Tim Strelecki

1. Woke up to this. 2. Then I got this message. 3. Figured I needed to back it up. If first race nerves don't disappear, that means you still give a sh!t. And, like clockwork, they appeared. WEMS at Alpine Valley is a day of bike fun. Low pressure. Low expectations. Etc, etc. Unless you're me. I have an uncanny ability to apply pressure to every race. WEMS is a race. Just like every other event, you pay money to participate in. But I needed to look at it with a wider lense and use it for a different purpose. Race my race, my way. Execute and pay attention to certain signals along the way. Hydration, nutrition, body, bike. Was it perfect? Hell no. Was it smooth? Meh, at best. Mistakes? Yes. Crashes? Yes, 2x. One slow-mo and dumb. One high-speed compression that blew my hand off the bars. That deep mud puddle softened the blow. Holeshot into the singletrack and apply pressure. Quickly realized I went out faster than necessary. Oh well, made the bed, lie in it. Quickly had only 4 chasers that I couldn't increase the small gap on. Lap 2 gap grew and a young rider clawed back to my wheel. Kids, they fast. Now we're 2. Applied pressure on all downhill tech and realized this was his weakness. Just keep doing that to ensure he's not coming back on the climbs. Success. Gap grew. On a course switchback, I saw his face and knew he fried himself. The bright red face was the tell. From there just stayed steady and tried to execute as mentioned. Debated a 6th lap, but then the high speed get off quickly put that to bed. 5 laps in 2h35m out of the 3h cutoff was it. 6th would have jeopardized things and nobody was gonna rip a 25m lap. See, I can silence my ego. Older and wiser-ish. Overall good day. But there is clearly work to do. On to the next one. 🤟🏻

For Sale: $50 Crank Bros. Candy 7. Good bearings Spin smooth Exactly what you need. DM if interested. Thanks.

ATTENTION ALL RIM BRAKERS! For Sale: $150 Bespoke Aluminum Psimet Wheelset (20/24 hole) •Psimet Aluminum 255 Rims -24.5 width / 21 internal width •Psimet hubs •Sapim brass nipples •11 spd freehub body •Challenge Chicane TLR tires. ( Yes, they come with) •WTB tubeless valves A great entry-level wheelset to get you, or someone you know involved with cycling. Choose gravel, cyclocross, or road for these bad boys. They're lightweight (for aluminum) and roll for days. A great everyday wheelset, or just throw 'em on the the winter for outdoor usage when conditions aren't ideal. Keep the speedy wheels for race day. I'd love to pass these on to someone in need at a fraction of the cost of new. Cooked up by @brassnippler & hand-built by @lrsanda DM me @t38s if you're interested. Let's do this!

FOR SALE: $80 •Shimano S Phyre off-road shoes •Size: eu 42.5 (us 8.5-9) •Stiffness index 12 •Shoe bag included Can provide some (used) cleats just to get you rolling. DM me if you're interested : @t38s

FOR SALE: $800 2014 Trek Boone 9 Cantilever (size 52) F/F: 2014 Trek Boone 9 Cranks: Shimano Ultegra 6800 172.5 Chainring: Wolftooth 110 bcd 42t Chainring bolts: Wolftooth red anodized Casette: Shimano Ultegra 11spd (11-28) Chain: Shimano Ultegra Rear Derailleur: Shimano RX mechanical w/clutch Bars: Easton EA50 42cm (80r/120d) Bartape: Zipp Service Course Headset FSA Stem: Raceface (90mm) Shifters: Shimano Ultegra Brakes: Avid Shorty Ultimate w/swiss stop pads Wheels: Psimet Hubs: White Industries T11 Spokes: CX Ray Tires: Challenge Flandrien Team edition TL Saddle: Selle San Marco Shortfit Seat mast: Trek 5mm offset 135mm -Additional 20mm offset 135 & 175mm included **k-edge chainguide NOT included, sorry** This one is hard to say goodbye to. It's one of the most fun bikes I've ever ridden. Light as a feather. Quick and nimble. Compliant. It's a great entry-level bike for anyone interested in trying CX. OR a perfect beginner bike for gravel, despite what the internet tells you you need to have fun on gravel roads. It a pure bicycle. Just as they were meant to be. Simple and fun. Again, DM me if you or someone you know is interested. It's a steal, and I want someone in need to have it. You deserve to have fun.

FOR SALE: $2,800 2025 Haro Rivette (size 51) F/F: Haro Rivette Drivetrain: Shimano Ultegra 12spd Di2 Chainrings: Ultegra 52/36*** Cassette: Ultegra 11-30*** Chain: Ultegra 12spd F/R Derailleurs: Ultegra Di2 Wheels: Vision Carbon 45sc Hubs: Vision Calipers: Shimano Ultegra Rotors : Shimano RT-CL800 (160) Tires: Conti GP5000 (28) w/ Pirelli tpu tubes Bars: FSA Energy Compact (38cm) Stem: Haro Stock (120mm)*** Seatpost: Haro Stock D shape Seat collar: internal Saddle: Selle San Marco Shortfit (non-carbon rail) Bar tape: Amazon *** (INCLUDED with purchase/no extra $): Shimano Ultegra 12spd Cassette (11/34) Shimano Ultegra 12spd Chainrings (50/34) Di2 charging cable Color-match specific bar tape (brand new) Additional headset spacers (2) Stock Stems to dial in fit (100 &110) All this can be yours for WELL BELOW market value. This is a great deal, and I'd love to get you, or someone you know, set up and out there smiling. This bike has minimal miles on it, and it's less than 1 yr old. It's a smooth, quality ride with electronic shifting. What's not to love? Help me help you, or someone you love. DM me if you're interested. And spread the word, if you don't mind. I'll take care of you.

Small victory today. Outdoors on the bike for the first time in 77 days. All you're seeing are trees, leaves, dirt, and other various forms of brush as nature begins to come alive again. It's rather unflattering, I know. But what i see is that cold, gloomy, yucky day back in December. The day the conditions won and sent me OTB straight to the orthopedic surgeon. I always like to revisit the areas that have a significant impact on an event in my life. I go there and sit in silence for a few moments and just think and listen. Think about what happened. What came of it. The long journey back. The pain. The rehab. Etc, etc. I also listen for thoughts that pop into my head. Are they meaningful? Useless chatter/noise? Is the universe trying to tell me something? If so, what, and do I need to listen? You learn a lot about yourself when sh!t doesn't go your way. Good things and bad things. Things that make you proud to be you and things that really highlight areas for improvement. Nobody's perfect. I'm far from it and never, ever will be. I don't want to be. That sounds boring. I just want to be a little better than I was yesterday. That's it. That's the goal. Sport for me has always taken precedence over every other thing in my life. It's not the best way to do it. I have selfishly invested a lot of time and energy into being pretty ok at whatever I was chasing. I may have even created another level of selfish unbeknownst to others. This past injury, in conjunction with earning the Level 5 badge, has altered the way I'm looking at my sporting future. It's not over. It probably never will be. But it's changing. Pressure is easing. More fun is needed. I like carrots. They're fun to eat. And to chase. However, the carrot that's halfway up the mountain tastes just as good as the one all the way up top. I'm speaking from experience. Wherever you're at in life, be proud of it today. For the good and the bad. They've both helped to shape you into the person you are. But don't settle. Get up each day and just try to do a little better. For you and those you love. Focus on what makes you happy and do more of that. If you don't know, search. You'll get there.🫶🏻

Normally, you come here for bike stuff. Well, there's none of that lately because of injury. So this is a different story. I have always loved running. I have no background in it. I worked hard at it. Got pretty good at it. Abandoned it for a decade. Bike stuff. Then, I started to do more of it in the last few years to prep for the CX season. It's been full circle, and the love is back. I've worked very slowly and methodically to be able to run again. 10 mins. Then 20. Etc. Slow and steady. The time and distance have increased to a pleasing level again. There is just something that I get from running that cycling does not provide. No pressure. No chasing of a goal, a result, or a trophy that will eventually get thrown out. Just enjoyment. I don't expect you to understand. Most of you that visit here are cyclists and probably hate running. I may have reached my ceiling in cycling. with running, I have the ability to get better. The progress is noticeable. The sensations are different. The joy is different. The satisfaction is different. All in the most welcome way. Not to mention, it's far more cost effective, and the barrier to entry is way lower than cycling will ever be. For now, I'll be out pounding the pavé or the local limestone. Numbers will be pinned and times chased. PR's are not going to be broken. For now. A massive shoutout to @krishartner and all the staff @napervillerunco for taking the time to answer all my questions, address my concerns, and make sure I got I to the right shoe for me. Like a bike fit for my feet. If you're in need of some new kicks, whether you're a walker, jogger, or runner, go visit them, and they'll take good care of you. Naperville, S. Naperville, Wheaton and Downers Grove (coming). And for you cyclists, they got all the nutrition you need for whatever you're trying to achieve. Don't waste time waiting for your order from The Feed. Get it same day and get after it. ✌🏻

Nationals. It's been four days, and I'm still digesting this one. The pit in my stomach is growing. Hopefully, I can regurgitate it soon. It's starting to hurt. There's more, but this is not the space for it. Happy Holidays, everyone. 🤟🏻❤️ 📸@darcystrelecki

Dear Northwest Arkansas, Thank you for your peace and tranquility. We shall return.

There are no scenes, or "hey check me outs" from the race weekend as I rolled solo up to Wisco for their States, followed by the local on Sunday. But there's a story. Read on if you feel like it. Saturday in Wisco started good. A little too good and I dipped my toes into the red on lap one. You can't do that up there. The quality of riders north of the border will chew you up and spit you out. And they did. Thing settled, and I was battling for p6. I cut a corner too tight and clipped a double stake with the rear derailleur. Crash mode. Pull over. Mess with it. Close to Pit. Pit. Resume on B bike. Awkward. No flow. Pressures too hard. Blah blah blah. No excuses. Finish the race p10. Racing in Wisco checked all the boxes. Great track, great competition. Fitness bump achieved. Sunday at the local. Woke up feeling better. Fresher. I'm always better day 2 of a double weekend. Early morning Spin. Legs good. Course pre ride, everything is checking. Stopped by to see my mechanic and get the derailleur issue fixed. Hanger checked, yes. Mis-shifting gears fixed, yes. I'm good. Go through warm up. System is firing. Like Ice Cube said, "today was a good day." Until it wasn't. 2nd row start. Kept calm. P4 by first turn. Good legs. Good mind. LFG. Many, many turns later, I passed into p1 halfway through lap one. Just make the race hard. All things trending that direction. Until I ripped my rear derailleur off before the end of lap one. No where near the pit. Dejected inside. A very, very, very long run. Pit grab B bike and soldier on. DFL. Try to get as many spots as you can back. Just burying myself with little progress being made. Why, you ask? Because the kids are watching. I do it for the kids to set an example and show them that when things don't go your way, you never give up. Ever. Even if just one little ripper recognized this, then I've done my job. Let's be honest here, results fade, and nobody remembers them. Or cares. What lasts is the impression I leave and how I managed to carry myself through hard times. It's a champion mindset that has taken me decades to develop. Nobody taught me how. It's my duty to pass it on to the next generation. The End.

Major Taylor day 2 Another proper day of October CX. Mother Nature provided beautiful weather, and the fall foliage was plenty and colorful. Same game plan as the prior day. Rip a good start and keep it pinned for the duration. Course changes overnight meant the addition of some quality off camber descending followed by a super steep and loose climb filled with roots and rocks. A feature that could certainly make or break your race. The goals for Indy were to challenge myself. Wins are great, but in order to improve, you have to find it within yourself to look beyond a good result. Use the time wisely to work on some things. Things you don't usually do. Riding a different track, in an unfamiliar environment on terrain that's not available in your local series. Fundamentals and basics that you train at your local spot are different when you're not at your local training spot in the woods. Make sure you can execute them at race pace while under pressure. And when you do mess up, shake it off and refocus on the task at hand. It all good training for the weeks and months to come in the field. Indy was everything I hoped it would be. I've seen it for years and, until now, never committed. I've certainly been missing out. The Midwest does have some hidden gems in terms of CX courses. Major Taylor is definitely one. Maybe the hardest track in the area. But we can debate that another time. Until then, thanks to @baconaway and the team for a proper weekend of CX. On to the next one. 🤟🏻 📸 @darcystrelecki @psimetracing @lakecycling_na @enzoscycling @treadsavvy @napervillerunco