Hockey, Weather, and Classics

Planned the day around that little hockey game which was supposed to start off at 1. All worked out well, except for the outcome thanks to that jackoff people call Sid The Kid. Hope all those hard nosed folk in PennsylTucky boo his ass out of the country, he doesnt belong in the land of Yeungling if you ask me. I thought that this game had more potential too improve US Foreign Relations than the outcome of the Rocky vs. Drago fight in Rocky 4. Alas, it didnt end the way I wanted, and as a result there will still be plenty of confusion about how to pronounce the letter "O" (see Canadian Bacon quotes).

On the plus side, the weather out here looks like it will be nice for the next week or so. I'm looking forward to the possibility of plenty of long rides getting plenty of Vitamin D in the system. Maybe even try to get up into Pattee and see how long I can get a ride in there for. On the opposite end of the weather spectrum. Classics have kicked off over in the land of frites. Cold, windy, and wet, basically the three elements needed to make a shitty day on the bike. This is where the hard men of cycling show their stuff, screw having your worker bees guard you during a climb waiting for the final 12 km climb of the day to make a movie. Get that grit in your teeth, and have your backside get worked over from riding on the cobbles. I wish I could be there, enjoying a Chimay, eating some frites, and ringing a cowbell.

Weekend

Happy Friday, it's windy like a bitch outside, but the sun is kinda out, so I guess I'll get my ass out there for a ride today. I'm waiting on some stuff to fall in place in order to get some "real" content up on this half-baked pescimism spewing thing that gets referred to as a blog. Until that happens, I'm doing my best to figure out ways to fill the pages here. On the racing front related to yesterday's post I am still searching for a "Miss Havisham" type to provide me with all the coin I need to get to races this year (if you dont know who Miss Havisham is one of your high school english teachers needs to get smacked upside the head). Enough of that, this is what has been going on in cycling/other shit I pay attention to. Check 'em out, then go ahead and agree/disagree/really disagree with me, it's all up to you.

Tom Zirbel writes and email to Big Jonny : After swinging his dick like a big shot at TT Nationals and TT Worlds, Zirbel got busted. He did interviews with all the major cycling outlets, then he went ahead and wrote this email to Big Jonny. Full post includes plenty of comments, one from Zirbel himself. I'd like to believe he is innocent, and that the system is fucked up, and he really got "tainted" supplements, but I find it tougher and tougher. Sorry guys you can thank Floyd for ruining the "I just have no idea why I tested positive defense, maybe it was something I drank" defense.

Tom's follow up email : Not doing anything to help me believe he is innocent, but at least he can write well (better than me for sure)

Cancellara's bike gets banned : File this one under "No Shit" Contador's bike got banned last week, and Cancellara rides the same one. They are pissed, and I'm sure Specialized will turn this into some sort of marketing campaign along the lines of Cannondales "Legalize My Bike" back in 2003. I got an idea for them, ride last years bikes, you know the one that Cancellara absolutely destroyed everyone else on.

Giro to start in DC : I have always thought this was a dumb idea, and when reading more and more about it, I am convinced that it is. They talk about how starting an Italian race in the US will help to promote green ideas and living in DC. While my carbon footprint isnt as small as it could be I do think that all extra gases released into the atmosphere due to the extra Trans-Atlantic flights isnt all that great for the environment. An Italian bike race starting in Washington DC 5 months before a presidential election just doesnt make sense to me. Keep the Giro in Italy or in neighboring countires.

Who would have thought hockey would grab the attention of Americans : The last time I gave a shit about hockey was in 1994 when the Rangers won the cup. Now I actually care about the US Hockey team. As of this writing they are up 6-0 on Finland, and I got to say that if they make it to the gold medal game it will be appointment TV for me. I would like to see a US-Canada rematch mainly because it will allow me to have a long back and forth phone call full of nationalistic banter with my Canadian buddy "Le Phil"

Timmy got his ass a blog : I was wrong, he can read and write.

More snow in the NE : I think this storm left more snow at the folk's house in NJ than Missoula has gotten all winter. The weather is fucked up

US Healthcare : I'll probably be collecting Social Security (if it doesn't go bankrupt) before this Health Care debacle gets fixed.

Happy Friday, enjoy the weekend, drink a beer, eat some sweets, you get the picture.

2010 Season

Last year on a wing and a prayer, and with the help of a bunch of people I was able to piece together a pretty substantial race season. I did MTB races in MT, ID, UT, WY, and CO which ran the gauntlet of XC to Marathon to 24 Hour formats. While the long hours alone in the car traveling to the races were not the most fun, getting to test myself in races like The Firecracker 50, Galena Grinder, Laramie Enduro, and 24 Hours of Rapelje were well worth it. Right now due to a fair amount of uncertainty regarding my future and where I will be at the end of the summer, had held me back from thinking and pre registering for races as of now. Regardless, I will post a "tenative" schedule of what races I would like to do this year (not necissarily taking money and travel into account)

3/27 Speedwagon Classic (Polson, MT) - Seely just knows what he is doing in regards to this race

4/10 Barking Spider (Boise, ID) - Raced last year, and would like to go back and move up a step on the podium, plus it is the first race in some National series, meaning I could hold the lead in a national series

4/15 - 4/18 Sea Otter Classic (Monterey, CA) - Never done this, but it seems like I should

5/8 Coyote Classic (Boise, ID) - Got to defend a win

5/15 Dirt Sweat and Gears (Tennessee) - heard nothing but good things about this, I just hope there isnt mud like last year

Late May - Something big maybe

6/12 9 to 5 Marathon Race (Boise, ID) - I like the format and time length

6/26 24 Hours of Rapelje (Rapelje, MT) - Want to do the full 24 hours

7/4 Firecracker 50 (Breckenridge, CO) - Great race and vibe

7/17 Breckenridge 100 (Breckenridge, CO) - Screw nationals, this looks better

7/24 Galena Grinder (Galena, ID) - Another win to defend

7/31 Butte 100 (Butte, MT) - Only if we can start in a bar in downtown

8/7 High Cascades 100 (Bend, OR) - Heard good things bout this

There ya have it, that is what I would like to race, got a mix to XC, Marathon, and a 24 Hour for good measure. Now I just got to hit the lottery to be able to afford it all. Anyone got any suggestions for what numbers I should play?

Downieville Registration

Once again more news coming out of the world of Singletrack, which has become my default checking out regularly updated domestic MTB news. Despite the fact I started to loathe Velonews for turning into Lance/Astana News, Singletrack seems to be lacking that. I orginally was planning to attempt to craft together some elegant posting about what Contador and Specialiazed should do regarding their new TT bike being banned. However, I can't stand Specialized so I didnt feel like wasting more than 10 minutes at a time towards them, instead I offer a quick suggestion to the guys. Fast forward to 0:45 of this YouTube clip for the Flying Scotsman, and start planning to have Contador modify the TT bike with a hacksaw before leaving the start house.

Now onto the news surrounding Downieville. For those who don't know The Downieville Classic is a combination of XC and DH race in California. It has become the default "All Mountain" World Championships involving a 20 something mile XC race followed by a 15 or so mile DH race, where all participants must use the same bike for both races, and can only change tire pressure. On top of the world class courses, from everything I've heard the vibe is top notch. It appears that when registration opened, a bunch of people weren't able to register because they didn't know some required password. The organizers got a bunch of emails from complaining D-bags (who would probably walk the vast majority of both the courses) about how their plans were ruined. As a result the organizers have put the event on hold because of these bad apples.

This reminds me a little of the SSXC08 registration. Everyone was told how to register and what time registration opened up. We knew the field was capped at 350, so sure enough when the clock struck 12 on Jan 1, 2008 a bunch of people sent emails to register. Well with the internet, emails got lost, and people like myself who should have gotten registered didnt. Guess what myself and about 40 other folks did as a result, we didnt complain, we showed up at the event not taking no for an answer. Curtis did what he could and all of us who showed up were allowed to compete. So if you dont get into Downieville, try just showing up, and see what happens, if they wont let you in, try poaching the course. USA Cycling has no involvement so odds are the people in charge dont have giant stick up their ass. That's just my two cents, hell probably closer to just one cent, on that issue.

Blinglespeed

When hanging out with Jake during SSUSA and Old Pueblo, he kept going on and on about the new singlespeed from Black Sheep he was getting. It was interesting to try to follow his explanations of what the bike would look like, only based on the description he could provide. He seemed most excited about the fact that the bike would be getting debuted at the North American Handmade Bicycle Show in Richmond, VA, and that there was some good chances for the bike to get some awards. When checking out Singletrack early this AM, low and behold there was an article dedicated to Jake's new bike.

Read the article and look at the pictures and you will understand why this bike is a "blinglespeed". More titanium than you can shake a stick at, top shelf components, unique frame/fork design, and he got his bottle cages welded to the frame for God's sake! Big credit has to go to Jake for taking a leading role in the concept and design of this bike. It seems like it happens frequently that someone with a whole bunch of money will throw it at a frame builder and tell them to build them a frame, and then spec it out with the most expensive parts available. Not Jake, the curved tubes, double tubes, handlebar were all based on his ideas. Oh yeah, he is also crazy fast on a mountain bike, the dude's got it made.

Now that you are already jealous of Jake's new bike, be ready to get even more pissed, I doubt the payed half of what a regular joe would have thrown down to get that bike. Jake's got as many hookups as God, whether it be titanium bike builders, New Belgium Brewing, Gates Carbon Belt Drive, Pearl Izumi, or insert name of any other bicycle component company you wish gave you free shit. Don't worry, hang out with him long enough, the hookups trickle down. I've had the pleasure of receiving free beer from New Belgium because I was picking it up for Jake, and he helped me get some goodies from Smith. His bike room will make you cry, and he is the only person I know whose "travel bike" is another custom Black Sheep. One of these days I might just "borrow" one of his bikes and never give it back.

Ridings

Looks like the various Missoula folks have been getting out and riding. Weekend group rides are starting up, Johnny College is always trying to find someone to join him on a ride to Frenchtown, and temps look like they will be in the 40s next week. While I still wish that I had stayed down in Tucson longer, Missoula is working out just fine. Trying to get out for some good rides. I'm a huge fan of hitting up Trails End. Get out there, then damn near black out going up the steep climb in the 46x19 gear. That gear is more appropriate for the other side, so I try to get a climbing fix in there. Nothing special or long, but consistent, car free, and a personal favorite. The only thing missing is someone waiting at the top with some hot food and a cold beer. Since I am quite mediocre at coming up with actual content to post right now, I will leave you with a snap shot from St. George.

Az Trip Summed Up

I'm not the greatest writer in the world, this I know. I do a better job of expressing myself when something pops into my head, and I can ramble/speak/spit fire until I've expelled everything about that topic. Believe me whatever I wind up typing here is only about 20% to 60% of what I really think about that topic. I wind up forgetting things, or not being able to remember the structure that I had originally used to describe whatever was flowing through my noggin. Just checked out the Bike29 blog, and George hit the nail on the head as far as summing up my trip to AZ.

The four of us had a great 3 days together, be it geeking out on laptops on Dejay’s dining room table, going for rides, or the massive hike that almost got EPIC. We shared laughs, ate Mexican food and drank a few beers during this time. While it wasn’t necessarily the glossy drool inducing photos found in your favorite mountain bike magazine, to me, it was the very essence of what mountain biking means, sharing great experiences with friends.

He's right, Bike, or Mountain Bike Action might never publish photos from our rides, and the gang who direct the freeride videos would never want to film our riding. Never the less, my trip, and the time I got to spend with people is the whole principal behind mountain biking (with gears or without). So with that, one more picture of the greatness that was AZ.