Tuesday, December 12, 2006

The Yellow Hornet

Welcome to my grand experiment to creatively channel my obsession with triathlon, cycling and cyclocross into a project that doesn't interfere with my billable hours requirement.

My name is Lindsay Kandra and I am a 29 year old attorney living, working and training in Portland, Oregon. I began competing in triathlons in 2003 to procrastinate from studying for the Oregon Bar Exam. I didn't even own a road bike until two weeks before my first race. Three years later I am the proud owner of two wetsuits, four pairs of cycling shoes, two defunct heart rate monitors, thirteen pairs of rank running shoes, cycling jackets of a dozen different weights and levels of water resistance, zoomers, at least twenty race bibs, a bottomless supply of espresso-flavored energy gels and the Yellow Hornet.

This is the Yellow Hornet. Also known as the "most dysfunctional bike ever allowed in the Allied Aerospace Wind Tunnel:"

The Hornet is most famous for destroying its own back derailleur at mile 4 of the 2005 Pacific Crest Olympic Triathlon. It has munched 2 back derailleurs since that time. The only original component is the front crank; it is a triple that I was too scared to give up for grinding up the back side of Mt. Bachelor at Pacific Crest 2006.

The Hornet is an ornery lass that whines from her bottom bracket anytime forced to go over 16 MPH. Which is basically all of the time.

I still ride the Hornet as I have expensive taste, and, despite the common misperception that lawyers are made of money, I cannot yet afford a replacement. Although I have been accused of keeping the Hornet so that I will always have something to complain about, that is a vicious rumor. In fact, I continue to ride it so that I can have the dubious distinction of riding a bike that is worth less than my race wheels and because I am holding out for the year Orbea releases a hot pink time trial frame.

I hope to use this blog to not only keep myself entertained, but to provide valuable information to my Team in Training mentees and give my race reports a permanent home.

Happy (Indoor) Training-

LRK

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