Hitler angry over the state of 29ers in the World Cup

Check it out. Great video.

2009 SSWC - Singlespeed World Championships

SSWC09 BLOG


Durango, Colorado. What a fun looking event. Next time it's held in the US I am so doing this event. For 2010 it's official... New Zealand.
Singletrack.com article.

Michigan native Kelli Emmit. She can pull me over any time.

Michigan rider burning up the NUE Series

Michigan rider Christian Tanguy (Fraser Bikes) has just completed a stellar 2009 season in the NUE series. I've watched Christian over the years battle it out with Michigan rider Michael Simonson (Gary Fisher 29er Crew)in many of the local events. At first glance Christian does not fit the usual mold of the stereotypical FFG. His quiet, unassuming demeanor is kinda' stealthy. Here is a link to an article about Christian featured in Cyclingnews.
LINK

MICHIGAN DOUBLE CROSS 2009

Although I didn't make it out to the Waterford Hills Raceway for the Michigan Double cross weekend, this CX season kick-off event still looks like a fantastic weekend of racing.
Difficult corner:

Here's a short video of Sunday's race from Matt.

2009 Ithaca Grand Prix

It's official. I have finally registered for a Cyclocross event. This gig looks like a great place to start. Check out the event BLOG. It looks like a well stocked swag free-for-all!

2009 Addison Oaks Fall Classic XC

2009 Addison Oaks Fall Classic Chapter Benefit Race. As I approached the weekend I had not planned to do this race. As fate would have it my weekend plans took me to the in-laws house which is close to Addison Oaks County Park so I decided to jump on in. Addison is always a fun event and it was great to see all my mountain bike brethren. This was my first time on the mountain bike since June and the Lumberjack 100. As we lined up I saw several riders in my class who in the past, have consistently had little difficulty in handing me my ass. Like usual, the start was fast and I was mid-pack sitting in 5th or 6th. As we hit the singletrack it was business as usual as I stared at the wheel in front of me trying to make sure I wasn't too far in the red. I found myself on the wheel of Will Botens (RBS) who was in the hunt for the MMBA CPS. The pace was fast, but doable and we proceeded to pull in DJ Jurvalin (CycleFit) and pass him at the end of lap 1. At the beginning of lap 3, I passed Will and saw Matt Daly (Team Hasbin) only a short distance away. I caught up to him and we rode together for the next two laps. In the beginning Matt was very chatty but soon stopped talking and grew tired of me hanging on his wheel. He kept accelerating on the last lap to try and get a gap on me but I found I was able to keep it tight. Amazing, this never happens to me. I knew as long as I hung with him coming up to the grass finish I would use him to lead me out. I went around him near the finish and he had nothing left. Awesome. It turns out another rider finished in first about 3 minutes ahead of me but I was happy with my ride. I felt strong right up to the end and made few mistakes. As a footnote, Matt Daly and DJ Jurvalin have been battling it out here in Michigan for over 20 years for the top spot. I have a lot of respect for these riders and any day I can beat these dudes is a good day.




RESULTS:

CYCLOCROSS SEASON IS ON!

I have been telling myself I would try it for 2 years now. Heck, I have no reason not to. The road season has wrapped up and now we wait for Iceman on November 7. Time to suck it up and give it a go. There are basically 2 series going on the state of Michigan. The West side series around Grand Rapids and the East side series all around the SE corner of the state. Looks like a ton of events to float my boat.
East side schedule:
West side schedule:
More later...

Life is Good!

For a healthy dose of optimism these Life is good products have you covered.

2009 Leadville 100 video teaser

Although the hype is a bit much I must say this looks like a fantastic event to take part in. I used to live Minturn about 20 miles North of Leadville and it's great to see the town put back on the map. I recall driving up there for lunch at The Grill for some of the finest enchiladas. I do have to say, the EPIC SOUNDTRACK in the video is way over the top. Great race, great vibe.

Trophee' des Grimpeurs - September 5, 2009

Next up, the un-official Michigan Hill Climbers Championships being held this Saturday at Kensington Metro Park near Milford, Michigan. I like Kensington and the rolling terrain should be a welcome change from the last few criteriums I have sucked so bad at. I like to think of myself as a fairly good climber but I'm not feeling very confident at this time. It's all about the experience. Right? More later...

UPDATE: I had a much better racing experience this time. My warm up was on a trainer in the shade of the parking lot. I was able to hang with the pack for at least four of the seven laps before I got dropped on a climb. I was able to reel in a few stragglers and finished 22nd out of 35ish. I still have a long way to go before I can start to feel comfortable in these events but getting my ass kicked feels OK for now.

RESULTS:

Registration:

Race Flyer: