judy freeman

move over mayans...got big plans for 2012

2012-01-24T13:55:00.013-07:00

Big plans are afoot for 2012. And not the Mayan sort.

While I really enjoyed and was honored to ride for the Kenda/Felt Mountain Bike Team, I'll be switching gears and riding for the Crankbrothers Race Club.

The move will help me go after my biggest goal of the season...and possibly my life - The Olympics.

In December, I was announced to the the US Olympic Long Team. To make a bid for it, I've got to knock it out of the park at the races. Most notably - the World Cup races between March and the end of May of this year. The two female riders to represent in London will be decided in early June.

And...a girl has got to go for it. I don't want to be on the other side of this opportunity thinking I could have done more.

Here's a preview of our

Ibis Tranny Hardtails

I'm also really stoked to be riding for the Race Club.

Crank Brothers has got a cool vision and stellar product. There will be a lot to see and do fo sho.

And...things are coming round.

From the photos and plans, it's going to be a lot of fun. And...we'll be looking pretty stylie. Think race car with 5'2" pistons.

I'll be teaming up with Chloe Woodruff (formerly Forsman). You'll see me pedaling round in cahoots with good company.

So...stay tuned. I'm working on a new website now and plan to have a lot of fun on this adventure. Hope you come along for the ride!

life as a bike jockey: travel like a pro. or don't - it makes no difference

2011-12-28T16:03:00.003-07:00

It’s the height of holiday travel season right now.

Having spent a few years traveling to races, I like to think I’ve learned a thing or two about flying and airports. I even fancy myself a bit of an expert.

But it doesn’t matter what the subject, whenever I get comfortable with my level of expertise, Experience always shows up to trump the house.

Click here to read more.

olympic pictorial

2011-12-15T15:12:00.005-07:00

Singletrack.com put up a little gallery of the 2012 U.S. Women's Olympic Mountain Bike Long team. Kinda funny selection of photos....

Click here to see the whole gallery.

me with
high hopes.
Photo:
Dave McElwaine

the long road to the olympics

2011-12-07T16:40:00.002-07:00

It's been a crazy few years. But I've must've done something right.

Rooty descent at the
World Champs - Champery, Switzerland
Photo: USACycling.org

On December 1st, USA Cycling announced the 2012 Olympic Mountain Bike Long Team. And listed as a "discretionary nominee" was ....me!

There's nine women on this list, from which USAC will pick just two to represent the US at the 2012 London Olympics. Key factors to choosing the two riders are world cup podiums, UCI points and overall consistency pointing to a chance at getting metal in England.

I know I'm probably the last person on the list they are really looking at, but from what I understand, with the selection process being based on races starting January 1 through May 22nd, 2012- it could be anybody's game.

So here's to a new year,
and new possibilities...

life as a bike jockey: what's going on in the off-season

2011-12-01T12:11:00.002-07:00

Contrary to my summer race-focused routine of ride, eat, nap, eat, manicure, massage and fanned grape-eating, November has been more run-around with a sprinkle variety. Here’s the highlights and heckling.

Click here to read more.

shorter by 5 bucks

2011-11-09T09:44:00.008-07:00

Alright. So my mouth was writing checks that my legs couldn't cash.

I made a wager with the fella on who would have the faster Iceman time.

Did I really think I could beat him?
History has shown I've been able to drop him once or twice.

Did he really want to take the bet?
Who wouldn't shake on a bet with a smack-talking fool when History virtually has a PowerPoint presentation favoring your odds.

The outcome?

The week after the Iceman Cometh Race finds me $5 lighter in the pocket...and none the smarter. Goaded by a taunting two minutes - the wager stands again for 2012.

This was a good photo finish.
photo courtesy Rose Torrance

come on, iceman!

2011-11-02T09:25:00.010-06:00

Rewind...365 days ago...

I was getting ready to hop on a plane to Michigan for my first Iceman Cometh Race in Traverse City.

Scratch that, I was ready to hobble on a plane in crutches and a boot to watch the Iceman cometh and go-eth.

Just one week before the race, I broke my foot. Denied!

But not this year, kemosabe...

Now I'm ready to go!
...and so is my bike.

Gearing Up for Iceman - The Race Rig
The reports I've gotten on the Iceman course is fast, rolling terrain without long sustained climbs. The phrase 'road race on dirt' also comes up a lot in the conversation.

Translation? My 26" wheels and 26/40 - 11/32 2x10 set up might do well with some tweeking.

So tweeking we did.

This morning
in Boulder, CO.

Thanks to a new 44/32/22 set up from Chris and Eldon at WickWerks, a 29" wheel from my teammate Colin and a rigid fork and the mechanical mastery of James Huang - my trusty steed is Iceman-prêt-à-ridé.

James lent me a rigid fork to make room for Colin's loaner 29" front wheel. The photo doesn't show much, but it's pretty impressive to have this set up on a 15.5" frame. It's good to have good friends.

The bigger gearing and wheel will be better suited for this fast course. And speaking of bigger...

Big News, Big Names
The Iceman has teamed up in a big way with Bell's Brewery for the 2011 event. Last year's impressive $3,500 top prize has been out done by this year's $5,000 first place booty. With the increased prize list has also come an increased line-up. Both the men's and women's fields are seeing entrant names more commonly found on a world cup start list....Pendrel and the Flückiger boys to name a few. Nice work, Steve Brown.

Mishigas in Michigan
I'm also looking forward to a little rendezvous with the Kenda/Felt crew. There'll be some mingling in the Michigan woods with my teammates, friends from Kenda, Felt, Hammer and many Michiganders I know and love. ...if not love to race.

Tom and I have a little wager on our Iceman times this year. There's $5 going to the winner. To be honest, I'm not actually sure as to why I put up the bet. I think it had to do with the lure of smack talk all ending with "honey."

So bring it on! The racing...the smack talk, the weather....
oh yeah...the weather.

This week's weather
report for Traverse City

Ironically, if not just luckily...the weather in Traverse City, Michigan is looking more inviting for a mountain bike race than is Colorado today.

Hmmm...heading to the northern part of the mitten for a break from the weather. Whodathunk.

Crazier things have happened...

life as a bike jockey: don't temp fate. just don't.

2011-10-20T13:02:00.003-06:00

Going to let you in on a little secret. Life as a professional cyclist lacks a little of the glitter some people think it has. I know. Hard to believe, but really some days it’s just a crazy series of misadventures colored by Fate. And someone just told Fate you said her ass looked big in her favorite dress.

Or maybe that’s the painkillers talking. Lemme explain.

Click here to read more...

sol vista memories...

2011-10-14T10:11:00.004-06:00

In 2009, I scored lucky 7s at the National Championships for XC and STX in Granby, Colorado.

The year before that, I was 8th and 17th respectively. For 2011, it was 6th and 7th at nats in Idaho.

Sometimes when it feels like progress isn't happening, it's nice to get a reminder that it is...just maybe not as fast as I'd like.

Anyhow...after that weekend at the Sol Vista race in Granby, some friends and I went riding in the park and MTBAction photographer John Kerr was taking shots.

John got this shot of my friend Tom (who has since become the fella) going through the corners.

There's a much better view of this shot here. It was fun riding in the green that day.

Crazy to take a stop and look back every once in a while.

back in the saddle

2011-10-10T09:38:00.008-06:00

After Worlds in early September, I was needing a break. It's not just the legs that need a rest, but the mind from all the racing logistics and traveling.

Bumpy flats...ugh.
Photo courtesy of Melanie Long.

And throw in a Vegas/Interbike trip, a wedding weekend, family in town, a job search (btw...know anyone who wants to hire a bike racer?) and September was just a good time to hang up the wheels and take care of...well, pretty much everything else.

But this weekend was time to get back in the saddle...and why not do it at intensity?

Tom and I headed up to Fort Collins, Colorado for Saturday's USGP 'Cross race. And the end of my racing repose was greeted by 40 degree temps, rain, wind and a jack hammer bumpy course.

Johnny had it all, a trainer, a rain suit
and my greenest envy.

Which reminds me...next time I see a rain suit on sale....I'm buying it, even if they call for forty years of drought the day before, because the one day you need a good rain suit in Colorado, it's worth its weight in gold.

Totally under dressed for the occasion (when in doubt..always go formal wear), I was lucky enough to mooch a trainer from Johnny Coln and some tent space from Action Wipes for a warm up. Tho I'm as much a fan of water for our dry Colorado climes as the next tree hugger, starting a race in soggy chammy doesn't top my list of 'Good Times.'

That said...it was maybe the best day to jump in a race. Because rainy days kinda tip the inclination toward movies and roller rides (or smokes and drinks - it's always a toss up) - but a race plan gets you out the door with little deliberation.

And to boot, muddy slugfests are just amusing if nothing else. Riders are spinning out, sliding out and getting taken out by mud. The gal ahead of me hit a fence post rounding one bend. She was fine but her shorts weren't...they were fully shredded up front for a little Betty-bits exposé. Luckily her burlesque attire was only on display for the last lap...or parade lap..however you want to look at it.

Sunday's plans to head out to Heil Trail in Boulder were well-timed. We got sunny skies and tacky trails for a good day of riding. And we got back in time to watch Sunday's Elite USGP streaming on Velonews...which was all followed by a TV showing of Breaking Away. It was a day cosmically aligned for cycling love.

All in all...not a bad weekend to get back on the bike.

queen bee

2011-10-03T21:43:00.004-06:00

A friend just sent me this photo from a race earlier this year. I had left my bike chained to the fence while I was course marshalling. When I got back, I found about...oh 30,000 bees sitting on it. It seems a hive was relocating and the queen bee took a break on my bike. And as the queen bee does, so does everyone else.

Some park rangers tried a smoke out attempt, but to no avail. We ended up calling two local bee keepers out there who literally swept the hive into a box with a car snow scraper. After a days work, a beer and chat, they drove the buzzers off to their new location.

Crazy stuff.

vegas, vegas, vegas

2011-09-21T10:40:00.009-06:00

Just got back from Interbike in Las Vegas. For years, I have heard nothing but how ludicrous it was to rendezvous a mass of healthy, exercised-focus people to the land of $5 All-You-Can-Eats and all other celebrated gluttony.

But at last year's show, when Interbike was slated to move to Anaheim for 2011, I was stopped by petitions going round to keep it in Sin City.

Ceiling in the
Venetian Hotel

I don't know the how, why or who, but I'm glad they kept it in Vegas.

Because once a year it is good to see Elvis singing 'VivaCrossVegas', walk through the faux streets of Venice, dance at clubs till you get kicked out and hear at least one person reaffirm they'll "never gamble again."

Elvis, of course

Here are a couple of pics from this year's Interbike.

Sorely missing are any photos of Dirt Demo. I got on a Felt Virtue and experienced the whole new-to-me world of trail bike riding: Slack geometry, sofa-couch cusshy-ness, wide don't-care-about-weight-cuz-this-isn't-a-xc-race tires.

Bright lights, Big crowds
at CrossVegas

Don't know if it was a total born-again moment in the desert, but it was an eye-opening cruise around the very fun test routes of Boulder City.

Viva Las Interbike!

Felt has a new custom
paint job program

Amanda's NUE Trophy

SRAM challenged artists
to make art from parts.
Below: 2 of the Pieces that went on auction to benefit
World Bicycle Relief
Further below: more bicycle art and furniture from around the show

life as a bike jockey: the day after (worlds)

2011-09-12T19:58:00.003-06:00

Ah … the day after the World Championships. The day for relaxing, bag packing, reminiscing and the shouldas, the couldas and the wouldas.

On course in Champery
Photo courtesy
Nicola Gelshorn

This was my second World Championships and there’s something to be said about just having the experience. Mark Twain has my favorite quote on the subject. “If you hold a cat by the tail, you learn things you cannot learn any other way.” That definitely was the sentiment for my first world champs in Canberra, Australia in 2009. I don’t think I came into this event as wide-eyed as the first, but again I still learned a lot.

Click here to read more

mission accomplished. thank you!

2011-08-30T09:02:00.004-06:00

The fundraiser was a huge success! I think everyone had a good time, got even more psyched on riding and...I'm in Champery!

My friend Linda Kennoy put together some images of the party.
Click here. So many fun moments from the night...hard to include them all.

Despite some concerns from Irene, I made it just fine to the team hotel in Champery yesterday. I took a small spin around and will be getting on the course today. Word is the course is awesome.

Thank you so much for helping make this possible!

Will keep you posted!

hope to see you tonight!

2011-08-25T12:53:00.002-06:00

Good times on the docket at Rocky Mounts.
Hope to see you there!

And...on the auction block is this 29"h x 24"w original painting by cyclist/artist/designer Lynn Bush Titled: Champery
It's beautiful!

the prize list preview

2011-08-23T22:53:00.003-06:00

Here's a little preview of what will be up for auction and raffle on Thursday. More to come!

update: the fundraiser is getting funner

2011-08-20T08:44:00.003-06:00

Our generous sponsors have outdone themselves to bring a fabulous evening and an insane prize list for the raffle and silent auction! See the latest prize list below.

Make sure to come hungry!

We'll have gluten-free Brats and the fixins thanks to Boulder Sausage and Ideal Market. And drinks will flow from Oskar Blues and Izze Sodas.

Raffle Tickets $5/ea or 3 for $10. Prizes are outnumbering guests...so it’s your night to get lucky!

All you can Eat|Drink - $10 donation, pleeze :)

Looking forward to seeing you there!

PRIZE LIST!

-Action Wipes on-the-go sport wipes

-BC Surf & Sport BC Skate deck

-Boulder Center for Sports Medicine Lactate Threshold Test & 3D Bike Fit

-Boulder Running Company Gift Certificates

-Camel Bak M.U.L.E NV hydration system

-Crank Brothers XC/All MTN pedals

-Full Cycle Bike Shop will bring various surprises

-Giro Surface helmet

-Genuine Innovations Mountain Pipe Inflation system

-Hammer Nutrition on and off the bike nutrition kits

-Hayes Prime Disc Brakes Set

-Kenda Tires

-Lynn Bush Artwork

-Manitou R7 MRD fork

-Pearl Izumi Cycling & Casual wear

-Reuben’s Restaurant Gift Certificates

-Smartwool gear

-Smith sunglasses

-Sun Ringlé Black Flag Pro Wheels

-Timex WS4 watch

-TriFlow Bike care products

-Vecchio's Standard tune and TT approved* headwear

* = Tom Torrance approved

thursday nite FUNraiser

2011-08-18T13:02:00.001-06:00

So it's official....

We're holding a fundraiser next Thursday, Aug 25th 5-9 at Rocky Mounts in Boulder to help me make it to race the World Championships in Champery, Switzerland!

My sponsors and loads of local Boulder businesses have generously donated great prizes for the raffle and silent auction. I'll have a list of those up soon so check in again.

But until then, plan to join us for a lot of fun, brats from the Boulder Sausage Co, drinks from Oskar Blues and more eats from Ideal Market.

Hope to see you there!

worlds, baby!

2011-08-08T16:52:00.007-06:00

So....I got a call from Tom on Friday while I was driving to a race in Snowmass.

On a five hour drive filled with highway logjams and a couple of stops for oil and antifreeze checks, "Yay!" was the answer to the ringing phone.

"Are you "Yaying" because you made the Worlds team?" he asked.

"No. I'm "yaying" because it's you. I haven't heard if I've made the team or not."

"Oh. Well, I'm telling you, you made the Worlds team."

At least the race went
better than than the drive.

...which is when responses went from cheery "yays," to glass shattering, "YEEEEEAAAAAAHHHHHs!"

I'm headed to Champery, Switzerland to race the World Championships on September 3rd.

I'm psyched beyond words. It's been a crazy year getting to this point and I'm so happy I made the team. I really can't wait to go back to the World Championships.

But, wait I must. I'm currently in Vail, Colorado right now dealing with some car issues.

My trip home from Saturday's race has shown that the car needs a little more than antifreeze. And by little, I mean to say, you really don't want to know.

I bought this used car in May just after my last car went to that great big junkyard in the sky as I was moving boxes from my place in Boulder to live with my mom in Brighton, Colorado. The plan to save some cash for racing didn't factor in the car-going-kaput variable.

So...I've got some stuff to do for sure. Make it home, buy a ticket to the land of cows and chocolate, head to a job interview in Denver, keep the training up. Do the needful, but keep the focus....

Maybe Pavel, the mechanic I saw this morning, summed the situation up to its essence. After he gave me the range of diagnoses from the grim to really grim with the accompanying courses of action, he asked why I had all the bike stuff in the back of my Subaru. I explained I raced bikes and that this car situation comes after finding I made the Worlds Team...and that tickets to Switzerland aren't cheap.

After a short pause staring at the hood, he extended his hand to shake mine in congratulations and, with his Bulgarian accent, he gave another option.

"F@#k the car. Chase your dreams."

interview with smackchat endurance

2011-08-02T16:40:00.003-06:00

It was fun chatting with Thomas Ray of SmackChat Endurance. I think we covered the board on the sport of mountain biking: the future of it, racing in a world cup, riders that inspire me. Whew...good stuff....Click here to listen in.

missoula round up

2011-07-24T17:18:00.006-06:00

Photos courtesy
Tom Robinson
Photography

and in a word....

Finally!

I made my first XC podium this weekend at the ProXCT Finals in Missoula, Montana. I've made the stairs in the short track before, but I'm super psyched to have finally made the XC podium.

I really enjoyed the course which helped going in... probably because it suited my strengths. But objectively, I think the course was a great race course in some key areas:

1. It raced well - It had good passing and didn't set up riders for a heinous logjam at the first singletrack.

2. Good technical sections making it a mountain bike race vs a road race on dirt.

3. Good spectator draws - good crowds rounded out the course. Because somehow, when you're pedaling your brains out, it's nice to more than just chipmunks witness your pain.

4. Challenged all the riders with A and B line options - these make the race more exciting for both riders and spectators, and can raise the level of play.

There was about a 7 second gain for taking the jump over the ride-around but the consequences if things went awry or if you were just riding outside your skill set were far more drastic.

In addition, the crowds around the A-line in Missoula erupted when riders made the jump. So you gained 7 seconds and the cheers of the masses.

None of the women rode the A-line in Missoula, but almost all the top-ten men did. I'm thinking next year, we'll see the number rise.

And that's also saying I hope the ProXCT goes back to Missoula in 2012. They did a great job putting on this race and it was great to take part in it.

base camp schultz

2011-07-21T21:27:00.006-06:00

It was time to head north after we finished Nationals in Idaho. Amanda was off to Oregon for the High Cascades 100, while Colin, Andy and I were off to the ProXCT finals in Missoula, Montana.

Colin takes aim

Andy was born and raised in Missoula and, as I've come to find out, is now the unofficial mayor. Alright, maybe 'mayor' is an overstatement, but with all the trail tours, introductions and activities we've had since we got here - he's got to be on the city payroll. Either way, rolling with Andy has benefits.

Looking up at a turn on the descent.

Andy's folks, Bill and Cindy, aka "the SuperFans" are hosting Colin and I and a few other Montana ProXCT pilgrims for the week. And they've gone from SuperFans to SuperHosts. The cupboards were stocked for our arrival. As were the cookie jars. Unfortunately for my waistline, Cindy is a stellar baker. It's either that or there's an odd gravitational pull to the cookie jar here.

It's not often we have a week in one spot in between races. Usually there's travel time in between that keeps the schedule hopping. But having a week based out of the Schultz's house has been awesome. There's been time to train, rest and other stuff...

Time to jumper cable the legs. with the portable massage therapist Globus.

We checked out the course on Wednesday. The Missoula cycling community rallied to get this up and running. It was almost entirely all new trail as of late last year, but the organizers have made sure it has been run in enough with the local town races that the course rides like it's been around for years.

Much of the talk is about the 'A-line' that is still under consideration by UCI as to whether or not it will be in the race. (It will likely be there.) But it's a good 4' drop with gap that makes you nervous just contemplating the moves. I've watched JHK ride it, but at the moment I'm thinking...B line.

Though the A-line is the highlight, it isn't the only fun part. The course is steep and punchy up and steep and twisty and fast and chutey down. It will be a good race to ride and watch.

From the top of the A-line

Thursday was a full packed day. Andy was up at 5a.m. for his live spot on 'Missoula Today' talking about the race. (I told you this guy is the mayor. Check it out here.) Afterwards, Andy and I rode the "Ewok Trail" with a local kids camp and and witnessed the two-wheeled funny-ness that is inherent in any kid event...including a Blok eating contest.

Then Andy and Colin did an easy spin with the Arizona Devo team who is also in Missoula for the race.

But that's not all...no Thursday would be complete without shooting clay pigeons. Andy grew up hunting so he lent us his expertise and shot guns for some target practice today. It took a few rounds but we all got better. I think it's safe to say....Clay Pigeons, Beware!

And after spins and shooting, to finish the sport of downtime triatholon is of course...ping pong. We had a mini-tournament last night. Adam from the Jamis team and RM Choc Factory MTB manager Joey rounded out the tourney ladder. Part of the motivation to win was the loser of each round was subject to "Welt." The victor gets to take ping pong aim at the loser across the table who stands butt-to-table facing the other way with their back exposed. If ever there was a more aptly named game...

Today it's back to ride the course. We've had some rain this week so the course should be nice and tacky. The pro women race at 3pm tomorrow and the men race at 6. Starting at 7 is the after party which has as much anticipation surrounding it as the race.

Troy takes misses his shot at Welt.

Let the games...continue!

Andy and Joey in the Match Royale

on the stairs in wisco!

2011-07-01T09:45:00.004-06:00

Rolled in 5th for the Wisconsin ProXCT short track race last weekend. How I managed to find the one rock on a very smooth course that smashed my rear derailleur in the process - I'll never know....perhaps that's a talent?

Had a good day in Saturday's cross country race too finishing just over 30 seconds off 5th place in 6th. Considering I was chasing the very talented technical rider Kelli Emmett on a very technical course, I'm very happy to have been that close.

It was a very fun course to race; the kind that makes people fall in love with mountain biking. Lots of twists, turns, rocks and roots in the trees.

And the Wisconsin course was as fun as the Wisconsin crowd. Super friendly people who know how to make some noise. Really, hearing a little cow bell goes a long way when you're hurting.

Fun riding in Wisco
Photo courtesy:
Dave McElwaine

It was great to meet people in Wisconsin- some who know me through my Bike Jockey column. I feel truly fortunate and deeply happy to hear somebody say they read something I wrote and it made them laugh, think or say "That happened to me too!" I'm really lucky to get to do what I do.

Next stop, the world cup in Windham, NY next weekend!

life as a bike jockey: chasing the carrot

2011-06-14T23:19:00.003-06:00

The 10th annual Teva Mountain Games in Vail, Colorado came and went this past weekend.

As if the $3,000 payout for first place in the pro XC race wasn’t enough to draw riders from across the U.S., there was also a festival organized around competitive mountain sports from rock climbing to slopestyle riding with a slew of rad others in between.

The venue was teeming with elite level athletes all devoted to their sports. And even though the atmosphere is fun and exciting, you know what preceded the arrival of all these competitors was the many hours of training and commitment. While I’m sure performance goals varied by individual, all these competitive athletes likely worked to overcome some financial, physical or emotional challenges just to get to their respective start lines.

Why people gravitate to one sport over another is their own gig, but I think it’s a human trait to set a carrot and go after it.

Click here to read more...

vail teva mountain games 2011

2011-06-07T07:25:00.003-06:00

Just got back from the Vail Teva Mountain Games.

As always, so much to do and see, it made it hard to stay off the feet and keep rested in between the 20 miles (and 4,000ft of climbing!) for Saturday's XC race and Sunday's 9.75 miles of flats and 2,500 ft of climbing in the road TT.

A $3,000 check to the winner pulled in some of the fastest girls in the Rocky Mountains. It was a tough level of play.

With all the climbing and the 70 degree temps - I cracked hard on lap 3 on Saturday. You know how bad it gets. When you get all cold and tingly and start seeing break dancing penguins on the trailside. Yeah, it was that kind of ugly. But I felt much better on the road TT. It was only 30 minutes of suffering compared to the XC 1.5 hours of hill climbing delight. Perspective is a funny thing.

That said, the fitness is coming around which is encouraging. I keep forgetting that I was in a boot and off the bike all winter, so patience and tempering expectations is a good practice these days. I pulled in lucky 7s in both events.

Like I said earlier, the Teva Mountain Games are just an awesome event to see. The Paddle Boarding, the Slopestyle event, the Dog Jumping was particularly hilarious. And there was still so much more to see.

The GoPro Camera company was out in full force putting cameras on all sorts of athletes. Below is winning run from the slopestyle competition. ...Amazing.

love this commercial!

2011-05-15T22:36:00.001-06:00

sea otter recovery ride

2011-05-14T18:17:00.003-06:00

oh the places biking takes you....

mtb action!

2011-05-05T11:44:00.003-06:00

Made page 79 of Junes Mountain Bike Action magazine.
...feelin' pretty psyched.

talk to yourself

2011-04-26T10:23:00.002-06:00

Competitive cyclists spend countless hours getting fit and honing technical skills. Not to be overlooked, however, is training to be a good conversationalist — with oneself.
Click here to read more...

if a car can park itself...

2011-04-25T08:49:00.001-06:00

a bike can ride itself

G-g-g-ghost Bike

Brock Samson | Myspace Video

heads up!

2011-04-19T15:43:00.003-06:00

The new Kenda/Felt Mountain Bike Team
site has launched!

Check it out!

Photo thanks to Tom Robertson Photography

voted the best team photo ever

2011-04-17T18:06:00.004-06:00

The Kenda/Felt Team and Carl
or really,

Carl...
and the Kenda/Felt Team

Photo thanks to Tom Robertson Photography

Fontana National Super D

2011-04-08T12:13:00.004-06:00

Krista Park and I; 3rd and 2nd in the Fontana Super D
Photo courtesy of MTBAction

2nd place on a hard tail. Psyched on that....and with how gnarly the course was, just as happy to have kept the rubber side down.

ProXCT #1, STX - Bonelli Park, CA

2011-03-17T11:30:00.005-06:00

Tom Robertson of Tom Robertson Photography took these photos of the STX finish in Bonelli Park this weekend.

I was beat like a drum from the XC race the day before and I just hanging on to the lead pack of seven riders for the STX. I kept yo-yoing off the back and worked hard to keep contact. Things took off mid-way in the second-to-last lap.

I made my move to get 5th just two turns before we hit the final pavement. I was hurting the entire time, but I kept telling myself to not give up. I was so stoked when I grabbed the last podium stair.

Thanks to Tom, I got to see what it looked like.

Life as a Bike Jockey: Planes, Pains & Automobiles

2011-02-15T18:36:00.003-07:00

Though snow is still covering trails across most the U.S., the national mountain bike calendar will be kicking off in a few weeks with its first stop at Bonelli Park in Southern California.

New friends
en route to a race.

That means it’s not only time to be race ready, it’s also time to be ready for travel.

Click here to read more on Singletrack.com.

taxes sunny side up

2011-02-12T20:45:00.003-07:00

Great ride today today around Carter Lake. It seems my taxes are going to use just where I like 'em - making nice smooth roads for biking.

It made for a much nicer ride mooching off the back. What can I say? The winds were heinous today and my momma didn't raise no fools.

missing the heat

2011-02-06T22:05:00.004-07:00

No run ins with the authorities this weekend...
just lots of snow.

boot free and out in the wild

2011-01-30T08:13:00.004-07:00

After almost exactly 3 months, I got the go-ahead from the doc to remove the boot and get on with it. The bone isn't fully healed, so running, hiking and kick boxing are out of the question. But it is healed enough that I can go bootless...and go riding outside.

Got the go ahead to put weight back on the foot late December so started trainer riding. Before that, I was trying to swim, but had to give it up. The chlorine in the pool was rough. With Colorado's dry climate, it was like wearing a full body itch-suit.

As advised, trainer riding was really mellow with little resistance riding and supah boooooring. So riding outside yesterday was awesome. And a bit of shocker to feel how much fitness I lost. Still, it wasn't as bad as I anticipated.

But in addition to the fitness, I've lost a little muscle. And by little...I mean a lot. I'm weighing in at almost 10lbs lighter than what I started at last year and...from what I weighed when I graduated high school. But saying that last bit kind of has a nice ring to it - so I'm just going to go with it.

No records were set but the ride was great. And...as it goes without saying...no great ride goes without a police escort. And, by escort here...I mean getting pulled over for failing to come to a complete stop.

It's true. My bad. A ticket-worthy offense, but I was lucky to get off with a warning. The officer was very cool and made me realize how dangerous that particular intersection is and how serious that can turn out.

Also made me realize...I have to keep riding so I'm not the last one in a group that gets caught by the cops.

team set for 2011

2011-01-26T08:07:00.001-07:00

Getting things organized for 2011. Here's the latest!

a year in review over coffee - post on singletrack.com

2010-12-31T08:41:00.003-07:00

It’s almost the new year and time when a lot of cyclists are reviewing the year past to plan for the next. That and a cup of coffee will set the stage for reflection.
Click here to read more...

this bird is cooked - time for some r & r

2010-08-02T13:00:00.001-06:00

The National Championships race in Granby, Colorado has come and gone. Some unexpected time off the bike this Spring set the training plans asunder, but luckily I had some time to get back to it some before the championships. I’m finally feeling the form starting to come around. Better late than never I suppose - but I had trained to be much fitter earlier in the season. Ah, fitness can be a fickle friend.

Team mate Andy Schultz in the STX
at the National Champs

Had I’d anticipated the 90-degree heat, the dust and the bumpy course for Saturday’s cross county course, I think I’d have thrown in time on a highway crew operating a jackhammer in preparation. All the same, the tenth place for the XC and sixth for the STX was a welcome surprise. I wasn’t sure what to expect for the weekend.

THIS BIRD IS COOKED

I was pretty worked after the weekend at the National Champs. I don't know what it was exactly, but I was useless on a bike for a few days after the weekend. When just the thought of putting the chammy on to go riding is exhausting, it’s time to shift gears for a little R&R.

FAMILY TIME

I went up to my mom's house north of Boulder to hang out for a couple of days. My aunt was in town too so it was double duty getting to spend some time with her. She's my godmother and won't let me forget it - the mother Michael Corleone never had.

WATCHING BIKING IS STILL TRAINING, RIGHT?

The Tour was still on so we got a little quality together time in front of the boob tube. My aunt doesn't know much about cycling so – as the resident expert with no road expertise - I explained what little I understand of road racing.

My Aunt and Stage 18 TDF

It was a sorry tutelage that only really covered why the guy dressed in all yellow hung out so much with the guys in the pretty turquoise outfits. I was at fewer words still to explain why the guy in white road away from the guy in green like he was standing still in Stage 18. I’m thinking Thor felt at even more a loss. Good thing Phil and Paul were there to pick up the slack.

BACK TO WORK

But there's always more to do when you go home for a visit. We took a trip to the big city for provisions. At an impressive 5’2”, you can guess I was brought along as the brawn to push the cart – which was fine by me.

Price Check,

aisle...ah, forget it.

With two Alpha-shoppers, it's better if I keep my mouth shut. I just stood by while my mom and aunt argued over which five dollar, jumbo container of coffee grounds was better.

Suggesting they’d do the same to add a brown crayon to cup of hot water only would have thrown gas on the fire.

ROCKY WOULD’VE WANTED IT THIS WAY

My mom lives on a bit of property so there's usually yard work to do too. And by usually, I mean always. But things in that department have improved dramatically since she got a riding mower. While Balboa’s farmhand cross-training in Rocky IV was inspiring, I was more motivated just to cruise around on a John Deere for a while.

My other ride

This thing even comes with a cup holder for your favorite barley-based beverage - a well-thought out, if not just thoughtful, design feature for the schmucks stuck with the mowing if you ask me.

NATURALLY ELITE ATHLETES

But the benefit of a bit of property is the opportunity to entertain guests; specifically the four legged type. My mom has lent the front field to a neighbor's mare and foal.

"A little to the left, please?"

My brother and Weezie

I’m pretty certain horses are some of the coolest athletes on earth. Naturally competitive, and operating on pretty much on a grass diet – they’re amazing to watch.

Hanging out in front of the house for a while is Spicey and her foal, Weezie.

While I think they like having the extra room to cruise about, I know we love having them around. It's a little free equine therapy.

BACK TO WORK, WORK

This weekend is the Colorado State Championships in Keystone. Keystone usually has a good course with a lot of singletrack climbling and descending. The resort is known for its rocky, rough descents that make it a fun place to ride.

Then it’s off to Windham Resort in upstate New York. The U.S. is hosting it’s first World Cup race since 2005…and the series finals no less.

Wish me luck!

a profile in pain - national champs stx; granby, colorado

2010-07-19T07:44:00.006-06:00

Everyone wondered what this year's nationals STX course would be like - given last year it was basically up a steep hill, down a steep hill and repeat.

Lap 2 - Relaxed, focused.
Photo courtesy Mike Kane

For 2010, we didn't have quite the climb we had last year - we just had sub two-minute laps. And with Katie Compton on form yesterday, that was enough to change half the field's race plan from racing for rank to pedaling till pulled.

I'd have to watch the video again on CyclingDirt.org, but I think Katie starting lapping people about half way through the race. I don't think officials A. anticipated this B. we're prepared to pull people as fast as they had to, let alone C. had enough time to rally an emergency response for the carnage Katie was laying to 95% of the women's pro field. Consequently, it got a little weird towards the end.

10 minutes in?
Breathing hard, but still mostly composed.
Photo courtesy Mike Kane

We went from the official yelling "3 laps to go!" to "last lap!" and totally skipped the in-between - which was disappointing because I definitely needed two laps to pull myself out of sinkhole of pain I was in to execute the miracle comeback master plan. (Master plans always take at least two laps - everyone knows this.)

And when Katie came past me (needless to say, like a freight train) with just a couple laps left, I sat up wondering if I just missed being pulled. I looked back for an official thinking, "Where's the..." which is when I saw 7th charging at me - and realized the game was still on. Nothing like a little panic rush to get moving.

20 minutes in?
Looking a little unraveled.
Photo courtesy Mike Kane

Despite the chaos, I was super happy with my result. I finished sixth in the end. I did catch fifth and held it for a couple of laps but blew a gasket trying to keep it. I had to recover just to hang on to sixth.

Mike Kane took some photos I've included here. They're kinda funny because they go from the first lap to working hard but staying cool, to 20 minutes in...working hard and looking like I'm about to cry.

T minus one lap till melt down.

Photo courtesy Mike Kane

After the race, I got a little bummed that I couldn't hold on to a podium spot at nationals. But c'est la guerre. It's got me riled up to do better next time, so maybe that's what it's worth. You never know. Things always have a crazy way of working out for the best.

got any jumper cables? - national championships; granby, co

2010-07-17T21:01:00.004-06:00

Amanda lent me her Globus e-Stim kit for a little post race recovery today. There's an active recovery program that actually makes the legs feel pretty good. And...it's mildly amusing to watch.

I say mildly because hooking your legs up with jumper cables and watching the muscles fire while you're just sitting around is kinda cool. But it also more or less grabs all the safety chub on the legs and jiggles it for 20 minutes - which isn't a feel good to watch...so it all averages out mildly amusing. Either way, it's good to have a little extra recovery after today's course.

Except for the bumpy sections where it was hard to get a rhythm to pedal, I enjoyed this year's national champs course. I missed the shaded climbing sections of last's years course here in Granby, CO- especially given today's temps in the 80s. But they made sure to include a good portion of the steep climb from '09 just to make sure no one longed too much for yesteryear.

I had a better ride last year and pulled in 7th, but I was happy to get 10th this time around. I've had a lot of unexpected time off the bike (and the writing obviously) this season, and I kinda feel like I'm getting back in the groove now.

My teammate Amanda had a stellar ride pulling in 11th. She's been training crazy hard for the upcoming Leadville 100 and still pulled out a solid finish - getting stronger every lap. Andy and Colin didn't have the rides they wanted (21st and 17th respectively), but given today's heat and altitude and no lack of dust - it wasn't hard to have an off day. And everyone has an off day at some point.

Anyhow...time for bed and to get ready for tomorrow's short track. Hoping the jump start to the legs is just what I need.

on the road again...to california

2010-04-05T11:15:00.007-06:00

I decided to drive out to California to save some cash on flights. I got the precursory oil change and figured I was on my way.

Which, technically, I was on my way…until four hours into the drive when I pulled off I-70 to my usual Fruita/Loma trail for a little mid-trip ride.

My car decided she’d had enough and that the middle of the road was a fine place to take a break - despite my protests.

So I got to catch a lift with Charles of RF & Sons towing. Learned a bit about the towing industry, the 15 gears on a tow truck and how re-poing a tractor is harder than you think.

Holy Cross Trail - A & B line options

Charles dropped me off at Shrums Automotive and introduced me to David. David was sympathetic to my, “Have to be in California by Friday” situation.

They got my car up on the lift immediately and instead of leaving me to watch reruns of Bonanza in the waiting room, David gave me a lift out to the new-to-me Lunch Loops at the Tabeguache trailhead.

More Holy Cross Trail

The problem with riding alone - you take your own photos and still try to prove you were there.

Maintained by COPMOBA, there’s a series of trails on this stretch of BLM lands to provide a quick pedal round or a good day’s riding. The rolling and rocky terrain provides engaging and fun riding with plenty of A and B options depending upon how plucky you’re feeling.

A couple hours later, I arrived at my half-ton taxi waiting to haul me back to my car. One timing belt and water pump later, Shrums had me back on the road en route to California.

And it didn't seem my automotive good-times were over in Grand Junction. Tired after Sunday's short-track, I drove back to the hotel and promptly locked my keys in my car.

Daniel at work

Thank God I have good car insurance, they covered the towing and for Daniel from another yet another towing company to break into my car for me.

Daniel was pretty funny. I went pale in the face when he asked me if I wanted the glass to break on the inside or outside of the car. I was relieved but still in shock when he said, "Just kidding."

I was surprised I got him back though when he finally got my car door open and told him mine was the car next to it. Ha! Touché!

Mary's Loop

I did stop to ride in Loma/Fruita on my way home. New trails are great, but old favorites have their place too.

thank you, mr. smith

2010-03-25T09:31:00.007-06:00

Lots of changes this season, but happy that my sunglasses sponsor is not one of them. Smith Optics is my sunglass sponsor again for 2010, and I am psyched.

They sent me three wicked pair of shades; the Parallel Max, the Shorelines and the new Pivlock V90s.

I've got a small face, so finding sunglasses that fit me, provide good wind coverage and don't make me look like a Sleestak is no small endeavor. But Smith has such a large array, that I always seem to find a pair that suits my needs.

The Smoke with
Platinum Mirror Lens

These Pivlock V90s are sweet. Aside from the excellent fit (they also come in 'Max' version for larger faces), they don't have a rim. The ear and nose pieces pop off when you change lenses. Without the top frame on the glass, they provide an excellent, clear line of vision.

No Sleestak for me, thanks!

I've been riding with these Pivlocks for the last few rides and they've worked like a charm. This set came with replaceable lens (a choice of rose and super dark) which is great for varied conditions, but this light mirror lens has been doing the trick for every ride this week.

Heading to Fontana right now to try them out in the dust cloud that will be the start of the women's xc race. Looking forward to it!

Thank you, Mr. Smith!

riding in south africa

2010-03-12T12:52:00.005-07:00

My friend John picked up his brother who flew in from South Africa this past Christmas. His brother gave him the in-flight magazine, Sawubona from South African Airways - because it had a piece on the sport of mountain biking. (John is a super-talented sport photographer shooting for MTBAction...not to mention just a big mtb fan.)

Anyhow, the story talks about a few things like the history of mountain bikes, the various kinds of mountain bikes available today and some stuff folks should know before buying a bike. It also included, to John's surprise, a picture of me!

Here's a photo from page 176 of the mag. It's from the 2009 US Nationals STX race at Sol Vista.

Sweet! I've always wanted to ride in South Africa.

Thank yous to John for the heads up and the very helpful people at SAA, especially Elizabeth Ninomiya - SAA Director of Marketing Communications, for finding and sending me this copy!

when the snow flies, thoughts turn to indoor things...

2009-12-03T09:46:00.006-07:00

A friend gave me a heads up to check out pg. 18 in the January issue of MTB Action...

This is a shot from Ray's MTB Park in Cleveland, Ohio riding around in the park after we raced last year's XC Challenge at Ray's.

In the photo, I'm on a plank, that when you ride on it, your weight activates the pulleys that swing the plank around to connect with the ramp in the lower corner of the photo.

There's a few bits of trail in Ray's like this; the kind where you ride onto a ramp or elevator, track stand till it connects to the next section, and then navigate the rest of the course. It's kinda crazy. You feel like one of those pin balls in maze that negotiates its way thru a series of turn wheels, teeter totters, etc. And if you time it wrong...it's penalty time.

Actually, the whole park is like participating in an alternate reality where you feel like a kid in a theme park or a character in a video game. Literally, the place is just section after kooky fun section - that when you ride around you're so focused on biking thru the challenges at hand, it's like nothing else in the world exists. At least that's what I think.

Really, you need to go find out for yourself. Seriously.

Since it's indoors, you can get your summer fun fix without paying the airfare to Hawaii. They have a really good set up for traveling in from out of state. Fly into Cleveland and catch a shuttle to the Cleveland Holiday Inn. (They have a Ray's Stay Special on rates.) Set up camp and get back to the lobby and catch the shuttle to Ray's. Take your own bike, or rent one while you're there. They'll take care of you either way. I took my Scale, lowered my saddle and rode around for days on end.

There's riding sections to keep you entertained for hours on end no matter your ability - beginner or bad ass. Take your kids too. As they say...the family that bikes together...well, they bike together. (no good rhyme there). Long story short, you'll have fun...just go.

a good read

2009-11-16T23:21:00.004-07:00

For a very cool read...

100 races on a single day

2009-10-30T20:41:00.019-06:00

I bike, not run, and consequently - I rarely see a running event. But I also sell a nutritional supplement called Vemma. So when I got the opportunity to exhibit some product at the 24 Hours of Boulder, I thought it was a good time to see what my athletic second-cousins were up to.

Early on October 17th, with the sun just coming up over the Boulder Reservoir behind me, I set up my tent while race participants readied themselves for the day. About 100 people came from across the country for a variety of race categories: a 100 miler, a 12-hour and a 24-hour race. Some would walk, some would run, some would go as a team, some would go solo. But all would go, for hours on end; and most would go through the night.

In between talking with passers-by, I got to watch as runners did rounds on a 7.14-mile lap. Funny enough, I had to ask myself, why anyone would want to run for that long. I’ve raced a few 24-hour mountain bike events and know that sleep deprivation and a 24-hour flogging can be the stuff that memories are made of. But, daaamn Forrest - that’s a lot time on the dogs. I’ve been asked why I race, and I’ve never been able to really put it into words. But now, being an outside observer, the question commanded more of an answer. Why would a person put themselves up to the task of running for 24 hours or 100 miles?

Noora Alidina

1st - Women's 100 mile Race

Noora flew in to Denver Saturday a.m. before the 9 o'clock start. Then, after winning the women's 100-mile race in 23:02 on Sunday morning, she slapped on some jeans and left to catch her flight home to Florida that afternoon.

For the first 23 hours, I chalked it up as one for the crazies. That makes it easy to file it away, nice and tidy, and not think about it again. But around the 24th hour, when fatigue was obviously a competitor to be reckoned with and many of the paces had lost their frequency and blister-free confidence, I found myself getting wrapped up in the thought of why would someone show up at the startline to race an ultra.

200 miles combined by

John Glennon, Jesse McDaniel,

Emma Keenan, Molly Fitsimmons, David Glennon

That’s when I started thinking about Abraham Maslow. Maslow was a Humanistic Psychologist who had a lot to say about human behavior. One thing that stuck in my mind was his idea that people have an internal desire to find their potential, to become more of themselves, or to “self-actualize.” We aren’t driven by this desire. A lot of stuff comes before wanting to satisfy reaching one’s potential; like eating, having shelter or having a sense of belonging. But when humans get the chance, we will entertain this desire, and maybe work to satisfy it. It’s this desire that I find so interesting since it does point us in the direction of “Why?”

I figured I’d make a small attempt to get to the bottom of this bipedal madness. While I couldn't talk with everyone, I got the chance to chat with a few of these racers about why they do ultra-races.

I started my mini-quest by talking with 62-year-old Ulrich “Ulli” Kamm. Ulli was on the penultimate lap of his 100-mile walk and was wearing the same smile I saw him with about 18 hours earlier. Ulli has been doing ultra events for over 40 years now. I asked him why he puts himself through the effort. His motives have changed over the years, but he says in recent years it’s been because he can. Celebrating and being thankful for the fact he has the health to do these walks gets him to the startline today. Ulli readily admits that Edeltraud Kamm, his wife and one-person crew, has been the key to his success for over 200 ultras.

Ulli & Edeltraud

Then I met Bob Mercil. Bob was in his car, having a bite and taking a load off the feet that had just finished running 78 miles. Bob lives in nearby Broomfield and decided at the athletic last minute (i.e. he didn’t train for the event) to jump in with the intent of supporting a local event and “maybe get in 4…5 laps at most.” Asked what got this 70 year old to complete 11 laps instead, he just replied that at the end of every lap, he asked himself if maybe he couldn’t do “just one more.”

Bob Mercil

Then of course there's the very accomplished Anne Riddle-Lundblad. Anne does ultra-runs for the solitude and mental challenge. And given her experience, she got her money’s worth in challenge this past 24-Hrs of Boulder. Just six hours into it, in the heat of the afternoon, she had some serious doubts about the whole 24 hours and thought about packing it in right then and there. Walking with her cell, she called her husband back home in Asheville, NC. With some encouraging words, and getting a tighter reign on her eating and drinking, she went on to finish the race. Anne completed 121 miles in 23:05 and also just happened to win the women’s 24-hour race.

Anne Riddle-Lundblad

Upping the ante was a shared purpose for Theresa Majeed of Fort Collins, CO and Chip Tilden of New York City. Neither of them is a stranger to ultra running (both have at least a 50-miler under their belt). They finally just decided it was time for their first 100-mile race.

Theresa Majeed with the team cheering squad.

Theresa signed up to support a buddy who was running in the event. Her friend didn’t finish, but she decided to carry on. After pacing her pal, her goals were to have fun and finish in good form. Finishing 3rd in the women’s race with a smile and a 100 miles logged in the books, you could easily say she did it.

I asked Chip why he caught a flight, half way across the US to run for 24 hours. Chip said he was ready for a new challenge. He also did his homework and thought this mostly flat course would be friendly for a beginner. Running 100 miles is no cakewalk. (The race crew did serve quesadillas, but no cake). Chip thought it’d be a good course to help “redefine the potential.” He wanted to beat the clock and finish 100 miles before the 3pm cutoff. By noon on Sunday, Chip was enjoying one of those quesadillas and a job well done.

Chip finishing his 100

Which brings me to the last runner I watched, Melissa Dell. I could see Melissa was tired that Sunday morning. But what stood out more was the determination to complete her 100 miles. While her support crew helped with snacks and sunscreen, you could see her visor-covered gaze was fixed in the direction of the last lap.

Melissa's last lap.

There are many things Melissa enjoys about ultra-runs; like the camaraderie and the exercise. She also enjoys the new experiences. Melissa has run in ultras around the world, from South Africa to Mongolia. One reason for this variety is because she’s “curious what [the events] are like and what new things about running (and more generally about leading a fulfilling life) [she’ll] learn through them.”

I guess that’s why I kept thinking of Maslow. I suppose the desire to become more of ourselves is the answer to “why?” – in all its forms. Maybe it’s why some people race bikes, or some people go for “one more lap,” or why some people finally honor the voice within that says “It’s time.” Or maybe it’s the reason you push yourself just because you can or join race after race to find out whatever it has to teach you. And maybe it’s what brings us back from the brink of quitting to carry on and possibly even win. The thing is, even though we may all have this desire, it colors each person’s race a different shade of why. So for every ultra-running event there are as many why’s at the startline as there are pairs of shoes.

Fred Ecks beat his goal of completing

100 miles in under 24 hours.

He placed 2nd in the 24 Hr Men's race,

completing 100 miles in 22:41.

you lookin at me?

2009-10-26T09:47:00.008-06:00

On my way in the door to the gym the other night, I passed this Health Fair bus parked in the lot.

This guy looks more like the guy who would send you to the doctor, vrs actually being a doctor.

They may want to rethink this one...it's not like there was a line out the door of folks looking to see this Dr. Jimmy No-Tie, capiche?

good things to come

2009-10-21T08:22:00.017-06:00

I went down to the Valmont Bike Park demonstration - to get my share of the news...

An event that was more or less a very well put-on practice-run, the cx race was a promising preview of what's in store for the bike park.

From my spectating point of view, the races rolled smoothly. Just hanging out in the expo area, you could see there was a good flow to the venue and the ability to accommodate a good size turnout.

The start line, announcers box, expo area, spectator-accessibility...it all looked good. I was told that the course was kinda bumpy in areas, but the same riders also said they could see that clear up with a little more work. That was the only course complaint I heard which said a lot for the first go.

More dirt moving is planned for this week, so there's still some changes to be made. But, all in all, this park is going to be wicked when completed early next year. They are taking the steps now to ensure it will be capable of hosting UCI compliant events. Good thinking, 99.

And the weather couldn't have been better. With today's 40 degree rain, Saturday's 70 degrees and sunshine makes me think that ritual offerings and sun dances may have some merit.

Still sporting the thumb brace (which makes me look like an over-zealous bowler always ready for a game), I took the day to enjoy life on the other side of the tape and watch a couple of races. I got to see the Tough Girl squad out in force which was awesome.

Back from an engineer project in Ecuador, Brenda was on the bike and getting back to the real business of biking. We also got a new cx rider out there, Melissa, who had her head down and was charging it. Team manager, designer, and the generally busy Lynn was also out pedaling in the ranks.

Despite a busy work-life, family and kids, TG Margel showed up to throw down. It's a universal fact in the animal kingdom that mothers, be them bears, iguanas or cross-moms, are a fierce breed. Don't mess with 'em.

Another hot momma on the treads was Lisa Strong. Having kids must redefine pain because this is year number 2 that Lisa is out there mixing it up at the front of the pro-field after a lengthy time off the bike. Motherhood isn't a training program I'm particularly interested, but it looks effective.

Some bigger name riders even showed up. Not just from the Boulder cache of World Class cyclists (which, by the way, makes local racing freaking hard!), but from around the state with Alison Dunlap and Kelli Emmett.

Even the recent Boulder export/California import, Kerry Barnholt, flew in and - as expected - flew by on the bike. Semi-retirement has had little effect...KB remains a Speedy Gonzales.

I also took the day for some paparazzi-esque activity. I have to add the 'esque' to this photojournalism effort since most the photos I ended up with were too blurry to identify anyone or were a poorly-timed picture of a pedal-pushing butt.

Chucking out the accidental glute-a-rama, what remains are the few shots you see here. A side note though - since everyone and their grandmother were out, every time I turned around, I got to catch up with an old friend or cycling chum.

While a community bike park is awesome for just this reason, it is the same reason I didn't wander further than 15 ft from the corner you see in these pictures.

For some more photos, check out 303 Cycling.

So...get ready for the park's completion next year. For riders, racers and spectators alike...there is good stuff on the way.

get your rallypants on!

2009-10-16T08:51:00.005-06:00

Time to rally for the ground breaking Valmont Bike Park Fest happening at the new Valmont Bike Park in Boulder this Saturday, October 17th.

In addition to the cyclocross race entertainment provided by the masses of peddling gluttons for punishment, there will be a beer garden, vendor expo, new cycling areas to peruse...and did I mention beer garden?

Beer sale proceeds will go to funding the bike park - so all day long, every hour is a happy hour.

Come check out one of the biggest outdoor bike projects in the U.S. A donor and city funded effort, this park is unique in size, biking options and could well set the bar for bike parks to come throughout the U.S.

The site will host pump tracks, mtb trails, dirt jumps, obviously cyclocross course options....and many other two-wheeled options for fun.

Grab your sunnies and come out for some fun while checking out what is in store for 2010 when plans are slated for completion. Weather looks favorable for this flight of cycle-fancy with sunny skies and temperatures in the 60s - so don't forget your sunscreen.

Races start at 8 am and run till after 3pm.

Read more about the park and event on the official Valmont Bike Park Blog.

freeeeeedom!

2009-10-12T09:24:00.006-06:00

No cast.
No surgery.
Just a few weeks of a splint and theraputic thumb sit-ups and thumb squats and I'm back in thumbness, baby!

Whew. I was working hard to keep focus on the positive but was definitely sweating the prospect of surgery every now and again. Two doctors thought it was a distinct possibility which was an idea on the wrong side of scary.

Things easily could have been worse, but the whole deal really put emphasis on appreciation for the small stuff (like whoop! whoop! for little working opposable sticks of awesomeness). Yeah good health!

I've heard a lot of good stuff on needling therapy to help with healing; so I'm signed up to see what that voodoo is all about on Wednesday. Let the healing begin!

casting call

2009-10-05T21:48:00.014-06:00

Back to the hand specialist today to get rid of the plaster and see if surgery is necessary or not. As far as I'm concerned, my plan is for the doc calling an ixnay on the urgersay. I'm looking forward to getting back to my full-time paid position of professional thumb wrestler. It's true, thumb wrestling. This biking thing is just a front.

I got x-rays after my post on Canberra. I ended up lucking out of the breaks to just partially tearing a ligament in my thumb. I should have updated the post with the final prognosis though. Through the pinecone wireless, word got around a bit that I raced with a broken wrist. Though I could have rightly laid claim to the title of badassio for that, I'm happy I didn't have that issue to deal with. Not that I'm overjoyed about the injury, at least I'm learning from it-if not just making theories of it.

Like Cinderella's Don't Know What You Got. Conventional thought is that it's all about love lost. But, I've had suspicions for a long time now it's been about something else. Until recent, chief on that list was bulk buying power of AquaNet or the rock star status that enabled quasi-drag outfits to have mainstream appeal. But now I'm certain, it's all about the opposable thumb. It turns out, thumbs are really pretty useful and inconspicuously involved in pretty much every hand task outside an Eminem-esque expression for "I don't agree."

Eating cereal. I love eating cereal. It's the easiest of meals, but this cast has robbed me of any enjoyment of it. Only being able to hold a spoon with the fore and middle fingers, eating with utensils has all the grace and coordination of a chimp eating ants with a stick. Yah, chimps have thumbs too, but they don't use it much for holding spoons (mostly just for hitchhiking).

Consequently, mealtime brings a small paranoia that Jane Goodall and a British camera crew are going to show up at the table to film, take notes and name me something from the Family F; like Furless or Fumbleton.

I've tried to use my left (non-dominant) hand so I don't look like such an ape at the table, but that takes so long, I'm hungrier 30 minutes into the meal than before I started. When it comes to eating, I've since given up on any sort of manners, and probably to the disgust of any dinner dates, I've gone back to my chimping ways. Neither BBC exposé nor the threat of lifelong singledom will keep me from eating when hungry.

That said, I have been trying to use this time as an opportunity to get ambidextrous. I'm getting a little better, but silver linings only shed so much light. Everything, especially everyday tasks, take so much longer and still end up slightly off. It's really tempting to just look like a monkey and get it done than do the 24-Hours-of-Everything. The list of thumb involved activities is endless...

Cooking (Hence all the cereal). Turning a key. Brushing teeth. Makeup. (I've ended up looking like Alice Cooper a couple of times trying to put on mascara.) Combing hair (Hello, Don King). Dancing. (All the classic moves rock the thumbs up-that's dancing 101.) Signing anything. Every time I fill out a check, I wonder if the bank is going to suspect fraud. Not that I'd be affected, but I'd feel sorta bad if the Girl Scouts who sell me cookies got taken down to the station under suspicion of trying to earn their forgery badges.

As you guessed, biking hasn't been the easiest; so lucky it's a good time of year for cross-training. A lot of gym time lately. Just for something different, I've been looking at trying the equipment I usually only watch people use; like that one 'climber' machine that you stand up on and move like your scrambling up a steep hill hand over fist. I normally have my music on when I see others use it which makes them look like there doing the big moves out of Flashdance. It's usually some guy in baggy sweatpants. Somehow, I'm still just not tempted to try that workout.

Anyhow, long story short, the cast comes off today. Needless to say, I'm looking forward to it.

cheers mate! - one last yammer on worlds

2009-09-18T13:30:00.021-06:00

This photo made possible by...ALL Y'ALL!

Got this last photo from Calvin, the US team mechanic from Park Tools. This was most of the team in, as Tom would say, our Captain America jerseys. Though it is a month after the fact now, still thought it was a great time to say one last "THANK YOU."

So many people came out of the woodwork from all corners of the planet to help me get to Worlds.

Your support, donations, attending the TG fundraiser, hugs, phone calls, emails, congrats and 'Go Get 'Em, Judes' not only helped me get there, but made the experience something I will never forget. You were all riding with me in Australia.

It was incredible to hear from everyone; my sponsors, friends, family, strangers...everyone. It was so touching, I have to say, I got all teary a few times. Thinking of it now, still makes a little verklempt. sniff...sniff...talk amongst yourselves...

Seriously though, there is no way I could possibly thank everyone or ever put into words what your support meant to me.

But abiding by sound logic has never been my thing - so I'm going to try...

The following may be long winded, but hey - a girl's gotta do, what a girl wants to do.

Tough Girl Cycling - We may be small in budget, but great in heart. Thank you ladies! Lynn- You're an incredible team manager!
Coach Trombley - WE DID IT!
Mom, Dad and ALL the Family Freeman around the world - Couldn't have done it without you in my corner. Love you guys so much.
Victory Circle Graphix - AJ, Thanks for sharing your love of racing.
Staron Massage - Thanks for putting me back together again...repeatedly!
Scott USA - Thanks for putting me on the winning bike! So what if technically that bike belonged to Schurter - I was still at Worlds on a rad bike.
Rocky Mounts - You've been helping get to the trail head for years. Worlds was no different. Thanks again!
InSight Lasik - You've kept us rolling for so long. Thanks for supporting us and the sport of mountain biking!
Schwalbe Tires - The perfect tires for yet another course. Thanks!
SRAM, Truvativ, Avid, RockShox - Gnarly course and my gear ate it up.
DT Swiss - An awesome way to roll. Thanks!
CrankBros - Sweet, sweet Candys
Smith Optics - Looked good, saw great
Jagwire -The difference is in the details. Thanks for making us look so stylie!
Power Bar - No bonks, no whammys. Thanks for keeping me fueled up!
Pro Bike Fit - My new fit has changed my riding infinitely for the better.
Ritchey - Super light and still taking all the beatings. Thanks for supporting us!
Radiant Floors & Zap Engineering - So proud to have sponsorship from such cool companies!
Save Our Soles Socks - Our socks are great; like hugs for my feet! Thanks!
Golden Bike Shop - Thanks for keeping us rolling!
Fi'zi:k - Veni, Vidi ,Vitesse!
Mt Borah -Psyched to be wearing such comfortable gear! Also very helpful given Boulders nudity laws.
GoFast! - Longtime TG sponsors - and always so appreciated! Thanks for everything!
Fresh Paint Murals - Lisa, you're a renaissance woman.
HydraPak - Thanks for the drink!
Nite Rider - Awesome lights. Awesome support. Thanks for supporting our team!
Feedback Sports - Doug and Lisa-You guys live the spirit of mountain biking. Thanks for what you bring to the sport.
Robin - Thanks for all the love and support over the years. YEARS!
Jeremy - It all started with Club J. zoiks!
Alec & Chris - Thanks to 2 wonderful wrenches!
Erin H - Zzzzzzzzz!
The Family Torrance - What can I say? You guys rock!
Pros Closet - Thanks for supporting racing!
Jen G - Encouraging words from an awesome cyclist. What could be better!
Melody S - Thanks so much. Looking forward to your continued success on the bike!
My Boulder Cycling Family - Thanks for kicking my butt into shape-even though I may have suggested that I hated you for it at the time.
T - Wish you were there! Thanks for everything!
Ward - muchas gracias!
KB - Thanks for helping me get here!
Jordan - The gremlin bell worked. My bike ran great!
The Windham Crew - Thanks for the cheers from the start.
Tilley - Thanks for the laughs and encouragement!
Erin B - Thanks to the newest TG!
Hopwood - Thanks for showing up! Congrats on your new gig!
Paul B - Thanks for the new training center!
The Kane Gang-Thanks to the coolest family on 2 wheels. (k. maybe a total of 8 wheels)
Eric S - From back in the day till now...thanks for your support!
Ben P - Thanks for the continued cheers!
Lisa and Andy - Thanks for the love from Carbondale
Seth - You're the best.
Tim B - You are always so positive. It's awesome just seeing your smilin' mug.
Mel and James - Thanks for gettin' the word out there!
To the Godmother - Grazie mille!
Eugene! Big thanks to my fellow Cap.
Steve & Michelle - Big thanks to the SuperCouple!
Sarah K - Thanks again, hot momma! Congrats on your new bundle of joy!
Nick Welsh & Diana - Dudes! Thanks!
Alex G - Thanks for supporting me and all the team!
Looney - Thanks for the support. Keep on writing!
Sandblogger - Thanks for reading! Thanks for cheering!
Haley - You're awesome
Jenna - Thanks for being an awesome support.
Fish - Just taking after your lead!
FormFive - A huge part in all of this!
Nat - Super help!
Yuke - Gambarru!
Megan M - Always so sweet and supportive - Thanks!
Micheley, JFoster, Gretch, Bill, Pavan - Thanks for the love from Vail!
Catalyst Crew - Lynn, Kristal, Theresa, Jason, Beth, everyone! Thanks for your continued support.
McZazbo - Thanks for all the help.
Columbine Crew - Love from the roots-so happy we've reconnected! You all touched my heart! Kate, Mrs Adams, Jen, Kim, Katie, Emily, Arathi, Brandon, Tim, Tad. Thanks for your love and support.
Gebinines! & Spindlers! - Thanks for watching freecaster. Was overjoyed to hear it. Hope you saw me. I was the one on the bike.
Nicole "What else you got?!" Gebinine - Thanks for watching.
Matty - Always there. Always there.
John K - Thanks for all the pointers.
Crazy nice Australian guy that helped me catch the plane in Brisbane - Thanks!

I'm sure I missed some folks here. But to everyone, thank you for making my Worlds trip such an incredible experience. I hope to return the favor someday.

With love-
Judy

worlds photos - the smiles and the shame

2009-09-17T13:08:00.008-06:00

The Hammerhead

US Trials rider, Mike Schiavone, introduced me to the work of Krystle Wright. Krystle is a freelance photographer out of Sydney who does amazing sport photography. She was in Canberra for the world champs and posted some fantastic photos of the whole event on her blog. She also got these shots of me - the good, the bad and the what-the-hell-was-I-doing.

.................

I came into this bend a bit too fast earlier in the race. Looking at both wheels, I'm happy to have stayed upright.

I had to re-adjust before riding away. The crowd was so loud and yelling supportive cheers, I couldn't stop smiling. This area had loads of nasty crashes. You can see the guy behind applauding this performance since I didn't go down. ...Tah Da!

This is 'Cardiac Climb.' You hit it within a couple of minutes of getting on the singletrack. Here you can see how traffic stacked up on lap 1. And you can see me in line towards the back.
...ah, to have had a horn. ...coming thru! honk! honk!

This is a beautiful photograph; the trees, the light, the colors...
just wish I was riding the bike!

Thank you Krystle for sending these photos for my blog!
To see more of her work or to contact Krystle about her photography, please visit www.wrightfoto.com/au.

world championships - holding a cat by the tail

2009-09-08T21:34:00.035-06:00

Hard to believe, but race day has come and gone.

I rolled in 39^thand can’t say I was thrilled about it. I did my best out there, but knew I still had a better race in me; just couldn’t execute it. All the same, I'm happy just to have rolled in at all. This was like no other event I've raced before. As cliche as it may sound, riding at the world champs was truly an honor and an incredible learning experience.

Took these shots watching the men's elite race.
Photos are in order of how the course ran.
This is Germany reaching the top of the first climb near "Death Adder." (The Aussies love their names.)

The whole week was an eye-opener.

Mark Twain kinda sums it up for me. “If you hold a cat by the tail, you learn things you cannot learn any other way.” I think I went through it all smarter than a wide-eyed, cat-holding fool, but I still got some schooling. I knew I had the training and experience to compete, but between the intensity of the racing to being a part of the whole production, I learned a lot just by being there.

Top of the 'Hammerhead'.

the race

The fireroad start was pretty crazy. I started 49th and wasn’t very successful making my way thru the herd. Bikes were thick all the way to the singletrack and riders were jockeying for every square inch. Add to it some early spring winds, a crash, a cheering crowd, cowbells galore and a helicopter hovering overhead and it had a feeling of general mayhem.

Hammerhead - The 'B' line.

My first two laps were sluggish with a lot of catch up and slow down. I was making some ground in the first climb, but losing it in the technical descents.

Riding the course on Tuesday before the race, I crashed pretty hard and made a small mess of my right hand. The short of it - I stayed off the track till race day to let it heal as much as possible and avoid doing any more damage. I ended up dialing in my lines on the day. It wasn’t ideal, but was the best decision I could make given the circumstances. I heard about a few crashes on the course (specifically the Hammerhead section) that sent some riders to the hospital - so I was lucky, all things considered.

Hammerhead 'A" Line
Absalon leads Schurter on the final time thru the Hammerhead.
Schurter will take the lead in the last quarter of this lap.

Just for something different, I stacked it on the backside of the course in a section called “Joey’s Return.” The course opened up after some switchbacks and you could get some speed. I was following the trail that went straight and didn’t see the ropes in time to make the hard right. With some rest, sport-tape and race-day adrenaline, my hand was fine to race on Saturday, but now that I'm home, I'll visit a doctor to find out the full extent of the damage. Our docs and soigneur helped me loads during the week, and then plastered me up for safe travels home which made a huge difference. Some people came home with commemorative tees, I got a cast...humph.

Hammerhead exit

A note in my defense - by Saturday’s race, that corner had so much tape it looked like a crime scene, so I must not have been the only one to blow that corner. I blame it on the roos.

No room for sad stories tho, the fact the course was so technical made it insanely fun to ride. By lap 3, I was finding a good rhythm to it. This was the most technical-section-packed course I've ever ridden. It was awesome to race it and get new perspective.

The crowds were all about the cheers and especially boisterous if you rode these hairier sections. Aussies being very gracious hosts, I heard a lot of “C’mon America” and “USA, USA.” This was not only appreciated, but a change from the norm since that doesn't usually happen outside the presidential elections or watching in Rocky IV.

Top of the rock stairs.
The hill in the distance led to the 'Luge' descent.

Mostly though, I heard a load of “Aussie, Aussie, Aussie” – as the crowds went wild for their own. I didn’t mind it at all and actually found it kinda cool. Besides, I’d take that any day to the blood curdling “Get her!” I’ve heard back home at races - usually from the little old ladies. (Seriously - you’d think some of them had just swapped their homemade cookies for a bullhorn and a pack of smokes in the prison yard before showing up course-side.)

On laps 3 and 4, I was able to gain a few more places, but by lap 5 I wasn’t making any more real ground. I crashed at the bottom of the stairs and lost a spot so I spent the remainder of lap 5 fighting to get back to 39^th.

Bottom of stairs.

Still for as tough as the whole course was, I don’t remember ever smiling as much in a race. Spectators were so loud as I came through the Hammerhead section that I couldn't help but laugh. Watching the men’s race, I saw how reception was notably colder if you took the ‘B’ line. Hecklers made it an issue of national pride, which got pretty funny. (Monty Python funny, not shank-wielding grandmas funny.)

Scott Bicycle Rider, Nino Schurter takes the fast line over the gap.
The 'B' option was the bridge to the left.

How the course got to be so gnarly is a story in itself. The area once held a housing development surrounded by Stromlo Forest. In January 2003, lightning started a horrific wildfire that killed four, destroyed thousands of acres of pines, about 500 homes and Mt. Stromlo's Observatory. Regeneration of the pine forest not being an option, the area was bulldozed to remove the debris and a movement to create a multi-use park took hold. Today, Stromlo Park boasts acres of running, hiking and equestrian trails along with the toss-you-like-a-rag-doll bike trails.

A short and steep climb just before "The Luge."

the week

There’s so much to say about the entire week, let alone the race. The team mechanics, managers, soigneur and docs made the program an impressive experience. So much work goes into supporting the riders. The workday for this crew, especially for the mechanics, started early and ended late everyday. They were all great to work with.

And then, just rolling up to the line to race with the some of the best bike jockeys from around the world was a cool of its own. On Monday, I rode behind Sabine Spitz for a bit. We ended up checking out one techy climb together. She said the faster line was tricky with the crank arm hitting rocks. I didn't know the German for "Just wheelie the whole thing." - so I kept that contribution to an agreeing nod instead. (Humor is pretty much a numbers game as it is; I figured it'd be even more dangerous having crossed the international dateline.) Jokes aside, bumping into a gold-medal Olympian on the trail and talking lines is pretty rad.

The Luge

Staying at the team hotel, I got the chance to meet a lot of new folks and then just catch up with some I haven't seen in a while. Hanging out with Mary and Mike was great since they are abroad so often. They are genuinely, incredibly nice people. Rooming with Katie was also a lot of fun. Not that it's a secret, but she's a lot nicer than her racing photos would lead you to believe. Sure, she'll rip the legs off you in a race but she'd help you look for them afterward if you needed.

At mealtimes and around the bike locker, I had the chance to talk more with the staff, trials, U23/Junior, downhill gang and some of their families. Everyone was really friendly and supportive which made for a good atmosphere. One of the guys, Russell, wanted to try a local mealtime standard and figured we all would as well, so he bought everyone kangaroo at dinner after the race. The group was just that nice. (Just so you know, kangaroo does not taste like chicken.)

More Luge

And that's more-or-less it. Not my best race, and not my worst, but that's racing for you. I moved up from my start position, didn't get pulled and finished mostly unscathed. I got to see a whole new level of play, met some great people and came home without having caused an international incident - so all-in-all, not a bad day's work.

Knowing what I know now, I'm looking forward to doing better next time.

Mike charges the last fire road climb while Russell, Tad, Colin and Zach cheer him on.
In the background, Joey's Return. Beware the Roos!

what's up from down under - a course in review

2009-09-03T17:05:00.008-06:00

So...no news is good news?

OK. not really, but I just haven't had a chance to sit and write it seems. Even though my life has been pretty much eat, sleep and ride since I landed in Canberra (soooo dreamy), I haven't sat down to write. So, turning over a new leaf....ready, set, go!

Exhibit A-The Course Map Got out on the course a few times. It is freaking crazy! There's drops, gaps, mini tables, 2 roller sections, a dual slalom section, a banky luge section, big fricken roll offs (~2-3 footers) and more opt-out lines on both the climbs and descents than I've ever seen on a XC course. I asked a couple other seasoned World Cup racers and they're impressed by the technical sections, so I know it's not just me. Still, it's a really fun ride. It is mostly a climb to the top with a lot of descending. Roomier passing lanes are limited so we'll see how it plays out in the race.

I tried to find some photos or videos to help explain, but couldn't find anything to do the course justice. (So...all I've got is this tiny course map...weak!) I found a video of a guy riding the course with a helmet cam, but the course is so up and down over the rocks that the video gives you more a brain-rattle than an idea of what the lines looks like. (If anyone finds better photos, let me know).

My field has 5 (maybe 6?) laps. The team relay was run on the course and I heard the fastest women's lap was just under 20 minutes. Saw the call up sheet last night at dinner. Yup. This gal is rolling up 49th...out of 50. It's cool though. I'll take those odds. My roomie, Katie Compton, gets the 44th honor. I'm trying to convince her that some synchronized dance moves from the back row would be a boon for the U.S. image overseas. (Something like the Beijing Olympics opening ceremonies, but tuned down a bit.) I don't know if she'll buy it, but don't be surprised if you hear that there's been a spontaneous outbreak of the Macarena at the line. I can talk a zebra out of its stripes.

We go tomorrow morning at 10 a.m. Canberra time. That translates to 6pm on Friday night (9/4/09) MST.

You can watch it live on:

http://freecaster.tv/live/mtb/1007131/uci-mountain-bike-world-championship-xco

If you miss it, I hear it stays on YouTube for a while...along with all my favorite footage of treadmill accidents. So one way or t'other...there's entertainment to be had.

That's all for now. It's kinda rainy today, so gots going to get rolling while there's a window of sun.

Thanks to everyone for their emails and Facebook posts. Haven't had time to reply, but loving reading them. Thank you all!

Tough Girl Fundraiser Tonight!

2009-08-27T13:40:00.001-06:00

The Tough Girl Cycling Team fundraiser is TONIGHT at the Lazy Dog Saloon in Boulder, from 5-8pm. We'll be Raffling / Auctioning off tons of prizes! Don't miss out!

Prize Raffles will be happening every half hour from 5:30-7:30pm. Lasik and Silent auction winners will be announced at 8pm!

Thanks to our wonderful supporters we have compiled an amazing list of prizes... including a FREE Lasik procedure provided by Insight Lasik. Lasik raffle tickets are $10/each or 3 for $25. Your odds are good, give it a shot!!! Also, just for buying a Lasik raffle ticket you get a $400 coupon off a Lasik procedure!! What a deal!

How about a SCOTT JR Mountain Bike, DT Swiss wheels, Feedback Sports Bike Scales, massages, bike tunes, hard goods, nutrition, color consults, and all kinds of cycling gear!? Come join us and support Tough Girl Cycling!

some training ride pics

2009-08-23T07:24:00.003-06:00

Marshall Mesa - Boulder, CO

Meadow Mountain - Vail, CO

Nature's Way - Granby, CO

US Worlds Team Announced...in the kitchen

2009-08-18T10:25:00.012-06:00

Here's the scene:

-Thursday, August 13th 8pm EST
-6 of us getting organized in our condo in Windham, New York for the US Cup Series Finals.
-I'm in the kitchen (food seeking as usual) when my friend Jordan says,

"Hey Judy, You're going to Worlds?"
"What?"
"You're going to Worlds, right?"
"Well....my application's in, but..."
"No. It says right here...you're going to Worlds."

He showed me the computer, and there it was....

2009 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships

Canberra, Australia
Sept. 1-6, 2009

U.S. Team Nominations:

Elite Women’s Cross Country

Willow Koerber (Asheville, N.C.)**

Mary McConneloug (Chilmark, Mass.)**

Heather Irmiger (Boulder, Colo.)**

Georgia Gould (Fort Collins, Colo.)

Katie Compton (Colorado Springs, Colo.)
Judy Freeman (Boulder, Colo.)

After that, it was goofy grins and a lot of staring at the computer screen to make sure I read it right.

Cyclingdirt.org has a little video on the subject from a post Windham race interview.
Quite possibly the best part is my monkey face freeze frame at the start. Love it.

So got lots to do to get ready, but first and foremost...

I want to say MUCHAS, MUCHAS GRACIAS! to all my sponsors, coach, family and friends who have been a humongous part of making this happen. I'm incredibly honored, overjoyed and grateful to have this opportunity. I could not have done it without your love, help and support.

Thank you all!

lucky 7s - national champs in granby, colorado

2009-07-24T16:19:00.017-06:00

Back from the National Championships in Granby, Colorado. 7's all around for the XC and STX! And a lucky 12th in the SuperD, for good measure.

the xc
The XC started straight up a steep, toll-taking climb for about 2-3 minutes. The rest of the climb was around 20 minutes of a much friendlier grade where you could get in a rhythm. I got to the top in about 7th.

A wee bit dusty.
Photo courtesy: Kris Lathrop

For whatever reason tho, I was just along for the ride on the first descent. I couldn't get it together at all. I blew a corner into the sage and that's when Kelli passed me. Kelli is such a fast descender, I thought I could at least benefit by trying to follow her lines. Yah, that was a nice thought, anyway. I didn't see her wheel again till the third lap.

The second lap was an exercise in misery. Funny how there's a considerable delay between the time your body sends the message that it's tired as hell and it's not going to take it anymore until the brain finally registers it. My brain got that memo as I started the climb into the second lap. That first go on the climb worked me. At least the descent went a lot better the second go around.

Things picked up for laps 3 and 4. They hurt for sure, but I felt a lot better in terms of charging. I was able to get back up to 7th and maintain it till the finish line. Overall I was psyched. Cyclingdirt.org got some good video of the race. Check it out here.

the supah d
Well...mine wasn't so supah. Since I could drive to the race, I packed my Spark and put my name down for the Super D. I've done one Super D before and this was a pretty technical course so for added safety...and just to keep my ears warm...I borrowed a full-face helmet. (Thanks BKWatt!) My run in the LeMans start looked like a bobble-head in action. It's a riot. But...I'm so happy I had this helmet.

Say...'Goofy Look'
Photo courtesy: Dave McElwaine

Just before we got to the singletrack, I got hit hard by the rider on my left - throwing both of us down thru the tape to planet Earth. It happened so fast, I just remember the hit and then getting back up to look for my bike thru the helmet tunnel vision. (This was the first time riding with a full-face helmet and with the framing, it felt like I was watching everything on a TV.)

Anyhow, my bell was rung. KABOOONG! We untangled bikes, got back to riding and I was the last to the single track. I managed to catch one place but the rest of the race was pretty much just a way to get back to my car.

El Kabong lives.

My hand and hip ended up seriously sore and swollen, but that was all. (lucky) Lynn gave me some Arnica and I'm sold on the stuff now. The bruises and swelling went away remarkably fast in the following days. It didn't do much for my pride, but one can only expect so much, I suppose.

Back at the car, it was into cleaner clothes, back onto the hardtail and readying for shorttrack.

the stx
The game plan and ambitions were altered slightly for the shorttrack after my SuperD morning. That is to say...I had pretty much bupkis for both after that morning's dirt sampling.

Let's begin.
Photo courtesy:
Mike Kane

The course was a 2-3 minute loop made from another toll-taker climb and slidey grass descent. I didn't have confidence that I could maintain for the full race so I figured it'd just be a pedaling-till-pulled afternoon. After the first lap tho, I felt a lot better than expected so I tried making my way thru the ranks. I got into 7th with maybe 4 laps to go.

People were saying Georgia was right behind me so I pushed the climbs as hard as I could for the next 2 laps to try and catch 6th before getting pulled. The climbs felt so slow even when trying to go fast. I'd have ditched my bike and run the course if I thought that would've worked.

And maybe the crowd's calculations were off, maybe the course marshals were generous on lap distances or maybe my warp-speed offensives for those two laps were legendary - I like to think it was the latter - but I didn't get pulled.

Photo courtesy:
Mike Kane

By the end of it, I was happy to stay in, but a part of me did hope for that marshal's whistle to put me out of my agony. I didn't catch 6th, but didn't lose 7th either. It was a great feeling to finish the whole race. I did feel kinda lucky on that one given how I felt going in, but am psyched that all the work we've put into my training pulled me thru.

Photo courtesy:
Mike Kane

And I wasn't the only TG rider psyched on the weekend...
a number of my teammates had great rides.
Lynn Bush won the stars and stripes for the CAT 1 super d 30-35 category.
SyRae Weikle won her own star-spangled jersey for CAT 1 40-44 xc.
Caitlyn Tuel rolled solidly in with 23rd in the Pro xc.
Melissa Marts rallied from some serious early-season injuries to come in 34th in the Pro race.
Meghan Kane came in 11th in the CAT 1 15-18.
Jane Rynbrandt reached the podium in 4th for the CAT 1 25-29 xc.
and...normally a skinny tire type, Kimberly Nuffner rallied at the last minute to represent on the home dirt, getting 3rd in her CAT 2 xc race. Kim's off to track nationals in C-Springs next month....wish her the best!

And THANKS to everyone who came out and cheered. You guys were everywhere and awesome both days. Couldn't name you all here, but.....Mom, Dad, Kate - thanks for the feeds and support. Tom, Tony, Bobby, Kris, Boups - the boombox was classic, but you have to make the bullhorn mandatory for all future events. Haley, Karen, Jen, The Kane Gang, Lynn, Chris.....You all rock!

national championships - granby, colorado

2009-07-17T10:06:00.011-06:00

Heading up to Sol Vista in Granby, CO today for the National Championships this weekend.

The XC course is great.

Below are some of the stellar views from the trail.

If you're in the area, hope to see you there!

firecracker 50 - breckenridge, colorado

2009-07-12T16:07:00.009-06:00

Happy (belated) 4th to you all!

In the fighting spirit of our nation's birth, Mafia Racing's Melanie Long and I signed up to put the fire in firecracker as the Tough Girl Mafia Team. And we weren't a pair to be messed with, capiche?

We started the smack-talk early with Melissa and Kerry...early like back in May. But hey....smack-talk is like Christmas shopping....you can never start too early and it's all fair game to get the best deal.

Have to say, the Firecracker 50 course is super fun...for the first lap. I'm thinking about doing the full 50 next year, but for now....25 miles of that course is just fine.

The start is pretty steep and long road climb to get to dirt. Along the way is the Wild Turkey Challenge. A small, presumably non-UCI sanctioned, crew organizes the first aid station 20 minutes into the ride. You ride thru the pit, roll the ramp and get a dixie cup of whiskey on your way out...as well as the hoots and hollars of an adoring crowd.

I don't know how many takers they get, but they've been encouraged enough to come out for a few years now. For the '09 Firecracker, they even added a pastey-white male cheerleader donning a speedo and tennis shoes. I think it's to up participation from us ladies. Maybe? Whiskey shot or not, they're always cheering and supportive. It's fun to have them out there.

Even though the other stations are comparatively short on entertainment, they're also well thought out and filled with helpful volunteers. This race is well put on and organized. The course is fun and all the riders out there are just as nice. There are also a lot of fans out there on the course cheering riders all the way. And then...let's not forget the start parade.

All the fields roll out as a part of Breckenridge's 4th of July parade. For about 5 blocks, people line the streets as you make your way to the first climb behind the lead-out cruiser bike. (Yes, a rider on a cruiser bike leads each field out....it's pretty cool.) Little kids line up to give you high fives as you go by. The sketch factor gets a little high as these guys don't have the best spacial awareness and get a bit over-zealous with the hand-slaps...enough to throw the balance off. But...it all worked out.

While I got the parade lap and sunshine, Melanie got the 2nd lap...and the rain. Still, she had a great lap and brought us in for a 2nd place finish in the women's 'Maverick' team category. After that, it was straight to the bbq and beer garden. Standard recovery for the elite athlete.

If you haven't done the Firecracker, I whole-heartedly recommend it. Because smack-talk and a friendly throw-down with 700 of your best friends is a fitting tribute to a nation started by those once considered to be upstarts and rogues.

msc #4 - crested butte, colorado

2009-07-12T15:41:00.017-06:00

10,000 ft + rain = yaaay.

It started raining about 10 minutes prior to our start and let up around 10 minutes just before the end - which made for a cold and muddy ride in the middle.

BUT...my bike was awesome, and again, the Rocket Rons were the ticket. I was able to climb and descend so much of what others couldn't with different tires.

To boot, my shifting worked without a hitch. Grip Shift in the mud is awesome. Crossing the line, one of the first things I heard from one of the pro men was "Man, I was wishing I had Grip Shift." Yup, a classic case of shift envy.

photo courtesy:
Mike Kane

Aptly named but still mildly misleading, the Wildflower Rush race is more an ass kicker than a botanical joyride - despite all its flowers.

photo courtesy:
Mike Kane

The start line registers at 9,375 ft elevation and leads you into a lap with 1,800 ft gain. And we had 3 laps of flower viewing enjoyment.

They changed the course this year putting in a mostly brand-spankin' new descent, which on Friday was fuh-un. But on Saturday, in the rain, was trick-ey. It was off-camber, greasy, stumpy, rocky, sneezy and grumpy all at the same time.

Maybe the cruelest part of the descent was the rocky hard-left turn off a fast fireroad into the singletrack. This was also where the guy I passed on the climb, mached past me at the last minute to make his Bruce Lee move into the trees.

photo courtesy:
Mike Kane

Unfortunately for him, he wasn't packing the fists of fury. He hit the deck and did a breakdance back spin finishing up in the middle of the trail. Lucky for me, he was still able say he was fine with no need for a medic while giving me just enough room for me to roll by. Next time, Grasshopper.

I don't have them all here, but Mike Kane was out there and took some great shots. Thanks Mike! I'll get some more up soon.

zey end
photo courtesy:
Mike Kane

us cup #4 - colorado springs, colorado

2009-07-12T14:46:00.009-06:00

8th...my best national XC finish yet!

It was a tricky, but fun course. Technically, you had to be on the entire time. Katie, her husband, Mark, and Kelli took me out to preride the course before the race which was huge. Since they live down there, I got a sweet preview before the trail had been marked. It helped a lot to get some time on that kind of course and watch some lines. Thank you guys!

photo courtesy:
cyclingdirt.org

Among other trail cautions - if there wasn't an outcropping of rim-wrecking rock, it was the twisty hard-pack, gravel-covered trail that made possibility of blowing a corner or washing out a wheel a constant companion. I rode the Schwalbe Rocket Rons and they were great - super gripy. Our team just started riding Schwalbes this season, and I am hooked. Muchas, muchas gracias to Jeff and all the Schwalbe gang!

Teammate Caitlyn Tuel
photo courtesy:
Dave McElwaine

The race started with an official start u-turn at the top of a nearby hill. This shot us back down through the start/finish and onto the course. It made a huge difference in creating some room to get us all on the singletrack. Passing was limited throughout the course as it was, but entry to the dirt funneled riders onto the walking path right off the bat with a boulder on the right and a signpost on the left. Kinda sketchy...

Unfortunately, pretty much just the pro fields got the extra starter hill. Other fields had less than 100ft from the start line to the tight line with much larger starting numbers. Talking to some expert racers, they said their race was pretty much over the moment it started given the field size and passing opps. It's a lot of time, money and effort to get to a race for everyone. It's not easy to design a course for a huge field, but still...course design should be conducive to racing. A better start for all fields and maybe one or two roomier areas for passing, and I think it would have been a lot better. Because, soapbox aside, it was fun riding overall. But hey, maybe that's just me.

That said, I had a pretty good start and rode most the race in 8th. Heather Holmes caught me on the climb on the last lap and I wasn't sure where I was going to make it back up. Fortunately, I had been looking at lines in the rock garden at the top and found the line that made the difference to get back to 8th. so psyched.

photo courtesy:
Dave McElwaine

It was great to have a US Cup race in Colorado. And speaking of races in Colorado....we've got the National Championships this July. Suh-WEET! Sol Vista is beautiful and the course is great. Hope to see you there!

writer's block on the recent riding block

2009-07-12T11:42:00.012-06:00

Don't know how it happened...but time has flown and it's been over a month since posting last. Lots has happened so I'll get the lead out and get some posts up.

"Let me s'plain.
No, there is too much.
Let me sum up."
-Inigo Montoya

teva games and goin home

2009-06-17T19:50:00.012-06:00

Lots has happened since my last post. Broke my camera for one - so I'll be borrowing photos for a while. Most notably though, my racing has gotten a lot better.

Recently was the Teva Mountain Games in Vail. Having lived in the Vail valley, it was great to see a lot of old friends and catch up on What's Happenin!!

hey HEY hey.

My friends John and Jeff's skateboarding habit has gone great guns and is now the longboard company named Street Swell. These boards are sweet. They skip the plywood and go straight to woods like maple, walnut and mahogany to make beautiful pieces of durable, good-time havin', user-friendly art.

I stayed at my friend Michele's house. She's formerly a XC pro rider, (and was pretty much my mentor in my early racing days), but these days she devotes a lot of time to Zumba instructing. I admit, she got me hooked on some Zumba dances too. And I figure, if biking doesn't work out...there's always Zumba. Start up costs couldn't be that prohibitive. Shoot...I've got plenty of jog bras and tennis shoes.

After the race, Michele, RAAM racing Linda Guerette and I coached a two-day kid's mountain bike clinic for the Eagle Rec District, which was a riot. The kids were great and soaked up info like little peddlin' sponges. Though, I've never been so exhausted on a bike as I was after riding with these little jammers. I guess parents have years of base training to build up endurance for bike riding with their kids. I'll try to get in a few 24-hour solo races before the next clinic to prep.

And...once again, Pedal Power Bike Shop took good care of me. They helped me out just before the race to get my bike dialed in. This shop is pretty much the reason I got into racing...or maybe they are to blame? ;) Either way, it's a pretty large family of some of the nicest folks I've ever met who roll in and out their doors. Every time I go back to Vail, I love stopping in.

And on the racing front, I wish Vail held some national events. It has World Cup caliber race courses and overall makes for a great venue. The Teva Games that happen there every June are well organized and off the charts. Walking around the village was entertaining with all the events. There were over 1,500 registered athletes across all the competitions from climbing, to kayaking, to dog jumping and most importantly...XC racing. They pay well for all categories, pros thru beginners (oddity!) and even the schwag bag takes the sting out of the race fee. $50 got you registered for the race as well as a tote to carry a new wicking t-shirt, socks, visor, Nalgene bottle and other loot.

But speaking of stinging....racing at altitude hurts. Vail's base elevation is 8,120 and it's only uphill from there, buddy. However, this course had a good flow and was actually pretty fast which made it fun to race.

The climb to the top was well broken up so it wasn't a slow and steady death march to the top. And then, when you reached the top, it was primarily singletrack descending with some sweet switchbacks and fast rolling trails. Luckily, the rains that plagued Vail the week prior to the race let up for the day to put the course in sweet condition. If you haven't raced at the Teva Games, I highly recommend it.

Teva Pro Ladies
Podium
Photo: SyRae Weikle

The pro-women's field had a good size turnout of stout riders. I was psyched to finish 5th. Katie Compton took top honours, followed by Georgia Gould, Heather Irmiger, Pua Sawicki...and then...me! I felt pretty good for the first two laps, but the third one was doing me in. I could see Kathy Sherwin gaining as we neared the top for lap three...so I punched it for the rest of the climb and then enjoyed the last time 'round on that super fun descent. My bike was awesome on this course, which reminds me....I love mountain biking.

Crossing the finish line was awesome as so many friends were out to see the race. A cool thing about Vail is that there is a big community of people who participate in mountain bike races...or any sport for that matter. So there's always a good gathering of people at the events.

Yah...it was good to go back home for a while.

nathrop - that's racing

2009-05-08T18:32:00.011-06:00

Erin and I headed down to Nathrop for the Chalk Creek Stampede last Saturday. It's in a cool part of Colorado and is a good early season flats race since it is comparatively long with about 28 miles total. And...I am here to report, I had my fastest race yet.

Neither rain, nor high gas prices,
nor thick fog deters.
(Erin got 3rd despite a nasty cold.)

I don't really know what happened. We rolled up to the line. I went to the outside front because of a sketchy rock patch just off the start.

The whistle blew and I started to put the pedals down. I could see the front row had a short delay in rolling because it was a little hard to get traction in the sand. And then, the second I started rolling..."SMACK! Plink! Plink! Plink!" I got hit from behind.

I manage to stay upright, but my pedals immediately froze up. I hopped off to see my rear derailleur thrown in the spokes the rest of the field take off down the road. And with that, my race was over in 5 seconds. A new personal record, thank you very much.

Still, I didn't realize it was over.

Without thinking, I pulled the cage arm out of spokes in a frenzy to get back on the bike and catch the group. I had just passed a few riders when we got to the first climb. I down shifted and that familiar "plink, plink, plink" sounded just before the bike came to yet another abrupt halt. (A belated Sorry! to those who were behind me.) I jumped off the bike and all I could do was stare at my wheel. The derailleur hanger got bent at the start and down shifting for that climb sealed the deal. As my friend Eugene would say...All that was left was the crying.

As my skin was crawling with the crazy start-of-the-race adrenaline rush that was pushing me to keep charging, my head was putting it all on lock-down realizing that my race was done. I literally felt in two places at once; and it wasn't cool like a superpower. It was laaaame.

But, as luck would have it, this all happened right in front of an old friend from Vail who was cheering her husband on for his race. Haven't seen her in a while, so it was nice to catch up. Odd timing, but whatdoyado.

After a brief chat, a chilly breeze reminded me to go get some warm clothes on. Since the derailleur more-or-less put the wheel on strike (and there was no negotiating this without a monkeywrench), I threw the bike on my shoulder and started on a nice long hike back to the venue.

Ahhhhh...that's racing.

The hanger did it's job...
the derailleur is still in good shape.

santa cruz - the perfect lackluster race antidote

2009-05-01T14:23:00.042-06:00

En route - Tony and I Photo: Tom Torrance

After feeling pretty blah on the bike at Sea Otter, I headed up to San Jose with Tom and Tony for a couple of days of riding the trails around Santa Cruz.

We stayed with Tom and Tony's friends Brian and Leah from Michigan.

Brian took off a few days from work as a super genius to show us around.

The trails were fast, twisty and gorgeous.

It was just what the doctor ordered and way too much fun for words.

So-I'll try to use photos.

But despite the fact Tom is wasting his real talent as a photographer working on satellites for a living,

the pictures just can't do the trails justice.

It was impossible to stop riding to take photos of the best trail bits.

So, we'll just label those sections as CLASSIFIED INFORMATION and say you don't have clearance, Clarence.

Still, I think you'll get the idea.

Thank you Brian, Leah, Tom and Tony for an excellent vacation!

hot otter, not so hot race

2009-04-29T21:20:00.022-06:00

Stop #2 on the US Pro XC circuit - the Sea Otter Classic in Monterey, California. Freakishly hot weather showed up for the 2009 Sea Otter. Unfortunately, my legs didn't. I suspect they just didn't catch the flight.

Tired of all the bitching about the rain and mud typically found at Sea Otter, the Californian skies decided to tryout the other extreme.

2005 Mud Otter
Riding in this was fun;
the bike maintenance wasn't.

The weekend had a Santa Ynez-esque feel to it. It was hot, and getting hotter as the days went on. I was told the heat was unusually high even for an average summer day. Race officials cut the women’s XC race to one lap instead of two the morning of the race. I think most everyone was initially bummed having gotten in mode for two laps. But by the finish of it, all but the crazy people were happy not to have to head out for another go at the course.

2009 Sun Otter
Vive la difference!
Photo: Tom Torrance

My races went well enough. But trying to stave off a cold and not having a race under my belt didn't do me any favors. I felt alright both days, but pretty much had low energy and no pow-wah. I finished 17th in the STX and 18th in the XC. Lesson learned. Next year, I won’t step foot in the rain two weeks before the event, and I’ll find a warm-up race even if it means drag racing unsuspecting bike commuters on the Boulder bike path.

Caitlyn on Course
Photo: Tom Torrance

All the same, with as frustrating as it is to roll up to a race feeling under par, it was a good race weekend. Sea Otter fans were plenty; especially on the hills. Given how far they had to hoof it to get to those areas, it was impressive - not to mention, super appreciated. Hoots, hollers and cowbells made the heat tolerable and the race more fun. Otherwise, we would have been out there just entertaining the groundhogs and turkey vultures. And the turkey vultures were just plain creepy.

Erin in the STX
Photo: Tom Torrance

I flew out to California with Caitlyn and Erin. We were able to get host housing through the race organizers. My host, Shellee, was great.

In addition to being cool, she pretty much took care of me and made sure I got out the door on time with filled water bottles. This was no small effort!

Shellee, Jerry & I
Photo: Tony Torrance

Erin and Cait stayed next-door with the Vollstedt family who were just as awesome and even made it to the STX to cheer us on.

And from the searing heat of the Sea Otter, tomorrow we head back to the other extreme - to the rains of Nathrop for Mountain States Cup race #2 at Chalk Creek.

"Sweet."

t.g.i. TG-day

2009-03-09T21:15:00.045-06:00

Da Girls - L to R: Bobbi, Nicole, Lynn, Brenda, Meghan, Anne.
Center: Nicole's sweet new bike (minus the pegs).

Sunday lived up to its name with highs in 50s and nary a cloud in sight. It was the perfect backdrop to a Tough Girl group ride.

Half the crew assembled at Amante for a 10:30 Boulder farmland cruise. The other half was either out-of-state, previously engaged, or running 10 minutes late (aka: Judywich Mean Time). Lucky for me, I had nice teammates and a few stop signs to hold the gals up.

Guest-star gangstah: Melanie from Mafia Racing.

It was another sweet day of riding in Colorado. No nasty crashes to report. No epic attacks or chases, either. A good amount of route indecision, though. If I could talk like Phil Ligget, I could make that sound exciting. But it was actually sorted out on the quick, so the day was left to a good, fun ride.

Towards the fourth hour, Anne coaxed a few of us up to Jamestown with promises of free drinks. And it worked like an ice-cold, sugary tractor beam.

One Coke later, it was 'back to the barn' to use an Anne-ism. Nothing like getting all carbonated and climbing the backside of Lee Hill. Maybe incentives and a 15% grade aren't such a good thing? - NAAAH.

The camera catches Bobbi and Amy givin' grins and Catherine talking about fish.

And before we go...here's a major piece of news from the day:

TG rider, Bobbi Kae Watt, is the Freeride Foundation Featured Rider of the Month.

Awesome to hear, but not surprising...Bobbi is an uber-talented rider tearing it up on two wheels no matter the venue; be it mountaincross, bmx, dual salom, crosscountry or all-around ripping.

And if it's not enough she's a stellar athlete, she's also a PA-to-be and one of the nicest people you will meet - on or off the bike. Check out the Freeride Foundation's interview with Bobbi here.

Peace, love and sweet incentives at the top~
jf

sunny skies and alum chums

2009-03-06T13:32:00.015-07:00

Though we've had a lot of unseasonably warm weather this winter, you never know how long it is going to last...so you gots to ride it while you can. Temps in the high 60's made for a perfect day to ride Heil to Lyons. Sunny skies, mint trails...Bikae Diem!

Better still - through the wonders of the cyber-addiction known as Facebook - I've been able to reconnect with a load of old high school friends. One of my fellow Columbine alums, Tad, left the snows of Steamboat for a little front range riding. I got to show him some Boulder trails, and he showed me some bolder lines.

Tad took a day off from work at Orange Peel Bicycles to do some product testing.
No fun here, people...it's all work.

Catching up on the climb...I found out Tad grew up BMXing, mountain biking, moto riding...pretty much trail ripping. So, as you can guess, I also spent the descent trying to catch up. Give the dude 5' and he'd drop you by 10'. It was pretty cool to watch his lines.

Old friends, sweet trails...all in all - a day well done.

a change in manufacturer’s label

2009-02-13T18:56:00.049-07:00

Where to begin...where to begin. We spent a weekend riding around Ray’s Indoor MTB Park while visiting for the Tri-Flow XC Indoor Challenge last month. There is so much to say about the park, I don’t exactly know where to start. So, I’ll start with the basics - and first off, I’ll just say, “Go.”

Logging Roads
Photo: John Ker

Plan a vacation to the Buckeye State, extend your business trip in Cleveland, finally visit your distant cousin who lives in that neck of the woods. However you get there, just go there. Bring your own bike or rent one…you’ll have fun either way. A one-time rayon factory, Ray’s Indoor MTB Park is now a Disneyland for bikes; only this version is light on mice and heavy on riding options. Once you pass thru the unassuming entrance (with only a bike above the front door to indicate it’s no longer a textile mill) you’ll find over 100K sq feet of riding terrain for varied abilities and bike disciplines.
More than all you hoped, ye who enter here
Photo: John Ker

a break from the norm

As they would say, I’m one of those XC Lycra wearing types. Admittedly, I spend most my time getting the miles in and not so much getting the technical riding down. So, riding at Ray’s was like stringing together all the best parts of trail, and chucking out the hours of climbing to get there. You can easily spend a whole day riding around. (We spent three.) Occasionally you stop to eat (Domino’s is on speed-dial and the front desk will call you over the loud speaker when your pizza arrives), but mostly you finish a section only to roll back in line and do it again. Pedal. Ride. Repeat.

Take a break in the lounge

Photo: Ray's MTB Park

Options

Photo: John Ker

Never having ridden at an indoor park filled with witnesses, truth be told, I felt awkward getting started. Sure, I race bikes and have gotten some great technical coaching. But this was different. Upon walking in, we saw riders sailing through the air and riding so fast that it was all a little intimidating. Yah, I didn’t have to ride those sections, but still…could I ride any of this stuff? However, once we got rolling, fear gave way to fun and it was all goofy grins after that. By the end of the weekend I was riding lines I didn’t think I would only 24 hours earlier. And as for the witnesses: everyone around was as nice as the next; local seasoned riders offered tips, mom and dad teams riding with their kids chatted with us about our bikes. Through no small effort, Ray has worked to create this positive atmosphere – and it is noticed.

A foam pit for those so inclined
Photo: John Ker

From what little I gathered, there’s not enough room here to talk about all the people that contribute to the experience of the park. There are the supporters, the corporate sponsors, the investors, the staff, the patrons, the security crew named Digger who howls on command and countless others I’m sure. I met so many people who were a part of Ray’s in some fashion, that I got the impression there was a big family at work here – all with the last name, LoveToRide. Whatever the business structure though, it all comes together under the direction of one guy named Ray - a genuinely nice guy who had an idea to make a bike park.

After the race.
Photo: Justyna Wlusek

talking with the namesake

Over the course of the weekend, I got to chat with owner and generally busy guy, Ray Petro. Conversations jumped from topic to topic and happened on the move in between park tours, helping customers and day-to-day operations. And, as I began to understand, the park came together much like our conversation; in pieces that all built on the bit before. A while back, Ray’s love of biking turned into an idea to make a bike park. Complemented by his career as a carpenter, the vision dovetailed with like-spirited supporters and a vacant factory. Finally, in 2004, the doors opened and ever since, 9801 Walford Avenue has been the constantly evolving biking experience that is Ray’s Indoor MTB Park, catering to beginners and bad-asses alike.

More Options
Photo: John Ker

on the factory floor

Starting with the terrain, Ray said there’s been a lot of try and try again. For one, the park is open from October to April. Summer months are for tearing it down and changing it up. Some parts stick around, but Ray works to keep it fresh for a grand re-opening every fall. Outdoor trail rides double as scouting opportunities to find new natural challenges to recreate in the park. Then, once a new section gets built, it’s reviewed for not only rider response and safety conditions, but also for the riding atmosphere that grows from it.

Ray saw that when you put up an all-expert section, you get a section filled with all expert riders: mostly the same kind of rider and a single-minded focus. Not that this is a bad thing, but, for example, when you balance in a neighboring intermediate section, you get a larger area where one of those expert riders can bring a friend who is just learning to ride. Here, both can ride at their own levels, but still meet up on a start deck in between practices. So now, as a result of park design, there’s a greater social feel that is encouraging to more riding abilities and changes the overall vibe.
Lindsey Bishop
Photo: John Ker

ladies' night
Looking around, it’s easy to see that most riders in the park are guys, so Ray also hosts events to encourage female riders to join in. The Tri-Flow XC event I rode in was one effort to get the word out that more women should ride at Ray’s. Much bigger still though, is the annual Women's Weekend (February 20-22nd for ‘09), which last year had over 200 women sign up. Ray says the idea of biking indoors is still a hard sell to a lot of people, regardless of gender, but from what we saw, I suspect more gals will be riding there over the seasons to come.
Melissa Thomas in the TT
Photo: John Ker

We met young professionals like Michelle and Meghan who’d ride at the park after a day at the office to unwind. There was Sadie, who races triathlon in the summer, but rides at Ray’s in the winter to hone her bike skills. Then there was regular and XC racer, Lyndsey, who at 16, sets pace and raises the bar for a lot of guys her age. And on Sunday, another glimpse of the future pedaled by us all in pink and stood less than four feet tall waiting her turn on the start deck. We didn’t catch her name, but - despite the large full-face helmet that gave her a ‘bobble head’ like appearance – she was riding the pump track with technique well beyond her six years of age. The park events must be working, as these gals and many others are holding their own in the mix.

Ray's Regular, Justyna Wlusek
Photo: Justyna Wlusek

what you see and what you get

Not to be forgotten, there’s the décor at Ray’s. You may see riders charging boldly where you wouldn’t dare, but won’t find a skull and cross bones. You may hear AC/DC to ramp up your ride, but it’s always accompanied by the sight of a happy little pine or a cozy fireplace. Individually, each detail was subtle, but when taken all together, the overall effect was almost tangible. The park has a good feel to it. No raging – just riding and lots of smiles. And that reminds me of one of the coolest things Ray said about the park.

More Lounging
Photo: Ray's MTB Park

the final product

Sometimes Ray says he stops and just looks around the park. He can see people, no matter their ability or riding style, smiling; and he knows that it’s all coming from someplace real. It’s not from drugs or alcohol; it’s just from riding bikes. And at the end of the day, he says, it’s a good feeling to know that he’s had a hand in it.

Riders in the Endura Room
Photo: John Ker

And so it is, because of a love of biking and more than a just little elbow grease, that the big industrial building that once churned out rayon by the reams, is now, quite literally, a smile factory.

John on the pump track
Photo: Judy Freeman

Photos courtesy of John Ker at MountainBike Action, Ray's Indoor MTB Park and Justyna Wlusek