Wintry Weather

You see, I'm kind of on this training plan.  The recent weather we've had up here in the big rocky outcroppings known as the Rockies (yeah - subtle name) hasn't exactly been conducive to this training plan.  This past week has been freekin' cold.  Not just "uncomfortable to be outside" cold - nope, it's been "don't touch anything metal, don't have parts of your body uncovered" cold.  On my way to Glenwood Springs last Friday, I took a snapshot of my car's temperature gauge of the outside chilliness.  This type of scene was pretty typical every morning last week:

Yup, -15F.  That, my friends, is cold.  Really cold.  So cold it wouldn't snow.

However, eventually, a little warmer air mass came into the mountains, and it started snowing.  Yay.  Good for skiing and snowboarding; bad for riding the bike on the road.  So I decided to take the day "off" on Sunday and head to Beaver Creek (hence forth known as "The Beav") for my first official day up on the hill.  Let me tell you, it didn't disappoint.  I wasn't expecting the conditions that were found, as the area hasn't exactly been hammered by snow this year...yet.

Most of the resort that was open (primarily on the main mountain) had decent coverage.  Still a lot of grassy-type brush sticking up on the more severe slopes, but the recent snow had created a pretty soft and smooth snowpack.  More than good enough for the first day.

During a drop-in into Rose Bowl, we noted that ski patrol was pulling down the ropes on one of my favorite runs - Spider.  A 30deg pitch with an off-camber fall line, great views.  Being the third or fourth person to hit this run, it was about three-and-a-half feet of untracked powder.  However, it didn't dawn on me for some reason there was no base underneath.  Riding a board not set up for powder, taking the run head on, the board couldn't stay up on the top, and ended up digging a hole to China in several different spots.  Would get totally wedged under the snow...board won't move, and I'm up to my mid-thigh in snow.  Not to mention, the lack of base underneath meant that every time the board dug in, it was getting wrecked by the rocks and sticks underneath.  Ouch.  Need some P-Tex work done now.

Meanwhile, the entire time we were out there, it was absolutely PUKING snow; the kind where you're covered in 3/4" of the white stuff when you get off the lift.  Made for constantly variable but soft conditions, but was a lot of fun.  Hopefully it'll keep doing that...just need it to STOP snowing in Eagle.  So, Day 1 is in the books, and I'm pretty happy with it.

2010 Schedule Coming Into Focus

Mountain States Cup released its 2010 schedule, so my MTB racing slate is starting to become a clearer picture.  Shaping up as follows:

• April 16 - Sea Otter Classic XC - Monterey, CA
• April 24 - MSC #1 / Rabbit Valley Rampage TT - Fruita, CO
• April 25 - MSC #1 / Rabbit Valley Rampage XC - Fruita, CO
• May 15 - MSC #2 / Chalk Creek Stampede XC - Nathrop, CO
• May 16 - MSC #2 / Chalk Creek Stampede STXC - Nathrop, CO
• June 5 - MSC #3 / Chile Challenge XC - Angel Fire, NM
• June 26 - MSC #4 / Wildflower Rush XC - Crested Butte, CO
• July 10 - MSC #5 / Blast The Mass XC - Snowmass Village, CO
• July 11 - MSC #5 / Blast The Mass STXC - Snowmass Village, CO
• July 18 - USAC Mountain Bike National Championship XC - Sol Vista/Granby, CO
• July 19 - USAC Mountain Bike National Championship STXC - Sol Vista/Granby, CO
• August 7 - MSC #6 / Keystone Revival XC - Keystone, CO
• August 8 - MSC #6 / Keystone Revival STXC - Keystone, CO
  
• August 21 - MSC #7 / Full Tilt in Telluride XC - Telluride, CO
• August 22 - MSC #7 / Full Tilt in Telluride STXC - Telluride, CO
• September 5 - MSC #8 / Winter Park Pursuit XC - Winter Park, CO
• September 6 - MSC #8 / Winter Park Pursuit STXC - Winter Park, CO
• September 11 - MSC #9 / Fall Classic STXC & HC - Breckenridge, CO
• September 12 - MSC #9 / Fall Classic XC - Breckenridge, CO

Of course, there will be a half-dozen Vail Rec District series races thrown in there on Wednesday evenings, but not really concentrating on those.  Treating them more as training rides, and if I do well in the race, good for me.

Colorado CX State Championships

Big shout out (woooooot!) to my friends heading down to Golden Saturday morning to brave the cold and vie for a CO State Championship in cyclocross:

• Charlie Brown - 45+ Open
• Sam Brown - Juniors
• David Burns - 35+ Cat 4
• Ciro Zarate - Cat 4
  
• Courtney Gregory - Pro/1/2 Open
• Jake Wells - Pro/1/2 Open
  
• Ryan McFarling - 35+ Open
• Ryan Hughes - Cat 3
• Damien Fraser - Cat 3
• Larry "Elgee" Grossman - Holdin' the mic down, dishin' out all you can handle (and then some)

Go crush, guys!

Deflopitation?

So I saw this word - deflopitation - on an instruction sheet for a BMX bike that was being built up at the Mountain Pedaler this afternoon.  I'm a regular lexicon, but I have no idea what the eff "deflopitation" means.

Anybody have any ideas?

Anyways, just got off the trainer this evening from a 1hr recovery ride.  Nice and easy, not breaking a sweat, watching basketball on TV.  Anybody else see Joakim Noah mouthin' off to LeBron?  OK, I realize that Noah has a degree from the University of Florida, but they had to have just handed it to him...because he's not a very smart cookie.  Mouthing off to LeBron?  In the 4th quarter of a game where you're down by 19?  Ummm...why?

By the way - someone told me this evening at the Gypsum Rec Center that it's "chilly" here lately.

No it's not.

It's cold.

Here's proof.  This picture of my dashboard was taken on my way to work on Thursday morning.  You see, the dash (also called a minus sign) in front of the eight, in America, means it's REALLY FREAKING COLD.

A week ago on Thanksgiving Day, I was outside riding the road bike around the airport.  It was 45F, sunny, perfect for November.  In the span of one week, we have managed to completely skip December, and go straight to January.

Erin and I went to Denver last weekend to do a little Christmas shopping.  Skipped out on the 'black Friday' madness, but went on Saturday nonetheless to battle some crowds and see what we could find.  While we were there, we ate at a restaurant named Delaney's Deli, located in the Bel Mar area around Alameda and Wadsworth in Lakewood.  Simple deli sandwiches with a Boston flair.  I heavily recommend - I had the best grilled chicken sandwich I've ever had in my life.  There was nothing special about it - chicken, lettuce, tomato, and lite mayo.  No special sauce, no secret seasonings.  But it was prepared absolutely perfectly.  Stop by the next time you're in the neighborhood during mealtime - you won't be disappointed.

Training has been going well.  I've made a wholesale change in my diet, which I've found makes me twice as hungry as before.  I also get about 4 hours a week on the bike right now, typically broken into:

• 1hr straightforward endurance riding
• 1hr recovery
• 1hr isolated leg training
• 1hr speed cadence training

Also getting 2-3hrs a week in the gym working on high-repetition, low-resistance weights.  Seated rows, leg press, bench press, step-up, abs (situps or knee raises), dead lifts, lunges.  Erin's been doing these workouts with me, so it keeps me from trying to do all this work on my own.  Finally, following it all up with 2-3 hours of basketball cross-training a week.  Keeping me in pretty good shape, I guess.

By the way - for those of you wondering (I'm looking at this on the iPhone right now), Vail has 17 runs open.  Meaning they have 176 runs closed.  It's -8F right now.  There's an 18" base - which I don't believe; that's just the minimum they'll report.  Conditions:  "Machine made snow".

Meaning my snowboard is still coated in dust from sitting since the end of last season.  I'm in no hurry.

The Choices We Make

So I think I'm getting a little closer on this bike situation.

After much deliberation with myself, as well as analyzing their pluses and minuses for hours on end, I've narrowed it down to two bikes - the 2010 Marin Nail Trail 29er and the 2010 Specialized Stumpjumper Comp 29er.

Marin Nail Trail 29er

Specialized Stumpjumper Comp 29er

Both of these bikes are built pretty similarly.  I can get the Marin for $1500, or the Stumpy for $1550.  Geometry-wise, the Marin 22" frame has a 640mm effective top tube, but the Specialized 23" frame has a 660mm TT.  The Spec Epic I ride right now has a 640mm TT, but I run a 140mm stem, which I'm trying to get away from.

Both bikes will need some new parts right out of the box to make them "race-worthy", i.e. light weight (24 pounds or less) w/ better quality.  Also, a new wheelset will be purchased for either, and both will go tubeless as soon as I take possession.

Marin Nail Trail 29er Components (and what I'd replace them with):

• Fox 100mm fork
• WTB LaserDisc Trail rims laced to Shimano Deore hubs replaced with Mavic C29ssmax wheelset 
• FSA OS150LX alloy stem replaced with Ritchey WCS 4-Axis stem (in white)
  
• House brand alloy handlebar replaced with Ritchey WCS lo-rise bar (in white)
  
• FSA SL-280 350mm seatpost replaced with Thomson Elite Setback 400mm post
  
• WTB Vigo Comp saddle replaced with Fizik Gobi saddle (in white)
  
• Shimano SLX shifters
• Shimano SLX F Der
• Shimano XT R Der
• Shimano Deore-level crankset replaced with Shimano XT crankset
  
• Shimano Deore cassette replaced with SRAM PG-990 cassette
  
• WTB Prowler 2.1 tires replaced with Maxxis Crossmark 2.1 tires
  
• Avid Elixir CR brakes

Approx. weight before:  28.2 lbs
Approx. weight after:  23.8 lbs

Total Cost:  $2,750 (with BRO discounts)

Specialized Stumpjumper Comp 29 Components (and what I'd replace them with):

• RockShox Reba SL 90mm fork (adjustable to 100mm)
• DTSwiss X450SL rims laced to Shimano Deore Hubs replaced with either Mavic or Roval
  
• House brand alloy stem
  
• House brand alloy handlebar replaced with Easton Monkeylite SL bar
• House brand 400mm seatpost
• Specialized Phenom CrMo saddle
• SRAM X.7 shifters
• Shimano SLX F Der
• SRAM X.9 R Der
• Shimano Deore-level crankset replaced with Shimano XT crankset
• Shimano Deore cassette replaced with SRAM PG-990 cassette
• Specialized FastTrak LK 2.0 tires
• Avid Elixir R brakes

Approx. weight before:  26.3 lbs
Approx. weight after:  24.0 lbs
Total Cost:  $2,600 (with $200 rebate)

As you can see, the Marin has a little more work that needs to be done to it than the Specialized does.  Also, I believe that the geometry of the Specialized is going to be a little bit more of what I'm looking for - a lean, stretched out cross-country racer.

Plus, some say I'm a brand-whore, but I would argue I just stick to stuff that works for me.  All my basketball shoes are Nike (or Jordan), all my electronics are Sony, and all of my bikes to this point have been Specialized, with exception of my 'cross bike (Kona Jake the Snake).  We've got four Specialized bikes in our garage right now.  For me, I have a level of comfort with Specialized, that I know what I'm getting.  That means a lot to me, and it is very difficult to stray from that.  I have been supremely happy with every Specialized bicycle I have ever owned.

So, all things considered, I'm leaning heavily toward the Stumpjumper over the Marin Nail Trail.  That's not to say the Nail Trail wouldn't be a great bike - I just don't have the comfort level with it that I would have with the Stumpy.

Happy Turkey Day Everyone!

I hope you all had a fantastic Thanksgiving, whether it was catching up with family, hanging out with friends, or just spending the day with a loved one.

My Turkey Day started off with the 2nd Annual Mike Janelle Frozen Turkey Time Trial.  Basic synopsis is thus:  Secure a frozen Jennie-O in a milk crate, tie said milk crate to the back of Elgee's original Specialized Rockhopper with a 20-foot rope, and pull it around a roughly 1-minute course at the Eagle Fairgrounds.  Turkey has to stay in the crate, and the crate has to stay attached to the bike, for the run to count.  One run only, time trial format.

 The Turkey...

Tied to this bike...

A good time was had by all, with Jon-O-Brah Jono Ridler taking home the bacon...err, turkey.  And new this year, the traveling trophy - a 1998-vintage Nokia cell phone in hunter orange.

I, myself, did not fair so well.  Had a great lap and monster gear going, but as I turned the corner to start climbing the Turkey d'Huez, the damn bird popped right out of the crate.  I failed to secure the turkey, so my effort ended up with a big ol' fat DQ.








After was all said and done, Mike Janelle Jr. showed up to wish us all a happy Thanksgiving.

 Lookin' forward to next year!

Little Girls Selling Cookies

YES, PLEASE!  I'LL TAKE  BOX OF THIN MINTS!

What Is It With People These Days?

WARNING:  This post is [R] rated.  But I wanted...er, needed to get it off my chest.  And I'm sure you all watch movies with some level of adult situations and violence, whether you're supposed to or not, so deal with it.  I hope this strikes a chord in all of my readers, and provokes some introspection as to who you are, who you want to be, and what you're doing to fulfill both.

Several weeks ago, in Vail, a local resident (that has had past run-ins with the law) visited a local establishment, got drunk and belligerent, and pulled a loaded handgun while being escorted out, killing one innocent bystander and wounding several others.  Come to find out after the fact, the man suffered from PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) from a tour in Vietnam, where he was a radio repairman (while he apparently told people he was an Army Ranger).  That's not to belittle him for the part he played - but it's not exactly shooting an M-16 into the jungle at who-knows-what.  [Noted that I was not in Vietnam, so I don't know first hand the experiences of those who were.  I'm just saying there's a logical difference between soldering printed circuit boards and emptying a clip from a machine gun while under duress yourself.] 

Anyway, he went off his medication for a while and was apparently delirious.

Today, a friend brings to me word of YouTube videos allegedly showing a gang in downtown Denver picking out a random person and beating him senseless.  I have a little more taste, class and human decency than to try and find this video, so I'll take this information at face value.  It should also be said that if this is actually true, I do not know the circumstances (Was the person alone?  With a loved one?  With a group of friends?), nor do I know the reality of the situation (Was the person truly random?  Was it a person someone in the gang knew?  Did the victim say something or do something to provoke the fight?).

Both happenings stirred the same thought from a number of people:  That taking advantage of Colorado's legalized weapon-carrying is a good idea, and should be taken advantage of.

For the people that think this is the right solution, that somehow carrying a loaded handgun while your going to a bar, or out to dinner, or whatever is going to alleviate the problem -

YOU'RE FUCKING FULL OF IT.

PERIOD.

Let it be known I am a right-wing Republican (though farther left than many believe).  I believe in the Second Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America.  I believe that anyone has the right to own a gun.  Multiple, if you want.  I've got a couple.  Frankly, I grew up hunting in Kansas, learning how to properly use and care for firearms.  I can sit behind a trap arm and break 46 out of 50 blue rock with a pump-action .410, tomorrow if need be.  I participated in target practice with my dad in Arizona, shooting a .22 six-shooter at old beer cans, at the ripe ol' age of 6.  I might even say I'm pretty good with a gun; some I know might agree.

But it has never crossed my mind to carry a gun with me when the reason was other than to harvest the animals God put on his green earth for specifically that purpose, or to practice or enjoy the purity of the sport by targeting inanimate objects, like blue rock (trap, clay pigeons, whatever else you call them) and the like.

First of all, if you're going to tell me with a straight face that with a number of society's delinquents threatening, you would (a) be willing and (b) be able to pull a gun, stick it in someone's face, and pull the trigger, and fully understand the ramifications of your actions - you're either militarily trained (and you're likely going to win the fight), you're an idiot (and you don't understand), or you're no better than they are (and have absolutely no human decency).  And then, with exception of the first possibility, they're going to kill you.  That's why they're called a 'gang' - there's more than one.  You ain't gonna kill em' all with your Beretta.  Do you honestly think, in your twisted little world, that not one of them has a gun as well?  Which means you're a dead man.  Fucking brilliant - you made the third page of tomorrow morning's Post.  YOU CAN'T UNDO WHAT JUST HAPPENED - THIS IS NOT A FUCKING VIDEO GAME.

Second, let me play a hypothetical scenario out for you.  Say the guy in the bar in Vail pulls his gun, just like he did.  Say you have one on you.  So you whip it out, and shoot at him.  Only you miss (because you ain't John Wayne, holmes), and hit the innocent waitress in the back of the room.  Let's go one further, and say it was a busy night, and someone else brought a 'piece' with them.  They yank it and blast away.  Now there's three stupid motherfuckers shooting guns in the room, not just one.  How many people get killed in that scenario?  Sure, the original gunman eventually (in the best case outcome of this little experiment) gets killed, but in all reality, he isn't the only one in a body bag at the end of the night.  And to top it off, the you and the other gun-toter are now participants in the legal system, pleading "self defense".  True, it is self defense, kind of.  But my tax dollars are paying for your little trip through the courtroom.  So fuck you - I ain't paying for your ass.  Why should I see my donations to Uncle Sam funding your blatant fucking stupidity?

Finally, this idea of carrying a handgun is the prototypical "How do I get out of a situation?", where what people should be focusing on is STAYING OUT OF THE FUCKING SITUATION TO BEGIN WITH.  Granted, there is a level of randomness associated with both these incidents.  The shooting in Vail is the first homicide in the town in 30 years, and frankly, was a freak act that could happen anywhere.  People should treat it as such.  It sounds inhumane, but chalk it up to shitty luck; my condolences and sympathy to those who were truly affected by this senseless action.  Do you really think it's going to do you any good to carry a loaded gun with you from now on, waiting for the next incident to happen 30 years from now?  Why waste your time?  Why stress yourself out?  Why provide yourself with opportunity for accidents to happen?  Why provide yourself with the opportunity to get drunk and belligerent, and shoot someone yourself?  Worked out pretty well for Plaxico Burress, huh?  The problem that occured in downtown Denver may be less random, but there is still a randomness to it.  But you have heard it happen before.  Why tempt fate?  In a city the size of Denver, why push your luck, and visit someplace with a known repetitive violent history after dark?  Don't give me the "just going to dinner" or "doing some shopping" bullshit.  There fantastic restaurants and wonderful stores all over the city.  Be smart about it - take friends with you, or go during the day - or just stay the fuck out.  Let's put it this way - if I ever thought I would need to carry a gun to feel safe somewhere that didn't currently involve a lot of sand, rocks, and people that speak in a different tongue and believe in an extremist religion,...well, gee-whiz, I'd probably NOT GO THERE.


Like I said, I believe in the Second Amendment.  I believe in the right to keep and bear arms.  I believe in the intent of the Second Amendment.  But I also believe that people need to be smart enough to understand when to exercise that right, and to understand the consequences of exercising that right.

Too many people in today's society act first, think second.  Very few, in the heat of the moment, truly understand the implications of their actions or even their suggestions.

People need to use their head for something other than the place they're going to shove their next fucking cheeseburger.  Leave the law enforcement to the enforcers of the law.  That's what we pay them for.

Don't Lie About Your Handicap

A businessman was attending a conference in Africa.
He had a free day and wanted to play a round of golf.
He was directed to a golf course in the nearby jungle.

After a short journey, he arrived at the course and asked
the pro if he could get on.

"Sure," said the Pro. "What's your handicap?"

Not wanting to admit that he had an 18 handicap,
he decided to cut it a bit. "Well, its 16," said the businessman,
"But what's the relevance since I'll be playing alone?"

"It's very important for us to know," said the Pro, who then
called a caddy. "Go out with this gentleman," said the Pro, "his
handicap is 16."

The businessman was very surprised at this constant
reference to his handicap. The caddy picked up the businessman's
bag and a large rifle. Again, the businessman was surprised but decided
to ask no questions.

They arrived on the 1st hole, a par 4. "Please avoid those trees on
the left," said the caddy. Needless to say, the businessman
duck-hooked his ball into the trees.

He found his ball and was about to punch it out when he heard the
loud crack of the rifle and a large snake fell dead from a
tree above his head. The caddy stood next to him with the
rifle smoking in his hand. "That's the mamba, the most poisonous snake
in all Africa. You're lucky I was here with you."

After taking a bogey, they moved to the 2nd hole, a par 5.
"Avoid those bushes on the right," says the caddy. Of
course, the businessman's ball went straight into the
bushes. As he went to pick up his ball, he heard the loud crack of
the caddy's rifle once more and a huge lion fell dead at his
feet. "I've saved your life again," said the caddy.

The 3rd hole was a par 3 with a lake in front of the green.
The businessman's ball came up just short of the green and
rolled back to the edge of the water. To take a shot, he had
to stand with one foot in the lake. As he was about to swing, a
large crocodile emerged from the water and bit off much of his
right leg. As he fell to the ground bleeding and in great pain, he saw
the caddy with the rifle propped at his side, looking on
unconcernedly. "Why didn't you kill it?" asked the man incredulously.

"I'm sorry, sir," said the caddy, "This is the 17th handicap hole, you
don't get a shot here."

That's why you never lie about your handicap.

Felt NINE Ltd Review

In my search of the pinnacle of perfection with regard to my next racing mountain bike, my adventures have taken me to the land of 29ers.  For those of you that are, shall we say, "not in the know"...a typical mountain bike uses 26" diameter wheels.  A 29er, as could be reasonably inferred, is a mountain bike using 29" wheels.

Bigger wheel = heavier; but...

Bigger wheel = higher momentum
Bigger wheel = better traction
Bigger wheel = better center of gravity
Bigger wheel = shallower angle of attack (meaning bumps affect the path and momentum of the bike less)

Since I've been racing on a full-suspension (again - this is a "shock absorber" on both the front wheel/fork and rear wheel/frame) 26er for my entire 'career', I have been subconsciously pushed toward creating an uberlight full-suspension 29er.  Through all my research, as well as the ability to demo a race-oriented FS 29er from Intense, I've found two things to be true:

• The lightest I'm going to get any of the current-gen full-suspension 29ers is in the realm of high 25-lb range.
• I'm going to spend between $4,000 and $6,000 to accomplish that feat.

So, I sat back and took a hard look at hardtails (a mountain bike without the rear wheel suspension) again.  I've been told, and read other people in various internet forums, that you don't need rear suspension with the 29er, because of the positives listed above.  But, I'm a skeptic.  So I borrowed Elgee's (http://addictedtobicycles.blogspot.com) Felt NINE Ltd (carbon hardtail 29er), and took it out for a spin on the Eagle Race Course.  Bike was set up with a RockShox Reba Race fork, a full compliment of carbon cockpit components, Avid Elixir disc brakes, and Mavic C29ssmax wheels meated up with Hutchinson Pythons running tubeless. 

The course sets up in a figure-eight; the first section consists of fireroad climbing and swoopy windey singletrack descent through sagebrush.  The second section consists of more fireroad climbing, a singletrack climb up over a ridge, and a quasi-technical singletrack descent, finishing up with some more swoopy windey singletrack.  This isn't the steepest stuff you'll climb, or the gnarliest stuff you'll descend, but it does give you a good general proving ground for bikes, and the whole figure-eight is pretty quick.

My quick afternoon demo of the Felt NINE Ltd wasn't ideal, as the bike I was riding is only a 20.5" frame size.  I say 'only' because no matter what I were to do with stem length and seatposts, this frame would NEVER fit me.  But it is the largest carbon frame size Felt manufactures.

The first thing I noticed is how the bike responds when climbing out of the saddle.  It just goes.  Even my Specialized Epic has a little sag in it when you stand up; regardless of how tight you have the Brain set.  No, this bike has the feeling that every watt you dump into the cranks gets directly translated to the rear wheel.

Ride quality felt harsh at first, on the climb.  Regardless of how shallow the attack angle is, if you're fat-assing the saddle, you will get jarred every time the rear wheel tracks up and over a rock.  That being said, there wasn't much chatter or trail feedback felt - it was really smooth with the exception of rolling the rear over a decent sized bump.  However, I ride my Epic really stiff; in retrospect, the Felt wasn't substantially bumpier than a ride aboard the Specialized.


This bike absolutely destroys fire road climbs and smooth singletrack.  Between the stiffness of the bike and the better center of gravity, the Felt rides through corners like its on rails.

When descending, the lack of suspension wasn't noticed.  The bike tracked true through anything I threw at it, and was rather nimble in doing so.  I didn't huck any real drops, but the singletrack descent is steep in spots, and offers some spots to get some air.  No issues whatsoever.

The only real complaint I had about the Felt NINE Ltd had to do with out-of-the-saddle climbing up a rocky incline.  The bouncing of the bike caused some ghost-shifting of the rear transmission that was annoying, but I can't say why it was happening.  Was the rear derailleur out of tune?  Was the rear of the frame flexing that much?  Is the chain a link long?  Dunno.

After riding the Felt, though, the thought process for my next bike has rapidly changed directions...I'm officially in the market for a hardtail 29er now.

The Best Time of The Year...

...sports-wise, began last night in earnest, with many NCAA men's basketball programs tying their kicks tight to play their first regular season games.

K-State, welcoming in an awesome recruiting class this year, got things started off on the right foot, posting a 92-54 win over Loyola-Chicago.  Unlike football, where teams (i.e. K-State) get ridiculed for playing creampuffs at the beginning of the year, this is common practice in basketball, because there are plenty of opportunities for teams during the non-conference schedule to line up some decent competition.

Now it sounds like a 38-point victory would be something to be happy about.  Unable to watch the game on TV (Fox Sports KC wasn't available on Dish Network), I had to revert to reading about the game this morning.  Either head coach Frank Martin is being absolutely brutal, or that was as bad of a 38-point victory as a team can have.  Here are some quotes (courtesy of Kstatesports.com):

On Curtis Kelly's performance [22/7/3 in 26 minutes]...
"He grabbed one defensive rebound. That is not a very good performance in my opinion. He made layups; I can make layups."

On why the rebounding was a problem [K-State was out-rebounded 51-41]...
"We stunk. No disrespect to Loyola because their kids played their hearts out. They grabbed 25 offensive rebounds. We were the worst team in the country yesterday in practice and we deserved to play as bad as we did. I hope we got embarrassed by it. It was the worst practice I have been associated with since I have been coaching basketball."

On how the team will prepare with the quick turnaround [for the next game on Sunday]...
"We better be better tomorrow in practice because if not it will be a long Saturday."

Huh.  Well, let's hope he gets them whipped into shape, I guess.

Next game versus Western Illinois at Bramlage Coliseum, Manhattan, Sunday at 3:00pm local.  GO STATE!

Big XII North Playoff - Round 2

Today marks Round 2 of the de facto Big XII North playoff.  Amazingly, only two teams are out of the race - KU and Missouri, both with 4 conference losses so far.  Iowa State, or unfathomably, CU could sneak in and steal the title if they win out and K-State and Nebraska totally fall apart over the rest of the season.

KU plays Nebraska today, and the Fightin' Willies of K-State welcome Missouri to Bill Snyder Family Stadium in Manhattan.

K-State needs one more win (either today versus MU, or next week at Nebraska) to obtain bowl eligibility.  Which I hope they do...staring out the window right now, it's snowing up here in the mountains...man, a trip to Arizona or someplace warm around Christmastime to watch the 'Cats would be fantastic.

K-State needs to win next week at NU to get their hands on the Big XII North title.  But first things first - let's go out and handle those boys from Mizzourah.

GO STATE!

Windshield Time

In a period of about three weeks, I've been in Denver Thursday, Aspen/Snowmass Friday, Denver Thursday, Glenwood Springs Friday, Denver Monday, Grand Junction today, Breckenridge tomorrow, Grand Junction again early next week.

Freeking tired, man.

New white kit coming in from Deathrow Velo soon.  Eurotrash, c'mon.  Pics coming when I get them in.  Also got bibs custom made extra long, cuz I'm all giraffe-like and stuff.  Stoked.

Snow supposed to be coming in over the weekend.  Get on your bike during the day this week - may be your last legitimate shot at hitting the dirt in 2009.

Sad.

Sunflower Showdown

K-State v. KU - Bill Snyder Family Stadium, Manhattan, KS - 11:30am local time (10:30am for me here in the mountains). 

This game begins the de facto playoff for the Big XII North division race.

Check it on TV on Versus, on local radio, or Sirius Satellite Radio.  Or, if you don't have access to any of those, I highly recommend going to kstatesports.com, and sign up for Powercat Passport.  It's only $6/mo (really - just don't go eat at McDonald's once a month and its taken care of), and gets you audio access to every KSU athletic event.  Football, basketball, volleyball, baseball - you name it.  Gonna be priceless for basketball season.

GO STATE!

Full-Suspension 29er Demo Weekend

Got the Intense Spider 29er built up to test 'er out this weekend.  The headset isn't matched up properly so it wobbles, the bottom bracket I'm using is completely roasted, and the wheels on the bike are so burly (and heavy) they could take a pretty good downhill sesh and still be true.  But, the beast rolls, and that's all I needed this weekend.

I was lucky enough to go out for 45 minutes on Saturday afternoon for a quick jaunt around the Eagle Ranch Loops to work out any bugs.  Didn't have any beyond the items listed above.  My very first impression riding the Spider 29 was one of skepticism - just getting a feel for the handling while rolling down the road, I was swerving back and forth, both turning the handlebar and just leaning the bike over.  The bigger wheels were begging to stay upright, so much so that it was annoying, because the bike just wouldn't go to where and when I wanted it to.

Once on the trail, however, this bike was FUN.  The things I noticed the most that were different from the Epic were, for the most part, better.  The 29" wheels just simply do a better job of maintaining momentum.  Also, the larger diameter wheel increases the contact area, meaning you can run lower tire pressures (I ran mine at about 32psi - usually run 26" tires at 37psi) and the bike feels much less likely to slide or wash out when leaning into corners.  Small bumps, rocks and roots are not taken out, but they are definitely trivialized in many cases, which causes less loss of speed and thereby decreases loss of momentum through rough sections.  For me, being 6'-6" and 185lbs, the Intense introduced a novel idea that most cyclists don't have to deal with on a regular basis.  It put my Center of Gravity (CoG) in a manageable position.  I felt like I was riding the bike, not sitting on top of it.  I could lean much more into corners, and never did I feel like the bike was going to topple over or slide out from under me.  You have no idea how big of a difference that makes unless you too have been in that scenario.  This bike was probably 20% faster than the Epic every time the trail turned.

Sunday offered the opportunity for a group ride with 7 other compatriots - 4th of July road to 2nd Gulch road to Rose Garden, traversed to the bottom half of Haystacker, then out to the Bluffs for a Boneyard to Redneck Ridge loop.  The Rose Garden trail is brand new and very loose, and features a good length of super twisty-turny singletrack through sagebrush.  My Epic required a good bit of braking into corners and tentative cornering maneuvers due to the high CoG.  The Intense handled this entire section of trail like a champ, and could have been the fastest I've ever ridden it.  Boneyard was a piece of cake on the 29er - cleared both the tight uphill right-hander switchbacks that I usually have an issue with on the Epic (once again, due to the high CoG).  The Spider just crushed everything else.  Redneck Ridge was awesome - the rocky outcroppings were more-or-less not an issue, the sandy corners were handled very smoothly, and I was keeping a more constant speed throughout the entire trail.

Of course, the Spider 29 wasn't perfect.  The current build weight of this bike is a beastly 29.9lbs, about 3 pounds heavier than my Epic build, and totally unacceptable for a XC race bike.  Also, riding the Brain Fade platform on the Epic for three years now, I am extremely used to that suspension design.  Frankly, I like it.  The virtual pivot point (VPP) design of the Intense has a totally different feel, specifically when climbing.  The VPP design exhibits pedal feedback when the suspension activates, and that was pretty awkward the first day out on it.  The good thing is the Fox Float RP23 shock, when in Pro Pedal #3 (firmest setting), felt pretty similar to the Brain Fade of the Epic.  Not quite as firm a platform (I ran the Brain anywhere from three clicks to one click from fully firm), but decent nonetheless.  Other detractors include only one location for a bottle cage, and a front derailleur installation that makes it difficult to adjust limiter screws.  Sunday's ride just intensified my complaint about the weight of the bike.  My gawd, I burnt a number of my matches trying to keep this thing going uphill at a fast pace.  It was definitely compounded by my lack of riding lately, but the weight of the bike was felt.

The RockShox Reba Race fork feels pretty supple when compressed, but I wouldn't know from riding on it, because the wobble in the headset (can't get rid of it) meant the headset was sucking up the smaller bumps, and not the fork.  Which means the front end had a terribly rough ride.

All in all, I had a frickin' blast on this bike, and am thinking hard about purchasing it.  I can say I'm sold on the 29er platform, for me at least, after two rides.  My other options, based on price and sizing, include the Specialized Epic Comp 29 and the Gary Fisher HiFi Pro 29, as well as the Kona Hei Hei Deluxe 29.  The MSRP on any of those three bikes ranges from $2800 to $3500; and the build kits aren't exactly svelte or high on tech.  However, I can come in well below those prices on this particular Intense, with a bike that I should be able to get down to close to 27 pounds out the door, with a lot of XT/XTR build on it.

Indian Summer

Man, it was awesome here in the Eagle area this weekend.  After seeing the snowfall first-hand in the front range, then seeing the snowfall first-hand in the Roaring Fork Valley (Aspen/Basalt/Carbondale), I'm stoked the white stuff missed us here in Eagle.

Not only did we not receive any snow down in Eagle, it was downright warm this weekend.  After a week of relatively cool days, the temps made it into the mid- to upper-50s both Saturday and Sunday, with a lot of sunshine and relatively calm breezes.  That could mean only one thing...

INDIAN SUMMER MOUNTAIN BIKING!

Absolutely gorgeous time of year, if we get blessed with the indian summer we're heading toward.  Forecast is showing temps in the 50s all week coming up, with very little chance for precipitation.  Allergens are all knocked down because of the latest freeze cycle, trails are in perfect shape from the little bit of rain this past week, sun is tracking lower and lower in the sky...just coaxes a person to get out and squeeze every last moment from the trusty steed until snow sets in for the winter.


Lucky.

29ers and The Hot Girlfriend Theory

So I'm in a market for a 29er.  Of course, since I do a lot of MTB racing, it needs to be what I consider a race-compatible bike.  In other words:  quick, fast, and (relatively) lightweight.  Oh, and durable, because I can't afford buying new bikes all the time.

To put this debate into context, my current mountain bike is a 2006 Epic Comp, size XL.  Relatively lightweight, pretty much stock except:

• Handlebar - upgraded to Easton MonkeyLite XC riser
• Brakes - upgraded to Formula Oro K24
• Wheels - upgraded to 2005 Shimano XTR (the double-spoked grey wheels)

These things brought the bike in at a manageable, but not flyweight, 27.2lbs.  Could go lighter, but didn't feel it necessary to spend the dough.  This bike is fast and quick.  Seems to fit the bill already, right?  So why am I looking for a new bike?  Because something about it just...isn't...right.  I feel like I could do better.  My biggest beefs with the bike are (a) the rear shock requires a LOT of maintenance due to constantly being subjected to the elements and (b) my center-of-gravity is just off.  Being 6'-6", the bike "fits"; the seatpost is at its maximum length, I have a 130mm stem on it, and I feel like I'm just sitting on top of the bike, instead of in it.  Tight switchbacks are a near impossibility because of how high my COG is.  So is quickly navigating rough, technical trails.

Here's why I'm looking at 29ers - I am willing to sacrifice a little in the weight department, because a 29er will fit me like a regular 26er will fit someone 6'-0" - there is an inherent increased stability as well as better rotational momentum coupled with shallower attack angles to "float" through bumpy sections of trail.  If I didn't feel the larger wheels would help me, I would just stick with my Epic.  I challenge you to find a better full-suspension race bike in a 26er, especially for sub-$3000.

Now I've been spending a lot of time evaluating my options lately.  Especially looking at the 2010 lineups appearing at Interbike, an obvious choice that has to be made is HARDTAIL v. FULL-SUSPENSION.  Because I've been racing on a full-suspension bike for three years, I think I'm going to have a very hard time with going to a hardtail, regardless of how much the shallower attack angles smooth the trail out.  At the end of the day, the hits your bike takes are absorbed by you, not the shock...it doesn't matter how big the wheels are.  However, full-suspension 29er frames appear to be very burly or aluminum straws duct-taped together (see Niner JET 9).

The next choice that needs to be made is frame material.  Since singlespeeds (God gave man the intelligence to invent the bicycle transmission) and steel or titanium frames are out (don't have the money or desire for a 'boutique' bike), it's down to ALUMINUM v. CARBON FIBER.  Since everyone I know that has a carbon fiber 29er has broken it, along with the fact that carbon frames run a pound lighter for $2k more, I'm thinking aluminum makes the most practical sense.

So that does it.  Full-suspension, aluminum 29er it is.  We're going to see if we can't find one to test out...

...which one of my friends just so happens to have sitting around for me to demo.  I borrowed a 2008 Intense Spider 29 from a buddy that just picked up a Turner Sultan.  Sweet looking bike, and well taken care of.  Came with a RockShox Reba Race fork, Fox RP23 shock, XT front der, and Thomson Elite setback post.  Sweet.  He also let me borrow a set of wheels.  Now I just had to move the rest of the components from my bike to the Intense to go test ride the sucka this fall yet.

Which brings me to the "Hot Girlfriend Theory"...

As I'm building the Intense up, I'm looking at my Epic frame, in Ferrari-like red, stripped bare, hanging on the wall.  I was struck with a feeling of genuine sadness or remorse.

See, it's like the hot girlfriend.  Looks awesome, fun to be on (innuendo...), and can have some great memories with her.  However, you come to the realization that your life may be more stable and fulfilling if you were in a relationship with a girl that was a better person, and more like you.  So you decide to break up with the hot girlfriend (because let's face it - she has some personality traits that are effing annoying) and move on to the better person.  But, during the transition phase, you look back at the hot girlfriend, and think to yourself how hot your girlfriend was, and wonder if you're making the right move.

But then you move on, and you live your life happily ever after, right?  So that means that this Spider is going to replace the Epic, and once I've got 'er dialed in, I won't ever consider getting back on the Epic, right?  Let's hope so.

I've got a poll set up on the sidebar - give me some feedback on which 29er I should go after...and if you've ridden any of them, let me know what you think; likes, dislikes, etc.

Do They Make Tire Chains for Cross Bikes?

Drove to Denver for a meeting this morning.  Not a big deal, which was surprising.  Hearing all these accounts (and seeing pictures) of locations in the foothills picking up 20, 30, even 40 inches of snow over the past couple days had me a little sketched.

Either CDOT has done an excellent job, or the I-70 corridor did not bear the brunt of the snowstorm, because it took me 15 minutes longer than usual to get to Denver, and only 10 minutes longer than the norm to get back.  Seriously - roads were snowpacked for almost a third of the drive, but it really wasn't that bad.  In fact, it was absolutely beautiful this morning driving over Vail Pass; dangerously snapped photo while driving here.

'Cross races this weekend, however, are a different story.  Blue Sky Velo race at Xilinx in Longmont on Saturday, and Boulder Cup / UCI race at Boulder Reservoir on Sunday.  Both courses are abso-frickin-lutely BURIED.  And it's cold - see pic to the right.  And still snowing.  My inclination is to bail on CX this weekend.  I don't really revel in the thought of travel and spending money on entry fees to go run through snow.  Because...

We haven't seen a FLAKE up here on the ground.  Somehow, Eagle has managed to dodge the bullet.  Local rumblings say the trails are in absolutely perfect condition.  Elgee (addictedtobicycles.blogspot.com) has been out in the past couple days, and I'm getting jealous.  I'm heading out on the mountain bike this weekend, and there's nothing you can do to stop me!

This may be one of the last weekends to do so - GO RIDE!

Blog Changes

Hey y'all - I got rid of the original incarnation of "My iPhone Top 10", which used to be a media player at the bottom of the page.  It never loaded unless you went clear to the bottom, I couldn't get the volume to start lower (so it didn't tip off your coworkers that you're not working), and frankly, I don't know if you really liked listening to it, anyway.

But, I figured you may still want to see what I'm listening to on the ol' iPhone (when it's not crashed), so I created a list on the sidebar.  I'll see if I can't keep it updated regularly.

Countdown Sequence Terminated

Was a total no-go on the 'cross race in Boulder today.  Got about 3 hours of sleep last night, felt sick this morning, and the weather forecast (mid-30s and rain, possible snow) wasn't exactly getting me psyched to go race.  So I didn't.  And I'll probably feel better tomorrow for it.

From the initial reports I'm seeing back from the race, the weather was absolutely miserable.  Sounds like by racing Saturday in Castle Rock, I may have got the better of the two days.

Erin just got back from Manhappiness and the victory of KSU over the hated Fluffs of CU.  She also brought me a souvenir from the new bike shop in town - Big Poppi Bicycle Company, located across the street from The Purple Pig in Aggieville.  Effin sweet.  Giant/Fuji/Kestrel/Electra dealer.  Here's to hoping the shop can keep grinding it out.

Crossin' In The Mud and Drivin' In The Snow

So, Day 1 of the weekend is in the books, with Castle Cross all wrapped up with a nice shiny bow on it.

Ciro Zarate and I carpooled down to Castle Rock to participate in the race.  Lots of construction on I-70 as well as C-470 around Denver, so to miss the work, we ended up detouring through Morrison as well as driving back and forth across Highalnds Ranch trying to find our way out of suburbia hell.  But eventually, we made it.

The weather was awesome - low 60s with some clouds rollin' in toward the start time of our race, which dropped the temp to around low 50s.

The course was a super watt-sucker.  Lots of off-camber turns and several sloggy mud pits.  The grass would break off when you rode through the mud, so it formed a stiff adobe-like glop on the bike.  Not conducive to braking or to shifting.  What wasn't really wet was softened up quite a bit from the snow the Castle Rock area got the night before.  Even spots that looked like you should be able to rip you just couldn't, because of how soft the ground was.

There were some fun spots, as the uphill turns were pretty easy for a mountain biker (hint...me), a run-up was also included that you could crank up if you so wished.  I managed to do it every lap, but there were a number of people that were running it...hmmm.

Then there was the barrier.  Only one barrier on the entire course, but it consisted of a little technique section where you dismounted, hopped across a ditch on stride #1, hopped over a 15" barrier on stride #2, then up a short little run-up of about 15 feet, then remounted on a really bumpy singletrack.  The barrier was made larger than the true 15" because the barrier wasn't on flat ground, it was at the start of the run-up.  It was closer to 24".  Watching Ciro (who's about 5'7") get across the barrier was comical in itself.

The conditions, combined with a layout that NEVER let up (you should see my HRM graph - between 188 and 195 bpm the entire race) meant it was an absolute suffer-fest.  This is the first course I've ever raced that there was truly no place to hide and recover.

Got a call-up to line up on the front row, and had a great start, getting out of the chute in 4th place.  Made it through the first section of the course, but proceeded to cough up a couple of spots.  I had the start I was looking for, but just couldn't maintain the pace.  As soon as I tried to settle in from the 115% effort to something more manageable, racers started passing me.

The middle third of the course sucked for me, as it dealt with a lot of quick elevation changes and some pretty technical maneuvers in the mud, combined with a run-up up a muddy hill.  Seemed to hurt quite a bit going through that section.

Anyways, I was at the back end of the front group for most of the race.  On the first lap, the entire race split into two groups right down the middle - thirteen up front and twelve behind, with about a 20 to 30 second gap between the groups.  Ciro had a great day on the bike, as he came from behind to grab a 7th place finish.  I had a great race, all things considered.  I haven't been to a 'cross race in three weeks, and really haven't been on my bike at all much since then, either.  I saw a guy coming up hard behind me with half a lap to go...just buried myself on the part of the course that suited me the best, and finished in 12th.

Drive back up the hill sucked...started snowing in Georgetown, and once we got to Summit County, started snowing really hard.  Complete whiteout/'Star Wars' conditions.  It took two hours to get from Frisco to Eagle - a trip that usually only takes 55 minutes or so.  It was compounded by the typical "Waaah!  It's snowing in Colorado!  I don't know what to do!" bullshit that we deal with every fall.  That's setting me up for an entire tangent rant, but let's leave it at this:  Truckers that don't use chains in the snow should lose their license.  Not fined, not warned; put out of business.  This is not doing 80 in a 70 - this scenario is truly endangering lives.  Man, I love my Audi.

Hup Hup Double-up

This weekend is shaping up to be a big 'un, with two Front Range 'cross races, and K-State v. CU on the gridiron in Manhattan.

Day 1 presents us with Castle Cross, an event down in Castle Rock, CO.  I've heard that it is the inaugural race, so let's see how they do.  I'm suspecting the Cat 4 race pack will be 50 strong or so.

Day 2 is the Boulder CX Series #3, at Boulder Reservoir.  This race has had a slog-fest through sand in recent years, not exactly my strong suit.  But this is typically a well attended race, so I'd expect it's going to be a huge field - 70+ maybe?

If you're not racing in Castle Rock on Saturday, you might go hit up VeloSwap at the National Western center in Denver.  Big swap meet dealing with pretty much nothing but bicycles.  Doesn't matter - roadie, XC, downhillers; all are covered.  Just like a garage sale - usually a bunch of junk, but every now and then, you can score HUGE.

Saturday is also the K-State v. CU (who?) football game at Bill Snyder Family Stadium in Manhattan, KS.  Let's see - lose to Texas Tech 66-14, then hammer Texas A&M 62-14 in successive weeks.  Which team will show up to this game?  K-State is 2-1 in the Big XII North, a win would cement our North Division lead for one more week.

Let's hope its the latter.  Buck the Fuffs.

Conversion...Software Version 7.0...

...looking at life through the eyes of a tired heart...

Sorry.  I digress.  Started typing this post, and the lyrics to System of a Down's "Toxicity" popped in my head.

Anyways, eff me.  As I was installing the new 3.1.2 software version on my iPhone this evening, while typing the last post, my phone crashed mid-install.  Had to wipe it clean, restore, and install the backup.  Coulda been worse, but when's the last time you heard of an Apple product crashing?  I thought that's why they were all bad-ass and the bees knees and whatnot?

Whatever.

Batchin' It

Erin decided to leave me and Riley (the doggy dog) to fend for ourselves this weekend, while she travels back to Kansas to attend the K-State vs. CU football game in Manhattan.

Don't know about Riley, but I think we'll make it.  It's going to be a full weekend of 'cross racing, beginning with Castle Cross in Castle Rock on Saturday, followed by Boulder CX Series #3 in Boulder (duh).  Got the Jake all decked out with new meat - I'll be running Hutchison Python (700x34), tubeless, on a set of Mavic Ksyriums.  Excited, should have a lot better stability and cornering versus the 31mm tires I have ran in the past.

Don't worry, dude.  We'll be good.

Flying By The Seat Of My Pants

First off - my trip to the Lake Tahoe region...

I flew out to Truckee, CA last week for a two-day site visit at the almost complete Ritz-Carlton Highlands hotel at the Northstar-at-Tahoe resort.  I was the engineer responsible for the design of all the voice/data, television, audiovisual, and security infrastructure for that project, as well as the adjacent Ritz-Carlton Club building.  As such, this was my last chance to get my eyes on the construction of the project prior to turnover to the owner.

Typically, a pretty mundane experience.

Now I'm usually a pretty easy-going traveler when it comes to airline flights.  I understand that getting through security takes time, flights can be delayed, and there is a high chance of someone along the way invading the four-square-feet I occupy.

I made some, ahem, 'observations' on the flight to Reno that turned this into a not-so-friendly flight.  First off, there were A LOT of people getting on this plane.  And a fair number of them were, ummm, senior citizens.  As in "all senior citizens should wear Life Alert" senior citizens.  After boarding the plane, I realize that in my row (window seat), the middle and aisle seats are already full.  So I excuse myself and ask if I can get in...no problem.  Well, shuffling by them, the guy in the aisle seat smells like he's already drunk off his ass.  No worries - pop a piece of gum, and try to ignore.  The attendants start coming up and down the aisle to help with overhead bins - one of them is a total Stay-Puft.  Not a girl that is a little on the chunky side - I mean land monster.  Bad skin and all.  Doesn't really make me want to buy a snack box, if you know what I mean.

So we're all about wrapped up getting 130 people onto a plane with seats for 125, when a younger lady and her 2 year old come onto the plane.  All of a sudden, HOLY FEMULLET, what was THAT!?!  Yes, a woman with her business in front/party in back hairdo, acid washed jeans, Looney Tunes t-shirt and LA Gear hightops come running to the front of the plane, screaming, "WHY DID YOU LET THEM ON THE PLANE!  YOU DIDN'T LET HIM ON THE PLANE!  WHY IS SHE ON THE PLANE!"  Apparently, one of her family members got an after-the-fact "standby" because the plane was too full, but she, in her infinite wisdom, thinks they let this woman on the plane after they told her that "he" (whoever "he" is) couldn't board.  Seriously...she'll end up on the Denver version of 'Police Women of Broward County' or whatever that show is.  No doubt about it.

All this, and we ain't even shut the door to the plane yet!

The flight to Reno was bumpy.  Really bumpy.  As in the plane would shoot up or fall down what had to have been 100 feet at a time.  Meanwhile, I'm in my seat, minding my own business, playing a little Gran Turismo for my PSP.  Gotta kill the time somehow - and there's not much of a better way than that.  Thirty minutes into a 2-hour flight, the guy next to me, who is totally hogging the armrests and working diligently on his novel (yes - insert Family Guy clip between Stewie and Brian about Brian's ongoing novel), had to have crapped his pants.  RULE #1 - DON'T SIT NEXT TO THE GUY WITH A DIRTY DIAPER; MAKE SOMETHING UP TO MOVE.  Smelled like a toddler for the next 90 minutes.  At this point, I just wanted off the plane.  Over it.

Remember the unusual number of elderly I spoke of before?  18 FREEKIN' WHEELCHAIRS LINED UP ON THE JETWAY.  Praise the Lord I made it off the plane before that three-ring circus.

So I stroll up to the rental car counter, no problems.  However, it was raining pretty hard in Reno, and it was only 42 degrees, so I was a little concerned about the possibility for snow up in the Truckee area.  I upgraded from the reserved compact Hyundai hamster wheel with four tires to a "four-wheel drive" vehicle...what the hell, it was only $16/day extra.  I was naively expecting a Ford Escape or some other "little" SUV.

Nope.

Avis thought it would be better to give me a GMC Yukon XL SLT eight-passenger battleship with missiles that pop out from behind the headlights and a 40 speaker surround sound system with XM.  Just for me.
Now understand that I drive an Audi A4.  My car fits inside this damn thing.

The site visit went off without much of a hitch.  All in all, the project looks pretty darn good, and I'm proud to have been a part of it.  This picture is taken from within the Ritz-Carlton Suite.  Pretty mack-daddy, if you ask me.  It's not finished yet (no TV above the fireplace, for example), but pretty close to being done.  Yes, this is a hotel room.  It also has an office, three bedrooms, three bathrooms, a kitchenette (nicer than my kitchen), and a media room.

Here's a look at the back of the Hotel, from the skier's side.  This is just Wings C and B.  Wing D is off the picture to the left, Wing A is off the picture to the right, and Wing E is behind the junction of Wings C and D.

Finally, here is a picture of the kind of stuff I design.  This is the data horizontal cross-connect serving all the data ports in the administrative and back-of-house office areas.

Flight back was almost as fun.   I just want to take the opportunity to explain that security checkpoints in airports are not new, people.  All you have to do is pay attention, and you'll be just fine.  It's not the SAT, it's not your driver's license test, and unless you really want to get removed from the airport in handcuffs, you can't fail.

Unfortunately, someone in the Reno airport was determined to try to fail.  I got stuck behind the one person on this planet that has a human-interaction skill level of zero.  The security guard is explicitly telling her what to do, and she's not listening.  She just keeps asking questions, which he's already answered, and this 2-3 minute procedure is taking 15 MINUTES.  Eff me runnin'.  Deep breath - I'm in no hurry.  OK - on the plane.  Much better this trip - no one in the middle seat.  I've got my window seat and my PSP all to myself.  And no land monsters to be lookin' out for.

We get to Denver in record time - about 20 minutes early.  Unfortunately, there ain't no parking spots for the plane.  RULE #2 - IT DOES NO GOOD TO BE EARLY IF THERE'S NO PLACE TO PUT THE EFFIN' PLANE.  Cripes.  We sat on the tarmac twiddling our thumbs for 20 minutes.  Three words:  Facebook for iPhone.  Yep, I'm a junkie.  And it lets me vent my frustrations without screaming at the top of my lungs.

Sounds like a successful business trip, eh?

Going Through Withdrawals Yet?

I've had a lot going on this past week, and have some stories to tell.

But I'm tired, and am gearing up for a helluva week coming up, with a number of projects I'm working on having deadlines this week.  So I'm going to bed.

Just letting you know there's some good bloggin' coming down the pipe, but you'll have to wait 'til tomorrow.

Leavin' On A Jet Plane

Don't remember who wrote that song...

Anyways, that's been the story lately.  Erin and I flew back to Kansas City for my cousin's wedding this past weekend.  Congrats, Crystal and Jacory!  I'm sure their enjoying the hell out of Kauai right now, while I'm sitting here half asleep...

Weird weather lately in the Rockies.  Thursday, we leave Eagle in the AM to head to the airport in Denver.  50 degrees and sunny at 8:00 in Eagle, 28 degrees and snowing in Denver at 11:00.  We get back Saturday evening- 24 degrees and mist/snow in Denver at 8:30pm, 42 degrees and clear in Eagle at 11:30pm.  Hmmm...  Continued today, with sunny skies and nearly 60 on the way home from work this evening.

So I went out and took advantage on Sunday.  Hopped on the mountain bike for a little Hardscrabble Road / Pipeline loop.  Was pressed for time, so I was pretty much hammering the entire ride.  But I took enough time to stop and grab some photos.  The picture to the left is looking down the Pipeline Trail...you can see the old water pipe flanking the trail.




I love this particular trail at this time of year.  This is one of the few trails that gets into the aspen trees around Eagle (most stay lower in the scrub and pinion junipers).  During the later stages of Spautumn, the leaves fall and cover the trail up.

Typically, this time of year decreases the stream running down Second Gulch to a line of mere puddles.  A bridge crosses the stream higher; this spot has to be ridden across.  In late spring, this section can be two feet deep of ice-cold snow runoff, and is flowing pretty good.  Today, it's just a leaf-covered lagoon.






So, got a good ride in.  Tuesday I'm back on the plane, flying to Reno/Tahoe to do a final walkthrough on the Ritz-Carlton Highlands at Tahoe, a brand new hotel at Northstar-at-Tahoe, which I personally designed all the voice/data/TV, audiovisual, and security infrastructure for.  Kinda cool to see your large projects come to fruition...I'll have some pictures from that one later.

'Cross in the Front Range this weekend, Saturday and Sunday.  Saturday is a definite; I'll try to make Sunday's race, but schedules don't look good right now.

Supposed to be 68 and sunny on Saturday in Eagle - get out on the bike and ride!

It's THAT Time Of Year...

National Donut Month!

Get sum!

The Ups and Downs of Monday

Monday sucks.  Back to the workweek.  This particular Monday I feel dog-ass tired from the weekend, and having trouble finding motivation for work.  So I figured I would dump some thoughts here for a few minutes, try and work up the impetus to put forth some effort today.  Bear with me - I might be all over the place in this one...

...then it happened.  It's snowing again in the Vail Valley.  Big ol' flakes pouring out of the sky in Avon, while I sit here and stare out the window, wondering why it's winter already.

Mmmm...Phil Collins' "In The Air Tonight" on the iPhone...good stuff.  Listen to that song - I mean really listen to it, then try and tell me that song isn't a precursor to mellower branches of modern techno music.

Keep focused.

So, here it is - snow.  Photo from a webcam at the top of Two Elk at Vail, this afternoon.  It's coming, and I'm not ready.  It's not as simple as turning the furnace on, moving the wardrobe around, and pulling out the gloves and outerwear.  Oh, no - much more complicated.

It's getting ready.

Mental preparation.

This year, it feels like getting psyched to go to the dentist.

When I first moved to the mountains the summer of 2003, I was kinda lost during the summer, just biding my time until we were blessed with that white gold.  Where has that feeling gone?  It's only the first Monday in October, and I'm already yearning for June, July and August.  Winter simply feels like an ultimatum right now - mother nature stating THOU SHALT DO WHAT I DICTATE.

Eff you, mother nature.

I just want to go home after work, throw some sweats on, and hop on the PS3 tonight.  Need to hang the bike up for a day...but I don't feel like I should, because soon enough, I'll be hanging the bike up for several months.  I feel a longing to squeeze every last second out of the two-wheelers.  Oh, I know - 'cross will be there for me for the next two months.  And I will gladly oblige and join in.  But there will eventually be a point - a crux of human desire versus human nature - where there will be a foot of snow on the ground, and I still need to, and still want to, get on the bike.

Frisco Cross Recap

Well, Frisco Cross is wrapped up and in the books.

The event organizers and sponsors put on a great event this year, with a pretty massive turnout, considering the fact that the races are up in the mountains instead of in the Front Range.

Both courses were the typical fare at Frisco Cross - relatively technical, with lots of landmine rocks, gravelly/woodchippy sections (typically involving tight turns), a moderate length hammer climb up pavement, and the famous log barriers.  Saturday's course was a little too technical for me - not so great at tight turns on loose ground.  But it did have the longer climb of the two days, which helped me considerably.

Day 1 was shaping up to be a great race.  Got the call-up in the Cat 4 race (tied for 20th overall), so got to line up second row or so.  Major field - 58 racers in all.  Here's some vij of the start:


Things went off pretty hot off the front.  I made the mistake of sitting in too early, not wanting to blow, and ended up dropping back to somewhere between 20th and 25th.  So I spent a lot of the early part of the race working my way back through the field.  The long climb was super helpful; I was just hammering past people on the uphill.  Too bad I was giving it right back on the technical spots.

Shouts to a couple of my friends - Ciro Zarate (Colorado Bike Service) just got back from vacation and, in the words of Elgee (our guest announcer for the weekend), 'fell apart like a cheap suit' on lap 2.  Barry Davis (First Descents) worked his way into the top 5, then promptly flatted...he got back on the circuit with me on lap 6 or so, and I tried to hold his wheel as long as I could.

At the start of the bell lap (#7), I figured I was in or around 15th, and had a couple of people between myself and Barry.  Knowing I wouldn't catch him, I wanted to sit the wheel of the guys in front of me, and try and win it at the end in the grassy sections.  Then I flatted on a gnarly little loose technical section, with about a 1/4 lap to go to the finish.  Rode it as far as I could, but when I came out onto the grass, the tire just wanted to peel off the rim.  I hopped off, shouldered the good steed, and ran it in the last 200 yards.  Meanwhile, I got passed by 7 or 8 guys, eventually falling back into 22nd.

Day 2 wasn't looking so hot on the outset.  Temperature was in the upper 40s at race time, and got progressively cooler as the afternoon went on.  Looked like snow coming in over Peak 1 just outside of Frisco during the Cat 3 race.  Honestly, I felt like shit leading up to the race, like I was coming down with something.  Legs were sore from Saturday, and just wasn't feeling the vibe.  Even worse standing in the starting queue, waiting for the race to start.    Not quite as big of a pack; heard someone say 48 total in our race.  The course Sunday split the climb into two different sections, took some of the tight, twisty turns out of the race, but put a bunch more mountain bike-type technical parts in as well as an absolutely heinous run-up.  Like 25 feet of elevation gain heinous.

Start took off hot like yesterday, but I put in a better effort on the front to try and stay up with the leaders.  Worked for the first three laps - stayed within view of the front of the race, but I felt like I had to dial it back a little, because I was afraid of how my body would react to racing yesterday.  Long story short, this track suited me more than yesterdays, and it gave my body a chance to settle in and just get a steady race going.  Felt pretty strong throughout, save the run-up.  EVERYBODY was suffering on the run-up.

Ciro held my wheel for the first two laps, then started fading.  About that time, Peter Fralick (Mountain Pedaler) and Barry Davis came roaring by me...those guys came up from dead effin' last at the start to take 4th and 3rd, respectively.

Seven-lapper again...on lap 6, I found myself in a three-man race with a guy wearing all black and a Rocky Mounts/Izze guy.  They both passed me on a woodchip section and tried to bolt - but I caught on and rode the back wheel for a couple hundred yards.  All of a sudden the Rocky Mounts guy puts a move on, and I took off after him to reel him back in.  Between the attack and my chase, we popped the guy in black off the back.  So I raced against this Rocky Mounts guy for the remainder of the race, and almost was able to pass him on the climb on the bell lap, but wasn't able to get in front.  He was clearly quicker than me through the second section of the course, so he opened up about 30 yards.  I closed it back down to about 10 feet, and just didn't have the gas to get around him.  Ended up finishing in 12th - considering the field, pretty good finish for me.  There were a lot of the big hitters in the 4's out this weekend that I hadn't raced against at Breck or BV.

So that's it, kids.  No wheels flying off cars, just good ol' fashioned 'crossing at 9000 feet above sea level.  I'll leave you with some more footage from Saturday - barrier running, and more barrier running.