Auction Action

Auction is here. In three days.
Just a reminder about what is going to be on the table...
Stan's Wheelset
WTB Tires and Saddle
Stephanie Stago Massage
Formula Brakes
Ergon Grips
Smart Wool Gear
XT Rear Derailleur
Reload T-Shirts
Independent Fabrication Goodies
Walt Cycling Caps
Thompson Seatpost
Framed Photos..

Gift Certifcates from....
Lourdes Greek Taverna
Full Plate Cafe
Set Table Cafe and Coffee Roasters
Art Star Gallery
Honey's Sit n' Eat Restaurant
One Shot Coffee
Trophy Bikes
CBOP Photo Lounge
CHEZ Bow Wow Pet Grooming

And more
See you at the diner.

Cross Race'n: USGP: Getting there!

I was trying to figure out where to ride this weekend. Then I figured that since I'm a fan of cycling I should do what fans of other sports do. Go Watch!
One of the biggest cyclocross race weekends was being held in Trenton NJ. If you were a big time North American racer you were there.
Plus I had friends there.
Charlie and I decided to ride to the race, watch, yell, jeer and shake cowbells, then turn around and head back in the dark. I sent out the bulletin, and it looked like a group of 4-5 were set to go. Slowly they dropped out, and by the time I met Charlie at 9:30am sat morn, it was down to two. The route to Trenton is not a back roads romp. But with the help of Google maps, I found a 42 mile, completely flat path, that took us up the PA side of the Delaware. 2.5 hrs road adventure. I kept expecting something to go wrong, but besides a little confusing directions from a couple of preteen BMXers, it flowed like leaves dropping in fall winds.We crossed through Waste Managements' reclaimed wetlands, with a landfill towering above us.Glad I'm neither

This is my Cross essay

Women's winner: Gould.
Indy Fab Lady Pauline Frascone
Mo Bruno Roy on the other side.
go ry go
Race for 2nd

Mike, what's up with italy?

Mike,
send me you're email address. I won't publish it on the blog nation.

Auction Time & Good bye Norman

Norman Mailer is dead.
My first long time impression of him was that he was a chauvinist pig. Due mostly to his "the prisoner of sex" and sports writings. He spent his life being outspoken in the face of historical moments. Vietnam, civil rights, womens movement, death penalty, '68 republican convention. He wrote with limitless research, wit and wry observation. If you were a topic in his books, you might take him personally, but in my opinion he always asked the questions that needed to be answered.
If you like to read, go back and investigate someone who polarized opinions.
One of my heroes.It's auction time! Last year the auction was to help send Topher and I to La Ruta. We're not going south for 2007, but there is still a lot of racing to be done. The 2008 season will be here and I have some big plans. A domestic stage race, a world cup marathon in Europe, the NUE series, and possibly the National Super-D title. Sponsors don't really give out money, but I did ask for extra product to put in to my annual auction to help me raise dough to race with. Also, I'll be giving 10% of monies raised to the most noble Neighborhood Bike Works here in Philadelphia.
This year there will be some high end items on the auction block. Stan's NoTubes will build a custom wheelset for some lucky winner. You choose from their line of rims laced to the hubs they carry with the spokes of your choice. That could equal out to a $800 wheelset. Winner definitely stands to get a deal. Wilderness Trail Bikes is offering a saddle of your choice. And Formula Disc brakes will have a set of fresh brakes up for grabs.
I want to keep this interesting for the non cyclist friends I have, so there are lots of gift certificates for different businesses and restaurants in town. Art Star on liberty walks has lots of limited edition cool stuff from artists around the country.
I'll make a more precise list later.
Most of all this event is about some fun times. We'll meet upstairs at the Manayunk Dinner, where food and drink will be available. November 30th 7-9pm.

Spare change here: Plum Grove and Halloween.

Last Friday I ventured down to Plum Grove Cyclery for a little Living the Dream tour stop-age. I walked in late after a 5hr drive in the rain to see about 30 people listening to Matt Bracken talk about IF and bikes. The most amazing thing were the 27 different IF bikes the crowd had brought in. All makes, ages, and colors. Pretty neat to see the diversity of possibilities. Again reasons why I like my sponsor.

We went for a group ride the next morn.
Did someone get a new single speed? Me Maybe?

Things are going to be changing around here. First of all I got a coach for the 2008 season. Scary business since I'll be putting my body in the hands of someone else. But Jeff at Allez Training is an old Indy Fab rider and a PhD Candidate in Richmond, for sports physiology. And really this picture of him makes him look a lot more square than he really is. I expect big things. Now I have a place to place blame.
Also there will be some other sponsors on board. I'll let you know as they come. IF and I are staying together, so no speculation there please.