Losting

We moved here from the high country of colorado a little over seven years ago.

When we got here I was coming from a local race series and then the weekend series that is no longer up and running. 

I started off as a racer in the Sport class and moved up never winning anything but placing well. 

I was always afraid of the Wednesday night expert class, it was a Pro/expert class. 

About the time my son was going coming to this world I got my first single speed, bike and started racing the new single speed category.  In the Wednesday night races due to time restraints we raced the sport distance,, but on the weekend MSC series we raced the same distance as the experts, normally between 25-30 miles. 

I can remember doing three laps on Mount Crested Butte,, I can remember lining up along side of some of the top Pro's of the time T.Brown,, C.Frosley,,K.Bloomer,, and many more. 

I raced hard got better and pushed my self every time.

Fast forward our move to Wiscodisco,,, Coming off my first national race felling pretty strong 

I jumped into the Elite race of the WORS series.

I was shot ooooout the back and had no idea what I was getting into. 

Unlike the racing back home where you climbed and climbed then went down hill this was all out on punchy climbs for up to 120 minutes.  I had to scratch my head and decided what the hell I was doing racing a onexone against fast as hell geared racers. 

Looking to find my sea legs and more of a climbing race course I signed up for racing in MN. 

Sophia my daughter was going to start her midwest racing camping and was racing at nine in the morning. So instead of waiting till the one oclock race,, I raced the Single Speed Races. 

I did well learned how the ebb and flow of racing here in the mid west went. 

I won some races and by the Welch race I was winning the category. This day I was heckled by the guy that did timing,,,,, in front of my family he let me have it calling me a sandbager and   that I did not belong in the race that I was in.  As far as I knew I was racing a single speed bike in a single speed category.  I had never been put in a position like this and it sucked and at this point and time I left that series and went back to Wisconsin.  With the season winding down I raced a few races in the single speed cat and again did well sill learning how to gear for the courses and learning how to suffer.  The next season I moved up to Expert and started climbing the ladder,, again never winning but making some age group podiums. With some real hard work a change in thinking and then more hard work I was able to make my way up to a Pro upgrade,, at the ripe young age of 36. 

At this point I bought a nine speed shifter and a cassette ,, and derailleur and yet changed how I was going to race.  This was my racing life dream,, I wanted to be a Pro racer when I dropped out of college in 94 and moved to Colorado,, life got in the way and it just took some time. 

Point to this History lesson???

A teammate a friend and fellow father/racer ,, has come back to the Sunday racing.

He won a race and on the interwebs has been cut down left and right. 

I stuck up for him with carefully chosen words and with out calling any names or using any put downs. 

We are all out there for fun and to push our selves as hard as we can and for as long as we can. 

Validation from a medal a ribbon,,or a trinket can be what it takes to get you to the 

next level,,it can be that push that gets you to climb harder or dare I say Train more. 

There is very little money to be made in our sport most of us have to work 9-5 jobs and then come home and take care of our families. There is PTO,, Health Concerns and Band concerts. 

This bike racing riding reading tinkering is my life,, I have worked hard to get to where I am and even harder to get the Fine Company's to the Right here to support me and my family. 

Cycling has taken me all over the country and has now even helped send my daughter to College. 

Lets Ride Bikes and Slap Hands Drink Beers and Have FUN<<<< But can we stop calling 

people out that is not what it all about.

On another not this morning I lost a Fight with a Quarter Panel..,.,.

Now I have the need for a new CX Bike..