Carefull!!!

While wrenching away on a customers bike the other day, he was telling me about an experience he had while in the parking lot at the Sage Hen Creek trail head. Apparently a lady had parked there for a quick hike and upon returning to her car found that it had been broken into and her lap-top was taken!!

I hate this kind of stuff. Your best defense is to keep as little as possible in your car and keep it as out of sight as possible while you're out and about. Even a pair of shorts laying on the floor in front of the passenger seat is probably enough to entice some low life scum bag to see if your wallet is still in one of the pockets.

Actually, I guess your best defense would be to ride from your house and just leave the car at home.

Our turn

Ahhh vacation. Isn't it grand. You get to sleep in, eat out and take life slow. You normal day to day schedule can be thrown out the window with reckless abandonment as you explore a new place, meet new people and get to try new stuff. You've worked hard... or at least hard enough to deserve some time away from the rigors of the "daily grind" and by damned, you're gonna make the most of it!!


If you live in Tahoe, or any other vacation destination, you know the routine. Friends call, ask if you're going to be around, make flight arrangements and before you know it, their in the spare room with luggage strewn about asking you where the best breakfast spot is.

Well, early next month it's our turn! My bea-u-ti-ful girlfriend and I are heading to the Oregon coast. It's our turn to couch surf, sleep until noon, make left turns from the center lane, drive 10mph under the speed limit..... don't honk at me.... I'M A TOURIST DAMMIT!!!!!

Figuring to drive to Bend, do a ride. Then pop over The Sisters the next day to the McKenzie river trail for another sampling of single track. Soak in some hot springs. After that, head further north to Portland for some more couch surfing. Then work our way out to the coast where we'll start to head back south in as lazy of a manner as possible until we run out of time.

So, if you're in Oregon in early October and there's a green Toyota driving way too slow turning right with its left turn signal on.... don't honk. Just remember.... it's our turn!!!!

Tahoe Sierra 100

What a day. I can't say as I've ever ridden 100 miles of fireroad before. Can't say as I'll ever do it again. Somehow though, the Tahoe Sierra 100 was a pretty good time.

Tomi. Shake-down ride. Tahoe Donner trails.

We loaded up the mighty truck and headed out.

My dog, Lewis, know this scene all too well.

This race was epic in all aspects. Even the drive to the race venue (French Meadows Reservoir) was nothing to be taken lightly. We took a "short cut" using Yankee Jims road out of Colfax. This road is dirt, rocky and has soooooo many ways to go wrong.

Cows. In the middle of friggin' nowwhere.

Talk about coming out of the woodwork! Burly... keepin' it real.

Tomi McMillar. Early in the day. All smiles.... for now.

Cheryl, womens open race winner, chases early in the race.

After the first climb, the picture taking kinda took a back seat for me. You can check out a ll the pics on the slideshow at the top of the page. The pics are from the race as well as a few rides in Truckee.

Mens open podium.

Womens open podium.

Mens singlespeed.

Womens singlespeed.

NUE series winners!

My race: Of course I show up late for the start and go to the back row. In a 100 mile race, this isn't really a problem. I wasn't planning on winning this thing anyhow. If I were able to beat Chris Eatough and Jeremiah Bishop, I probably wouldn't be fixing bikes and drawing house plans to pay the bills. My mission for the day was to not get passed by anybody. Starting in the back will help me accomplish my goals. After things sorted out in the early stages of the race, I would only see one other rider pass me at about the 2/3rds point of the day.

First climb. People everywhere. Dusty. People are in good spirits. This will change. At the top, I've already downed a bottle of mix. This is a good thing. Stop at an aid station and refill. Next, fireroad descent. This is the point where I'm really glad I have a 4" bike. I pass people with ease. It's dusty. Really really really dusty. As we start climb #2, I take a quick "p" break. I start the climb with Dicky. We chat. He drops me. I re-catch and return the favor. I get stuck behind someone on the only skinny part of the course and eat dust for about 1,000 vertical ft of descending. White thorn everwhere. I could ask him to let me by, but it's early in the race. I'll sit back and relax for now.

We go up the first climb again about 30 miles into the race. I feel pretty good. I also know that at the top of the climb my drop bag awaits and there's music in there. Lots of 80's & 90's tunes to keep me going. I stop at the aid station staring at the table of food for waaayyy too long. Fill bottles, another 100oz of water on the back, grab some pbj's and I'm back on the bike. After a short climb out of the check, we start a nice descent. I've got Van Hallen in the ears and things are going well. Again, my 4" bike is treating me right.

The course starts to roll and I keep an eye on the mileage remembering the 20 mile climb at the 60 mile mark. The climb came and actually wasn't too bad. We arrive at another check at the 85 mile point. Mark Tiessen is there with words of encouragement. Unfortunately, he really needed to be a few more miles up the course. The next 1/2 hour would be spent climbing a disgustingly loose, soft tiering climb. I'm slummin'. I've not budgeted energy for this part. Damn! I fumble with the track button on my mini disc player (yea, I'm old school). I settle for some random hip hop to help me up the last climb of the day. The climb get steeper, looser and more depressing as it goes. The climb can't end soon enough.

Finally it comes, the last descent. I catch a single speeder on the way down. The descent is rough. Earlier in the day, I was glad I hadn't brought the one speed, but this section is the most reassuring. Loose, rocky and some sections where it sure was nice to be able to pedal. As the descent starts to mellow, I'm within' a few miles of the finish. Damn glad too. My wrists hurt, my feet are sore and my ass.... let's not even go there. I see another rider. It takes me almost a mile to actually catch him. I tuck in behind and use his draft for a minute to recover slightly. I slingshot around him in hopes that he doesn't have the energy to counter my move. If he does, I'll never beat him. I cross the line in 8 hrs 26 min for 12th place. I'm pleased with the day, especially now that I'm done.

Swimming in the reservior felt amazing despite the burning sensation in my nether regions. Other riders wade around the water, dazed, staring into space like zombies. The guy that I'd just drafted and passed approaches. I'm sure he's gonna kick my ass, but instead gives me a high five. "Nice one" he says in a tired, raspy voice. The normal "where you from?" and "what other races do you do?" talk ensues and starts the apres' race rituals. This folks, is why I race.

Results here if yer into that kinda thang.

Just Found.....

.... the course elevation profile for the Tahoe Sierra 100 this weekend. Yikes! Looks like the last 10 miles is anybodys guess.

SSWC....part deux

Note: If you're into chronilogical order of things, check out part 1 of this story in the post below.

There's usually a "hosting bar" for SSWC. This year would be a little different. After the bowling & Ms. Pacman finished up groups of people on bikes headed in every direction like underage kids fleeing the scene at a party that was about to get busted by the cops. Red blinky lights were absorbed by the Napa city streets as everybody headed in a direction that felt right to them.

We ended up at a place up the Napa River from the bowling alley with lots of varieties on tap.

Lucky dog. Buck gets blessed with the ability to party into the night and awake feeling like an Irish Spring soap commercial with no hangovers.....guaranteed.

Buck.... keeping hygiene fun.

Race day. LeMans start. Shortish run around a horse corral. People running both directions.... keepin' it real. Took me a bit to find my bike. The first climb was DUSTY! Holly shit man. I couldn't believe it. It felt like I ate a stick of chalk by the halfway point of the first climb. Things sorted themselves out pretty good for 400+ riders on course. Having experienced racing in this same park a couple of months back I knew that there was a lot of single track and passing options existed but were difficult. I spent the next hour or so catching and passing my way through the pack until I found myself riding alone. I hate racing alone. It's both good and bad. The "good" is that your either towards the front runners.... or maybe even winning. No one is in your way to mess you up and there's no dust. The "bad" is that it starts to get lonely. You loose the feeling of enticement as you're no longer catching riders,nor do you have the pressure from being afraid that someone's gaining on you. All you can do is push on and pray you don't flat.

By the final lap I'm catching lapped traffic and spectators on course are keeping me mentally in the game. My legs however are in a slightly worse state. I've drank far too little water this day and my inner thigh muscles are paying the price. Not as bad as last time I raced here, but wouldn't ya know it's in about the exact same spot on the course! I know there's only one more short climb to go.

I made my way over to the bar (2 baby pools of iced down beer) to see who was in before me. The usual suspects. Brown, Moeschler, Weir, Wicks, LeLonde and this years winner Carl Decker. Nice work lads. See ya next year in Durango.

Meanwhile, back at camp.....

..... Buck experiences a slightly different outcome of the race. Seems as though he had a run-in with someone sending him O.T.B.

After attempting the after race party that was getting bigger with each finisher, it was clear that someting was going on with Bucks knee. I drop him off and head back to the race. Buck learned that the off course excursion would cost him his ACL! Yikes!!

Back at race HQ, I'd learn that Brian wasn't the only one that got hurt. I'd also realize that the guy that beat me wearing gold cape and speedo (Ryan Trebon) wasn't the only one that wanted to get festive with his race kit.

These two guys Indian Leg Wrestle for a custom steel fork.

We arrive back in Truckee and start the unloading process that signifies the end of all road trips. I re-load the truck with tools and misc bike fixing supplies and Buck finishes his last two days of vacation maxin' & relaxin'.

Single Speed Worlds 2008 ...part 1

Single Speed Worlds is an event the encapsulates bikes, good people, a festive atmosphere and a race to finish things off. Think of it kinda like a Tour De Fat meets Burning Man situation with the likes of Travis Brown and Marla Streb cruising the scene to see just how weird things can get.

This years event was the perfect excuse to get one of my long time riding partners out to the west coast to hang out, do some rides in Truckee and travel to the race with.

View complete picture album here.

Meet Brian. Brian (aka Buck) was one of my solid "go to guys" when it was time to get out in the woods on bikes for the day back on the east coast.

Buck. Riding a trail you wish you were on right now.

I don't know why he couldn't find the trail head. It was soooooo obvious.

After a few days of acclimation rides and stops at the Treat Box, we head west from Truckee through the Sacramento valley. My next truck WILL have air conditioning!!

We arrive in Napa two days early. Of course The Bacon Strip is there in full effect. How full of effect you ask...... ....this bag of home fries was small in comparison to the bacon these guys brought. Can you feel your arteries hardening yet??

With a pic of the map, we're off to pre-ride the course.

The beauty of SSWC is that you never know the people you'll hook up with for a ride. Our pre-ride posse from left to right: Fast guy TravisBrown. The always comical & all around do-gooder Ryan Fowler . Buck, you met him earlier. Nat Pellman from Seattle. Last but certainly not least Yuri... this guy's into bikes. He's got a killer mag down in the city that will no doubt become one of the staples of cyclist bathrooms everywhere.

Later in the day it was time to get the "decider" event going to see who was hosting SSWC2009. The disciplin for the decider is different from year to year & only the current host (Curtis Inglis) knows how next years race venue will be decided. The hosting options for 09 were (from left to right) New Zealand (location undetermined), France, Durango Co, Phoenix Az. Potential hosters were given the mic to say a few words and then it was off to.....

.....Napa Bowl!! A few hundred people jumped on bikes and headed into town where the 4 people vying for hosting rights would have to show the world their "A game".

Things started normal enough. This guy (Fuzzy) is hoping a few good frames will take the race to New Zealand for 09.

Chad. (Durango) Were the first few frames beginners luck??

France starts to get rowdy.

Durango acquires a comfy points lead and starts getting loose!

Then there were two. Thanx for coming from France.... but you're out! Grab the Arizona kid while you're at it and head to the bar to drown your sorrows. You've been just been out-bowled.

I don't even know if these guys knew what they were rochambeauing for, but they were throwing rock/paper/scissors like they were going out of style! After a heated round of 5 it was off for the ultimate decider between Durango & New Zealand with a bit of.......

......keepin' it real!! What better way to decide a World Champion Bike Race venue than with a game of Ms Packman. Good, honest fun that the whole family can enjoy.

The guys from Durango were traveling in a pack and are super serious fun hogs. Every time I saw these guys they were doing something to pass the time. The bowling started a little late so they had a quick game of bike polo jsut to keep things interesting.

After all the important details were taken care of at the bowling alley, it was time to hit the town! Bike locks are replaced with some careful bike stacking and huge groups of people. If you're a bike thief cruising the Worlds for a new ride you're in the wrong spot. This is a "take no prisoner" kinda crowd.... I offer you no pity.

What happens next? Tune is soon for part two of SSWC 2008

Neato!!

Looks like I'm in the paper!! Thanx Moonshine Ink!