Snowssenger

Scapoose

While I agree that wood features should not be built, and no one else's private property should be damage by any on other than the owners, I must add the irony of them being so concerned about land that they are just eventually going to strip of trees and ruin through logging.

Go figure!

2+2=6?

Bike Moguls

I was chatting with my friend online, and was trying to explain what a pump track is.

 Once I had gotten it across, which didn't take very long, I sent her a link to a You Tube video.

 She came back and said" Oh, like bike moguls!". 

 And I could do nothing but agree with her on that note.

 So I have regained a slight fascination with the pump track principle. Ryan and I were talking about them some this evening, and I spent some time online watching videos and looking at plans.

 Somewhere I have a pic of a pump track that is very huge, like a big horse corral. I think there must have around a hundred berms. I might be exaggerating,  but when I find it you will be amazed to.

 After working on some jumps and pump sections with Ryan in Rickreall, I will be ready to work on a little one here on the compound if all goes well.

 Of course I would still have to talk  my brother and sister into it. 

 I think the safest thing about the pump track on the compound would be that it is really fun, without really having jumps for the kids to get hurt on. And one could be made in an area smaller than 60' by 30'.

 The future will tell.

Reminds me of playing pool with my brother in the 'Couv in the early 90's

I was looking around on the big book, and came across this gem. $729 frame and fork...

Photo jacked, with love, from Bikehugger.com

When your 5 seconds of fame show you puking....

I came across a video of last year's Rally of the Dead in Durango, Colorado.

I was thoroughly enjoying it, and then....

Part way into it, came a still of me puking.

So, it doesn't show my face, and it doesn't show the puke. But it is obviously my bike, and obviously my back. And obviously me puking. Actually turned out to be a big deal that I was the first one to puke if I remember correctly.

"If Dabby pukes in the woods, and no one is there to see it, does it make him faster?"

More Alpenrose pics

Once again, some of these are a little blurry due to mositure, or a over used camera.
But blurry or not, they show the determination of those racing.


Slackjaw on the run up

Brian

The great Joel Metz



Timmy! Yeah, ummm, Timmmmy. racing with the A's on a fixed gear. I guess we all make a statement somehow, don't we?













Page. He won his class at the Rickreall Rampage.
I spoke with him and his girl for a while, they are very nice people.

Team Beer.
They gave me a hot dog that snapped like a knockwurst ( I love Gartner's too) and gave me props for my ability to spin like a MoFo.

Big Al's Ball!!!

Before I post more Cross pics, I must let you know about an important event happening Friday, October 10th at 9:30.

I hear that Al has lost one of his little buddies to cancer recently. In about the same breathe I was told of a benefit for him featuring none other than "Moxy Love Crux", an old Portland messenger band. I recall seeing them play a number of times, one of them opening for Dick Dale. It is said that even Chris McDermott, legendary messenger himself, is flying in to play.

Also the Punk Group, and the Kenny Roger's Experience are playing.

It is Friday, Oct. 10 at 9:30. $13 dollars at the door.

This should prove to be an experience that no one should miss, and due to the fact that no large city can run properly without the hard work of the bike messenger, is your opportunity to give a little back to one of Portland's veteran ex- messengers.

Love them or hate them, we all need messengers.

And love them or hate them, all messengers want to keep their balls. I know I do.

I love Big Al, and I will be there for sure.

Will You?

Alpenrose Cyclo Cross

I went to the Alpenrose CycloCross race today. I made the mistake of not racing. The weather turned out to be my favorite type to race in. Grey, gross, kinda cold, and dammed rainy. For some reason I excel when others are miserable. This has been proven in races past.

I did manage to snap a bunch of pictures. I have been using the same camera for a solid two years + now. It is a Sony DSCT-9.
Considering where it has been, what I have put it through, and the huge amount of pictures I have taken with it, it deserves a break.

So it appears to be giving itself one, by taking lesser quality shots now. This is not me complaining, as it is a fine piece of electronics, and I would buy another one in a heartbeat. But it is time to move on to a new camera somehow, and a DSLR at that.

If Sony would just send me a nice one, maybe for product review, that would be great......

Here are the pics. I apologize once more for the lower quality of some of them. Not to mention the fact that everything was getting fogged up by the weather.

This first one happens to be my favorite. I have heard a number of times that good ole Joel Metz was coming out of the woodwork and racing cyclocross again, after an 8 year hiatus. If only that bike would get painted and built he says.
Well, here it is......... What a sweet shot!





Drew on the run up.

The run up this year was considerably mellower than when I have raced at Alpenrose. My first time racing there was Single Speed on my polo bike (rear brake only) Of course it didn't hurt that that Polo bike was custom made by 3D in Durango, Co. for a great Mt. Biker. (no, I am not talking about myself, I think his name is Pat Bauer)

I placed like 9th or 10th that year, with Dr. Doom and Molly taking 1st and 2nd.







Dan "Chevil" on the run-up.




"Mustache" Milkshake on the run-up.

Too late to keep uploading, so I am going to download my body into the recliner and cease functioning much. The rest of the pics from Alpenrose, and many more from the Rickreall Rampage, will be up tomorrow.


C'YA!

Rickreall Rampage

 Here are some more pics from the Rickreall Rampage. I ran out of memory after the first few races, so I have no pics of the A's racing though.

 I got to Rickreall on Wed. afternoon, and after a safety meeting or two, we got right to work. 

 We, as in Ryan and I, attacked the long list that Kenji (OBRA exec.) had given us for course improvements.

The Over-Under was in danger of being X'ed from the race entirely, so we boxed in the top a little, in order to make the platform bigger. Quite a bit of time was spent working on it that day, and the mental strain of it all made for more required safety meetings than ever before, and it seemed more beer for that matter. 

We also fixed the run around in the woods, since it was decided that if a beginner woman couldn't make it over it, it needed work. This was quickly done with a 2' x 10" board. 

 The joy of the flat edged shovel was soon discovered, as Kenji had some crazy idea that we were going to flatten out the gopher mounds on both sides of the woods.

 We came up with the alternative that involved making one mostly flat, single track line down both sides of the woods. If a person couldn't ride that, or wanted to pass, they had to get out into the shit (gopher fields). 

 Finally we got around to the ditch. The plan Tad had was to use an earlier line I had dug out. I am all for encouraging progression, and had made a line to air out of the ditch, and possibly bonk a telephone pole on the way by.

 While walking down to it, carrying shovels, I turned to Ryan and asked why we were only using one little part of this big beautiful ditch? I think he responded with an "I don't know?"

 So, we stopped right there and started digging. What developed were two more very fine spots to ride the ditch.

The winner of a race goes through the ditch. I think this is the "B" race.

 In case you don't know, Ditch Style is part of our regular late night fun in Rickreall. The fun aspect of the ditch was discovered one night, under a full moon, when we were looking for the spot where Mace rode straight into it, breaking his collarbone. (One of three broken that weekend I think) Since that night this ditch has been exploited for fun purposes, and has caused many more injuries. It seems riding a ditch at night, without really lights even, is not so safe after all.

 The race seemed to go off without a hitch. (Well, there was one big hitch that came up named Timothy Mason, but was dealt with expeditiously by R. Kelley)

 I spent most of the time maintaining the Over Under, but it was worth it, especially when during the last couple of laps, Tony Kic bunny hopped the barrier and rode up the hill, barely dabbing at the top. he of course put his foot back in, and rolled down the other side.

 It would be great to have another Obra Cross Race next year there, but I suspect we will just throw our own instead.

 This will mean more stunts, more obstacles, more trails, more ditch style, more fun, and more beer

 Hope to see you there. Photos to follow very soon.