La Puta here I come: 1st San Fran

Lets start from somewhere towards the beginning. How about the moment when I'm sitting with my back to the wall and there is a large Flat Screen TV hovering above my head interrogating me as if it's the detective and the bright light at the same time. Its the Chicago Midway airport's way of keeping me entertained while I wait for the next flight to San Francisco. Chicago's daily pick lottery numbers are bubbling up in the number poppers. The first number drawn, and the last one I care about is the "Pick 3". Having just sat down and not yet being occupied with my normal airport activities I watch as each ball pops up, and when the last one is standing, the number "833" is king of the mountain. I look at my fight number. "833".

Really I felt like standing up and shouting. I'm a big fan of making a big deal out of relatively random coincidences. Maybe I'm just trying to add a little bit of meaning to my life. Maybe I'm a drama king. It's adventures in transferrance. From that point on so many good things happened.

Free upgrade to Mustang from the Mazda at the rental agency cause I joked with the lady at the desk. Ran into Mark Slate, one of the founders of WTB, who is my tire and saddle sponsor on the trails in China Park. Rode with fellows from Bike-Rx, and rode across the Golden Gate bridge twice. Saw a man with white Parrot. Managed to snag a window seat on a sold out flight to Costa Rica. While waiting for the bus I ran into an old friend in San Jose who I hadn't seen in five years and now lives in CR. She does massage and surfs in Jaco, so I got a pre-race massage and a little surfing in! Top ten finish in La Ruta. Special Massage treatment from opponent team's massage therapist.

From that point on I felt things were going to have to go well. My friend Lenora who recently moved to San Fran picked me up from the BART stop despite being tired and over-worked. It was my first visit to this city by the bay and I fully expected a parade of LSD victims to greet me with candy canes and bumper stickers on foreheads.
Instead, as I took the escalator out of the underground subway to the surface, my ride up was accompanied by the soundtrack of a traditional Mexican tune sung in the fine gravely voice of an elderly man playing an electric piano. The acoustics were perfectly tuned to his warm words which I couldn't understand but didn't need to, to appreciate. Since he was at the bottom of the escalator and it was a particularly long one, the escalator was the perfect DJ as it faded out the old man and faded in the city's sounds of the busy intersection of Mission and 24th street. Buses, cars, horns, voices in Spanish and English, kids running with TV remote controls.

As Lenora's friend described San Fran. "It's like preschool, but not." Absurdity and the surreal hang in the air in the preschool style where Count-Draculas and talking giant birds head butt a new endless array of social rules made up at the whim of underpaid full time baby sitters.

I digress.

I like San Francisco. Big hills, bridges and water from the Pacific. Culturally it's a diverse place and mentally it's nice to be in a large city with a palatable lack of edginess and paranoia.

My friends wedding was Saturday so Friday I had time to go for a bike ride over the Golden Gate. I felt like a fool when I couldn't figure out that the first bridge was the Bay Bridge, not the GG. After I got back on track I crossed that famous landmark, through the Perdido military base and made the jump across the water. The Golden Gate was cool, but what was really amazing were the size of the cables, each as fat as my wrist.

I had written down the addresses of IF dealers in the Bay Area and I was on my way to Bike-Rx in Mill Valley. When I stopped in I met one of the best IF dealers in the country. They were receptive to my dropping in on them like that and we planned a ride Sunday with a group on the local trails. After that I got some directions to the trails behind their shop and in the shadow of Mt. Tam.

On the trails I saw a man hiking with a white parrot on his should. Another good omen.

Saturday I went to the Car rental agency with my expired drivers license and note from the DMV saying it was okay. Event with the manager sitting next to her the counter gal accepted my documentation, and upgraded me to a fancy 2009 Mustang since they were all out of the cars I had originally booked. A car really can make you feel like a different person, and I quickly molded myself into a muscle head, rolling up my sleeves to show my guns and turned the radio up every time Def Leopard came on. Really I tried to lower myself down in the seat to be as inconspicuous as possible. Still the car was fun to drive with all the perfectly banked and curvaceous roads to Mendocino and my friend's wedding.

Eli's bride choose to have an outside wedding, in the wettest region of California, so while the guests were under umbrella's and the bride along with her maids were wearing stylish galoshes I watched one of my oldest friends wedded.


After a late night drive to San Fran, I got up and went to meet Scott, Chris, Grant and Jeff for a ride Sunday morning. They took me on some cool trail in China Park area. That again is Mt. Tam in the back. Mt. Tamapalis or the birthplace of mountain biking. Supposedly...
After spending the majority of the day riding and wondering if I was doing myself a disservice riding 9 hours in three days when I should be resting for the longest race of the year, I hung out with my friends' friends for a late brunch. When we got back to Lenora's place I checked my monday flight time and realized I had booked a 12:35am plane, which was technically Monday, but meant I had to get ready and go to the airport that night, not the next day... That was just my preparation for Costa Rican logistics...

Tomorrow I get to the race.

Day ONe La Ruta

11th place. I´m happy. Tired, can´t find Tim or Janel.
http://adventurerace.com/web-ruta/index.htm
===== ============================== ==== ==================== === ======= =======
1 RAMÍREZ MÉNDEZ FEDERICO 1 BCR-PIZZA HUT CRI 5:54:40
2 MONTOYA CANTILLO PAOLO 2 ECONOMY RENT A CAR - CRI 6:04:54 10:14
3 ARTAVIA CEDEÑO ENRIQUE 28 SUPER PRO - ECONOMY CRI 6:18:17 23:37
4 PRADO MANUEL 11 SHO-AIR/ROCK N'ROAD CRI 6:19:58 25:18
5 HERAS HERNANDEZ ROBERTO 5 ESP 6:20:01 25:21
6 THOMAS DIETSCH 3 GEWISS-BIANCHI FRA 6:22:59 28:19
7 SÁNCHEZ CALDERÓN ALEXANDER 12 BCR-PIZZA HUT CRI 6:28:16 33:36
8 SIBL RADOSLAV 30 BIKEZONE.CZ/MRX CZE 6:30:18 35:38
9 CAMPOS SUAZO MARVIN 23 SUPER PRO - ECONOMY CRI 6:37:34 42:54
10 PORRAS MURILLO DENNIS 27 SUPER PRO - ECONOMY CRI 6:38:08 43:28
11 PRICE HARLAN 47 INDEPENDENT FABRICAT USA 6:47:44 53:04
12 COOKE BRIAN 75 BICYCLECAFE CAN 6:48:05 53:25
13 RAMOS GAMEZ MILTON 61 BICIACCION.COM ESP 6:51:02 56:22
14 PEREZ EDDY 64 SEVEN CAPITAL LTD. CRI 6:51:07 56:27
15 TURNER THOMAS 60 VAN MICHAEL SALON / USA 6:53:21 58:41
16 ABELLÁN OSSENBACH CARLOS 54 CRI 6:57:58 1:03:18
17 WALLACE CORY 13 FREEWHEEL CYCLE / SP CAN 7:01:08 1:06:28
18 SIBAJA MONGE LUIS DIEGO 29 CICLO GULLY - POWERA CRI 7:10:44 1:16:04
19 ROGEL GONZALEZ LEONARDO DANIEL 68 ALUBIKE MEX 7:14:18 1:19:38
20 LEIVA ARAYA 87 TURRIALBEÑO INDEPEND CRI 7:14:52 1:20:12

Test Your Awareness : Whodunnit?

Are we paying attention. My biggest fear is taking out a fellow cyclista.

Frame Raffle Winner

Just wanted to let all the people who bought raffle tickets that a winner was drawn. John May of Mass was the lucky guy. Thank you to all my friends and and everyone who bought tickets. I wish everyone could win, and be riding an IF. Unfortunately only one can be chosen a year, but the money that we raise is very important to us being able to race.
Look out for next years raffle, which I plan to make bigger and include a lot more things for the taking. See you at La Ruta

Funny to be sitting here: 8hrs later

Two Thursdays ago I got an oil change. Now I'm 500 miles away from needing another, that's if I follow the oil industry's self promoting recommendation.

It all started when I was getting another awesome Stago massage on Wednesday when we came to the conclusion that I was leaving for NC in two days and she was going to be flying to Raleigh on the same morning. Well hell that sounded like a carpooling opportunity, so we planned for me to drop her off, and I would continue on to the 8hr October Challenge race. She had to be there by 1pm so we left reallll early. Thermos in hand, two bikes in the back and a cooler full of eats.

I was headed there to do the last race of the USA Cycling Endurance series. They like to call it the NUE series, despite everyone knowing that that is an owned and trade marked acronym for the 100 miler series. Those guys in Colorado are strangely oblivious to the obvious.

Anyways I had hoped to make it to more of these events, because they tend to get attendance from a list of riders who get their names in the cycling press a lot, and me being a competitive leech I was eager to race some of that name brand blood. Tinker Juarez was going to be there, Jeremiah Bishop, Nat Ross, Ernesto Marenchin and a fast colombian named Diego were signed up. Holy crap!, A two title National Champion, an ex Olympian, a 24hr world champion or two.

This was on like a budda's gong.

After dropping Steph off at the Lincoln Theater in Raleigh I got lost a couple of times. Called my friend Marcee, who was going to meet me at the race course and would eventually by my life saver for the weekend. She got me squared away, and ignored the tired frustration in my voice. I made it to race sight with about an hour before dark, jumped out the car, said high to Nat Ross, kitted up, and hit the trails.First thing I noticed was that I was right at home. Literally, the trails were very similar to what I ride a mile from home. Woody, rooty, tight and twisty. Throw in some cool technical features. Sort of like getting on a return flight and doing the same crossword in the airline magazine you had done on the flight out. About seven miles total with 5 being in the woods, and 2 in the open fields with 3 steep punchy climbs.

Marcee was back at the parking lot when I got there. We set up the tent and I followed her with half closed eyelids through the rain to her parents house for a home cooked meal a shower and a bed.

I got all that plus her cool parents, antiques (they had the original Krispy Kreme hand carved sign) and four dogs.

In the morning I did some final adjustments to the bikes, (I finally got both up and running), ate breakfast, and followed Marcee back to the race.

At one point www.Bikerumor.com interviewed my bike about the upcoming race. Then BikeRumor sat me down amongst a class of riders I didn't have much business being compared to. Olympians, National Champions, World Champions and me. We got asked questions, which I can't remember, but I think there is a video somewhere.

A rain that was on it's 18th hour stopped a couple of hours before our start, so the trail was on a new level of slippery. Every corner had a root lying across it, and each corner was slick like soapy hands holding a new Iphone. On the first lap Ross led off, Diego was there, Tinker and another local. I was on their wheel with Jeremiah on mine. I watched the guys riding in front and gathered quickly they were less than comfortable on the terrain. My goal was to go into the single track first at the start of the next lap and turn the traction control off.
Past the tents, and my pit crew, I attacked enough to get in first and Jeremiah followed me tight. Going into the North Carolina clay was tricky, but fun. Basically you have to be very comfortable letting the wheels slide over everything. The rear end of the bike just has to have the freedom to flail.

I set a nice pace, ditched the bike once, but kept it under control enough to come out of the woods with a good 40 second gap on Tinker. Jeremiah was with me, and we set a nice but not blazing pace up the climbs to the start finish line. I figured we could continue that pattern for the rest of the race. Let the others kill themselves on the climb while we floated the single track. It should be noted that the middle climb was so gooey that I choose to walk it the first 5 or 6 laps before it dried out enough to make riding it less of a drain.

By the 4th or 5th lap JB and I had about 2 minutes on everyone else, and we started to jsut enjoy the ride. We'd pass people chatting about random racing ideas, and live video game style feeds of races. It was still work, and we wore ourselves out, but in the woods you can only go so fast without crashing.

One of my favorite trail features was the option line to the step-up jump up onto the bank and over the root. JB and I started sessioning it and were soon comfortable hitting it like a freight train.

We were averaging 30-35 minute laps and Marcee was doing an excellent job as my pit crew. I got some bike changes, plenty of bottles and food, all without a hitch. As the night laps came up I was doing the math in my head and it looked like we were going to use every inch of the 8hrs of the race. One confusing thing that Jeremiah and I weren't sure of was the race cut off of 7:30. Apparently if you came to the start finish line after 7:30 you were done. We were asking people if that was the truth and it screwed with strategy. I knew Jeremiah was probably stronger on the climbs, so I was hoping to ditch him in the single track and run like mad for the finish.
Unfortunately he attacked at 7:22 and we crossed the line at about 7:28 which meant that he had a nice gap on me in the woods. I couldn't make up enough of it to the finish and after being down by as much as a minute (i think) we came across the line 12 seconds apart, after he dropped his chain on the last climb.

Oh well. It was a good race, and nail biting to the end. Thanks Marcee for the stellar pitting!
Cyclingnews article
Velonews Article

CycoCross

Racing around a horse track and fair grounds this weekend. They say it's spectator friendly and with a Victory Brewing tent at the top of the run up and bleachers in the middle I'd have to agree. I raced 60 minutes of purgatory and ended up in 34th!. "Purgatory" because you know how to get out, but the act of leaving the course is denied you unless someone laps you. I don't want to quit, but I don't want to get lapped, but what is the point of racing for 34th place?
Venturing from the North was a contentious group from Independent Fabrication. Drew from Engin cycles invited a mini collective of hand made bicycle builders to come and set up a tent with wares to wow the crowds.
The crowds were wowed. I of course didn't take a picture of anything I should have. Like the beautiful bikes on display, or the company tent, or a group photo of someone sticking their tongue out with beers in hand.
It's strange that when I think of cross racing, images of chaotic elbow rubbing, line snatching and throat scorching from the friction of breathing so hard are the memories I keep. I'd think that my photo's would sort of reflect that, but when I go back to them I mostly see these tranquil images.


Drew from Engin. His bikes got some bikesnobnyc time. Which I think means bike snob was at the race. It's sort of like realizing that someone had been in your house, sifting through your drawers while you were asleep.
Topher in form.
A barrier shark lying in wait.
Pink Socks in the kitty litter.
That man is Pete. He was the Colavita Team mechanic for the 08 season.
Indy Fab's head of shipping and quality control. Leah. She explained she tried to smile.
Race director Kelly.

Why am I going back?

La Ruta is a huge pain. My bike is going to be ruined. My mind is going to go.
My competitive half is excited, my responsible half says I don't have the time or money.
Maybe I'll get some dogs. Word is convicted doper Roberto Heras is going to be there, accompanied by 2008 3rd place world championship TT finisher Svein Tuft.

Rat's out of the bag

A Festival of Note: TORC thank you!

Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill form what is known as the triangle. I'm partial to triangles. Squares as well, but I had a personal invitation to this particular triangle by a group of off road cyclists known as TORC. Maybe you can figure out the acronym.
The invite came through an individual who had been particularly interested in my bike. That interest grew into an invite to come and participate in the festivities. It was take a kid mountain biking day, so I went out with some youth, and played on the trails. Most of those kids were labeled as "at risk" which I took to mean they were particularly subject to being under the influence of a crummy world. All that was left behind, and since I didn't know they had been labeled till afterwards, we had a good time, just hanging out in the woods, riding bikes.

That was definitely a highlight of the the weekend. I wish I could have done rides with the kids all day. Other than that I got to talk to a lot of people interested in endurance racing and IFs' bikes. I had front row seats to the pixie cross race, spent some time on the pump track in the woods and rode with people during the 6hr race. I got to help a man named Topher fix a chain, then after a minute of riding behind him and witnessing a good toss off his bike, I got to untaco a wheel by slamming it against the ground repeatedly. I like beating things into shape!
The festival brought together a community of people who had a common interest, and created a shared experience. I tend to ride my bike alone a lot, but the TORC fest reminded me about how social cycling can be for a relatively antisocial activity. Maybe not anti-social, but it is definitely a sport outside of most social norms, which is strange since just about every kid rides bikes with a group of kids while growing up.
To illustrate the point I went to visit my cousin in Raleigh. Her new neighborhood had the quaint and quiet streets you might you expect a southern suburb to have. Kid's on bikes soon to be left to rust in a couple of years. Yep, and at some point they'll probably get in a car and throw a cup of hot coffee on some cyclist in spandex...
Well, probably not and it's less likely if there are groups like TORC around, pulling kids in and showing them that riding a bike is fun when ever your age. Thanks to groups like TORC!

I want to thank Marcee for getting me to come down. I'd start a list of people to thank, but I'm bound to leave some one out, so I'll leave it at Marcee for now, and the rest of the TORC community!!

And the Upside is I gained enough encouragement to think it's viable to do La Ruta now. Thanks everyone and especially Mr. C.

Adirondacks: Where to Barn Dance

Hello Tarheels and Sweet Tea

The Triangle Off Road Cyclists (TORC) have invited me to participate in their Fat Tire Festival. I'll be there in the Indy Fab tent, giving an Endurance Clinic, riding with kid's for 'take a kid mountain biking day', and in general trying not to make a major gaff to disappoint the constituents. Come say hi if you are in the area.

The India Stage Race blog..

Go to the dedicated blog for the KHANCHENDZONGA MOUNTAIN BIKING EXPEDITION 09.

There you will find regular updates. Become a follower.

Is it wrong if no one cares?

Rode a little 42 mile trail on Tuesday. Actually only got 36 miles done in 8 hours.
Drove up late Monday..
Fly's are attractive,
Ahhhhh,
Learning to become bowlegged,



As we were looking for water...
Don't cut it out, ride it out..
Lichen..