $5.4 million for a 1-minute "borrowed interest" spot has got to get you something.

Hurry kids! Gather around the TV!! It’s time for our favorite show!!!

Nothing warms a house better than Uncle Jesse jamming out some metalcore while teaching the younglings to be little tramps. :-)

Food for thought... Where are your hands?

Photos by Sint Netels

A few days ago I read this on the Road Bike Review cyclocross forum,

The main thing to be learned from watching any current pro video is that the best guys ride the hoods exclusively. Don't give yourself too many options during a cross race. Options=chances to waste energy while at your limit. Hoods are the best place for all parts of the course, and drops are for the final sprint. Tops are for riding to the beer store.

This weekend starts the process of dialing in my cyclocross position on the Zanconato. Though a large mount of the Indy Fab fit will transfer to the Zank, the main focus will be making sure that I’m the most comfortable on the hoods. About 5 months ago I had made this decision prior to reading the above thoughts on the subject because I too had made the same observation of how the Euro pro’s were racing. Hey… You can’t argue with their results. :-)

Keep your eyes peeled for Part 2, 3 and 4 of the Zanconato cyclocross bike build. Lots of updates are on the way!

John (EPO) Ehrlinger

Cartoon courtesy of In the Bleachers by Steve Moore.

Idgit's for Iowa.