"Let me tell you what I think about bicycling. I think it has done more to emancipate women than anything else in the world. It gives women a feeling of freedom and self-reliance. I stand and rejoice every time I see a woman ride by on a wheel.. the picture of free, untrammeled womanhood." ~ Susan B. Anthony

Monday, April 16, 2012

Dogma for sale!

Yup, Gj's given up the Dogma!
Ridden very little (compared to me!!) as Gj typically used another bike for riding.  This was his 'Sunday Best' and he probably put less then 4,000kms on it since I bought it for his 40th birthday 6 years ago.

Details:

2005 Pinarello Dogma FP AK-61  Magnesium  Fassa Bortolo Team Edition
Custom made for Fabio Sacchi with lot of Fassa Bortolo gear extra.
  
Up for consideration is an authentic 2005 Team Edition Fassa Bortolo
Pinarello Dogma FP AK-61 Magnesium.

This bike was bought from the Pinarello factory in the Summer of 2006 after the closure of the Fassa Bortolo Team and Fassa Team riders Alessandro Petacchi and Fabio Sacchi joined the newly founded Team MILRAM in 2006.

This is a truly unique bike and has the race-number tab on the underside of the top-tube and also has the FB-13 as part of the frame serial number on the bottom bracket.
The frame also has the SACCHI name stickers as well as his #3 on the seat stay.

It is worth noting that Sacchi was part of the lead out train supporting Petacchi in several wins during 2005 and prior years and that he won the Milano  - San Remo stage race that same year.

The Bike is fully original and as ridden by Sacchi.  The only modification was that I changed the Deda Newton Stem from a 150 to a 130 as this reach was a bit too long for me.  I can include either stem and up to you.

Bike as all Campagnolo Record 10 sp ULTRA and the Magnesium Tubing is Dedacchiai AK-61
Pinarello Dogma AK-61 is to my knowledge the only Magnesium frame road bike that went to mas production and Pinarello was very successful with this model being the choice of the Fassa Bortolo Team and Alessandro Petacchi.
2006 was won on the AK-61 Dogma as well and by Spaniard Pereiro.

Frame condition is good but as this was a race bike, there are some small scratches here and there.  I will not attempt to rate overall cosmetic conditions as I find this purely subjective.  I will say it is a beautiful bike and the scratches as noted are mostly found on the White section on the down tube.

The (custom) dimensions of this Frame are listed in the diagram as well as several pictures of the actual bike and ………also what appears to be the same bike in pictures with Sacchi (cannot guarantee this)

I am approximately 180cm tall and the bike fit me well but a bit “stretched out” and too much of a hard core racing bike for the riding I do nowadays.

Buyer of asking price of USD $4000, will also receive the following to outfit your Fassa wardrobe:
  • Full Kit; shirt and bibs and socks all new
  • Fassa jacket (used but as new)
  • DMT Flash Carbon Petacchi edition road shoes (used but as new) size 42 EU.
  • Gloves (used)
  • 2 ELITE Fassa water bottles (66mm)
  • Petacchi framed Dogma poster
  • Shop banner Pinarello Dogma with Petacchi
  • New Pinarello Bar Tape
  • Original Pinarello Bike box (as shipped from the factory)
  • Pinarello stickers

The Bike has MOsT  Pinarello in house brand Wheels and Continental Pinarello edition tires.  These wheels are not the high end race wheels once used on this bike. The Campagnolo Neutron wheels that came with this bike are not in good shape and I am not comfortable selling these – they where added to the bike but not the original wheels  - (Sacchi used Bora G3 Wheels as his race wheels.)
The current Pinarello wheels that will come with this Dogma are virtually brand new and tires appear not worn / new.

The SIGMA computer is also original and has not been changed since the bike was a FASSA Team Bike.

Please see the PDF file with pictures of the Bike and all the gear as described above.

This is a truly unique bike and a collector item.  This is not a forced sale and I am firm on this price and it is relevant considering the price I paid and as little use the bike has had since I acquired it in late 2006.

USD$ 4000,-

For more information, reply and I will contact you.

Thursday, April 12, 2012

In search of a mountain...

With this years unbeleivably intimidating Tour of Friendship coming in just two short weeks, I am desperate for some real climbing.  The race profiles show pitches of over 20% in some places and 10% as an average! 

My little Phu My Bridge is 4.8% at best....

So... off to Vung Tau, there is a hill with some steeper pitches and for teh effort, its the best climbing that can be done here in a day.
From Russia with Love.... I board the noisy HydroFoil for a $10.  Easy trip down teh Saigon river to the Ocean and dropped off at Vung Tau.

 The other side of the Industrial Park.
 My Phu My Bridge....how I don't miss climbing IT today....
 The top of the hill, the "Lighthouse Hill".  It is a 2.3km hill, probably 2.5 from the main road, but the first stretch is really dodgy.  The last bit is also really bad, rough road, broken harsh pavement and very narrow.
 WHOA....what is that in the background?  Trees?  Blue Sky?  OMG...  its nature!  Where are the 24 wheeler trucks?  Where's the exhaust?  My lungs are in SHOCK!
 So pretty!
 Peaceful..
 Serene....
 I am still smiling....  sweated through at least 4 water bottles....  super hot and windy..
 But, I gott'r done!  Eight climbs, 1050m.  I knew I didn't climb 'well', but nothing was a struggle.  I tried harder gearing trying to come up with some idea of HOW 24% would feel. 
 My hostess, Ms. Sang (Mr. Thang's girlfriend) cooked an AMAZING meal for us and her middle daughter.  Quite honestly, it was THE best Vietnamese food I have ever tasted!  I met her at the HTNA tour.  She travelled along with the team.  She was so helpful and clearly, very delightful.  when I told Long I was coming for some mountain training and unsure if Alex could come, he arranged for Thanh to meet me.  He also looked after me during the ride.
 Traditional style eating, on the floor.  Sadly, I am so inflexible, I had to stretch my legs.  I was a bit embarassed.
 Thuy, Sang's daugther (came home early from work to help her mom w/ me!!) Sang, and Thanh.  They treated me like a princess. 

On the ferry at 1:00pm, home by 2:45.... exhausted, sunburned, and happy!

Happy until I analyzed my climbs.... but that's another story!

Saturday, April 7, 2012

Sunrise delight....

Everytime I hear the word delight, I think of "Turkish Delight" a candy that the white witch gave Edmund....

Then of course there's Afternoon delight...

But, I enjoy....the sunrise delight...  a fast paced morning ride.  I am happy to report I am no longer in the back of the pack, but rather mid to front... I pull, I get my put in my place, I laugh, I have a blast!  All of this great fun happens before 6:30am.

A dutch man named Toon filmed the following from his handlebars.  It was his first ride with us...

I am in the bright green jersey and black shorts.  Rather, I am the only one with hair sticking out of my helmet.


Daily morning ride in Saigon, district 7 from Toon Santen on Vimeo.

Sunday, April 1, 2012

Mui Ne again...

I was emailing a friend and he reminded me that my blog has been quiet.  Yeah, probably.  I don't really find a lot of fulfillment in writing about our daily rides in teh Nguyen Van Linh.  I have been much more successful sticking with the guys, even on fast days.  I pull on the top and no longer vie for the not so coveted 'caboose' position.  Mr. Back of the Pack and I.... no longer are riding partners.


Gjermund's folks are in town so we planned a two day trip to Mui Ne (my favorite riding place that is accessible).  I took off at 6am and did some hill repeats, then Gj met me and we headed north to this really great area.  There are a few lakes and the scenery is beautiful with the red sand/soil and trees.  The environment is quiet and serene (as serene as it can be with motorcycles...)
Just beautiful and peaceful.  So happy I am in the kind of condition to enjoy this ride and see this part of Vietnam.  So glad Gjermund joined me for the last part of the ride too.  Unfortunately, he rolled over some glass and got a flat.  He was able to ride back to teh sand dunes and took a Xe Om back to the hote.

Nothing like the name of a Singaporean Pub on your b-hind to accentuate its size!  LOL!