Bike EC

coming soon

2012-01-30T14:00:00.000-08:00

The 4th annual St. Valentines Day Hustle ice race is coming up on Feb. 11 in Menomonie. This is another event that I have missed in years past, but will probably be making it to this year. It looks like a real hoot. They don't have a flyer so here's a picture of Danezig with his shirt off from Volume One and the facebook info.

More info here

The weekend prior is Stuporbowl and the week after is Frostbike so it looks like I'm going to be keeping busy. See ya'll there!

recap

2012-01-30T13:53:00.000-08:00

Saturday was the Powder Keg snowshoe and snow bike race out at Lowes Creek. Without realizing it until just now this also kicked off a 4 weekend long extravaganza of weekend bike things to do. But more on that in a bit.

I went out early to scope out the conditions and lends a hand where hands were needed. I got to see a whole bunch of people running through the snow and huddle around a fire. By the time the bike race started quite a few of the runners had cleared out. I guess that is the risk you run organizing events in the dead of winter.

Oodles of people showed up to race and spectate the snow bike race which I was pleasantly surprised to see. Unfortunately my camera died not long after the Le Mans start

The group took off together, but by the first lap the skinny bikes had clearly fallen back and the ski trail had begun rutting up enough to make it a chore for everyone. At this point I was running around the woods hooting and hollering so I don't have much play by play. The race wrapped up and everyone went in to warm up. The whole event was fun to go check out and big props to the organizers and racers.

The rest of my weekend was spent laying low and dressing up my cat in onsies I found in the laundry.

jams

2012-01-27T13:25:00.000-08:00

T.G.I.F.

Popeye re-runs were a favorite of mine as a kid and I'm an absolute sucker for all the Uncle Tupelo offshoots.

Black Lips - "Raw Meat" from Urban Outfitters on Vimeo.

Dake

2012-01-27T08:04:00.000-08:00

A while ago, well two years ago now, I posted a trailer for "Riding the Long White Cloud." A movie about skating and bike touring. The whole things is available to watch now and it's pretty cool. Check it out below.

Riding the Long White Cloud Part 1 from predatory bird on Vimeo.

Riding the Long White Cloud part 2 from predatory bird on Vimeo.

sugar mountain

2012-01-26T13:12:00.001-08:00

Some guy named Peter Eaton recently shot a short film about adolescence and growing up and all of that sentimental junk in Eau Claire and it was recently released. While I'm not overly wowed by the whole thing it's hard not to like parts. For instance I would be hard pressed to say I can't relate to wasting summer days riding my bike around, swimming, and drinking by the river. Anyway, it was interesting enough and it's fun to try and look at your city from an outsiders perspective. Watch it.

p.s. If you check out the guys vimeo channel he actually has a bunch of locally shot stuff that is worth taking a peak at.

Powder Keg

2012-01-26T09:45:00.000-08:00

Don't forget this is happening Saturday at Lowe's Creek. I'm not sure that I'll be racing but I will for sure be down there volunteering at least. You should do one of those things as well. See ya there. More information here.

anger

2012-01-26T08:18:00.000-08:00

" states will no longer be required to spend highway funding on non-highway activities."
Sometimes I wish motorists had to live with the constant threat that they were going to loose funding for all of their cul de sacs and parking lots. More info on the continued assault on bicycle and pedestrian funding via Wisconsin bike fed here.

patina

2012-01-24T14:41:00.000-08:00

While taking apart my Centurion I snapped a few shots of the patina which had developed over years of being relegated to being a rain day/winter bike. Kinda makes me wonder why their weren't more frame failures to be honest.

I really like bikes that show the love of countless miles on them, and I can't wait to start showing my new rig the same attention, hopefully in a few years it will show the same wear and tear.

for sale

2012-01-23T13:50:00.000-08:00

As promise the new EC Velo beer drinking axe wielding wool winter caps from Walz are in now. I got one to replace my 2 season old on and it is a total gem. They are available in limited quanities for the low low price of $25. Get them while the getting is good. More info on spacebook.

new bike day

2012-01-23T13:38:00.000-08:00

On the flip side of the previous post with the death of one bike comes the life of another. Saturday night Magyar helped me piece together my new winter bike. It's an old SR frame with pretty much all of my old stuff on it.

The only substantial differences being the bars, addition of a brake (stuporbowl prep), and this seat post which has got to be one of the strangest and biggest pain in the ass seat post clamp set ups I've ever seen.

Ride on!

snap

2012-01-23T13:30:00.000-08:00

A while back I noticed what looked like a crack coming out of one of my head tube lugs. It looked like it could have possibly just been the paint so I ignored it for the time being. Then about a week ago I noticed it had begun to spread and it was more than likely a frame crack. The last thing I wanted to deal with was an unexpected frame break, so Saturday I loosened up the headset and trucked over to the nearest staircase to ride down and set to putting the steed down.

The bike was an old Centurion Cavaletto handed down to me from S.Morfitt some years ago and since then it has been ridden everywhere and taken on multiple personalities as evinced here, here, here, and here among other places in the denizens of this internet blog. I'm sad to see it go, but I'm happy to see it ridden to death instead of rotting in a backyard somewhere. See you in bike heaven.

Thursday

2012-01-21T10:53:00.000-08:00

Old Mil

2012-01-20T14:04:00.000-08:00

Now I'm not a big Will Ferrell fan, but apparently he took it upon himself to produce these spots on his own because he is a fan of Old Milwaukee and I think that's pretty cool. Sure he's no one eyed cowboy singing karoke and drinking Old Mil NA, but it's something.

cold

2012-01-18T14:48:00.000-08:00

Cold commute this morning. High of around 2degrees tomorrow. Love it.

Reggie

2012-01-18T09:37:00.000-08:00

When Reggie McNamara was a child he was bitten by a snake, to prevent the venom from spreading he had his brother cut off his finger with a hatchet. Over his career he won over 700 races and broke his collarbone 17 times, fractured his skull, suffered multiple concussions, broke his leg and nose, broke his jaw in 3 places, and received over 500 stitches. King of sixes.

Stuporbowl 15

2012-01-17T10:25:00.001-08:00

Coming up fast, start getting excited.

DMD

2012-01-16T11:14:00.000-08:00

Dead Man's Dash went off on Friday night without a hitch. Turnout was low so it ended up being a group bar hopping ride instead of a race, which was fine by me. About 10 of us hit up 8 bars around town on a really pretty winter night.

We made it back to the Mousetrap two hours later and Mary took the win for the night. Dance party started up and feeling pretty wiped I took off after a couple hours of dancing.

Saturday was Goldsprints at the Trap but I was in pretty rough shape so I skipped it and got to bed early instead. Pretty exciting stuff!

jams

2012-01-16T08:59:00.000-08:00

you got a fast bike

2012-01-15T08:08:00.000-08:00

Go Pack Go

ronde van bastardia

2012-01-12T14:54:00.000-08:00

Steve recently updated the Ronde Van Bastardia internet website with hot new pictures and information. As I understand it the Ronde is THE chance in the Chippewa Valley to wear tight clothes, drink a bunch, ride bikes, and stick it to the tax payer by destroying perfectly good roads and trails. Case in point...

Anyway, I've never been able to make it for one reason or another, but I'm looking forward to it this year. Seeing as how this event is usually just a week after Valleycat it looks like we had better get our act together soon. So yea, check out the website and go on the bike ride. It's 4 months away so you have no excuse not to pencil it in. More here.

Dead Mans Dash

2012-01-12T07:30:00.000-08:00

This is happening tomorrow night. Even if you don't race, which would be a travesty, come out for the dance party and stuff afterwards. It's going to be awesome, seriously, just do it. More info here.

flickr

2012-01-10T16:38:00.000-08:00

I recently got aboard the Flickr Train. I added a link to my page and over the next month or so when I have time I will be uploading boatloads of photos that have and have not appeared here there and elsewhere since the invention of the internet. A lot of the stuff up now is pretty old, but I will get more new stuff up in time. Check it.

big falls

2012-01-10T16:28:00.000-08:00

Today I finally got out the Frenchman and took advantage of the warm winter we have been having. I headed out for the Big Falls loop east of town. I've done this loops dozens of times and really enjoy it. It's got everything you can ask for from a shorter road ride; 30ish miles with straight field sections, wooded curvy sections, a few decent hills, a few rollers, and not a lot of cars.

It was absolutely gorgeous. I've rode this route spring, summer, fall, and now winter and I have to say this was by far the prettiest I have ever seen it. It might just be the unique factor of riding it with a little snow on the ground two weeks into January, but whatever the case it was really nice. The sun was out and I even got the arm warmers off for a bit outside the shady sections which were a bit cool, but nothing to complain about all things considered. I just had to brag about this a bit before the single digit temps come rolling back in next week. Ride your bike!

princeton valley cyclocross

2012-01-10T15:04:00.000-08:00

Someone put together a little video from the Princeton Valley Race a while back. Serious race face action from a few familiar faces.

bandit crossing

2012-01-10T10:01:00.000-08:00

Their is apparently a full length thing about Bandit Cross in Minneapolis coming out some time. Right now all you get is this trailer. Some of us talked about trying to get up for one of these races this fall, but it just never happened. And while I dig the idea and the races and see a huge similarity in the goofing off in ghettocross and bandit cross I would be remiss if I didn't point out the big differences. Namely we have another year under our belt and we ARE, in fact, for the most part just a bunch of people fucking around in the woods.

Bandit Cross: Ruining It For Everybody Trailer from Quality Bicycle Products on Vimeo.

Despite these differences it is neat to see kindred spirits in race organizing though. I think a lot of people think it is something totally distant and unaccomplished when in reality, yes it is some work, but it's still something anyone can do any day of the week in whatever fashion they choose. Anyway, cool stuff. Check it out.

VII

2012-01-09T13:00:00.000-08:00

I took a bit of an internet break the past few days to enjoy the nice weather and celebrate my day of birth. So yea, I guess not much to report. TNR to super tank, river hanging, and bike riding.

Don't forget about Dead Man's Dash on Friday. Be there!

honore

2012-01-09T12:27:00.000-08:00

On one stage during the 1920 Tour de'France Honore Barthelemy crashed hard into another rider. He got up and kept riding. After getting back on his bike he realized that he had lost sight in an eye. He crossed the finish eight place overall after losing an eye, breaking his shoulder, and dislocating his wrist.

Bill Brasky be damned.

flats

2012-01-05T13:23:00.000-08:00

After 7 patches this tube finally completely self destructed. I really thought it had a good chance of making a new personal best. Yet somehow this tire hasn't gone soft at all.

Miracles ya'll!

Dead Man's Dash

2012-01-05T13:12:00.000-08:00

Dead Man's Dash is EC's first shot at a winter nighttime alleycat. This is more than likely going to become a totally off the wall dance party and party-a-thon so I strongly invite everyone to show up. More info Here Tell all of your friends!
In case you have been living under a rock forever flyer reference from here

gangsta

2012-01-04T12:17:00.000-08:00

Man Man "Piranhas Club" from Lex Halaby on Vimeo.

Not big on the song, or the album, but the video can't be beat. While I'm vimeoing the Sunday team edit for Erik Elstran is out. Crazy talented stuff.

Welcome to the Team / Erik Elstran from Sunday Bikes on Vimeo.

And finally footage from this years Worlds Slowest Bike Race World Championships-Dramatic Cyclocross Division-A class

New Year's Resolutions - CX Bike Race from Kyle Bainter on Vimeo.

Slow down your catching up

tips

2012-01-03T16:42:00.000-08:00

January is here and that means that it is going to get colder and colder for the next few months. At least that's the way it's supposed to work, but we'll see. Their are a lot of fun things about commuting all winter through the cold. Well "a lot" may be an exaggeration, but their are definitely some perks. But if you are freezing your ass of it can just be a whole new world of pain and cold and frustration. So here are a few basic things you can do to keep warm. 1. Tape up those vents. Helmet vents are meant to keep your head nice and cool, that is the opposite of what you want. My winter helmet is pretty haggard already so adding a little duck tape to the front vent o keep the wind at bay just adds to it's charm. I'm sure some people will say this is all for naught, but I am super strong proponent of doing this, it sure as shooting cant hurt.

While we're on the topic of headgear this is my other absolute winter essential. I would argue that cycling caps make even more sense in the winter than in the summer. My Walz Wool cap keeps my ears and neck warm, keeps the sun out of my eyes, and keeps that wind off your forehead and face as well which is a god send. And we are ordering a bunch of EC Velo Wool WInter caps just like this from Walz, they are hella nice, and that is coming from someone who doesn't just throw around his "hella"s. Trust me.

Last but not least is get yourself liner gloves. These deals cost a few bucks for a few pairs and layering gloves works wonders for keeping your mitts warm. This mornings zero degree commute was done with just a couple pairs of these and the mittens below.

So yeah, pretty basic stuff. Keep out of the wind and wear layers in the winter. Not rocket science, but the little things go a long way to keeping you toasty and riding all winter.

2012

2012-01-02T10:23:00.000-08:00

I'm going to just forgo all the sentimentality and stop say 2011 was a good year. We put on half a dozen races, rode a bunch, and had a bunch of fun. Lets make 2012 even better. More people biking, more mile, more beers, more fun. Less whining, less wishing, just a whole lot more doing.

Happy New Year ya'll. Lets show it who's the boss.

ecxhc

2011-12-30T14:47:00.000-08:00

A big part of the reason I decided to come to Eau Claire to finish up my degree is that I spent a lot of time as a teenager coming here to go go to shows. Since I was 15 I was bumming rides to come check out shows here, and now that I'm older I'm still really proud of the music scene here. Anyway the kind and talented folks in Purge the Woods recently put out a new album and it is available for a donation now. If you are into metal or punk or crust or grind or impressing your friends it's worth listening too and putting on your cyber-pod for cyber-workouts and stuff.

Check it out

And while I'm pimping Eau Claire punk bands...

Don't forget that CAH Records super headquarters is right here as well. Rock and roll my friends.

turtle shell

2011-12-30T14:16:00.000-08:00

Every once in a while I find myself needing to carry something large but not heavy. This can be a pain in the ass, that's why I made these little dealies. They are just simple strap extensions that I keep in my bag just in case I ever need them. Like yesterday when I needed to bring home a couple of large tupperware containers.

Wham bam thank you maam, no sweat. So yea, if you ever find yourself in such a predicament, I highly recommend putting a couple of these puppies together. It takes almost no time, and they are small and light enough to always have with you.

thurs

2011-12-30T14:09:00.000-08:00

Last night was an ultimate adventure ride filled with railroad bridge crossings, fence hopping, sewer crawling, and even a little bike riding and beer drinking. Ride Thursday nights y'all.

hills

2011-12-29T10:23:00.000-08:00

I've thought about trying to organize a hill series like this in the past, but this just takes the cake. As long or steep as some of the hills in Eau Claire are I don't think the twin hills of terror or anything else in EC could compare.

Dirty Dozen Race 2011-Canton Ave from Matt Dayak on Vimeo.

update

2011-12-28T14:23:00.000-08:00

I've been taking my time relaxing and staying away from the computer. Holidays means a lot of eating and drinking and sleeping, and unfortunately other than commuting I've been off my bike more than I would like to admit. I think this is the time of year when the winter blahs really start to sink in for most people. Even with ridiculously warm snow free weather I've been a total bum the past couple weeks.
Anyway, here's a little inspiration to get back riding regardless of the weather. Say what you will about Lance this is still pretty fun.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-24T09:36:00.000-08:00

kids

2011-12-23T07:04:00.000-08:00

GoPro On Board - Strider World Championship - Toddler Balance Bike Racing from Balance Bike JoJo on Vimeo.

Too cute. I can't wait until I'm an old man and these kids are ripping by me on their space bikes.

farts&farts&farts

2011-12-22T23:14:00.000-08:00

I think that it's awesome that someone who is incredibly intelligent and super passionate about cycling can make a living off of it. On the flip side if you buy a $275 pair of rain pants no matter what you are a complete tool. FACT No ifs ands or buts about it. Don't try to rationalize it. It just is. Hate to break it to you.

Actually, no I'm not.

coming soon

2011-12-20T09:54:00.000-08:00

Jake disappeared and I haven't seen him or his bike in ages. Apparently it's because he's been busy having birthdays, stinking up hotel rooms, getting loaded, and pushing wood with a bunch of ne'er-do-wells. That is as good of an excuse as any I guess.

You can tell they're skateboarders because the bottle of Jack wasn't finished in the first pass around.

Via the turds at tortoised. Get off my lawn longhairs.

junkyard cross

2011-12-20T07:42:00.000-08:00

Junkyard Cross Race from Erik Silverson on Vimeo.

If only we had known snow was going to hold off for so long we could still be organizing cross races. This looks like too much fun. Total inspiration for the next ghettocross.

Bilenky Junkyard Cross from In The Crosshairs on Vimeo.

gunday

2011-12-19T13:05:00.000-08:00

I feel like I need to preface these pictures with something. I don't like guns. The sole reason for their existence is to kill and maim. The ready availability of guns does nothing to contribute to the liberty of a nation, it just gives certain people with limited intelligence/resources/money/self esteem something to feel good about. The prevalence of guns in any society is a major issue. I have/will never own a gun and think that firearm production should be drastically cut and licensing and ownership should be increasingly difficult and more expensive to obtain.

Now here's the other side of that. Guns are super fun to shoot. I get the double-think going on here, but they are really interesting machines. I grew up in rural Wisconsin and despite my dad not owning many guns, like many kids in Wisconsin I grew up reading guns and ammo and other magazines in school. Tbis and hot rods were the two staples of conversation through out my early teens. And while my peers went hunting and shot the family guns, my interest never piqued enough to actually pursue buying a gun, and probably never will, but I still find them interesting. I know lots of people who own guns and are incredibly intelligent, safe, and qualified to do so. Far more qualified than myself. They use them to hunt for food, recreation, and for collecting, not to wave wildly and shoot at neighborhood pets. While I maintain my philosophical opposition to guns, on the flip side I know that, well, guns are pretty neat. And that's why a while ago after shooting my sisters 9mm we were sitting around the Court n'House on a Thursday night having this exact conversation.

After a pitcher or two consensus was reached and we headed to Sheels for a couple hundred rounds of ammunition. We hit up a local dumpster for a garbage bag packed of produce and finally Sunday we drove out and wreaked havoc on heads of cauliflower and flats of tomatoes with a couple Glocks. So that's how I spent my Sunday, well that and eating pizza and watching the Packers lose, take from it what you will.

amps to 11

2011-12-18T09:33:00.000-08:00

Loud music linked to drinking more
Alcohol tastes sweeter when loud music is playing and the noise could make it difficult for drinkers to judge how much they are consuming, new research has claimed.

Turn it up and read on here.

goldsprints

2011-12-18T08:10:00.000-08:00

I've been cleaning out my computer, and I had a bunch of goldsprints clips from the past year or so, so I put them together in a pot with special seasoning to form what you see above.

Music by The S.A. Move

food

2011-12-17T09:25:00.000-08:00

Almost vegan chili, fresh baked bread, and something dark.

Gnocchi with a red wine reduction, mini baguettes, and veggies.

Tofu scramble with cous cous.

And just for posterity sake something about bikes. I don't follow the bike industry. I try to keep fairly up to date on what is going on, but for the most part I don't have the motivation to follow every product line on the market. So when I saw the new Campagnolo EPS system that came out last month I was caught off guard. As if Di2 wasn't ridiculous enough, now anyone willing to drop upwards of 3 and a half grand on an electronic group has an 11speed Italian option. Anyway, owning one of these groups isn't even in the realm of possibility for most people and that isn't the part that I found really interesting. The interesting part is that Campagnolo has apparently been finagling with an EPS system since 1992 working with an 8 speed drivetrain. They have a really cool website giving the history of this whole endeavor here. Interesting stuff, check it out.

cats

2011-12-14T14:51:00.000-08:00

Eat your heart out.

theatre

2011-12-14T14:45:00.000-08:00

I'm not an engineer. I love welding and soldering and working with my hands but at the end of the day I couldn't design my way out of a paper bag. Well, maybe, depends on the bag I guess. But anyway, it always floors me how endlessly creative an innovative some frame builders are. To not only build a beautiful unique thing, but to also have it be completely functional is a true art. After seeing a few of these bike in person I can see what all the hype is about with them. Very cool stuff.

Deep Custom from Royal Antler on Vimeo.

And while I'm bringing the video pain train check out this video from the Deerfly Chase this year. Bummed I didn't make it, maybe next time.

CMX

2011-12-14T10:05:00.000-08:00

I've seen pictures of this bike around, but never knew just how over the top awesome it was until now.

Campagnolo BMX drivetrain , way too cool. Check out more info on this steed here

LB

2011-12-12T11:56:00.000-08:00

While Lucas Brunelle comes off like someone who I would never like to hang out with one on one, like a lot of other people his videos have always really blown me away. And while it's wet and sloppy out here this recent interview with the man himself inspired me to watch some of these gems and be reminded me of how much fun alley cat racing is. Can't wait for the next one.

off

2011-12-12T11:41:00.000-08:00

It's been a while, but I've been keeping busy with a bit of a bug, and interneting is pretty low on my totem pole in December. I absolutely love when winter comes barreling in and the Holiday season begins. And the internet just does not have any pull over snowy bike rides, walks, and holiday cheer. Thursday was nice and chilly and the annual tradition of switching cycle computers from miles ridden to beers drank happened. After a night out of riding and visiting several dens of ill repute we ended up at the Labor Temple for marathon shuffleboard.

When the night was done we hopped some fences and I ended up in my bed. Saturday night Magyar, Derek, and myself headed to Menomonie to do the first goldsprints event of the year hosted by the kind folks at Acoustic Cafe in Menomonie. Before I go any further I just want to say that the hummus hogies at acoustic are one of my little guilty pleasures, they are slathered with hummus and sauce and shredded lettuce and consequently always require me to abandon all dinning etiquette use my fingers to get every scrap of food and wind up with a face covered in hummus. Anyway, the event was a blast. Lots of enthusiastic racers, good food, and good beer. Overall champ was an underdog in both mens and womens, which is always a lot of fun to watch and always earns me a premium in our under the table gambling.

The rest of the night started with breaking down the gear and heading over to the Waterfront for some jams and taste of the Menom. night life. In search of a place with a little more charm we headed to the den for a while before wrapping it up for the night and indulging in a massive smotheralla sticks which my body is still angry at me for. Again, great time, hope we can come back soon.

Sunday was one of my favorite days of the year, Christmas tree day. As long as I can remember my family has gone to the same place and cut down a Christmas tree from the same guy. Real old fashioned trudging through snow, cutting it down, dragging it out, bringing it home stuff. None of that lame fake tree or parking lot tree garbage. Afterwards we eat plates of junk food, drink banana shakes, and decorate the tree. Now I'm not a religious guy in the least. No one in my family is or really ever has been, but for some reason we have always had a lot of Christmas traditions that turn me into a giddy little kid every year. Maybe it's the consequence of having a really small family or living out in the middle of nowhere or something, but whatever it is I love it. Well there you go voyeurs, that the skinny of the past few days. Well I've got a dance party to get too, later dudes.

history

2011-12-07T12:01:00.000-08:00

"Bike messengers leaving the White House on Dec. 7, 1941, day of the Pearl harbor attack."

Neat photo, neat story.
More info here

gandy dancer

2011-12-06T13:51:00.000-08:00

TEAM DILLY IS THE MAN TRAILER from Kyle Stark on Vimeo.

Fun with bikes

sunday

2011-12-05T12:08:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was absolutely beautiful out. Today is just as good. Get outside and have some fun.

goldsprints

2011-12-02T10:33:00.000-08:00

First Goldsprints event of the winter is coming up in Menomonie at the Acoustic Cafe. Put your rock pants on. Details here

If you really want to have a ballin week next week I highly recomend checking out D.R.I. playing the House of Rock on the 8th then Collections of Colonies of Bees on the 9th also at the HOR. Should be a killer time.

huayno

2011-11-30T15:58:00.000-08:00

Their are certain things that I would rather just have forgotten. Then something comes along and reminds you of some past terror from your life. Though how it happened is still unclear to me, today I was reminded of Wendy Sulca. Who is Wendy Sulca you ask? Turn it up to 11.

Back when we were visiting my sister in Peru several years ago nearly every place you would go in the Andes was blasting huayno music. Imagine being motion sick on a bus for 5 hours trying to sleep in a cramped seat freezing your ass off while the speaker above you is making that noise as loud as it can go. All night, then day in and day out. Suffice it to say I am less than pleased that this memory that I had buried deep in my lizard brain has resurfaced. While we're on the topic of terribly obnoxious music. Here's some footage of this years SSCXWC set to the inspired verse of Israeli taste makers Infected Mushroom. Perfect jams for mashing on your equally as ridiculously monikered Thruster Fixie Bike.

Sorry about this one folks, but I just needed to get it out of my system. Now if you'll excuse me their are some m-80s around here somewhere that have a date with my eardrums.

stable

2011-11-30T14:50:00.000-08:00

Dug around in the stable for a bit and realized how badly I've really got to get my garage cleaned.

Unfortunately I am just much to busy reading new NN2S comics and pigging out on falafel to do it. I'll see ya on "Hoarders"

2011-11-28T13:35:00.000-08:00

Wednesday began a very very much needed 5day vacation. I went out for a nice chilly road ride making it home in time to clean up and spend far too much time in front of a computer watching tv shows. Thursday Jen and I got up in time to go catch the Packers game at the Mousetrap, which was the only open bar downtown. They were kind enough to also have a full Thanksgiving spread out for half time. This marked the beginning of sustained gluttony that continued up to this morning. We got out of the Mousetrap and headed to my grandmas for dinner which was another amazing albeit nontraditional spread of spanakopita, veggie lasagna, cheesy veggies and pie. Thursday night we got back to town and hit up Clancy's which began a long long night of debauchery. I spent the better half of Friday on the couch drinking tea and eating granola bars, before eventually picking my lazy ass up to go for a ride and go curl for a bit.

Saturday was a nice lazy day in preperation for Princeton Valley on Sunday.

Sunday I got up with every intention of going to Princeton Valley Cyclocross, but as the morning progressed my body just didn't want to work with me and my desire waned. I still rode out and caught the action however and it was a blast just to watch. Which is evinced by the buttloads of coverage from places like the Leader-Telegram and WEAU. Nice work organizers!

I'm going to keep this one short and sweet, because I hear a nap calling my name. Keep on rocking in the free world.

enjoy

2011-11-26T09:52:00.000-08:00

Been busy enjoying vacation and riding my bike. More later

recreation

2011-11-22T14:34:00.000-08:00

I got out of work early and after lunch I decided to take the centurion out to look for some fun trails and shiny garbage. I was quickly reminded of how therapeutic aimlessly riding a bike by yourself can be. I love mountain biking and road riding, but just going out and goofing around on your bike by yourself with no intentions is hands down one of the best feelings there is.

My Thanksturkey vacation starts today. I'm out of here.

powder keg

2011-11-21T13:31:00.000-08:00

This race isn't for a couple months yet, but the flyer is too cool not to post. Should be a lot of fun. Going on Saturday Jan. 28. Mark your calendars and find out more here

gc3

2011-11-20T10:48:00.000-08:00

Ghettorcross wrapped up yesterday at Lakeshore park. Race 3 drew a record number of racers and spectators who endured rain turning to sleet turning to snow smiling through it the whole time. Magyar took the triple crown GC champion title. When the race wrapped up we hit the beach for a roaring campfire until the last of the beer was gone and then headed home for a much needed hot shower. Big thanks to everyone who showed up and raced or watched, and shared kind words for the organizers. It was a blast, see you all at the next one. I'm sure more pictures will turn up in the next few days, so stay tuned.

thankscurry

2011-11-20T10:25:00.000-08:00

Every year an elite group of amateur chefs get together to celebrate the day that cowboy and native americans led by Abraham Lincoln sailed on the Mayflower to the exotic coast of India in search of curries and beverages with more flavor then the bland fish/corn/squash gruel they were accustomed to. The celebration is called thankscurry and it's one of my favorite yearly traditions.

cookie toss

2011-11-18T15:27:00.000-08:00

Got out of work early and went to Lowes Creek. Forget everything else, this is the stuff that matters. Ghettocross race 3 is tomorrow. Race at 1, meet at lakeshore park shelter around 12:30ish for important registration stuff. Read this is preperation, then disregard all of it.

hot shots

2011-11-17T06:13:00.000-08:00

All-City recently updated their website. I was browsing their new opening page slide show when I was pleasantly surprised by this gem. This is a snapshot of the EC Velo Professional Dance Team bringing the shirtless dance party to the after party. This brings back some pretty awesome memories, can't wait to go back there and cut a rug again. Their is also another shot of the ACC Le Mans start where the "Where's Waldo" aficionados amongst you can spot 1.Magyar 2.Magyars bike 3. My bike 4.Col. Sanders. Very cool stuff, check out All-City's lineup here.

wooden gifts

2011-11-16T13:49:00.000-08:00

Holy Shit! On my way home today I realized that I almost missed an opportunity to gloat, reflect, air guitar, and give myself a high five. My front loaded November has meant that I completely spaced that this blog is now five years old. FIVE GOD DAMN YEARS OLD! If this blog was a child I would be sending it to kindergarten. How do ya like them apples?

Now trust me, I get that the bike community in Eau Claire is much much larger than any one person and any one stupid internet page, but I do feel lucky to be a part of the collection of stupid internet pages that help prop it's digital form up. By and large what I've been trying to do with this thing since day one is harness some of the energy and passion people in this city have for cycling and share it with others. Shit, people in Eau Claire ride their bikes in the rain, snow, sun, over fire, through water, off road, off ramps, up hills, and all while drinking monstrous amounts of beer smiling ear to ear and looking quite dapper.

That said every year around this time I turn into a total sap when I look back at the highs and lows of years past using this blog as a reference. November is a rough time of year. It gets busy and cold and dark and depressing in a hurry. It's easy to get pissed and forget about gorgeous summer rides when you can't feel your toes.

Of course every year has it's lows and its even lower lows. That is why it is so endearing to see and know so many people who actually give a shit about the place they live and whether it be by organizing events, sponsoring them, attending them, or just riding and hanging out on a TNR actively support an amazing cycling community here in Eau Claire.

Since the inception of this blog that has always been part of the intent. To take all of those little elements of riding in Eau Claire and provide a place to showcase even a fraction of them if for no other reason than posterity's sake. The fan mail, champagne brunches, whirlwind speaking tours, movie guest appearances, and sponsorship's are all nice, but really the biggest thing that keeps this thing going is the people in this community, coffee, and a desire to share something I really care deeply about with others.

So in closing thanks to everyone reading this for giving me shit to write about, and giving me an audience to write it to. I know sometimes it can be painful to read (like the past 3 minutes) but I appreciate it and hope we can keep this relationship going for a while. And to me, nice work David, you managed to find some time between checking bonktown and playing toy tank arena to run a blog about bicycles for the past five years. Whoop de dooo. Seriously though, I have learned and done so much in the past five years I am completely humbled. Every fall, every goof, every fuckup, every mishap, every dumb little thing has been 100% worth it. No regrets, ever.

Ride your bike, have fun with it.

Here's to another year, see you Thursday

PVC

2011-11-16T06:48:00.000-08:00

Baywatch-cross in a week, see you there Pam Anderson Gierke II

ftg

2011-11-15T15:05:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago my waste management bill went up $8 because of cuts to recycling in Wisconsin due to the new budget repair bill. That's a 12 pack a month folks. I've been trying to think of ways to retaliate ever since...

Today's the day,sign the petition. Give him the boot. Seriously, fuck this guy.

2011-11-14T12:39:00.000-08:00

Ghettocross race 2 went off Saturday on a beautiful day. Magyar won again, these are some pictures, the middle two are stolen from facebook, and are not mine.

It was nice to see a lot of fresh faces, and a lot of faces from the last race. These are really turning into a fun little series of races, and next weekend the grand finale promises to be no exception. Expect a lot more obstacles, and a lot more fun.

Also, don't forget besides the next weekend of Ghettocross Princeton Valley Cyclocross will be happening this month as well. November is shaping up to be a pretty sweet cross-centric month in this city. So show up and stretch your legs next Saturday, what do you have to lose?

gc

2011-11-12T07:57:00.000-08:00

Ghettocross race 2 today. Here are some picture Mary took of GC race1 that I stole from her. Don't miss this one. Half Moon Beach 1pm $3

Have fun this weekend

snow

2011-11-10T11:06:00.000-08:00

This morning I woke up to something that I've been anticipating for the past three weeks. Snow. Not a lot of it, but just enough for me to jump out of bed and make a go outside to make a few snowballs and bring some in to rub all over my cats face. The weather dudes have been saying this is coming for the past three days now and that means for the past three days people have been bitching about it and talking about how they aren't ready for winter/cold/blah blah blah. Don't get me wrong, I've had my "Oh shit, the leaves aren't all raked up yet" old man freakout as well, but the second the snow falls that goes out the window. I love winter. I love snow and cold and sweatshirts and slippers, and all of that feelgood winter stuff. And even though the snow from this morning is already gone, that is now my frame of mind. Everything from here on out is in the context of winter. The next two or three weeks with no snow will all be, "holy balls, can you believe it's been winter with no snow for three weeks?! We are some lucky load of ding dongs!" Because the sooner people just shut up and accept the inevitability of winter the sooner we can all start basking in the fun parts of winter, and start vindicating ourselves for sleeping in, eating too much, daytime drinking, wearing sweatpants for days on end, looking unkempt, and we can all start to feel those warm fuzzies midwesterners get for putting up with living in a wasteland half of the year. Anyway, it's fleeting, but winter is here suckers. Don't forget TNR tonight and Ghettocross Saturday.

Also, if you like funny things, this really funny thing is going on in EC on Saturday. Check it out.

media

2011-11-09T07:25:00.000-08:00

UWEC Update News came out and taped a bunch of Ghettocross, read the story here.

I love it when biking in Eau Claire gets any sort of media attention, but I do think it's funny that they managed to shoot the whole thing without any beer drinking, smoke bombing, fire riding, or bike crashing.

picture picture

2011-11-09T06:49:00.000-08:00

Volume One has a few photos up from the photo show. If you are into looking at pictures of people looking at pictures, look here.

mondays

2011-11-07T07:05:00.000-08:00

I woke up Sunday bruised and sore from the past few days. And while trying to review the events of the past few days, my almost complete lack of photographic documentation is a testament to my failure as an observer and my active participation in the debauchery. Thursday the photo show went off without a hitch, and I want to thank all those who attended and submitted photos. Friday night Andy2 organized a rolling bike dance party which ended up being a lot more fun than I anticipated.

The dance party took us all over the valley and somehow managed to avoid any sort of trouble. Madison dudes came up and after the dance party ended we all rolled to Hilltop for a while before heading to the Elbow Room where the shirtless Indian leg wrestling with the bartender began.

Saturday I managed to pull myself out of bed early to go set up the Ghettocross race with Magyar. The course this year included 3 stream crossings and a super sketchy bridge across the fire pit. I didn't manage to get a single picture of the entire event, but it all went off without a hitch and I think everyone had a total blast. Saturday night was more goofs and a late bedtime. Yesterday was a much needed recovery day to ward off a cold that has been trying to creep in for the past week. During my down time I saw this really cool little bit that Bicycling Magazine did on the Bike Gear Hall of Fame. It provides some industry background to some of the stuff that just gets taken for granted today. Check it out here

I'm sure over the next few days some photos of the weekend will appear and I will post them here. But for now relax a bit until next weekend for the second Ghettocross race of the year.

In the meantime, watch this. Mister Heavenly is members of Islands, Man Man, and Modest Mouse, this is just too good not to share.

early weekend

2011-11-02T21:25:00.000-07:00

Don't be fool, get an early start on making this weekend a bike weekend.

Thursday: I busted ass all week on this, please show up and show your support.

Friday: Bike Dance party. Mobile bike dance party fun town. 8pm outside Schofield Hall on the UWEC campus. http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=309931849022433

Saturday:

It will be wild, be there.

Take Sunday off and repent. Or do your laundry, whatever.

introducing

2011-11-01T15:11:00.000-07:00

Your new favorite rap crew. Can't wait until the album drops. I've been looking for some new jams to mash on my fixie to...

hall

2011-10-31T08:36:00.000-07:00

I don't like Halloween. Don't get me wrong, I love holidays. They are a reason to get excited, get out of work, eat food, get presents,drink too much, make mistakes etc. etc. But Halloween is just not my thing. I attribute a lot of that to working at a thrift store for 2 years, but no matter what the reason it is just nothing I get excited about and it takes a lot for me to 1. Give a shit about it 2. Actively seek out Halloween related events or celebrations and 3. Dress up and partake in those events without being a total grouch. When they fall in my lap their is a brief moment of elation not because I like Halloween, but just because it allows me to "celebrate" it with my peers and not have to stay home and sulk. I guess it was easier to find a silver lining in people smudging make up on my face or wearing a hot sweaty smelly rubber mask because you know the end result is going to be candy (thanks for the cavities Halloween, really appreciate it!) or maybe you get to throw some eggs at something. The payoff was just much greater as a kid. A good Halloween as an adult is really the equivalent of any good weekend night(go out, get goofy, don't get/get anyone pregnant) it just involves a lot more sexy nuns and slutty paperclips. To the point, I could care less about today as a holiday however, it is the first day of curling practice and the beginning of a new season. And that excites me tremendously. So if you expected a "Happy Halloween" post or some garbage like that, you're not getting it. Instead you are getting a Happy Start of the Curling Season post. Fin.

See you on the ice!

daily title

2011-10-31T07:56:00.000-07:00

This weekend was a much needed respite from work and running around. Thursday I took off early and headed to Lowes Creek to check out some of the new trailwork they have been doing out there. Derek met me out and we rode all of the new elements (which are very cool, nice work CORBA) and worked up a hearty appetite that only two burgers at the Court n' House could satisfy. We met Magyar there, chowed won and headed out for a TNR full of goofs, riding the new Hastings way, drink tickets, and classical music.

I took a rest day on Friday and hammered out a bunch of work for the upcoming photo show as well as house cleaning and nap taking. Saturday Jen and I went to Chippewa and hit up the downtown flea market, bloody mary and cheese curd breakfast, an antiques store that seemed to specialize in selling 30 year old full cans of beer and finally we hit up the Leinies tour where we were mistakenly given 4 drink tickets each instead of 2. Came home, nap time, Haloween party time. Yesterday was wet cold and miserable which made it the perfect day for a cross race.

Despite the low racer turnout the race was a muddy blast and the lack of racers allowed me to grab third place racing a single speed in wet denim.

Props to the organizers spectators and racers. Especially the ones that had to endure seeing Derek hanging his ass out of his pants. The rest of the day was spent relaxing and going to a scary haunted house. Now it's Monday and I'm back to work and already thinking about Thursday and the weekend. It's a vicious cycle, I think maybe the only way out is to have less fun on the weekends than the work week which is something I'm not prepared to undertake yet.

press gang

2011-10-28T11:01:00.000-07:00

Blurb in V1 about this really cool event going on next Thursday. Go to it and people will think you are funny, attractive,smart, and edgy. It's science.

I also saw this and thought it was kind of cool. Don't steal bikes bro.

ghettoblaster

2011-10-26T16:12:00.000-07:00

Ghettocross is back for it's third year and we bigger and badder than ever. 3 races, $3, more inf TBA. In case you don't get the flyer reference.

time

2011-10-25T15:18:00.000-07:00

I've got to find some time to get on my bike.

Osiris Shoes - Arik Elstran Goes West from Osiris BMX on Vimeo.

recap

2011-10-25T14:53:00.000-07:00

You'll have to pardon me for the late Hellcat recap, the weekend kind of sent me reeling, and work has kept me up to my ears. So lets get to the sweet stuff. Organizing events is a totally different vibe than racing them. It's weeks of getting stuff in order and running around and cleaning up when it's all done. That's why it's awesome to be able to put in half as much work as you should have to into an event and still have the results you are looking for pan out. More than the planning, it says a lot about the community involved and willing to show their support and enthusiasm for stuff.

With that said I want to thank the 40 racers who showed up, hung out, and brought the best vibes anyone could ask for. This race was organized a little different than previous years with a system of pick ups, dopr offs, and lots of drinking opportunities. We started by pulling everyone up campus hill and having a mass rolling start from the Putnam Heights ice skating rink

We released the hounds and hit a few checkpoints to watch racers come in. In what felt like no time flat people started coming in to pick up one of our suprises. Why carry wood to the after party yourself when you can make racers do it. You're looking at first and second place by a long shot here.

The after party was stocked with food, beer, and massages. Not to mention fires, wrastl club, dancing, metal, bike massacre, and roller riding.

I browned out somewhere between pizzas showing up and the third keg being carried outside to the fire and around 2:30 it was time to hit the road. I really want to thank all the great people who showed up and raced or pitched in to this race, you are the ones who make this fun. If you missed it, then shame on you. You had better redeem yourself by making it to Another Year on the Streets, Carson Park Cyclocross, and all three of the upcoming Ghettocross races coming up(more info soon). Too much fun

hellcat

2011-10-21T15:22:00.000-07:00

Hellcat tomorrow

It's in the atmosphere and hijinks have begun. Be there or I send Danzig after you

moz

2011-10-18T13:56:00.000-07:00

It's not every day you get a compliment from a complete stranger. It's even more rare when they are complementing you about your bike/biking, so when a random woman pulled along side me on my ride to work this morning to give me a thumbs up and shout "very cool! great balance!" after pulling away from a light I couldn't help but smile and thank her. Which is contrary to my usual reaction of hissing and spitting uncontrollably when yelled at by a motorist. Thanks again lady! More than anything it is comforting to know that their are still motorists who are still paying attention to the road, something which is second nature when commuting. Speaking of commuting, out of curiosity(boredom) I looked up my 4.5 mile commute today and came up with this impressive graph via veloroutes.org

While I know that their are a couple decent hills on my way to work I love this graph because it makes these hills look exponentially more difficult and bad ass. Kind of like how this photo of anonymous cyclist last Thursday makes him look like he is going to do something far cooler, presumably a crazy backflip down this rickity ramp, then what really happened, cry and pee his pants out of fear. The reality of both my commute and the below photo is somewhere between the two extremes, but it's best to leave that to your own imagination.

As well as being reminded of what a talented attractive cyclist I am this morning I was also reminded of the fact that it is indeed Fall and the temperature is on it's way down in a hurry. Which means cold hands, hot drinks, and cyclocross.

Just one week after the fall race of the decade Carson Park Cyclocross will be back in Eau Claire. The race is only $20 and is $5 in costume, race this, it's a no brainer. More info here. I hear a tea kettle whistling and responsibility calling. TNR and HELLCAT on Saturday, be there and bring your fiends, it's going to be out of control.

gm

2011-10-13T06:59:00.000-07:00

While spending to much time on the internet I saw this ad put out by GM.

Advertising doesn't get much more pathetic than this. What kind of tagline is "Stop Pedaling...Start Driving?" Fortunately I'm not the only one who thinks so and apparently GM caught so much flack for their totally failed attempt to be clever that they were forced to pull the ad. Their defense being, "The content of the ad was developed with college students and was meant to be a bit cheeky and humorous," FAIL. If you want cheeky and humorous I refer you to the ad below.

mandatory

2011-10-12T13:34:00.000-07:00

It's recently come to my attention that I have not promoted this event which I am putting on very shortly...

This is not just a byproduct of some sort of self-sabotaging tendencies, but more of a byproduct of the fact that I have been really busy again lately. Partly at work, partly planning the above event, and partly planning the Hellcat which I made some fresh new flyers for as well.

This also accounts for my lack of posts lately. Regardless of my internet activity I sincerely hope to see a lot of people at both of these events because I think they are going to be awesome and also because a lot of people are working long tireless hours to make sure they happen for your amusement. So there it is, a weekday post. Soak it up.

Giving your arrow keys a work out.

weekend

2011-10-09T14:06:00.000-07:00

Just got home from a nice long ride out to Lake Eau Claire County park. I ended up getting lost on some beautiful roads and hanging out in the fall woods before heading back towards town via Big Falls.

It's been a gorgeous weekend and I've been staying out of town as much as possible this weekend which has meant paddling, playing with dogs, and seeing tons of beautiful Wisconsin back roads.

I love the weekend.

Also, go pack go.

hearts

2011-10-07T14:07:00.000-07:00

The past week has been gorgeous and busy. I've been riding as much as I can before winter, and watching my cats play with a box.

Ramp local arik elstran has been shredding as well.

2011 Vital BMX Game of BIKE: Connor Lodes vs Arik Elstran, Round 1 - More BMX Videos

Thats enough internet for now. Go outside and have fun this weekend

In case you're wondering, yes that is the beer cave at Festival. You boozers

sun

2011-10-03T14:29:00.000-07:00

It's been a big week. Thursday ended up clearing up to be a beautiful night and a nice tame fun ride.

Saturday was a night of epic jams and monster midnight snacking.

Sunday I was in recovery mode all morning so I missed the Deerfly. Instead Magyar and I headed out to Levis where the WEMS championship was going down. Which was convenient for us because we got treated to good company and free beer all without having to actually pedal our asses off for 7 hours. I could go into detail about more of the week, but it is absoultly gorgeous out right now and I can't sit inside another minute. Time to go ride.

eat the rich

2011-09-28T14:06:00.000-07:00

The past few days have been nasty out which has served to validate my spending a bunch of time inside watching stuff like this on Youtube.

While I realize their are lots of awesome educational opportunities on the internet, a person can only read so much about how the world we live in has officially gone to total shit at the hands of a bunch of wealthy insane mascara models before resorting to internet animal videos and gluttony as a means of coping.

Zuchini nut raisin bread and breaded eggplant, marinara on homemade baguettes.

All that whining aside a new survey reports that Wisconsin bicycle commuting has gone up a whopping 188% since 2000. What does that mean? A whole .75% of people in WI commute by bike. While it's hard to get excited over less than 1% of people bike commuting I was happy to see the rate is all the way up to 1.3% in our fair city. My next question is where are the 480 other bike commuters in this city that I have never seen? Wherever they are, keep up the good work!

Thursday night ride tomorrow, 6:30ish, meet at racys, go nuts.

Deerfly

2011-09-25T17:45:00.000-07:00

I didn't think I was going to be able to make it to this race due to prior obligations, but now it looks like my schedule has cleared up that day and I'm pumped to go. You should check it out too. More info here.

cc

2011-09-25T10:35:00.000-07:00

I was out of town most of the week for a work conference about hotel room cooking.

It's good to be home.

hellcat

2011-09-20T14:30:00.000-07:00

Start getting excited.

WFI

2011-09-19T13:12:00.000-07:00

Their is a new Bike Cooperative effort going on in Eau Claire. The program is called Wheel Fix It, and it works to take in abandoned bikes, repair them, and donate them to those in need. While it's easy to be cynical about programs like this after witnessing and being part of similar ones which fell apart, I think it is a great idea worthy of support. Their will be a workshop coming up on the 24th, check it out.

fixiez

2011-09-19T07:41:00.000-07:00

I cant wait 2 ride my new fixie to this. it looks totes sick brah!@! no brakez urban fixie 4 ever\

horse

2011-09-19T07:23:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it's the small things about riding a bike that make it fun. Friday was one of those day's where I treated myself to a trip to Revival for a few new albums and spent a few dollars on new bar tape and cleats for the commuter. After puttsing around the house I headed to Northwest Park for a bit. I feel like I haven't sung enough praise for northwest park. While there is not a lot of trails out there yet, it is still a ton of fun with a ton of sustained climbing, descending, log drops, fun bridges, switchbacks, and stream crossings all within spitting distance of down town.

After a good couple hours of tooling around at northwest I headed back home and got cooking. Chana masala, saag, basamati rice, cucumber sauce, and homemade pita. Worked all day Saturday and hid out inside and watched John Carepenter movies on Sunday. Big fat successful lazy weekend.

ego

2011-09-15T13:42:00.000-07:00

I have this ego maniacal strain coupled with complete awe regarding technology. Together those things motivate me to do things like continue this blog, have a facebook account, and constantly look for photos from races and events I've attended to try and find some friendly faces in fun situations. During my downtime today I found the photos that fancy camera wielding Ryan Holt Photography put up of Copper Harbor. Among them are this rather tasteless cleavage shot of myself and a few rather tasteful photos of the after party. I love that the after party photos are just the tip of the craziness iceberg. In celebrity news Jon Erik got his work on the new cover of V1 proving once and for all the tall bike will not die in Eau Claire, at least not yet.

Finally with the cold weather rolling in cyclocross is on the tips of everyone's tongue. If you are looking to get your cross fix in most Thursdays through the fall their will be cross practice 6pm at Northwest park , or elsewhere in the area. As is, my Thursday nights are dedicated to the rigorous training and unfettered athleticism that is Thursday night rides...

However, if you are really interested in cross practice stuff let me know and I will give you more info. TNR tonight, 6:30ish meet at racys. Ride you bike, have fun.

jawline

2011-09-12T13:08:00.000-07:00

This month has been a whirlwind. Between work and other events it has been pretty much non-stop, and it looks like it will likely remain that way until October at the soonest. That said it has been a very good busy so my complaints aren't really warranted. Saturday was Jen's birthday so we got up early headed to the farmers market and made a huge breakfast before heading down to "Fed Fest." "Fed Fest" was an event hosted by dear friend Matt Andrews the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin Share and be Aware Ambassador for Eau Claire that was organized to share the Bike Feds work in the state, and to disseminate literature, information, swag, and free beer. Thanks Matt. Afterwards a big group of us headed out for the Clearwater Beer Fest in Altoona.

Where we proceeded to drink the finest craft beers out there for four hours straight and get thoroughly inebriated before finding ourselves out at Cancun to chow down on burritos.

By the time we were done we took an easy roll downtown and split up. Jen and I headed homeward and the few brave souls and strong livers left headed to the bar. Even after plenty of sleep Sunday morning was still rough trying to get my body to cooperate with me, metabolize pounds of chips and burritos and gallons of beer in time for the Cleghorn race. Derek got a hold of me and we decided to cop out and drive to the race. I forgot my helmet and had to scramble to get a spare before the race, fortunately the fine organizers namely Jim Blodgett had the foresight to bring a spare. Got lined up and rolled out. We rounded the second corner and the pack picked up and I fell off the back. I made a couple shots at bridging the gap from the second pack to the lead, but was stuck out in the middle with two others who wouldn't pull. That stuck me in the middle pulling by myself for the next 15 miles or so. Pretty lousy showing, but still came in at the top of my age group, and the guy I pulled in gave me $10 for beer afterwards, thanks guy! Somehow Dereks fat ass came in 7th overall and he also got first in his age group. EC Velo podium power.

Came home and took a nap, went to Borders going out of business sale and picked up the newest Superchunk and Felt albums, and three new book including this jem for $8. Came home and made pizza.

Now it's time for me to go back to work. It's warm outside again. Ride your bike.

swag

2011-09-09T13:43:00.000-07:00

Make your race entry count, get your monies worth.

Speaking of race entry, don't forget Cleghorn Harvest Fest Race is this weekend. Looks like a blast, see you there.

antics

2011-09-07T08:05:00.000-07:00

When I was asked if I wanted to go up to Copper Harbor over Labor Day weekend to go mountain biking I said sure without really knowing what to expect. I knew it would be fun and probably get a little wild, but I don't think I fully understood the extent of the debauchery. Regardless I took off early from work, got to Magyars, and loaded up with Nick and Nick who were heading up as well. We hit the road with spirits high for about 80 miles then this happened.

Got towed back into town and got our paws on an Enterprise cargo van to continue the trip.

We got into Copper Harbor around 1am, set up camp, and rolled out to a beach on Lake Superior to meet up with Madison folks and get a little loose. This marked the trend for the rest of the weekend. A lot of goofs, a lot of beers, a lot of shirtless dudes, cold lake swimming, and some bike riding mixed in.

From the get go the riding put me through the ringer with a monster climb to the trail tops, insane bermed ladder bridges, bumpy fast descents, and more climbs than you can shake a stick at. Luckily I avoided any catastrophic bike fails or crashes, which could not be said of everyone in our party.

Sunday was race day and despite my best efforts I stayed out much too late on Saturday night to even think about pushing myself hard. The 3 1/2 mile climb at the get go narrowed the field and put me in the position I pretty much stayed in the entire race coming in mid time for my age and 5/6 for single speeders in the short race. Could I have been responsible and gone to bed earlier and pushed harder and done better? Possibly. Will I ever learn this lesson and push myself to a glorious podium finish? Absolutely not. I wish I had documented 1/10th of the craziness of the after party. Somewhere between the mustard bottle wars, fire jumps, dirt dancing, land sharking, musky slapping, and beer grabbing the night turned into total chaos.

It is a little inappropriate to have tranquil lake shots in this mix, because nothing about the weekend could really be filed away as being calm. Monday morning we hit the lake for a swim and ate a big breakfast before packing up and heading out. The van ride back was a total sleepy aching haze, and I'm still subject to flashbacks of equally hilarious and absurd moments that will haunt my dreams forever. It seems like for some reason around certain people their is some sort of PTSD that follows most bike racing events.

Anyway. All I can really say is this weekend was a blast and big props to everyone involved in making this event happen, and all of the people who hung out this weekend. Back to reality. At least until Cleghorn this weekend.