Prouder

If hindsight is 20/20 I think that I am somewhere far off of that. 

Monday the aftermath was covered up by a lot of driving and a few PBR's.

Tuesday I thought that it was just the fact that I was back at work,, but all day long I could tell that I was not at 100%.

Today foggy and rather groggy even if I woke up 10 minutes before the alarm went off.

I wish that after the first crash after I pulled off to the side and let the majority of the group go by I would have just pulled the plug. 

The second crash found me landing on my face at high speeds but also blowing up my front wheel.. 

Pulled the Nipple right trough the rim. 

 This will be getting set off to the other side of big pond that divides Wisco and Michigan. 

This was taken yesterday

Just puffy and sore... Today black and blue,,,, and it just has me bummed that again the last race of the series I go down in a heap,,, only difference is this year I was trying to defend my first overall, and with my DNF I slid to Turd over all. 3 is a magic number or so I have heard. 

Racking my brain to find somewhere to race,, and I find one only an hour and a half away, but not sure if I am ready to go really hard with my scrambled brain. 

And with METAL Cross up in the cities and my cross bike not being finished I may just be rolling around the Driftless Region.

Ok enough of the Pity Party... It is bike racing and Shit Happens.. 

Like The Kid "PiP"

Kicking ass and not only winning but Winning the Overall.

She got a nice write up in Skinnyski.com today and is hoping to carry this momentum into this

weekends Collegiate race in the Show-me-State.

Pip even won enough money to send off to her new cross bike which with a few alterations will ride her all the way to Boulder for CrossNatz..

The Beer is cold and The Single is ready for a morning romp,

trying to clear my foggy mind.

Maybe riding a bike will help. 

Pip Beaver Creek 2006

 

 

Royals

Eleven hours of driving is done and so is the Minnesota Mountain Bike Series.

It was a long season of chasing wheels and points.

Saw some highs and lows and as a Team we all showed up and raced hard. 

Our first goal was to win the Elite category, epically afters last years paper work mishap that saw us on the outside looking in. 

Then we wanted to make a run at the team overall award,, and we were close,,, we were in the running the whole season, and with out seeing the numbers as of sunday we should still be on the podium,, just not on the top step. 

I went into sunday trying to defend the Top Spot....

Got called to the line #1 and the rest of the group filled in along on both sides. 

With a long ski trail lead out i was happy to let things string out and I worked my way up to the front. with 50 yards till the entrance to the single and a small hill I went for the hole shot and got forced to the course tape having to slow down and loose a place or two heading into the single track. 

Now St Cloud is one of the most tight and twisty trails on the list of races we do,, almost impossible to get a gap,, and with the tight and twisty I was happy to give some space between me and the wheel in front. The young Bavers came around and was riding strong.. and again I was happy to chill and ride. 

As Casey B came around to take a pull I sat second wheel and we were flying..

That is where the wheels came off the bus first.. 

Coming trough a tight 180 turn,, my front wheel got tied up in a some roots and I got hinged off the bike before i knew what happened and before my hands could go down my face bounced off a stump.

I got back on and tried to ride then needed to stop to get my self right,, at this time the whole field went by, and I got back on to try to finish. 

Managed to hook up with the Boss....Hollywood and Barry and thought that I would just ride it in.. Then with four or so miles left with Jay and Barry riding my wheel I found my self sliding across the ground on my face with my bike soon to come crashing down on me. 

That was it I walked out with a broken front wheel and a beat up face covered in blood. 

Made it back to the start finish and got cleaned up and just missed the Kid Sophia crossing the line in #1 Place.

Yep... while I was out beating my self up we was out leading

wire to wire to not only take the Win but also to Win the overall for the Series. 

So it was not a total was of a day.

Could not be more proud of this kid to Throw Down and go fast and show that 

the past month as part of the Ripon Red Hawks is paying off..

So there it is ,,, the series is over and asses were kicked 

the Team Hollywood Cycles Showed everyone that bikes can be ridden FAST and Partying On will happen..

Thanks to all of you!!

AC/DmC

I took the Spot out yesterday to make my self Hurt,,, only had enough time to ride to work and home but with the climb up the Seam and then up the old drainage ditch on the way home the pain comes fast and hard. Need to make sure that I am ready for the second big show of the year put on by the 29&Single* crew.. 

Came home to find some new wheels waiting for me.

MD over at Velocity went above and beyond to get me closer to a new Cross Rig.

The bike is coming together,, now that the wheels are here,, When Jeff at AllCity gets back from the show in the desert my Frame will be rolling and things will start taking shape.

I have had to call in a lot a favors as most of my cash right now is heading towards to the Kid and her Fall racing campaign.

Her plan is to race a whole cross season as soon as her Mtb season is over in October, and then head to Boulder in January for the national race. 

Me Cross is going to be more about fun and supporting the you Baver and the boss.

Like a greeting card I like long gravel rides in the setting sun and ripping single track through the fall colors. 

I have about 5 races that I will be at,, will try to make it a family affair as it has been a long long season of Mountain Bike Racing. 

That being said it is all coming to a Hed this weekend, with the last Minnesota Race of the season up in St Cloud or as I call it almost Canada.

And as a surprise guest racer the Pip is making it home Friday night and her and I will head up sunday morning to Rip it up one last time,, Our Goal is to show the world how the Team Hollywood Cycles/Girl Feind.. Party's and goes real real fast.

Getting the Band Back together,,

Party On.. Black and White THC*,.,.

Channel Z

Hayward Wisco is the epicenter of fat tire cycling right know this weekend.

Some 3000 people have shown up to ride race and talk about bike.

People come out of the woodwork for this one,, all types and all ability.

I have only seen it in the pages of bike mags and on the interwebs.

One of the first questions that you will ever answer if you live in wisconsin and someone finds out that you like to ride a mountain bike is do you race the Chequamegon?

Nope.

The race starts in the early spring or late winter when you sign up for a lottery just to get in..

And if you don't make it in on the lottery then you write an essay begging to be let in. 

Then unless you have raced it before and had a good time or you know someone, you don't get to start in the first wave of how ever many people.

The winners usually do the 40 mile race in around or under two hours,, so it is a fast race.

I am not anti, just something that I wished that i would have done some 20 years ago so I would be ready for the circus. 

We were going to load up the camper and be there to cheer on all the Team Hollywood Cycle racers

Judy Butters #

that are lining up, but the thought of another weekend away from home was too much.

It has been 4 weeks on the road racing and going fast and this  old man needs a break

before lining up next weekend for the final Minnesota race. 

Which leads me to this next bit of thoughts. 

Next week when I line up I will one last time get the #1 call up to the start,

Depending on how the race goes I may not end up with that by the finish.

Over the summer I have had it said to be or near me or caught the tail end of a conversation,,

Basically saying that this seasons competition has not been that good!? 

Not really sure what that means.

Yes Brendan has not raced  the whole series,, he has been to a few won them and then gone off to do some more enduro style races. 

We have had more new faces and some old ones show up and tow the line.

Jeff Hall, Jessie LaLonde, Jason Sager, Eric Tonkin, just to name a few. 

And then their is the young kid that stands to take the lead from me Dominic, this kid has been on fire, and had some great races.

Point to all of this is this summers racing has been great good fields good venues, and one hell of a

great Team..

This old man pecking away at the keyboard has raced consistent and hard only truly having one bad race. I am not going to let the words of others take away from what on paper has been my best 

season of racing ever.. Finishing first or second will be the cherry on top of the ice creme on top of the cake that has been my season. 

I live a simple life and all I want to do is Ride and Race my bike,, 

every thing else is just back ground noise. 

Hit ThIs

Weekend is over and a new starts.. slow and low with coffee and football talk. 

Been playing the role of a armchair cycling dad... with Pip off at school I have been using the world of social media to keep in the loop of what the kid has been doing. 

College is fitting her quite well,, between classes and riding with the team,, she is traveling all over the upper midwest..

This weekend the Red Hawks Team was in Indy,, racing STXC,, XC.. and 4x, and teammate Rosie was even doing some track racing.

Pip hung tough in the short track finishing a strong 6th in what she called a cross race minus the barriers. 

And then followed it up with her first ever 4x racing.. Sunday brought the cross country race and behind the strong performance of Kaitlin Antonneau .. Pip and her teammate Corrie finished 3..2..

The team is riding strong,,, and I am having a blast watching. 

Yesterday for me was an impromptu Road race.  The boss Hollywood asked if me and 

the Bavers would like to come along and race the two lap 42 mile race. 

Lining up I could see some of the faces of the fast guys in the Road seen and I knew that it was going to be a hard day. 

From the gun we headed out into the wind,, I did what I set out to do... Stay out of trouble and do some work up front. 

I was able to take some big pulls and work with the likes of Dan Casper and Timmer. 

Coming trough on the second lap I came unattached after a hard effort and from here on out I rode in no mans land until the last few miles when a local Lacrosse rider came up and we rode to finish.. 

Bavers flatted the boss rode in with one of the detached groups. 

All in all it was a good hard day,,, now comes all the advice from the fast guys on how to race on the road,.,., I'll take it,, I had fun and could see doing more..

Now time to suit up for the shitstormoftheweek. 

Pedal On!

Go North BoY!

Bikes Water,, Good Food and Good People.. 

Sounds like a nice little family weekend.. 

It was.

With the Pip off at college and racing in her first collegiate race,.., being one kid down I did not want to pull the camper 6 hours,, to Maplelag.

We made it up in the late afternoon on friday with enough time to squeeze in a pre ride of the 

sunday course,, which was much needed as my legs were mush from driving. 

As the shadows grew longer the crew continued to show up and we were all ready for dinner. 

When you go and visit the Richards Family at Maplelag you are treated to 

a family style meal all cooked from scratch by their kick ass kitchen crew. 

Dinner some hot tubing and off to bed.

TT in the morning and I got to be the second one off behind Heath..

Just as I hit suicide hill Bmore came around me and I followed and shortly there after caught Heath.. 

After watching Brendan ride away I kept my head down and charged to the line.. 

Crossed with 3rd place,, and that set me up well for the evenings short track. 

The boy

and I took a canoe out and paddled around the lake,, which just made me want a boat now.. 

Before supper the racing got started with the kids and as they lined up the temps cooled a touch and they were off for their two lap race. 

James did well had a smile on his face the whole time. 

Now for me it has been a love hate with the short track at this event. 

Broke chain one year under geared another,, and pulled...

This year I wanted it to be better,, with a congested start I 

got my self up into the group that was going to become the winning group..

Not sure where I slipped off but a gap formed and thankfully Hollywood was there to help keep up in the running for the GC..

Crossed in 7th but under a 1minute down on GC for the XC race. 

Dinner Beer,,,,Sleep..

Sunday was cold and grey for the kids start at 9am which I almost did not get james to the line..to busy drinking coffee and eating cookies. 

The boy had a great ride much better than the day before especially since we fixed his rear brake. 

By the time my race started the rain had stopped and the temp and trails were perfect. 

A twist to the start and some funky moves I tried to stay on SKJ's wheel as I 

saw him going for the pass of Mills... I ran out of room and once we hit the Lake Side Drops,, Fred was all over the place while I tried to get around him the group of 4 up front were gone.

From here on out I just stepped on the gas trying to make sure that not only I was not passed but that I made up the minute that I needed to get into the money.

Just under two hours of racing I crossed the line in 5th and ended 5th for the weekend. 

Best weekend of racing for me out of the 4 years that I have been making the drive up there. 

Huge thanks go out to my family for driving with me and putting up with me,,, To the Richards family and staff,, they take the best care of us,, 

To the Hollywood team and Jay and Kristy..

And all the of the Sponsors that help me get me going in the right direction. 

 Came 

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