Wednesday, December 30, 2009
SBRacing
We haven't had any updates for the blog because we have been so busy with our new race series. Check out our website at www.sbracing.org. Sign up for our races!! :)
Monday, November 30, 2009
Expensive Weekend!
Happy Late Thanksgiving to everyone! Bri and I ventured out of town for some "family time" this Thanksgiving and along the way we were fortunate enough to stop off and have some fun with Wild Bill and Ashland Mountain Adventures in Ashland, OR on our way home. Wow! What a mountain! Bri has some pictures that we hope to have up soon, but the long and short of it is that we are going to NEED to get some DH rigs. They are so much fun! We both had a ball and I might be hard pressed to even get Bri on her XC bike again...she likes that whole "Shuttle up the hill, Shred down the hill" mentality! And she is pretty good, too! The other guys were impressed with her ability to keep it "twisted" down the mountain! ha!
Even without the DH bikes, we had a ball as we rode the mountain on our XC bikes on our trek North. The trails are pristine and Wild Bill said that we can get in a killer XC loop, with plenty of sweet single track that would provide a weekend of riding with little trail overlap! We will have to go back when the mountain isn't half covered in snow to really get the grand tour! We were fortunate enough that the snow level was high enough to let us even ride!
Even cooler, Ashland Mountain Adventures is coming on board with SB Racing and we couldn't be happier to partner with great people offering a truly fun and unique cycling experience on a mountain that has to be experienced to be fully understood!
More to come about our adventures, but leave it at:
We BOTH have MUCH more respect for slippery, rain and mud covered roots...
Oregon woods are amazing to ride and beautiful to enjoy
Downhill bikes look to be on the horizon...
Hope your holiday was a great one, too!
Even without the DH bikes, we had a ball as we rode the mountain on our XC bikes on our trek North. The trails are pristine and Wild Bill said that we can get in a killer XC loop, with plenty of sweet single track that would provide a weekend of riding with little trail overlap! We will have to go back when the mountain isn't half covered in snow to really get the grand tour! We were fortunate enough that the snow level was high enough to let us even ride!
Even cooler, Ashland Mountain Adventures is coming on board with SB Racing and we couldn't be happier to partner with great people offering a truly fun and unique cycling experience on a mountain that has to be experienced to be fully understood!
More to come about our adventures, but leave it at:
We BOTH have MUCH more respect for slippery, rain and mud covered roots...
Oregon woods are amazing to ride and beautiful to enjoy
Downhill bikes look to be on the horizon...
Hope your holiday was a great one, too!
Monday, November 23, 2009
SIMS BURGER by: Grifall Family Chiropractic
HOLY SMOKES! What an absolutely incredible day, where do I even begin? Let's start with the group tough guy - Mike Grifall, who also happens to be the man in charge at Grifall Family Chiropractic who has generously stepped up to become a sponsor of SBRacing.org! If you are into all things that are health and wellness, then check out their site and give them a call!
So you must be assuming that the shameless sponsor plug is the reason that Mike earned the tough guy award, but you would be flat wrong. Nope. Mike is a tough guy because until today the longest ride he had completed was about 20 miles and in the two hour range. We easily doubled that and he never whimpered, complained or begged for his mommy. Nope, he pedaled on with dogged determination and really impressed us with his perseverance. Seriously, imagine the longest ride you have EVER done. Now double that. Not so easy eh? Way to get in some solid "over-reach" training Mike! Awesome job Sunday!
There were so many equally impressive feats that I don't even know where to go from Mike, but what needs to probably lead the charge was Greg Heinz and the pink scorching he laid down topping out at Demo Forest in 1:04! Most people would KILL to have that time to Sand Point! A truly unbelievable demonstration of Greg's hard earned climbing prowess...and as far as I can verify, the fastest time that I know of up the mountain. Wow, what a way to start the day!
At the top we met up with our pal from OnSite Ultrasound, Corey and his burly SC Nomad. He was ready for the Demo Forest! After ripping some of the fastest lines on the rocky shutes that I have seen, he even overcame some intimidation and rocked out the teeter-totter like it was nuthin! Great show of skills Corey!
Not to be outdone, "Don't call me a Roadie" Mark Faulkner made a special appearance and of course had the fitness, but also had the bike handling skills! The guy was riding the balance logs and hitting drops BLIND like he had ridden them a thousand times. Wow, impressive!
What really impresses me and brings a tear to my eye is the progression our little group has made in only a few short weeks. Travis puts the big wheels of his sweet, plastic Specialized 29er (hard tail!) to good use and is cleaning log sections that riddle havoc with most. Each time he cleans another tricky log section he gets the confidence to move on to bigger and tougher challenges! Plus, the guy is RIPPING the downs, with no rear shock!
Another great achievement...Nathan pulled a classic SUPER holeshot, but then in an unexpected turn of events, toned the ride down and buckled in for the loooong haul. The strategy resulted in Nathan ripping all of the sweetness and cleaning some of the heart popping steeps that usually have us out of the saddle, not pedaling, but walking! The feeling you get from cleaning those toughies is hard to beat, and I have a feeling Nathan will be wanting more!
Lastly, but none-the-less important our favorite beginner racer is now back on the bike after a bit of a break. Taking things easy to start she was able to hold off all comers in her charge to Sand Point in a near record time despite her time off. I have a feeling her fitness will return quickly!
For those that missed it, we hope you can make it out for some fun and carnage next time!
So you must be assuming that the shameless sponsor plug is the reason that Mike earned the tough guy award, but you would be flat wrong. Nope. Mike is a tough guy because until today the longest ride he had completed was about 20 miles and in the two hour range. We easily doubled that and he never whimpered, complained or begged for his mommy. Nope, he pedaled on with dogged determination and really impressed us with his perseverance. Seriously, imagine the longest ride you have EVER done. Now double that. Not so easy eh? Way to get in some solid "over-reach" training Mike! Awesome job Sunday!
There were so many equally impressive feats that I don't even know where to go from Mike, but what needs to probably lead the charge was Greg Heinz and the pink scorching he laid down topping out at Demo Forest in 1:04! Most people would KILL to have that time to Sand Point! A truly unbelievable demonstration of Greg's hard earned climbing prowess...and as far as I can verify, the fastest time that I know of up the mountain. Wow, what a way to start the day!
At the top we met up with our pal from OnSite Ultrasound, Corey and his burly SC Nomad. He was ready for the Demo Forest! After ripping some of the fastest lines on the rocky shutes that I have seen, he even overcame some intimidation and rocked out the teeter-totter like it was nuthin! Great show of skills Corey!
Not to be outdone, "Don't call me a Roadie" Mark Faulkner made a special appearance and of course had the fitness, but also had the bike handling skills! The guy was riding the balance logs and hitting drops BLIND like he had ridden them a thousand times. Wow, impressive!
What really impresses me and brings a tear to my eye is the progression our little group has made in only a few short weeks. Travis puts the big wheels of his sweet, plastic Specialized 29er (hard tail!) to good use and is cleaning log sections that riddle havoc with most. Each time he cleans another tricky log section he gets the confidence to move on to bigger and tougher challenges! Plus, the guy is RIPPING the downs, with no rear shock!
Another great achievement...Nathan pulled a classic SUPER holeshot, but then in an unexpected turn of events, toned the ride down and buckled in for the loooong haul. The strategy resulted in Nathan ripping all of the sweetness and cleaning some of the heart popping steeps that usually have us out of the saddle, not pedaling, but walking! The feeling you get from cleaning those toughies is hard to beat, and I have a feeling Nathan will be wanting more!
Lastly, but none-the-less important our favorite beginner racer is now back on the bike after a bit of a break. Taking things easy to start she was able to hold off all comers in her charge to Sand Point in a near record time despite her time off. I have a feeling her fitness will return quickly!
For those that missed it, we hope you can make it out for some fun and carnage next time!
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Sunday Morning
It looks like the SB Racing crew is looking towards another Sunday morning ride...does Santa Cruz sound good? The woods are calling out to me again, and there are still trails that we haven't even conquered yet! The problem with riding the goodness is much like any successful crack dealer knows, the better the product the more your customers come back! Demo is top shelf and I just find myself craving more and more...in fact what am I doing at my desk? Time to go riding! Get out and pedal your bike - It will bring a smile to your face!
Sunday, November 15, 2009
SIMS BURGER by: Monterey Bay Builders
Today’s Sunday Morning SB Racing.org Group Ride (SIMS BURGER) was a great affair and is brought to us by Monterey Bay Builders. If you need some work done by a reputable and great local builder, then call Monterey Bay Builders today! (831) 384-5573.
I figure it’s only appropriate to throw a shout to MBB, because Nathan was like a rabid dog on the start, setting a blistering pace up the first climb and then Anthony held down the fort when we were slogging away, lost, out of food and water and still a looong way from the truck!
The ride itself was incredible! We manipulated last weeks loop and somehow ended up with even MORE climbing and MORE fun trails! YES! Double wammy! We topped out the climb and SFSSS (Super Fast Single Speed Steve) had a bit of a stomach issue so he called it in early, so we were forced to cut our group of 6 to 5.
We dropped into Demo in front of about 18 riders and I was wondering if they were going to catch us. And I shouldn’t have doubted it for a second because the SB Racing Team is not afraid of anything! The guys were hauling butt! We even stopped to hit a cool new teeter-totter obstacle, some jumps and Nathan and Greg took the “A” line into Sawpit – big drops and all! Nice job guys!!! The climb out was new as we hooked a left at Albuquerque and the pain was severe…Especially near the top where it was pretty much a hike-a-bike…or a pedal until you puke and crash over on your side as I aptly demonstrated!
Travis had his super cool Specialized S-Works 29er up to speed and was easily riding the single track with all-time best form. And by the end of the day, logs that resulted in a dismount earlier in the day were being cleared by everyone. Nice learning curve! I figure if you drag people over enough logs they will get tired of carrying their bikes after the 87th log and just learn to jump the suckers! Turns out this theory has some merit!
Pretty much a super sweet day of pedals, good times and fun with friends! Greg had a great time on his maiden voyage to the forest (“Welcome to the Jungle, we’ve got fun and games!”) and put his Pink Specialized in the front on the climbs and was hanging it out on the downs with the best of them! I could have gone without the spill at that resulted in a huge scrape and golf ball sized bump on my thigh, but I’ll chalk it up as a small price to pay for day like today…ahhhhh……
I figure it’s only appropriate to throw a shout to MBB, because Nathan was like a rabid dog on the start, setting a blistering pace up the first climb and then Anthony held down the fort when we were slogging away, lost, out of food and water and still a looong way from the truck!
The ride itself was incredible! We manipulated last weeks loop and somehow ended up with even MORE climbing and MORE fun trails! YES! Double wammy! We topped out the climb and SFSSS (Super Fast Single Speed Steve) had a bit of a stomach issue so he called it in early, so we were forced to cut our group of 6 to 5.
We dropped into Demo in front of about 18 riders and I was wondering if they were going to catch us. And I shouldn’t have doubted it for a second because the SB Racing Team is not afraid of anything! The guys were hauling butt! We even stopped to hit a cool new teeter-totter obstacle, some jumps and Nathan and Greg took the “A” line into Sawpit – big drops and all! Nice job guys!!! The climb out was new as we hooked a left at Albuquerque and the pain was severe…Especially near the top where it was pretty much a hike-a-bike…or a pedal until you puke and crash over on your side as I aptly demonstrated!
Travis had his super cool Specialized S-Works 29er up to speed and was easily riding the single track with all-time best form. And by the end of the day, logs that resulted in a dismount earlier in the day were being cleared by everyone. Nice learning curve! I figure if you drag people over enough logs they will get tired of carrying their bikes after the 87th log and just learn to jump the suckers! Turns out this theory has some merit!
Pretty much a super sweet day of pedals, good times and fun with friends! Greg had a great time on his maiden voyage to the forest (“Welcome to the Jungle, we’ve got fun and games!”) and put his Pink Specialized in the front on the climbs and was hanging it out on the downs with the best of them! I could have gone without the spill at that resulted in a huge scrape and golf ball sized bump on my thigh, but I’ll chalk it up as a small price to pay for day like today…ahhhhh……
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Sunday, November 8, 2009
SMSBRGR – The Sims Burger
Hmm, not sure if the “Sims Burger” will take hold or not, but for everyone wondering just what in the heck this new burger is that In-N-Out must have added to the menu, let me shine some light…after all, we don’t want readers of this blog misinformed and ordering Sims Burgers at their favorite grease pit!
Sunday Morning SBRacing Group Ride = SMSBRGR = Sims Burger. Perfect!
While others were off jumping barriers and cross dressing, a few brave souls took to some choice Santa Cruz trails when it was still early and cold enough to see our breath in front of us…although, not cold enough to deter Mr. Marsiguerra from the standard issue “short/jersey” combo. That’s just madness! Good thing the first climb has a way of raising the core operating temperature in a hurry…
Our little group consisted of the above mentioned bikini model, Nathan, Anthony, Steve, Travis and myself. The surprise of the morning was the GORGEOUS Sexy Green Tranny that was along for the ride. Now, I know most of the cross dressers are out running and hoping as mentioned above, but Steve’s sweet green single speed is a thing of beauty regardless of your sexual tendancies! Did I mention SS? Oh yes, and I did I mention that BY FAR, AND UNANIMOUSLY AGREED UPON, the COOLEST ASPECT OF THE DAY was Steve’s ability to RIP OUR FREAKIN’ LEGS OFF!!!
Holy cow, looks AND intelligence…or in this case speed? Wow. I can’t say enough about Steve and the clinic he put on today. I was fortunate enough to keep him in site and take some notes, but by golly, that guy was simply amazing.
As for the rest of our group, we had an absolute ball! Trail conditions were near perfect and the pace was swift without being break-neck. Stops were kept to a minimum and trail carving got top priority billing over resting and talking (isn’t that for sissies anyway?). I think we even found a new trail or two for a few guys which always adds to the fun factor. Best of all, everyone rode great, seriously solid efforts by each and every one! Sounds like a Sims Burger is a pretty tasty treat after all!
Next week we are planning another SC loop and hitting some different trails. Should be equally fun if not more so! Travis, Nathan, Anthony, and Steve hit up a little barbeque place afterwards that I will definitely be partaking in as well. While a Sims Burger is satisfying, it just leaves you hungry for even more!
Great ride for all that made it!
Sunday Morning SBRacing Group Ride = SMSBRGR = Sims Burger. Perfect!
While others were off jumping barriers and cross dressing, a few brave souls took to some choice Santa Cruz trails when it was still early and cold enough to see our breath in front of us…although, not cold enough to deter Mr. Marsiguerra from the standard issue “short/jersey” combo. That’s just madness! Good thing the first climb has a way of raising the core operating temperature in a hurry…
Our little group consisted of the above mentioned bikini model, Nathan, Anthony, Steve, Travis and myself. The surprise of the morning was the GORGEOUS Sexy Green Tranny that was along for the ride. Now, I know most of the cross dressers are out running and hoping as mentioned above, but Steve’s sweet green single speed is a thing of beauty regardless of your sexual tendancies! Did I mention SS? Oh yes, and I did I mention that BY FAR, AND UNANIMOUSLY AGREED UPON, the COOLEST ASPECT OF THE DAY was Steve’s ability to RIP OUR FREAKIN’ LEGS OFF!!!
Holy cow, looks AND intelligence…or in this case speed? Wow. I can’t say enough about Steve and the clinic he put on today. I was fortunate enough to keep him in site and take some notes, but by golly, that guy was simply amazing.
As for the rest of our group, we had an absolute ball! Trail conditions were near perfect and the pace was swift without being break-neck. Stops were kept to a minimum and trail carving got top priority billing over resting and talking (isn’t that for sissies anyway?). I think we even found a new trail or two for a few guys which always adds to the fun factor. Best of all, everyone rode great, seriously solid efforts by each and every one! Sounds like a Sims Burger is a pretty tasty treat after all!
Next week we are planning another SC loop and hitting some different trails. Should be equally fun if not more so! Travis, Nathan, Anthony, and Steve hit up a little barbeque place afterwards that I will definitely be partaking in as well. While a Sims Burger is satisfying, it just leaves you hungry for even more!
Great ride for all that made it!
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Halloween
Halloween 2009 was a huge milestone for Brian and I and our relationship! First of all Brian does not like dressing up and second of all I think the last time he carved a pumpkin was before he found out what dirtbikes were. My parents surprised us and came down this weekend and they even brought costumes for us. The pictures describe it all. Enjoy!
Brian the clown and me, Raggedy Ann
My Mom and Dad, the pirate and the doctor.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Single and Curious...
No, I am not talking about Greg's status and wondering how many cute girls he could realistically rent out rooms, closets, and bathrooms to in his house. Rather, I rode a Single Speed Mountain Bike for the first time last night and was curiously aroused. Hmmm...TMI? All of my past forays had been short lived attempts that didn't really result in getting the fire going. And each one left me shaking my head..."I just don't get it" which I think is EXACTLY what single speed riders LOVE when a geared guy hits the lone chain line.
However, yesterday something was different. It wasn't necessarily any easier, but maybe I just had a different mind-set. Now that the big bad Anthem is up for sale (I guess, I will have to do another post on that here shortly) I didn't really have any options for riding other than my original $400 Marin Indian Fire Trail to ride. So in some ways I didn't have a choice. But, what happened is that during the ride I figured out a way to actually relate to this sort of riding and that was all it took.
When I used to ride dirt bikes on a regular basis, I absolutely loved 125 two strokes. For those of you who don't know, NOBODY loves 125 two strokes! They are under powered, demand precision, and with one mistake you are at the back of the buss. Essentially, every time I got on the bike I thought to myself "Ride this sucker until IT breaks OR YOU Break". That was really the only way to do it. All out. Absolute war with the machine and the surroundings. That's what I found to be the case pushing one gear. Sand Pit? Attack or walk. Hill? Attack or walk. Flats. Attack...coast...thank god, the "easy part" :)
Much like a SS, the advantages of a 125 come almost exclusively from their lighter weight, flickability, and ease to maneuver. Even the mental sensations were the same. Pass someone on a 450 or geared bike and think "I own that biaatch!" Get to the top of a hill on a 125 and people just stare at you with a dumb look on their face. It's awesome.
So basically, I KIND OF get it now. However that could all change when I have to actually ride up a hill lasting longer than 15 seconds...
Mr. Todd Park, you were once again correct. 1st with the circus hoops and now with the gearing or lack thereof. Perhaps you could share some other advice that will be more pertinent to my bank account rather than just my riding activities :)
However, yesterday something was different. It wasn't necessarily any easier, but maybe I just had a different mind-set. Now that the big bad Anthem is up for sale (I guess, I will have to do another post on that here shortly) I didn't really have any options for riding other than my original $400 Marin Indian Fire Trail to ride. So in some ways I didn't have a choice. But, what happened is that during the ride I figured out a way to actually relate to this sort of riding and that was all it took.
When I used to ride dirt bikes on a regular basis, I absolutely loved 125 two strokes. For those of you who don't know, NOBODY loves 125 two strokes! They are under powered, demand precision, and with one mistake you are at the back of the buss. Essentially, every time I got on the bike I thought to myself "Ride this sucker until IT breaks OR YOU Break". That was really the only way to do it. All out. Absolute war with the machine and the surroundings. That's what I found to be the case pushing one gear. Sand Pit? Attack or walk. Hill? Attack or walk. Flats. Attack...coast...thank god, the "easy part" :)
Much like a SS, the advantages of a 125 come almost exclusively from their lighter weight, flickability, and ease to maneuver. Even the mental sensations were the same. Pass someone on a 450 or geared bike and think "I own that biaatch!" Get to the top of a hill on a 125 and people just stare at you with a dumb look on their face. It's awesome.
So basically, I KIND OF get it now. However that could all change when I have to actually ride up a hill lasting longer than 15 seconds...
Mr. Todd Park, you were once again correct. 1st with the circus hoops and now with the gearing or lack thereof. Perhaps you could share some other advice that will be more pertinent to my bank account rather than just my riding activities :)
Saturday, October 17, 2009
La Grange Fall Classic / NorCal FINAL ROUND
Wow, could you ask for a more perfect day? Rain from earlier in the week left the trail soft and slow on the way up, but the "downs"...UNBELIEVABLE! I don't think I have ever ridden downhill as fast as I did today, the dirt was just amazing! With a day like this, why hold back, here's the juicy juicy:
Bri: Earned 1st Place Beg. Woman for the NorCal series and her results at earlier races. Today she got 2nd place only a few minutes back of first and in front of 3 or 4 other sport girls. She is really getting this whole "Sport" thing down! She went from about 3.5 hours to 3 hours, to 2.5 hour finish times in her last 3 sport races. Pretty good progress! Today her most impressive feat was her ability to pass 10 people on the last 7 miles of descent/flats to the finish!
Brett: Despite a nasty crash that left a good sized welt and bruise on his back early on, he was able to pedal back and make some key passes to end up with the big "W" today. Nice work! He also ended up 2nd in the series...only 2 points out of 1st, that is too close!
Shelly: In motocross it's a good day when you go 1-1. Well, Shelly did that today by winning the race (Fastest girl there!) AND winning the series! Doesn't get much better than that right? Nope! Plus, this is smack dab in the middle of 'cross season! Shows when you are good, you are good!
Chris M: Goal time of 2:00. Finish time: 1:59:52!!! How's that for military grade precision??? Chris had a good battle with our pal "Orbea Oliver"...that is until the trail turned downhill and then he unleashed the aggression that pays the bills! Nice ride Chris!
Brian: Lucked into a similar 1-1 for the day. Spent most of the day alone and behind the "fast guys" and in front of the rest. Biggest feat was not crashing on the descents after throwing down some pretty tricky (read: DUMB) line selections...Feels good to top another series!
And of course, we have to give credit to Joselyn's for helping us out along the course of what has turned into a pretty incredible year on the pedals! Good luck to Shelly and Brett who I heard are going to be gluttons and hit up the www.CCCX.org 'cross race tomorrow at Toro. I will be sleeping in and looking for some motorized two wheeled fun. I hope there's still wet dirt to be found at Hollister...
Bri: Earned 1st Place Beg. Woman for the NorCal series and her results at earlier races. Today she got 2nd place only a few minutes back of first and in front of 3 or 4 other sport girls. She is really getting this whole "Sport" thing down! She went from about 3.5 hours to 3 hours, to 2.5 hour finish times in her last 3 sport races. Pretty good progress! Today her most impressive feat was her ability to pass 10 people on the last 7 miles of descent/flats to the finish!
Brett: Despite a nasty crash that left a good sized welt and bruise on his back early on, he was able to pedal back and make some key passes to end up with the big "W" today. Nice work! He also ended up 2nd in the series...only 2 points out of 1st, that is too close!
Shelly: In motocross it's a good day when you go 1-1. Well, Shelly did that today by winning the race (Fastest girl there!) AND winning the series! Doesn't get much better than that right? Nope! Plus, this is smack dab in the middle of 'cross season! Shows when you are good, you are good!
Chris M: Goal time of 2:00. Finish time: 1:59:52!!! How's that for military grade precision??? Chris had a good battle with our pal "Orbea Oliver"...that is until the trail turned downhill and then he unleashed the aggression that pays the bills! Nice ride Chris!
Brian: Lucked into a similar 1-1 for the day. Spent most of the day alone and behind the "fast guys" and in front of the rest. Biggest feat was not crashing on the descents after throwing down some pretty tricky (read: DUMB) line selections...Feels good to top another series!
And of course, we have to give credit to Joselyn's for helping us out along the course of what has turned into a pretty incredible year on the pedals! Good luck to Shelly and Brett who I heard are going to be gluttons and hit up the www.CCCX.org 'cross race tomorrow at Toro. I will be sleeping in and looking for some motorized two wheeled fun. I hope there's still wet dirt to be found at Hollister...
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Sideways Rain!!!!
WOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! It's raining and storming like the Dickens!!!!
This of course means...
MAJOR MOTO TIME...or CX TIME, as the case may be!!!! Let me ask you this? How in the heck am I supposed to focus when...
A. It's raining out and we should be motoing?
B. The ISDE just started (super cool off road dirt bike race) that I need to follow online every minute of the day
C. Weaverville is calling my name "Briiiiiiiiaaaaaaan, the trails are getting more treacherous and technical by the minute!!!! I hope you are ready"
HECK YA' I'M READY MOTHER TRUCKER!!!!
In the name of the cinemantatic master piece I will,
BRING IT ON!!!
This of course means...
MAJOR MOTO TIME...or CX TIME, as the case may be!!!! Let me ask you this? How in the heck am I supposed to focus when...
A. It's raining out and we should be motoing?
B. The ISDE just started (super cool off road dirt bike race) that I need to follow online every minute of the day
C. Weaverville is calling my name "Briiiiiiiiaaaaaaan, the trails are getting more treacherous and technical by the minute!!!! I hope you are ready"
HECK YA' I'M READY MOTHER TRUCKER!!!!
In the name of the cinemantatic master piece I will,
BRING IT ON!!!
Monday, October 12, 2009
Monday Morning Thoughts
Sorry for the lack of posts this last few weeks, between my shoulder and some really exciting things coming on the horizon, time just seems to be slipping by a bit quicker than usual! How about a quickie of exciting news to keep you salivating though?
1. RACES! I know, I know, everyone is crossing it up right now, but if you are still wanting MTB FUN, then hit up the Hollister Hills MTB race this weekend or if you are feeling like a drive then go to NorCal for the final round of the series in Weaverville. Either way it's pretty much a win-win situation! We will be heading to NorCal as Bri, Brett, Shelly and I are doing pretty darn good in the points, so why not try to wrap up another title before years end right? I think Nathan and some others are staying local and giving the "new venue" a run at Hollister.
2. Cross! Over the weekend, I heard that Shelly Won, which is not surprising. In her first year she is pretty much killing the B class and would be real close to the front of the A class, too. Just shows that Fun Size is not a limiting factor!
Also, apparently there was some trash talking between Erik E and Aaron for grand supremacy of the CX track (perhaps more being shoveled by Erik since Aaron seems to only speak occasionally to infrequently). Regardless, Erik showed up in corduroys and a t shirt. Aaron showed up and took off from the field in his OnSite kit. Erik cramped. Aaron gaped the field and finally battled with some vacuum cleaner guy who by nature of his sponsor is obligated to clean up. In the end Aaron narrowly lost to said Bissel rider (Andy Jacques-Mayne) which I think is an admirable defeat. Well, certainly more noble than trash talking, cramping, pulling out and muttering something about "needing to train"...Don't worry Erik, we all still love you and your sweet custom bikes!
3. For the readers that know I love dirt bike racing, the ISDE (International Six Day Enduro) started today and it's basically the Olympics/world championships of off road riding. 7-8 hours a day on the moto over some of the most treacherous and gnarly terrain you can imagine. Two of my friends from NorCal are doing great and I don't know how I will be getting any more work done today between blog posting and following the international websites that track the race...Oh well, at least it only lasts for 6 days and unlike my baseball fanatic friends I don't loose a whole "season" of work!
Lastly, it looks like rain is on the way! YES! Perfect trails, "Belgium like training rides" on the road bike and maybe, just maybe a little motorized scooter fun on the Moto's! YES! 
Saturday, October 3, 2009
My Tall Boy Obsession....
No, not a post started by Bri, but rather by Brian and his new found affection for the latest 29 offering from Santa Cruz. Mind you I have been riding, researching and educating myself about all aspects of this "29er platform" for the last several months. I've come to a few conclusions:
1. Every HT 29er I've ridden FLIES. Super fast.
2. My back gets hammered on hard tails. Super fast.
3. Would a Full Suspension 29er be the cure or just a marketing ploy?
Well today, I found out. Way too soon to be riding after my horrific (but incredibly stupid) crash a few days ago, I put the sling in the closet downed a few pain pills (doctor prescribed!) and flew in the face of the doctors advice as the normal crew (Bri, Shelly-Smurfette, Brettster,Pro Joe, Travis and the Birthday Boy GARY) all conviened at Wilder Ranch park to check out the hoopla over the Santa Cruz Bike Demo day.
First things first. The guys at Santa Cruz ROCK! They did a stellar job of putting on this event after what I can only imagine must have been a hangover of extreme fatigue from Interbike. They were helpful, answered questions, and got everyone onto bikes for some serious(?) testing!
My sole purpose was to test my tendencies and check out the hype surrounding the new Santa Cruz Tall Boy 29er. Long story short: THE BIKE IS THE REAL DEAL. After fitting myself on an XL Tall Boy, I took off and noted the following tid bits:
1. No pedal bob. We are talking rocket ship responsiveness. Wow!
2. Climbing: TINY bob, but totally acceptable and less than many 4" XC race bikes I have ridden. Not quite a hard tail, but I also didn't get a seat up my butt over every bump in the road either. I'll take a tiny bit of movement.
3. Single Track: Roots? Rocks? Trail hack? Not a problem. The bike rolls over everything and keeps forward momentum going great.
4. Momentum: This is the 29er "meal ticket" and this bike did not disappoint. It pedals quickly up to speed (remember, zero to very little bob) and once there just goes F A S T!
5. Out of the Saddle: No different than my 4" XC Bike and the big tires bite better, so overall, a great feeling when out of the saddle sprinting or climbing is on the menu.
6. Cornering: Personally, I don't understand the whole "It's hard to turn a 29er" whiners. The bigger tires bite and instill more confidence for me. This bike hooks corners like an Indy Car.
7. Here's the kicker-the ABSOLUTE WORST PART: I had to give this amazing machine back.
Having ridden the Santa Cruz Tall Boy, I can say without question if I were looking for the elusive "one bike that does it all - but is particularly good at going fast" then this is it. XC races that are smooth? You've got the big wheels turning in your favor. The rough ones? The big wheels smooth that stuff out. What about a 100 mile adventure? What can I say, the bike is comfortable and I could see doing Tahoe or all day epic rides and just asking for more!
Thanks Santa Cruz, my girlfriend is now extremely jealous of one particular Tall Boy.
1. Every HT 29er I've ridden FLIES. Super fast.
2. My back gets hammered on hard tails. Super fast.
3. Would a Full Suspension 29er be the cure or just a marketing ploy?
Well today, I found out. Way too soon to be riding after my horrific (but incredibly stupid) crash a few days ago, I put the sling in the closet downed a few pain pills (doctor prescribed!) and flew in the face of the doctors advice as the normal crew (Bri, Shelly-Smurfette, Brettster,Pro Joe, Travis and the Birthday Boy GARY) all conviened at Wilder Ranch park to check out the hoopla over the Santa Cruz Bike Demo day.
First things first. The guys at Santa Cruz ROCK! They did a stellar job of putting on this event after what I can only imagine must have been a hangover of extreme fatigue from Interbike. They were helpful, answered questions, and got everyone onto bikes for some serious(?) testing!
My sole purpose was to test my tendencies and check out the hype surrounding the new Santa Cruz Tall Boy 29er. Long story short: THE BIKE IS THE REAL DEAL. After fitting myself on an XL Tall Boy, I took off and noted the following tid bits:
1. No pedal bob. We are talking rocket ship responsiveness. Wow!
2. Climbing: TINY bob, but totally acceptable and less than many 4" XC race bikes I have ridden. Not quite a hard tail, but I also didn't get a seat up my butt over every bump in the road either. I'll take a tiny bit of movement.
3. Single Track: Roots? Rocks? Trail hack? Not a problem. The bike rolls over everything and keeps forward momentum going great.
4. Momentum: This is the 29er "meal ticket" and this bike did not disappoint. It pedals quickly up to speed (remember, zero to very little bob) and once there just goes F A S T!
5. Out of the Saddle: No different than my 4" XC Bike and the big tires bite better, so overall, a great feeling when out of the saddle sprinting or climbing is on the menu.
6. Cornering: Personally, I don't understand the whole "It's hard to turn a 29er" whiners. The bigger tires bite and instill more confidence for me. This bike hooks corners like an Indy Car.
7. Here's the kicker-the ABSOLUTE WORST PART: I had to give this amazing machine back.
Having ridden the Santa Cruz Tall Boy, I can say without question if I were looking for the elusive "one bike that does it all - but is particularly good at going fast" then this is it. XC races that are smooth? You've got the big wheels turning in your favor. The rough ones? The big wheels smooth that stuff out. What about a 100 mile adventure? What can I say, the bike is comfortable and I could see doing Tahoe or all day epic rides and just asking for more!
Thanks Santa Cruz, my girlfriend is now extremely jealous of one particular Tall Boy.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Henry Coe Challenge!
Wow, that a great race! I knew this race was going to be a toughie...especially after completing the 100 last weekend, I wasn't sure how it would go. But, I was even more concerned about Bri and how she was going to make it through all of the climbs and heat that the course would throw at her for only her 2nd sport race. It seems that since she has moved up, things sure have gotten tough as we are headed into some races that go beyond the "more normal" 18ish mile sport courses!
As we climbed and descended, and climbed some more, I was pretty sure that the steep climbs were going to put Bri through everything that she had. As it was, I was spending more time in the familiar "one-one" combination that was so often used last weekend as well. Hmm, maybe I could be a single speeder after all...24x34 seems to be my preferred gearing as of late!
As we passed Gary at the half way point I knew the course would be mostly down hill so I gave it my all and was able to pass one more rider before the finish to move myself into 2nd place for my class and 3rd overall. Not bad considering the pain I inflicted 7 days earlier! I was lucky to finish where I did though because Dave Locke (Whom I have now heard on more than one occasion as being called a "Legend" of the Monterey area) was right on my tail and finished just behind me. Good thing I didn't let up!
As the clock ticked away, tired riders came in seemingly happy with their accomplishment of conquering the 5000+ feet of climbing that occurred over the 22ish mile course. Just as I was gearing up to go check and make sure Bri was still coming, she came roaring into the finish line and was the only Sport girl to complete the grueling course! I had anticipated a time of about 3.5 hours for her and she came in at almost exactly 3 hours to put in a great ride and much faster than I had expected in the heat and with all the climbing. She is really becoming a great mountain biker!
The event itself was excellent and Travis and Tamy are turning into superb race promoters offering USA cycling points/sanctioning, challenging courses and top notch customer service! He's got a few more events coming up, namely a cool sounding event at Hollister Hills that you should check out if you aren't making the trek to Weaverville.
As we climbed and descended, and climbed some more, I was pretty sure that the steep climbs were going to put Bri through everything that she had. As it was, I was spending more time in the familiar "one-one" combination that was so often used last weekend as well. Hmm, maybe I could be a single speeder after all...24x34 seems to be my preferred gearing as of late!
As we passed Gary at the half way point I knew the course would be mostly down hill so I gave it my all and was able to pass one more rider before the finish to move myself into 2nd place for my class and 3rd overall. Not bad considering the pain I inflicted 7 days earlier! I was lucky to finish where I did though because Dave Locke (Whom I have now heard on more than one occasion as being called a "Legend" of the Monterey area) was right on my tail and finished just behind me. Good thing I didn't let up!
As the clock ticked away, tired riders came in seemingly happy with their accomplishment of conquering the 5000+ feet of climbing that occurred over the 22ish mile course. Just as I was gearing up to go check and make sure Bri was still coming, she came roaring into the finish line and was the only Sport girl to complete the grueling course! I had anticipated a time of about 3.5 hours for her and she came in at almost exactly 3 hours to put in a great ride and much faster than I had expected in the heat and with all the climbing. She is really becoming a great mountain biker!
The event itself was excellent and Travis and Tamy are turning into superb race promoters offering USA cycling points/sanctioning, challenging courses and top notch customer service! He's got a few more events coming up, namely a cool sounding event at Hollister Hills that you should check out if you aren't making the trek to Weaverville.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Tahoe 100
In my case it cannot be more appropriately said that “ignorance is bliss” in relation to my complete and utter ignorant entry into the 2009 Tahoe 50/100 National Ultra Endurance Series final round. In my mind, I thought it would be “pretty cool” to ride my mountain bike 100 miles…an idea that hatched last year this time when I heard about the event. So, I put it on the calendar for this year thinking, “no problem, how hard can it be?”
Well, a few weeks before the event, I realized that my “100 mile” preparation had never really materialized over the course of the last 365 days. Oh well, just sign up for the 50, I told myself after completing the 40 mile “Coe Time Trial” with pretty good success and feeling confident that I could do 50 miles pretty easily. I had only ever ridden 100 miles once and it was on my road bike, so betting on the 50 seemed like money in the bank.
Enter Jeff Linder. You know the guy that never ceases to amaze and inspire me with his cycling feats! Fresh off winning the World Solo 24 Hours Championships he calls... “Brian, the race in Tahoe looks fun. Let’s do it!” Of course in “Jeff Speak”, let’s do it translates into “we are doing the 100 you sissy”. Looks like Shelly was going to be on her own for the 50…
Fast forward to September 12th, approximately 1pm / hour 6 on my bike…way longer than I have EVER been on my mountain bike! As I am directed out of the “dusty corners” aid station and pointed up a hill that would be better suited towards my motorbike I thought to myself, “Wow, it’s a good thing that this event has really taught me the finer points of pushing my bike…” shortly followed by “If I was smart like Shelly, I would be DONE right now…Shelly is certainly done. Shelly is probably sitting in a comfortable chair eating candy and laughing at her stupid friends still out on the course…”
As I endured the next hour of climbing, I fought with every ounce of energy in my body to keep turning the pedals forward as I proceeded upwards at a pace so slow that I had no idea it was still possible to remain upright without just keeling over to the ground. At least the thick “moon dust” would cushion my fall… “Just a little farther” followed by “nice and easy”. I quickly learned that everything in 100 mile racing happens on a “relaxed” schedule. Nothing is worth getting worked up about because you can’t spare one extra breathe that you might need later. Take your time and think methodically. I know, for me this was the hardest part, it was like trying to re-wire my whole central nervous system to achieve this “zen-like” state for 10 hours of racing!
Also, when you ride for nearly 10 hours, you have SOOO much time to think! I tried to focus on the cool stuff, like the rad trail we rode earlier in the day called Robinson Ridge, which featured gnarly single track, loose dirt, tricky rocks and carnivorous plants that left my legs bloody and ripped at my front derailleur so badly that I had to stop and make repairs. Even with the problems, the trail was incredible!
Another thought that could usually be counted on to offer relief was the knowledge that an aid station lay ahead – if you had the strength left to pedal to it! Each aid station was like an oasis of bliss! Besides an assortment of “power food” and fresh fruit, each aid station had GUMMY BEARS!!! Hmmm, candy fix and a 100 mile ride? At least part of this equation spells Brian Butler! Drop your bike off while the friendly volunteers lube the chain and fill your bottles and eat gummy bears while you decide if you should proceed with the course or just add to the volunteer crew!
As hour 9 clicked away I struggled to remember the motivation for sending my entry in. Knowing I still had 6 miles of difficult climbing to reach the finish I thought back to Jeff Linder and Nietzsche…something about being tough, finishing what you start, and if it doesn’t kill you, well then…About the time I was wishing for death, I crossed the line – exhausted and just in the nick of time!
I found out that Shelly had SMOKED all the other girls in the 50 and set the fastest women’s time. Fast company! She is already looking forward to her first 100 next year. With the aid of copious amounts of food and candy from our tip top pit crew consisting of Brian and Kim Spiersch I came back to the land of the living long enough to begin to wonder where Mr. Linder was. Apparently, he had the unfortunate designation of discovering that lights were in fact needed if leaving the Robinson Flat aid station at not just 6pm, but 5pm too. As he rode by braille he was eventually joined by a light carrying rider who stuck with him for the last few miles to the finish. Persevering through the grueling course and finishing in a tick over 14 hours. That is true grit!
After all we had been through our pals, Dick and Teresa offered up post race accommodations that would impress the “Four Seasons”! We hit the hot tub, and sacked out after nearly 20 hours of non-stop action and adventure!
When all the dust was cleared Shelly’s time was not only good enough for the fastest women’s 50, but would have put her within 13 seconds of the Mens’ 30-39 3rd place podium, too! I think she coulda’ found the 13 seconds if she was battling with that guy up the hill! Nice job!
While Jeff came in just after the official finisher mark of 14 hours, there is no question that with a proper light he would have been under the cut off and amongst MANY riders who came in during the final 13th hour. Next year for sure! Plus, at 14 hours, we weren’t sure that he might just want to keep riding for another 10, just to get in some more 24 hour practice!
Using my theory that if I can “race 50 miles” I should be able to “ride 100” I had just enough energy to squeak out a podium finish for 2nd place in the 30-39 Expert 100 class and end up in 19th overall for the entire event. Wow, that exceeded my expectations!
In the end an event and assault on said event doesn’t happen without a ton of support so thanks again to Bri for putting up with me and letting me go racing, her parents for being there ALL DAY in typical “pro” pit crew form, Dick and Teresa for life saving accommodations, Shelly and Jeff for a great weekend and finally Jim of Global Bio Rhythm Events and all of his volunteers for a first class race!
Pictures to come soon...
Well, a few weeks before the event, I realized that my “100 mile” preparation had never really materialized over the course of the last 365 days. Oh well, just sign up for the 50, I told myself after completing the 40 mile “Coe Time Trial” with pretty good success and feeling confident that I could do 50 miles pretty easily. I had only ever ridden 100 miles once and it was on my road bike, so betting on the 50 seemed like money in the bank.
Enter Jeff Linder. You know the guy that never ceases to amaze and inspire me with his cycling feats! Fresh off winning the World Solo 24 Hours Championships he calls... “Brian, the race in Tahoe looks fun. Let’s do it!” Of course in “Jeff Speak”, let’s do it translates into “we are doing the 100 you sissy”. Looks like Shelly was going to be on her own for the 50…
Fast forward to September 12th, approximately 1pm / hour 6 on my bike…way longer than I have EVER been on my mountain bike! As I am directed out of the “dusty corners” aid station and pointed up a hill that would be better suited towards my motorbike I thought to myself, “Wow, it’s a good thing that this event has really taught me the finer points of pushing my bike…” shortly followed by “If I was smart like Shelly, I would be DONE right now…Shelly is certainly done. Shelly is probably sitting in a comfortable chair eating candy and laughing at her stupid friends still out on the course…”
As I endured the next hour of climbing, I fought with every ounce of energy in my body to keep turning the pedals forward as I proceeded upwards at a pace so slow that I had no idea it was still possible to remain upright without just keeling over to the ground. At least the thick “moon dust” would cushion my fall… “Just a little farther” followed by “nice and easy”. I quickly learned that everything in 100 mile racing happens on a “relaxed” schedule. Nothing is worth getting worked up about because you can’t spare one extra breathe that you might need later. Take your time and think methodically. I know, for me this was the hardest part, it was like trying to re-wire my whole central nervous system to achieve this “zen-like” state for 10 hours of racing!
Also, when you ride for nearly 10 hours, you have SOOO much time to think! I tried to focus on the cool stuff, like the rad trail we rode earlier in the day called Robinson Ridge, which featured gnarly single track, loose dirt, tricky rocks and carnivorous plants that left my legs bloody and ripped at my front derailleur so badly that I had to stop and make repairs. Even with the problems, the trail was incredible!
Another thought that could usually be counted on to offer relief was the knowledge that an aid station lay ahead – if you had the strength left to pedal to it! Each aid station was like an oasis of bliss! Besides an assortment of “power food” and fresh fruit, each aid station had GUMMY BEARS!!! Hmmm, candy fix and a 100 mile ride? At least part of this equation spells Brian Butler! Drop your bike off while the friendly volunteers lube the chain and fill your bottles and eat gummy bears while you decide if you should proceed with the course or just add to the volunteer crew!
As hour 9 clicked away I struggled to remember the motivation for sending my entry in. Knowing I still had 6 miles of difficult climbing to reach the finish I thought back to Jeff Linder and Nietzsche…something about being tough, finishing what you start, and if it doesn’t kill you, well then…About the time I was wishing for death, I crossed the line – exhausted and just in the nick of time!
I found out that Shelly had SMOKED all the other girls in the 50 and set the fastest women’s time. Fast company! She is already looking forward to her first 100 next year. With the aid of copious amounts of food and candy from our tip top pit crew consisting of Brian and Kim Spiersch I came back to the land of the living long enough to begin to wonder where Mr. Linder was. Apparently, he had the unfortunate designation of discovering that lights were in fact needed if leaving the Robinson Flat aid station at not just 6pm, but 5pm too. As he rode by braille he was eventually joined by a light carrying rider who stuck with him for the last few miles to the finish. Persevering through the grueling course and finishing in a tick over 14 hours. That is true grit!
After all we had been through our pals, Dick and Teresa offered up post race accommodations that would impress the “Four Seasons”! We hit the hot tub, and sacked out after nearly 20 hours of non-stop action and adventure!
When all the dust was cleared Shelly’s time was not only good enough for the fastest women’s 50, but would have put her within 13 seconds of the Mens’ 30-39 3rd place podium, too! I think she coulda’ found the 13 seconds if she was battling with that guy up the hill! Nice job!
While Jeff came in just after the official finisher mark of 14 hours, there is no question that with a proper light he would have been under the cut off and amongst MANY riders who came in during the final 13th hour. Next year for sure! Plus, at 14 hours, we weren’t sure that he might just want to keep riding for another 10, just to get in some more 24 hour practice!
Using my theory that if I can “race 50 miles” I should be able to “ride 100” I had just enough energy to squeak out a podium finish for 2nd place in the 30-39 Expert 100 class and end up in 19th overall for the entire event. Wow, that exceeded my expectations!
In the end an event and assault on said event doesn’t happen without a ton of support so thanks again to Bri for putting up with me and letting me go racing, her parents for being there ALL DAY in typical “pro” pit crew form, Dick and Teresa for life saving accommodations, Shelly and Jeff for a great weekend and finally Jim of Global Bio Rhythm Events and all of his volunteers for a first class race!
Pictures to come soon...
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Reno MTB ride
Since Brian will probably post something tomorrow about his epic 100 mile mountain bike race he did today, you will only get to enjoy my photos for a short time before they get pushed down. Long story short, I went on a super fun ride with my sister (who is moving to West Virginia in a week) and with my papa when I went up to Reno last weekend. It was super hot and awesome. I love the rocks and there were plenty of them! We ended up through a short muddy mess as well. Here are the pictures and a video of me going down this technical super steep hill. BELIEVE ME, it really was a big hill, I just made it look super easy!! :) 
I keep telling my mechanic about my squeeky brakes, he just tells me all brakes squeek. :)
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Tahoe 100
Or Bust!
I can see my wonderful girlfriend has yet to update the blog with her last fantastic ride. So, I will just say, expect great things from her soon.
Otherwise, Jeff, Shelly and me are headed up to Tahoe to tackle the final round of the National Endurance Series and Bri will be singing the National Anthem at Laguna Seca on Sunday so check it out if you are at the track for the event. She will be the one with the beautiful voice :)
Bri's ride and Tahoe 100 report to come soon...
I can see my wonderful girlfriend has yet to update the blog with her last fantastic ride. So, I will just say, expect great things from her soon.
Otherwise, Jeff, Shelly and me are headed up to Tahoe to tackle the final round of the National Endurance Series and Bri will be singing the National Anthem at Laguna Seca on Sunday so check it out if you are at the track for the event. She will be the one with the beautiful voice :)
Bri's ride and Tahoe 100 report to come soon...
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Be Careful What You Wish For!
So, I've been working pretty steadily most of this year with little results to show for efforts in terms of that pesky profession that is supposed to pay the bills...Real Estate. However, in the last week, we have been inundated with an overwhelming amount of work in the form of 3 new listings, multiple property showings and more property showings and another listing appointment later this week! WOW! Like they say, it's time to make hay while the sun shines and I am finally seeing the results of all the months of hard work pay off...
It's interesting how Real Estate parallels Cycling sometimes...You feel like you are banging your head against the wall with little tangible benefit. You log your miles and shake the bushes for business. You do your hard rides and contact your hard clients...over and over until BAMMO...you get some race wins, sell some homes, and your confidence is BACK and makes all the long days and nights worthwhile!
It probably didn't hurt that I snuck in a birthday party for my good friends Tomer and Teresa Saturday night in Auburn and the best present of all was that their house was spared from the catastrophic blaze that rampaged neighborhoods within a stones throw of them. Scary, but thankful.
Sunday Shelly and I headed out to recon the Tahoe 50 course. With an email blurb, bad map, and hoping for course markings we successfully navigated our way around a pretty remote part of the Sierra's with remarkable aplomb. The majority of the course seems to be fire road, but "high sierra" style, meaning loose dirt, rocks and you can never let your guard down or you will probably go down. I think with our new found knowledge we are both feeling a lot more comfortable going into the event in 2 weeks.
That's it for now. I've got to get back to setting up our new listings. If you know anyone looking for a stylish, entry level condo that is completely updated in sunny Del Rey Oaks OR a sweet double lot 2 blocks from the beach in Carmel, then send me your briefcase's full of cash and I will handle the details! Until next time, keep pedaling, it's sure to pay off eventually!
Travis Chillin' after the time trial with a lucky survivor!
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Tahoe 100
I'm in. This may be a really stupid maneuver on my part, but I have plenty of friends that have known me through my racing career that could point out similarly idiotic "whims" that have led to both great outcomes and those that you wish you had never encountered in the first place! If this Roadie poser can do it...
Regardless, this race was NEVER really a "whim". Last year I thought "man it would be cool to ride 100 miles on my mountain bike". I still think that today. However, this race kind of went off the radar and then when the blip reappeared it was mostly in the form of the 50. Well, thank Jeff Linder for being the catalyst in reigniting my passion here. The guy is a legend and how can I let him suffer alone for the day right? Plus, I KNOW I can ride 50 miles. Riding 100? Well, I could just as easily cramp into oblivion and fall on my face right? You gotta love the "unknown" allure of it all, or at least you gotta love it if you are me.
Anyone else wishing to test their endurance should click here soon, because I understand it is filling up. So far, I've suckered the speediest Smurfette in the kingdom (Shelly Monroe - as if you didn't know!), the aforementioned, multi-time 24 hour solo champ (Jeff Linder) and my buddy Travis who scoffs at sissy rides and is on the fence pending some family obligations. I'm not sure how my name ended up in the same breathe as these great riders, but that's why they invented Red Bull right? Wings. I'll need 'em!
The countdown is on...16 days to build some endurance!
Regardless, this race was NEVER really a "whim". Last year I thought "man it would be cool to ride 100 miles on my mountain bike". I still think that today. However, this race kind of went off the radar and then when the blip reappeared it was mostly in the form of the 50. Well, thank Jeff Linder for being the catalyst in reigniting my passion here. The guy is a legend and how can I let him suffer alone for the day right? Plus, I KNOW I can ride 50 miles. Riding 100? Well, I could just as easily cramp into oblivion and fall on my face right? You gotta love the "unknown" allure of it all, or at least you gotta love it if you are me.
Anyone else wishing to test their endurance should click here soon, because I understand it is filling up. So far, I've suckered the speediest Smurfette in the kingdom (Shelly Monroe - as if you didn't know!), the aforementioned, multi-time 24 hour solo champ (Jeff Linder) and my buddy Travis who scoffs at sissy rides and is on the fence pending some family obligations. I'm not sure how my name ended up in the same breathe as these great riders, but that's why they invented Red Bull right? Wings. I'll need 'em!
The countdown is on...16 days to build some endurance!
Sunday, August 23, 2009
COE TT - HUGE Success!
Wow, Bri and I were fortunate enough to attend the South Valley Bike and Run Club's (soon to be SVEndurance...wooo, that will be easier!) Henry Coe Time Trial event from Morgan Hill up into Henry Coe, down to Gilroy and back home through Harvey Bear - only a 40mile jaunt through some of the most rugged terrain that California has to offer, I was looking forward to good times! Bri was passing on the event due to a nasty break out of poison oak. But she still ended up riding with her friend Jenn from the CCCX series until the itching got to bad...or maybe the hills too steep? No she wouldn't let that stop her! Having not attended one of these events before we showed up early just in case there was a SNAFU...not even close! There was coffee, food, water, ALL THE COMFORTS of home just waiting! Plus, they had all my sign up stuff done from the on line entry and I think I maybe just signed my name one time! Sweet! As we began getting ready people started rolling in and Shelly (who raced the San Ardo road race...road parade??? the day before) came up with Nathan. I was definitely worried about these two as they had pre ridden the course and I had NO IDEA where a few of the twists and turns went. Oh well, how confusing could it be right?
As we lined up for the on time 9am start Travis was already throwin' down the INTIMDATOR - BIG TIME...or should I say BIG WHEELS? He had a spanky Specialized 29er that seemed to be custom made for the course. Hmmm, hope I brought my A game...
Not even 5 minutes into the event and I made a wrong turn that cost me enough time that Travis and Nathan (whom both started a minute or two behind me) were riding right up my rear tire. Great. At least I won to the first checkpoint! Only 4 to go! From their the 3 of us took off up the hour long climb that is East Dunne. If you have ridden in Morgan Hill you may have had the "pleasure" of suffering like a dog up this beast. It's tough. There are false summits, exposure to the sun and a pitch or two that is so steep that most roadies weave and on the MTB, well let's just say taking Gramma for a walk might be necessary...
Nathan launched a brutal attack at the bottom and Travis and I tried to keep him in sight as we rolled past a full on cheering section of cute girls who all knew our names! This is what I am talking about!!! Thanks Alyssa and Julia!!! As we settled into our "tempo" we were already breathing hard, dripping sweat and catching the brave riders who started in front of us. At some point in the delirium I managed to pedal hard enough to open a gap so I just tried to go with it. I topped out, ate a Hammer Gel and took off down the fire road desperately hoping I could navigate through the remote Henry Coe Park without a map or the benefit of a pre ride...
The only thing I knew was we were hitting a trail to "China Hole". That became my mantra. "Chiiiiiiiiinnnaaaaaa Hooooooolllleeeeeeeee, ooooohhhh, whhheeerrreeee art though?" I was calling to her and it must have worked because I nailed the corner and was rocketing down the singletrack hoping to pick up time on a nasty, loose, cliff side single track that I had never ridden before. Hmmm, is this a good idea? Evidently the first, second or maybe even third high speed skid off the steep edges should have warned me that riding over my head on a treacherous trail in a desolate area was not a good idea. But who are we talking about here? Yeah, you already knew that logical thoughts were NOT on the forefront of my brain...especially when I am trying to stretch an unknown amount of lead!!!
At the bottom I got lost. Great. Wander around. Yell for help. Campers!!!! YES!!! They were able to point me in the right direction and I got rolling just as Travis got to the bottom, too! OH MAN, IT WAS ON! Pure fear and adrenaline fueled my climb out of the Hole from China and as I crested to the canyon and pointed my bike towards Gilroy I remembered Nathan giving up one of his course tid bits "it will take about an hour to get through Coe". Not knowing where I was, I had about 20m to hit that mark and it turned out to be spot on! Waiting at the next check point was Gary and he was kind enough to refill my bottle before I headed off for the last hour or so to the finish.
One more bout with the map had me thoroughly frustrated and I could see Travis hunting me down - AGAIN! This time I thought it better to ride with him than try in vain to read the sweat skewed lines on my map! We rolled through Harvey Bear and dodged a few crazy horses (those things are BIG!!!) and made it out the other side where I only had one choice. Pedal Hard.
Travis started 90 seconds behind me, so I had about 5 miles of road to try one last ditch effort. Another gel and it was time to suffer. Badly. In the end I think Travis and I just barely made the finish before puking our guts out and we both set new "fast" times for the course with me just getting the edge by a few precious seconds. Whew!
Nathan came roaring in for a hard earned 3rd place overall finish and Shelly started practically last and had to pass a ton of people to finish just inside the top 8, first girl! She will point out that she was the ONLY girl, but that's because all the others were SCARED!
With SVEndurance's electric scoring we new everyones' result right away and as you can see from the pictures, even though everyone was plumb tuckered out, we all enjoyed more soda's, sandwiches, and fruit courtesy of this great new club! I was impressed!
Congratulations to all who finished this brutal ride. There was nothing easy about the relentless climbing, warm temps, rugged trails and sheer distance! Great job! Next year, I will try to keep a little extra in the tank so I can enjoy the bounce house!
Driving home we saw this wrecked car being towed. Perfect metaphor because that was and IS me post race. Completely WRECKED!!!
Saturday, August 15, 2009
National Anthem.....trumped!!!
So this is Brianne, you will probably be able to tell since my stories aren't as awesome as Brian's. I sang the national anthem at the Historics today, it was probably one of my best performances yet. But that wasn't the highlight of my day! Of course not, Brian had to trump my singing with out-running a cop. I was screaming and yelling at him, freaking out. Anyway, he will write a blog about that later, as for now here is a video of my singing. Enjoy.....
Friday, August 14, 2009
Revised Race Schedule
So I just love it when my perfectly laid plans are uprooted and turned into a quagmire of muck. Case in point. September and October were filled with fun weekends of racing. Pretty much perfectly spaced to maximize fun, interesting venues and calibre of events. Well, the SoCal guys decided to move State Championships and the last UCT race and no my nicely thought-out plans are just a little ball of poo poo. Great.
The new schedule looks like this:
Tahoe 50/100 - September 12
Bonelli Park XC and Super D State Championships - Sepetmeber 19/20 respectively
NorCal Round #7 OR State Championships - September 26/27 weekend.
So, while I have been known to hit "double header" race weekends in the past, it was typically at least within a few hour drive, certainly not the 12+ hours it would take to make it from Whiskeytown to Big Bear. Now the dilemma is this:
Super sweet, rocky, fun "core" mountain bike trails in Whiskeytown. Complete with awesome lake backdrop for kayaking and swimming
OR
Drive through the hell hole known as LA in order to race the prestigious State Championships on a decent course at altitude.
Decisions. Decisions.
I am pretty sure I know which way Adam Craig would lean and since I base all of MY decisions off of HIS decisions (hence my sweet bike!) I think I know...but...well...who knows for sure?
Which way are YOU leaning?
The new schedule looks like this:
Tahoe 50/100 - September 12
Bonelli Park XC and Super D State Championships - Sepetmeber 19/20 respectively
NorCal Round #7 OR State Championships - September 26/27 weekend.
So, while I have been known to hit "double header" race weekends in the past, it was typically at least within a few hour drive, certainly not the 12+ hours it would take to make it from Whiskeytown to Big Bear. Now the dilemma is this:
Super sweet, rocky, fun "core" mountain bike trails in Whiskeytown. Complete with awesome lake backdrop for kayaking and swimming
OR
Drive through the hell hole known as LA in order to race the prestigious State Championships on a decent course at altitude.
Decisions. Decisions.
I am pretty sure I know which way Adam Craig would lean and since I base all of MY decisions off of HIS decisions (hence my sweet bike!) I think I know...but...well...who knows for sure?
Which way are YOU leaning?
Thursday, August 13, 2009
High School Girls...
Don't obsess over their weight as much as so-called men in tights on bikes. You have it straight from the horses mouth right here...ok, actually via Adam Craig, but the comment still holds since he is regurgitating what Geoff said in regards to his World Cup win which is essentially:'
JUST GET SKINNY.
I love Adams' response...guess I just need to spend less time at Gramma's house! ha! Oh, and did you see that little blurb about AC trying out an SRM? Holy cow! Imagine if Adam honed his natural talent and abilities even more. Worlds next year should be good.
If I get much skinnier, than I will need to buy a whole new wardrobe...guess that just means sweet new fashion pictures will have to be taken...
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Howell Mountain Challenge
My contacts are burning, I'm tired and I want to watch a movie, so pretty much I am red-lining the whining right now. BUT, some of our group was able to put down the WINNING, which I figure more than off sets my whining...The quick and dirty is:
Bri finished her first sport race...and it was a toughie! Temps in the high 80's to low 90's and a course of 20+ miles for her was waiting and she was a bit fearful of some pre-race demons over some of her past experiences here. NO PROBLEM! She paced herself off the start and rode a smart and consistent race to finish what was a very challenging event. Much better than her other 2 events here!
The team also had some success in the old man's class and the women's expert class, which just adds more evidence to the argument that Pro Joe and Smurfette make that "Oh yeah, I only ride PART TIME...I'm not REALLY training". Since this seems to be both of their mantra's I would say they both must be doing something right as they both pedaled away to convincing victories! That's it. More candy and couch time. Less pedal time!
Alex, Chris and Travis all competed in the large 35+ class. This year they went with big "cccx style" classes, whereas last year it was more of the "standard" 5 year age group classes. Despite the big groups Alex bested his time from last year by quite a bit and other than a few crashes (Come on we are talking about ALEX here!) rode a VERY strong race. I would say his "worlds" training is on schedule.
Chris paced me off the start and I was able to sneak away during the race and eventually catch up to Travis who had a strong start, nice work! I put down a typical "Butler Redneck Dirt Bike Cheater Line" pass on him in the woods and was pretty pumped that I still remember how to get through the trees. At the finish Chris and Travis both pedaled in strong but I think Travis is looking for a bit more "cush" in his future!
Brett and I did our typical "slow" starts and while Brett rode to a similar time as last year, I was a bit worried about conquering the 3 laps required of the experts. With the heat (Dontcha just love Monterey Fog for training...) I was a tad cautious, but by the end I had definitely achieved my goal of going molecular. I don't think there is a cell in my body that didn't get punished today.
Big congrats to my NorCalPal, Clint Claussen. He won like his 100th race in a row! Ok, not really, but the guy is riding great and he was battling for the overall placings today. Nice job!
Ok, candy and movie time! Hopefully, more pictures to come later in the week!
Bri finished her first sport race...and it was a toughie! Temps in the high 80's to low 90's and a course of 20+ miles for her was waiting and she was a bit fearful of some pre-race demons over some of her past experiences here. NO PROBLEM! She paced herself off the start and rode a smart and consistent race to finish what was a very challenging event. Much better than her other 2 events here!
The team also had some success in the old man's class and the women's expert class, which just adds more evidence to the argument that Pro Joe and Smurfette make that "Oh yeah, I only ride PART TIME...I'm not REALLY training". Since this seems to be both of their mantra's I would say they both must be doing something right as they both pedaled away to convincing victories! That's it. More candy and couch time. Less pedal time!
Alex, Chris and Travis all competed in the large 35+ class. This year they went with big "cccx style" classes, whereas last year it was more of the "standard" 5 year age group classes. Despite the big groups Alex bested his time from last year by quite a bit and other than a few crashes (Come on we are talking about ALEX here!) rode a VERY strong race. I would say his "worlds" training is on schedule.
Chris paced me off the start and I was able to sneak away during the race and eventually catch up to Travis who had a strong start, nice work! I put down a typical "Butler Redneck Dirt Bike Cheater Line" pass on him in the woods and was pretty pumped that I still remember how to get through the trees. At the finish Chris and Travis both pedaled in strong but I think Travis is looking for a bit more "cush" in his future!
Brett and I did our typical "slow" starts and while Brett rode to a similar time as last year, I was a bit worried about conquering the 3 laps required of the experts. With the heat (Dontcha just love Monterey Fog for training...) I was a tad cautious, but by the end I had definitely achieved my goal of going molecular. I don't think there is a cell in my body that didn't get punished today.
Big congrats to my NorCalPal, Clint Claussen. He won like his 100th race in a row! Ok, not really, but the guy is riding great and he was battling for the overall placings today. Nice job!
Ok, candy and movie time! Hopefully, more pictures to come later in the week!
Monday, August 3, 2009
Santa Cruzin'
Last weekend we were trying to figure out a good place to go and practice riding in a bit of heat (Monterey has been moderately warm at best) and on trails similar to what we would find in Angwin next weekend for the Howell Mountain Challenge. Hmmm, Santa Cruz? Perfect!
We picked up Chris M. and headed towards Nicene to meet up with the Miracle Racing Crew of Stacy and Cyndie who were ready for some fun, technical trails! But, this is Nicene and you've gotta earn the burn here, so we pointed upward and headed onward!
Out of camp the girls were WAAAAY too fast to keep up with as Chris and I pedaled our big rings violently in vain. Fortunately, their initial assault was reconciled with the knowledge that hurting our fragile male egos was not proper trail etiquette and they sat up. When we caught up to them Bri tried to take me out on at least 17 different occasions over the course of 200 yards! FEISTY!
From there it becomes somewhat hazy, but according to eye-witness accounts it went down like this:
Chris and Brian had a hoot! There were some sweet passes, some irritated users (Ha! Take that suckers! We will ruin you if you get in our way!...hmmm, anger management) and generally a great trail ride for us.
The girls topped the climb just in time for a romantic meeting with Cyndie's Hubby and I left a sweet 8 foot dirt heart in the trail, but Bri missed it as I didn't draw it in the shade. Oh well, next time I will think before I create sweet trail art...
I understand that the girls had an adventurous decent with many a tree aiding in stopping out of control vehicles when the brakes simply didn't posses the adequate juice. Bri had a sweet line through the tree's that worked just find about 1 month ago but newly downed trees and bushes brought her to an immediate halt with puncture wounds to the finger as Stacy and Cyndie quickly learned "hey, girls, just follow me" might not be what its cracked up to be!
After a few more encounters with immovable objects (really, PLEASE try to avoid tree's in the future!!!) they made it safely down to the bottom...and just like the conclusion of every great ready, they were READY TO EAT!
Bri had to wait for the "slow boys" but I had been fantasizing about burritos filled with cheeseburgers and smothered in nachos and fries for the better part of 2 hours! Needless to say we found food and consumed a proper post ride meal of 10,000 calories!
Now if we can avoid hitting tree's, stay hydrated, and pedal hard we should be ready for the Howell Mountain!
We picked up Chris M. and headed towards Nicene to meet up with the Miracle Racing Crew of Stacy and Cyndie who were ready for some fun, technical trails! But, this is Nicene and you've gotta earn the burn here, so we pointed upward and headed onward!
Out of camp the girls were WAAAAY too fast to keep up with as Chris and I pedaled our big rings violently in vain. Fortunately, their initial assault was reconciled with the knowledge that hurting our fragile male egos was not proper trail etiquette and they sat up. When we caught up to them Bri tried to take me out on at least 17 different occasions over the course of 200 yards! FEISTY!
From there it becomes somewhat hazy, but according to eye-witness accounts it went down like this:
Chris and Brian had a hoot! There were some sweet passes, some irritated users (Ha! Take that suckers! We will ruin you if you get in our way!...hmmm, anger management) and generally a great trail ride for us.
The girls topped the climb just in time for a romantic meeting with Cyndie's Hubby and I left a sweet 8 foot dirt heart in the trail, but Bri missed it as I didn't draw it in the shade. Oh well, next time I will think before I create sweet trail art...
I understand that the girls had an adventurous decent with many a tree aiding in stopping out of control vehicles when the brakes simply didn't posses the adequate juice. Bri had a sweet line through the tree's that worked just find about 1 month ago but newly downed trees and bushes brought her to an immediate halt with puncture wounds to the finger as Stacy and Cyndie quickly learned "hey, girls, just follow me" might not be what its cracked up to be!
After a few more encounters with immovable objects (really, PLEASE try to avoid tree's in the future!!!) they made it safely down to the bottom...and just like the conclusion of every great ready, they were READY TO EAT!
Bri had to wait for the "slow boys" but I had been fantasizing about burritos filled with cheeseburgers and smothered in nachos and fries for the better part of 2 hours! Needless to say we found food and consumed a proper post ride meal of 10,000 calories!
Now if we can avoid hitting tree's, stay hydrated, and pedal hard we should be ready for the Howell Mountain!
Friday, July 31, 2009
NorCal MTB Series
In Real Estate, one of the aspects of my job that I really enjoy is researching things. I have certainly earned the reputation as an "over-analyser" on more than one occasion in my lifetime. Along those lines I was reviewing all of the series results for the http://www.teambigfoot.net/ Northern California Mountain Bike Series and made an interesting observation... WE ARE KILLING IT!!!
Check this poop out:
Class Leaders:
Pro Women: Shelly Monroe - 1st Place
Class Leaders:
Pro Women: Shelly Monroe - 1st Place
Pro Men: Aaron Bradford - 1st Place
Expert Men: Brian Butler - 1st Place
Sport Men: Brett Butler - 1st Place
Beginner Women: Brianne Spiersch - 1st Place
Beginner Women: Brianne Spiersch - 1st Place
Holy Crap, that seems pretty good! But, much like a late night info-mercial -
THAT'S NOT ALL!!!
Podium Contenders:
Pro Men: Greg Heinz - 3rd Place
Pro Men: Greg Heinz - 3rd Place
Expert Men 35+: Mark Faulkner 3rd Place, Travis Sludder 4th Place
Sport Men 35+: Steve Kelley 3rd Place
Sport Men 45+: Wild Bill Clevenger 8th Place
Sport Men 35+: Steve Kelley 3rd Place
Sport Men 45+: Wild Bill Clevenger 8th Place
With 3 great races left in the series Joselyn's and the other local boys have a chance to really dominate in TWO SEPARATE MTB series' this year. Pretty impressive.
The last few races include:
Howell Mountain Challenge - Next weekend, SWEET SINGLE TRACK!
Whiskeytown Classic - Next month, killer, challenging trails
Howell Mountain Challenge - Next weekend, SWEET SINGLE TRACK!
Whiskeytown Classic - Next month, killer, challenging trails
Weaverville Final - Mandatory for series results, GREAT EVENT!
Check the website, mark your calendars and hope to see you there!
You can't miss me...
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
My Other Passion...
Most people think of dirt bike racing and think of Supercross, Motocross or X-games freestyle goons that they have seen on TV. That is all fine and dandy, but what I really love is conquiring terrain (hmmm, not much different from how I ride on pedals eh?) in places so remote that no eco-extremo has ever taken the time to hike there.EnduroCross bring the logs, river crossings, and gnarly rocks from the far reaches of the outdoors into a tight-knit stadium environment which creates a spectacle of amazing riding, carnage, and great racing! I am pretty sure we need to build one of these tracks in the backyard, too!
Check out the sweet video here.
PS: To "freestyle goons" and "eco-extremos" who may be offended...don't come back. Not because I don't care for the environment or because I don't consider myself a freesytle goon when performing sweet 1-footers on my bed, but because if you can't handle some humor, then maybe you belong here...
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
24 Hour Solo Champ - AGAIN!
This just in from the North, where the trails are tight and demanding and the riders are skilled, tough and even more relentless than the singletrack!
"3 Pete, Jeff Linder, wins World 24 Hours of Adrenalin Solo World MTB Championships for the 3rd time in Canmore, Canada!"
When asked if he would be defending the title in 2010 his reply was:
"What! Are you out of your friggin mind!?!?!?"
"What! Are you out of your friggin mind!?!?!?"
I am pretty sure that translates into:
Don't even think about bringing the heat, because I will pedal circles around any suckers who show up trying to be beat me!
Don't even think about bringing the heat, because I will pedal circles around any suckers who show up trying to be beat me!
Jeff is a CCCX Series Champ, 24 Hour Solo Champ and the year still has a lot of racing left!
JEFF LINDER IS THE MAN!
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Great Weekend!
Wow, 1 weekend after Colorado and we are getting settled back into things and caught up on all that "stuff" that was put on hold for a week...even if Bri says my paperwork piles spread across the living room floor are messy, I like to think of it as "organized" confusion...
We were fortunate enough to have Bri's little sister and friend come down to hang out and I didn't realize that teenagers could be such angels! Fully cooked gourmet dinners, dishes washed, cleaned kitchen...is this a sign that kids aren't the devil off-spring that I always preach they are? Maybe I shouldn't threaten them that if they don't cater to us hand and foot then we will make them sleep outside and become mountain lion food! Good times girls!
Sunday was super fun as we attended an annual party at our new friends house in Capitola that coincides with the wharf-to-wharf run. Over 4th of July weekend we were riding the epic "Hole in the Ground" trail when we ran into Dick who had lost touch with his wife and son while riding and had decided to embark on his own epic ride of 4+ hours! When he rode up to us I immediately commandeered his brand new 29er Stumpjumper in exchange for my cell phone (I thought it was a fair trade!). Anyhow, long story short, Dick still had plenty of strength left to ride out on the proper trail and we all had a great time finishing up the ride and getting him back to his relieved wife and son.
Fast forward a few weeks and we were enjoying a DELICIOUS breakfast complete with fruit, eggs and home cooked pizza...YUM! Not only great food, but an incredibly cool house, very nice friends and more good times had by all. Thanks for the great day and we are looking forward to some riding in August guys!
The rest of the afternoon was spent in the Bat Cave working on the Red Rocket. 4 hours later I had changed tires, cleaned the drive train, greased the bottom bracket, installed new brake cable and housing and topped it all off with fresh bar tape. I would say 4 hours every 4 years is definitely a fair exchange of fun/maintenance factor! Now she is ready to RIP!
I didn't get out on the Moto like I wanted this weekend, but I am certain that it will happen soon!
I didn't get out on the Moto like I wanted this weekend, but I am certain that it will happen soon!
If you are ever in BFE Utah, don't miss the DINOSAUR MUSEUM!!! MORE GOOD TIMES!
Brian is real good at sneaking up on those herbivores!
Sometimes Brett spouts big horns like his long lost cousin!
Bri is teaching T-Rex some tricks of the trade!
Friday, July 24, 2009
Few National Pics...
The Gang lookin' all beefcake and ready to RIP! From Left:
Aaron "The Champ" Bradford,
Shelly "I don't train, I just Podium BIG EVENTS" Monroe,
Brian "IF there was any air to suck, then I would" Butler,
Bri "Yeah, 2 races, 2 podiums, no biggie" Spiersch,
Timmie "I'm just takin' Gramma for a walk today" C.,
Brett "Did you see Todd Wells' throw his bike?!!" Butler
Brett finishes up after his laps around the brutal, full national calibure XC Course
Bri in her standard post-race hangout: THE PODIUM!
Brian trying to rub some speed off of AC's shoulder. We are gonna trade moto for bike tips...
3 FAST WOMEN! Between them, I think they had like 5 or 6 podiums!
Going ABOVE AND BEYOND - Just one of the few benefits of having Todd for a hubby...
Mr. and Mrs. Man/Woman Friend. Nice jersey, eh? Those are reserved for THE BEST!
Monterey, after 10+ hours of driving and not looking the worse for wear...
Aaron "The Champ" Bradford,
Shelly "I don't train, I just Podium BIG EVENTS" Monroe,
Brian "IF there was any air to suck, then I would" Butler,
Bri "Yeah, 2 races, 2 podiums, no biggie" Spiersch,
Timmie "I'm just takin' Gramma for a walk today" C.,
Brett "Did you see Todd Wells' throw his bike?!!" Butler
Brett finishes up after his laps around the brutal, full national calibure XC Course
Bri in her standard post-race hangout: THE PODIUM!
Brian trying to rub some speed off of AC's shoulder. We are gonna trade moto for bike tips...
3 FAST WOMEN! Between them, I think they had like 5 or 6 podiums!
Going ABOVE AND BEYOND - Just one of the few benefits of having Todd for a hubby...
Mr. and Mrs. Man/Woman Friend. Nice jersey, eh? Those are reserved for THE BEST!
Monterey, after 10+ hours of driving and not looking the worse for wear...
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
National Championships - Summary
Ok, so the exhaustion is starting to subside, but it is certainly still on the radar, so in summary here are a few tid bit's from National Championship's...
The Hardware goes to the girls!
Bri got 2nd place in Friday's XC and not only that, she turned in the 3rd fastest beginner women XC time of the day! Nice! While I am not personally pushing the class bump, I think she is considering doing it on her own. Either way, it will happen soon enough and she is flying...which would explain her SECOND medal of the weekend!
Yup, she entered her very first ever Super D (why not do it right at Nationals!) and she pedaled to another podium with a solid second place finish among a bunch of women from higher division classes. YES!
Not only that, but Smurfette continued her strong string of top calibure finishes by nailing another podium with a solid 3rd place at Nationals! Like Bri, she followed that up with a strong Super D performance in her first try as well. In fact, if not for getting cut off on the start, I think she would have gotten her second podium as well.
As for the local boys' John Pattullo pulled off a Super D podium after getting a good start and making a solid pass on the "half-way down climb" to finish a very impressive second! Nice work John!
Probably one of the most spectacular stories of the weekend had to come from "local" boy Aaron Bradford who pulled off a major upset in the Men's Pro Final Super D, dethroning the 5 time (straight!) champion: Adam Craig. Check out this video to see how his quick feet, sweet bike grab and aggressive start aided his decent of the race and the ascent of the podium! Not only a great start, but a smart pass on a course where passing was risky to dangerous at best shows why Aaron has not just the skills, but also the smarts and mental ability to get the job done.
Driving home with 3 podium medals between Bri and Shelly and a National Champion jersey with Aaron, it seems things worked out pretty good for our little group from Monterey.
Everything else at this point is a bit fuzzy and bedtime is all I can think about, so more to follow soon....
The Hardware goes to the girls!
Bri got 2nd place in Friday's XC and not only that, she turned in the 3rd fastest beginner women XC time of the day! Nice! While I am not personally pushing the class bump, I think she is considering doing it on her own. Either way, it will happen soon enough and she is flying...which would explain her SECOND medal of the weekend!
Yup, she entered her very first ever Super D (why not do it right at Nationals!) and she pedaled to another podium with a solid second place finish among a bunch of women from higher division classes. YES!
Not only that, but Smurfette continued her strong string of top calibure finishes by nailing another podium with a solid 3rd place at Nationals! Like Bri, she followed that up with a strong Super D performance in her first try as well. In fact, if not for getting cut off on the start, I think she would have gotten her second podium as well.
As for the local boys' John Pattullo pulled off a Super D podium after getting a good start and making a solid pass on the "half-way down climb" to finish a very impressive second! Nice work John!
Probably one of the most spectacular stories of the weekend had to come from "local" boy Aaron Bradford who pulled off a major upset in the Men's Pro Final Super D, dethroning the 5 time (straight!) champion: Adam Craig. Check out this video to see how his quick feet, sweet bike grab and aggressive start aided his decent of the race and the ascent of the podium! Not only a great start, but a smart pass on a course where passing was risky to dangerous at best shows why Aaron has not just the skills, but also the smarts and mental ability to get the job done.
Driving home with 3 podium medals between Bri and Shelly and a National Champion jersey with Aaron, it seems things worked out pretty good for our little group from Monterey.
Everything else at this point is a bit fuzzy and bedtime is all I can think about, so more to follow soon....
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Top Secret!
We are getting packed up for Colorado and the bikes all seem to be working great. Especially, the new TOP SECRET modification to the Anthem XO seems to be coming along nicely...
On the Downieville front, Travis reported back that he busted a sub 2:35 time after a blistering climb and a few spills on the decent. He claimed he saw a rock or two out there. Hmmm, I don't remember that very well, but apparently he accidently clipped both to them. Fortunately no harm no foul and he railed to a very solid time! Great Job Travis!
No word from Shelly or Aaron yet...can't wait to hear though!
No word from Shelly or Aaron yet...can't wait to hear though!
Monday, July 6, 2009
Pinch Me,
I must be dreaming! We just got back from what was probably one of the most fun weekends that I have had. Ever. More miles of technical single track than my bike has ever had the pleasure of shredding and I would like to say fewer crashes than I have ever had on the jet ski at the lake, but that would just be an outright lie...
Friday started out in Sierra City, looking up at the daunting 5 mile climb that starts the Downieville XC race. Brett and I headed up the climb and I instantly remembered why this race can beat you down. Heat, Steep, and loose. The climb is a challenge. Whenever I felt like it was tough, I just thought that Ross Schnell and Mark Weir pedal 6" bikes up this hill with speed I normally reserve for flat sections...Fortunately, we met up with Bri and her dad as well as our dad at Parker Saddle for the FUN PART! The next 17 miles were met with smiles, skids, and more than enough near scares (and perhaps even a few crashes) to last for a long time. Bri and Brett handled it all in stride. The "dads" both thought it was the most technical riding they have ever done. Other than the aforementioned scratches, everyone made it through unscathed and stoked at completing the infamous ride!
Saturday was the 4th and the Spiersch household was headed for their "Second Home" - Pyramid Lake, which is a huge oasis of water, beach front and aquatic fun north of Reno lying in an unsuspecting desert valley. Boats, knee boarding, and jet ski's were on the menu and they did not disappoint! Bri was on the knee board doing all sorts of tricks and helping everyone else to have fun behind the boat.
While Bri literally takes like a fish to water, I am more of a dry-lander. While she was on the lake I sat on the beach...a silent showdown occurring before me and my arch Nemesis - 'ol Mister Jet Ski...floating in the water innocent, taunting me with it's "right side up" floating capabilities, nearly speaking to me "Brian, you can ride me. You can trust me. I won't fling you off like a wild rodeo bull. Trust me..."
Sucker that I am, I took the bait. In an instant I was screaming across the lake fighting for balance and realizing the torment I put my poor dad through the day before in the steep, off camber rock infested trails of Downieville! As I fought for control, I found myself in a familiar place...crashing... with arms and legs flailing as I sprinted for the finish line, rolled up the windows, and kart wheeled through the air in one NON-fluid, spastic motion! SPLASH! "$@***!!! Jet Ski!!! Liar Liar Liar! I should have never listened to you!" Unfortunately, I was too far out into the lake to avoid my foe, for I needed his help to make it back to shore. Like your annoying co-dependent friend that always ends up back in the arms of "that loser boyfriend" I was once again up on Mr. Ski...and once again crashing to my doom. It carried on like this for quite a while because believe it or not, I actually loved every minute of it and can't wait to go back and crash some more! I know, us "co-dependents" have issues...
Sunday capped off the perfect weekend with me, Bri, her dad and friend Matt heading out to the storied "Hole in the Ground" trail and it couldn't have been more fun! Easily, one of the coolest rides I have EVER had the pleasure of completing and despite being somewhat hard to follow, I suggest if you ever have the opportunity to ride it, take advantage and do so! There is beautiful scenery, more rocks, twists, turns, and fun than any trail I can think of. Incredible!
More specifics to follow on this ride later this week. At this point, I'm exhausted and it's time to go dream about the incredible escapades of days gone by...
Friday started out in Sierra City, looking up at the daunting 5 mile climb that starts the Downieville XC race. Brett and I headed up the climb and I instantly remembered why this race can beat you down. Heat, Steep, and loose. The climb is a challenge. Whenever I felt like it was tough, I just thought that Ross Schnell and Mark Weir pedal 6" bikes up this hill with speed I normally reserve for flat sections...Fortunately, we met up with Bri and her dad as well as our dad at Parker Saddle for the FUN PART! The next 17 miles were met with smiles, skids, and more than enough near scares (and perhaps even a few crashes) to last for a long time. Bri and Brett handled it all in stride. The "dads" both thought it was the most technical riding they have ever done. Other than the aforementioned scratches, everyone made it through unscathed and stoked at completing the infamous ride!
Saturday was the 4th and the Spiersch household was headed for their "Second Home" - Pyramid Lake, which is a huge oasis of water, beach front and aquatic fun north of Reno lying in an unsuspecting desert valley. Boats, knee boarding, and jet ski's were on the menu and they did not disappoint! Bri was on the knee board doing all sorts of tricks and helping everyone else to have fun behind the boat.
While Bri literally takes like a fish to water, I am more of a dry-lander. While she was on the lake I sat on the beach...a silent showdown occurring before me and my arch Nemesis - 'ol Mister Jet Ski...floating in the water innocent, taunting me with it's "right side up" floating capabilities, nearly speaking to me "Brian, you can ride me. You can trust me. I won't fling you off like a wild rodeo bull. Trust me..."
Sucker that I am, I took the bait. In an instant I was screaming across the lake fighting for balance and realizing the torment I put my poor dad through the day before in the steep, off camber rock infested trails of Downieville! As I fought for control, I found myself in a familiar place...crashing... with arms and legs flailing as I sprinted for the finish line, rolled up the windows, and kart wheeled through the air in one NON-fluid, spastic motion! SPLASH! "$@***!!! Jet Ski!!! Liar Liar Liar! I should have never listened to you!" Unfortunately, I was too far out into the lake to avoid my foe, for I needed his help to make it back to shore. Like your annoying co-dependent friend that always ends up back in the arms of "that loser boyfriend" I was once again up on Mr. Ski...and once again crashing to my doom. It carried on like this for quite a while because believe it or not, I actually loved every minute of it and can't wait to go back and crash some more! I know, us "co-dependents" have issues...
Sunday capped off the perfect weekend with me, Bri, her dad and friend Matt heading out to the storied "Hole in the Ground" trail and it couldn't have been more fun! Easily, one of the coolest rides I have EVER had the pleasure of completing and despite being somewhat hard to follow, I suggest if you ever have the opportunity to ride it, take advantage and do so! There is beautiful scenery, more rocks, twists, turns, and fun than any trail I can think of. Incredible!
More specifics to follow on this ride later this week. At this point, I'm exhausted and it's time to go dream about the incredible escapades of days gone by...
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
CCCX Final Recap
Wow, can you believe it's been 3 days since the final CCCX cross country of 2009? Time sure does fly when you are "lost in space" due to the lingering effects of a direct judo chop to the hard terrafirma of Fort Ord with your head...or more specifically your face. I haven't ridden back out to the crash test dummy site yet, but I am pretty sure there is a facsimile of a squirrelly looking dude's face that strangely resembles my own firmly planted on the dirt surface...That being the case and knowing ahead of time that I am "going by memory" (which Bri has pointed out several times this week to be shaky at best) please forgive any errors, inconsistencies or omissions as I am still not operating on all cylinders yet...you are right, I NEVER really was, but now it's even worse.As usual Bri got things off to a roaring start in the morning race. From the line she pretty much pedaled to the front of the pack and had the rest of the girls against the ropes. A few of the Jr. girls managed to keep in contact for the first lap, but in the end she was able to ride away to another decisive victory. I overheard some of the girls at the podium "It's like she is a train! She just keeps going THAT speed!" ha! Of course the win clinched the first "title" of the day for the "Worlds Best Beginner" :)
Next up was the afternoon sport race and with it, the "Single Bottle Brigade" composed of Steve Kelley and Brett Butler were out on the course. I go through more water on the FIRST LAP than these two guys put down in a full race...combined! Oh well, looks like it might be a secret to their success as they both finished the series out on the Podium with solid 3rd place finishes. Brett even finished 5th in his race...one of his best finishes! Also up in the afternoon race was Bill Clevenger who had to fight tooth and nail for his positions in what was a very 45-55 class, but he managed to hang tough and gut out a podium finish in the series as well. Nice job Bill!
As we headed into the afternoon's main expert event it should be noted that James had been on hand pretty much all day and despite not being able to race due to work obligations, he was long on helping everyone along...especially with encouraging words, my personal favorite along the lines of..."Come on! You can pedal harder than that! Heck my daughter could pedal harder than that!"
The afternoon race got under way with the addition of a "BONUS" lap...wooo hoooo, now that's what a cheap bastard like me is talking about! On a dollar per lap fun factor, I just went from $7 bucks a lap to $6...yeah baby, now we can afford to buy that new yacht and sail the globe! Or maybe it just meant a tad bit more pain and suffering. Either way, the event ended up being one of the longer of the series and provided ample opportunity to see what everyone had you could have a short coming and still make up time.
And speaking of what everyone had, it looked like John Pattullo was on a mission! He went by me so fast that I thought the prologue to the Tour de France had started early and in Fort Ord!Man! I tried to get on his wheel, but quickly realized that capacity of riding was beyond my abilities for the day. Apparently, it was beyond everyone else's, too as it looks like he set the fastest time of the day aboard his "big wheels keep on turnin" 29er.
In the end, Joselyn's collected 5 more podium finishes with Shelly doing great in the races she completed to earn a 2nd place finish in the Women's class and a pretty domineering showing in the 35+ class with Alex on top, flanked by Mark in 2nd place. Those guys were battling for top spot all year long!
After focusing on the series, Greg was rewarded as the Top Pro finisher and got the "top step" monkey off his back after a few years of being denied. Way to do it though...in the Pro class and all!
As for myself, I managed to gather just enough wits and composure about myself to realize after my crash that I HAD TO WIN in order to keep this train going since I missed too many other events. Not sure exactly how that happened, but I managed to put in another decent ride and end up finishing Top 'o the Box as well.
Just counting end of year podiums, it could be said that Joselyn's certainly dominated the series, but there is also the efforts of several other riders who were out there working on themselves race in and race out. Travis stepped up to the expert class and found out that he is tough enough to hang with them. I am confident he could have done great in the Sport class, but he was up for the challenge and he took it to them every race. Nathan also kept his head down and consistently rode his own race...often times sprinting off ahead of the pack on the start!
In the end, that which doesn't kill you only serves to make you stronger...or some philosophical mumbo jumbo like that. And for those of you that didn't get your fill...never fear, there are still plenty of GREAT RACES left to test yourself at this year! See you out there, ready for the next test!
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Ramblings and Thoughts...
Wow, what a busy week in the world of real estate! I think I've experienced more work-related emotional "highs" and "lows" this week, than the course profile for a gnarly "beyond category" TdF Mountain Stage! Fortunately, at the end of the day, my pedals are waiting, ready to purge my angst and refuel my mind with the things that really are important in life...namely, good times with your friends and family and maybe, just maybe a good bit of lactic acid burn in your legs to remind yourself that you really are ALIVE!
Other than that, I finally got my Giant back together and I've got to say that if you need some high quality replacement bearings or seals for your rig, then you need to contact the guys at Enduro Bearing/ Seal. They have great products that will make your bike work better! Bearings for the squeaks, seals for the leaks, and ceramic bearings for the peaks! Or some other lame rhyming phrase of parts and benefits...regardless of my stupidity, GOOD STUFF!
Other juicy tid bits include...
Riding with Nathan! If you haven't ridden with Nathan before and you need a great riding partner for the day, definitely invite the guy on a ride. We took him to Santa Cruz last weekend and he shredded the place! Great trail pace, good skills and no whining! With he and Aaron, I think we pretty much hit all the good stuff...and made it look goooood!...well at least Aaron did!
Last CCCX race is this weekend and if you want to be counted, best to show up! I am hoping for the BEST COURSE OF THE YEAR! My logic is that if you leave everyone with a "great" last round, they will comeback for more! So, here's to hoping for a mostly downhill and dangerous course! ha! I know, I have issues....
Remember, RIDE IT LIKE YOU STOLE IT!
Ok, better get back to the business that pays the bills...See you all Sunday!
Ok, better get back to the business that pays the bills...See you all Sunday! Friday, June 19, 2009
First Road Race!
Once a month Laguna Seca Raceway has been opening up the track to the true fury of racing speed, grace, and beauty -- PEDAL BIKES! While I was out suffering away on my mountain bike, Bri and Shelly cruised over to take a looksie and check out the action. After flopping down their $10 bucks, they were not only allowed to ride the track, but by-golly they were legitimate "racers" and would be vying for all of the fame, money and notoriety that go hand in hand with racing at Laguna Seca!
Turns out the racing goes for 7 laps, which is about 6 more laps than anyone really wants to do when you have to climb up to the top of the cork-screw over and over and over again! Bri thought she would make 3 laps, but after hooking up with Henrietta she found a "battle buddy" and the two of them fought tooth and nail (err, rode nicely together?) not even realizing the laps were winding down until they realized it was the last corner!
Apparently, Henrietta had been reading our blog and came up with a "translation" (see below a few posts) of her own that went like this:
Words: "Bri, I'm too tired, I'm just going to ride up the hill to the finish"
Words: "Bri, I'm too tired, I'm just going to ride up the hill to the finish"
To which Bri took as fuel to begin sprinting towards the finish line not realizing her secret decoder ring had failed to break the message that ACTUALLY MEANS:
DECODE: "Bri, it's been fun riding with you, but now I am going to play weak for a split second to get in your draft and then attack you to the death before laying down a sprint that will produce wattage numbers that even PG&E would be proud of as I pummel you into the unsuspecting pavement!" Basically, this translates loosely into just short of "Die!"
To Bri's credit she did end up putting in 7 laps around a very challenging course and in the process beat most of the other girls in what turned out to be her first road race. Not only that, but she managed to stave off the attack of her "bestie" (aka: Shelly "The Mountain Bike Climb Killer" Monroe) and keep from getting lapped.
Apparently, Bri and Shelly were going to ride "together"...again translation: "as soon as the flag drops, it's each female dog for themselves!" Shelly was gone passing all of the guys and Bri was determined to put in her best effort to stay with her. In the end Shelly smoked most of the field and Bri ended up finishing on the same lap. All's well that ends well. And this just ended.
Podium Girls!
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
This sucks...
Wow, I'll bet our 3 faithful readers are tired of reading about squirrel guts! Sorry guys, we actually were fortunate enough to sell 2 houses, so it's been quite busy coordinating all of the escrow work and getting to a successful closing, but so far 1 down and 1 to go, so things are looking up!
Other than that, let's see how many random topics I can cover in the next 90 seconds of typing before I have to leave to show property...
Looks like our favorite Pro Girl Krista (see the link over on the right side) put in another solid ride at the Teva games. Nice! If you haven't checked out her blog, you should do so.
I was pretty pumped to see Max Plaxton win the ProXCT race last weekend. Not because I am a huge fan of Max (don't really know the guy) BUT, I AM A FAN of BAD ASS RACING! And it sounds to me like the "canadian pass" (I call those lines the "A LINE!") he put on JHK is the type of stuff that get's a redneck dirt bike racer all hot and bothered! Imagine a mountain bike race won by SKILL!!!??? Holy crap, who would have guessed...
Not only that but our own local(?) Aaron Bradford made the trek out to Colorado and in a pack of 100ish Pro riders he put in a solid 30th place finish. Wow. That is just ANOTHER top finish for Aaron at the big races. That's just plain cool.
On the local note, me, Bri and Shelly made it up to Reno for some fun MTB riding at a little bit of elevation over the weekend and we were fortunate enough to find a sweet new EPIC ride loop! The 3 hour ride started in rain, got into mud so thick that it stopped our tires from turning (I NEVER thought that was possible, even though I had heard about it. Believe me, IT IS!) and just when the sun was brightest and the views were most scenic I stuck a 4" nail through my tire! The best part is that was only the beginning of the fun! As we pedaled past minute 161 the skies let loose with a torrent of rain and hail like NOTHING I HAVE EVER SEEN!
We are talking SOAKED TO THE BONE and FROZEN colder than Nancy Pelosi's heart! INSTANTLY! It was SO COLD! Fortunately, the ride home turned out to be uphill...I've never been so happy to pedal uphill to build some core temperature! We made it home still shaking and shivering from being cold and it took about 30m of hot, steaming shower before feeling normal again. Ahhhh, good times can always be counted on as long as you have your mountain bike!
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