Monday, November 8, 2010

You See Eye, then Eye Dee Why

Last week was a rough one.  Between the garbage that I am dealing with on Ebay trying to sell off some bikes we don't ride, to my father drunk dialing me and causing aggravation I was not on such stable ground.  On the way to the CX race on Saturday morning I didn't have much to say during the drive.  Allison asked if I wanted to talk and I said "No, I am going to get this out of my system during the race."

The course was awesome!  I really enjoy when the course is well thought out and has some technical nature to it.  I hate the wide open roadie style stuff.  It just isn't any fun.  I can handle getting my butt handed to me, but I want to at least have some fun doing so!

I made my first mistake of the race before the start.  I thought that the 35+ 1/2/3 would start in a second wave behind the non-Elite 1/2/3 so I didn't push forward or try to get there early because I thought I would get a call-up.  WRONG.  When I found out moments before the race that we were going to start at the same time I tried to push forward but only made it to around the 4th row.  I did my best to pick off a few riders before the first turn, but then was forced to follow for the most part.



At the sand pit I experienced something entirely new.  I had dismounted and saw an open line around the outside of the turn so ran hard.  I was really lucky as riders had piled up on the inside!  On the exit turn though any advantage I had gained was erased by some guy flailing around.  I was naturally on the inside of the corner and when he saw I was remounting to pass he pushed his bike into mine and shoved his crank arm through the spokes of my front wheel.  I just don't understand why people race like this.  I desperately tried to separate the bikes while this guy tried to charge forward in a mindless fury.  Precious seconds were lost but I was finally able to start racing again.



Not too long afterward I saw James Walsh slide the rear end around in a high speed corner and go through the tape.  Looked like he came out unscathed though and I expected him to be passing me again some time later (he did, and Allison caught the moment as I cheered for him as he went by)



I was trying to race hard and was moving forward in the field when someone racing over their head lost control and slid across the track in front of me.  Once again I lost precious seconds trying to avoid a pile up.  It was a high speed sweeper leading into an up hill section and I had to push deep into the red to not lose too many spots.






Not long after that happened another rider lost control through a bumpy section of course with a bit of an off-camber banking.  He skidded and slid across the entire width of the course and despite my best attempt to go around on the outside he managed to wind up with his cranks stuck in my front wheel!  Something about my front wheel seemed to be a magnet for other people's cranks!!!!


Later in the race I was on the high speed dirt section that had a loose right hand sweeper and as I neared the corner I saw Jeff (race promoter) trying to repair the tape in a spot where many had gone down.  I had no idea if someone was down in the course or what had happened.  It looked like he was standing in the course and I totally saw the impending crash!  I slammed both brakes and yelled "SHIIIIT!!!"  Somehow despite both tires locked, sliding sideways through some branches overhanging the inside of the corner, and Jeff's eyes bulging out of his head like a cartoon, I managed to hold it together and stay upright and Jeff lived.  More precious seconds lost, but I kept charging.



I guess I was lucky in that I never hit the ground and all that these incidents cost me were small chunks of time.  In the end I wound up top ten overall and I am pretty sure I was 4th in 35+.  I really enjoyed the course and the racing.  The last lap saw me battling for position with another rider that I caught from behind.  We exchanged positions a couple of times and the sprint to the line was very close.  I think he might have had half a wheel diameter on me.  Great fun!

After Allison's race (I tried to stay warm by running around yelling at her to go harder) we rode up to the Griffith Observatory and down the other side of the hill.  The views of the Hollywood sign, the downtown LA skyline, and the Observatory were really nice.



Sunday morning we headed up to Idyllwild to battle a two-headed snake.  Low cadence force work on the climbs, and speed and bike handling on the descents.  The weather turned out perfect and the trails were stellar!  My legs responded well despite the previous day's punishment and I had a blast shredding single track and giving Allison a rabbit to chase!!!



I am quite sure it is impossible to convey over the inter-webs on a blog post just how incredible I felt tearing up the corners and airing off bumps, racing against no-one and everyone at the same time, Allison fixed on my back tire like a heat seeking missile, tires slipping and clawing for traction, a moment of silence as we take flight over the crest of a natural table top jump in the trail.  The fist bumping when we got to the fire road in celebration of a victory, that we had conquered nothing but time and distance and the boundary between life and living.  I love riding bikes with my wife!


Happy Monday.

Thursday, November 4, 2010

I Hate Selling Things.

Here is the correspondence from the Ebay buyer that bought my Lenz.  Not only does selling things suck, people suck.


You have agreed to issue a full refund of $2,170.00 when the item is delivered to you.Nov 04, 2010 at 2:39 PM
Refund information:
You need to issue a refund of $2,170.00 through PayPal when the item is delivered.
Your return address:
Justin Mann
Your Return Instructions:
"The fork was in perfect working order when it left my garage. I am guessing that you have damaged it maliciously. I thank you for damaging what will be my property again while ripping me off for the Paypal, Ebay, Boxing, Shipping, Time, and Stress. I fully believe that what comes around goes around. Have a day."
The buyer has responded to you.Nov 04, 2010 at 2:38 PM
Buyer's message:
"I accidently closed this case and accepted the refund...I DO NOT ACCEPT the REFUND of $200.00...there is over $1,000 worth of damage to this ITEM that was not represented in the ad."

The buyer has responded to you.Nov 04, 2010 at 2:34 PM
Buyer's message:
"The fork is broken, read my latest comments...you misrepresented this item. I will dispute with my credit card company next. Thank you."

You have responded to the buyer.Nov 04, 2010 at 2:31 PM
Your message to the buyer:
"You accepted the partial refund and now you are changing your mind? I really smell foul play here. The bike was represented accurately at the time that it was posted to EBAY. I will refund the $200 as you accepted and be done with this."

The buyer has responded to you.Nov 04, 2010 at 2:29 PM
Buyer's message:
"I will not accept the $200 as I was just inspecting the bike and discovered a major crack through the crown of the fork which is leaking oil and not containng the upper stanchion seal. The fork is broken and is not in any shape to ride...this fork retails for $1000 today. I will ship the bike back with a full refund plus shipping/packing charges or we can negotiate on a refund of $1000. I do not accept the bike in this condition as none of these findings were disclosed in the listing and neither would anyone else. It's evident that this bike was not represented correctly. "

The buyer has accepted your partial refund offer of $200.00.Nov 04, 2010 at 2:27 PM
Refund information:
A partial refund of $200.00 through PayPal by Nov 07, 2010.
Buyer's note:
"I will not accept the $200 as I was just inspecting the bike and discovered a major crack through the crown of the fork which is leaking oil and not containng the upper stanchion seal. The fork is broken and is not in any shape to ride...this fork retails for $1000 today. I will ship the bike back with a full refund plus shipping/packing charges or we can negotiate on a refund of $1000. I do not accept the bike in this condition as none of these findings were disclosed in the listing and neither would anyone else. It's evident that this bike was not represented correctly. "

You have offered a partial refund of $200.00 to the buyer.Nov 04, 2010 at 2:19 PM
Refund information:
A partial refund of $200.00 through PayPal. If the buyer accepts your offer, issue a refund by Nov 07, 2010.
Your note:
"Fine, I will refund you $200. If you had offered me $1500 you not only wouldn't currently have the bike in your hands, you also wouldn't have won the auction. What I see is someone that bid to win yet knows how to work the system so that he gets what he wants but doesn't have to pay the fair market price (that is what auctions are for). I provided many high quality pictures to determine the condition of the bike and responded to all questions with timely and accurate answers. Please feel free to skip over any auctions by me in the future."

The buyer has responded to you.Nov 04, 2010 at 11:22 AM
Buyer's message:
"I appreciate the responses but let me pose a question to you...if you received an item that was broken, bent or used to the point of requiring replacement but were never informed of it in the advertisement...would you be happy with the price you paid knowing that you paid for an item that was being sold as advertised...? If I saw this bike in person I would have never offered $2,000 but maybe $1,500. I was going through the bike this morning and found that two of the crank arms bolts are seized and the rear derailleur cable is frayed (needing replacement). I should be asking for more but am trying to be fair...$200.00 is what I ask for. I expected a seatpost that was working, that is $150 alone...I have ordered parts (including a new seatpost, equaling $320). I should not have to do this based on the codition the bike was advertised in."

You have responded to the buyer.Nov 04, 2010 at 10:19 AM
Your message to the buyer:
"I am sorry that the Joplin seems to have failed somewhere between the time that I took the pictures and the time the you tested it. I certainly would never purchase another one. I feel that a fair price is what you paid, but am willing to work with you. I am willing to refund $150 and do my best to forget about the whole thing. If this is acceptable I will do so immediately. It boggles my mind that you got a full bike with used top of the line parts for the price of the frame and you feel like you should get a refund. I am sure that you already know that you hold all the cards, but you could part this bike out and make money. "

The buyer has responded to you.Nov 04, 2010 at 10:10 AM
Buyer's message:
"A new Joplin seatpost (the older version, not the new 4") runs $149.00 on sale at Performance right now. Including the other repairs I feel $200 is a fair refund to make this bike purchased as advertised. Thanks"

You have responded to the buyer.Nov 04, 2010 at 6:27 AM
Your message to the buyer:
"I responded the first time and went to bed. You opened a case against me for being a decent person?! I didn't sleep because I was worried that somehow you feel you got ripped off. You couldn't buy one of these frames for what you bought the complete bike! What refund do you want? "Some refund..." is pretty nebulous."

The buyer opened a case: Item doesn't match the descriptionNov 03, 2010 at 10:33 PM
Details provided by the buyer:
The buyer said the item doesn't match your description
The buyer has tried contacting you
The buyer paid on Oct 30, 2010
The buyer contacted you through eBay Messages
The buyer is expecting a solution from you
The item is damaged
Additional information:
"I received the bike today and want to make you aware of a couple concerns of mine prior to leaving feedback, as I hope you will do the right thing. The Joplin seatpost is unusable, it does not hold pressure and is leaking oil everywhere (broken)...the rear wheel is out of true and will need replacing after one or two more trueings. The rear derailleur arrived bent, in the spokes...not sure this is something I will be able to fix. The right shifter lens was completely broken...but still usable. Non of the above were disclosed in the ad."
The buyer wanted:
"Some refund..."

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

"I'm kicking my ass! Do you mind?!"

Things have been hectic lately and I have felt absolutely buried beneath piles of "Things To Do".  Unfortunately I don't feel like I am making any headway, and there are only glimmers of things that I actually enjoy.



This last Saturday was one of those glimmers.  The morning was rainy and dreary and the wife was not stoked.  I was sort of pissed because I wanted to ride my MTB in the mountains.  We delayed our ride to the afternoon and it turned out to be one of the most awesome days on the bike in recent times.  I don't have pictures of my own so I will steal one of hers...  (missing you already old buddy)



Sunday we raced CX again.  I am seriously over getting my ass handed to me by these guys.  It is really hacking away at my confidence.  Allison is making excuses for me saying that my mountain bike is not as well suited to the CX races as an actual CX bike is, but they just feel like empty excuses.  I want to be in the mix.  Allison also likes to remind me how difficult this year has been for me (since April 2nd).  I don't care about all that, I want to be slamming bars with the top dudes like I was.  I did give it all I had on the Beach...




...it just wasn't enough.





Looking at the pictures, I look soft and puffy.  Time to step up my training and get disciplined in my nutrition.  This shit just won't cut it when mountain bike season comes around!!








One thing that definitely keeps me coming back to the CX races is hanging out with all our buddies...



Dave and I were talking about going fishing instead of CX racing...




Till the next time... The Mann Show is out.