what a blur....

Well I finally have a second to sit down and try to put in to words the events of the last couple of weeks...from work to play to responsibilities it has been full sometimes splitting at the seams...I have raced a few cross races like one each day of the weekend, sometimes going to work after a race...for those of you who don't know I race cross fixed....this year the Raleigh/Hodala! team is in full effect...sometimes in costume, we had a wizard of oz theme going the other day... other times in jumpsuits, but hardly ever in that spandex stuff...we run deep and have fun....We just had Cross Clash with portland we won, they stole the grail, i am told that possesion is 100% of the law or something like that...we went down and stole it back the next day...even though they had a guy with a sledge hammer guarding it...the grudge match is being revitilized? Awesome.... For pictures thanks to dave roth a portlandite go here.... I also have a new mountian bike on the way...thanks to wade at Vulture...you can see pics here... Its not the green one its the one still being built below it...go to his flickr and there are a few more. I will say it is a piece of art work for sure and quite amazing I am honored that it is being made for me....by my good friend Wade...Well that is all I have time for and it is a bit vauge, but you get the idea...I will leave you with just one parting shot, cause a picture is worth a thousand words...

see what happens when you wear gold manties!!!!!!!again thanks to dave roth for the photo....there was a long pavement descent that I did supermans down and I know there are pics out there, but I haven't found them yet...but when I do be afraid...you have been warned...

I need this like I need a hole in my head...

The first cross race of the season is under my belt, or in the bag or ....I don't know its done, and I forgot just how much it hurts. After going to the Bicycle Film Fest the night before and a long week of work before that I woke up a bit hazy and with heavy legs...I resigned myself to suiting up and having fun...no pressure, and really how much pressure can you have when your riding a fixed gear cross bike in coveralls...Thanks to MFG for a great course, thanks to Sally for the coveralls, thanks to Schooner Exact for the beer....it was fast, and the weather was very uncross like, hot and sunny...maybe we should have run a hose across the course....I am sure we will have plenty of the wet stuff soon enough. I almost didn't make the start due to a slow leaking tire that started to leak a bit faster on the start line, but just made it...the race had the biggest ss field I have seen in Seattle, our team had many mechanicals and flats and such, but a good showing none the less...here are a few photos.

Well I haven't died....

No I haven't forgotten about this here little blog, just been moving so fast and keep saying I will post...but then another week goes by and nothing gets written...could be all that time on Facebook, or the fact that work seems to own me right now, it seems like yesterday summer was around the corner, now fall and winter are fast approaching and cross season is about to start. It looks like MFG's first cross race this sunday will be dry, easing us in to what is to come. I plan to show up a bit early to take it all in. I will have a new kit for this year that is still in the works, for Sunday I will probably just wear some coveralls who needs that spandex stuff anyways...Might even ride the 15 or so miles out to the race...will definately ride home from it...
Since we are on the cross topic and the only way to race cross is on a single speed sooner than later that race called the Single Speed Cyclocross World Championships will be held by our friends down in Portland the weekend of November 7th and 8th that should be a wet one, last year certainly was. It should be attended by all you lovers of cross or bikes for that matter it is one hell of a party. If you missed the bubble machine, the deep mud and all the short shorts you certainly shouldn't this year...it just keeps getting better. This year they are offering up the running of it to interested parties, backroom, and closed door discussions are going on up here in hopes that we can pull it up this way and just how to make it happen.
In other news work pulled the plug on my bid to get to Durango which makes me quite upset, but then again I have to realize where my bills are paid from, so I will not be in attendence in Durango, have a few too many for me and ride your hearts out. I am more than a little dissappointed and frustrated by the whole thing, that is going to be one hell of a time that I so wanted to be part of...enough of my sob story.
See you all at the cross race this Sunday. Ring your bells and scream your hearts out for the men in Red, White and Gold. Hint we have matching bikes too, very special one...

Where I find myself...

Living in a larger metropolitan area...Seattle, its the not biggest big city...its great in a lot of ways, but I have begun to wonder...to think as it is about the bigger picture to plan for the future. I fear I am getting older, time is running out and I at least need to be in a place where mtbing is close at hand...ie out my back door or at least a very short unobstructed drive away. To quote my intro I find myself wondering and dreaming of riding off in to the sunset unobstructed by the confines of work and all those responsibilities that get in the way....I find myself wanting a change....wondering what else I could be doing....wanting a bit more flexibilty but being confronted by the monetary challenges...I have a lot to be thankful for and a lot to celebrate I just find that a lot of the time I feel like the constraints of this life have me wondering what if....
I find myself wanting to be closer to nature, whlile still maintaining some of the city benefits...I find myself wondering all to often......just wondering.....what if?

I can finally take a breath.....

Radio Silence broken finally. I had one hell of a past month. Saying it was one of the toughest months I have endured in life might be and exaggeration, but then again it might not. One of my friends and co workers was diagnosed with cancer, I survived a traumatic robbery, and then the biggest event that I have had the pleasure of being involved in began and is now over. Seattle beer week was amazing, and completely draining...full time job times 2. We pulled it off, my partners and I but we all need naps now. The weather is crazy as always here, 80 and sunny one day and 50 and cloudy the next....schizophrenic so to speak.
I have not had a break in the action, I can now think about my birthday ride, which I think will be called the taint tuff. It will be in one of the next two weekends, then it is off to Vermont to see the family and some friends for a few days then back to the grind. I have a few fun weekends planned but life sure is moving too fast. oh did I mention that during that hectic month I also celebrated my 35th birthday. I can't actually beleive that I have now turned 35 I still feel much younger. As always I wish that I had taken pictures so that I could just blanket them throughout this post, but alas I didn't. As I have said before I will work on this, but as I am and I am sure you are as well it may not happen. I have a camera in mind, but just can't find time to order it, which is just an excuse really for saying I am procrastinating, or lazy. Funny how that works. Well I must go back to decompressing, and getting that camera ordered.....

Life sure does pick up speed....

As a child a week can feel like a year, currently I feel the opposite like a year can feel like a week. Today I woke up and wondered where it had all gone, the days have started to blur together. I try to keep it interesting by riding bikes and challenging myself so that each day does not take on the appearance of the last. Work, ride a bit, drink, sleep, repeat...seems to be the way it goes. I have my little side project, Seattle Beer Week, which is shaping up to be one hell of a week. It is a ten day celebration, but who's counting....someone coined the 10 day week the brewers week, kind of like the bakers dozen... I find myself dreaming of the days in Tahoe and Reno, when I worked a lot less, could ride mountain bikes right out my door, and the weather, lets not talk about the weather. Today felt more like February than April...I did have to check the calender to make sure...the hail and sleet that I rode in today was not what I would have desired. I want sun....glorious sun. Although sun drives the people of Seattle crazy, they flock outside and all drive somewhere to do something in the sun, can I blame them? NO!!! But man they can' even think straight, forget how to drive, due to their sole focus to soak up the rays.

Enough of that rant...I have been riding every Sunday that I can and even some Fridays....we did a few great rides in Bellingham, even had a dry one, and then the death march in the peanut butter mud was great as well, all while Kevin coughed and generally sounded like he should have stayed home, but that man is a fighter, and committed to the ride so that is what he did. We have a new cross series, MFG Cyclocross, here and we have some plans laid for mayhem....it looks to be fun and I am excited...to events right in the city limits...awesome.....so pray for sun for me so that I can be one of the crazies out there fighting for my piece of it. I just saw pics of the desert and dry trail and lets just say i got excited...In june I head back to VT to see family and do some riding....and hopefully soon I will be the proud owner of a new camera so I can start taking those pics I keep wanting to.....over and out keep pedaling....

What a strange day it was....

Last night the plans were laid, and by golly we were going to keep them. The forecast called for a high of 37 degrees and partly cloudy. This morning Brett aka the Beard, man I must get a pic this year, picked me up and we were off to meet up with Brian, I can't find my stuff cause I just moved, for a ride. I expected Anacortes to be cold, brisk and muddy. I did not however expect it to be near white out mountain pass conditions with patches of ice...that was just the drive, the trails were a winter wonderland with 2 to 4 inches and more in places. We were all a little worried on the way up, but none of us wavered in our commitment to the plan. I must say I am glad that we went. We ended up riding about 15 miles in two hours and twenty minutes, which we were happy with. The sun came out, the wind blew snow at us, and by the time we drove home a short two plus hours later, the roads were clear and dry in parts. We commented that it felt like two completely different days based on our travel to and from the ride. I hope to have a few photos Brian's camera worked for a bit, then the batteries died...

Things I learned today:
With each step you take your feet pick up more and more debris, soon you have ice and dirt shoes, ensuring a ride spent with one or the other foot clipped in but rarely both.

If you want bladed spokes simple strap your bike to the back of a car drive in near white out conditions on the highway....Its cheaper than the alternative, and oh so impressive...note about this it is very temporary as when the temperature rises they disappear quickly.

Hidden roots make for tough traction and are really slick.

Lake winter boots rock! Best investment this year, so far.

Partly Sunny in Washington can mean anything, snow, sun, ice, we had it all.....hope the rest of the week isn't more of the same. You can never trust the meteorologists. They after all do have the best jobs, they can be right 30% of the time and they are doing an amazing job, that doesn't cut it at my job...imagine if only 30% of the time you got the right beer...ouch.
Changing your clothes outside while it is snowing is not the best idea.

I will leave you with this parting shot, I don't think I have posted it before but if I have I am sorry....think posture, model posture. At a recent or now not so recent festival at work we wondered if I could balance a beer on my head...well the answer is yes, that and walk the length of the bar twice...my prize I got to drink the beer, imagine that...Here you are...one of my many talents....
Photo credit to Matt who was a regular at the bar and is now traveling the world....
Tomorrow or this evening I get a new bike...I am so happy, not a mountain bike, I get my fixie hipster, work logoed bike...pics soon...

A friends passing....

I received this email today, and I must say that it brought a tear to my eye. I have a fond place in my heart for animals, especially dogs, they are after all man's best friend. They are the most loyal and loving friends that we have.

"I just thought I would let you all know as I’m over here enjoying myself, I am also losing one of my dearest friends I have ever had today. Lewis is being laid to rest tonight for a list of conditions and terms that are too long to list here. Just thought I would let you know."

kevin

Attached was this photo, it was taken at least a few years ago and surely must have been a great day on Galbraith. Lewis you are in our thoughts tonight.... On a side note I took Tanner(one of my dogs) to the woods today and we had a blast in the muck and mud....as I am sure Lewis had done more than once....

I know I keep saying this....

I'm busy...I can't seem to find time to post regularly....or have much to say on the bike front these days...I seem to spend more time at work or in front of this computer trying to keep up with all the projects that I have going...Seattle Beer Week is a job in unto itself...I try to ride and put that as a priority over updating this here blog...

I also keep saying that I need to take more pics...the old digital camera is just bulky and also seems to have been injured one to many time and doesn't seem to be taking the best clear pics....I got a nice new 2009 squishy fork for my bike...it is sitting in the living room leaning against the wall, looks nice there too.

So on the riding front I have been keeping them under the 3 hour mark as of late, the weather has been great if a little cold and today it decided to rain a bit and give us a more Northwest feeling in our bones than the snow, or cold and sunny weather that has been fairly prevalent this winter. I did get in to the whole facebook thing and that certain is a major time waster...fun at times but man does it just eat up time.....

Brouwer's, the bar I work at, will soon have some very nice bike courtesy of one of my favorite people, although he does pick road rides over mountain bike rides and I don't really understand that... I plan on making mine a totally hipped out with white rims and all...it is my tribute to the hipsters here in Seattle cause I am so unhip....

So hopefully sooner than later i will update with pics of the rides and all or at least a few more words on a regular basis, but as the saying goes " a picture is worth a thousand words" so two pics would take care of a few weeks worth or these drawn out words....

I missed the Old Pueblo race...I need to get away to the warm temps....

yes its been awhile...and I have a special talent

That title says all you need to know about the last month or so of my life or maybe it is just an illustration of things that have been going on for much, much longer than that. I received a phone call from my good friend Kevin the other day. He said and I think I quote,"Looking your bike over, it needs a bit of TLC, it seems like the deeper I dive in to this the more I am struck with the idea that you should buy a new bike at the first of the year and at the end of the year throw that bike in the trash and buy an new one....." That is my special talent, it appears that in his brief or not so brief look at my bike he uncovered many, many issues and things that I am not sure many people have seen. We had already taken the bent rigid fork off, he found a cracked king headset, the bottom cup was instead of one piece, two, the Phil Wood Ti square taper bottom bracket was toast, the chain ring was toast, the White Industry cranks had pushed all the way on, so I went back to my old XT's...the list goes on. It appears that I have a special talent for putting parts to the test. Anyone need a tester. On that note I am testing for Boa Technologies ...and I love the lacing system. I really should have photos of all the things I go through, or maybe I could just put up a side bar with all the items used throughout the year. Last winter I must have gone through 4 outboard bearing bottom brackets, and once had a friend that works for an unsaid bearing manufactur say that he had never seen such distruction...he is one of my favorite riding partners and has been along on a lot of said rides, although his ride always seems to be running fine....There that is my special talent, I will find the breaking point of a product or my own body and and mind...which if you have followed this blog you know I have done in the past. What have I learned from all this, not so sure....I have learned that the northwest is not kind to a rider who gets out in it....the grime has a way of getting in to everything, including a chamois but then again that is a whole other story and I will save it for another day....I did get a tax return and plan to buy a camera and take more pics of life in general.....Oh and in all of this, work and play, I decided that I needed and wanted to be part of the founding Members of Seattle Beer Week....mark your calenders cause it is going to be one hell of a week, or should I say 10 days....

hi there...

Life picks up speed and flashes by...it seems like only yesterday I was writing about the upcoming year and here I am again, although this time I may spare you the details about what is coming up or trying to do a year in review cause lets face it racing is taking a back seat right now, or should I say I will race, but I plan to hit a few events and make the most of it and not try to make a career out of racing...as if that was ever going to happen.....I will ride bunches and this year I want to take more pictures and make fun of myself more. I have so many plans for riding and outside the world of riding that are happening this year and I plan to put it all here better...i plan to write more involved posts...see how well I do that...it was a new years resolution to write more, here it is nearly a week later and i am finally writing...alas I digress...more is less and less is more...there you have it.... I have made no sense and yet made a lot of sense that is if you follow my train of thought....well I have fun to have and am at a loss..i have rambled and made no sense, 17 hours of work on 5 hrs of sleep will lead to some interesting words being typed...or not much sense made....as always keep the cranks turning over, and pedal pedal towards a brilliant future, bikes are the best and an answer to many of societies problems nuff said....keep pedaling....