Atomic

New sticks have landed and more speed will come. Knocking down the K's.

down the drain

Yes the end is here and it has been a good one. Lots of challenges and more to come. Get the work done and push forward and hope that the puzzle has all the pieces. The harder I push the faster the wheels will spin. Now just make it happen. Next? We'll see just be ready.

Rolling

Riding inside is not my favarite thing to do. But I know it has to get done and while this time of year it is mainly tempo with a push here or there it is so much easier with my new Cycle Ops rollers. Smoother faster and so much quieter.. My old ones have found a new home and I hope that the new owner get good use out of them. Speaking of new it sounds as if some new sticks may becoming my way. This make the ski forecast more and more exciting. Now bring on some more snow so the trails here can get freshened up. May be time for some new music.. I am over the stuff in my player.

V1 or v2 ??

Ok after a few days of pouting and swearing at the rain and to much birthday cake it was time to ski. I went up to SMU knowing that the locals respect the trails and have not walked on them and that the grooming would be able to take care of the icy conditions. The pisten had been out and doing a great job. Their we a lot of times when I was motor pacing on fresh corduroy. Good work and very tired but still left me wanting more. Time to get some ski trips set up. I could use another pair of skis but with a tight budget and bike racing 3-4 months a way I need to save up. Some Day!!

1'000

Skiing may be on hold for a bit. Had a good ski on wed. morning had to fight my self to get out before work but the rewards were there. With the wind blowing and a full cover of darkness I stayed in the woods for the most part and just kept swinging at the hills. But now with a major winter event and the temps hovering around 34 all I can see is rain. A few more degrees cooler and we would be nipple deep in the white stuff. So I sit and wait like a kid on Christmas and wounder what the ski trails will be like. 8 days in to my winter bliss and mother nature has to piss all over it . Global Warming? Or just some angry sugar plum fairies! All I know is that they left me standing in the rain.

Up Up Up

Slip sliding away

Dark >>> that stuff that happens when it is not light out. With a trusty Led headlamp the XC trails get lit up just enough for some after dinner K's. My biggest issue is the small changes in snow and pitch. But as long as I keep it consistent the movement is good. I do like the light much better. Few more days and the longer days will be coming.

Swing and Miss

Wouldn't you know a ski race this weekend and I have to work. More to come or at least I hope. Warming the skis up so I can wax them and like a freak get out in the AM.. Going to be coLd.

Two Plank Wank

Tired I am. A bit worked... First day on snow was yesterday, and another today. Body responded well but towards the end of this morning I was felling it. The form needs to come around a bit and the speed will follow. More snow to come enough to cover up all the foot prints and crap from all the non skiing activity that happens. 12 Packs of Dales are now at the Woodmans so life for the holidays will be a good one. Maybe a good bit of rollers for tomorrow.

It has already been Broughten

It is dark dark like the coffee that sits in front of me. And with that comes the tiredness. A small break was needed yesterday and as always I felt guilty. My reward is more coffee and a friday that will lead in to a weekend of goodness. The skis are waiting for me just one more coat of wax and i will be ready for some sliding tomorrow. One thing stands in the way and that is work. In nine short hours I will be waxing up with a cold beer in my hand as loud punk rock rings in my ears. Here is to Coffee, Marshal Stacks, Cold Cold Beer.... Bring it on!!

Face Shots

It came!

Snow She Comes

The Wax is flowing getting ready for the snow.. These skis have been so good to me and I can;t wait to get out on them.. I do have new boots and bindings just no skis to mount them to. If another set of sticks came about I could get one of the girls here in the house out working on their V2. But the snow is coming and the silent winter days will be upon us.

Come Gather Round Childern

Got out for another blissful ride, cold temps 16 but I was warm with the T6 wool jersey. Need to get out again tomorrow because it sounds as if the ski tuner is going to need to come out. Things they are a changing.. Just need to keep between the colors?

Standing in the rain

I know that we have seen the first snow of the season, but my soul is still

celebrating summer.

Nors Wind

Dec 3rd, i woke up and put my shoes on. Layered up all in black, and hit the lights. With the swirly snow blowing work was at the other end. But first a small climb. A quick one up bliss brought much cheer. The decent was quick and just a bit slick. Now the ride home with the snow flying tons of cars crashing and my 28's rolling I looked like this...

More this time from NPR

A Good story from NPR>>>

A bicyclist rides down the street during this year's Bike to Work Day in San Francisco. Events such as this promote biking as a viable form of commuting, but tensions between cyclists and drivers persist.

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

A bicyclist rides down the street during this year's Bike to Work Day in San Francisco. Events such as this promote biking as a viable form of commuting, but tensions between cyclists and drivers persist.

Five Bicycle Safety Tips

Wearing a helmet is arguably the most crucial component of bike safety. Beyond that, here are some things to remember:

1. Ride on the road — and the right side of it, too. It's a common misconception that it's safer to cycle on the sidewalk or on the left side of the road. But both practices can confuse pedestrians and drivers, especially at crosswalks when they aren't expecting fast-moving traffic.

2. Lighten up. Don't rely on reflectors alone to light you up if you ride at night. Drivers won't be able to see you in the shadows. Invest in bike lights.

3. Don't hug the curb. If you ride too close to the road's edge, passing cars might sidle you off of it. Aiming for the right tire track of the right lane is generally a safe bet.

4. Give your bike some TLC. A well-tuned ride is a safe ride. Regularly check your brakes, gears and tire pressure.

5. Keep your eyes peeled. Make it a habit to look all around when riding — check the ground for bumps and potholes while scanning the horizon for oncoming obstructions.

— Rose Raymond/NPR

Sources: bikecommute.com, bikexprt.com

text sizeAAA

December 2, 2009

Bicycling magazine called it "the road rage incident heard 'round the cycling world."

A driver in Los Angeles was recently convicted of using his car as a weapon against two cyclists. And the case is focusing attention on the often uneasy relationship between motorists and bicyclists who have to share the road.

It happened last year on the Fourth of July, on a steep, narrow road in L.A.'s Mandeville Canyon. Cyclists Christian Stoehr and Ron Peterson were riding side by side when a doctor who lived in the neighborhood came up from behind in a sedan.

"There was an exchange of words," Stoehr recalls. "He then accelerated within five feet in front of us, pulled over and slammed on the brakes."

Stoehr says there was no time for them to stop. He was thrown over the car and landed across the road. But Peterson didn't have time to swerve.

"And he went right in through the back window of the car," says Stoehr, adding that Peterson crashed headfirst. "I think they found his teeth in the back seat."

The impact severed Peterson's nose and separated Stoehr's shoulder. Christopher Thomas Thompson, the driver of the car and a former emergency room doctor, was arrested and put on trial. The jury found him guilty of six felonies, including assault with a deadly weapon: his car. Thompson now faces 10 years in prison.

"For someone to do this to you on purpose, it's unfathomable," says Peterson, a cycling coach for the University of California, Los Angeles. He says he still can't feel his nose, he now wears false teeth, and he will forever have scars.

"I'm happy that justice was served," Peterson told reporters outside the courthouse after the verdict. "I think all of our hope is that this brings to light just how vulnerable cyclists are out there."

During the trial, other cyclists told the jury of previous incidents with the driver. And a police officer testified that Thompson said he deliberately slammed on the brakes to "teach the cyclists a lesson."

Landmark Case

"The road rage was so egregious," says Bicycling editor Loren Mooney. She says this may be a landmark case in protecting cyclists and pedestrians. "It's the intent, the actual road rage, that's part of the conviction in this case."

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, traffic crashes killed 716 cyclists last year and injured 52,000 people riding bikes, trikes and unicycles. That includes recent fatalities from Brookline, Mass., to Portland, Ore. But unlike the Los Angeles case, Mooney says drivers who kill or injure cyclists are rarely convicted.

"It's easy for a driver to say, 'Oh, I didn't see you. You're small, you're traveling slowly in the roadway. It was an accident,' " says Mooney. "It takes an enormous amount of evidence to get a conviction of a reckless driver, or in this case, a driver with an intent to hurt somebody with a vehicle."

Mooney says crashes often happen when drivers are distracted by cell phones, texts and other hazards. And she warns bike riders not to aggravate or escalate tensions on the road.

Driver Resentment

The Mandeville Canyon driver's reaction was perhaps an extreme example of the everyday resentment heard from other motorists.

"These bicyclists are extremely rude, and they take up the road — four, five people at a time," complained one caller to NPR member station KPCC's show AirTalk. The caller said he lives in Mandeville Canyon, and he has had it with cyclists.

"When you pull up alongside them and ask them to stay out of your way, they yell at you," he said. "They're extremely provocative, they're asking for trouble, and this is not the worst case that's going to happen. Someone's going to get killed, and to be frank with you, the residents aren't going to feel too bad about it."

Another Mandeville Canyon resident, Tom Freeman, is sympathetic to vulnerable cyclists. But as president of the homeowners' association, he hears complaints that when drivers try to pass bike riders, "they give them the finger."

"If they catch up with them at a stop sign, they'll kick their cars," he says. "Somebody was spit at. It's the few that cause the problems, and they help create a perception."

Cycling In Fear

East Hollywood boasts what's known as a "bicycle district," with a bike shop, cafe and bike repair co-op. Here, cycling activist Stephen Box complains that police officers don't take bike crashes seriously. And he says cyclists feel the brunt of car drivers' frustrations.

"I've been left-hooked and hit. I've been hit from behind and left in the streets," says Box. "And they expect cyclists to ride where it's unsafe: It's unsafe to ride through potholes in the gutter pan; it's unsafe to ride through broken glass in the gutter pan; it's unsafe to ride in the door zone."

His wife, Enci, says that's why cyclists often ride the way they do — to survive, even if that means sometimes running red lights.

"When I see the light turn red, I try to race as fast as I can through it," she says, "because I know I will have a block of peace and quiet, where there won't be cars behind me."

These cyclists point out that it's actually legal to ride side by side in the streets of L.A. But the rules of the road can be confusing. That's why Alex Thompson wrote what's known as the Cyclists' Bill of Rights.

"Cyclists have the right to travel safely and free of fear. We have the right to the full support of the judicial system," says Thompson, a bike blogger who also co-founded the L.A. bike cooperative Bikerowave. "These are all rights cyclists already have, but we need to reaffirm these."

But even Thompson and another bike blogger, Ted Rogers, disapprove of reckless bike riders who maneuver through traffic as if playing a video game.

"Oh, we hate these guys," says Rogers. "We absolutely hate them. The driver you tick off is the one who's going to run me off the road."

USA Tody??? WTF

Two-wheel troublemaking: Have motorists let bicyclist 'rights' go too far?

Have bicyclist "rights" gone too far?

For a decade, urban bicyclists have become more brash. In some cities, groups such as Critical Mass organized mass rush-hour bike rides that tied traffic in knots, delaying commuters rides' home by minutes or hours. They are hardly tactics that will win sympathy from drivers.

In the aftermath and as their numbers have increased, cyclists have become emboldened to take over the road. That is, instead of riding to the right or on the shoulder, some are now riding in the center of the lane. Two incidents underscore how they are putting themselves in danger. One incident involved a cyclist hit and killed by accident. The other case is a motorist who is alleged to have tried to make bicyclists crash into his car on purpose:

In the first case, a driver on the way to work struck a St. Mary's County, Md., bicyclist earlier this month and killed him, police told The Washington Post. The driver, a 20-year-old in her Honda Accord, told police she never saw the biker. But the accident might have been prevented if the 47-year-old bicyclist had been riding in the right, not in the dead center, of the lane, a major contributor to the accident.

In the second case, a Los Angeles doctor is on trial for allegedly slamming the brakes on his car to cause two bikers to run into him. They did, suffering bloody injuries. The doctor, Charles Christopher Thompson, was allegedly peeved over having to slow down for three bikers blocking his path, refusing to pull to the right and flipping him off as he passed. He is on trial for having pulled in front of them and, according to testimony, hitting the brakes so that bikes were sure to hit. One biker needed 90 stitches.

For a little perspective, Drive On sought out Jeff Peel, a program specialist heading the League of American Bicycle's campaign for Bicycle Friendly Communities. His contention is that the road is "not motorist space. It's people space." Bicyclists are road users, too, even if they travel at the fraction of the speed of a car. In fact, he says, that's good.

"The idea is you are slowing traffic, which may be frustrating to some motorists but making the road safer for everyone," Peel says. "Creating safer roadways and right-of-ways for all users sometimes requires taking space away from automobiles."

Taking space away from cars? Ouch. When late to work, it pains a driver to slow down for a bunch of bicyclists hogging the roadway. In the past, you might have tried to steer around them. These days, they are right in front of the car.

It will be interesting to see how far this goes, whether bicyclists are allowed to stay in the middle of the highway. As the deaths mount, maybe it will become clear they need ride to the right.

Here's a breakdown from Peel about where bikers can ride in various states:

States that require cyclists to use trail or pathways when one is adjacent to roadway:

Louisiana

Nebraska

New Mexico

Oregon

States that require cyclists to use bike lanes when present:

Louisiana

Maryland

New Mexico

Oregon

Rhode Island

West Virginia

States that require cyclists to ride on the shoulder when present:

Alaska

Hawaii

Maryland

South Dakota

A 1997 bike rally by Critical Mass in San Francisco, by Sam Morris/AP

Rolling for a Empire of Dirt

December or the twelfth month of the year. The End of the beginning. At least one day outside on wheels every month of the year some more than others. Out again this morning beating the light at 6:50. Layered and warm for a bit of bliss and a scone to follow. Pain was in the legs as the raitos from the summer make the legs Hurt. It is in the numbers and their is light @ the tunnels end, I can see it.

Dark Heart Coffee

Work has gotten done, it has been a productive November, only missing one day in the month on a bike. I am tired all the time >>>I seem to be going in too many different directions. Some time I wounder what life would be like with out coffee. Little over twenty days and the light will be back. And then things will swing the other way. Now How About Some Snow?

Big Time

Square Hole

The path to Enlightenment comes from with in. Within what not sure. But I think that it is all stepping stones. As the parts of the Puzzle come together for next year all I can do is lay down the ground work and not covet what is being done else where it only matters here and now. Get it done and all will be good.......

Hellfire

Kenwood!

Rainy days Blue

I know full well that I am going to get wet on my commute today either coming or going. Just don't want to put gas in the car need to save the money when I can. I think that this last weekend was the first in months that I did not get out on my MTB. Had to work on saturday and the weather was shit on sunday. I think that means that winter is coming. As the days get darker the bringer of the light is on it's way. Then it is all up hill. Sunlight=Motivation

Brain Drain

Low cloud deck and rainy mist coming down. Dark at 7:00 AM, felt like what in my head would be a morning in the north west. With the elements just went to work, the nice part of it all was I was dry under my Crafty layers. Same for the spin home. Work week coming to an end but the woods may be off limits with Gun Season starting tomorrow. Would like some more single track time, but in late Nov.. I;ll take what I can get. Now back to my regularly morning coffee bonanza ..

What ever is cool with me

Score

Any Given Sunday

No ride sunday,, it was all football. With blue skies Anna and I headed to Pigskin Mecca. We had never been before and had no Idea what to expect. What a show the whole town puts on a big party, and then their is a foot ball game. We made it in early and sat in the sun and soaked up the Champagne of Beers. I can say that it was a good way to send a day especially because the Pack Won!! Good times but now it is time to get back to the work at hand. With roller ski in my sights snow skiing should soon follow. Whistle while you work.!

One track mind

Went up to the big ball today and got after the dirt that it keeps watch of. Good temps and no precep although it sure looked like it wanted to do something. Trails in great shape and little coverage of leaves even though they are all out of the trees. A little over two hours of two wheel bliss. I wanted more but the tired body had other ideas. It has almost been three years since I rode these trails for the first time. I have to say to say that they are some of the the best that I have ever had the chance to spin on. Lots of time for the brain to rotate while riding....and many thanks go out to all that help me get though the years. Today I am saying thanks to the boys\girls @ Twin Six,,,,,, they help a fashionless Bike Geek have a bit of style. Off to the frozen tundra tomorrow not sure what to expect.....this will be like going to a stage of the the tour or being in the velodrome as the Roubaix finishes.

Song for Aaron

Good miles for November, I have been able to put some good extra work in on the commute. Plan to get a few hours on the Spot tomorrow depending on weather. Then on sunday off to the frozen tundra! Should be good even if big D brings the sack train.

Sweet Kane

Sedona has a Vortex

Out in some dirt and leaves with the kid and some other local freaks,, With weather just perfect and temps in the mid 60's it was a great day on the trail.Sophia rode well for not being on the bike in a long while. Someone had been out with the leaf mover because the single track was sweetttttt!!! I hope for more time on the dirt ,,, or the Pave,,, just keep the wheels moving.... I want to grow up to be a ............ This next one is cool show a different side of the screamer..... I just wish I could find the entrance to the vortex so I could be in Sedona to ride in the red rocks and dip my toes in Oak Creek..

MTM

Putting it all together and seeing how the body reacts. So far I think that shock is the best way to describe. Still have a bit of the 800 pound gorilla on my chest and that will slow anyone down. Not that anyone ever liked it when you coughed in public but now it is even worse the glares and looks that you get. Things to be missed out on this weekend are the Midwest SSCX Championship and then the Ice Man in MI. I will be taking in the warm temps while riding a bike in the area closer to home. I need more coffee so go fast have fun and Play loud!!

New Standards

I got the needed Spot time yesterday. Rode ala solo because the superstar kid was too tired. That is fine time in the woods is good. All the leaves fell in the wind that we had on saturday, and it was a lot of wind. New signs on trails up at the HPT which is bull but from the way I understand it the wording in the grant was wrong and now people are trying to fix it. Would be a huge shame if the trails were lost or access was denied. Windy on the commute today and chilly on the way home but felt great to be moving out of doors in the first of november. If you are reading this and it is tonight go and look at the moon it was a great moon rise. It is in the forecast... ready??

Off/On

Things are only different when you are not used to them. Working on making stuff feel more normal. Have been a bit under the weather with a small Cold,,,,I am winning but still not liking it. So after my ride on monday life on wheels has been a bit off. The goal is to start the off season work on Nov. 1. This will help getting thing back to normal. There are some new for 2010 sponsors in the side bar, some good stuff to help with the cycling campaign of next season. Life moves pretty fast sometimes I just hope that it is because your wheels spinning.

Somthing I learned Today

Gave the Spot some time that it needed. Out and about as I am in-between the between. Rode today in the Uvex xp 100,, nice lid super lite and the fit is great not really my style but can't complain about the way it felt even with a hat on under it. Another one should be on the way a with a little bit more of the roadie style. Good time in the woods had to go a bit slower than would have liked DU to the leaf cover, and the few times torque was applied the back wheel spun. Happy to be out and on a bike. Not a bad view from up on top of the Bluff. Corn and Potato Chowder for dinner.. A warm belly and a cold beer.

butternut

A bit slack today and I know that outside bike time is gone in only a matter of time. But even in the off season rest is important. Off tomorrow in between the in between. Things start up in full gear come November. I just hope that the dirt is some what dry so time on the Spot can be had. Did I mention that my Risotto is better than yours.

Real Big Fish

The sun came out today, it brought it's friend wind. That did not stop me from getting out on the Road. Tested out the new HRM thanks to Terry @ Cat Eye. Then numbers scared me,,,, but a bit tired and rest is hard to find in my world lately. After a quick refuel the boy and I took mom out for a ride down by the river. That is Minnesota in the distance they think that they all answers now that the old man plays football in purple. The rain and slop comes back tomorrow so it will be time to move to the garage and start hitting up the rollers,, a thanks goes out to Wyatt for those. Would like some Indian summer but that may be asking for to much. I may just split open and melt!

Ships Creaking

After 7PM and the shop was closed. With the warm shoe covers and some illumination it was time to head home. As it has been for weeks now the sky was spitting. Mike Watt and his friends yelling in my ear and I rolled. It was a good bit of fun epically through the marsh. The black top was covered with the colored leaves of hundreds of trees making a dizzying pattern and hard to steer. Fenders kept me dry and spinning wheels kept me warm. More rain today, which is going to wash out the Trek/Fisher Demo. May have to spin circles in the Garage, only after I work on building an Arc.

Bluffin

Around the Bluff today. Last minute decision fenders and the winter bike. Dressed well until the top of FO then the furnace pumping out the BtU's. Stuck in a rainy pattern and I am fighting the inside riding. Up to the cities this saturday for the MSCS awards. Would like to ride single track but the weather may not agree?!

Quickie

Home with the kids one last day, and the H1N1 should have run it course. Slipped out for a quick one on the SScx and climbed a hill and played in the wind. Would like to think that I have some fitness left ,, and would like to think that i could make it to a cross race. Thought about this weekend but may just go and ride at Lebanon Hills. Rain coming and maybe some snow.

Flat

Life here in the 608 has been a bit crazy. The Pip with the h1N1 pretty mild but her school had 200 kids all out at once. Seems like something is always going on. Their was a Wems race up at the HPT yesterday so I went up after work and watch the racers plow through the cold temps. Rode down through the quarry on the sscx not the best idea with 28mm tires,,,,but still stayed up right. Another trip up to the Proving Grounds today to get the Spot on dirt. Just did not have it rode ok just not the normal pop and snap. I watch the guys and gals get ready for the super d race then called it . Home for Football..... Now nothing but the great smell of red curry and one happy belly. What will the next week bring.? More changes?

Soldier Child

There is a lot of music in my head as the wheels roll along. Some more than others some with more meaning and more depth in words.. Some just noise but all the soundtrack that keep things moving.

2 Wheels 4 Ever

Wheels moved and moved a lot >>Fun was had and dirt was ridden>>More is needed and more will Be Had!!! Bikes RULE!!

Trashmore

Coffee warms the insides before I go outside. When commuting becomes work to be done. even small amount of spin in this weather is good. On monday saw other brave souls out in the moisture. Forming a plan with the cure balls thrown, would like to hit it out of the park but we'll see. Stay warm stay dry and keep the damn coon out da truck!

Like Devo on speed

Wrong way

Plan was to ride dirt and enjoy an october day. Toast had just won the 24 of Moab and got a National Title and Pickle wanted to go for a ride in the wood.

The Trails are sweet right now bit of foliage on the ground so I kept the Nevgal up front and the small block in the rear . Great traction and with the direction that we rode it felt like a whole new trail system. Got to love this time of year for mountain biking .. Now if the rain will only hold off so we can ride more.

Smiling because the wheels were spinning and knowing that Pickle was going to have some fun with this... Down the up and up the down. Hills are fun to ride.

Winter is coming?

Detroit sucks

Wheels moving through the sunlight made for a nice little Wednesday. Grey today, but nothing that a little Chunk can't take care of. Watch out for the man,,,,,,

Really

No one cares that you Tele Either,, HA!

From Armstrong to Farve

First things first all the hype aside the old man did play a good game. Now that being said,,,,the Pack shot them selves in the foot one to many times. They were their own worst enemies in the games last night. The Offensive line needs to get figured out and I have a hard time believing that #4 could not get sacked or pressured by the D line. In all I am glad that it is over and the bye week is here, things in the locker room need to be addressed ,,like stop letting Rogers get sacked so many damn times. I was kind of hoping for a Contador Armstrong kind of battle and I think that if Rogers had a team around him that, the game would have played out that way. But much like the Tour all it did was fuel the fire of reporters to pump up yet another aging man with one hell of an Ego Problem.

I live cement

Excuses are like assholes, we all have them. Yes to pass up a day of riding because you weren't into it is a crock of well shit. But it happens. The gray clouds hung low epically after talking with the woman that brought me into the world. Body and mind still tired form the long season, and the lack of racing and such can reek havoc on my mind. What would Black Francis do?

The wheels will spin again, I just need the spark to light the fire . As coach said this will be one of the days that I look back on in January and say damn it I should have been out riding. What sounds like fun and maybe I need to get the ball rolling is a night race/ride up to the Trempealeau Hotel and back. Light 1x1's and a beer @ the Hotel then back to Onalaska..?? Something needs to give... Surfer Rosa changed my Youth!

Kind of What

Out for a ride with the typical training partners. Got a quick one in before the rain that is on it's way. New month and new list of goals. Being pulled in way to may different directions. Changes on the horizon? Not sure but need to keep the wheels spinning to quite the voices in my head. The cooler temps have made the rides much nicer with the cold air in the lungs and extra layers. With the wind it fells like spring all over again. Remember how exciting things are in the spring?

Later days

Wiskey Bottle

What is next? Looks like cooler days are here. Time for warmers and cycling caps. The cool air is refreshing, more changes to come. Leaves are blowing in the wind. Brains mixing in the mental eddy..

Take this job and shove it !

Some Nice Folks going Cross Country Drinking Beer and Riding Bikes. They quit their jobs in NY NY and started heading west. Go figure that they have been bitten by the T6 Bug. Have fun and enjoy the Ride.

Cloud 9

The Fat Lady has sung. Saturday was the end of my mtb race season up in ST Cloud MN. First things first , not a close drive would not have been that bad of drive if it was not for having to go through the Twin Cities. Got there with enough time to see the end of the SSSC race. Which had Brendan More off the front with a singled out 99 SSL. With a chance to ride a bit of the course I was feeling good about what was to come. With the final call up's of the season, Sam , Eric , Hollywood and my self stood waiting for the go. Once all was clarified 4 laps + a parade lap we were off. Hitting the wood I sat about 8th with the O brothers hitting it hard up front. We became the second group, about 6 of us and the pulling duties went to me. Now this race had no hills of any kind what they did have was twist and turns and one of the nastiest rock mud pits that i have seen.After hitting it in the first lap and seeing the carnage I decided to run it from here on out, was it faster I don't know for me just smoother. For the last 3 laps Jake R and Hollywood and I rode rode together trying to pull away from any chasers and trying to catch anyone who may be in front. After 4 long laps and 2+ hours on the bike it was over. As I came to the line I stopped and waited for Hollywood. We did what we set out to do. 7th overall for me plus my first age group win, and with Sam getting first and Eric second we won the elite overall for the second year in a row. It has been a long season and i have a lot of people to thank. Goals were accomplished and I could not be happier about the way things played out. Now it is time to ride and enjoy fall. No cross no fall races just fun on the bike. I am done traveling and done with the number plates. Time to focus on next season it will be here before i know it.

Climbing up the wall

Cleaned up and ready to go. Now I can only hope that the pilot is able to make it go fast. This is it the last one all systems go. Ready Set !!

The weasel goes pop

I change the music in my player every so often.. And these guys seem to be in my head a lot aiding me along on some long rides. Trying to not over do it as I get ready of saturday. Longer drive through the cities up to the city in the clouds. Busy at the dream factory today lots of bikes walking out the door. Need to see if the tired bug can get kicked. Soon all the miles will be at simpler pace. That is until the snow falls and the XC sKing starts. Go fast Have fun and Ride your BIKE!!

Your living all over me

Good ride this morning just what I needed. Single Track and Single Speeds. Work tomorrow and a full day off the bike. Been having fun catching up on all the racing action this weekend. Tim turned me on to a new Djr song, love it the sound track to my youth. Loud tunes cranking out of a boombox in the back seat of my Impala. Rock out. Go Fast Ride your Bike!!

Circle K

Time for some beer and some stretching. I am one of the few not racing the WI World Chap Race in Cable or the SSWC09 race in Durango. No for me just some more time on the bike and with the family. One more big test before the MN Race series comes to an end. I have an over whelming felling of being tired and some times all the time. The riding lately has been great with the temps in the mid 70's and the single track in perfect condition. So good luck to all of you tomorrow with all that you are taking on Go fast Ride hard and in the words of Hollywood.. Party ON!!