fat tire classsic 2009

Winding Trails ⋅ Farmington, CT, US ⋅ Apr, 26 2009


Carpooled down with Andrew freye and his GF Hattie. 3 hour drive an (extra 45 min for Andrew). that and a 2:15 start made for a long day.

I had a decent start but fell back right away. I think if I forced myself to keep with the rest of the group I would have probably puked, I was tasting the pb and j I took a couple of bites out of before the race.

I think it was the heat more than anything causing my body distress. I had to slow down to a leisurely pace for a lap before things started feeling normal again. I paced myself through the rest of the race trying to avoid tasting my lunch again.

I was able to pass a bunch of broken riders who quit on them self’s and no longer cared about living or dying (maybe a little dramatic) but they defiantly weren’t putting up much of a fight. Everyone I went passed in my category with out exception complained about the hot weather. So I guess I wasn’t the only one to get hit by the hot weather train.

I finished 10th (I think there was 26 in my cattagory). That makes me a little better than average on the day. I had a C+ race. Did a cool down with John Burns and jumped in the lake. got home @ 9:30

Here is the start of the race. I am the one in black w/ white helmet on the right slowly falling backward showing off his chest hair growing skills.

Hppbrook dam 2009

Carpooled down to hopbrook dam race with Andrew freye



it was cold and rainy.



@ the Line up for the race I noticed there was a different category system. Instead of beginner-pro their is category 3-1.

Mmmmmmmmmm… Interesting.



I think there was about 25 starters... I think I was last or maybe second to last going into the single track at the start.



I passed about ten guys before I finished but I was still very far back from the podium contenders.



came in 15th



I slipped out around a corner and my handle bars got twisted around… this happened…





I think only 2 strands of cable are still connecting my shifter to derailleur.



Andrew frey (the guy I carpooled down with) won

Here is his interview, I am the naked guy in the background between 19-52 seconds in showing off his huge pecks.

new team kit

My new team kit came in he mail today. It looks pretty good. Pretty much the same as the past 2 years

In the cycling community it is cool to be the skinniest guy with shaved legs and matching spandex.

Everywhere else in the world its not so cool.

we get all fancied up and go out for rides or races thinking we are looking sharp in are matching team kits.

but this is how everyone else sees us as….



at the end of the day we are just a bunch of people dressed up like aerobics instructors and super heroes riding are bikes around in the woods trying to be faster than each other. i don't think we should be taking are self's too seriously.

how to reap the benefits of excuses in mountain biking?

in my last deep thoughts i examined the reasons why excuses can be beneficial in mountain biking by distancing yourself from responsibility

how to reap the benefits of excuses in mountain biking?....

Before you even start your race you need to have a planned out excuse strategy.

Start complaining about something that you can later use as an excuse for why you didn’t perform better in the race.

it’s the set up for the excuse.

The best place to announce your excuse is at the starting line of the race. Pretend like you are having a conversation with the person next to you but speak loud enough so all your competitors can hear your complaint.

If another rider passes you on the course it is always a good idea to use an excuse as he or she passes

This lets the passing rider know that they are not actually better than you.

If you have a hard time thinking up excuses mid race write them down on the back of your number plate or on your stem.

After finishing the race go in for the kill. use your excuse that you set up before the race. tell everyone!!!

Lay it on thick, be a real drama queen, pretend to be really upset about it. The more convincing your act the more sympathy they will have for you and the more likely they will believe your excuse.

Using excuses is always a good idea. even if you had a good race use the an excuse to rub it in the face and be-little all your competitors (The more be-littled they are the bigger you are in comparison).
i made this excuse wheel... this is just a prototype... thinking about selling them out of the back of my car at bike races.



warning: use of this product may result in people thinking you are annoying and loss of friends.

Pro License

License came in the mail USA cycling exchanged my bmx license for a mountain bike license.

I look forward to license time because I get to Photoshop an image for the back…

2008
Neanderthal hockey player theme


2009
devil theme

I don’t think the picture even matters , I’ve never had anyone who was processing my registration look at the back of the license.

sometimes when i'm bragging about how i am pro people think that means that i make a living riding my bike, have a mechanic, coach, someone who massages my legs after the race, that i am constantly sighing autographs and eating meals prepared by my team chief.

they confuse a pro tour de France rider with a pro American mountain biker.

from what i hear the top 5 in the nation make a salary they can live off of and are in magazines regularly fitting the description that you would think belongs to a professional athlete. the rest are just glorified weekend warriors.

i think there should be a sub categories in the pro field to distinguish between the different variety of pro mountain bikers.

best (best in the nation, On national traveling teams, in magazines regularly and make a living riding)

good (competitive, Still have dreams and ambitions of one day being in the best category)

poor (trying their best not to get lapped)

Cracked frame with a missing seat collar DIY

DIY

Cracked frame with a missing seat collar

use bondo and electrical tape

Why do mountain bikers have so many excuses?

Why do mountain bikers have so many excuses?

I think cyclists in general have a lot of excuses. If there was an excuse-o-meter that located excuses I am confidant that the highest concentration of excuses on earth would be at the finish line of bike races.


There are a lot of things that can go wrong with your bike and your self. So a lot of the excuses are justified but other times not so much.

Excuses aren’t necessarily a bad thing, they can be helpful. As long as you can convince yourself that the excuse you use are true you can reap the benefits of having more confidence and a better self esteem

Telling your self excuses helps build confidence by taking away all the blame from your self and putting it on things , events, conditions and other people.

“Its not my fault I would have won that race if it wasn’t for my (bad knee, crappy bike, other people getting in my way, my inappropriate tire tread pattern, bla bla bla Ect. Ect. Ect.)

In a way, you convince your self that you have no control over what happens to you. this creates some comfort knowing that things are out of your hands and that you arn't responsible for the outcome.

In my next deep thoughts I will give detailed examples of how mountain bikers can use excuses to their benefit.