Entries from September 1, 2009 - September 30, 2009
Ink
What's stopping you? For me, it's TRP EuroX magnesiums of course. Furthermore, just how passionate do you think you are about 'cross? For me, it's an everyday religious experience. But for Über-Welder Matty P, it's indelible. As in a forever reminder. As in, homie's inked himself to remind him of how important 'cross is...or at least braking (although some would say if you're using brakes, you're going backwards....just don't tell Matty that yet. The shit's still wet!).
Matty, here's to you man. You've got a 'set' for sure. Hup hup!
(P.S. I reccomend the yellow compound SwisStops. Like buttah.)
Cyclocross at Valmont Bike Park! | October 17th 2009!
Ladies and gentlemen! Get your hard hats and shovels out and come and celebrate the groundbreaking of the Valmont Bike Park. The day will be complete with festivities for the family and racing. Oh yes racing....cyclocross racing! An ACA event is scheduled and will include all major categories.
Also, note too that the BMA is looking for volunteers to help establish the race course which will be used to demonstrate the concept of the courses that will be 'officially' manicured into the Bike Park in 2010. We'll be testing all sorts of concepts so be there to help influence! If you can volunteer, that'd be great. Go here for details.
C'mon Sidi! You're almost there!
I asked for it MONTHS ago and the InterBike gods almost delivered. So here I am again, Sidi, at your portal fer chrissakes. make me a BLACK set of these bad boys. If you made me an ORANGE set, I'll run naked down Pearl Street for charity.
Bring it.
Cross Racing Week 2 | Nutted
Testicles are an awesome invention. Actually it should be awesome with a capital 'A' and italicized. Yes, testicles. They can bring you such joy, like a gaggle of children and equally bring you such pain like when they get kicked....or in my case pancaked on my saddle by the single most unPRO means possible: the mis-mount. Ball squashing tales in a second....
Yesterday was Boulder Racing No. 1 at the Louisville Rec Center. A course that is a mountain biker's paradise, more than a criterium racer's playground. Technical climbs, bumpy grass descents and tons of barriers would ensure the 'crossers ruled the day.
The sun was blazing at 9:45 AM when the 35 Master's toed the line. Brandon and Jeremiah had the Boulder Cycle Sport tent up and active providing awesome support to just about anyone who needed help. My Ridley's were ready to go...but I was not sure about the body as I woke up heady and tired from the long trip to SSWC and CrossVegas.
Call ups done, the pretty large field waited in anticipation for the whistle. My plan was to 'not work' and just see how the body would come around and do something late in the race.
"Tweeeeeeet!" we're off and I roll fairly easily from the start...sort of parade lapping the field into the race and easing up the tempo to try and get folks into some level of discomfort and see who is ready to giddy up. This worked and my team mate and today's race promoter Brian Hludzinski and I peeled off a few and got a big gap right away.
The players came to play fairly quickly and by lap 3 with Mitch Westall, Brian H, Denis Farell, Mike Hogan, Michael Robson, a Mafia racer who is a super nice guy yet whose name I am spacing on and yours truly. Well, I got what I wanted in a split and a dream scenario came to pass: my teamie Brian broke lose and laid wood and I merely had to sit in. That is, if I could stomach it while not feeling so hot this AM.
So we rolled lap after lap and places were swapped; Denis would lead, then me, then Robson. Mitch would attack, Hogan would come by and so on. An attack would go and I'd wheel suck to cover. Pretty standard issue. Robson was on a tear with the Mafioso and I was glued. Denis, Hogan Brian and Mitch were in eye shot. We crested the hill, Dubba screaming at me that they're tring up front! I'm thinking: shit, I'm tired too! And then, sweeping through the barriers and going for the remount...it happened: The ball squash.
Ed: Ladies and children, this is your time to bail on this post...you have been warned.
I teach in my clinics to STABILIZE the rear of the bike on uneven surfaces. Why? So you do not mis-mount. What do I do? Not stabilize the rear of course. The Dugasts rattled and bounced and as I am in mid flight, caused the seat to move just a wee bit the wrong way.
Skoplooooooooopsh. The right nut. I've been nutted.
At first the pain made me get sick in my gullet instantaneously. I was going to vomit. Nut-pain is like none other. For the ladies (if you made it this far), I suspect if someone took a baseball bat and schwapped your boob, you'd not take it kindly. Now wrap those things in a mass of nerves and veins and all kinds of pluming and then get it schwapped. Electric pain. Pain that coud force you to eject anything out of both ends upon impact. Eyes closed (while still riding mind you) I opened my skinsuit all the way down and jammed a whole arm down there to inspect and ensure Mr. Left's partner Mr. Right didn't get pushed up into....God knows where. I messed with my junk as the pain waves reached my feet and head...radiating simultaneously. Unsheathing my buried hand from the depths of the skinsuit, I saw Robson and Mafia man ride away. I'd have to re-start the engines and stay the course....pedaling initially like a duck until The Twins decided to feel comfortable. Alas, the nut-pain turned to into anger and I went in pursuit, never to get on the train. Only meters and seconds to the 6th wheel away but so be it. Top 10 in 7th so I can't complain.
Moral of the story: stabilize, children. Stabilize those rear ends.
I skipped the Buena Vista race today as it came to pass and have what seems like H1N1 in the house. I feel like a steam roller wiped me out. Frisco next week. I love the courses those folks build. Shite weather? Hope. Hup hup.
The History of Boulder's Cycling Advocacy | A film by Mat Barlow
You hear me brag on all the time on the site and via twitter about Boulder and it's cycling scene. But alas, here is the backstory: it's all about hard work. So many passionate people who live for cycling devote so much of their personal time to push for trails and paths, fighting for not every 'mile' of trail but rather every foot of trail. My good friend and incredible video/photographer Mat Barlow assembled this great 15 minute spot on our town's passion for cycling advocacy for Bike's Belong. Have a view. Get stoked. Maybe this could be your town!
Boulder Bike Story from Bikes Belong on Vimeo.
InterBike and CrossVegas Photos!
I'm back from the trip and what a trip it was! I am going to do a re-cap post next week but wanted to share some pictures with you of InterBike and CrossVegas. What great memories! I am shocked at all the people screaming their heads off to push us all on lap after lap. Totally motivating.
This Flickr set includes my own personal photos as well race action shots from the incredible lenses of:
~Rob O'Dea
~UltraRob
~Andrew Yee of CXMagazine.com
~Mat Barlow
~Dan Farrell
Enjoy the pictures for now (I'll be adding more to this Flickr set too so come back and see these again!) and stay tuned for an upcoming post.
Durango to Flagstaff | The road trip continues
On the road again, I just can't wait to git on the road again...
Yesterday was Durango to Flagstaff AZ. Fantastic drive seeing parts of teh country I've never been able to before. Surreal landscapes that went from desert to volcanic moonscapes to high elevation forest. Amazing.
Today I'm in route to Vegas. 250 miles and I should be there early. I have some meetings for work which I am excited about and my co-worker Perry is in flight to meet me today.
Dubba FINALLY gets here tomorrow and I am missing my compatriot. We're going to get our cross on.
Lastly my latest VeloNews diary is up and live! You can read the story of meeting Bryce Wright of AZ Bikes here in Flagstaff. Also, click on the picture above to see my Flickr album from the photos from yesterday.
Stay tuned!
The VeloNews diary is live!
What a day, folks. The course for SSWC was super super hard but unbelievably fun. There's no real standings but I was told I was in the top 50-60 of 1000, completed in 2:22 so I can't complain.
I have a diary entry on VeloNews.com if you want to geta small glimpse into the scene...at least from my perspective. My hombre Frank Mapel has an awesome photo essay on Singletrack.com as well.
Check it! Stay tuned for CrossVegas this week!
Contrived words
Words are cheap. Actions are loud. I sit and I write....and I write. And I write. And indeed the words you read are real and often loud, but I swear to you never cheap. I wouldn't do that to you...
You are on the other side of the glass and your lives are rich, challenged, always striving for better, learning and evolving. Just like mine. Like ours. Know that there are 'days.' While a blog can be a pulpit....and if managed responsibly one that can evangelize goodness...the fear is that it can be contrived. Can get to the level of nonsense that it becomes surreal. Not every day can be a 10. Not everyone can live at the highest level of happiness and expect it to continue. We all get ours.
The difference is how you fight. And you thrash for what is worth thrashing. To right the ship and bring it back to center.
Cross. Work. Your children. Your wife or husband. It's worth fighting for. They're worth living for. Mistakes are what make us imperfect. And imperfection is what makes us real.
Not contrived.
I try. Mother fucker, I try to live it right. And clean. And honored. Know that some days the really bad days are being experienced by me as I type keys on the keyboard to communicate to you. And just like you I fight the good fight.