16 water bottles...

16 water bottles filled with favorite sports drink
5 tubes
beer
10 co2 cartridges
2 tire inflaters
folding chairs
bike repair kit
beer
sour patch kids, big bag
hooded sweat shirts
mike and ike original flavor
pump
peanut butter
fluff (for Lynn)
beer
sun glasses
6 pack of coke
cycling clothes (all of them)
chocolate chip cookies
beer
transmission fluid for volvo
tp
hand sanitizer
rain coats
dog food
blankets
chips and salsa
red bull
mtb gloves
bread
water proof boots
water
red sox cap
heart rate monitor
beer
dog beds
tent
ground cloth
ice
blue tarps
duct tape
string cheese
flash lights
aspirin
tools to fix the volvo
coffee
umbrella
socks
directions
beer
camera
batteries
extra 20w-50 oil for the volvo
beer
personal items
beer

Did we forget anything?

so fast

Ninigrit was so fast. Lynn is getting the hang of the "A" race. Joe Savik of P bike fame also accompanied us, putting in some fast laps.

Wild Bill is hurting, but he won't admit it. The last half of the race he was back to normal, Pulling me to the front of the pack for a decent finish! Thanks Bill.

Brendan H., rode super hard as always. With five to go, he launched off the front into the wind, making the pack very nervous that the attack may stick. If he had help it may have.

Preparations for Pat's peak are underway. Look for a full report and photos soon!

speed vs.endurance

Lynn, Lyons, Judge and I will be at Pat's peak on Saturday. We will attempt the solo 6 hr mtb race. Lynn also plans on racing on Sunday in an attempt to retain her series lead. I'll be attempting to ride this event on my single speed rigid Redline. I made some low budget upgrades, adding a used front disc brake, softer grips and a better saddle.

Ninigrit tonight!

Congrats to Wild Bill, he is now a Cat3!

It's racing, not racin!

Stafford springs, Lynn's race what was posted as a woman's 3/4 race, actually it was a woman's open race. Woman's racing tends to take a back seat to the men's categories. The excuse given is that not enough woman attend the events, yet the promoters do nothing to attract female racers. Lynn was quite satisfied to finish a race whose pace was dictated by strong riders, such as Amy kemper and Kim Edwards.

I raced in the cat 4 group, which looked more like stock car racing than a bicycle race. Joe B. was collected in on wreck, destroying two wheels. He was able to rejoin the scrum, finishing one spot ahead of me. So what is my excuse this week? I lost my nerve, I should have been sitting in the top ten on the final lap. I just backed off for no real reason. The other guys just wanted it, more than me. I don't need a coach, I need a shrink.

Today I planned to race Hartford with Joe B. and Wild Bill. A logistical snafu prevented Joe and I from arriving, but Wild Bill, true to form made the race. Unfortunately he was collected in the final laps, destroying his wheelset, shifters and portions of his epidermis. Maybe there IS a reason Joe and I never made it to Hartford.

I returned home after my botched attempt to race today, to find one skinny greyhound in my bed, accompanied by crumbs and an empty wheat bread bag. At least he has not figured out how to open a beer bottle yet.

Six hours this Saturday!

two weeks

It's been two weeks since this blog was updated. The only real reason is we've been "sooper" busy. Lynn has been working 6 days a week. Besides the usual work and trying to find time to ride. We've had family responsibilities to tend to, my daughter has become a killer soccer player! I spent some quality time with Walter and his tattoo needles. I'm also in the process of refinishing the gel coat on my father's old boat.

Lynn raced very hard at Sterling and put in a solid finish. We have shared a bunch of mountain bike rides with friends. I've rediscovered my love of woods riding, maybe because I have a little fitness, most likely it's the company of good people. Wild Bill convinced Lynn and I to race the 6 hour mtb race at pats peak, a week from this Saturday. Lynn, Bill and I will be racing solo for six hours, on a five mile loop. We hope to complete 11 laps. I invite anyone interested to contact us, we plan on camping out(as long as they allow dogs). http://www.patspeak.com/summer/bike.

This coming Saturday Lynn, Lyons, Judge, John, Lindsey and I will be at Stafford Spring. Sunday I'll be solo at Hartford.

Lynn racing at Mount Snow? Is it true? Tune in and find out!

Ninigrit

Ninigrit

12-14-08

The Volvo leaves @ 5:00 pm from 28 ringgold. $5.00 for gas is appreciated.

fast and relentless

Wednesday night Wild Bill, Scott and I drove down to Ninigrit after work (Lynn had to work late). Scott had a very strong race, finishing 5th and winning some taco money in a sprint. Wild Bill rode strong as always, especially since he was fighting a stomach bug, he said it felt like he swallowed broken glass. The pace was very fast with an average speed of aprox. 27 mph. I was able to keep up with out a problem, but doing anything more felt impossible.

This going to sound incredibly dumb on my part; I raced almost entirely in the drops. I was amazed that my bike corners so much better when I'm in that postion, I felt like I could arc through the turns much better. I also noticed that when the pack gets strung out single file, being in the drops really creates less drag. My neck and shoulders were sore, but it felt much faster.

Saturday, I can't race due to family responsibilities, but Lynn is going to race Stering. She is also racing in the woods at Brialee on Sunday. Look for results here first. I plan to race at wells ave Sunday, any takers?

my wife rocks and horse racing sucks

Thursday was my 40Th birthday! Lynn not only treated me like a King for a day, but I also received a set of Mavic race wheels as my birthday gift. As if this were not enough, when I came home from work, I was surprised by a brand new 26 redline mono cog in the kitchen. Yes, she is the best!

This morning Lynn, Scott and Wild Bill went for a mountain bike ride, in big river. First off, the redline is fantastic. Single speeds are so simple, no chain banging around, no wrong gear choice, no suspension to fret over. It's all you, and a ton of fun. We had a blast chasing each other over the rhythmic trails, smiling and feeling like kids again! Scott S is super fast in the woods, especially since it was only his second time ever!



On a more somber note, Today during the Kentucky derby a two year old horse fell and broke both of her front ankles, she was was euthanized on the track. The sport of horse racing is held with much celebration and fanfare. In reality it's as cruel as dog fighting. A two year old horse is not fully grown yet. Their bodies are not equipped to deal with the stresses of racing. Please don't be fooled, horse racing is abusive and cruel.

I know we're starting to sound like some kind of animal rights activist freaks. This blog was intened to be about bike racing, BUT the circus is in town and we can't ignor it. Click the link, if you want to know why the circus sucks! http://www.circuses.com/