Rolf Devinci

Being Friday night I have a 2006 Lindermans Bin 10 Merlot in the glass. This is a great selection with "...juicy plum flavors with a smooth finish". Very nice and highly recommended. I actually got out twice this week on the bike which really whetted my appetite for the upcoming season. Sadly I sit here typing while we are suffering through a late season snow storm which is like a dagger through my cycling heart. I had planned on going on my first club ride of the season Saturday morning but now have resigned myself to the gym. The weather should be decent tomorrow with plus temps and sun but the roadways will be sloppy. Without fenders I would not ride a club ride and gain the displeasure of my mates. That said I can`t help but feel rather pathetic. My friend "S" has sent me another update regarding her shoulder and the lack of progress. I`m complaining cause I can`t do a club ride in March and she faces a potential loss of the sport she loves and(possibly)never ...

The cycling gods smiled upon me and the day turned out to be lovely. Blue skies, sunshine and chilly but not cold. Barely any wind to speak of made for a decent March cycling evening. Felt good to be back on a real bike as opposed to a stationary spin bike at the gym. I headed out Dunbrack and discovered an ideal training route. On the top of Main avenue a new subdivision is being built and is home to brand new pavement, little traffic after the construction crews go home and some serious climbing. I ended up doing a loop where I climb towards the telecommunications tower then recover on a scorching downhill complete with a couple fast corners.I was there for an hour and had three vehicles past me. Nice! This is an ideal location to train for the AMP race scheduled in May as it simulates the race course quite well. Legs felt good after I got through the first couple loops but I definitely have some work to do despite a winter of gym work. Nothing is better training for the bike than...

Happy Easter; Since Good Friday is a holiday hereabouts it was a short work week and in the glass tonight is a Jackson-Triggs Cabernet Savignon. A Canadian selection it is "vinted in cool climate style, our Cab....is full bodied with subtle blackcurrent....a dry, well balanced wine with pleasing notes of tannin and oak on the palate." The vintners are also the official supplier to the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. I am still holding out hope to get in the first ride of the 2008 season on Saturday but the forecast is looking borderline at best. Regardless I swapped out the dingy, dirty white bar tape with new Easton cork tape. A powerful value I got it retail for just over $10(CDN)and comes with real nice bar plugs. I prefer the look of white as it matches my bike frame`s graphics but gets dirty so quickly, especially since I do not wear gloves. Sweat, dust and sunscreen doesn`t compliment white bar tape.I picked up good old basic black. Black is the new white this summer se...

After viewing the QE2 dream houses this week I bought a ticket but also was inspired to spruce up my current townhouse. As a result I have started to paint beginning with the entry way and kitchen. Tonight I purchased two additional colors; Ivory Coast and Distant Mountain in preparation to moving into the dining/living room. In the glass tonight is a Chilean Frontera Cabernet Savignon/Merlot.It possesses a "fruity character with red plum and chocolate aromas, a soft flavor and medium body..." Perfect for a weekend of painting. On the brush tonight is a Glidden Sisal and Sudan Sand interior acrylic latex as I touch up the entry way and kitchen. Got my Dura Ace chain in the mail yesterday so I dropped my ITT bike off to the shop to be professionally built up. I should have it home next week to begin aerodynamic trials to zoom in my bike fit.....weather permiting of course. I`m pretty excited about a new bike to the stable. Thanks again to Eric W for his generosity that enab...

Tonight`s selection is a(Spanish)red wine, a 2005 Torres Sangre de Toro;"....(made from)the highly prized grapes of the region,Garnacha and Carinena." I have never sampled a Spanish wine let alone have any familiarity with these particular grape varietals so it was a pleasure to open the bottle. Very nice. It comes on the heels of a very busy week at work. There are some changes afoot and I expect to inherit additional duties as part of a department reorganization. Alas...they keep paying me and I keep lifting....lol. The weather has been very Spring like so I am getting anxious to get back on the bike but at the same time I have been very surly. Not quite sure why other than I`m just getting more cranky with age. Perhaps I need to have Friday night wine twice a week.....(wink). The good news is my treatments with Dr. B have been a success and I`m feeling pretty darn good. Still some residual stiffness but my neck/shoulders feel much improved. Time goes ahead tomorrow so ...

From the club`s MSN Group.... "Exercise performance is highly dependent on hydration. A loss of just 1% of your body weight (from sweat) will increase your average heart rate by 5-10 bpm and decrease your exercise performance. A big part of staying hydrated is understanding YOUR body and knowing your sweat rate. It's easy to do on your next workout. First, weigh yourself before you exercise. Then consume your regular amount of fluid during activity. Weigh yourself after exercise. If you are the same weight, then you did a great job hydrating your body. Chances are you will have lost some weight. Each pound you lose means you should have drank an additional 500mL (0.5 L) fluid. For example, a cyclist weighs 165 lbs before a ride and consumes 1.5L of fluid during a 3 hour ride. Post-ride the cyclist weighs in at 163 lbs. He needs to consume an additional liter of fluid during this 3 hour ride - for a total of 2.5 L to maintain hydration...." I will admit I do n...

In the glass today is a 2005 Navarro Correas 2005 Malbec....." flavors of ripe plums, cherries and raspberries combine in this generous full bodied wine...". Gotta say I`m really developing a taste for the South American Malbecs.MMMMMMMMM. Last night was customer appreciation night at Bicycles Plus so my Friday night wine selection got postponed till today.I have a ham baking in the oven and red wine in my glass while I watch the snow accumulate as we are getting hit with a March snowstorm. March is in like a lion but,hopefully,will go out like a lamb. Picked up a Giro Advantage aero helmet last night to complete my time trial kit which matches the club skinsuit purchased in 2007. Also purchased a cycle computer for my ITT bike which is one bottom bracket away from being ready to be built up. Also picked up a bag of coffee beans roasted by Java Blend exclusively for Bicycles Plus called the EPO blend, a tongue and cheek reference to the drug of choice for pro cyclists. ...