Logjam

The real loads started this week. New batteries in the Drop-o-Meter. New chain on the roadie. I have been keeping fit and drilling it without any structure but the focus on the lens has been twisted quite a bit this week, back to za plan and all things 'light'. 

Hill climbs. Flag TT's. A Mag. A Sunshine. You name it. Work on the weaknesses. Benchmarks to start up the engines and get the oil hot. 

"Think light. Think light," T says and it helps but it's hard. The Irish in me wants to have that 4th beer, but the racer in me resists. The body reeled this week when I put it to the test. Muscles cracking, heart rates screaming. Oy. But there's a certain amount of satisfaction getting it rolling each year....somewhere wrapped all in and within those initial suffer-fests. It all seems just a wee bit different though, this year. Lots has changed and while I lust what I lust, the luster is a bit tarnished. My mind is either going to have to polish it and see the reflection or move on. We'll see. 

I dunno what is going on this week either but with all this intensity getting cranked up, it's as if my bowels are rejecting me, turning my insides into a giant cement labyrinth. Quite painful actually. No joy in my peaceful meeting room any longer reading mags. It's more like a sweat chamber designed for another type of workout. Back to the Metamucil I suspect. 

More this week. Oy? Yum? Likely ouch. 

Five Questions with - Retül!

Ah, performance. Everyone is trying to get an advantage. Obviously it starts with great fitness but short of that its enjoying yourself on your bike and when having fun, ensuring that every pedal stroke has meaning and is putting all of what you need behind it. Nothing wasted. To ensure that, you need to be properly 'fit' for the bike. There's more to it than just ensuring your stand over height is 'seemingly' correct. And further, its WAY more than just being fit when you are sitting there...static...on the bike. You move...and the bike moves. Dynamic. To be fit with THOSE dimensions in mind is key.

Over dinner at our dear friends house this weekend, my bud, marketing guru and fellow bike geek Ted of Anthem Branding here in Boulder mentioned that he was getting a fit for a new bike he received by Todd Carver. "Hmm. Really?" I say. Looked like a perfect opp for a "5 Questions With". Todd now is involved with a company known as Retül (say: re-tool) which is applying mad science and technology to work with cyclists of ALL types (from Pro racers to daily commuters) to make their riding experience better....where 'better' may mean better performance, less pain and fatigue....ultimately more a more enjoyable ride.

At 11Am sharp I showed up to Boulder Cycle Sport, one of Boulder's premier shops which provide Retül services...and lucky enough to have Todd, himself, so close!...to watch what goes down on a Retül fit to help you learn more about it. Todd and I go way back as he and I love to throw the gauntlet at each other in cross races. My boy is "fit." Trust me on this. Today I learned a LOT of the reasons why....

M & C: Todd! First, congrats on all the excitement around Retül! Yet another Boulder success
story. You make me all misty eyed with your success. Can you fill me in on the genesis of Retül? When did it form as a company and what was the inspiration?

Todd: Thanks Greg. The product was developed by Cliff Simms, an engineer at Boulder
Innovation Group and fellow MTBer, and the cycling-specific spatial model and biomechanical analysis were enhanced by me. We have also teamed up with Franko Vatterot, formerly of CAT and TriDubai, for business development, marketing, and sales. The inspiration was to give more fitters access to motion capture technology so that more riders have access to a top notch, research level, biomechanical analysis in their home towns. We have also created an open-forum communication fitting network across the nation that is only possible with the collection of accurate, objective data. Old fitting techniques were too subjective. Motion capture, and maybe video someday, is the way of the future.
M&C: Bike fitting has been an artisan trade for what seems like centuries, mainly done by rotund Italians with gray hair, cigarette dangling from their mouth and a string with a weight on it as about the most scientific apparatus they have during the whole process. What do you think has been the single greatest milestone improvement in bike fitting in the last 25 years to improve an athlete’s performance?

Todd: Without a doubt, dynamic fitting. As it's name implies, dynamic fitting records data while the rider is pedalling under normal, physiologic loads. Simply put, we are fitting riders to ride bikes, not sit on them. When a rider transitions from sitting to pedalling, or when a rider transitions between workloads (power) and cadences, things change. And they change dramatically. Also, the motion of the pelvis and frontal-view knee tracking have been implicated as big players in the development of leg power and the diagnosis of overuse injuries. It does not good to record anything statically.
M&C: There are a number of fairly scientific methods now to fit a riders body to maximize performance. What makes Retül bleeding edge? Why should I opt for Retül versus other approaches as a cyclist?
Todd: There are two things here Greg. We, as a company, have two different business models. First, if a bike shop or physical therapy clinic want to purchase a system for bike fitting, there are other options. The other options are mostly video-based systems which offer great visual benefits to the fitter and rider. Hook up a video camera to the laptop and the rider becomes an image on the computer screen. That is called 2D. 3D actually creates a spatial model of the rider's TRUE 3D motion (through 3+ camera angles) and takes the recordings from that stick figure. 3D is known industry-wide as the gold standard of accuracy. Second, if you want to get a fit done and are deciding between options, you should not only factor in the technological capabilities, but you should choose a fitter that has a good reputation. As much as we hate to say it, some of the finer details of fitting is still an art. And there are good artists and bad artists. It usually comes down to how the fitter uses the technology, and interprets the data.
M&C: So Todd, assume I come into my local shop and get a Retül fit on my road bike. How does this translate to my mountain bike or my cross bike? Is it desirable to have specific fits per discipline and the equipment used for each?



Todd: Absolutely. Each position is different and all equipment will be different. More importantly, you will pedal each bike differently. Between a neutral road/MTB position and the TT position, we see HUGE changes in the 3D kinematics such as joint angles of the ankle, knee, hip, shoulder, and elbow. Unfortunately for the rider, there is no good way to transfer the position between bikes other than actually fitting each bike. I guess that is good for guys like me.
M&C: OK, Todd, the ‘big’ one: Vervecken or Boom?

Todd: Well, I guess I have to say Boom.

Todd, thanks so much for being part of "5 Questions with!" I have learned TONS by watching your fit today with Ted and with the answers to my questions above. I am sure it'll help our readers!

Note the following as well!:
As Todd mentioned above, each discipline of cycling ranging from road to mountain to cyclocross requires a specific 'fit'. To supply the huge demand of 'crossers growing here in Boulder, Boulder Cycle Sport in conjunction with Todd Carver/Retül and Brandon Dwight will be offering 'cross specific fits this coming season. Stay tuned!

If you are interested in Retül and where this dynamic fit system is located near you, or perhaps you are a shop interested in providing this service to your customers, click here to find a dealer or general product/service info.

Larimer County...continued

I recently posted on recent encounters in Larimer County between cyclists and Sherrif's deputies. Many of you had great commentary. Here is the situation from the Sherrif's own (electronic) pen...

Cyclists and Dodge City

By Sheriff Jim Alderden

Don’t you just love this time of year, when the birds, boats and cyclists come out? Well, two out of three ain’t bad.

Tis the time of year for countless walking, running and cycling events that positively or negatively affect each of us. Then there’s the inevitable conflict between the motorists and cyclists using roads that are in disrepair and aren’t fit for either. The Sheriff’s Office and other law enforcement agencies are tasked with keeping the peace and enforcing the laws. The end result is that nobody is happy with us.

First, let me address the numerous events that impact traffic flow and raise the ire of the affected neighborhoods. All of these events require a permit. There are several stages of review. Many of these cross jurisdictional lines and require approval from the municipalities that they traverse, the county and the state. In the case of the county permits, they are NOT issued by the Sheriff’s Office but from the Commissioners. In addition to the Sheriff’s Office reviewing the plans for the events, the Health Department, Road and Bridge, Parks Department, Engineering and the appropriate ambulance, hospital and fire departments all review the plans and either approve or impose conditions. In the case of the Sheriff’s Office, we REQUIRE notification of affected residents, a traffic plan, certified traffic control personnel at key intersections, and volunteers at other locations. If the event is a race, we require either full or rolling road closures. Again, we are charged with making the event as safe as possible, but can’t deny a permit just because it inconveniences people. That’s a balancing act for the County Commissioners.

The Sheriff’s Office no longer assigns personnel to these events except in the most extreme circumstances due to staffing shortages, other high priority events that dictate deputies be assigned to work overtime, and the liability associated with these events. When we do, the event must pay the costs associated with the services provided. I don’t remember the last time we assisted with one of these due to the volume of other off-duty work where the services of a sworn deputy are needed. (As an aside, to the person who groused on the Reporter Herald RH line about the Sheriff’s Office escorting a group of cyclists on Glade Road on Saturday, May 10, the Sheriff’s Office was NOT involved in this event and we definitely did NOT have a car escorting the cyclists either on duty or on overtime. This event was a collegiate event hosted by Colorado State University, so I suspect that the lead car may have been a CSUPD car.)

Second, let me address the issue of cyclists in general and our enforcement practice. I’ve recently received a deluge of e-mails from the cycling community of Boulder after a group of them encountered a deputy who gave then the “don’t let the sun set on your behind in my county” speech or something akin to that. What the rider claimed was that the deputy offered the option of either returning to Boulder County or receiving a ticket for the alleged violation (more on that in a moment). That may be what they heard, but the deputy is adamant that isn’t exactly what was said. Apparently there was some dialogue (argument) about the interpretation of the applicable statute and the cyclists were advised that we were going to enforce the law regarding impeding the traffic flow in our county. The deputy continued by stating that perhaps they should return to Boulder County where they indicated they could ride two abreast, or be cited if they continued to do so here. It really wasn’t a “get out of Dodge” ultimatum but “if you stay in Dodge, be prepared to follow the rules or suffer the consequences.” Perhaps he could have been more tactful, but anytime you get to even suggest something to deal with Dodge City, its okay in my book.

Actually, we have a bonus point system when ticketing individuals from Boulder. So far, the deputy in question has won a toaster oven and is close to earning a rod and reel combination. (Just kidding!)

Now to the real issue and the reason for the contact in the first place. We have been receiving complaints about cyclists hogging the road in the southern part of the county so we have stepped up our presence. Not surprisingly, many of these cyclists cop an attitude when stopped. Also not surprising, many of the cyclists with attitudes are part of the Boulder cycling community. Now, I’ve had some fun making fun of Boulder in the past (all warranted by the way) and some will say this is just another attempt to bash Boulder, but this is what has been reported to me. Many have taken to not carrying identification, so when asked to identify themselves for purposes of determining if there are any outstanding warrants (which we always check), it isn’t unreasonable to determine their county of residence. (Another warning – When issuing a citation for a violation, if we can’t verify the identification of the cyclist, they WILL be taken to jail pending identification and their bicycles impounded. This isn’t a threat. Its the way we operate.)

The dispute is over interpretation of C.R.S. 42-4-1412(5): “Any person riding a bicycle shall ride in the right hand lane. When being overtaken by another vehicle, such person shall ride as close to the right-hand side as practicable. Where a paved shoulder suitable for bicycle riding is present, persons operating bicycles shall ride on the paved shoulder….” Also at issue section (6)(a) “Persons operating bicycles on roadways shall ride single file: except that riding no more than two abreast is permitted in the following circumstances: (I) When riding two abreast will not impede the normal and reasonable movement of traffic…” Many feel that they can ride two abreast as long as vehicle approaching from the rear can get around them, even if the motorist has to go into the oncoming lane of traffic. Our reading of the statute doesn’t require that traffic actually be impeded, only that it the cyclists riding two abreast would impede the normal flow of traffic if vehicles had to swerve into the oncoming lane, especially when there is a double yellow line as is the case in many of the winding roads favored by the cyclists. Further, section 6 doesn’t negate the requirement of section 5 to ride on the paved shoulder or as far to the right as feasible when being overtaken. While riding two abreast, one of the pair isn’t as far to the right as possible. When being overtaken, in order to get as far to the right as possible, they must ride single file if there is only one lane in that direction. If there is a paved shoulder, they should be riding on the shoulder, not in the traffic lane, regardless of whether or not they are impeding traffic.

The arguments offered by the cyclists are similar to those made by many motorists when blowing stop signs. “There were no other cars coming, so why should I have to stop?” - “They could still get around us, so what difference does it make?”

I believe in minimal enforcement to achieve the desired result. Our deputies have been giving verbal warnings, as was done to the Boulder cyclists. The warnings haven’t been heeded. I don’t expect my deputies to have to debate the point any further. We will begin issuing tickets for these violations, whether the offender lives in Larimer County, Boulder, or Dodge City.

To the motoring public, this does not mean its open season on cyclists. We also have received some complaints about motorists throwing objects at cyclists or harassing them. We will be equally aggressive in defending the rights of the cyclists to share the road as long as done legally and responsibly.

May 20, 2008

Thoughts?

RM'ers at the Coal Miner's Classic Crit

Our newly upgraded Cat 2, Ryan, assembled this short film of he and the rest of the RM 3's at the Coal Miner's Classic criterium. Lots of RM Blue on the front which was rad to see. We need to keep these guys cool and hidden in the pack more! Lots of horsepower amongst the RM squadra and some great racing, but as you will see, hiding out helps win crits...



Nice work guys and congrats on the upgrades!

Epicness

Oh Lordy, Spring has exploded and is showing us the first signs of summer. You know when there are like your 'top 5' days of the year, weather wise? Well, this was probably No. 2....only it is a staged No. 2 as it could be a No. 1 if all other days of the year fail to live up to the expectation. Sick. No wind. Fluffy clouds and cobalt blue sky.

The day had to be celebrated. Picking up Amy last night from her trip she demanded it of me to get out today. She just wanted full uninterrupted time with the boys and just be silent in and around the house with thoughts of her week. All is moving on, slowly.

The WB, Batey, Wals, FRZ, J-Fry and I got it on. Super Walker ++. We pushed out 4.5 hours and 5K of climbing...the WB and Batey: 6 hours and 7,100 feet. Monsters. Or Bastages. I wish I could have continued on with them! We were boys and railed it all. FRZ, stitches and all, put on a down hill clinic on his sponsored Giant Trance...along with no handed wheelies. Sick.

Unbelievably deep breaths today in these living lungs. It was so easy spinning today as it was inspired. Flag was less problematic for me and rolling the singletrack was so fun. It was...inspired.

Look at the pics below. Look at the smiles, my friends. Life. These boys inspire me every day.

Ride. Breathe. Laugh. Progress. Talk. Laugh. Oh, and laugh.

Huck

This..
Is the result of this....

Nice huck, Dave. You'll get yours. And thanks Jonny C for the CrackBerry pic.

Five Questions with - RockyMounts!

Earlier this year I started up this series of posts on local businesses here in Boulder...businesses circulating in an around the cycling industry. I did the first one with The Pro's Closet and now am bringing you the second in this series with a company and a more importantly a person near and dear to my heart: Bobby 'Bring The' Noyes, owner and creator of RockyMounts bicycle carrying systems here in Boulder.

GREG: So Bobby, tell me a little bit about the genesis of RockyMounts. When did you start up this franchise and what was the inspiration?

BOBBY: Every bike shop i worked at, i always ended up as the "rack guy", for better or worse. After listening to customers complaints about the, literally, two choices they had in racks, I set up shop in my garage on 34th and Baseline. It was pretty ghetto at first selling them out of the trunk of my car. Money was tight, so I kept my bike shop job and tried to sell them in my free time.

GREG: What inspired you to move away from the stove-top black color schemes the ‘other’ roof rack makers are still to this day rolling out and offer such a variety of colors and patterns? Further, how are these designs actually created/applied on your racks?

BOBBY: It was purely by chance. We sponsored the CU cycling team, and made them some yellow ones. They came out pretty cool, and riders started asking for them, so we obliged. We have our powder coatings done out in Platteville, CO, by a good ol' boy we refer to as Smokin' Joe. Watching him spray powder smokin a Kool Menthol earned him the name. The printed patterns are done in Denver by a Kolorfusion the patterns are printed on fabric, wrapped on the aluminum trays and baked on. Most of their business is doing Mossy Oak Camo on Polaris ATV, but they manage to sneak in a coupla bike racks.

GREG: Talk to me about bicycle advocacy here in Boulder, Bobby. You are ALWAYS involved and donate so much of your time to ensure cyclists can…well cycle! In your opinion, what is the most important issue cyclists face here in town and in the region?

BOBBY: Boulder has always done a good job with transportation for cycling, but they have never completed the mission and left the sporting component off the table. The wind has been changing, and city officials realize how big a factor we are. The Parks Department especially has been fantastic to deal with lately. When we first asked for facilities, they asked us why we could not use the bike path. Now, we are working on a full blown bike park on the north side of Valmont. Although it is not a done deal, we should have an announcement in early July.

GREG: What kind of changes have you seen in the bike industry all these years have been immersed in it?

BOBBY: The bar keeps getting raised. Through both people's passion and down right greed, last year's designs must constantly be improved. Most for the better, but some for the worst.

GREG: OK, so lastly, Bobby: Slipstream or 7-11? Who’s cooler?

BOBBY: That's a tough call, i would like to see a Cage Match to decide it. Andy Hampsten/Davis Phinney vs. Christian Vande Velde/Jonny Coln, loser buys small house coffees at Amante.

Bobby, thanks my brother.

When you drive around town, nearly every roof is covered with an array of reds, cammo's, yellos, blues etc. When you see a stove top black rack, it's noticeable....and then you see that they are not RockyMount racks!

Make your region colorful and bring some of those back home! Visit the store www.RockyMounts.com and get some PRO racks for your rig...but as Bobby says:

Use 'em ONLY if you absolutely, positively can't ride there...

Days into things

It's now a few days into all this. My wife is by every definition a hero. She was able to be by her sister's side in under 10 hours. She has turned off her instinct which is to feel for the situation and emote on it...instead to be stoic and strong and be the hand that her sister is holding during this period...even while her sister may not even realize she's gripping a hand.

She's just there for her.

Dealing with estate planners. Dealing with funeral homes. Dealing with...honestly just dealing to keep her sister's family strong.

I am manning the fort. I am answering my sons' questions on Uncle Darren's passing. I am not comfortable in explaining how it all occurred as I am in the air 3 times a month at a minimum.

I got the kids to school today and I started working and then had a categorical f-it moment. I can't focus and I went to purge. Jumped on the 9'er and rolled Heil from home. I bomb up the road in the AM sun and see some things moving and they are just MONSTER turkeys. So I snap pics and day dream....

We go up to Madison to hang with Darren and family. We are tight cousins with children the same age...perfect. We've been to Italy together, Disney Land together..you name it. D takes me on his greatest passion: a hunting trip for the day. He's a Utah boy and it's in his blood. We're going for Turkey and we've got 12g over/unders and some food and a whole day to chill. In fact, I get to use his dad's prized Browning Field Grade that day so I am honored.

We go out a hiking in these epic pastures of Wisconsin. Shots here and there but I get squat. It's beautiful and freezing cold. D's all gussied up in his hunting best...I'm in sweat pants, Wellingtons and invariably making WAY too much noise for a purist like Darren. We get ourselves to a point where there is a small brook crossing...about 3 feet wide and sincerely about 2 to 2.5 inches deep water. A "no brainer" as it were.

I take a casual step across this mellow trickling brook and HOLY SHI*T!!! I sink up top my pathetic yang in quicksand.

Loser.

Darren is on the stream's bank about crapping himself laughing at me. So, I open the chambers and eject the shells and have to hurl his papas Browning at him (which he caught).

I'm an awesome hunter.

D did end up getting a fatty for us all which we Q'd up that evening. He should me how to clean and prep that beast for dinner.

It goes by quick folks. It ain't a dress rehearsal. Live this shit like you have no idea.

Which you don't.

The ride was purging. Beautiful. Now to continue the balance. It is easier with that ever so small adjustment to the mind's lens. I need no large wake up calls. I live life I feel as fully as I can. But to ensure it is as clean and pure as I can...that is another level of balance.

Can I? Are you?

OK, WHAT is going on in Larimer County?

So this AM I read some chatter from team mates...then I was linked in to other stories of cyclists riding the roads up in Larimer this weekend about frequent pull-overs by Sherrif Department personnel who proceed to question riders on where they are from and why they are riding Larimer County roads. When riders said they were from Boulder (County), citations were threatened but if the riders returned to Boulder, they would be overlooked.


Huh? What century is this? This is not the Wild West where local badges can just lob out a "Y'all just git on outta this here town, y'hear?".

Further, the cyclists were wrongly informed by the Sherrifs about single-file riding (it *is* legal in the correct conditions). The following is the official statement on single file riding:

Colorado Statutes : 42-4-1412
(6)(a) Persons operating bicycles on roadways shall ride single file; except that riding no more than two abreast is permitted in the following circumstances:
(i)When riding two abreast will not impede the normal and reasonable movement of traffic; or
(ii)When riding on paths or parts of roadways set aside for the exclusive use of bicycles.
(b) Persons riding two abreast shall ride within a single lane.
Your incident and the outcomes (good or bad) may help us reach out to Larimer County and other law enforcement agencies. Please think about if you would be willing to let us use this story in our share the road campaign? You don't have to decide now, but I can give my ideas on how we might be able to use it for education. My guess is that there are other bicyclists out there with similar stories and I would like to collect those too.

Anyways, if you have similar stories, it is advised that you contact Bicycle Colorado for guidance and to ensure the collective voice is heard:

Bicycle Colorado
1525 Market Street, Suite 100
Denver, CO 80202
303-417-1544

Prodigy

Katie sent me this clip which sent a while back but I've only now been able to post it. It sent a bunch of the smile hormones through me and God knows we need it this week.

She knows I am all about the kids getting down on the bike tip and this pseudo clip is hilarious. Possibly a prototype for an upcoming ad? Who knows. You be the judge!

Titus TRX

So VeloNews has a 'New Products' section which just helps to expose new items coming out to us consumers. Today they posted the new Titus TRX cross bike for this year.

Steel: Good. Carbon infused tubing: Sweet. But I just don't see this as a mature cross bike yet although quite stunning visually. Sloping tubes reduce shouldering clearance while down tube routed cabling make it annoying to grab the down tube on porting....and stretch cables pulling the bike out of gear often when you remount and go. You want those cables protected from as much of the elements as possible...e.g. from hands and/or mud build up which can easily get caught when you are riding wet grassy courses. I really want to take a look at this bike in close detail and look at teh other small details like tire clearance and geometry to study how it handles.

Again, it looks stunning visually but the small details make all the difference in the frame as it relates to your performance.

Thank you

Thanks so much to all the friends out there who sent a note or said something yesterday. This has been an enormously difficult two days.

Hold on to yours tightly every day!

Loss

It continues to be unthinkable as I type this. It continues to be...as it is often suggested...like a nightmare that you phase in and out of during the waking hours and yet when the mind's haze realizes once again like a wave that it is real and he's never coming back, the wave happens again and engulfs you. It starts as this rush of heat and panic somehow intertwined with one another with a race of the heart that feels more rooted in the stomach than in the chest. The moment your mind settles in to its normal peaceful rhythm it is shattered.

We lost him last night.

Christ please stop this. We lost him and that wave is back and it again is real.

Darren.

The ring woke us shockingly at 3 AM. Those calls occur at night occasionally but thankfully they're often by mis-dials and you settle yourself back down in bed once the heart stops racing and your eyes, which remain open for a bit thinking and refuse to shut, close themselves on their own and allow you back to your peaceful sleep.

The caller ID this time was our loved one.

It is too soon to know why or what or how. The helicopter was brand new. Maintenance perfect. The pilot and doctor on this med-flight dear friends. 100's...1000's of flying hours. The nurse on board a compatriot.

Three souls.

They delivered their human cargo like an angel would have done...safe....at the hospital. And they flew off again to repeat this mission of life saving like they have done 100's of times before.

They fell off the grid. It lies in pieces. It is our lives.

Darren, can you hear me? I've nothing but a key board right now and the wave of heat that keeps going through me will not stop. Can you hear us? We love you our lawful brother, our husband, our father our son. You have two children my children's age. You have a wife...the sister of mine. Darren....please Christ wrap him in your love.

You need to look outside right now whoever reads this. You need to find a way to do this. For one second in your life heed this. Read the characters on your screen but listen to the message. You need to find light right now and you need to feel it on your face. You need to listen to me like no one has ever talked to you before and do nothing but breathe once you have found that source of light.

Reflect. On what is important.

The next mission is to reach out. You need to embrace those that enable you to be a better person. A better husband. A better cyclist. A better father. A better son. Find them and touch them. Even if it is as inconspicuous as putting a hand on their shoulder...or engulfing them in a hug.

Exchange love with them. For Christ or whomever you need to you feel light on your face and you feel that love of yours being exchanged.

It can not be replaced.

The pieces are scattered. My love is with her sister. They are facing something that should never be faced. But must.

This is not a dress rehearsal. There are no winners, only those who have acted beautifully in the play we're born into.

Darren, I love you.

What do we do.

Pink

Nice to see Boulder get some with Christian and the Slipstream's Giro squad getting the pink jersey today after the Team Time Trail.

Jonny C has been madly snapping stuff on his CrackBerry and mailing them to us. This one is special with Matty White cheers-ing on the squad after their day with a well earned bubbly.

Race smart fellas!

Cascading dominoes....

Wow things have positively changed. When you put it out there and you trust yourself and have absolute faith that you have not f'd with the universe....all the while doing what you think and feel in your gut is the best you can do...and the right thing to do....the dominoes tend to fall in the direction you want them too.

It's been a rush the past 2 weeks and I am trying to ride/train when I can but life is moving extremely fast. The 3rd side of the teeter totter has been resolved in ways that I didn't anticipate and not scraping the ground so much...at least affecting my brain in bad ways like it was. I exhausted/belabored/dragged you all through the BS but now I feel like I am flying again.

Can I balance all of this new exciting stuff with my goals in racing and the eternal goal not to be an absent/angry/lifeless father/lump of a husband? Well, there is no option so I'll have to figure out new levels of balance. I will make it so.

Onward....

Designs for Valmont Park Emerge

This is a Daily Camera article from today that I thought was interesting. Admittedly it is an uninspiring piece but outlines the basics.

Tremendous buy-in is there already from key decision makers and those that hold the purse strings and appropriate the funds within the purse.

Soon folks! Soon!

What's wrong wit'cho legs, boy?

We're freaks. What can I say? I'm leaving my hotel this AM for a run to push on with za plan and as I am returning, some dude hauling boxes out of a truck to deliver to the hotel says: "What's wrong wit'cho legs, boy?"

Frozen.

When he says this, I am like that little boy with an array of mean kids standing in a circle around me all pointing to a pee stain on my Tough Skins. He continues on..."Wit doze lines, you see doze lines?" I' thinking to myself, "WTF old dude? They're tan lines...and quit looking at my legs" and then it clicks. We've got some weird body things going on as cyclists. As I ran up to the hotel, I was likely a shock to him as his words were to me. Cyclists are like T-Rex's with an even worse color scheme. Skinny arms and atrophied chests with freakishly huge legs. And add to this these fairly ridiculous tan lines and it's a friggin cartoon. Going to Mexico in March with the fam, I felt like that embarrassed little boy above. I go out to the pool and there are like euro studs with banana hammocks rocking full up Bain de Soleil tans (OK, there were plenty of rotund euro dudes too with said banana hammocks that made me laugh). Here comes the American dad! I saunter out to the pool with my t-shirt kept on with my baseball hat on low and towel around my legs.

Taking a step back, I guess it's all a matter of pride. We put the work in and change our bodies fairly dramatically and likely have permanently damage our skin with the 100's of hours we live out doors and 1000's of miles we turn the cranks. I guess I'll accept it...

140 Pounds of Fun....and Teeth.

Yikes. Lest we forget, we live in their 'hood. Not the other way around. Check this story out of a mountain lion tranquilized this weekend in Boulder. Truly a beast in the garden...

Coming out of the base of Walker Ranch once, I had the hair stand up on end as I heard something shuffle coming out of the river and TOTALLY felt like something was watching me. I'd stop every 50 feet or so...or at least turn around assuming my ass was being stalked.

The whole (non) migration of food sources due to human sprawl is REALLY occurring. In other words, we're building into the wild here, sprawling all over the Front Range where we need to to accommodate all of our Hummers and Expeditions and the deer are not moving. These things are ALL over the neighborhoods and either...

a) truly don't get it (e.g. "Um deer, am-scray as we bought the place so yo can leave now")
b) are pissed and have decided to hang out and mosey on across the road with all their brothers and sisters and cousins while we all wait impatiently for the herd to cross or
c) are just plain old dumb and haven't figured out how to get out of the subdivision yet.

So the deer ain't moving and the mountain lions are getting brazen and just eek closer and closer their prime food source which just happens to be near you and I. And shit, what's easier: a deer that can haul ass or some soccer mom or dad with their iPod in not knowing what hit them from behind on their Saturday morning jog at Chautauqua Park. Game on.

Anyhoo, scary. I don't wanna have to carry my Glock around with me on my rides now, yo.

In bloom

It's upon us. Spring. Flora popping everywhere and temps that require no warmers of the leg and arm variety. I'll just state this for the record: We're past the snows at least at 5-7K feet. Yum. Should it snow, I'll buy you a beer. '

The proud papa clan, otherwise known as Team We Ride Alone dot Com, got our game on . Pete and Dave or the Webber 'varietals' and yours truly. All with kids and wives who need their time so we jumped through the window and got our fat tired grins on.

The three of us jammed up to Heil and proceeded to do the fun stuff. Tires too close to each other as we swooped and zoomed the single track. Pete showing us the sites, including his 'optional lines' as he built the trails with the IMBA and BMA crews. It's getting better and better every time. I am CRAVING the Picture Rock connector trail that will link Heil and Hall Ranch! This will be a 100% certifiable epic that will give me a 6 hour or so epic from my door. No cars. buff single track. The BMA trail crew has been out in force and en masse. You see, instead of hiding all the great singletrack, here you have a situation where great trail builders are advertising and getting great support through tons of volunteers. They're literally breaking rock and cutting sweet single track into the area in between Lyons and the Wild Turkey Trail off of the Heil network.

Anyways, Spring is here and my plan to spend more time in the dirt this year is paying off. The road bike has dust on it.

Digital celluloid:

Game on. The ride out in 'Dwayne'.

The Drop-O-Meter

Dr. Imba

Rolling on the big wheels Epics are back in season

Zoopa Walker

It hath begun. The whittle-down-rides are beginning and these are the rides designed to make a man feel like a chump until you start turning the corner and see your progress. Rides that break you into little pieces like the decomposing granite of the large mountains seen strewn around on these rides. But it's a total dichotomy:

On one hand you are suffering miserably. On the other hand you say to yourself (if you get a chance to remember to pull your head up from starting at your handlebars): Holy crap this is beautiful.

One such ride here in the Republic is Super Walker. OK, first a little background:

Most of the hill climbs here in Boulder have basically two finish points for people: One is mid way up the mountain....where 'mid way' is often what people THINK is the top. The other is the REAL summit of said ride. Anything that puts the rider on or over the real summit is designated as 'super'. Super James (Jamestown...continuing on past Jamestown and up the face well past the pavement ending), Super Flag (Flagstaff past the amphitheater to the mailboxes) and of course Super Walker (a Super Flag + the Walker Ranch loop(s) on your MTB.

Super.

So I railed Super Walker yesterday. I did it last weekend too but I wanted to dig deeper into Za Plan and start reversing the demons. I forgot what setting a tempo up Flag is like. Ridiculous. 7 minute or so delta from what I was railing last year (OK...I was on an MTB yesterday as well). If you do this ride, you'll hit 'the wall' near what you think is the top of Flag. When you have that little stream of vomit coming out of the side of your mouth, smile and think of me as I'll be laughing at you inside our head. It's awesome.

Anyways, back to the dichotomy: You're climbing this beast and the beauty is spectacular. Near the top, have a look see at Cathedral Park (and stop to have a look if you have the time). An entire set of 14'ers is your view and literally takes your breath away (OK, maybe the 7000+ feet does a little as well).

So, this is a typical training ride for us locals. No cars needed. I ride from my house which ended up being about 30 miles and 5K of climbing (different than what you will see in the map my ride link above). More of the same today to start loading it up. Yum. Or ouch. It's a dichotomy.

Za Germans...

....make me laugh. I can see who comes to M & C and how they stumble upon the site. And it seems like the Germans find their way due to their very obscure 'obsessions' like you see here in the search field.

Awesome.

What am I?

Am I a...

...piece of white sex conceptual art?
...marital aid?
...thumb cast?

Hmmm.

Rumormill Tuesday

Rumormill Tuesday! Sponsored by FUD beer.

OK folks, some juicy ones today. It's amazing what you can glean when you go for a lunchtime ride up at Heil Ranch. It's also beautiful having Heil in your backyard to go for a ride a lunch. Lastly, it's even better when your bud calls you up and inspires you to peel away from the PC to go and exercize a bit. In this case, Pete and I got our groove on. Oh, and it's even BETTER when Pete built the trails with his own hands (and a super crew) up their at Heil and showed me all the little nuances of their work...and some secret stuff to boot.

OK, to the rumors. I am such a little beeatch....

Rumor 1: Valmont Bike Park is on the fast(er) track...
A little birdie today told me today that this project is SCREAMING along. The funding which is in the approved stage measures in the multiple millions. Monies have been approved for construction and sustaining the park for years. And there is nary a person in contention with the idea of leveraging the North side of Valmont Park for this dedicated multi-use purpose. Stay tuned for more details. People are PUMPED though to see this move forward. More approvals to move the project through....

Rumor 2: A well funded big fish with one gear is going to by a littler fish with lots of gears...and lots of suspension...
If you spot what I am saying here, then you will be a maverick of riddle solving.

It's beer:30. I'm late!

The Ahrens Whole Shot is ready...

...for Dirt Rag to come and pound on. This particular Whole Shot will be the frame put under their scrutinizing eyes. Shhh. Keep that between you and I for now though.

She looks gorgeous and its eventual owner, our beloved "The Don", better be seen on that thing this cross season. Get is arse down from Sacto to race at Watsonville and get some mud on it.

British racing green. Freshen ya drink, gov'nah?

Mike's CAD designed and CNC-milled yokes give plenty of tire clearance and will provide those that run single rines with inner/outer sandwich guides plenty of room to negotiate.

Major

I don't know about you but THIS to me is major. Breakthrough major. I am stoked out of my MIND for Adam!

1 Julien Absalon (Fra) Orbea                                             1.58.42
2 Christoph Sauser (Swi) Specialized Factory Racing                         0.51
3 Florian Vogel (Swi) Swisspower MTB Team                                   0.54
4 Nino Schurter (Swi) Swisspower MTB Team                                   1.06
5 Jean-Christophe Peraud (Fra) Orbea                                        1.53
6 Fredrik Kessiakoff (Swe) Full-Dynamix-IT                                  2.00
7 Burry Stander (RSA) GT Mongoose / Pacific Cycle                           2.10
8 Adam Craig (USA) Giant Mountain Bike Team 2.22
9 Seamus McGrath (Can)                                                      2.32
10 Marco Aurelio Fontana (Ita)                                              2.40
11 Jakob Fuglsang (Den) Cannondale-Vredestein                               2.50
12 Cédric Ravanel (Fra) Team Lapierre International                         2.55
13 Ivan Alvarez Gutierrez (Spa) Giant Italia Team                           2.59
14 Kashi Leuchs (NZl) Cannondale-Vredestein                                 3.00
15 Inaki Lejarreta Errasti (Spa) Orbea                                      3.05
16 Martin Gujan (Swi) Athleticum-MTB-Team                                   3.22
17 Thomas Frischknecht (Swi) Swisspower MTB Team                            3.26
18 Jürg Graf (Swi) Swisspower MTB Team                                      3.30
19 Geoff Kabush (Can) Team Maxxis                                           3.35
20 Rudi Van Houts (Ned) Dolphin-Trek Mountainbike Racing Team               3.36
21 Ruben Ruzafa Cueto (Spa) Orbea                                           3.38
22 Christoph Soukup (Aut)                                                   4.24
23 Todd Wells (USA) GT Mongoose / Pacific Cycle                             4.42
24 José Antonio Hermida Ramos (Spa) Multivan Merida Biking Team             4.48
25 Carlos Coloma Nicolas (Spa) ECP-TAU Ceramica                             5.00

Frankly Geoff and Seamus comin in top 20 is solid as well. and FRISCHY! Yeah boy! Here's to the old men. The Olympics are certainly are a-callin'. Awesome to see these results.

White Sex is now viral...

OK, in all sincerity, this is getting crazy. Funny, but crazy. White junk like glasses, shoes, gloves, bars, seats, brakes, yadda, yadda is certainly the flavor d'jour and I am in partly responsible for pushing this like a sweaty evangelist with my gold-plated microphone preaching to my congregation who have their hands raised, eyes closed, singing hallelujah, praise be and amen.

What have we created?

In times like these when we're all confused and need some grounding, where do we turn? Well, I turn to T-Brown. Travis, oh Travis, what does your infinatley wise/ahead-of-the-curve fashion sense tell you? Lead us out of this mess. You are the Johnny Cash of bike racing and the anti-fashion maven. You MUST have the secret sens