Free Wheelin' James beat me to the Tuesday Night report already on his blog, so I'll just leave it at that (or, I guess I should say this). I will add that post-ride, Josh met us at Jersey's for pizza and beer & so did a buddy of Hoyt's named Cub. As in Chicago or Honda, I don't know. And mad thanks to Mad Cash for hooking us up with pitchers of Drop Top Amber Ale. Good times.

Laboring on Labor Day
Rumor on the street is that we're riding up to Idyllwild on Monday. We'll leave from GFE in Redlands, so bring liquid, food, money, tubes, CO2 & legs.

Once Upon A Time...
I've got nothing good to say & no new photos to post (because I destroyed my digi-cam) so I'm going to re-live old glory days on the suicide machines.

This was shot in July of '03 near Knoxville, TN for the Honda Hoot program & media book. Photographer Kevin Wing shot it from the back of a rented minivan with Michael MonroE at the wheel. I'm on the left aboard a VFR, Ken Vreeke (the mastermind behind it all) is in the middle on an ST1300 & Ken Lee is to the right on a big VTX1800. If memory serves me correct, this is the day that we ran into bad weather so to kill time in between shoots, we bought a bunch of fire works & shot them off on some back country road. While KV, Mr. Lee & I were riding, MonroE, Wing & Matt Vreeke had a bottle rocket mishap in the minivan that burned the dash board, but I'm not supposed to be telling this story.


Yes, those really are my arms & no, there was no Photoshop work done to ad muscle. Before my bicycle racing days, I actually had an upper body. This was shot down around Parker, AZ some time in '99 by Kinney Jones. The funny thing is I didn't even want to go to this shoot because it was only a day-long thing & I had to drive all the way from San Diego. Kinney kept getting pissed during the shoot because certain people weren't following his directions. On the way home I ran out of gas in my van on I10 around midnight & had to walk about a mile to Chiraco Summit for gas. I think Jeff Hain, the then Editor of PWI, felt sorry for me after that so he put me on the cover.


Two of the only motorcycle-mounted scanned images I have are on Yamahas. This one was shot on the second loop of the '01 Wickenburg, AZ Nat'l Enduro by Bryan Nylander. It's a beautiful image, but there was nothing beautiful about the moment-in-time it was shot. The infamous waterfall section of Wickenburg was preceeded by the Shelf Trail, which was miles of a super-narrow rocky singletrack on the side of a cliff. One wrong move & it was an instant DNF. If you survived the Shelf Trail, the next obstacle was the waterfall section, which was always a crowd, photographer & ESPN2 favorite. Several big drop-offs, sometimes filled with water, led down to a sand wash that led back up, way up, to what was in my opinion the toughest part of the race; a series of rocky switchback ascents. In '00 I smashed the clutch cover on my CR250 in that section after watching Larry Roeseler launch his KLX300 from one switchback up to another. When LR is ghost riding his bike to get through a section, you know it's gnarly. The year this photo was shot, I was riding a WR250F, which was a good bike for Wickenburg. Ty Davis rode a YZ250F the same year & flamed it out because he didn't have the big radiators that the WR had. Even though there was not mud, rain or slippery roots at Wickenburg, I think it consisted of the toughest terrain out of any race I ever did. Climate aside, Wickenburg was long, rocky, dusty & in '01, it was my first race back after having my ACL replaced. And of course, I went out there with Rick Daniel.


Another Yamaha shot. Not the sharpest of photos, but I like it. Actually, this was a staged image for Dirt Rider that Mark Kariya took down in Mexico near Tecate. He & I were down there some time in the fall of '98 for a GPS Trail Ride. To make a very long story short, I ended up getting lost (damn GPS) on my own around dusk & had to put the WR400F I was riding on reserve. Finally, before I was totally empty & it was totally dark, a few people came looking for me & we made it back to the ranch we were staying at safely. I thought I was going to be spending the night with some Mexican coyotes & bandits. As it turns out, they were the least of my problems because the next morning as I was heading back to the border, I got stopped by a group of Mexican Federals, who picked through the contents of my van with the barrels of their M16's. Eventually they sent me north without taking any money or any of my pocessions. I've only been back to Mexico one time since then.

I guess I had more to say than I thought.

Bed time.

My Weekend...

The Plan
The plan was to do the first part of the RBC ride on Saturday morning, then peel off at La Sierra & head to Kim’s house in Dana Point. Once there, Denise, Ryder, Kim & I would go to the beach. When I got down to GFE, the group had already left, but Steve Hermanson was late too so he & I chased together. The chase ended at the top of Barton Rd. in Grand Terrace where everyone was stopped waiting for Frank Wong to fix a flat. Already I’m behind schedule & I told Denise I’d be in Dana Point around 11. When I told Turner that I was going to ride to the beach, he said I was an idiot. As it turns out, he was right.

Just for fun, I put in a big push going up McAllister that resulted in a five-man break made up of me, Turner, Cochran, Zuke & one of the stronger Citrus Valley Velo dudes. When we got to La Sierra I sat up, waved goodbye & waited a while for the first chasers to roll by. I’m thinking the break may have stuck for the remainder of the ride because the right guys were in it & the chasers were already a ways back. It was pretty freaking hot by Lake Matthews so I unzipped my jersey & as soon as I started descending into to Corona, two bees flew into my jersey & stung me on the upper left portion of my chest. My reaction to bee stings aren’t good, so I swallowed my pride, called Denise & had her pick me up at Imperial Hwy. Our next stop was Sav-On where we bought some Benadryl.

The Beach
Kim, who is moving to Atlanta next month, took us to the beach at Heisler Park. It was a perfect beach day because it was hot, but there were still a lot of people on the beach wearing full-length jeans & shirts. Apparently being fully clothed didn’t bother them because they were out in the waves anyway. Who does that? Oh wait, one old dude was in his underwear. Anyway, it was Ryder’s first official trip to the beach, but I slept through most of it because of the Benadryl. He slept through most of it too because he’s a baby. Despite two umbrellas, Ryder still got a farmer tan on his left arm.

Back at Kim’s, we got cleaned up, met her friend Rebecca, who is supporting her boyfriend’s gambling habit, watched the Colts lose to the Broncos & then had pizza for dinner. I dozed in & out of sleep due to a second dose of Benadryl & watched Bogey the cat throw up on Kim’s carpet before we drove home.

The Clinic
When I awoke the next morning to meet Greg Johnson at Loch Leven for a mountain bike ride, my left peck looked like Lou Ferrigno’s peck due to the bee stings. Discovering that my normal Hector Macho Camacho peck had doubled in size was probably a good sign to skip the ride, but I went anyway. Loch Leven was packed with people doing the same ride. I’d never seen so many cars packed into such a little turn out. Johnson brought his new GPS deal & Ed Heppenstall along for the ride. Once we had climbed to the Angeles Oaks store, my riding partners proceeded to give me a Santa Ana River Trail Riding Clinic. Moments after hitting the descent, I pushed the front end out in a corner & quickly realized that I was going to have one of those days. The two of them banged bars all morning, while I just tried to finish the ride without suffering a big get off. On the way back down, we saw Jose Ole Joy & then Trevor & his brother riding up. A popular day on the SART, indeed. Since it was Heppenstall’s birthday, Johnson treated us to Huevos Rancheros & dos Negro Modello at Casa Maya after the ride. You didn’t know I spoke Espanola, did you?

I spent the rest of the weekend in a Benadryl induced coma.

James Checks in from Atlanta Int’l Airport about Mt. Snow
Getting any kind of online results from Mt. Snow was like pulling teeth, so when James called last night to give me the low down, I was appreciative. He said the course was only about 5 miles long & still took nearly 2.5 hours for the winning Semi-Pro to do four laps. Kabush killed the Pro race in just over two hours. James said there were spectators all over the place & that there was a guy on the side of the course banging drums. Cool.

This morning when I checked the NORBA site, I was happy to see this. Even after missing three rounds, getting taken out in Arizona & blowing apart bad in Deer Valley, I managed 6th in the series. My results at Schweitzer & Brian Head definitely helped my cause. Next stop Mammoth for the National Championship.

Random…

Magan Banfield is of ABC royalty. Her Papa dropped by work today.

Jenna Jefferies' mom is some kind of Big Bear royalty too, but she doesn't have a web page.

A young Trent Lowe just signed with Discovery.

I’m going to Everest Challenge on Sept. 24-25 & to the Tucson Cycling Classic on Sept. 30 – Oct. 2 if anyone wants to share a ride & a motel.

Ryder will officially become a latch key kid this week. Denise heads back to school tomorrow.

Quote: "Bicycle road racing was the only sport in the world." - Ernest Hemingway, The Sun Also Rises

Greg's new Garmin Forerunner 301 GPS recorded our Sunday mountain bike ride.

45 Minutes & 5 Laps of Pain & Discomfort
Crit was as uncomfortable as ever last night. Like an idiot I watched Turner attack with tandem-mounted Padilla in tow. I just watched it instead of followed it because it was still early in the evening, but when Zuke bridged up to the trio a few laps later, & again I just watched, that was all the horsepower they needed. They stayed away for the rest of the evening despite a futile attempt by yours truly to jump across from the main group to the break. Too little too late. I ended up spending about six laps out on my own in the wind, building a lot of character. That move was almost as lame a move as not reacting to the moves made by the break. When certain people go up the road, you should go with them. I know that rule, yet for some reason, I don’t always follow it. Idiot.

Road Rage
On the days I ride to work I’ve been leaving later & later it seems. Today I left a few minutes to 6:30, but on Barton Rd. just outside of Redlands I got in a pissing match with four other dudes, so I ended up getting to work much faster than normal. Every time I thought I had shaken the group for good, I’d catch a red light somewhere on Barton & they’d come rolling up beside me. One of them, who probably out-weighed me by about 50 lbs. (including the 15 lb. backpack I take to work) was hell-bent on dropping me & because I was running a little late, I figured, what the hell. So, every time I’d catch a red light, they’d come rolling up just in time for the green light & as I would start rolling from a dead stop, he’d punch it. It was comedy because I would just time trial up to him, roll by & gap him until the next red light. And then it would happen all over again. I wanted to really ruin the guy’s day going up the hill in to Grand Terrace, but he didn’t quite make it that far. He & his comrads finally disappeared somewhere around Reche Canyon Rd. I guess I owe them thanks for getting to work on time.

Jeff Fulford Checks In
A torn ACL & a recently broken hub on his road bike has kept Jeff away lately. He’s getting both repaired, but not before going on an epic of a mountain bike vacation. Flagstaff, Durango, Crested Butte & possibly Brian Head are on the ride itinerary (lucky bastard). Jeff goes under the knife on Sept. 21 (unlucky bastard) & plans to be back in business by San Dimas Stage Race. As a fellow ACL replacee, I suggest doing double the PT they prescribe. I guess I’m preaching to the choir because Jeff is a PT. Good luck anyway dude.

I'm dying to know what's going on at Mt. Snow right now...

Quote: “Great things are done when men & mountains meet. This is not done by jostling in the street.” – William Blake

Anyone up for Everest Challenge on September 24-25?

Crit Practice Tonight.

Ryder did a 360!
The little dude rolled from his back to his stomach & back to his stomach again. Sala still can't roll over.

When It Rains We’re Poor
It appears as if I made the right choice to skip Snowshoe. West Virginia rain & bad weather made for long, slow race that required lots of running. Then there’s the financial impact of pre-riding & then racing in those type of horrible conditions. Might as well go down to the bike shop, buy new cables, new housing, a new chain & new brake pads, then start a blaze in the fire place at home & burn them beyond recognition. Then go back to the bike shop & buy them all over again. That’s the joy of racing outside of the western U.S.

At the Texas opener, which was also rain-plagued, there was a nightly ritual that occurred at our modest motel: Come back from the venue, muddy, wet & grumpy. Slop your dirty riding clothes over to the laundry area & wait for an open washing machine. If you were lucky, you’d get there around the same time as some other filthy soul & share a washer. Then walk back to your room & begin the tedious process of cleaning your bike, stopping several times throughout to check on the status in the laundry room. Maybe you get to bed before 10. Three days of this. On the fourth day (Sunday) after a 2.5 hour mud race, everyone switches their focus from laundry to tearing apart their bike & getting it into a bike case as quickly as possible so you don’t miss your flight out of San Antonio Int’l Airport. Actually, most nationals I’ve gone to are like this. Some are just muddier than others. Good times.

We’ll see how Mount Snow treats James, Sean & everyone else from the dry west who’s heading to Vermont this week. Good luck guys. May Mother Nature have mercy on you.

I Was So Much Older Then…
I’m not sure how I feel about this L.A. Times article. For someone who was so politically influenced in my youth by the Dead Kennedys & old Bad Religion, I sure do have a strong distaste for new bands with a distinct political stance. Any band actually, whether it be the political opinions of that waste of human flesh, Toby Keith or the political opinions of that other waste of human flesh, Michael Stipe. Those two are as qualified to make political decisions as Congress is qualified to make religious decisions. Catch my drift? I think that’s why the bands with real staying power, in my book, are outfits like Minor Threat, Texas Is the Reason, 7 Seconds, The Avengers, Descendents & The Ramones. Their lyrics are more of a social commentary than a political commentary. Then there are two of my favorites, Bob Dylan & The Pogues & while they have made strong political statements over the years, their real talents lie in story telling (and drinking). How does all this yada yada yada relate to the L.A. Times article that The Real James Williams was nice enough to forward me? It doesn’t, except for the fact that Pat Smear & Henry Rollins speak out of both sides of their mouths & thus are horrible references for an article about the spirit of punk.

Tuesday Night
The Tuesday night report is starting to get old, but several people ask, so I’m going to keep it up since there are only a few more to go before the time change. As it is, I almost needed lights to get home last night after the ride. Sadly, the summer is coming to an end. It has come to an end for Todd Parks, who claimed he’d no longer be making the drive from Palm Springs to Redlands, so I felt it my duty to make his last ride a memorable one. I confess, after he had been sitting on the front for quite a while, I attacked the hell out of him as we approached the top of Sunset on the first lap. Josh came with me, but so did Parks, so maybe I only attacked the heck out of him. Of course he had to scold me afterward for attacking him in the first place, especially after sitting on his wheel prior. And of course he tried to return the favor on the second lap, just moments after he had told me to keep a steady pace going up the wall. When it was all said (and a lot is said when Parks is around) Turner, Zuke, Josh, Parks & I all put the wood to each other. I was glad to finish without getting popped because I wasn’t feeling too hot.

Random…
It finally happened. I dropped the digital camera last night while riding. To ad insult to injury I ran over it with my rear wheel after it bounced off the tarmac. It works intermittently now & the view screen on back of the camera is totaled. I guess that’s what I get for riding around & taking pictures at the same time.

Josh saw a dude catch on fire at the Tom Petty concert in San Diego last weekend when the Kettle Corn concession stand turned into a flame thrower. According to Josh, the guy was totally engulfed in flames & it took several people to snuff him out. Afterward, Josh ordered two beers instead of just one.

Speaking of Josh, he is Carina Home-less. The owner of Carina Homes sold the company, thus putting an end to the cycling team. Too bad because it was a sweet deal.

My parents got campground reservations on New Year’s Eve for San Elijo State Beach. Finally a fun way to bring in the New Year…


Quote: “Whoever invented the bicycle deserves the thanks of humanity” – Lord Charles Beresford, British Admiral & Member of Parliament

We have them fooled.

FREE! German Shepard Mutt Mix

This is what I came home to Friday after a hard day at the office.


Meanwhile, for his 4 month birthday, Ryder began Driver's Ed. Hands at 10 & 2 Ryder! Hands at 10 & 2!

Not much to report from over the weekend. I did just over 72 miles on Saturday & the group ride on Sunday. On both days I came home after the ride & started working on the house well into the night. I'm tired.

Greg checks in from the Trek sales meeting in Waterloo, WI:
"Well, Lance was here yesterday. He signed a life long contract with Trek. After that we drank a few Shiner Bocks and talked about his last tour. It was a blast!"

I think I’ll be drinking Shiner Bocks from now on…

Baby Showers, Too Much Cake & Crit Practice: Which is more uncomfortable?

They had a baby shower for Magan & Jeremy at work on Wednesday so we all got to gaze at the expecting couple while they opened gifts for the soon to be born Joey. Denise & Ryder were invited. Poor Ryder. He had the hiccups the entire time. Poor me. I ate two pieces of cake & felt sick the rest of the day.

Ryder got passed around the room quite a bit.

I can't believe I ate two giant pieces of cake.

Ryder & Jeremy have the same hair cut.

Pick Your Favorite Caption:

1. I went to crit practice on Thursday.
2. I shouldn't have had two pieces of cake.
3. All of the above.

James Caught on Film

Check out James on the front of the Big Bear Valley Sports page from the State Race last weekend. I wonder how many readers have already sent the editor scathing mail, accusing the newspaper of doctoring James' biceps so they look bigger than normal, a' la Tom Boonen's Paris-Roubaix VeloNews cover shot. I know The Real James Williams & The Real James Williams has Boonen-size biceps. Longo made the inside of the paper to back up his first in class finish.

Quote: "Nothing compares to the simple pleasure of a bike ride." - John F. Kennedy

Another Tuesday Night

Just as we were rolling past Caroline Park & about to hang a left back up Sunset to start our second lap, Josh appears & says, “It’s about time.” The explicit replies that this invoked made me laugh so hard that my heart rate jumped from the low to the high 180’s. Josh had gotten out of work late & was casually spinning around the Sunset route waiting for us to fly by. As me, Turner, Parks, Riverside Josh & Zuke pedaled up the wall, we were all anticipating some sort of action from the late-comer. Luckily, Josh is gentlemanly enough & didn’t just jump on & push the pace and/or attack with fresh legs. Instead, he let us pound the crap out of one another until a third lap lead-out from Zuke left Turner, Parks & I on our own to finish the job. I decided to take on the role of the sacrificial lamb & drove for the remainder of the climb. It was a worthy cause because Turner, who jumped first, went virtually unchallenged. Mission accomplished; wink, wink.

Other Bike Stuff

• If anyone wants to shell out $600 to learn how to ride a cross bike click here. Shouldn’t there be some golf & tubing on the schedule too?

• We (Team Redlands) have been asked to take part in the filming of a movie this weekend. We’re to show up dressed in our team kits at the Mill Creek Ranger Station this Saturday morning. I know few details of the movie other than it’s about a woman who leaves the small town she grew up in to live in the big city. She strikes it rich somehow and returns to her small town roots in a limo or H2 or something. I don’t know who stars in it (besides us), I don’t know who the director is & I don’t even know if I’m going to go. The last film production I took place in was the K&N commercial & that was a freaking nightmare. Maybe I can find some place to lay more sod on Saturday instead.

• I think I figured out why Jan Ullrich can suffer on a bicycle better & more than most mortals. The Kaiser has the sole burden of paying for the sins committed by the German people during World War II.

Apparently Someone Did Leave P O’d
A Note from Luke:
I am officially placing our Scattegories game on protest. I, Lucas Stiles, used the political figure Pol Pot for the letter "P" in hopes of locking up two points. I was challenged by the other players, as they stated that Pol Pot was one word which reduced my points from 2 to 1. Upon further review & research, Pol Pot is indeed two separate words. The game must be replayed. Stick that in your pipe and smoke it!!!

Sorry Luke. I had your back. I guess that’s what happens when we play with people who did not attend the University of Jello Biafra.

Quote: “Like dogs, bicycles are social catalysts that attract a supreme category of people.” – New York Times Magazine, The New Yorker, Harper’s, Vanity Fair, Vogue, GQ, Men’s Journal, National Geographic Adventure journalist, Chip Brown.

I attempted to shoot a few photos while riding last night...

Just up the road there is a group of little angry men plotting to rip the lungs out of these poor souls.

Tommy B. (not to be confused w/Tommy D.) hangings on.

Jon Reth took his usual massive pull, which resulted in a shattered field. Who says newlywed dental school students can't throw it down?

Hats, Quotes & Art Appreciation

Ryder & I have the most fabulous hats!

Quote: “The River is no place for wives & children.”
Richard Blum, when asked if he was taking his wife and kids to Havasu.

Quote: “When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race.”
H.G. Wells - English novelist, journalist, sociologist & historian, famous for writing The Time Machine (1895), The Invisible Man (1897) & The War Of The Worlds (1898).

Art Appreciation
I recently ordered prints of King of the Cage & Abe-Kido because Abe Lincoln is one of my heroes & I thought we needed some new artwork for the stairway in the new house. Upon their arrival Denise shot them down & said I couldn’t hang them in the stairway, but only on My side of the office. That leaves me less space to hang the Alexander Vinokurov, Jan Ullrich, Brett Farve, Laird Hamilton , Valentino Rossi, Chris Horner, Bob Dylan, Shane MacGowan & Kerry Walsh pictures I want in the office. I'm still negotiating space, but in the meantime here is more Brandon Bird artwork that is worthy of viewing.

Yeee Haaa! Two Warriors Come Out of the Sky

I have an emotional attachment to this one Prelude to Magic Hour

I too like working in the garage on Sunday afternoons Lazy Sunday Afternoon

Half-Pint’s Pa The Anguish

Do Ya Think I’m Sexy? Man of Tomorrow

I like this one because the "actor" in question probably has no spirt (or acting talent) & the artist is sharp enough to acknowledge that fact even though most of America isn't. Spirit Animal

I think I'll go ride my bike now...

The Weekend In Pictures

Dog Proof.

I took Friday off & laid sod with the help of Denise & her dad. The front yard isn't done yet because the sod guy shorted us. Denise thinks we miscalculated the square footage. Come on. Either way, the front yard is half dirt/half grass & my hamstrings & feet are killing me.

Lucas & Jackie were in town, so Mr. Lindeman, Chris & Cindy came over. We played games & believe it or not, no one got in a fight. I don't even think anyone left pissed off.

Instead of doing the State Race up at Big Bear on Sunday, my feet & hamstrings talked me into doing a road ride. Check out the billboards on the side of the road...

Another lazy Sunday morning.

Big Fish. Little Pond.

I was all set to give a Tuesday Night Sunset report & then I ran across this photo from the Boulder, CO Tuesday night training ride. Yep, I do believe that’s one Tyler Hamilton in the green & yellow Phonak kit. I fear the return of Jonathan Weaver, who recently moved to Boulder & is rumored to be coming back to Redlands for a while. If he’s hitting the group ride in Boulder, we may all be in trouble up on Sunset. Maybe we should demand a blood test from Weaver when he arrives.

Speaking of blood, I will say this about Sunset. Josh & I put our extra red blood cells to the test when I launched an attack on the second lap. We took Todd Parks with us & Fulford almost made it, but he couldn’t quite cover the gap. Turns out, spending 4 days at 10,000 ft. works pretty well. On the cool down lap, Marine Tom, who hails from 29 Palms said, “I always get my gas money’s worth when Freeman’s here.” Apparently, we’d all get our gas money’s worth if we drove to Boulder next Tuesday…

Tonight my parents, Meredith, Joey & my Grandma are coming over for dinner. Hopefully my mom will bring Molly, the puppy. Sala needs a little harassment. I think Lucas & Jackie got into town yesterday, so I’m trying to reach them. Denise is making brownies for dessert & we've got lots of ice cream. I'll earn dessert tonight at the necessary evil that is crit practice...

A man and his recliner.

This morning Sala & I got up early & went rock collecting. Mentone is a great place to collect rocks.

This one's our favorite. We rescued the little guy/girl from beneath two bowling ball size boulders.

Sala wants me to get this painted on the back of the van.

Brian Head Part II: Saturday & Sunday

Saturday
We woke up & drove the short distance to Cedar Breaks Nat’l Park for Ryder’s first hike. The weather forecast called for a nice day, so we felt it safe for such an excursion. With Ryder strapped to Denise via the Baby Bjorn, we hiked just over two miles to a point that overlooks Cedar Breaks. The park reminded Denise and I of Colorado National Monument. Josh & I packed some of that great 3.2% alcohol Utah beer to drink with the lunch we had prepared. We practically had to shotgun our beers & choke down our lunch because as soon as we reached the point, the western sky turned dark gray & sounds of thunder exploded in the distance. Only I had packed clothing for wet weather (as usual) so we quickly headed back to the van. Jeannie, our Sherpa, didn’t even have time to stop & confess her love for Josh on the water tower that the Noriega family apparently desecrates with graffiti on an annual basis - surprising, because on the surface they seem so nice.

In the parking lot, we were relieved not to see Child Protective Services waiting for us because we had taken our 3 ½ month old out on a hike sans rain gear. Luckily, we beat the rain by a few minutes because we still had time to visit the visitor’s center. We bought Ryder a National Parks Passport. Now, his mission in life, besides winning a world championship in some sort of two-wheeled competition or leading his team to a Super Bowl win, is to fill his Nat’l Park Passport with a stamp from every park. I wonder which one will happen first? Regardless of rushing the final two miles back to the van, the hike went well & Ryder did better than expected. He smiled, laughed & even slept a little throughout the two-hour adventure. Luckily he was awake to see the oldest tree in Utah, which was estimated at 5,000 years.

Before heading back to the condo, we drove to Panguitch Lake & then up to the feed zone to watch the Pro Men & Women come through, in dry conditions I might add. JHK had a minute lead at that point. Josh & I couldn’t figure out why any Pro field would let a guy like that go up the road alone. As it turns out Kabush had flatted, so maybe he was riding with JHK before the unfortunate puncture. After the girls came through we drove back to base camp and suited up for an afternoon spin. We found a technical single track not being used in the race and proceeded to follow it back to Hwy 143. All was good until we encountered 2 hikers & a dog on the trail. I tried to avoid hitting them & did a good job of it, but I hit the ground instead. I ended up with a nice slice in my left palm that I’m currently having a difficult time healing. I think a stitch or two may have sped up the healing process. I wasn’t wearing any glove because I mistakenly only brought one pair & they were still caked with mud. Idiot.

That evening we had dinner with the Noriega family, who had rolled into Brian Head earlier that afternoon. I had salmon & Denise had steak. Ryder had the usual. Dinner was nice & to my knowledge, the Noriegas left no vandalism or graffiti.

Sunday
Morning brought more good weather. Unfortunately Sunday was the day that Denise, Ryder, Josh & I had to skip town. Before leaving Utah we stopped at Kolob Canyon to take Chris & Cindy’s engagement photos. Kolob Canyon is part of Zion National Park so Ryder got another passport stamp at the visitor’s center. Two down, 386 National Parks to go.

I’m going to be totally honest right now & reveal that the rest of the trip was agonizing, especially after we hit Vegas. It took us near 3 hours to get from Kolob Canyon to Vegas, which wasn’t bad, but it took us just under 6 hours to get from Vegas to home. Not only that, we couldn’t find any decent ice cream on the way home. That’s the last time I travel home through Vegas on a Sunday. Josh & I wished that everyone coming home from Sin City had lost their ass in the casino over the weekend as punishment for clogging up the 15 South. The highlight of my ride home was when I successfully guessed the temperature in Baker before the giant thermometer was even in eye sight - 110 degrees. At that point we missed Brian Head more than ever…

A view of Cedar Breaks Nat'l Park

No, those aren't ants. That's Denise, Ryder & I standing under the oldest tree in Utah.

Trail side lunch at Cedar Breaks. Ryder opted for milk. The rest of us had sandwiches.

A reinactment of the drive home.

Brian Head Part 1: Wednesday, Thursday & Friday

The Drive
Denise, Ryder, Josh, Jeannie & I left Mentone around 9 pm on Wednesday night. We drove until 1:30 am on Thursday morning and stayed at the Virgin River Hotel Casino for only 29.99! We got the whole experience by eating breakfast at the Chuck Wagon Restaurant. The service was horrible, but the food was worth the $3.50 we paid for an entire breakfast. Ryder opted for milk only, so Denise & I got off really cheap. Overall, the Virgin River Hotel & Casino gets four stars in my book.

Thursday morning after breakfast, we stopped in Cedar City to buy groceries (ice cream). Then we drove curvy Hwy 143 from the town of Parowan (elevation 5990 ft.) to Brian Head. The road tops out at 10,400 ft., but our condo was at 9700 ft. According to Josh, Hwy 143 was reminiscent of the roads in the French Alps due to its extreme pitch and lack of guard rails. I’ll have to take his word for it.

When we reached our condo, at about 2 pm, it was pouring rain - hard rain. But unlike the movie Hard Rain, staring Christian Slater, Morgan Freeman, Minnie Driver & Randy Quaid, it was no joke. The drops were cold, heavy & didn’t appear to be letting up. So much for pre-riding the 27-mile XC course. Instead we unpacked the van (in the rain) of its duffle bags, food, bike gear & baby stuff. Josh & I immediately felt the altitude on our first ascent up the stairs to our second floor condo. We made many trips up & down the stairs because Denise, Jeannie & Ryder packed a lot of stuff. The rain finally let up long enough for us to get in an hour ride. Basically we rode the first 5 miles of the XC course, which went up Hwy 143 & hooked a hard left up a dirt road toward Brain Head Peak. An interesting way to start a mountain bike race, but I liked it. We had talked to James earlier in the day & he said the rest of the course was gnarly. Turns out he was right & the mud didn’t make it any better.

The Race
Due to the long opening climb, they started us with the Junior Experts. In all, about 60 of us left the line at the 2 pm start time. By the time we reached the top of the climb, about 5 miles in, I was sitting 3rd or 4th Semi-Pro with two Junior X’s in front of me. Nearly everyone else had broken from our tempo. From that point to the feed zone, which was about an hour in, I rode in the same position. Denise & Ryder gave me a perfect feed, but it wasn’t long after that I cracked on a long steep & slippery uphill. The hill turned into a hike-a-bike for some of us, including me, & I just couldn’t recover from it. I also lost some places in some of the slick, root-littered descents that favored the east coast contingent. And then came the rain. And then came the chain suck problems. In the end I finished 12th, just over six minutes off the leader’s time. I was somewhat satisfied considering the conditions, but Larry Longo made me feel better when he said, “You can’t live in Redlands and race at 10,000 feet.” Thanks Larry.

Stuff...

We reached over 11,000 ft. at one point & rode through piles of unthawed hail.

Even though he suffered from contact lens problems during the race, James was excited because the day prior, he pre-rode with Kelli Emmett.

The Steven King portion of the course was the Boy Scout Tent Camp that we rode through. Picture riding your bike through dozens & dozens of muddy Boy Scouts running around in the rain & screaming like crazed maniacs. Freaky.

Saturday & Sunday to be continued...

Breakfast on race day.

1 More Post Before We Leave for Utah

Tuesday Night "I thought you said, 'Never again.'"
- Craig Turner, when I showed up for the Sunset ride on my mountain bike, after declaring, a week ago to the day, that I would, "Never again," commit the same mistake.

I faired better this week than last, but just barely & my only excuse is that I front-flatted on the third lap. The tire held air long enough for me to complete the third & final lap, but at the regrouping point, I made everyone wait and watch as I fumbled with the new tube exchange due mostly to the acid sweat that had ran into my eyes. How the only guy with 26-inch mountain bike semi-slicks got a flat tire is a mystery.

Anyway, the usual suspects were there, but some were missing. No Zuke, who is apparently in Colorado Springs looking for a place to live, no Padilla, who has apparently called his season a season & has retreated to the weight room already, no Josh, who is short-handed at the hospital, no James, who was apparently picking up Loren's single-speed from Ben at Cycle Tek, & no Mike Sheppard, who is resting after having spent the spring racing in Europe & the summer racing in Utah & Wisconsin. Still, Jeff Fullford, Adrian Olsen, Todd Parks & Turner made the ride interesting & it was good to see Marine Tom even though he launched the attack that eventually led to my demise. Okay, enough name dropping.

Ryder Bathed Last Night. I Didn't.
Last night after the ride I came home, ate dinner & gave Ryder a bath. He loves taking a bath because he likes to splash & splash & splash & splash & splash around. It's crazy how much he squirms & wiggles & kicks & laughs & laughs & laughs in the bath. And as soon as I took him out of the water he started crying. It's amazing to me that the kid is only 14 weeks out of the womb & he's already able to splash around in the bath like a dolphin. If only I liked to bathe as much as Ryder. Denise couldn't be so lucky.

Ryder Photo of the Day (not in the bath)

Correction: "BTW, your mom's dog is 7 1/2 weeks old. - D"

Note to James: What's with all the D-Town tubing?

Thanks: To Greg Johnson for hooking me up with a sano Bontrager Jersey to wear at the Nat'l.

In His Own Words, Help a Dork Out: "Lost my phone. Can you help a dork out and pass along the digits? Thanks, Josh"
If anyone thinks Josh should have their number, email it to me & I'll forward it to him.

Speaking of Josh, this is what we did to celebrate his birthday & the summer solstice last month. After doing the Tuesday night ride, Josh, Jeff Fulford, James, Todd (a.k.a. The Natural) & I climbed Smiley Blvd. It hurt like hell, especially after three laps around Sunset & doing the 12-Hour only a few days before. Here's a shot that James took from the summit. Josh's face and body language says it all.

Off to Brian Head... hopefully this doesn't happen again.

I wonder what reality television show Mark Foist is watching right now?

Ryder, Riding & Roasting

It’s hard to believe, but Ryder is almost 14 weeks old. He’s already able to roll over & can almost sit up on his own. He laughs all the time, sleeps through the night & speaks gibberish. He’s also got cankles, which should translate into more power to the pedals.

Speaking of pedals, Ryder will take his first big trip this week when we go to Brian Head, Utah for the sixth round of the NORBA Nat’l Series. We’re driving up with Josh & Jeannie. Jeannie’s parents have a time-share up there, so apparently we’ll have a nice place to stay. Nicer than Deer Valley? That will be hard to beat. The trip officially begins Wednesday night. We’ll stop the first night in Mesquite, NV where we’ll laugh at the gamblers throwing away their money (P.T. Barnum was right). By noon the next day we should be at 8,000 ft & in Brian Head. Apparently the race course takes us up to about 10,000 ft. Sounds more like a cruising altitude for a big jet airliner than a place for a bike race.

In an attempt to stay out of the heat, I spent the weekend riding in the mountains and at altitude, which was an excellent option over the 100 degree temperatures of the Inland Empire. On Saturday, Greg Johnson, Tom Bielaszka & I started at Loch Leven & rode up to South Fork, then across the Santa Ana River Valley back home. Frequent stops and a casual pace made for a long day, but it was just what I needed. After the ride, I went home & got cleaned up so Ryder, Denise & I could go see my parent’s new dog. They got a 6 month old chocolate lab that we named Molly. Unfortunately we couldn’t name her Coco because that name has already been taken by an infinite number of chocolate lab owners. My mom kept saying that Molly has papers, which to a life-long mutt owner like myself, means that Molly either rolls her own doobies or she has earned her American Citizenship.

On Sunday, Josh & I were out the door & headed up to Big Bear in the van by 7:00 AM. We parked at Pong’s Oriental Delights where we met James, Larry Long, Trevor Downing & a dude named Dean. James & Longo took us on an epic ride, but I can’t say where because if the wrong people found out, we’d all get thrown in the slammer & being little bike riders, we probably wouldn’t fair too well behind bars. I will say this: 30 miles of perfect singletrack & we only ran across two hikers, who weren’t really hikers. They were more like two lesbians out walking their dog near the trailhead, not that there’s anything wrong with that, but I digress. Anyway, Longo & James sure know how to show you a good time. As we were finishing up the ride, it started pouring. Unfortunately the ride back to Pong’s was mostly on pavement, which made for a cold cool down. My hands were numb before it was all over.

FAST FORWARD 1 HOUR & I was home working in the back yard pouring sweat. It’s funny how 5 or 6-thousand feet of altitude can change your body temperature & spirits at the same time.


South Fork was raging this weekend.