BALLS TO THE WALL FISHING

The only place to stay current on the latest manic ramblings from the Florida Panhandle.

CHEEKY FLY REELS, THE OFFICIAL REEL OF BALLS TO THE WALL FISHING

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

CHASIN THAT FAST BASTARD TRAVIS ON HIS ONER....MORE VIJ INSANITY

WE NEED TO DO THIS SHIT

AND THE LINK FROM COURTNEY GREGORY

http://www.wolfpackhustle.com/viewStory.php?storyId=541

Monday, April 28, 2008

BLOGGING AT AN ENTIRE NEW LOW....GAME ON

this thing is gonna make you all blog stars...coming to a theatre near you, the SQUIRT LUBE GO PRO HELMET CAM. How low can Addicted to Bicycles go? Only you will find out.

And dont mind the typo during the credits.....I'm just a crappy typer.

TOUR DE GEORGIA.....HIGH ROAD WOOPS SOME ASS.

The final podium: Leipheimer, Sivtsuv (WINNER), and Lowe

CASEY GIBSON PHOTO
CRUSHING THE SPRINT OF THE FINAL STAGE
HENDERSON (HIGH ROAD)
CASEY GIBSON PHOTO
CRAZY PODGE CELEBRATION, PIC BY KYLE VIA UMA K.
somehow to me the name "Tour De Georgia" just does not fit a stage race in the hell bent south...how's about "Tour of Gall Dang Georgia". I like that better. I mean honestly, the last time I ever heard of any thing FRENCH in Georgia was when I ate at the Varsity on the campus of Georgia Tech in 1979 and I got a two pound basket of FRENCH Fries with my disgusting chili dog.  Paleeease.

USA CYCLING COLORADO RANKINGS 50-54 SPORT

Rank Points Name License Hometown

1 1777 Larry Grossman 210455 Eagle, CO

2 1792 Lou Supino 34670 Boulder, CO

3 1820 Eric Houck 276298 Loveland, CO

4 1847 Stephen Autry 172808 Durango, CO

5 1852 Michael Starita 264122 Parker, CO

6 1886 Richard Kihnley 194872 Carbondale, CO

7 1933 Scott Hendricks 55246 Lakewood, CO

8 1945 Bruce Rabun 266582 Lone Tree, CO

9 1982 David Curry 248031 Crested Butte, CO

APPARENTLY SEA OTTER IS WORTH A SHIT PILE OF GOOD....NOW I MAY HAVE TO GO OUT ON THE ROAD AND DEFEND...AT LEAST UNTIL ALLERGY SEASON STARTS ROCKIN. CALIFORNIA SURE WAS GOOD FOR THE LUNGS AND LACK OF ALLERGY ISSUES...

Sunday, April 27, 2008

From the Daily Courier in Prescott, Ariz. Whiskey Off Road Challenge Celebrates MJ

Saturday, April 26, 2008

When Mike Janelle unexpectedly passed away from a heart attack in his sleep this past Thanksgiving, the cycling community lost one of its most revered professional riders.

Saturday morning in downtown Prescott, organizers of the fifth-annual Whiskey Off-Road dedicated the endurance mountain biking event to the memory of the 40-year-old Janelle - the local race's 2007 Men's Open class champion who hailed from Avon, Colo., outside Vail.

About 600 riders, primarily from the Southwest, came together for the race, which started at the corner of Goodwin and Montezuma streets and wound through Prescott National Forest trails before wrapping up downtown.
Mike Janelle, the 2007 Open Champ in Prescott

The event's 50-mile flagship race climbs a total of 6,800 feet in elevation, from Prescott to Skull Valley and back.

Janelle, a top-notch endurance racer and ski instructor, was a three-time Race Across America team champion and a two-time U.S. World Championship Marathon Team member.

He also was a three-time U.S. National Championship podium finisher who won the "24 Hours of Moab" in Utah on a trio of occasions.

At the time of his death, Janelle's wife, Maribel, was expecting the couple's first child. She delivered a baby boy, also named Michael, just a few weeks ago, on April 7.

"Mike embodied everything that was good about mountain biking," said Todd Sadow, president of Tucson-based Epic Rides Inc., which puts on the Whiskey Off-Road. "In addition to being a tremendous athlete, he was a friendly, compassionate person."

Friday night on the south side of the courthouse square's steps, Janelle's father, Jack, and former teammate Jay Henry spoke about their memories of Janelle, a 13-year pro, at the race's pre-ride meeting.

"Most of all, it was fun riding with Mike," said Henry, a training partner with Janelle since 1992. "He was friendly to anybody, whether you were a professional or a first-time racer. He had a magnetic, larger-than-life personality."

For the past five years Janelle's parents have lived in Peeples Valley, a small ranching community in southern Yavapai County. On Friday, Jack brought Mike's first bike with him to show to the courthouse crowd.

"Michael loved it here - that's why he came down from Colorado to ride in this race," said Jack, a former racer who rode non-competitively in Saturday's event in memory of his son. "He came down here to visit and train to get out of the snow."

Lynne Janelle, Mike's mother, said her son started walking at 8 months and riding a bicycle when he was 3 years old - without training wheels. At age 5, Mike took his first Century Bike Ride, a 100-miler.

"He always loved cycling and had incredible endurance," she said. "We supported him and never pushed him. It was totally his own idea."

Janelle's Gary Fisher/Tokyo Joe's teammates, Gretchen Reeves and Henry; Subaru-Gary Fisher's Nat Ross; and longtime friend and mechanic Myron Billy also rode in honor of Janelle Saturday.

Janelle was the driving force behind the highly successful Colorado-based Team Beaver Creek-Catlin, riding alongside buddies Jimi Mortenson, Zach Bingham and Ross.

In June the team won the four-person team category at the 2007 Race Across America, their third straight victory in the five-day cross country road-relay race. (They rode as Team Beaver Creek-Vail in 2005 and 2006.)

This past July, Janelle placed fifth at the USA Cycling Mountain Bike Marathon National Championships. Later that month, he was runner-up in the Breckenridge 100, the fourth event in the National Ultra-Endurance Series.

"His willingness to go out and share the experience with everybody made him special," said Ross, a Race Across America teammate of Janelle's who is a 10-year pro. "It didn't matter that he won. He wanted to challenge himself."

JUNE 18TH, 2008
Please attend the Mike Janelle Memorial Fund fundraising event at
E-Town in Edwards following the Berry Creek Bash Vail Mountain Bike Series Race to support Maribel and MJ's son Michael.

Saturday, April 26, 2008

THIS JUST IN...WHISKEY OFF ROAD MIKE JANELLE MEMORIAL CELEBRATION.

THE REPORT FROM DAVE GRIEBLING FROM THE WHISKEY CHALLENGE IN ARIZONA

THOSE WHO SHOWED.....THROWED!

CHAMPION.....JAY HENRY
2ND PLACE...... JIMI MORTENSEN

3RD PLACE......FLOYD LANDIS

4TH PLACE......JAKE WELLS
6th PLACE.........NAT ROSS
AND, AMY HERMES AND GRETCHEN REEVES ALSO WON THEIR RESPECTIVE CATEGORIES

YEAH DAWG!








THE MODERN MARVELS OF MEDICINE...

(AP STORY)
After years of battling the effects of Parkinson’s disease, American cycling star Davis Phinney got some long-awaited relief Friday.
Doctors in Palo Alto, Calif., activated a pacemaker that was embedded earlier this month into Phinney’s brain, and after several hours of adjusting the settings of the device, the 48-year-old former stage winner of the Tour de France had no detectable tremor on the left side of his body and was walking with far more ease than usual.
The series of surgeries—deep brain stimulation, the process is called, where the pacemaker essentially works to trick the brain into ignoring symptoms of Parkinson’s—began April 3 at Stanford University, and soon, Phinney will be able to head to his Boulder, Colo. home.
“It was a very tiring morning for us, harder work than a Tour de France stage,” Phinney’s wife, 1984 Olympic cycling gold medalist Connie Carpenter-Phinney, told The Associated Press in a phone interview. “It’s looking really good. We’re super optimistic
. It’s nothing short of a miracle.”
Old Rockstar and future rockstar

Friday, April 25, 2008

AND SOME RANDOM SEA OTTER SHOTS

DUAL SLALOM PRACTICE
THE SQUIRT LUBE TENT...THIS STUFF IS SLOWLY TAKING OVER

JUST SOME MORE CRAZY OTTER SHIT

HERE IT IS, THE "CORKSCREW", THE CIRUIT RACE RIPPED DOWN THIS SECTION

SEA OTTER CITY, MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA

AND SOME RANDOM VIJ WITH A MOTHA OF A HANGOVER AFTER CELEBRATING THE NIGHT BEFORE AN OTTER PODGE.

THE TOWN OF EAGLE BACK ON SUICIDE WATCH

IT FUCKING SNOWED AGAIN LAST NIGHT, HIDE THE KNIVES AND GUNS PEOPLE!
The Go Pro Helemt Cam is the bomb, I got some long vij yesterday but had some probs with camera angle on the helmet which was operator error. Great vij coming soon!

Thursday, April 24, 2008

THE GOPRO HELMET HERO CAM

KUDOS TO THESE GUYS AND THIS KILLER PRODUCT, THE GOPRO HELMET HERO CAM. THE CAMERA MOUNTS ON YOUR HELEMT, HANDLE BARS, SEAT POST AND IS WATERPROOF TO BOOT. CHECK IT OUT HERE. IT IS LOOKING LIKE THESE GUYS ARE STEPPING UP TO THE PLATE BIG TIME TO BE THE TITLE SPONSOR FOR A CYCLOCROSS RACE AT THE TEVA GAMES, THAT'S RIGHT, YOU HEARD THAT CORRECT, CYCLOCROSS AT THE TEVA GAMES THIS YEAR. ELGEE HAS BEEN ASKED TO PUT TOGETHER AND RUN THE CROSS EVENT AND WITHOUT SPONSORS IT CAN'T HAPPEN, GOPRO IS TRYING TO MAKE IT HAPPEN. KEEP POSTED FOR UPDATES. IN THE MEANTIME, I'M GONNA GO SEE HOW THIS NEW BLOGGING TOY WORKS...LOOK FOR VIJ LATER TONIGHT. I'M GONNA GO BE A HERO.

OTTER PRO XC START...TREBON HITS THE DIRT FIRST

Kona rider Ryan Trebon was off the front at the start of the Men's pro XC race at the Otter, he was still at the front of a six man break at the end of lap one...then the bonk, reports came in that he was bumming food from families along the way in on lap two as he lost an astonishing 22 minutes on the last lap and barely made it home. It's comforting to know this shit happens to the best as well as the rest of us...Trebon ended up 44th while Miguel Martinez took the victory by almost three and a half minutes.

results

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

AGRO 16 YEAR OLD....

I'm glad this kid is not my neighbor, and it's a good thing he found the motor bike as an outlet, otherwise my guess is he would have been an ax murderer.

COMPEX SPORT...VERY COOL PRODUCT

DUDES AND DUDETTES, IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR AN EDGE TRAINING WISE, I AM GOING TO SUGGEST CHECKING OUT THIS MOST AWESOMENESS OF TOYS. THE COMPEX SPORT SYSTEM. I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO USE THIS IN "RECOVERY" MODE AT THE SEA OTTER AND HAVE SINCE USED IT IN TRAINING MODE, IT'S THE BOOOOOOMB. RETAIL ON THIS TRICK UNIT IS $895...IF YA WANT ONE CALL ME, I'LL GET YA A DEAL, A GOOD DEAL. CHECK OUT THE PROCUCT AT

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

SATURDAY BROUGHT NED AND TRAVIS BROWN TO THE SQUIRT LUBE TENT



ALONG WITH SPONSORSHIP COMES THE SIGNINGS AND THE PR WORK. HENCE NED OVEREND AND TRAVIS BROWN AT THE "MODIFIED" SQUIRT LUBE TENT. 50 MPH WINDS FORCED US TO ABANDON OUR TENT ON SATURDAY, BUT THE PEOPLE CAME AND THE GUYS TALKED LUBE AND SHOP WITH THE PUBLIC FOR AN HOUR OR SO AND SIGNED A BUNCH OF AUTOGRAPHS. BOTTOM LINE IS THEY LOVE THE SQUIRT LUBE AND USE IT EXCLUSIVELY...CHECK IT OUT AT WWW.SQUIRTLUBE.COM

THE CLIFF BAR PARTY....

WAS A PRETTY CRAZY SCENE ON STAURDAY EVE. THE BAND WAS ROCKIN AND THEN THERE WAS THIS, MY FAVORITE BIKE OF THE ENTIRE WEEK. TAKE A SEAT AND SPIN UP SOME MARGARITAS..THE BOYS AT PEDROS WERE KIND OF BUMMED WHEN THE GRIEBSTER STARTING STICKING SQUIRT LUBE STICKERS ALL OVER THIS THING WHILE THE GUY WAS SPINNING UP MARGARITAS FOR EVERYONE. IT WAS A CLASSIC.

INTRODUCING THE BIKE BLENDER

AND OH THE CHARACTERS, THEY WERE EVERYWHERE, INCLUDING THIS DUDE (COOPER) FROM MTBR. ALSO FROM MTBR, JOE STEEL AND "YETIFIED" PROVIDED GREAT COMPANY AND BIKE CONVORTSATION...VERY COOLIO DUDES AT A VERY COOLIO SCENE.

RACE VIJ AND SOME MORE VIJ AND SOME PARTY VIJ

The Sea Otter Classic is a celebration of sport and a great industry, it's pretty much Interbike with racing going on for four days in all disciplines. If you are very lucky, you may get hooked up on a trip like I did, get to work the actual "show" part of the festival while at the same time enjoy some riding and racing. I've got piles to blog from Otter including these vijeos from race day that Dave Griebling of SQUIRT managed to get while sitting in for me behind the Addicted to Bicycles cam...and he scored a soon to be used Helmet Cam which I'm gonna blog the living crap out of as soon as I get to that point. The race course was tailor made for my riding abilities, fast, nothing crazy technical all though there were definitely some attention getting sections and six or seven climbs with only two of them being fairly steep. The start on the race tarmac was outstanding. For a change I had a race strategy that worked almost to perfection and I believe the fact that the 70 California dudes in my race that had never seen me before was a big help as it may have let me slip away early. This is a big event, with big production....so cool to have the podium chika kissin on me like it was the freekin tour or something, and captured on Vij to boot.


The race start was fast and furious with four guys on the same team leading us out around the Laguna Seca Speedway, We ran the course backwards until we hit the lower half of the Corkscrew then it was onto the dirt for 18 miles of really fun terrain, especially on the Superfly from Gary Fisher I had the opportunity to demo and race. 70 sets of nobbies on the race track was a sound I'll never forget, my goal was to hit the dirt in the top ten, and when the pace softened just before we approached the dirt, feeling well rested due to drafting the entire way out there, I jumped the pack and took 4 guys with me. The ensuing 18 mile battle was hard fought as our positions changed, the last lead I saw was about a third of the way through. It was blow for blow with the remaining three and I managed to get two of them and end up with third, just a great day of great racing against great guys. A steady 50 mph headwind the last 4 miles on a high ridge became a war of attrition for everyone...

Monday, April 21, 2008

SEA OTTER TRAGEDY...

Mark Reynolds of San Jose died while riding in the Sea Otter... ( Courtesy of Kris Vantornhout ), Mark had stopped by the SQUIRT tent just the day prior and talked to Dave Griebling and myself about the downhill "chain keeper" he had developed....


A 48 YEAR OLD DOWNHILLER PASSED AWAY AFTER CRASHING ON THE DOWNHILL COURSE THIS PAST WEEKEND AT THE SEA OTTER CLASSIC. HE FAILED TO NEGOTIATE A WOODEN BRIDGE SECTION OF THE COURSE AND SUFFERED HEAD AND NECK INJURIES. THE STAFF AT SQUIRT LUBE AND ADDICTED TO BICYCLES SENDS THEIR BEST THOUGHTS OUT TO HIS FRIENDS AND FAMILY...

RYAN LEECH....PURE TALENT

YOU HAVE TO SEE THIS KID TO BELIEVE THIS KID, ONE OF THE BEST IN THE WORLD, PERIOD. RYAN LEECH STAR OF THE "THE CACKLE FACTOR". THE MOVIE IS CRAZY SICK AND PREMIERED AT THE HYATT IN MONTEREY SATURDAY NIGHT FOR THE SEA OTTER INDUSTRY FOLKS...WE DRANK LOTS OF BEER THERE.

AND ON TOP OF EVERYTHING ELSE...


I DECIDED TO TRY OUT THIS COMPEX ELECTRONIC RECOVERY/MUSCLE BUILDING PROGRAM AFTER MY RACE, IT WAS FREE SO I FIGURED WHAT THE HELL. THE PROGRAM AND MACHINE WERE AWESOME. WHEN I WAS FINISHED, I DROPPED MY NAME IN THE RAFFLE BOX WHICH WAS FOR A FREE SYSTEM WHICH RUNS ABOUT $1000 RETAIL. LOW AND BEHOLD, BEFORE WE BROKE DOWN OUR BOOTH TODAY, I WAS INFORMED I WON THE THING..YOU HAVE TO CHECK OUT THIS PROGRAM AT
IT'S PRETTY AMAZING STUFF. RICK, WHO IS PICTURED HERE, TRAINS A FULL SLATE OF PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES USING THIS SYSTEM AND HAS BEEN FOR MANY YEARS. IT'S PROGRAMS INCLUDE RECOVERY, STRENGTH, AND ENDURANCE MODES...

Sunday, April 20, 2008

WHO IN THE HELL NEEDS FULL SUSPENSION ANYWAY?

HERE IT IS, THE DREAM. THE GARY FISHER SUPERFLY, THE BIKE NO ONE CAN GET. THANKS TO MATT AND KARL WITH A "K" AT THE TREK/GARY FISHER DEMO TENT FOR HOOKING ME UP ON THIS INSANE RIDE TO RACE ON AT THE OTTER. THIS WAS MY FIRST 29ER EXPERIENCE AND THE BIKE RODE LIKE YOU READ ABOUT. SMOOTH AS BUTTER AND SUPER STABLE ON THE MANY DESCENTS OF THE SEA OTTER XC COURSE. IT ESPECIALLY RIPPED IN THE LONG AND SANDY DESCENTS HOLDING IT'S LINE LIKE NO OTHER AND ROLLING OVER EVERYTHING IN IT'S PATH WITH EASE. THIS THING FEELS LIKE ALL OTHER MTB'S HOPE TO FEEL WHEN RIDDEN.
I WANT ONE.
THE SRAM GROUP SHIFTED LIKE A DREAM AS WELL...SMOOTH AS BARBARA STREISAND'S THIGHS

SUNDAY AT THE OTTER....THE DAY THE OTTER DIED


TODAY, SUNDAY AT THE OTTER WAS THE DAY MY HEART WAS BROKEN BY THE DEATH OF THE SEA OTTER, I'M NOT SURE IF THE POOR LITTLE GUY WAS RUN OVER BY THE SPECIALIZED TRAILER OR IF HE ATE TO MANY CORN DOGS AND SALT PRETZELS WHICH ENDED UP EXPLODING HIS HEAD OFF PREMATURELY, BUT WHEN I SAW THIS PICTURE IN THE PARKING LOT AS THE FESTIVAL BROKE DOWN I WAS DEVASTATED. I MEAN IT'S ONE THING TO FADE INTO THE MONTEREY SUNSET LEAVING A YOUNG 50 YEAR OLD BOYS DREAMS IN FACT BELIEVING IN THE SEA OTTER, BUT TO SEE THIS PICTURE ON THE WAY OUT WAS TRAUMATIZING...I MEAN, WILL I EVER GET TO PARTICIPATE IN SEA OTTER AGAIN NOW? WILL I GET TO RACE A KILLER XC LOOP, MEET AMAZING PEOPLE DEDICATED TO AN AMAZING INDUSTRY, DRINK UNTIL I CAN'T SEE STRAIGHT, WATCH 5 CYCLING DISCIPLINES AT ONCE, TRY AND PLAN A CROSS RACE FOR THE OTTER IN THE FUTURE, SHMOOZ SHMOOZ SHMOOZ, SELL THE LIVING HELL OUT OF A GREAT PRODUCT LIKE SQUIRT, CATCH SICK MOVIE PREMIERS, EAT AWESOME FOOD IN MONTEREY, OR POSE WITH THE LITTLE FURY SEA OTTER CRITTER AGAIN? I SAY YES DESPITE THIS ATROCITY.

AND GET THIS, THANKS TO DAVE G. (SQUIRT AND ROOLY OPTICS) BLOGGING WILL NOW STEP UP TO AN ENTIRE NEW LEVEL WITH THE ADDITION OF A HELMET CAM, IT'S GONNA BE SICK. MORE ON THAT LATER.

SUNDAY MORNING...I AM HANGOVER MAN.

MORE ON THIS LATER, A PODGE SPOT AT OTTER FOR THE OLD MAN.
BIG FIELD OF FAST LOOKING CALI BOYS.


MY DEEPEST APOLOGIES THIS MORNING FOR NOT HAVING A BUNCH OF PICS TO POST FROM YESTERDAY'S ACTION AT OTTER. IT WAS A FREEKIN COLD AND SUPER WINDY DAY, I'M SURE THAT WILL BE A HIGHLITE OF REPORTS...THE WIND, IT WAS SIMPLY AMAZING. I ALSO IN MY HASTE TO GET TO MY RACE YESTERDAY FORGOT TO LOAD MY CAMERA BATTERY WHEN WE SPLIT FROM THE HOTEL, HOWEVER, DAVE GRIEBLING DID MANAGE TO GET PLENTY OF VIJ WHICH I'LL GET POSTED AS SOON AS I CAN STEAL HIS MEMORY CARD. THE DAY WAS BUSY, THERE IS SO MUCH GOING ON HERE AT ONE TIME YA JUST CANT BLOG ALL OF IT, DUAL SLALOM, DOWNHILL, ROAD RACES, XC, SUPER D, DIRT JUMPING, TRIALS, IT'S A CRAZY SCENE. LOOK FOR MAJOR BLOGGING THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. ONE THING I WILL SAY FOR CERTAIN, RACING IN A PACK OF 70 RIDERS ON THE LAGUNA SECA RACE COURSE AS WE HEADED OUT TO THE DIRT WAS SICK!

I'M GOING TO TALK TO SKIP (THE PROMOTER/ORGANIZER BRO) TODAY AND PITCH A CYCLOCROSS EVENT TO HIM...CULT CROSS AT OTTER NEXT YEAR? I DO NOT SEE WHY NOT!
AS FAR AS THE HANGOVER GOES, WELL THE STORY GOES SOMETHING LIKE THIS, AFTER WE BROKE DOWN OUR BOOTH AT 4PM, MARZZOCHI THREW A BEER BASH, THEN CLIFF BAR THREW A BIGGER BEER BASH ON THE LAGUNA SECA RACEWAY GROUNDS, THEN WE THREW OUR OWN BEER BASH AT DINNER IN MONTEREY WHILE WATCHING THE SUNSET, FROM THERE WE WENT TO A SICK BIKE MAG MOVIE PREMIER AT THE HYATT IN MONTEREY AND DRANK MORE BEER, THEN AT 1AM WE HIT IN AND OUT BURGER, NOW I AM HANGOVER MAN.
LET'S GO DO IT AGAIN TODAY!
AND THE ONLY WAY TO CELEBRATE A PODGE SPOT, IN AND OUT BURGER, WHICH IS RIGHT NEXT TO OUR HOTEL, ANIMAL STYLE OF COURSE.

Friday, April 18, 2008

AND EVEN MORE OTTER....




IT GOT COLD AS DOG BALLS HERE TODAY, WHEN WE LEFT THE VENUE AFTER THE BICYCLING MAGAZINE BBQ BLOWOUT PARTY, IT WAS 48 DEGREES AND WINDY AS EAGLE IN SPRING....I'VE GOT TO LINE UP AT 8:20AM IN THE MORNING TO RACE. IT'S GONNA BE A COLD M'FER BUT I FIGURE THE CALI BOYS WILL SUFFER MUCH MORE THAN MYSELF AS MY DICK IS STILL PRETTY MUCH HALF FROZEN OFF FROM THE WINTER BACK HOME. AT LEAST MENTALLY I'LL FEEL WARMER.

some crazy shit at the Otter scene

today brings circuit racing on the Laguna raceway...the corkscrew is crazy fast for the roadie guys, I'll try and capture some vij as the day goes on...for now, we are out!

Thursday, April 17, 2008

OMG

I'm pretty much too fired up and buzzed right now to do a bunch of blogging. Otter was killa today, great day at the SQUIRT booth and pre-rode the 20 mile XC course, ran into Nat Ross along the way, Jen Gersbach from SPOT, and demoed the Gary Fish Superfly niner to pre-ride the course on a waaaaaaaaaaaaay fast course. Here is some shit from today. We now have to go to a party....
big buzz around this rig...circuit racing on Friday...

SQUIRT lube gang...ready for pre-ride

from snowstorms to snakes....saweeeet

"girls squirt too" chainstay guards...everybody wants one.

the duke brown connection...wuz up duke?

the dudes looked at me like they wanted to kill me when I asked them if these cars had pedals in them....guess not.

dirt bike demo gals...

Monday, April 14, 2008

HOW SICK IS THIS....

Sea Otter appears to be just a bit of fun...not only does the road circuit race take place on the Laguna Seca race course, but the MTB XC start and finish are on the course as well, tell me how the hell you can go out easy under those circumstances? I mean Christ, Mario Freekin Andretti holds the course speed record, that aint no shit. It's gonna be all you can do to keep from laying out a big old burn mark on the pavement when the gun goes off. Even better, you'll be able to find the SQUIRT LUBE tent set up smack in the middle of the action. See ya there race fans.
I'm gonna try and blog ya some vijeo from the spot marked 8A, the infamous Corkscrew. The riders will come from right to left on the diagram, and the course falls off hard at that point. Sooooo, not only is it a hard left/right combo, it also is rippin downhill at that point...gonna be some "shit-in-pants moments" for sure.

Sunday, April 13, 2008

FINALLY, THE SUN COMES OUT, THE TEMPS RISE, AND WE CAN GET OUT FOR A GLORIOUS ROAD RIDE...WITH A COUPLE OF ISSUES.

I AM ADDICTED TO BICYCLES. AND TODAY WAS THE REASON WHY. THE PACK, JONO, CHARLIE B., BRENNAN STEGE AND MYSLEF DECIDED TO CELEBRATE THE PARIS-ROUBAIX LOCALLY BY RIDING THE 80 PLUS MILES OF DIRT AND ASPHALT ON THE BURNS-ROUBAIX LOOP. NOT A CLOUD IN THE SKY ALL DAY, AND DESPITE AN ISSUE OR TWO, WE HAD A PERF DAY BACK ON THE BIKES AS THE WINTER FROM HELL TRIED TO SHOW HINTS OF WEAKNESS IN THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS OF COLORADO.
TODAY WAS THE FIRST MOUNTAIN STATES CUP MTB RACE IN FRUITA...A SERIES WHICH I DEDICATED MYSELF TO LAST SUMMER, BUT YOU KNOW, INSTEAD OF DRIVING THE HUNDREDS OF MILES, PAYING WAY HIGH ENTRY FEES, MAKING MANY PODIUMS AND GETTING NOTHING FOR IT, I DECIDED THIS YEAR WOULD BE BETTER SPENT RIDING WITH THE HOMIES AND LEAVING THE RACING TO THE PEOPLE WHO FEEL THERE IS SOME VALUE IN THOSE OVER PRICED NO PRIZE GIVING RACES.
TODAY WAS A GEM WE DUBBED THE "JAWS OF LIFE II" RIDE. YOU HAD TO BE THERE.


THE SHIT STARTS HITTING THE FAN


50K TO GO

THE POSSE


LORD ELLSWORTH

A LESSON LEARNED ON HIS FIRST LOOOONG RIDE. EAT MORE, DRINK MORE, EAT A BIG BREAKFAST, AND GET RID OF THE SPACE SHIP DEBRIS SADDLE THAT WILL NOT ALLOW YOU SIT DOWN FOR A WEEK.

PARIS-ROUBAIX IS ON!

BIG GEORGE

"NOW WHAT THE HELL WENT WRONG"

HINCAPIE

WAS OF COURSE IN THE LEAD GROUP UNTIL HIS LATEST DEBACLE, A SLOW LEAK WITH 40K TO GO. OF COURSE THE TEAM CAR WAS NO WHERE TO BE FOUND...BEING A SPORTING BUNCH, THE LEAD GROUP ATTACKED WHEN HE WAS CHANGING WHEELS AND APPARENTLY NOW GEORGE IS SCREWED ...BUT IT AINT OVER YET. THE LEAD GROUP HAS BOONEN AND CANCELLARA IN IT...I'M TAKIN CANCY IN ANOTHER TIME TRIAL TYPE BREAK ON ONE OF THE LAST COBBLE SECTIONS....


BOONEN AND CANCELLARA HAVE ATTACKED WITH 35K TO GO...BALLAN IS THE ONLY RIDER STILL WITH THEM.

25KM TO GO AND GEORGE H. IS DONE. HE IS NOW NEARLY 3 MINUTES BACK.

OGRADY IS TRYING TO BRIDGE A 54 SECOND GAP BACK TO THE LEADERS...SICK.

CANCALLARA GOES WITH 15K, BUT IS BROUGHT BACK. 3 COBBLE SECTIONS LEFT, PHIL LIGGET MUST BE HAVING A CANIPTION.

WITH 7K TO GO CAN CANCY STEP INTO HIS WORLD CHAMPION TIME TRIAL MODE...I'LL BET ON THAT.

THE VELODROME IS IN SIGHT, IT MAY BE TOO LATE FOR CANCY TO ESCAPE..BOONEN SHOULD CRUSH IF THEY ALL ENTER THE DROME TOGETHER.

3K AND STILL THREE RIDERS WORKING IT AT THE FRONT

2K...STILL TOGETHER, IT'S NOW SETTING UP FOR A BOONEN VICTORY

ONE TO GO ONE TO GO ONE TO GO

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONEN!

Saturday, April 12, 2008

PISSED OFF AT UCI, CONTADOR DOMINATES AGAIN.

(VELONEWS)
Spain's Alberto Contador overcame toothache to add the Tour of the Basque Country to his triumph in last year's Tour de France after success in the sixth and final stage here Saturday.
The Astana ace, who has dominated the week since taking the first stage, beat Australian Cadel Evans by 20 seconds in the 20km individual time trial to wrap up the ProTour event.
Evans (Silence-Lotto) finished second too in the overall standings, 30sec adrift.

GONE FISHIN...BURNS LOOP TOMORROW, MEETING AT WOLCOTT AT 11AM

IN AN ATTEMPT TO "WILL" ALL THIS FREAKIN SICK ASS WEATHER THE HELL OUT OF HERE, I DECIDED TO JUMP ON THE ROAD BIKE TODAY FOR AN HOUR THEN GO FISHIN WHILE THE REST OF THE CRONIES WERE STILL OUT SKIING, I CANT EVEN BARE THE THOUGHT OF SKIING ANOTHER DAY THIS SEASON...I DONT CARE IF IT SNOWS SEVEN MORE FEET TONIGHT...HAVE AT IT KIDS.



I'M NOT GONNA TELL YA WHERE I FISHED, OR HOW MANY I CAUGHT, BUT IT BEAT THE LIVIN HELL OUT OF FREEZING MY ASS OF ON THE SKI HILL TODAY
POSSE RIDIN THE BURNS LOOP TOMORROW! MEET IN WOLCOTT AT 11AM.

Friday, April 11, 2008

THROW BACK PICS OF THE MONTH


IN THE IGNORANCE OF MY YOUTH, WHILE ATTENDNING FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY, I SAW IT FIT AS A SOCIOLOGY AND PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION MAJOR TO MAKE MY STATEMENT TO SOCIETY, HENCE THE HAIR THING. I DEBATED POSTING THESE PICTURES ON THE BLOG, BUT DUE TO POPULAR DEMAND SAW IT ONLY FIT TO MAKE THESE PUBLIC SO IF I EVER RUN FOR PUBLIC OFFICE THEY DO NOT SHOW UP ON THE FRONT PAGE OF THE NATIONAL ENQUIRER, BESIDES, IF I EVER RAN FOR PUBLIC OFFICE SOMETHING TELLS ME THESE PICTURES WOULD BE THE LEAST OF MY WORRIES...
ROAD TRIP TO ATLANTA TO SEE THE ISLANDERS PLAY THE FLAMES, AND PARTY WITH COLLEGE FRIENDS WHO WERE FROM ATLANTA/CIRCA 1979

A SIMPLY GLORIOUS MOMENT PRIOR TO PARTYING WITH COLLEGE PALS. NICE TIGHTY WHITIES

OUR INTRAMURAL SOCCER TEAM THE "CONE KICKERS" PRIOR TO PARTYING WITH MY COLLEGE BUDDIES. GUESS WHICH ONE IS ME

BIG OL HAIR THE MORNING AFTER PARTYING WITH MY COLLEGE BUDDIES. GRIFF TURNIPSEED'S HAIR HAS NOTHIN ON ME.

Wednesday, April 9, 2008

SQUIRT LUBE OFF TO SEA OTTER...


IF ANY OF YOU ROCKED IT OUT AT CULT CROSS THIS YEAR AND CAME TO THE POST RACE PARTY, YOU WALKED WITH A BOTTLE OF SQUIRT LUBE ADDED TO YOUR ARSENAL OF TOP SECRET DRIVE TRAIN LOVE. WELL, NOW THAT THE CAT IS OUT OF THE BAG, SQUIRT IS HEADING TO SEA OTTER FOR FOUR DAYS TO SPREAD THE LUBE LOVE ALL OVER CALIFORNIA APRIL 16-21ST. LOOK FOR KILLER BLOGGING FROM THE SCENE STARTING IN A WEEK, INCLUDING ROAD AND MTB BITS AND PIECES, MAYBE EVEN SOME GOOD OLD REDNECK CAR RACING SHIT FROM LAGUNA AND THE INFAMOUS "CORKSCREW".
WHY DOES SQUIRT WORK SO WELL YOU ASK? WELL IT'S A WATER BASED WAXED LUBE AS OPPOSED TO A SOLVENT BASED WAX LUBE LIKE THE OLD SCHOOL WAX LUBES. IT ALSO HAS A VERY HIGH CONCENTRATION OF WAX PRODUCT IN EACH BOTTLE, NEARLY 40% AS OPPOSED TO OTHER SOLVENT WAX LUBES WHICH CONTAIN AT MOST 15% WAX CONTENT. BEING WATER BASED, IT PENETRATES YOUR DRIVE TRAIN BETTER AND WHEN THE WATER EVAPORATES, WALLAH, ALL THAT IS LEFT IS WAX, WHICH IS WHAT YOU WANT TO KEEP YOUR DRIVE TRAIN CLEAN AND BUTTERY SMOOTH.
IMPORTANT....BE SURE YOUR DRIVE TRAIN IS SUPER CLEAN AND DRY BEFORE APPLYING SQUIRT. APPLY LIBERALLY AND DO NOT WIPE IT OFF...JUST GO RIDE!
AND CHECK THIS OUT, SQUIRT IS MADE FROM PATROLEUM INDUSTRY BI-PRODUCTS, IN THIS DAY OF GREEN AWARENESS, YOU CAN NOT CHOOSE A BETTER LUBE TO SUPPORT OUR ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS!
SO GO SQUIRT!

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Monday, April 7, 2008

IT'S OFFICIAL, WINTER OF 2009 HAS OFFICIALLY BEGUN IN EAGLE....AND IT'S APRIL/2008

All the joking officially ended this morning with the arrival of winter/2009 in Eagle. I guess the 55 degree day we had two weeks ago was spring, summer and fall all wrapped into one glorious day. The enitre Valley is on suicide watch as the snow just keeps on coming. Personally, I'm going to hit up Yeti's grind for a cup of coffee then spend the rest of the day drinking frozen Pina Coladas to celebrate the arrival of next winter, then I'll wake up tomorrow with a hangover and get my taxes done so I can pay Uncle Sam the $$$$ I owe him.
LETS WAX EM UP...IT'S A POWDER DAY!

Sunday, April 6, 2008

HINCAPIE IN THE MIX BUT FAILS TO DELIVER AT FLANDERS AGAIN

BIG GEORGE H.....HOW DID GEORGE KEEP HIS HANDLE BARS IN TACT IN THIS RACE? HE GOT RID OF THE TREK.
graham watson photos
THIS LOOKS FUN, THE FAMED KOPPENBERG COBBLE HILL CLIMB. HOW DO YOU TRAIN FOR THIS CLIMB? GO RUN UP TICK ALLEY WITH YOUR BIKE TEN TIMES A DAY WHILE ONE OF YOUR FRIENDS HITS YOU OVER THE HEAD WITH A SLEDGE HAMMER.
BELGIAN NATIONAL CHAMPION STIJN DEVOLDER TAKES FLANDERS WITH A WELL TIMED BREAK.