Downers Grove

This past weekend was the final bit of racing for the Colavita/Sutter Home ladies. We were just outside of Chicago for the National Criterium Championships. It was a wet weekend for sure. I can’t recall so many crashes in a crit before. The team rode fantastic and set up Tina for the win. She came through with her unbeatable sprint and thanked the team for getting her there.



Me in the pit after one of the larger crashes.


Tina wins again!


Andrea doing her job well.


Alison stringing it out in front of the two best sprinters in the field.


Tina’s podium. Apparently she got champagne in her eye and couldn’t see anything.


There was celebrating that night even though Tina wasn’t there and Mackenzie had a fractured elbow. Andrea, Me, Mack, Nicole. Nicole played her part in the race. She didn’t back down when Brooke Miller tried to muscle her way onto Tina’s wheel. She ended up crashing because of it. Way to sacrifice! After the race I loved how she explained “I wasn’t going to let her (Brooke) have Tina’s wheel. No way!” (I’m sure Brooke may see it differently but that was Nicole’s job to sweep Tina’s wheel)


Yes, once in awhile we have enough time to go out and socialize.

CHEERS!

Summer in Milwaukee

I've been in Milwaukee a whole week now! Wow, that is close to being a record. A huge shout out goes to my friends Bill and Jen Koch. They were married earlier this year and Jen has a downtown apartment on the Eastside (cool part of the city) that she is trying to sell. She was gracious enough to let me stay there while I'm looking for a place of my own. So for the past week I've been living the hip urban lifestyle. The weather has been great so I've been enjoying the 40 minute bike commute back and forth to work. I can take all pavement or use the mountain bike or singlespeed to link up a few urban trail sections. Each day I also have the option of which one of the three Alterra Coffee places to visit (See their link in my link section).


Riding along the tracks is one unique piece of singletrack that a neighborhood guy decorates with disgarded junk and train artifacts. Not many people know about this piece of Milwaukee culture.


And then there is a section where cacti grow in Milwaukee. Really bizzarre stuff!


After the tracks and industrial building trail, I eventually ride along Lake Michigan past the Art Museum. Really cool commute I tell ya.



These were some pictures riding around the city the other night from the baseball game,


Wednesday night was Milwaukee Brewer game night. The cast of characters were Tom (the Boss), Eric (Blackhands), Me, Mackenzie (Eric's lady and Colavita rider), Alejandro (Argentina rider), Luca (Italy rider), Gustavo (Argentina rider) and Maryanne (Gustavo's wife visiting from Argentina). We all rode to the stadium. I love stuff like this whem it involves biking there.


Before we got to the stadium we stopped to meet some other friends for a backyard barbeque. The foreigners played american style football and started to get the hang of throwing a spiral.


Miller Park from the nosebleed section.


The gang! I'm not sure what Alejandro and Luca were yelling in their respective Spanish and Italian. Sometimes it's a hybrid of Spanish and Italian that only they understand.


The sausage race. I picked the Italian Sausage (number 3 to win). I believe it was the Brautwurst who won. Milwaukee is known for two things. Beer and sausage. Why not dress up as your favorite sausage and race? Makes sense to me.

I'm leaving tomorrow morning for the weekend's racing in Downers Grove, Illionois. The U.S. Pro Criterium Championships are Sunday and Tina is the top favorite again this year. Hopefully no crashes in the sprint this year. After that I be back to Milwaukee. Lots of jobs to get done around the office and service course. The rest of the race season for me looks like Tour of Missouri with the guys. Ironman Wisconsin. The bike show in Vegas. Ironman Hawaii World Championships. Ironman Florida. 70.3 Worlds in Florida.

Thanks for reading,

DOUG

More about Lake Placid

Check out Tim Chien's blog in my links. Good description of Lake Placid happenings from Ironman week.

It's all true about my good luck moniker (It's not true about being a Madonna fan though). I can elaborate on that topic even further. Yes, I do have a reputation as a excellent mechanic. Two Lake Placid friends, Karen Lieb and Tanya Deeks say they race better knowing I have looked over their bikes. Karen also feels that it is good luck if I zip up her wetsuit on race morning. I really should market myself somehow. (Berner's Check and Zip, Berner's Lube and Zip, Doug's Flipper and Zipper?)

Here is another testimonial (names changed to protect any privacy issues)

"Dude
If I gave a victory speech at Placid, you would have been the first
person I thanked. I can't tell you how many mechanicals I saw out there on Sunday
including two guys throw their Derailleurs into their spokes...
It is a shame that you don't get the attention you deserve as a
professional mechanic but I want you to know that "Bee Lish" , "J Dizzle", and I couldn't have
reached our goals on Sunday without you and we really appreciate your work!
I guess people don't think about mechanicals until something goes
wrong...then you are the bad guy...not fun. You are appreciated by so many people, keep up the great work."

-Special, "Have you seen my ball", K

I didn't make this up for any self promotion but if you'd like my autograph I can arrange something. How about a TV reality series? Everyone else has one.

Seriously though, it is awesome to know that people appreciate something I do as well as all the other pro mechanics out there putting in long hours for not much pay because in the long run we love what we do.



Doug

Cast of Characters Chapter 3

During a 7-day stage race like Altoona, one day seems like the previous day (ie-Groundhog Day). Up by 7am, coffee/breakfast, load bikes, transfer to start, unload bikes, tire pressure, get caravan car ready, start line hangout, tell stories with other mechanics, 3-4 hour race in the caravan, load bikes, drive back to house, unload, wash bikes, change tires as needed, check over, lube, eat, shower, maybe relax, bed by 11am. It's not neccesarily all in that order. It depends on if it's a morning or afternoon start. Either way it's a long day for 7-days. I work with some nice girls and really appreciate when they notice that their bike worked well and they let me know that.


While sitting in the team car during a race one of my jobs besides wheel changes or bike changes due to crashes or flats, I help Jim pay attention to the race radio. When there are breaks up the road the officials broadcast the ride's numbers to each team vehicle. That way each team knows who is in the break and plan their strategies. Moving pieces like a chess game. My notebook shown here may look like chicken scratch but it is a log of that days events. Rider numbers, names, team groupings, bonus sprints, QOM placings, post-race drug testing. Like many mechnics you learn to listen to race radio with one ear and the rider radio with another ear in addition to taking a quick cat nap.


There are only a few times throughout the season where riders and staff can become normal people. These are fun times because the business of racing is off our minds and we can just relax. The last night of Altoona there was a host family barbeque. Besides Team Colavita the Expresscopy team joined us. I've worked with some of the Expresscopy riders before that were on Colavita or Quark so it was nice to all have a few laughs.


I should have used a little sunscreen while in the wheel pit. Red Face.



After Altoona we headed to Winston-Salem, NC for the week for a couple of crits in Charlotte and Winston. This is our host's dog Pielot who is one cool dog. He never tires out from dog play. It was nice to see this little guy again. The minute I walked in he seemed to remember how much fun we had last year.

Cheers

Cast of Characters Chapter 2

Julie and Kenny are the owners of Placid Planet Bicycles in Lake Placid. This is where I used to work for 10 years. During Ironman week the shop is open 24 hours a day. On the night before the race they have a staff dinner to unwind from such a hectic schedule. Funny, but working at the shop prepared me for a job as a pro team mechanic. Long hours and eating on the run. Although I don't work there, they always have invited me to come to the dinner to hang out with my friends from the local bike shop scene.


A shot from the Ironman. Lake Placid has one of the best spectator turnouts. There are about 2200 athletes. If each one has on average 4 family members that's close to 9,000 people hanging out. I bet there are even more than that though. More like 15,000 people on race day. All that in a town with a population of about 3,000 people and 3 traffic lights.


Fernando from the Navigators team at Altoona. He was probably messing with Eric's van.


Andrea has the boys listening intently to her story of how she tried to scare abear away that was trying to eat her last Cliff Shot while on a mountain bike adventure in rural West Virginia.


Colavita butt warming up for the Team Time Trial at the Tour of Altoona.



The ladies peloton.

Cast of Characters

YO!

Busy, busy, busy. That should be the title of the last 4 weeks or so (In addition to an unfair summertime cold that wiped me out for a week before that). There have been long days, long drives, short naps, short tempers, no wireless, no cell coverage and wonderful moments all wrapped up like an overstuffed burritto from Chipolte's.

Let me introduce you to a small smattering of the people I see and interact with that makes up my world. I'll probably be posting these in pieces so keep checking back.


Actually this is a picture of how the TIMEX truck should not look. I was shocked to see it in such disarray. Just had to vent for a second.


Here is a character that can do it all. Chris Davidson was working with the Lipton ladies at Nationals (Seven Springs, PA). He is shown here making sure Amber Neben was all set also.


The ladies before the start.


After Nationals I was off to Lake Placid, NY for Ironman Lake Placid. From right to left is Keith Meyer, his wife Brooke, and Brooke's brother Jay. Keith and Jay were Ironman newbies. I was proud of my bro Keith who finished with a very respectable time. I was proud of Brooke too. I don't want her mad at me. Great job Brooke!


The Ironman Lake Placid swim start. It always gives me chills. They say you have no idea what it's like until you actually do one.


MORE LATER,
DOUG

Tidits for now

Getting requests for an update. It's coming. It's going to be a huge one. For now here are a few tidbits.

This is a nice article by my friend Heather about racing as a mom. I'm sort of mentioned. Wow! I'm in an actual Cyclingnews article.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/riders/2007/diaries/uswcdp/?id=uswcdp0710



Where's Waldo (me) in there. Hard at work or hardly working. You make the call. That's one of my bikes winning a race again (Tina Pic).

Cheers until later. Check back soon. I figure if I telling everyone I am updating soon it will happen.
DOUG

Look around once in awhile.

Chris Davidson recommended I update the blog. Thanks for the inspirational uplift. Actually it was more like update the freaking blog already Doug. I thought I didn't have any material or witty thoughts worth mentioning but I forgot I took a few pictures at the Nature Valley Grand Prix. The race went pretty smooth and the ladies did well. It kind of came and then went. My highlight of the week was the annual Chipolte burrito feed after the downtown Minneapolis criterium. I was looking forward to it for two days and planned my meals and snacks for peak "hungriness". I also discovered a great listener supported radio station called The Current. Google "The Current" and you can listen via a webcast version.

Got to meet Bill Armas and Calvin from the Park Tool company which is located in St. Paul, MN. Park Tool is our supplier of bike supplies such as tools and repair stands. The riders probably aren't directly associated with this sponsor but it helps us mechanics do the great work that we do so I was pleasantly surprised to receive a shiny new repair stand and work table from Bill. Thanks guys! Calvin writes a great piece on the Park website dealing with all things mechanic. He also took a picture of my tool box which you can find on the website too (www.parktool.com). Only mechanics would find this mildly amusing so I wouldn't expect anyone to spend their free time searching for it but it's flattering to me I guess and makes me blush like a little boy who was praised for a job well done in gym class on archery day. HA!


When I tell people what I do for a living many guys think I have the life traveling around with a bunch of woman bike racers. Here's a reality check. When not racing, bike racers are resting and elevating their legs and wearing their compression socks. It's not always exciting but it certainly can be amusing to look around once in awhile. THOUGHT OF THE DAY...take a look around behind you and you may see something you might not be expecting. Got to love it!


I thought this was a good picture of Alex signing some jerseys. The "future of the sport" rode strongly even though she was covered in road rash and bruises from crashing on day 1. Alex won the QOM jersey signifying the best climber in the race.


I set up the trainers in the shade of the Jelly Belly team RV. Very colorful place to warm up.


To put a face with those black compression socks in the back seat of the van... Here she is...Miss Jamaica... Iona brings me great coffee from Jamaica. I don't consider it compensation for bringing me a dirty bike at all. I consider it a friendly gesture from one coffee lover to another to please her steely-eyed mechanic who actually can smile once in awhile. NO PROBLEM MON! (my sister Amy gave me a t-shirt with that saying on it. I wonder what happened to it. It would be nice to have it again)

What's next? I'm headed to New York state for a little family time and then on down to Seven Springs, Pa for Nationals. Then up to my stomping grounds of Lake Placid for Ironman with the TIMEX team. After that it's back to PA for the Altoona Stage Race.

Cheers for now.
Doug

Father's Day

Father’s Day 2007

Once in awhile someone will ask me how I learned to work on bikes. Usually, I mention I took to it as a kid working on my own bikes. There is more to that brief explanation for sure. I did tinker around with bikes but good old dad brought on most of that tinkering. You see, as far as I knew, Dad’s were supposed to fix everything around the house. My dad, Jackson E. Berner, fixed, maintained, or built most everything in our house growing up. Whether it was fixing the car or building a deck, he did it all so I’m sure that’s where my fascination with mechanical or “do it yourself” things comes from.

I’ve seen what an influence my dad was on me. For one thing if he didn’t know how to do something, then he taught himself with a book and gave it a go. He also instilled in me having the right tool for the job. Our garage and basement workshop was loaded with all sorts of tools. I remember as a kid loving to look through all the drawers. As I got older he never said don’t touch but rather showed me how to use tools. Mostly he led by example rather than formality. Some of the tools in my toolbox are his tools. I even have stuff that was from his dad. I like the history of those tools and enjoy when I can use them in their honor.

One fond memory I have was the first thing I ever took apart on a bike. I inherited my brother’s ten-speed but it needed to be re-assembled. I don’t know whose idea it was, but we decided to take apart the guts of a 5-speed freewheel. This sounds ridiculous now but it made perfect sense to clean it out and re-grease the thing. I’m pretty sure we (actually he) had to make a tool to get the thing apart. I’m not sure it was supposed to come apart but it did. I cleaned all the little ball bearings and pawls to see how it worked and put it all back together. No big deal. If I started with this then I could certainly handle just about anything.

My dad passed away 8 years ago this June. I don’t have him around to show him my cool toolbox but on this Father’s Day it is good for the soul to relate how I came to be good at what I’m doing right now.

Cheers from this professional bike mechanic who was taught by a professional dad,

DOUG

The past month

Pictures of the last month or so:



I spent 2 short night in Lake Placid before heading to Montreal. I stayed with my friends Randy and Lisa. Randy has the outdoor shower hooked up. It is a pleasant Adirondack experience.


My friend the “bead lady”. Stacey owns Just Bead It which is a bead store in Lake Placid. I really don’t feel that tall.


Here are a couple of the dudes, Bill and Whit, from Placid Planet Bicycles. One of the best shops anywhere.


Literally behind the scenes of a World Cup start in Montreal.


One of my favorite people, Audrey, came by to say hello while we were in Montreal. Audrey was on the team the last two years but is taking a break and going to University as the Canadians say.


That’s the Kiwi Jeff, the Canuck Gina, and another Kiwi, Meshy, from Team Expresscopy before the start in Philadelphia. They are always pleasant people to see at the races.


Iona had the benefit of her personal assistant, Clay, to attend to her every pre-race need. Okay, Clay is Iona’s husband. Iona is the Jamaican national champion therefore her kit is designed around the country’s flag colors. If any of that stuff fit me, we’d be doing some bargaining for sure.


LOCAL FLAVA. This local guy on a Huffy decided to jump into the race and pedal his little heart out. It was hilarious. Eventually the cops got to him though.


Because Rachel’s phone dials me from her pocket, I thought I’d post this picture of her for all to see. Actually it’s a cool picture and shows how steadfast and steely-eyed she is in the face of the onslaught of hungry bike riders looking for a feed. She does make up far fetched stories that involve me that I don’t remember and I can’t convince her she is a little loopy (in a good way). Go Rachel! No, go away Rachel and eliminate me from your speed dial. PLEASE! I can’t take another muffled phone message in which I hear you singing along to ABBA while in your car. It’s all too voyeuristic and it upsets me. Make it stop. Make… It… Stop!

In my shoes

When I was signing in to my blog account I noticed it said the last time I updated was May 10th. That seems like ages ago and a lot of racing and traveling has happened since then. I wrote this piece below about 10 days ago so I'll wet your appetite with this until I get some time to do more updating. I've noticed I'm not the only one updating that much. Many "cyclist's blogs" are stuck in limbo due to all the racing and traveling that occurs this time of season.

Enjoy my "one day in the life of a pro mechanic" piece.

Tour de Grande Montreal, Tues, June 5, 11:37pm – Today was one of those unique workdays that happens in the life of pro mechanics. Not a typical day but at the same time not unheard of so I thought I would give you a hour by hour, blow by blow of what you could be doing in my shoes (I thought it might help me to relax since I’m a bit wired to go to bed).

6:03 am – woke up not knowing where I was for a second. Oh yeah I’m staying at the University of Montreal dorms. College is cool! Right?

6:15-7:00am – Made myself pretty with a shower and stuff like brushing the teeth. Boy, do I need a haircut!

7:00 – 7:45am – Bacon and cheese omelet with diner coffee. Then on the way back to the University bought a latte to suck on while working.

8:00 – 11:30am – Because the yesterday’s stage started at 5:00pm and ended about 8:00pm I didn’t get back to the trailer until about 10:30pm. Therefore I decided to wash and tune the bikes this morning. And because it was pouring rain yesterday the bikes were especially dirty. Loaded the spare bikes and wheels on the car.

12:00-1:00 – Managed to budget my time wisely and thought I’d put on the chamois for a little spin on the bike. Stopped at Subway for a sandwich to bring back too! Italian BMT for those keeping track.

1:30-2:00pm – Descended the elevator from the 17th floor of the dorm to load the race bikes on the van.

2:00-2:15 – Waited for the 2:15 departure and consulted the map.

2:18-3:30ish – Drove to race venue.

3:45- 4:15pm – unloaded bikes and applied rainy day lube to the chains since it looked like it was going to be another wet one for the ladies.

4:15-5:30 – Joked around with other mechanics about previous days stories from the caravan. Waited in line for the porta-potty. Drank a diet-coke. Adjusted a front derailleur (typical last minute nervous rider adjustments).

5:30-8:20 – Sat in the caravan and watched it get really dark and rain down buckets of water. Puddles were very deep in places. Ran out once for a crash in the peloton but none of our riders were down. Can’t believe there weren’t more crashes. Lots of flats today. For other teams though, not Colavita. We had zero flats. Some teams were getting multiple call ups for service.

8:30-8:45pm – Within 15 minutes I had the race bikes loaded onto the team car so I could bust out back to Montreal while the riders got dressed and got something to eat at the dinner banquet.

8:45-10:00pm - Time to myself to listen to the radio while I drive back to Montreal.

10:00-11:30pm – When I got back to the trailer the weather had gotten really windy and the temperature was down to 45 degrees which was a bit annoying while trying to wash the bikes. Anyways, there was no time to waste and I got them all sparkly clean again.

12:15pm – I’m now drowsy and will take off my coveralls to go to sleep. That’s about an 18 hour day right there in which people were depending on me to do a great job. Pretty amazing stuff. There is even stuff I forgot to mention. 6:00am wake up call will be here quick I suppose. Tomorrow is a double stage. 11;30am Time Trial and a 7:30 criterium.
We are leaving at 9:00am and will need a few hours beforehand to tune the bikes. NEED TO SLEEP NOW!

Thanks for reading,
DOUG