Interbike Update...

Squirt booth is off the charts busy...Ned the "Lung" and Travis Brown were here for about thirty minutes discussing product and such....Cyclocross race last night was OFF THE CHARTS!! THOUSANDS THERE TO WATCH UNDER THE FOOL MOON AND LIGHTS. Jake Wells had a GREAT race finishing 29th in the pro race....the pace was just rediculous but Jake held his own.
I'm working the Squirt booth as I type this...got to get back on it....Mario Chippolini here this morning, Contrera yesterday...Phil Ligget as well....super fun.
Stay tuned....pro crit tonight at Mandalay Bay.

SPEAK OUT FOR MOUNTAIN BIKERS. KEEP MONARCH CREST AND OTHER TRAILS OPEN!

"Fast Fred" Reynolds on Lower Rainbow...Monarch Crest.

Guys and gals, without being to crazy about the effort to keep Colorado's trails open to Mt Bikes, please go to http://www.imba.com/ or http://www.imba.com/news/action_alerts/01_07/01_11_colorado_trails.html and make your statement to keep trails open which the USFS is trying to close....click on the take action link....thanks. I'm off to Vegas.....good blogging to come.

A Word About a Great Kid and his Family

Having missed the opportunity to head down to the front range and Cyclocross this weekend (mom is visiting from Florida), I thought it would be a good time to fill you in on this kid and his family....I met Mario C. and his family this past summer racing the MSC series while riding the Gondola in Telluride, I had made that trip with Brennan Stege and Griff Turnipseed, two other top notch junior riders and good friends. Anyway, this kid Mario was pretty enthusiastic about the race scene and I started hanging out with his waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay cool family a bit at the races striking up a great friendship. I've been following Mario's race results as he's crushed field after field at 15 years old. This kid is gonna be somtin. Keep your eyes on him as he is now Cross racin on the front range and gonna be a force....on top of being a great kid. He just needs to remember his shoes.

Why the Hell are we Smiling?

I'll tell you why we are smiling, it's because we just got done with one of Colorado's most hanus climbs you will find anywhere....the climb to Kokomo pass (12,800ft) from the base of Copper Mountain, and that was after climbing out of Camp Hale through Resolution Pass, which pushes 18-22 degrees for the last couple miles of the climb. Sound fun? Somewhere around the halfway point up to the summit of Kokomo's 4000 ft climb with NO recovery section, I became delerious and weak and started to believe I was close to heaven and about to walk down the isle with Britney Spears before she had two kids and shaved her head. Another 1000 ft of climbing had me believing I had entered the den of Satan himself as the dream of Britney suddenly turned into clouds of doubt when I began to believe I was in the Tour De France trying to make up 4 hours on Floyd Landis (what?). Then the summit...with nothing but MILES of single track downhill back to Camp Hale after rehydrating and stuffing goo and bars down my face.....hence the smile.

Farewell 24 Hours of Moab......

Been fun, but now I'm done. Best of luck to all of you who pound out the laps this year. One of our top guns has turned into a crippled curmudgeon and he's not easily replaced, he hurt his back acting in a seniors porn flick in the back of his Sprinter Van....poor chum. Oh Well, on to bigger and better things...like CX racing!

Jono and Zach B on the Crest, just above "surf city"

So would you rather rest on a day like today and get ready for a race, or just go rip it with the crew at Monarch Crest....my vote.....RIP IT!

THE PARTY OF THE SUMMER....

Soon after RAAM was over Jono Ridler, who works support for the boys every year during the race, threw down on just a rock and roll party at his place for the Winner of the Men's Four man team as well as for Kerri White, who's story of inspiration in the Women's solo event is just plain and simply to good for me to tell as I was not acutally there, but read the accounts. Anyway, part of the events was a HUGE group ride with a bunch of crazies all enjoying a great day on the dirt (and some on the pavement before we hit the dirt). This is just a short clip of some of the action....and notice Jimmy Mortenson making the pass in the "shit". Good stuff, great fun.

Special Guest Shows up for Wednesday Night Shop Ride in Eagle

Eagle County Law Enforcement agents escort OJ Simpson to the Mountain Pedaler in Eagle for the Wednesday night shop ride this week. Upon entering the shop OJ pulled out a gun and demanded we take him to the newly discovered but unridden "Cutoff" trail which Larry G stumbled upon on Tuesday. Once on the trail, OJ proceeded to slash all of our tires and then our throats. After Dr. Dent stitched us all back up on the trail with Bryan Bill's chest hairs we were able to head back to the shop finding OJ's gloves strewn along the trail. The pizza and beer back at the shop were great, and the last we heard OJ was headed towards Interbike in Vegas on Interstate 15, driving very slowly in a white Ford Expedition. Reports said OJ was heard saying "F" that Grossman guy and the Tour Doo France, he's a freekin sandbagger."

If you happen to see OJ, tell him I"ve got his gloves.

FLOYD LANDIS LOSES APPEAL, HANDS YELLOW OVER TO 2006 TRUE WINNER

THIS JUST IN.....
Floyd Landis lost his appeal today to keep his title of 2006 Tour Doo France champion. Floyd is seen here in this AP photo taken today handing the
THE 2006 YELLOW JERSEY

over to the true 2006 Tour Doo France victor Larry Grossman of the Mountain Pedaler in Eagle, Belgium immediately following the arbitration hearing.

As you can see, Larry G (age 49 in his first tour) looks pretty pissed off in this picture and said "Floyd is a great guy and tough competitor, but I knew there was something wrong when he wiped out my 3 hour lead during stage 17 right after I had taken his 4 hour lead the day before and shoved it up his ass. I'm just glad Jay Henry decided not to race that year". Floyd still has not responded to this statement but stay tuned to this blog for the latest on this story.

VERY COOL NEWS TODAY.....

The Super Cool Dudes at SQUIRT (http://www.squirtlube.com/) dry lube have asked me to work their gig at Interbike in Vegas next week. Should be waaaaaay cool for a cycling freak like myself to see alllllll of next years shwag in one building...stay tuned for blogging from the show. Viva La Elvis.

Oh boy, Mountain Pedaler boys will be there as well, Elvis may climb out of his grave for this one.

THE YELLOW CHAIR. Where suffering on the bike ends, and world class single track begins...todays ride.

If you ever have the priviledge of riding a mountain bike in the Eagle area, at some point during directions to our world class single track you will hear of the infamous Yellow Chair. To get to the chair is a grueling, steady, heart rate busting effort. The climb starts out easy enough winding through Hockett gulch and the sage infested valley...of course my biggest allergy is to sage....then approaches Tick Alley. The next 15 minutes or so are plain and simply pure hell on a bike, and if you clean the climb ALL the way to the chair, you have earned the right to experience some amazing single track, especially after a day when it has rained HARD and then dried the next morning...we call that a "powder day" on the bike here...that was the case TODAY. From there you have many choices which I'll leave up to you when you visit or go for a ride as a local.
Today I was on a bit of a mission to discover some new single track which I had stumbled upon three years ago while grouse hunting on foot....you know what, A NEW SECTION OF SINGLE TRACK IS ABOUT TO BE UNLEASHED. A gathering of ten local trail rats will soon be released to "clean up" this never ridden and hidden trail and we will have another amazing loop to ride here in our backyard....this will remain triple top secret until the work is done and we have had our fill of it. As of now, no one knows of or has ever seen this trail, it will be a great addition. I have deemed this trail "The Cutoff".
Today was a great ride, bumped up some grouse along the way and when they flushed they almost made me soil my chamois with all the racket (that seems to be a theme as of late). Then I ran into a group of turkeys...it was crazy.
Anyway, I hope you all find the Yellow Chair sometime, stop there and squeeze the sweat out of your helmet pads, then go rip some single track. Take "the world's greatest downhill" home and you will find out why it has been named so......it's also the reason it is leading "favorite trail" poll as we speak. Keep the rubber side down, but not on the dirt. LG

THE SPONTANEITY OF IT ALL IS THE MAGIC

It's all so simple...you've got a huge race in three days, a NORBA National in Snowmass, nothing but rest and some spinning ahead when the call comes in from Jono. "Bro...me and Zach B. are heading down to Monarch Crest tomorrow...you in?" When this call comes in there is only one answer...I mean you now have the opportunity to go ride one of the country's most amazing 35 mile mountain bike single tracks with a current RAAM winner and one of the funniest, most talented riders in the Vail Valley, to get a call at all from these guys to go ride anything is flattering enough at my age...but the Monarch Crest?....HELL YES I'M GOING! Screw the NORBA national race in three days, I'd rather go get worked with the "boys" on Monarch Crest any day of the week.
It turns out to be a bluebird day, no wind, cool temps, probably my most fun ride of the summer. Jono and ZB are super cool to ride with, if they invite ya, they don't drop ya...but just the same keep you working your ass off to keep up the pace, all the while laughing at how we stole a day away from the world up on Monarch Crest. You guys rock it. Thanks.

WHAT WOULD BE WITHOUT THE TOWN BIKE SHOP?

It goes without saying that we would all be lost without the service of a great local bike shop. In our Valley, that means a visit to the Mountain Pedaler of Eagle or Vail (Minturn), ya know, the shop that sponsors the 6 time defending local race series champs. Yours truly being a part time wrench and racer for Chaalie Browwwn in Eagle invites you to stop by for a cool beverage and check out the latest in sweeeet rides as well as the latest tricks to keep those disc brakes tuned properly (as all of you know I just never have been sold on the disc brake phenom). Better yet, join us for a Wednesday night shop ride with the most immature, fun loving bunch of overgrown kids in the valley for a GREAT ride and then stuff yourself with beer and pizza afterwards (for a nominal fee) while we sit around the shop and solve the problems of the world in 14 part harmony....it's a priceless affair.

EAGLE'S BEST CUP OF COFFEE, BAR NONE

THERE IS NO BETTER PLACE TO START THE DAY OR RELAX FOR A POST RIDE COFFEE BEVERAGE THAN YETI'S GRIND IN EAGLE

JUST SAY NO TO THE CORPORATE CUP OF COFFEE AT STARSCHMUCKS!

ATTENTION CYCLOCROSS (CX) FREAKS

DO NOT MISS OUT ON REGISTERING FOR NATIONALS IN KANSAS CITY THIS YEAR. RACES ARE FILLING UP FAST!

THE DECISION TO BLOG

Somewhere in the middle of this run-up at Brecktobercross yesterday, chasing a bunch of 35+ year olds and being just two weeks from 50, I decided blogging might become a better option for me. This was the run-up which put me in the crapper in the middle of the race, literally, and made me think I need to share this incredibly miserable experience with everyone else in the world. You see, if you have never seen a pic of an old man running to the porta-john with his bike on his shoulder well here you have it, thanks Mario for capturing the moment when I was not actually trying to advance my place in this race, but instead was hell bent on getting to the dumper before anyone else could beat me there if they may have been in a similar position, funny how the mind panics when nature calls....I guarantee you all I WON that sprint. Having been in a decent position prior to my stomach ailment on lap two, I found myself experiencing the wonders of the plastic "throne" in the middle of the damn race. After securing my bibs, which thanked me for the stop, and reclothing, I was back in the race, but a lap down. Here is the beauty of it all, the officials failed to count my lost lap and I ended up with 11th place....hmmm, maybe when you're 50 the officials consider an internal plumbing issue as a "mechanical" and grant you a free lap......sure enough to piss off Burnsy, who suffered through the entire 45 minutes, broke a chain, had to jump on Charlie Brown's bike to finish the race, and got 18th......I think I've got a new racing strategy. Thank you ACA officiating crew. I should have been 30 something in the results. Deep in my heart, I feel this may the greatest blog post I ever have....

Why do we ride?

Monarch Crest/2007

We ride for simple reasons.....to escape life's reality and to create memories, experiences that we can relive or look forward to doing again in the future. We ride to push ourselves to unthinkable limits, to test ourselves and to simply say we've done it. Is there anything better than recalling the most memorable experiences on the cycle with those that you acutally suffered with on that particular day over a beer or ten, a wonderfully poured Guinness in the bike shop to share a good old fashioned gut busting belly laugh over the recounting of some poor bastards incredibly bad misfortunes on "that" ride....I beg you to ask Courteny Gregory of the day on Freemont pass, which next to the day G.W. Bush was re-elected, was one of the scarriest days in modern American history.

A Blog site dedicated to anyone who ever turned the pedals...

My beloved "townie"

Welcome to the "Addicted to Bicycles" Blog. This Blog is dedicated to all of you who have ever turned the pedals over on any form of a bicycle, whether it be recreationally or racing. My montre being "we all suffer the same, some just get to the finish quicker"

This site is intended to create a refreshing and comical sanctuary for friends and cyclists I meet during this lifetime to reminisce, laugh and to remember why we choose to jump on that sometimes terribly uncomfortable saddle (usually around mile 80 of a century) and pedal for fitness, fun, socializing, racing and just plain addiction......a reason to get outside and enjoy an amazing day in the wonders of Colorado's great outdoors...or for that matter what ever planet you may be from.....

Wonderful Pedaling to you all.........

Larry Grossman