storktorq

Move on over

2007-06-27T17:36:00.000-05:00

Hello are you still out there? Please tune in at www.travissaeler.com Have you tryed the new typepad site?

Say Goodbye tp the old and Hello to the New

2007-05-16T12:23:00.000-05:00

Well I hope that everyone has found their way to my new site but for those of you that don't log on thru www.travissaeler.com you maybe wondering where I've went and why there hasn't been any new posts. I've switched over to a newer style of weblog where I can posts better links and photo albums with a lot more pictures for those of you to view.
Thanks for reading and enjoy the new site......
stork

When is it considered a "bad" ride?

2007-05-03T04:56:00.000-05:00

After another day of misery at work, which seems to be the norm recently I loaded up the SuperCal 29er and drove off to Moraine. TJ had given me his wheelset with the new Bontrager Tubeless ACX setup so I could get them "ridden in". For those unaware of how tubeless works I'll explain. The wheels get a strip installed on the inside with a permanent valve stem, you then install the tire but before rolling the last section of bead onto the rim you put some type of sealant into the tire. In this case we have chosen Bontragers Super Juice. You then air the tire up and continue until the pressure goes somewhere above 60 pounds and you'll hear the bead "pop" onto the rim. You will also see the sealant bubble in areas around the bead. Once you have done this its best to leave the extra pressure in them for awhile then air them down to your desired pressure and ride them. Riding them gets the sealant worked around the inside the best and will usually do the trick for getting the tire completely sealed. This is what I was doing for TJ since he didn't have time to ride off road before this weekends race.
So Moraine it was again, except everything seemed to be working against me. First up as I bombed down thru some rocks a stick kicked up and into my front wheel thus ripping my computer transmitter from its mount. What could I do? Nothing so I just shook my head & continued.

Well it didn't stop there. Only about 5 mins later I twisted the shifter for the front drive train and "snap" nothing! I stopped and rolled the bike over only to see that a rock had rolled up off the front tire and smashed the derailleur cable leaving only a strand or two holding it together but as soon as I tried to shift it broke completely. Now I'm part way thru the park and my ride officially reached the status of "bad"! Broken transmitter, broken cable what next? Well let me tell you that a "bad" ride beats out no ride so I did as anyone in my shoes would do. No I didn't get out my tools and reset the limits on the derailleur instead I road the remainder of the ride in the little ring spinning a high cadence and sitting most of the ride. It was a bit different but never the less I completed the ride. Oh well off to the shop to make a few adjustments & repairs, but remember "bad" rides are expected on occasion so don't fight them just find your way through something good may come of anyway.

stork

Greenbrier

2007-04-30T20:48:00.000-05:00

Outside the window of our table @ Dennys in Hagerstown we watched this happy little duck waddle around the parking lot before nestling down in the dew covered grass just beside the entrance, as if to lay claim to its territory. It made me think about my race that would start @ 3:30 that day, would I be waddling around the course looking all happy? laying claim to the territory? Probably not but never the less we finished breakfast and headed in the direction of Greenbrier State Park.
Today's race held the fate of my riders dreams. It would be a qualifier for an invite to something in the way of a National race. Also the UCI (pros that ride for a living) riders gather points from races like these for Olympic qualifiers. So the field of riders would be many and would be strong. Above is a picture of me & Jerry Bliton who was back on the bike for the first time in weeks (since some back surgery) and tooling around the course showing his support to all. Thanks Jerry as always it was great seeing you and thanks for all the encouragement! Chris & Jeremiah after a good but unsatisfying finish. Both guys are great athletes and very normal people. I spoke with both of them in length while hanging out at the Trek Tent with Stephen Hoover (Trek Regional East Team) who included me as a member for the weekend.
Michelle, Gunnar, Chris Eatough & his wife with their new baby, Congrats to them!

Heres two more well known faces... Gunnar & Betsy (bunny) Shogren.

Michelle entering her second lap for a victory in the 30/39 Female Sport group! Great job Champ!

Ok So Michelle kicked some butt @ 10:30 which leaves me to race @ 3:30. By this time of the day I'm thinking of driving home and calling it a weekend, but that isn't how you do things. No even when you're feeling like doing something else duty calls and you're lined up at the Start. I was riding the new Ferrous for its first race and was a bit concerned about how it would handle and perform with the fast, rocky course. Nothing to worry about the starting whistle blew and off the 28 singlespeeders go! Several of the guys in my group are really strong riders and one of them I have raced several times. Most of those times I came out the victor but today's stars where not aliened in my favor. Shortly into the course two riders went around me and hung out in front But within my view for the first 2 laps before pulling away on the 3rd. I did somehow manage to hang on to my 3rd place position for the Bronze. It turned out to be a very tough day for me but there's a long season ahead with many more fast competitors to square off with.

We hung around for the awards with Gunnar, Betsy, Mike & Erin Yozell, Amy Breyla & CB before packin it in and turning toward the west..

stork

200+ miles from Home

2007-04-28T17:26:00.000-05:00

Saturday April 28th
Michelle and I drove into Maryland around noon today, straight to the State park (WHERE WE HAD TO PAY $4 PER PERSON TO ENTER) remember how much you paid to "use" your favorite PA Park? Nothing? Correct! ok there,s probably tax money in use to operate them but this subject is better left for another post, sorry. Anyway we unloaded the Cranberry Tart (Escape) and got ready for a little pre ride.Since I just got this new SuperCal 29er Built yesterday I thought that using it for my pre-ride would be a great way to check for rattles & squeaks. This was a mistake. I loved the feel of floating over the rock littered course! And the climbs.... sitting, spinning, and pain free lower back! Traction was almost to much with the new Bontrager ACX Tubeless Ready Tires that I had mounted to the Race X Lite TLR Disc 29 Rims. A Big thanks to TO for hookin me up with this stuff! I'm very impressed with both the rims & the tires and will most definitely have these Tires on my other bikes as soon as I get my hands on more.

Ok since fueling up @ the Longhorn SteakHouse we're now headin out to the DQ but check back tomorrow night or monday morning & keep your fingers crossed for me. I need all the help I can get.

Summer life on the road!

stork

The Planting of the Tree

2007-04-25T19:33:00.000-05:00

Its coming. What you ask? Well how about a new updated cutting edge website! I've been working dilegently infront of the monitor for the past few days on the new layout & design of travissaeler.com Soon I will be converting from the eblogger to the new server.

Quick links to some of my favorite pages,

a photo album section for you to scroll through including photos of some of the cool bikes and gear I get to try.

But I've promised myself that i wouldn't be posting it until its fully complete.

It's been several months since I've started this site and now that I've learned how to operate it and understand a few things better I thought that it would be best to make the next step towards a professional weblog. I'll tell you that it takes a ton of time and I'm sure my results at this weekends race will reflect it but its just a temporary thing. Once the site it built and running I'lll be back to just adding posts as they come.

. .. .. .... .. .. .. . ... .... ..... .... .... .. .. ... . .. .. . .. .... .. . stork

Welcome to a world of Pain episode #33

2007-04-22T19:53:00.000-05:00

Wow what a wake up call todays race turned out to be! Michelle & I rolled into the New Ken Eatn'Park to meet TJ. Some warm oatmeal, eggs bacon & Coffee and we where off to Bruceton Mills West Virginia for the Second WVMBA race @ Big Bear Lake. Since today was sunny & warm the turnout would be be big. As we arrived the parking lot surrounding the building already had tons of cars loaded with bikes and gear while their drivers filtered in to sign up. Almost immediately upon getting out of the car I'm spotted by Mike Yozell (who races many of the Mid Atlantic Super Series races with me last year). I then knew this was going to be a hard day because with guys like Mike the pace was going to be blistering. Most of the times Mike & I squared off last year I managed to stay out in front even with the handicap of my single speed but he was always a close chaser forcing me to step it up. I would be piloting my older Fisher Paragon 29er with the multi gear drive train. I spent most of Saturday piecing this bike back together because I didn't want to use the new Ferrous until I worked out my crank issues. I've always felt that I'm a bit slower on the geared bike but with reservations I brought it anyway.

The Race started off with a mass start of all expert classes and I managed to stay up front with TJ, Jeff Shaulk (Trek East Coast Regional Team) & an older training friend Andy Gorski. Jeff pulled out of site once we hit the gravel fire road so Andy, TJ & I worked together until hitting the single track where Andy & I missed a sharp right hand turn and found ourselves careening through the brush. A quick dismount and some skillfully leaping and we where back on course but a few guys managed to pass us due to this mistake. Never the less they where putting the hammer down and pulled out of site as I followed Andy. A few miles later I, along with a few others, worked our way around Andy and continued on. Somewhere around the 7 mile mark I noticed just how fatigued I was feeling and though about how badly I was pedaling this geared thing. Why can't I manage to hammer when I have more than one gear choice? A few positions where exchanged and I wasn't sure where I was placed at that moment but I did think about eating a Gel. As I ripped open the package and tasted the first bit i bobbed and weaved over the trail, suddenly i noticed it tasted a lot like dirt! No it wasn't the Gel I was now on the ground almost a foot or so away from my bike! What happened I asked myself? As i climbed back on to the bike in pure disgust I noticed the rock I hit while one handing the bar in order to squeeze the gel down my gullet. My skills suck! During my lust to taste the earthy dirt below me I managed to bang my knees and inner thighs pretty good, so as I continued on I could feel the bruising and swelling.

This is why bikers shave their legs. When cleaning the dirt and rocks out & as these scraps/cuts heal it's always better without dealing with the normal leg hair.

Ok back to the story at hand, the pain wasn't real bad but enough to notice as I started pedaling. With only a half dozen or so guys in front of me I convinced myself to up the output and cranked onward but as we neared the end of the course Mike Yozell came screaming up behind me & passed me and anothe guy (Sport Class) but just as he passed us the other guy wiped out and forced me to nose wheelie into another crash! I picked myself up only to see Mike pulling away and holding on to the gap for the finish. Nice job Mike! (also on a 29er). In the end I finished up with a solid 3rd in the Vet class seconds behind Mike (2nd) and we where behind Justin P. (1st also on a Fisher Paragon 29er).

Lets hope I get things together in the next month or I'll be needing to look for new sponsors next year like Barnes & Nobles (where I could sit and read about racing and riding).

Thanks to TO, Gary Fisher, Bontrager Components Wheelworks & Tires, Boone Ti Rings, Deans Recovery Milk, Trek of PGH, Don Mosites, Bob Myers & his Trek/Nike Products, & Serfas Glasses.

Oh yea & Thanks to everyone their who put me in the hurt locker.

Michelle Did well with a Second Place Finish in the womens Sport group.

TJ Finished up with a second also in the Mens Pro/Expert. Great job buddy, a little slow starting but as always a locomotive once you get rolling!

stork

Still Searching Rev 1

2007-04-21T10:29:00.000-05:00

Day two of testing the Ferrous-

Changed the cranks from my usual XTR & Boone Ti Ring to the Bontrager SS Race Cranks

These cranks use a Truvativ Bottom Bracket which have 113mm Spindle instead of the 112.5 of the XTR and these also have a thinner crank arm which with a combination of the two should give me the necessary clearance.

Again out to the "testing grounds" of Moraine State Parks MTB Trail. Thankfully changing these items did the trick but now I'm forced to use a Q Factor that is wider than I like and at times while maneuvering thru the rocks I noticed my leg/calf still touching the seat stays due to their width. This isn't horrible but I didn't like it. Will I race this bike? Probably because I like the feel of the springy steel. How about racing it tomorrow? No. I still need to dial in a few other things so if I manage to feel ok (still fighting a lingering cold and allergies) I'll probably race the Vet class with my Paragon for a warm up to Greenbrier AMBC race that is coming next weekend.

stork

How They Discovered Something Worth Knowing

2007-04-20T04:55:00.000-05:00

So I'm thinking of attending the WVMBA race this coming weekend if I manage to hold off this lingering cold that everyone around me seems to be getting, so I took that Ferrous I built back in December off the wall hook last night & went to Moriane State Park. I could sence the bikes excitment to carve the trails, it was somewhat like the excitment a new puppy has when you take it for its first visit to the park. Yea it knows something cool is about to happen but it isn't sure what, never the less it gets real antsy & excited. This is what I senced the Ferrous was feeling. Those of you from around here understand the trail @ Moriane and just how difficult & rocky it is. It isn't a long trail (yet) looping around for a total 7 miles but its a great testing ground for any new bike and its handeling and ride qualities. On to the trial system I went and I must say I was looking forward to riding this Steel Steed. I always take any bike that I've rebuilt out for a good test ride to make sure everything is working properly and all adjustments suite my liking. I quickly noticed its flexibility as I rocketed across the first section of rocks and small boulders, impressive. As I started the first small climb up the Power Line I instantly noticed a thunk, thunk, thunk, thunk, with every pedal stroke. At the top of the climb I stop to inspect the bike and the origin of the noise. It didn't take me more than a few seconds to notice my crank arm was hitting the chainstay as the bike flex under my pedal stroke (also known as storktorq). How disappointing! This wasn't something I could remedy on the trial, in fact this will require me to install a wider Bottom bracket or different crankset.Since the Ferrous has an extra wide rear frame I will be unable to maintain the shorter Q factor (distance between cranks) that suites my smaller build. This is good information for those of you wanting to purchase a Ferrous. Also with this tight fit my heels rubbed the seatstays as my pedal stroke came around. I was immediately let down but since this fix couldn't be made I forged onward to test the feel & ride of the steel frame over the rocks. I must say that this bike felt similar to my older Bluestone Ti frames, springy, flexy, responsive & comfortable. I really liked it except for the frame width factor. I'm almost positive that this bike won't get raced much because of this frame width. When you ride as much as someone like me you notice things like Q factors and they become very important, yes I ride other bikes with a wider Q factor but for racing I like my stuff set up a certain way, with this bike I will be unable to get those measurements. Well, enough about my disappointments along the trial I came across Greg (below-a student @ SRU and Danny Wilsons Room Mate). Danny Wilson has been a past teammate of mine for more than a few years up to this season and currently helps students @ SRU to obtain bikes to travel to classes. Also Out on the new section of trial , yes I said new section (almost 4 miles of singletrack littered with more rocks & boulders) was Dan Spurk who was building more of the trial. He was eager to tell me just how the trail would finish up with an awesome gradual decline where momentum will carry you over and through a large section of rocks! He's hoping that his group will have this completed before Summer. If you have time look for the Trail building days on the PORC website. Thanks Dan and everyone else for this new section and the relations between bikers and the Park Manager. We need more guys like Dan.
Oh before I sign off let me add a bit about the new shorts that I got. There a pair of Treks top line Circuit Bibs and boy are they nice. Small chamois, good fit with a rubber lining around the leg ends instead of elastic (which creeps up during a ride). The rubber is just a bit tacky and sticks instead of needing to tighten around your thigh. I really liked these and will more than likely be getting a few more for the race season.
Stork

Mingo, Mango, Mumba

2007-04-16T19:13:00.000-05:00

Sunday rolled around to see me lining up at yet another Mingo Road race. Cold weather, raining and a steady wind, how fun! These races are a great learning tool for me. Since I never road race enough to upgrade a license (stuck w/a 4) I never do them because of the possibility of getting hurt and effecting my true loyalty to Fisher & the 29er Crew.
But somehow I manage to slide in (accepted by the race promoter) to the Cat 1/2/3 event and the risk of injury lessens because these individuals have had to race in large groups in order to earn the Cat 3 or above status.

This weeks race was missing a few riders but never the less a nice group of 1/2/3 racer where at the start line including my good friend Tim Lyons (Freddie Fu Racing). Tim treated me like his personal intern softly shouting orders to me explaining where and what I should be doing. To bad he flatted out in the first 1/2 mile but lucky for me they let him back in on our start of the 2nd lap with the restriction of doing nothing to help or hinder the group, meaning he couldn't pull or get in any ones way. He could however school me on the ways of a roadie & school me he did!

Travis get up there, Travis pay attention to those two, Your wheel should be behind their wheel, when one of those guys break you need to be with them, Travis don't do anything to kill yourself, sit in here, get ready it looks like "go" time. So I rode around a lap or 2 sprinting to someone wheel as they tried to make breaks but once they noticed it was unsuccessful they returned back to the group. Finally on the 4th lap a guy made a break on the small hill and I targeted his rear wheel like a buzzard on a gut wagon., only then he turned and said something about a teammate and he started to slow down. I'm a newbie so I pulled of his wheel and sat up only to see his teammate scream by and pull him off in front of me. I tried to bridge the small gap but working by myself was impossible as I watched them ride off. Hell with it here I am out front of the group riding solo maybe I can make it stick for awhile before getting swallowed up in the group pursuing me. Around the start finish and I see my gap growing so my mtb instinct starts to take over & I find myself wanting to make this solo thing last but with 2 more laps to go it sounds impossible to me. Worst thing that could happen? I get caught, right?, right!

I buckled down and started concentrating on a steady rhythm (no thanks to any music, road races don't allow mp3 players- how boring). Next I hear the bell and still no group behind me in sight. Excellent I did it, I pulled off a solo break in the Cat 1/2/3 and finished up with 4th Place!

Thanks to Don Mosites, Gary Bywaters, Fisher Bikes, Tim Lyons for the instructions & Lunch @ Moes & Especially Bontrager Components (my new race Xlite road wheels)

I couldn't believe the differance I noticed between these new wheels and my existing Mavic Open Pros that are laced to a King Classic Hub. These wheels seemed to freespin effortlessly and something tells me they had something to do with my success this past weekend. They felt fast, stiff & very smooth which are all good qualities!

stork

In Search of Puddleglum

2007-04-15T20:38:00.000-05:00

Friday nights voice message was from Chris, one of the guys I rode with on Good Friday. "Travis, Chris here, Mike & I are riding Kennerdall tomorrow morning, if you're interested give me a call". I sat on the couch thinking how can I tell Michelle that I'm going to bail on our Saturday plans to go ride. Luckily Michelle isn't one of those girls who get over dramatic at something like this & she understands my commitment to riding & racing. My commitment to things probably is one of the things she likes about me best. Anyway with the upcoming race season and my new sponsorship with the Gary Fisher 29er Team she understands that I need ride time. So I broke it to her with the added information that we would be riding early so I wouldn't be home late. She said sure thing, see ya when you get home, but I think she knew that anytime I go riding its never in the allotted time. Saturday morning found me listening to the Bee Gees waiting for Chris & Mike to arrive. We got ready and off to the trials. Since these two had only ridden here one other time I became the official tour guide, which I never mind doing. I really enjoy riding with these guys and we kept a steady pace stopping on occasion to point out different routes & trails while getting a breather. I rode my 2006 Fisher Rig Single speed which hadn't been off the hook since the last race of 2006. It felt good to be carving the singletrack straddling this trusty steed. This particular bike and I shared several major victories last season and I have a certain respect for this machine, in fact so much that I believe this to be the first time I've ridden it outside of racing since it's been built. Ok a few trail rides around my house to test & tune but never with a group elsewhere.

Mike & Chris gliding down the "Goat Path" @ Kennerdall on their way to Dennison Run. We rode almost 16 miles for the day through all the marshy trails at Kennerdall while searching for Puddleglum the Marsh Wiggle. I've been told he can be found fishing along Dennison Run but instead we found this creature

Yes its a porcupine. Very cool to see something like this. I must add that its not out of the ordinary in this area to spot one. Of all the times I've ridden Kennerdall on more than a few occasions I've gotten the chance to observe these magnificent animals. Again I must add that you ain't gonna see stuff like this sittin on your couch! Get out and see the our wonderful State! But please only observe the wildlife don't bother, tease or disturb them!

We watched the little critter walk around and climb the tree before moving on.

All in all it was a great morning ride with some sun before the rain moved in later in the evening. Good company, wildlife & sweet trails. A successful day, Thanks to God and Country

stork

I Work to Live, Not Live to Work

2007-04-13T05:15:00.000-05:00

As Spring arrives my list of things to do multiplies daily. A few major things happening at work have kept me from riding much lately. My neglect at the home front is really starting to show and it became a reality when I came home to find a posting from the local authorities warning of No Trespassing due to unsafe conditions!
Ok I may be exaggerating but really work has me swamped so much that outside of it there isn't much for me to tell. I missed the weekly Thursday morning ride w/Tim Lyons and TJ to attend work & I can't imagine you people wanting to hear about Furnace Burners, K-Column Dampers, Honeywell Controllers, and Thermocouples.
Hopefully I can get some pedalling in before the 2nd Mingo Race on Sunday.
Later, work beckons again!

Stork

Easter Sunday

2007-04-09T18:45:00.000-05:00

This begins the story of the Cat & the Duck. Once upon a time (Easter Sunday 2007) I was riding my bike (no surprise) and I came upon a cat & a duck hanging out together near the edge of a pond ( in Rattigan). I slowed down as I heard the duck yelling (more like a quack) at me to be more cautious of the wildlife! At this time I noticed the cat sitting there clearly knowing that he was no match for the Duck so he was looking for something else to hunt as he ignored them. I stopped and watched several other waterfowl meandering around the water at which time I notice this guy walking the waters edge with a white goose following him. I immediately became interested & curious so I watched for awhile. The man was walking and cleaning up around the edge of the pond and the goose followed him everywhere and every so often the man would lean over to somewhat scratch the goose as it honked for his attention. It was cool to watch this and eventually the man made his way to a small shack where he scooped some seed or grain and started spreading it around on the ground. It was a great morning to be riding and one of the first times in more than a week or two that I've ridden back towards Rattigan. I had Easter Duties to tend to so I had to make this a short & sweet ride but I managed to waste more than a few minutes here watching the Ducks feed in the wet grass and pick at there plumage. They are really magnificent creatures and I enjoyed the time watching them. Wel thats it for the Easter Sunday ride, not much to tell but as always enjoyable! It never seems to be a chore to ride and once i'm out with the wheels rolling time just slips away.

stork

The Storm and What Came of It

2007-04-07T08:49:00.000-05:00

So Good Friday comes and with it a steady light snow storm greeted me when i awoke. Just last week I was riding in shorts, a base layer and jersey! Today I'll be back to the knickers and cut of jeans. An Early shot of myself & Scott trying to troubleshoot his rear wheel problem. This turned out to be a broken internal in his hub which ended Scotts ride with us on Friday. Maybe next time, my friend.

Heres the story..I got a call Thursday evening while I was turning tools on repairs at the ToP cranberry store with TJ as we listening to some music from the Rat Pack. It was Mike, a guy I've ridden with a few times during the winter months and it was always fun so I made the schedule changes necessary to make the morning ride.
He told me that there would be several people showing up at the Pool in North Park around 9. A few cups of coffee, loaded up the 05 Purple Rig and I was off. The others turned out to be great guys and two of the younger ones (High School) lived nearby and actually build more than a few miles of the trails through out the Park. So we had inside guides for the day. How cool! Since I have done very little mountain biking over the last few months this ride was a treat! I had forgotten how "rusty" my cornering and traction skills had gotten due to all the road riding. It was so pathetic to watch me hesitate thru corners and off camber trail sections.

Vaughn, Nick & Ken near the end of our ride. We stopped often to goof off and snap photos, but still managed to get a good 15+ mile ride in. Look for Vaughns name in the Month of Mud races later this year and hopefully he gets into the Cross races too. Good Luck Vaughn!

There's a couple of shots of Chris making some sweet jumps! I would have to say that Chris has some mad skills with getting his bike up & over things! To bad the camera wasn't faster so we could have captured the wipe-out that followed this aerial! Just kidding, Chris pulled this one off as he always does with a solid landing!

After all the riding we loaded up and headed to Moes Southwest Grille in Cranberry (beside the ToP store) for some fuel and conversation. I was really glad the group invited me along

The last climb to the Pool Parking Lot! Hum looks like a few of us where finally worn out. Oh well this climb was a little slick so there wasn't any shame in walking, next time we'll get it! Thanks again to Mike for the invite and i look forward to the next time. Mike riding the trials @ North Park

stork

The Pace Quickens

2007-04-01T18:49:00.000-05:00

Well This morning rolled around and I searched all the weather sites again. But after a few cups of Joe I decided that the heavy rains and wind due in Ohio where just enough to sway me toward taking the easy way out & go for the 1 1/2 hour drive south to the Mingo Road race. I haven't raced on the road for over 3 years and, in a nutshell, you could count the total number of Road races I've entered on 1 hand (not counting a half dozen crit races) So this was going to be somewhat of a learning experience for me.
The start of the Cat 4/5 Group

Trek of Pittsburgh Owner/Operator, Don Mosites, Promotes these Mingo Races and I got a call from him around 8 o'clock he asks "well where are you headed, Ohio?" I told him no I think you'll be seeing me shortly. He replies with a quick "cool!" I told him to get me pre-registered because I would be a last minute arrival.

Once in the lot Michelle and I walked down to sign up where I was greeted by Don & Gary Bywaters. Don notices my registration is for the Cat 4/5 which is the class I'm listed for on my license and instantly throws a red flag. "Come on Stork you can't race the 4/5" says Don. Hey I can't bump myself up so he & Gary discuss this and then I was instructed to sign up on the Cat 1,2,3 sheet right behind this guy: Gunnar Shogren

So off with the start and I was racing my first Cat 3 Race! How exciting... not really I mainly wanted to use this as a training tool and wanted something to gauge my training from the winter with. I'm truly a mountain biker so it was hard to hold back from going all out and blowing up. To be perfectly honest I can't tell you the exact number of laps I did but they where all fun. These guys can ride in packs and no-one is afraid to pull so it was a steady pace the entire time. I supported the new 29er Fisher Team by wearing the new jerseys (bright Orange/red) and by riding my Lemond Buenos Aires. I managed to ride with a small group that lead the first couple of laps until a few guys broke away. I looked around to see where a few friends where and after seeing them still in this group I thought it best to sit tight with them and ignore the break away, especially since I didn't know the guys pulling away. Nearing the second to the last lap Gerry P. from Freddie Fu told me that this group was going to "stick" so stay with it. (Thanks for the advice Gerry). I did as he said and rolling into the start of our last lap I was sitting comfortably in with the largest lead group. Only about 5 others where out in front of us. Not bad for my first Cat 3 race I thought! As we started the last rolling climb Gerry & I where out front in our group and I felt my rear tire getting soft. I looked over to Gerry and said "I'm out with a flat". I immediately fell thru and out the back. Irritated to say the least, with less than 2.5 miles left! Damn I thought, I've seen Gunnar ride a flat out so why shouldn't I try it! I started pushing the cranks and actually caught back up with the group I was in but for safety reason I backed off before they made the turn toward the descent to the finish. I flat road tire on wet roads is an invite for a disaster. I hung on as the rear end got "squirrely" and road it out to the finish. Glad that was over!

Whew what an experience. A big thanks to Don, Gary Bywaters, Trek of Pittsburgh, & my support from Fisher.Above: Notice the BRIGHT orange/red on the left..... 100% stork!

stork

Unsure

2007-03-31T19:50:00.000-05:00

What a day I had. Woke up drank some coffee went for a short ride thru Butler and then got a call from TJ @ ToP. He rings me to ask if I'm coming down and begged me to bring coffee. I got cleaned up and headed down first stopping at Cummings Coffee Shop in downtown Butler for 2 pounds of the House blend. Got to the shop made the bean and then got caught up in the busy sales floor. Next thing I notice its 6 o'clock and we're locking the doors! I really never had time to relax while visiting and by the way "Don where is my pay check?"
Now I sit here in front of the computer looking up the weather for tomorrow. Rain here in the Pittsburgh Area & rain in Ohio where the mountain bike race is. So where do I go? Its always hard to start the season and I really don't feel like driving 3 hours to race in rain and high winds (warning listed on weather.com) but its a mtb event so I should go. Now a little closer to home there is the Mingo road race but come on I don't know the first thing about road races or how to play the strategy. My first mtb race of the year is always relaxed and I hold my expectations low. I like to get out and get a feel for the trails and my bike during the first event. Its also good to size up the others and look at their performance coming into the start of the year.
So I'm not sure I'll have much to tell tomorrow night but check back
later
stork

The Hunting of the White Stag

2007-03-30T04:55:00.000-05:00

Ok here it is, a fine photo of the Fisher 29er Team Jersey! These things are hot, hot, hot. Since the announcement of the Fisher team (which TJ and I are part of) these jerseys have been requested by almost every shop that sells Fisher Bikes. Sorry to say that at this time only those of us involved with the actual Team will be seen wearing them. Thanks to TO

This was Our first ride around Butler/Cranberry wearing the new stuff. We went unnoticed by the everyday person but we felt like royalty hunting the white stag in Narnia wearing our new threads! Although TJ was just getting over a nasty cold, that I'm probably just getting, and our buddy Tim was missing from this Thursday morning ride, it still turned out to be very relaxing and we got the chance to catch up on stuff happening in our lives. Tim, Tim are you there? We missed you, maybe next week?
So its finally official, We are two of the six guys on the Fisher 29er National Grassroots Team. We have all our sponsorships lined up, bikes built or almost built, jerseys, shoes, helmets and such in hand... all left now is to get out to the races! They're close so check back soon. stork

The Ape in its Glory

2007-03-28T16:42:00.000-05:00

So what gives with these lazy a** (aka butt) people around Butler? Are they only in my town? Take a look at the photo! Look close, real close & you'll notice that there is more garbage off in the distance too.
This is a local road through Alameda Park in Butler. The 5K run uses this route and more than a few runners train on this fairly level stretch of road from the YMCA into the Park.

You can imagine my irritation when rolling through and seeing all this crap thrown on the road. I started taking notice of the wrappers and the funny thing was that they turned out to be mostly fast food. Not Whole Foods or GNC or anything remotely healthy for you. Just the normal crap food, soda, and run of the mill sports drinks from the local convenience store! Then I started thinking about the costs of these items $3.50, $ 1.99 and so on.... which eventually brought me to thinking:

Some moron,
who could afford a car,
afford a license,
afford insurance,
afford gas,
afford the Micky D Value Meal (super sized)
COULDN'T AFFORD GARBAGE PICK UP!

Come ON? If I knew who did this I would have gladly picked it up and taken it to their house leaving it plastered to the side of their home! To add to the insanity here is another photo taken on the same stretch of road. No Kidding a Dumpster! If even the lazy a** had stopped and dumped his/her garbage in the Dumpster. Still a cop-out but better than winging it along the road. Seriously folks $300 for Littering? You deserve to be beat in public! There is No excuse for dumping bags of garbage out anywhere. If you can't afford pick up at your house or find a public disposal then keep it in your car or at your house NOT along the roads that I and others use to enjoy running, walking and biking along!

Since the snow has melted I notice beer, soda, and whiskey bottles and cans everywhere. Really what the he11 do people think? Is it really ok to do this? No its not so stop! Oh yea I hear you, the cigarette toss from the window.... yea that's Littering too! Just maybe someday I'll get the chance while stopped at a light to pick the damn thing up and toss it back into the morons car while saying "dude, you dropped this".

Example of a proper place to dispose of garbage!
Kind of reminds us the we evolved form apes... well at least some of us evolved

stork

Across the Desert

2007-03-27T05:01:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday to my brother!

Chad lives in CA and was married just several months ago so he returned here to PA in march to visit family and introduce his wife Lora. Since we wouldn't be seeing him at the exact time of his birthday we had cake a few weeks early.

Enjoy your Birthday day there in Bakersfield and take a bike ride little bro.

love

stork

At the Gates of Tashbaan

2007-03-23T05:04:00.000-05:00

The first day of spring arrived and I took the morning off to get a ride in with TJ and our friend Tim Lyons. We meet early at the ToP cranberry store where we enjoyed a little coffee while suiting up for the ride. Tim Races for the Freddie Fu Road Team so TJ and I had prepared for getting worked over a little today. Previously we have ridden with Tim on the trails with single speeds where we felt in our element so this was a complete turn around for us today. This would be only my second ride on the Lemond Bueno Aires Carbon. Since the last ride felt a bit stiff I made the choice to lower my pressure from 100 to a softer setting at 80psi. Tim thought this to be a little on the low side but I assured him that with a little finesse 80 pounds can be pulled off. He gave me a look along with a small laugh while muttering something about crazy mountain bikers. If anyones crazy its them roadies and I was preparing to get schooled.As it turned out Tim actually treated us pretty fair for the day, he kept everything at our level and never did punish us by pushed the pace. The 3 of us did little drafting and managed to maintain a level where talking was capable. The ride took us from Cranberry thru ConnieQ rolled out around Butler and the Community College past the outskirts of Saxonburg and back around Mars, Evans City to our return. It was a really good steady paced ride and I was lucky to have been invited along. When you get a few guys all at a fairly equal fitness level riding together it's amazing how much fun you can have. I haven't ridden with anyone but Michelle a few times & myself in over 2 months so I can't say it enough how much I enjoyed this ride.

A departing Shot of Tim, Stork & TJ just after their "1st Day of Spring Ride"!

Once we got back to the shop I hammered down a pint of Deans Ultimate Chocolate Milk that I had chillin in the frig and then Tim & I went next door to Moe's for an early lunch. A little talk about how great the ride was and back off to work I went.

Thanks to TJ & Tim

stork

Little Something

2007-03-20T12:54:00.000-05:00

Here is a little something about Scott Daubert (Treks Team liaison to the Discovery Channel Professional Cycling Team)! He will be at the Trek of Pittsburgh Shadyside Location on Monday April 23, 2007 to talk about the Tour de France and Trek product developments. If interested please RSVP to info@trekofpgh.com

This posting is dedicated to my friend Mike (the official ToP liaison to the Storktorq not so Professional Cycling Team)

Official Trek of Pittsburgh support vehicle. Look for it on the courses this year

stork

The Wrong Door

2007-03-19T06:04:00.000-05:00

Friday Evening I managed to ride in yet another snow storm which proved to be very tricky with the steady snow coming down making traction a little difficult. Somewhere between Tuesaday and friday I went out the wrong door and eneded up in winter again! Never the less I made the ride & finished up by swinging past the local farm for a few pounds of ground beef. With the extra 4 pounds I finished the last couple of miles in the blinding snow and fell exhausted on the couch for the evening.

As spring & the 2007 race season gets nearer I should be training, concentrating on my skills and improving my weaknesses but hey we all need some time to relax. Yes I rode the bike more than a couple of times over the weekend but Saturday I spent most of the day with two of my favorite girls. Hannah & Jill. We took a ride to the Trek Store to talk with TJ about Training & Coaching. These girls come from a Family that lives for Sports. My Aunt Mary & Uncle Steve have always been educators to the younger ones in the family when it comes to Sports. This is clearly visible in both Hannah & Jill as neither girl is afraid to sweat alittle when it comes to running Track & Field.

After having Lunch with them and hanging out I returned home to ride. Sunday I got out early for a "quick" ride before going with Michelle and her "workmates" to Bowl for the Big Brothers & Big Sisters.

stork

Crossing out average.

2007-03-18T23:01:00.000-05:00

Cross training is a very over-used term. I prefer, "doing something different." It is time to start doing something different on my days off the bike. Hiking with Alex is going to fill up a better part of that time. Last week we scouted out the natural trout waters of Blue Knob. This week, weather permitting, we're going to hike the top section of the mountain. It is a hell of a workout to haul him up over that hill with him on my back, he is almost 30 pounds now. This Wednesday also marks the first Power Test on my road bike on the flat course just outside the house. Some interesting data should be learned from it, I'll post more on it later. I guess some serious thought should be put into training for this season, Stork and I are on some sort of team again. Sounds like a good one too! Ooh yeah. Thursday, road ride with Tim Lyons. He is one of those fast road ride guys, it will be intimidating. I never ride my road bike other than on the trainer, usually just one leg at a time as well. More to come. Enjoy the cute pictures of Alex. He is as cute as Hanna and Jilly, in a different way. Got it. Good!

Beginning of the Next Story Chapter 2

2007-03-17T10:22:00.000-05:00

Just to clarify a few things.. and to be historically correct

Mr. Jerry Bliton 71 years young

Married to wife Kathryn 50 years

Started racing in his 50's around 1989/90 @ Hidden Valley PA

1992 started norba racing

Several top 3 finishes in the 65+ class

2003 Worlds 3rd place Masters

Kathryn had a 1999 1st place AMBC Nationals Female Finish

She continues to ride and supports Jerry and all of us whenever she's around.

Hum! Whats this? Jerry passing along his love for cycling! One of his Grandkids (Kiernan) bikes hanging with the grown-ups. Makes you wonder if the elder are telling Jr. of their travels and adventures? Note: the race numbers hanging on the wall, yea they're Jerry's.

stork

Spring? Not Yet!

2007-03-15T05:13:00.000-05:00

What's this? Shorts, no toe warmers, knee or leg warmers! It was a glimpse of the weather to come, but I sit here this morning listening to it rain with my cup of coffee while the local weather woman Rebecca Hower tells of the cold weathers return and possible snow this evening. I was lucky to have gotten in the 70+ mile ride on my new Lemond Buenos Aires. I built this all carbon fiber frame up a few weeks ago but have never ridden it until this week. Michelle also enjoyed the mild temps on Tuesday evening along with many other people who where out walking cycling and running.
stork

The End of This Story & The Beginning of all the Others

2007-03-12T18:48:00.000-05:00

OK have you figured out who this guy is? Alright, alright.. for those of you outside the bike world, and for those inside it who wouldn't take the time to talk to anyone over the age of 25 that doesn't look like Lance Armstrong, I'll tell you! This is none other than Jerry Bliton. So what you ask? Well you just want to start something don't you?

2001 Norba National @ Snowshoe Mountain West Virgina. A skinny 30 something guy shows up to a house full of strangers to share the expenses of the weekend. Shortly after arriving he is introduced to an older gentleman and his wife. Hand shakes are exchanged, as all good men do and it was at that moment the skinny guys life became a little better. Better you say? yea better because I was the skinny guy who had the honor of meeting Jerry & Kathyrn Bliton and I will tell you what made my life better.Jerry started telling those that had just arrived about the Norba course. He explained it in such detail that I would have guessed that he had actually helped lay the course out. Those of you that attended this particular weekend will remember just how muddy the new course had gotten because of the relentless rain the area was getting. Jerry sat around the table in the Chalet that evening telling of the climbs, turns and descents as all of us quietly sat like children listening to a bedtime story. I wondered for a moment, who is this Jerry, really? A man more than twice my age yet he fit the group of young people better than myself.

Later in conversation Jerry told us of something he keeps in mind during a race and I'll tell you but it may not be exact so here goes "tenths turn into seconds which add up to minutes" It may not seem like much to let a tenth or a second go during a race but when its over you'll see the results of those in minutes and minutes are the difference between winning and losing in mountain biking. Very true and I've never forgot this very sound advice from my now good friend Jerry.

Fast forward a few years and I'll tell you how Jerry invited us over to his house to see his training area and photos of the magnificent bike trips that he and his wife Kathyrn have taken. Afterwards he saddled up on his bike and rode a few miles with our small group. Or let me tell you how Jerry has driven all the way down to Seven Springs (more than once) to stop by our 24 hour camp offering support mentally and physically. Then quietly slipped away only to return with food from the nearby town. Oh I won't kid myself and make believe that he had only come to see us but the way he talked and treated us when in our camp made you feel like no one else matter to him.
To this Day I have the up most respect for Jerry and I cherish the the surprise moments when he shows up at the shop when I'm there or when you see him before a race only to watch him stick around for hours afterwards just to clap while you receive your award.
Exactly how old is Jerry, you ask? 25, 31, 43, 56, 61? Nope, he's 71. In my eyes Jerry is as young as he feels and I would hang out with him any day over allot of other people. He has Kids & grandkids yet he can talk bikes and racing with the best of you. He's sponsored by Kenda Tires and is also inMonth of Mud Hall of Fame http://www.gorocket.net/ , so look for him out on the trails and do yourself a favor... stop and introduce yourself. You would be lucky to have him as a friend.

So this story may End but someday you may meet Jerry and create new ones for you to tell. Until then I'll start writing the next chapter and I'm sure Jerry will show up somewhere within it.

stork

The Bell and the Hammer

2007-03-11T19:32:00.000-05:00

Waving goodbye to the snowy weather! This may very well be the last pictures to be taken in the snow for this winter.

I've been riding in some sunshine & rain for the past 3 days, which is a pleasant change from the snow seen above. Michelle managed to get a few hours of riding in on Saturday morning before her and a friend settled in for "bake fest 2007". Since there was a family gathering Sunday for my Brothers recent marriage (he lives in CA) she decided to bake cookies for it.

Julia (seen here on the right not smiling) will be upset to see this pictures posted. She expressed her feelings quit frankly about the photo session but I couldn't pass on it!

Anyway my rides where atop the new Lemond Poprad Disc which I found to be an excellent winter road bike. When there isn't the need for the full fenders and a extra pack, that's all a part of the Portland, this bike comes in handy. More go and less extras. It's a little lighter than the Portland, which hits the scales around 40+, and this makes traction a little harder but that adds to the fun of the ride.

I found some time to hang out @ the Cranberry ToP on Saturday evening while "bake fest 2007" got started at home and you wouldn't believe the faces I saw there. In fact here's one for all of you to guess. I'll let you in on this guy and his wife in my next post but until then do you recognize him? He's in the MOM "Hall of Fame" and a great great guy!

stork

What Happened at the Front Door

2007-03-08T06:39:00.000-05:00

Good morning all! Last night after getting in a small bike ride on my new Lemond Poprod Disc (love it) i traveled to Shadyside for the opening party for the newest Trek of Pittsburgh store. All that know me understand that I usually avoid "parties" but this seemed more in line with me. Bikers in a non smoking environment surrounded by new bicycles and bike gear. Don even made sure there was water there for those of us who pass on the beer & wine. Thanks Don I feel the love! Everyone was having a good time and for a moment I thought this was a travissaeler.com party because all five of my site readers where here but who am I talking to... you know that. Also Bob Myers from Trek, Micheal Browne (Trek), Maurice (Dirt Rag), Josh Feazell (Bianchi) and many many others whom I really didn't know where attending.

What are these guys talking about? No one knew but this group was spotted several times whispering about something. Come on guys let us in on the scoop?

Now this group was overheard talking about the Road Nats at Seven Springs. I believe they are looking at one of the road courses on the laptop. Thats Jimmy, Dubby, Terry and Fred.
You know these guys right? Dubby & Terry! They where seen at almost every finish line of the MASS races last year. Millennium Sports Timing in the house!
These guys are great friends and hopefully I get a chance to race with them this year since they won't be timing all the MASS events. Later in the evening Dubby paid me a huge complement by comparing me to Gunnar Shogren when telling someone of me riding through the finish lines during races. He said he would see the first several guys coming through on their first laps with their heads down and a serious look on their faces... then I would come tooling around the corner waving while rolling around the cones and through the finish line tape singing something that was playing on my mp3. He said it was straight up Gunnar style! I'm honored, thanks Dubby!

Well it took me all night to get out of here and I finally left around 11 p.m. for the drive home. Thanks to everyone there and I wish Josh all the luck managing his new store. Make sure you check this store out if you're in the area, very, very cool! C-ya all later

stork

Country Egg, City Egg

2007-03-05T06:18:00.000-05:00

Why can't all intersections have signs like this? Lately I've been adding a few extra miles to my current loop by heading out a few unknown roads in Armstrong County. After coming up on this intersection I started wondering why all intersections don't have a sign like the one seen here. Look at all my choices and each way gives the mileage!

This was the scene as I came around the bend on Fenelton road during Saturdays ride. This truck came slugging thru the overflowed Buffalo Creek. Thanks to full fenders I managed to cut thru the 8" deep water without getting wet.

Other than this roadway being flooded the rest of Saturdays ride was bright and beautiful. I actually saw 52 degrees for the temp and was able to dress for riding without my signature winter jean shorts. Another sign of the warm temperature was all the dogs I encountered. It seems that since the day was nice everybody sent there mutts out into the yard and most of these areas see very little car traffic so the dogs felt free to chase this skinny biker up the tarmac.

stork

Super Sale Event

2007-03-01T05:50:00.000-05:00

Here's a shot of the ToP warehouse on this past Sunday. Since I'm new to this shop I've heard about this yearly sale so I thought I would go check it out after getting in a ride. All the employees have treated me like family since signing on as a racer for them back in October so I showed my support by going. ToP closes all of its other locations and all employees report to the Robinson location for this 9am to 6pm sale. Let me tell you that anyone who rides owes it to themselves to attend this. There where 100s of fabulous deals. Several scratch/dent Bianchi frames ($100 each), Wheelsets w/Dura-Ace hubs ($349 a set)

Seeing the amount of merchandise and the hearing about the number of people that where waiting at the door before 9 leaves me thinking that this warehouse will be to small for next year.

While visiting the sale I was offered a spot on the Discovery Cycling Team and made a gentleman's agreement to race for them. Later I found out that this guy was really just a bike rep and had no authority to offer me a deal, oh well maybe next year. I even tried to leave wearing this cool jersey but they made me give it back along with the hat.
GW built up this fixed gear ride and convinced me to try it out. Its not for me! I would most definitely not for me, I would more than likely hurt myself riding. Those that do ride fixed gear bike have a whole different set of skills that i do not posses.

The happy face as seen on all ToP employees during Sundays sale.

Even I found something to buy at this sale and I highly suggest to catch it when it rolls around next year.

stork

Perma frost- perma ride

2007-02-25T22:41:00.000-05:00

So another snow storm hit Thursday but that didn't keep me in! I've been carrying on my tradition of riding no matter what the conditions. Here is a photo as I finish a ride. My house sits just past the road sign seen here. Friday evening I attended a retirement gathering for a good friend of mine and later that night i got called in to work for a customer so there wasn't any riding. Saturday morning, after returning home earlier from the callin around 1:30am, I looked over a few maps while drinking my coffee before departing the workshop (basement) for Kittanning around noon.

Why did I chose to bike to Kittanning? Why not! I knew there was a Sheetz downtown so it became my turning back point. Anyway there was some cool places to travel thru like Craigville, Buffalo Mills, Worthington, WalkChalk and West Kittanning.

Saturdays weather was fairly mild compared to the previous few days. Especially my Thursday evening ride which proved to be extremely difficult due to the heavy snow falling. I was lucky to know the roads so well or there would have been a good chance of getting lost. Many times I almost missed turns in the road because of the snowfall. Visibility was at best 10' in front of me.

It was however a very successful ride especially since I crossed paths with a couple from Rattigan (Bill & Sandy) who where at the bottom of their driveway. We talked for a good 15 minutes and I'm glad to have meet them. But anyway back to Saturday... mild weather, a couple pages of Google maps for Armstrong County, several Cliff Blocks, Jelly Belly Beans, fresh tracks of Pantera & Iron Maiden downloaded to my mp3 player, and my full fender Trek Portland loaded with tools weighing in around 30 pounds and I was off!

Taking my normal route thru Fenelton then taking a few new turns to Bottom Creek Road which was cool since it was mostly gravel and mud. This spit me out in Craigsville where I continued on to Buffalo Mills and climbed up into Worthington. Almost cresting the hill I got a cool surprise when over 20 BMX riders came cruising down the hill. They spread out full width across the road hoopin & hollerin as they passed by me making me dodge my way thru them all in good fun. I regret that I was to slow getting the camera out for that photo op.

The First Sign I say when nearing Kittanning caused me to stop and think "No peddling?" I'm not welcome? Do I need a permit? Oh yea I'm pedaling not peddling so I proceded into Kittanning and down to the Sheetz (which was to busy for me to go in and wait so I turned around for my return).

Leaving Kittanning behind me as I climb up from the river.

This ride took me around 4 hours which included stop times and turned out only to be 50 miles round trip. I had a great time and got the chance to see some places I hadn't been to before. Maybe next time I'll work this into a some type of loop. Anyway I'm off to eat!

stork

Cera Bellum

2007-02-19T13:38:00.000-05:00

Maybe I should introduce you to Cera Bellum, shes not much of a looker but but shes full of brains.
Whats one of our organs that we as humans spend hours and hours along with loads of cash to improve? From our birth our parents have been working on its improvement and they always hope that ours will be better than theirs?
Yes its our brains! Meet Cera Bellum

Its the one thing that most of us use daily and are always trying to make its efficiency and memory better. It can make our life and our family's life better by retaining information or by dreaming up ideas or ways of solving problems or tasks which all can be sold for more money and a better lifestyle.
Parents pay taxes to fund our schools which work to improve our brains and then we as young adults will take out loans or grants to fund a college education in hopes of improving or bettering our brain function.
Doctors can transplant, livers, kidneys, lungs and even our hearts as a daily routine but our brains define who we are, what we know, how we do things, and what we like. Why then, I ask, do we do stupid things like ride a bicycle clipped into the pedals without a HELMET?

Today I saw someone, recently graduated from college, ride into the Trek store without wearing a skull box protector. Their reply to me when asked where their helmet was... "Its to cold to wear one, mine doesn't fit over a hat"
Oh now I realized that accidents don't happen in the cold. Since they where educated I'll assume this to be true, right? Come on even I'm smarter than that.
Wearing a helmet isn't done because we need to protect us from ourselves... its done to protect us from the wave of drivers on the road or the tree or rock on the trail.
Accidents happen, if they didn't we wouldn't have Emergency rooms. True we like to think they won't happen to us but believing in oneself isn't enough of a reason to forgo wearing the proper protection.

Stupidity is the answer. In case you forgot the question.. "why do we ride a bike without a helmet?" Ok I'll agree that a stroll through a rails to trails or around the campground can be executed without a helmet but it still doesn't mean there isn't a risk. I'm talking to the weekend warriors & elite riders who travel the local roads and trails that are open to everyone out there. The car driver who speeds up to make the left in front of you or the new guy railing around the blind turn in the single track at the park, these are the reasons to wear a helmet. Protect your investment!
Being a pro, semi-pro or seasoned rider doesn't make it less of a risk to ride with out a helmet, in fact it makes it more of a reason. Like other sports, take baseball for example and the helmets they use. Do you think that since the pitcher is more skilled in throwing the ball that the batter need not wear a batting helmet? Absolutely not! The pitcher has better skills but also throws the ball at a much greater speed than the neighborhood kid. The same applies to those of us on bikes. My skills are better than the average riders which means I'm probably riding at greater speeds and taking greater risks.
Alright I know as a kid I road miles & miles without wearing a helmet does that make it right? No, I sure wouldn't think of it now and my bike skills are 10 fold what they where back then.
I just don't understand this. Can someone explain? and please don't give me those idiotic answers like, it restricts my view, or I'm to hot in it, or it doesn't fit right. There are dozens of different makes, models & sizes ranging from $40 to $130 dollars. What, You would spend that just to register for a class but not for insurance to keep the information?
We all do things without thinking and sometimes we get away with them yet other times they catch us, which might cause us an injury. All in all i hope something never happens to any of you but being ignorant to something as easy as wearing a helmet leaves me little room for sympathy it only leaves me guessing about your IQ. Take a look at a few of my Helmets. True I only need one @ a time but some are fitted for Light systems others for wearing a warm hat underneath and still a couple for racing.

Here are some interesting Facts and webpages to check out.

Protect – Watch Your Head
Every 15 seconds, someone in the United States suffers a traumatic brain injury. Of the 1,000,000 people treated in hospital emergency rooms each year, 50,000 die and 80,000 become permanently disabled because of traumatic brain injury (TBI). This is higher than the combined incidence of Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and multiple sclerosis. Brain injuries occur more frequently than breast cancer or AIDS. One out of every fifty Americans is currently living with disabilities from TBI. There's even an association between head injury and Alzheimer's disease later in life.

http://www.lifesport-calgary.com/index.php?page=helmet

-There are 85 million bicycle riders in the US.
-784 bicyclists died on US roads in 2005. 92% of them died in crashes with motor vehicles (720).
-About 540,000 bicyclists visit emergency rooms with injuries every year. Of those, about 67,000 have head injuries, and 27,000 have injuries serious enough to be hospitalized.
Bicycle crashes and injuries are under-reported, since the majority are not serious enough for emergency room visits.
-1 in 8 of the cyclists with reported injuries has a brain injury.
-Two-thirds of the deaths here are from traumatic brain injury.
-A very high percentage of cyclists' brain injuries can be prevented by a helmet, estimated at anywhere from 45 to 88 per cent.
-Many years of potential life are lost because about half of the deaths are children under 15 years old.
-Direct costs of cyclists' injuries due to not using helmets are estimated at $81 million each year.
-Indirect costs of cyclists' injuries due to not using helmets are estimated at $2.3 billion each year.
-Helmet use in the US varies by orders of magnitude in different areas and different sectors of our society. White collar commuters probably reach 80 per cent, while inner city kids and rural kids would be 10 per cent or less. Overall, our best wild guess is probably no more than 25 per cent. Sommers Point, NJ, where a state helmet law is in effect, found that only 24 of the 359 students who rode to school in one week of the Winter of 2002 wore helmets (6 per cent) until the School District adopted a helmet rule. North Carolina observed 17 per cent statewide before their law went into effect in 2001.
-Helmets are cheap. The typical discount store price has risen from under $10 to about $15, but there are still models available for under $10 at major retailers.

So let me tell you in advance that if you ever come along with me on a ride you'll have to have a helmet. Otherwise I will not be riding with you.

stork

Dust Remover #9

2007-02-19T05:58:00.000-05:00

Another weekend of snow flurries and temps in the low twenties during the afternoons. Lately I've been taking my rides towards the east into Clearfield Twp. This photo is overlooking the hills of Rattigan. Where is Rattigan? Well its one of those dots on my County map that when you get there its nothing more than an intersection or just a general area. Kind of like Fenelton, Carbon Center, or even Woodbine where I live. The cool thing about riding in these areas tend to be the fact that you see very little traffic and its mostly wooded roadways or open fields. Friday on my ride thru Carbon Center I saw a man sitting in the snow about 10' off the road in winter snow camo. I slowed to a stop and said hello. He told me he was hunting Coyotes and I could hear the the other guy with him working the "call" used to bring them in. How cool was this? Only a few miles from my house and there are guys hunting Coyotes! I wished him luck and continued on.

This is how I found my way around over the weekend. Somehow I ended up on Hickey Bottom road which was alright except that I had a tough time getting to it and found myself in Armstrong County for a while when searching for it. So what you ask? Well the map in hand is only for Butler County which made me "lost" for sometime while traveling the roads in Armstrong. No worries, the great thing about new routes is that you just keep taking roads until something looks right or turn around and backtrack.After all my riding this weekend I only did one other thing.... eat. Michelle's Homemade Cherry Pie (which lasted less than 24 hours)

Ummmm Butterscotch Pudding over Vanilla Ice Cream.

Visiting my godchild Hannah... oh look fresh pies. Blueberry & Cherry how nice, I had better taste both, which I did. Thanks Aunt Mary delicious as usual!
Dinner with the Family @ The Black Forest German restaurant & Bier Haus in Parker PA, where I had Wiener Schnitzel , Spatzel (buttered noodles) and Potato Pancakes followed by a huge piece of German Apple Pie.
Lots of riding and lots of eating which made for a pleasant weekend.

stork

.....WINTER STORM WARNING!.......

2007-02-13T19:42:00.000-05:00

This is what I see rolling across the bottom of my TV screen tonight. We heard about the "storm" all day Monday and even Michelle had made the decision to stay home from work before leaving on Monday. I woke up this morning to watch the snow start while sipping a cup of "joe". I on the other hand had several things to take care of so I reported for duty but had plans to leave early and finish working from home later this evening. Everyone at work knows how much I enjoy riding in the snow so it wasn't a surprise to see me all "bubbly" so early in the morning. Most coworkers chuckled while asking "you're planning on riding in this, aren't you?" I could barely hold back with my reply of "hell yea!"

I managed to exit just soon enough to get a ride in before nightfall and on my way back I ran into Michelle who had just started out for a short loop so I continued with her.

Before catching up with Michelle I practiced my drafting techniques with the only other person crazy enough to be out on these roads with me.

I passed this particular Plow truck 4 times during my route and on one of our meetings he passed me with the plow close enough that I could have leaned out and placed my hand on it. He politely waved and I took that as an invite to draft. I tucked in behind the spreader (which he left off every time we passed) while still remaining in his sight and stuck with him for a 1/4 mile or so until he must have gotten tired of the speed and pulled away giving me a little beep. Now I don't recommend doing this but these guys have been seeing me a couple times a week and we are on some really rural back roads.

Later during my ride with Michelle we passed the plow truck from the Township that we live in and he stopped at the top of the hill to ask me how I managed to keep my bike upright on these roads. I told him it took some technical skills and a little help from him with the plow and ashes. He laughed at me, called me crazy and told me to be safe while enjoying the evening then proceeded down the hill past Michelle who was still cranking the pedals (maybe pushing) up the hill.

Well I hope you too got the chance to ride and enjoy the fresh snow fall.

......WINTER STORM WARNING......... The End

stork

A day with Relatives

2007-02-11T15:35:00.000-05:00

So This weekend I found myself layering some clothes and riding the back roads of Butler County. I started from my house in Oakland Township and traveled east to Donegal Twp thru Clearfield Twp and on to Summit until returning back home thru the corner of Clearfield and Summit again. These areas are mostly woods, farms and PA gamelands. A short way into the start of my ride I came across Anas Platyrhynchos aka the Mallard Duck. In case you're not up on your wildlife/waterfowl I'll give you a few facts. The Mallard belongs to the same Kingdom, Phylum & Class as the White Stork so in a way its a distant relative of mine. It saddened me to crest the small hill while coming into view of the still carcass of this fine creature. I slowed down to take a better look which brought me to wondering... "just how did this duck come to its death?" No marks, no mess no anything. Just a frozen little being! For a moment I felt like an agent from DUCSI (Ducks Unlimited Crime Scene Investigation) as a meandered around looking for clues of this ducks untimely death, until finally I disturbed the crime scene by removing "Unlucky Ducky" from the road. I did however get a good chalk line and close up photos for the continuing investigation. Since she hadn't been damaged to badly I felt uneasy about leaving her there on the road for future motorist to dodge. I cleaned up the flares I had placed while documenting all clues and continued on my ride.

Here's a few facts:

Mallard Duck ( Anas platyrhynchos )
The mallard is the most common duck in North America. It is easy to tell the males from the female mallards. Most male mallards have grayish or brownish feathers, a green colored head, and a purple breast. On the other hand, the female is only brown and white and is smaller than the male. The length of the normal mallard is about 50-60 cm. ( 20.5 -28 in.). The mallard duck is found mostly in North America and Northern Central America. They nest under boulders, in tree holes, in the crotch of trees, or in open areas.
Mallards are omnivores. They eat various seeds including corn, wheat, barley, bulrushes, wild rice, primrose, willow, seeds of water elm, oak, hackberry, trees of swamps or river bottoms. They will also eat mollusks, insects, small fish, tadpoles, freshwater snails, fish eggs, and frogs. They usually feed at the surface of the water and are known as "dabbling ducks". They don't dive all the way under the water, but just tip their heads under to feed.
The mallard has only three defenses- swimming, flying, and camouflage, and it is prey to large mammals. Mallards have no defense against humans who are their biggest enemy. Many are killed by oil spills and pesticides.

For the remainder of my 40 mile ride I thought about all the animals I encounter during my rides in PA like cows, cats, dogs, squirrels, chipmunks, ducks, geese, owls, hawks, beavers, porcupines and so on. Suddenly I realized that the rides I take deeper into the country prove to be more interesting and educational that the rides I take closer to town. For instance after returning home & thinking about "Unlucky Ducky" I sat down and searched some facts about Ducks and their habits. Will I remember all of this, probably not, but it did enlighten me to my surroundings and to the animals that use the land around me as their homes. Without finding "Unlucky Ducky" I would have never spent the time researching Mallards. You can bet the next time I travel by bike thru "Unlucky Ducky's" old stomping grounds I'll be attentive and looking to catch a glimpse or even a photo of another duck along the waterway there.

Later that night Michelle & I meet up with my real cousin Jeremy & his wife Anastasia for dinner where I told them of my finding "Unlucky Ducky". For some reason I had an appetite for duck but at this small place it was nowhere to be found on the menu, if only I had brought the fowl with me! Would they have cooked it? Oh well the Cod will have to do with a nice slice of Apple pie for dessert.

stork

What to do when its Cold

2007-02-08T19:53:00.000-05:00

Uummm! What do you do when its really cold? Well we eat! yea we eat more because we can't do anything else right? No not really, we still do things like riding the trainer when the outside temp is in the single digits or would that be single "digit"? Anyway Michelle rides the trainer a couple of times a week & when she isn't riding she's spooning the rice in as you can see!

I on the other hand have been able to get out riding most of the time regardless of the temps. But the other night I found myself being to lazy to brave the cold so I broke down & road the trainer myself. This was the first time I've used it in over a year! In fact last winter I never saddled up my road bike to it once.

Heres something we can do when its cold.... build a new bike. This is a photo of my new Lemond Buenos Aires Frame. I took all my parts from my older road bike and built this baby up for some upcoming spring training rides. Since I've been busy @ work Tj did most of the building for me with a little help from Bonnie.
Which left me extra time for yep you guessed it EATING. Bye bye time to eat.
stork

Jack Frost comes along for a ride

2007-02-06T20:47:00.000-05:00

So here it is, it's been a few days since my last post so you ask "what's up?". Not much its darn cold here in western PA so there hasn't been a lot of time for riding. Michelle has been confined to the indoor trainer, yet I managed to get out on Sunday which had temps in the single digits and again tonight with a temp of 12 degrees. Both times I left the house on my Rig only to turn around and swap it out for the Portland. There was too much snow to make any headway in the trails which left me cruising the roadways with the nippy air in my face. It was nice to see Jack Frost out riding with me, you see just when you think its going to be nice all winter Mister Frost stops by for a couple of weeks! This allowed me to try out some new glasses I picked up which are made by Serfas. I believe the model is called "Hunter" and they have a full one piece lens. They worked well for me on the open road by covering most of my upper cheek and all the way around my eye. It was nice to be shielded from the wind which was responsible for the several cases of frostbite on the local news. These glasses didn't seem to fog up on me and the best thing is they are under $50! If I trash them or breakem I'm not out hundreds like some glasses cost.

Here's a look at my bike after my Friday afternoon ride in the snow. Sunday I got in around 28 miles in the frigid air and tonight i took it one mile for every degree of outside temp on my HAC4 Cyclometer, which read 12.

Later

stork

Do we ride when its snowing?

2007-02-02T17:12:00.000-05:00

Have you ever been asked this question?

I know that TJ and I are always getting this question from someone. Then they ask, "don't you get cold?"

Do you ski in the winter? Do you get cold? Yes but you don't die! Dress for the activity and you'll be fine! So I was at the bike shop this week when a guy from Peru (no joke he was visiting relatives) stopped in looking for a derailleur, when he asked the question.... you guys don't get much riding in during the winter do you? I replied yes, yes we do get riding in during the winter and when it snows its some of the best riding I've ever experienced. TJ quickly chimed in agreeing! The dude from Peru looked surprised and all at once became very interested in how much riding we did in the snow and how much more intense it must be for training. Everyone that really knows me could tell you where I am when its snowing heavy! I love a heavy slow snow. Its even better at night to ride past the locals plowing their driveways and the couple Township plow trucks. These guys know me and mostly turn off the spreader as they go around or as I pass from the other direction.

These are awesome roads!

Proof that its really me riding!

I Love the snow as you can see

stork

Who says it takes to long?

2007-01-30T06:57:00.000-05:00

Ok this quick post is for my "Assistant Team Director" who is always chewing me out for the time between our rides and my getting the photos posted!
So here are a few photos from Bavington this past Sunday.
Sorry but i forgot to place my camera in my jersey pocket before leaving the car so we are missing actual trail photos. But let me tell you how great they where! A little snow covered but fun!
Several new folks (to me) showed up and since I jacked up "GW"s name a few weeks ago (and yes I'm still hearing about it) I'm afraid to even try to list their names so until I get an official sign in sheet from Mike I'll refrain from trying. Also GW I made the correction to your name (initials) in that post so stop harassing me, please.

Moe's for eats after the awesome ride.

My look of disgust as Mike complains about the time it takes me to get these photos up! Bla blaa bla blaa, bla blaa bla bla bla blaaa whatever...

who says it takes to long???

later

stork

Finally the Ferrous comes to Life

2007-01-27T22:08:00.000-05:00

My Saturday started out @ work but quickly I found myself at the Cranberry store staring at these parts. What are they? well they are a new set of Avid Juicy Carbon brakes. Wow are they nice. I could go on and on about the innovative ideas I see in these but I won't bore you. So I started the official build of the Ferrous with a couple of hours hanging out, drinking coffee, and mounting things like the fork (Reba Race 29er), King headset, Bontrager X lite carbon bar, Bontrager Race stem and these brakes. I finally got the urge to return home to the the other parts that where awaiting to be bolted onto this frame I said my goodbyes to the shop employees, gathered up the almost complete bike and departed.

Once arriving home I filtered through my shelves for all the other goodies I had to install for the drivetrain. Lets see how about a Boone Ti rear cog, oh yea lets add a Boone Ti Chain ring cut to mount right to the XTR M952 cranks. Then lets complete it with a really cool KMC S10 stainless singlespeed chain how pretty! Ok are you drooling on the keyboard, no? Well I am this thing looks sleek with the small diameter tubing and the tricked out black paint. In fact I had to cage the beast before leaving for the night due to its desire to move! This bike looks fast! So here are a few photo's but not to many. If you really want a good look stop by one of the Trek of Pittsburgh store, it just maybe hanging out. No worries if you can't get there. I'll be posting a few photos daily over the next week.

After all that bike building I took a break and meet up with my Godchild Hannah and her awesome sister Jilly for some coffee and pie.

Your looking at 3 of the fastest pairs of legs in Butler! Jilly and Hannah are both track stars! Hannah currently at the High school level and Jilly at the college level and I of course ride the bicycle, sometimes i even do it fast. Ok your right 2 of the fastest pairs of legs, who am I to think I had a fast pair of legs?

Love ya Hannah & Jill

Goodnight

stork

Last sundays ride, finally.

2007-01-27T07:27:00.000-05:00

Good Morning Folks, first thing I must do is say "Welcome Back Alex!" Last night TJ picked Alex up for a long overdue visit. We all miss the little guy. Love ya Alex!

Last week I rode at Bavington on Sunday morning with the Trek of Pittsburgh shop employees. We meet at the Robinson Store @ 9am before we started our caravan over to the trails. Christian, Adam, Corey, Soupie, Jeff, GW, Tim Lyons, Mike along his "hot" wife and myself. Not much to say about this ride except that it was a good time and the temp was around 24 degrees. The trials where mostly snow covered and frozen which proved to make for a great day of riding. Here are some photos from that day.

This is GW

Ahhh there's Mikes "hot" wife! aka Lola ,boy was she hard to shake in the trials. Most of the morning she hung right in there behind the ride leaders. I hope Michelle (my girlfriend) and her can get together for a ride because it would be benificial for the both of them.

later
stork

Whats This Life For?

2007-01-25T19:15:00.000-05:00

Hurray for a child
That makes it through
If there's any way
Because the answer lies in you
They're laid to rest
Before they know just what to do
Their souls are lost
Because they could never find
What's this life for

I answered the phone on my drive home only to hear a voice from someone that I hadn't talked to in some time. It was a nice surprise to say the least. She proceeded to tell me how her life had changed so much lately and that she wasn't enjoying it very much. At the age of 23 she didn't feel like she fit in well with the newcomers at her new college yet she didn't have any real close friends there her age. This particular girl has had some difficulty with her previous college and was given no other choice than to transfer, which I could tell by the tone of her voice was a very hard move to make. She was feeling betrayed by the very college that she bleed white and green for and now was trying to figure out what to do with this new situation. Since she ran track for the other school and had competed against the very school she was now attending she struggled with her loyalty. Asking me how she could possibly show up and run against her old teammates? Now I'm not a very educated man to say the least but I have lived many "life lessons" so how do you go about convincing someone that the situation they face in life is good? I thought for a moment until realizing the words from the Creed song above. Yea I just maybe able to help her through this because the answer lies within me!

I explained how she must do what is needed to succeed with getting her diploma and if that meant changing colors and competing against her old school then so be it. She must do whats best for life and hopefully the girls from her previous team understand this. This new school has offered her the opportunity to pursue her love and passion for sports by excepting her into their program, true they didn't take all the credits but I explained that the previous school had taken her possibilities of obtaining this through them away. She was expressing resentment towards the wrong school. We talked for sometime until I needed to cut it off, but I found myself riding in the night snow thinking about Jill and her situation. I hope she thinks long and hard about the roads in front of her and someday can tell me that I helped by being there when she needed.

Jill has been an excellent runner since High school but sometimes lacks the confidence in herself that's needed to reach the next step and let me be the first to say that its only her that thinks this. Many others have shown their confidence in Jill by scholarships and such but she has yet to realize this.
Whats the purpose of this post? Whats this life for? Well its for having fun which is riding bikes for me and for making sure you help someone along the way.

Jill you're a great "kid" so put your head up buckle down and kick some butt.

Good luck at school this year!

xoxo
Cousin stork

Winters at Bavington

2007-01-22T19:45:00.000-05:00

The first winter adventure at Bavington of 2007 had an overriding essence of revision. It started with new friends and coworkers congregating at a familiar location with different attire and diverse equipment. A certainly altered atmosphere from my usual Sundays of the past three winters. Almost everything has leaped head first into a spiral of recently well-received chaos. My thanks to many for the support in difficult times, and even more to the "little-man" for the constant admonition of what our aim will always be. Happiness. My what a holy reality to find myself in.
This morning the greeting I welcome is from an accepted outsider looking for advice and guidance in matters Travis and I specialize in, going fast between April and October. After delaying as long as possible at Eat'n Park, we pile the gear into the Element, leave for Bavington, and establish an agenda for the day. Today is penciled in as a "test-day" with her new Sigma Sports PC 15 Heart rate Monitor. There are a ton of useful features in this monitor for riders and coaches at any ability level. It is also simple to navigate through to access all of the important data, before, during, and after workouts. The "client" today is an I.T. major in an internship with a big Internet company, so learning how to operate this relatively mundane devise came quite easy. Understanding the data flashing, and beeping, on the screen, well, that is my job. Just a few key features to note and why this will be the top-shelf HRM at our store: Total time, Kcal, Total Kcal, % of Max, and a visual and audio zone alarm. The total kcal and total time feature can be reset at the user's discretion. Weekly. Monthly. Daily. Whatever. What a darn handy training tool for all caliber riders and racers.
The conditions today couldn't have been any more sublime. It is almost possible to say that Bavington's winter riding could overshadow it's summer riding. It is almost completely void of thorns, cobwebs, and pesky stinging insects. The ground is also frozen and fast, almost semi-slick terrain.
During our three hour heart-rate monitor testing endeavour about a quarter inch of fluffy snow accumulated, adding even more to the enjoyment. Perfect winter mountain biking only a half hour west of Robinson Town Centre. Every Sunday, all winter long, the Trek of Pittsburgh staff hosts intermediate to advanced rides at Bavington which meet at the Robinson Trek location at 8:45am. Call Saturday during regular business hours for details and equipment recommendations. Also available to a small fee. Demo Bikes!! Call for details (412)788-TREK

TJ- The Absent Author

2007-01-20T20:38:00.000-05:00

Ok Some of you have probably noticed that I had invited TJ to post on my site some time ago. You also probably noticed that he never has yet! Well I have been bustin' his chops about it weekly but its always "I've been busy but I'm workin' on it". So last week he had this really "off" ride and started telling me about it until I quickly cut him short. "Dude I don't want to hear about it, post it and I'll read it" He again whined like a 5 year old eating brussel sprouts, but, but, but! But nothing just post it. So when I received an e-mail tonight telling me he had written a post but was unable to log on, well my surprise was indescribable. So without further waiting the following is TJs first post.
Forever the Frame pump

Hey Hog-Nuts, (this is a friendly name we use for anybody)

I'm here at work. Alone. Saturday night. Nothing keeping me sane but Tool's Anemia album blaring on Don's expensive outdoor speakers, a warm cup of fresh coffee from Nick, and the thought of something to write on your Blog in my otherwise static-filled head. Unfortunately, I've already committed to this endeavour with this mild diuretic in hand, or I would go home and try to watch the back of my eyelids. I might as well keep moving forward though, this needs to be started sooner or later. Forty-six and 2 is adding some motivation as well.

I was going to post something about the extravaganza that happened Wednesday on the hybrid/commuter out near my place on the dirt roads of Indiana County. You know, with the punctured tyre, faulty tube, poe-dunk gas station with one patch left, and only 790 kcal out of 2200 completed. I assure you in would have been interesting for your massive fan-base. It was perhaps going to be titled; "Forever the Frame-pump" or "Another day. Another Flat. Wonderful stories from within training miles of Pro mountain-bike knuckleheads" Something along those lines. Or perhaps I was going to blog about how it is difficult to ride in a blizzard without a cycling cap. Or maybe even the new Bontrager Race Lite saddle I'm falling in love with. The Tubeless 29'r wheels we received from T.O. would have been an interesting topic to post something about too. You know, my opinion for people to kill free time reading instead of doing something else more constructive.

But. I can't. The invitation to be your friend on your website has expired. However, I think you discontinued your friendship with me, and it is all over this Sunday. I know what you're going to say; "ohhh, I see how it is TJ. You have a NEW friend now. Miss (Name Left out for Legal reasons). You can't ride with me anymore. My ankles are too thin and my smile isn't as nice. Plus I don't use Bath & Body works shower products! " Well Mr. Saeler you're wrong. It is my "off" week, so I'm taking it easy on the fixed gear. I'm not going to spend every Sunday riding 5 to 6 hours with you and only you. Get over it. Besides, I'm also taking YOUR woman as well. To breakfast even. You can have fun riding with Tim Lyons. He's borderline retarded anyway, you two will get along fine. But just remember one thing pal, he was my friend first, and he likes Cranberry way more than Robinson. They Suck, especially Christian and Casey. Tim Lyons likes us way better!! Ohh, and Adam B. is my friend first too. You can have Bob Myers, The Don, and Nick as your #1 friends!

Well Travis Saeler. I'm done harassing you on your own website. I'll see you Monday and we'll beat the hell out of one another next Sunday at Kennerdell. The #1 destination in my book, the place rocks!

We'll see you on the flip side. More to be posted as it rolls out of my skull-box. Don't forget your frame-pump, patch kit, and sanity.

Christian, Casey, and the rest of the Robinson Crew. You rock!
Tim, you said it first.

Travis, I'm saving this, But this is what I planned on posting...
talk to ya.
tj

There you have, TJs first and last post since we are no longer friends. Not really its all part of the sarcasm that keeps us sane. I'm really not upset that he won't ride with me and me only. I understand he is unable to maintain my stringent training schedule. Lots of Love Buddy

stork

Getting Schooled

2007-01-18T06:57:00.000-05:00

What a great time everyone had on Wednesday. The Trek Rep aka Bob Myers was in the Pittsburgh area making some rounds so he paid a visit to a couple of the Trek of Pittsburgh stores (soon to be opening the Shadyside location) during the day and ended up at the Cranberry location late in the afternoon/early evening. So I headed over to the shop in order to get in on the informal classes he was giving the girls ( Tanya aka Bonnie & Janet). It really wasn't any type of class but more like a question & answer period. It was very cool to listen in and I even got the chance to ask a few questions. Bob gave a great overview on some of the more elite products that the Trek Family is responsible for and he did a wonderful job laying out the past history of the company and its affiliates. He explained just how Trek produces some of its carbon fiber bikes and how they use a Trek specific aluminum for their frames. He also went into detail explaining the Trek relationship with Bontrager and just how much of Keith Bontragers personal input is directed into the wheelworks portion of Bontrager.

Tension enters the Conversation!
"Listen hear Don, like I said I was just trying to help, if you don't want help then tell me and I'll leave!"

After hanging out for awhile we got another surprise when Don aka the owner aka DonO stopped in to do some work which, by the looks of us standing around, we where not doing! Following a few sharp words between Don, Bob and the girls about work ethics, pictured above, which Don clearly won by explaining that he writes the checks for these employees, we all quietly separated, but not before Bob got one more word in just to show his authority.

Really it wasn't quit that harsh in fact it wasn't anything like that at all but it is cool how you can create a scene from a simple photo. Don and Bob actually get along well as they should. Both guys are great business men and have respect for each other. We caught up with Don for a few minutes and invited him to dinner but since he had painting to do he declined so Bob, Michelle and I went with him. Since we where in the shopping plaza it was easier to pick a place right there, so Smokey Bones won the draw!
Wow this was my first time inside Smokey Bones and the smell of meat hit me like a runaway pickup truck driven by a crack dealer on "Cops". We sat down and immediately started talking about bikes, people and places we've ridden. Bob started dropping names like hand grenades, boy does this dude know people. Keith Bontager, Lance Armstrong, Gunner Shogren, Greg LeMond and many many more that I slightly recognized. We finally finished eating so we headed back to my house where the conversation continued until after 11pm.

Bob doing some business from my "home office"

The following morning Bob and I hit Eat'n Park for a quick breakfast before he needed to get rolling toward Meadville. I have to give a big shout out to Bob for spending some time with Michelle and I. He really is a great dude and I consider him a good friend. Keep a look out for his personal blog which we will be getting set up soon in fact I'll put a post up once we get it running smoothly.

Happy Trails Bob and thanks for all your commitment and support to the local Trek shops!

Oh yea this dude asked me to post his photo for the women..........

Hello Ladies!

stork

DCNR, Masons and Cycling?

2007-01-16T21:28:00.000-05:00

Since the weather in our area has been so wet lately I decided to attend my Masonic Lodge meeting which I haven't been to for awhile due to my training schedule. Another individual (also a Masonic Brother) I work with told me that the guest speaker was the Head Ranger, Rick Carson, (haha Ranger Rick yea,yea) from Moraine State Park which, for those of you from outside this area, is a large state park that contains one of the most notorious mountain bike trials in western pa.Not the usually attire I'm seen in but I have to uphold the image of the Masonic Lodge

I was looking forward to meeting Rick and how cool was it that I would get the chance to talk with someone about my biking while attending a Lodge meeting which has nothing to do with biking! Now let me tell you that the other Brothers have supported me more than once with my biking adventures. Several times donating to my charity rides for MS and always offering shelter or water to me when traveling past their homes. I'm very proud to be a member of such a grand fraternity, but under normal circumstances meetings have little to do with cycling so this evening was a treat for me.

After our normal meeting Rick was introduced to the members and he talked with us one on one for a few moments before his program. At this time I introduced myself and the two of us talked about a Mr. Greenlee (who built the original trail) and also about the new group that has been adding mileage to the existing 6.5 mile rock trail! He was expressing his amazement at how people can even ride parts of the trail. He also talked about the few times he had to help injured people out of the trail.Next he started into his program and again I was very impressed with the DCNR Employees knowledge of not only their park and things within it, but also his knowledge of the surrounding parks. Since my cousin is a Park Manager @ Sizerville and I've gotten the chance to meet people from the Regional Office there, I was able to ask some questions that Rick doesn't normally hear. Never once did he stumble but always had the answers to our questions.

I know I've said this before but we are really lucky to have the use of so many state parks and forests all for FREE! Rick was under the impression that PA was one of only 4 to 5 states left with free day use of the Parks. Come on people get out there and use them! Many have biking trails and many more are looking at opening trails up to bikes. Our Park employees are friendly knowledgeable people who love the outdoors. They love to talk about the animals, the environment, hiking, biking, boating and recreational use of their parks and they make great friends too!

Anyway it was a nice evening visiting with my Masonic Brothers and getting the chance to learn more about my local state park Moraine. Thanks to all involved and if you are in the area of Moraine or McConnell's Mill take the time to make a memory there. In fact look Rick up at the Park Office or contact the Park @ 724-368-8811 links http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/

As for my Masonic Lodge (Victory Lodge 694) well your on your own there!

Brother Stork

Its the Gift that keeps on giving, Clark!

2007-01-12T22:30:00.000-05:00

I got home the other night and once again a box awaited me on the back porch. How exciting it is to find something like this. I couldn't wait to get it inside and opened. I tried to stay calm by going in and taking my time by first checking e-mail and then plugging my laptop in to charge. I even called my buddy TJ and told him that the "box" was in my basement. He asked how it looked and I replied "brown". "No! not the box you idiot I mean the frame" he replied. Oh that? I haven't opened it yet. With that I hung up and ventured downstairs to unbox my gift.

I knew what was in the box because I had chosen the model and the custom paint but what made this so exciting is that this particular frame is unavailable to most shops until sometime in late Feb/Early March and along with most people I myself had never actually seen one. Most of these frames are only in the raw stage of production in Waterloo (Trek/Fisher Factory) so all the guys at ToP where going to want to see this frame and I had one!

Here it comes! Any guesses? Yep its a Fisher! Of course its a 29er! Nope not a 2007 Rig or a Supercal.

Its the brand new Gary Fisher Ferrous 29er. Which is a high end super light TrueTemper OX Platinum Steel Tube Frame. Yea Steel. I haven't gotten a chance to weight it yet but it feels light and boy is this a stylish frame. In my 5 years of riding I have never ridden a steel frame bike. So far they have all been aluminum or titanium and i'm really looking forward to riding this steel horse soon. It comes with a really cool eccentric bottom bracket so it can be set up as a single or multi geared machine.
Ok Thats all the pictures for the moment. If your really interested then check back in the future for another post with better photos of the frame.

later

stork

Christmas Continues, 4 Me!

2007-01-09T21:52:00.000-05:00

Well the holidays maybe officially over but for me it's been carried over for a few more weeks. I arrived home the last night to find a surprise package containing a set of the new Bontrager Race X Lite TLR Tubeless Ready 29er wheelsets. Let me be the first to tell just how sweet these look and talk about light, Yea they're light in fact so light that my inside contact at Fisher had to weight down the box for shipping. He told me that when he originally took the box to the shipping dept. that UPS would have had to pay him to ship it and they wouldn't allow that. So he had to stuff some small items into the box. The UPS carrier thought maybe he was trying to ship Helium in a box and at first asked to open and inspect the package all the while explaining that UPS will not ship gases. Eventually they got it straightened out by adding some weight and here it is. Fabulous!

Anyone of you folks out there that ride understand the feelings of receiving, opening and handeling such packages. Its better than most Christmas gifts!

Ok I'm so excited, so I'm boxing these back up and placing them in the new bike parts bin for my future build (hint: look for a post soon when I get the frame for this, its already shipped) and I'm going out for a night ride.

stork

Kennerdall Ride w/my Teammate

2007-01-07T21:43:00.000-05:00

Sunday morning I awoke to find TJ sleeping in the spare room of my house. I went downstairs and after seeing his car out in the driveway I yelled into the room at him and he yelled back out, "I'm up but I'm checking my resting heartrate". I few minutes later he was up and we had loaded the truck. I short stop at the local Eat'n Park for breakfast and we then arrived at Kennerdall for our ride. Kennerdall is located just north of Butler and the trails there are built on State Game Lands and State Forest Land.

Once we had suited up TJ made a few adjustments to the bottom bracket, we said hello and good day to the others getting ready and we where on the trails. It was a crisp morning and the trails where slogged with water. It wasn't what I would call muddy but just wet. This place has some really cool views and awesome trails. Its a pretty good place to ride the singlespeeds because most of the trails are on top of the ridge and unless you really want to (which we did 3 times) you don't have to ride down the over 900' drop to the Allegheney River and Dennison Run.

This Forest Area is very open due to the Large trees, which gives you the ability to see quit far.

Somewhere around the 12 mile mark. Yes we look a bit wet but there isn't alot of heavy mud!

Of course you always get the question and here is the answer. Yes the pros walk! These bridge crossings over Dennison Run become as slippery as snot! If you're riding here take great caution when crossing these. Most have a safety cable to grip as a handrail so use it! TJ demonstrates just how a pro would walk across.

Here is a shot from the Iron Furnace. The information here stated that back when this Furnace operated (1800s)the workers would clear almost an acre of woods a day in order to fuel the fire needed to run the furnace and they only worked during the winter months because most had jobs on local farms during the summer. In one year of operation they would clear over 100 acres of forest. Small traces of their existance can be seen everywhere and we probably have them to thank for some of the trails we ride.

The remaining Furnace. Cool but we have to get rolling back up the hill. To see this you must make the drop down from the ridge. This isn't quit as low as the Allegheny put its still a drop. These two riders need to get back to training and less strolling around. So off we go.....

Towards the end of our 35 mile trek we found this tree on the trail that had been chewed by a porcupine. I can say that in the couple of years riding here I have seen more than a couple of these little critters. In fact on more than one occasion I had seen them on night rides and TJ and I watched one climb a tree during the day. We have also seen deer, squirrel, eagles, and beavers on our rides here. So if your in area of Franklin or Butler bring your bike and a healthy appitite for trails because this place has them. It was great getting out with just the two of us from the new team for a training ride and we managed to make it last for over 5 hours of being out on the bikes!

What Happened?

2007-01-06T19:09:00.000-05:00

As I sat reading the most recent news in the biking world something mysterious was going on elsewhere. What you ask? Well someone has hacked into my website settings and made some nice changes to the colors and layout. I'm guessing it to be a hot girl, maybe someone that has seen my awesome legs and has now found themselves to be madly in love with me, don't laugh it happens more than you think. Ok Ok maybe not to me but it does happen. Anyway why couldn't it happen to me? Have you ever seen my chiseled calves, or my tree trunk sized thighs? Well these girls have and look at their reaction

Now now I'm getting off track here with all the talk of my fans. As I was saying the "hacker" has made some changes and I'm wondering, should I leave it go for awhile? Or is the pink to much? Maybe it was someone from out East like fatmarc, he wears a pink helmet? Was it you fatmarc? Or someone from his posse? Anyway lets hear something back from you readers? Is this Ok or not? Maybe whoever did this will respond or make more changes.
Jesse did you do this? I see Elmo (my riding buddy) looking over my shoulder, maybe he has memorized my password, he is excellent with his ABC's & numbers and one time I heard him say he likes pink?

stork

Happy Happy Birthday, Baby?

2007-01-05T17:11:00.000-05:00

No He's not my baby but I'm sure someone (maybe his wife?) calls this monkeys butt, Baby. But anyway today we say happy birthday to Mike from ToP seen here in the center raising a ruckus at the Cranberry location. He'll be 34 years young (tomorrow?) and we wish him well. I took a short lunch break and swung past the store only to get the chance to hang with Mike for a few and to pick up the new Reba Race 29er Fork that he was delivering, along with other stuff, to the store.
In our short conversation between Bonnie, TJ, Mike and Myself we discussed birthdays, ages and how old folks really looked. This lead to a big surprise when Bonnie, while talking about Mikes wife's age, so nonchalantly blurted out "shes hot!". All conversing stopped for a brief moment while the other 3 of us tried to read each others minds, wondering "should I acknowledge that I heard that or not" until finally someone said "Welcome to Moe's" (the place next door) which pulled us back to reality and one of us said "did you say, she was hot?" Not really questioning Mikes wife's hotness but questioning that Bonnie was the one saying it. With this I felt uncomfortable (just kidding) so I laughed and then split!

It was a fun and again Happy Birthday Mike (you lucky dog with the hot wife)

PS send us some photos so the others can see.

stork

The last one, day that is.

2007-01-01T18:37:00.000-05:00

Ahh the last sunrise of 2006 as seen here from Interstate 79 at Neville Island during my drive to Bavington for a group ride. I was meeting TJ, Evan Perone, Justin Stiener, Tim Lyons & Adam Bluementhall at the Eat n Park at Robinson Town Center for breakfast on december 31, 2006. I had never ridden with Tim or Adam so I was looking forward to the addition of a few new faces for this ride.

As it turns out everyone in our group was seated over 29" wheels and we all had singlespeeds. The weather turned out to be magnificant hanging in around 50 for the day and the parking lot full of other riders cars showed just how nice of a december day it was.

Everyone suited up and we gathered for this nice group photo before setting out for our ride.

Warming up and trash talking alittle before headin out.

This was my first large group ride in some time and it was nice a nice way to end the year. In fact we rode 32 miles for the day and found ourselves delightfully exhausted at the finish. I pulled out of the lot and immediatly started to think about what to do for the New Years Eve ahead. I'm not one for large social events nor do I really drink so this is one holiday that really doesn't mean much to me. I called Michelle and asked her what she had in mind which turned out to suite me fine, she wanted to stay home and cook a nice little dinner then watch the "ball" drop on tv before calling it a year. I loved the idea and took itone step futher by offering to make the dessert.

I stopped at the market picking up milk, pudding and ice cream. Now let me tell I will be using all three ingredients for my last dessert. After dinner I cooked up the pudding but not before loading a large bowl with ice cream. You see this treat requires speed and timing. Once the pudding boils you pour it over the ice cream "hot" and start eating quick! I absolutly love this and it wrkes great with chocolate on vanilla ice cream or as seen here butterscotch on vanilla ice cream. What a way to end the year.

Happy New Year

stork

ToP Christmas Party

2006-12-23T22:44:00.000-05:00

I was standing at the cash wrap @ the Cranberry ToP store while Bonnie talked on the phone trying to straighten out my account when she handed me the phone. "Hello?" I said and a friendly voice answered back, "hello". It was Don (owner, construction manager, and Team supporter) he asked me if I would attended the employee Christmas party that weekend. Of course I said yes and felt honored to be asked so he told me of the details and that was that. Sunday Michelle and me drove down to the Robinson location where everyone from all the stores meet for a few drinks (water for me of course) and snacks. Christian put together a really cool mock gift giving idea at which everyone had a good time with.

After hanging out at the store Don treated everyone to a nice dinner at a local eatery Mad Mex. I myself had a great time spending a few hours with some very professional buisness people. Since I've really only been involved with this shop for a few months one wouldn't expect to be accepted so quickly but I really felt like part of their family. These guys and gals all had regular lives which included husbands, wives, children, families, homes, hobbies and such. This was a comfortable group of people to be with and both Michelle and I enjoyed their company especially Bonnie (Tanya) and her SO Harry. We had some very interesting conversations about Ghosts, Spirits, Music, and Food before Bonnie finished her pitcher of some slushy fruity looking stuff. Being someone who doesn't really drink much besides the occasional glass of cheap cheap wine I was unable to tell you what the stuff was.

I Think its going to be a very good year with these guys and I must say Thanks to everyone there for welcoming me and a big shout out to Don for the party (it looked like over 25 people)!

Shopping

2006-12-14T10:02:00.000-05:00

Last Sunday I had a little shopping to do so I added the pack to my Portland and rode off to Cranberry (28 Miles). The weather was a mild 50 some degrees and it was partly sunny which made for a very enjoyable ride. I have my mp3 player loaded up with christmas music to get me into the "spirit". Rolling along Rt68 while listening to the Rat Pack Classics is a great way to spend a sunday afternoon if I must say.

Anyway I finally reached my shopping destination (Trek of Pgh Cranberry) where I picked up a new saddle, two tires for the commuter, a horn, and a floor pump. I loaded all this on to the rack with the help of a few bungee cords and realized that if I happen to tip over I'll need a crane to set my bike back up. It would be like dumping a full dresser Harley and expecting to bring it up on your own, yea right!

A nice shot of Bonnie, Me, & TJ. Ok Her name really isn't Bonnie but I don't think its my place to explain how this name came about or to even tell you her real name. Lets just stick w/Bonnie, ok? She ground up an excellent pot of coffee for the 3 of us to savor while talking shop. In fact she even doubled as the "hand" model in the following snapshots with the chain. She is a very multi-talented individual which is more than likely the reason she is working for the new store. ToP has the distinction of hiring top notch quality people that can be experianced by visiting any of their stores. But enough of that, now just before leaving we thought it best for me to install a new chain on the 10speed drivetrain of the Portland because the chain had some serious stretch.

TJ pulled out one of these newer Wipperman Connex 10 speed chains for me to try. Now the history of me and chains on this particular bike is well known to be short. Short as in the life span of the chains. I've replaced chains on this bike at least 4 times since purchasing it last February. We have verifyed stretch every time! No I'm not some abusive rider but maybe its because of the massive "storktorq" I'm capable of delievering, maybe?

Knowing that I don't ride this bike much in the summer, thats almost a chain a month! They have all been Dura Ace so why not try something else. We installed the new chain but not before removing the seatpost and rack because the bike was to heavy to stay on the Bike repair stand! After completion I again straddled the bike and rode off right from the shop repair area because Bonnie was kind enough to open the door for a clipped in exit!

I found myself stopping several times on the return trip to make adjustments as I found the chain not shifting smoothly. This is expected from a new installation especially since the cassette and chainrings are both worn. Never the less I'll give it some time before making any judgement on it. Once reaching the house I put the bike on a scale which stiffled me with the almost 45 pound reading! I wonder what the pros ride for training???

Thanks to TJ= chain install, Bonnie= coffee, & ToP for the parts.

stork

Night Ride, Finally!

2006-12-12T05:47:00.000-05:00

Ok it finally happened! I managed to gather up my equipment which was now working and headed to North Park with Chris and Mike (Mike seen leaning on the tree). Last night with mild temps we started out near the ice rink and headed into the vast trail system thru-out the park. Chris immediatly took authority as our trail guide by leading the way. As we rode thru the mud due to the warm temperature (40+), Chris would explain our exact location in the park and tell us about the current trail we where riding. I was impressed by his knowledge of the park and it was refreshing to be following instead of guiding as I usually have to do on most rides.

Here we see Chris working on his lighting system. Which he had convinced Mike and I of being the most reliable system one could own by showing us the "backup" power supply. I think Mike and I caught on that it was actually a system made for two lights and since he only used one, when that battery cable failed he simply plugged the light into the other cable. Smart idea and even smarter to trick Mike and I into believing that this was the manufactures intent! Funny stuff. Chris was riding a Paragon 29er and seemed to be getting excellent traction in the semi-sloppy mud just as I was on my Rig 29er. Mike on the other hand, needs to upgrade to the larger tires! Yea Mike I said it, get those big tires...you'll love'em. Both guys are great riders and it was a load of fun riding with them. Anyway since we mostly rode I didn't get many pictures. These two guys like to stay moving which is nice! Thanks to the both of them for including me on their ride.

stork

More Photos Punk Bike

2006-12-08T10:03:00.000-05:00

Night Ride, maybe?

2006-12-08T08:36:00.000-05:00

Here it is thursday evening December 7th and a nice cold front has been moving into the western pa area. The temps have been going down all day and a nice snow fall has started. Winds started blowing and at times its impossible to see 10' in front of you. Never the less I'm in the Escape heading to North Park Ice Rink to meet Chris and Mike who work for a company that I contract with. Mike Tells me that the temp is around 20/21 degrees as we suit up in the lot. The three of us are laughing about how cold it was the last time I had ridden with them. As Mike fiddled with his shoes and gear I unloaded the Single speed Rig from the holding chambers of the Escape. Its always nice to pull out a warm clean bike at the start. Since I had been ready before the others I tooled around the lot warming up suddenly there was nothing. Nothing? yes nothing... no forward motion at all. A complete free spinning of the cranks without any energy being supplied to the rear tire. What the what, is going on? And then like a Vonage phone box it hit me! Bam Kings Hubs+ cold weather= no worky! Stupid stupid me knew this but in my haste to leave the house earlier I never thought to change out the rear wheel. In past winters I always put a different rear wheel on for this reason alone. Several tries to warm it up with the heater in the Escape worked but only got me to the edge of the woods before freespinning again. Finally I told the others that I was officially disqualified from the ride. With my head hung low in embarressment i pushed my bike back to the car. Feeling like an idiot I didn't even undress from my bike gear. A short drive back home, i unloaded and proceeded to the basement workshop where I began filtering thru my stock of parts for the other rim, tire, skewer, and brake rotor. I took the time to set everything up but never put it on the bike but layed it there beside the Rig and just to let it know it didn't get the best of me I saddled up the Portland, turned on all the blicky lights and out the basement door I went! By now it was around 17 degrees and a road ride on the commuter bike was going to be cold. So I kept it short for a nice frigid 8 miles.
stork

Punk Bike Enduro 2006

2006-12-03T18:52:00.000-05:00

Sunday December 3, 2006- I meet TJ Platt at Dennys in New Ken, for some hot coffee and a hearty breakfast. We sat and talked about his new job at Trek of Pittsburghs Cranberry store and came up with a game plan for the Dirt Rag Punk Bike Enduro. We both had the same idea, have a good time and socialize! Sporting our new lounging attire (made by yours truly) we headed off to the Dorseyville Fire Hall for the start of the 2006 Punk Bike.

There where the many many "costumes" to be seen there as usual. Such as...

Evan Perone as Santas Elf.

Topher, whos another extremely fast singlespeed racer I have to battle with in the mid-atlantic super series, was there in some real retro gear like his tights that looked like jeans.

How about this Guy, any guesses? Yes Its me on the left but you may not realize who the other guy is. Oh you'll know who he is once I give you his name, still not sure? Ok his Name has been all over the bikes Lance Armstrong used in the Tours and its probably on your bike if its a Trek or Gary Fisher. Now you got it Keith Bontrager himself! He showed up at the Trek of Pittsburgh Store to borrow a Demo Bike so he could participate. How cool is that

Anyway a good time was had by all, I'm sure, as the support van cruised with from stage to stage handing out points for the top finishers. The ToP van was following the Dirt Rag truck to each stop carrying some spare parts, tubes, tools and a tire pump. Thanks ToP. Unfortunaly TJ and I cut out a little early but we both enjoyed the day just as these people did.

stork

New Team & New Friends

2006-11-27T05:57:00.000-05:00

Here it is, the official announcement that I'm a memeber of the Trek of Pittsburgh Bicycle Stores new elite mountain bike team. Yes its out with the old and in with the new. As you noticed on the heading of my webpage the shop affiliation logo was changed a few weeks ago. Recently TJ Platt and myself have signed on with this Trek Shop. They are pretty cool so far and a new store located in Cranberry Twp just off I79 has just opened. These fellows know there stuff in fact just after signing on I recieved some clothes to wear and I must comment on the fleece lined long sleeve jerseys and knickers. Man are they great! Over this past holiday weekend I did a few early morning rides and this stuff was excellent. I've never been given gear this functional before. Well for the big news TJ and I will be the official members for this coming year and the ToP (trek of pittsburgh) Store seems excited to finally have themselves a mountian bike team.

Along with a new team I have also gotten a new friend seen here riding with me. Yes Its Elmo! I was riding thru Sesame Street, which is on the West side of Butler, when I heard Elmo shout out "take me for a ride". So what would you do? Exactly what I did, help the little fellow on to my bike and off we went. Elmo & I did several rides over the weekend. In fact he made the first trip to the new Cranberry ToP store with me which started by riding thru the Thanksgiving Day Parade where all the kids shouted out to my new riding buddy. Along the way we counted cars and practiced are ABCs. I have to tell you this is one sharp little dude! Any way look for more adventures which will include Elmo and myself and stay tuned for better information on the ToP Elite Mountain Bike Team.

stork

Turkey

2006-11-18T18:57:00.000-05:00

Turkeys, yea we will all eat some this coming week but have you really ever seen them out in the wild? Hanging out looking for food or better yet roosting for the evening? Well in case you didn't realize turkeys sleep in the trees and I was lucky enough to be out with my dad a few sundays ago and got the chance to see a "turkey" fixing its "bed". Seen here in a rare photo, i'm standing below the "turkey". He doesn't even realize I'm taking a picture as he prepares to nest in for the evening.

Ok so its not a real turkey but its my dad acting like one! Why would i say that? because hes in his sixtys and still climbing trees to hunt whitetail deer! This particular weekend I went with him to carry some of the gear he needed in to the spot where he hunts. Now I wish I could tell you where that is but ever since I was 12 and started hunting with my dad he has kept his hunting areas top secret. To the point where my brother and I where both blindfolded before leaving the house and he would untie the blindfolds only after we had reached a parking spot. Sometimes I actually felt as if he just took us for a drive up the road and we where really only hunting behind our house but I'll never be sure of that.

So after getting blindfolded again this wekend and having the flashbacks to younger days. My dad and i hiked up over the hill to an area where he wanted to place a stand. We walked around scouting for some signs but there really wheren't any. He made the comment how there is always something around so he picked out a tree and I helped him put the stand in. Once in place he started shouting out orders to remove some brush from there and cut those limbs out of there and so on. All the while I'm thinking there isn't a dog gone sign of a deer trail anywhere he has told me to clear a shooting lane but whatever I did it. We walked down out a different way just to scout a little more before i was asked to put the blindfold back on for the return trip.

The next night i called the old "turkey" to see how he made out in the new stand and wouldn't you know he missed a small buck right thru the shooting lane we made by clearing brush. Now how in the heck did he know something would come thru there? I have no idea but thats the way hunting has always been with my dad. I remember as a kid seeing turkeys and deer when nobody else was. In fact back then turkeys where nowhere near as abundant as they are now and just seeing one in the woods was something out of the ordinary!

Anyway to this day my dad continues to fill his tags with turkey and deer both. He may be a bit slower getting up the hills or climbing the trees but his sense for finding game is still spot on! Since I started riding bikes and racing I've stopped hunting so I don't get out much with my dad but it really isn't suprising to hear of his bagging a deer as its more or less expected. It was nice to spend the short afternoon with him in the woods and it brought back many many memories. In fact one was how he would always "fly" thru the woods so silent and it was hard as a kid to keep up so we tended to more or less run which made alot of noise. My dad would always look back and tell us to "lift your feet and keep up" but on this adventure I was the one telling him that. Funny how things change! Another memory was one time my brother and I where told to walk up in on the other side of the hill from my dad to our spots. So he dropped us at a fireroad and took off. This was early and it was still dark and both my brother and I where terrified of the dark! As he and I walked up in we made a plan to sit together until daylight then split to our designated spots. This sounded good but if dad found out we where up and moving around after light we might get in trouble for spooking any deer in sight. Oh well we took the chance and never did tell dad. Funny funny stuff.

Anyway besides teaching me how to scout and hunt deer my dad has givin me many other qualities that have made me the person i am today. For instance his work ethics and commitment to family probably are the reasons I have done so well in my career and with bike racing. So I was happy to get the afternoon with him which is usually hard with my training and racing.

stork

Signs

2006-11-08T18:20:00.000-05:00

Signs, yes signs are everywhere. They are mostly there for our safety but one must be intellegent enough to understand the message being given by the sign and realize what may happen if we don't follow that message.
For instance the sign pictured to the right with Michelle. These are found all over public gamelands in PA, but what do they mean? Well they tell people that this particular road is not open to motorized vehicles. Does a bicycle fall into that? Some would say yes some would say no! We as responsible riders shouldn't push this issue but we should simply stay off these roadways because as you will see below there are other signs in gamelands that clearly tell us that bikes are allowed.
What then you ask would happen if we ignore these signs? Well in due time the small green sign above (which gives us permission to ride in the gamelands) will be taken down and we will be told that bicycles are not welcome anywhere in the gamelands. Please realize that the game commision has the authority to take your bike if you are found riding on unauthorized trails or roadways. Next we may see signs like the one below!

Everyone out there riding feels like its no big deal to trespass across someones property or poach a hiking trail but every time they do something like this they only make it harder for everyone else. Close to my house I have miles and miles of trails that others have built (mostly quads and horses) that the owners started posting because the riders where being rude and inconsiderate. By taking the time to track down the property owners and asking for their permission I now have access to some great training trails. No one has declined me permission and I provided them with my name, number and address in case they would change their mind and request that I do not ride there.

So please be aware of your surroundings, follow the instructions or warnings provided by signs and get out there!

Stay alert!

Stork

Happy B-Day Gary

2006-11-07T21:46:00.000-05:00

Friday Nov 3, 2006 found me driving towards Cleveland Ohio to attend the Season Opening Of Rays Mountain Bike Park. I was invited as a guest of Bob Myers for the event which had Gary Fisher making an appearance. Travis Ott (Fisher Maketing Manager) and Bob had a cake brought in for Garys Birthday which wasn't that exact day but close enough. So Happy B-day Gary Fisher!

Michelle and I got the chance to sit and talk with Gary since he currently has a broken ankle which kept him sitting by the fire. He really is quite a down to earth type guy. It was great getting to meet him.

In case you didn't know, every bike I ride and race has this guys name on it! So getting to sit and talk with him one on one about riding different places and also about designing bikes and what he likes to ride was really cool. After shooting the breeze with Gary we took a few laps on the Gary Fisher 1/2 mile indoor XC loop inside Rays Mountain bike park.

Shortly after arriving I was approached by a guy asking about TRM and Trek of Pittsburgh because of their logo on my gear. We talked for a few minutes before he introduced himself as "Ray".

I immediatly asked "Ray as in Rays Mountain Bike Park?"

He said "yep!"

So heres a shot of Me, Ray & Bob Myers

Ok How about a little shout out for the Park itself! Yea this place was cool! Michelle actually tried a bunch of stuff that she normally would never ride.

Mountain Bikings Future?

2006-10-31T07:14:00.000-05:00

Here it is...... the future of mountain biking! Remember these faces and their names because one of them just may be a future Norba Champion. On the other hand none of them may become championship winners, but they all are part of the future of mountain biking in more ways than you think. Beside me (far left) is, Jordan(2nd from the left), Christopher ( 3rd), and DJ (far right). They are students in high school in Ohio. All ride and race for Chris Skinner (Multi Year OMBC Champion). I can't tell you much about these guys outside of the short meeting at races but I can say they are polite competitive well respected young adults. I have donated bike parts, tires, even a frame and a couple of forks to Chris which he uses to build up bikes for these guys to race. At every OMBC race I attend these guys are there competing against each other then loading into the same cars and heading home together. Never have I seen arrogant or unsportsmanship manners from any of them. In fact this past weekend I didn't race but rode around the course and hung with a few of these guys in the trail and each and everyone of them came to me after the race, said thanks for "pushing" them and shook my hand. Thats the future of mountain biking and I like what it looks like so far!

Most of these manners are probably taught to them from Chris Skinner. Hes an individual I meet a few years back at a race series at Beans Bike Park in Ohio (no longer exists). I was new to the sport yet Chris approached me talked to me as an equal and wished me luck (he was the current Ohio State Champ), I was nothing special. Our friendship grew from there and i have nothing short of the upmost respect for him and everything he does.

Teamed with Bob Myers and Trek, Chris helps manages a small mountain bike team, the Trek-Ohio Valley Team, but in addition to that he works with these young adults at school introducing them to mountain biking and archery. How cool is that? I wish there had been programs like that when I attended school. Chris not only does this at school but he has built, along with these students, a trail system on his private property where they train weekly during the season and one of the 12 OMBC races takes place.

So when you start wondering about the future of our sport remember Chris. Think of the time and effort he puts in to helping these students but don't count on him only. Do the same, take some time on the trail or anywhere to talk with newcomers. Offer to show them a trail, meet up answer their questions. Its in everyones intrest to promote the sport otherwise all trails could close and we could all be looking for a new sport. Think about it?

The Godfather: Part II

2006-10-30T15:08:00.000-05:00

No I'm not talking about Don Vito Carleone and the Family from the movies here, I'm talking about me, yea me "The Godfather". Sometime back, in the 80s, my Aunt & Uncle asked me to be the Godfather of their newborn baby Hannah, who would already by default be my cousin. What did I know about being someones Godfather at the age of 18? Heck I wasn't even sure what I was going to do for the rest of my life let alone think about guiding someone else along if they needed. But after some thought I agreed to the "responsibility" but only recently have i really come to define and understand what that responsibility was.

Now I'm not saying I haven't been there for Hannah for the birthdays, christmas's, the first communion and such but I really didn't think I had done much more than a normal relative would have. This got me to thinking, what have i really provided for Hannah as her Godparent? World class knowledge, super human abilities, diamonds, silver, gold or other riches? No, i haven't given her any of those things but those weren't the things intended to be gained from a god-father/god-daughter relationship. Instead, Hannah and I have a great friendship which is becoming more enjoyable to me as she matures. I like to believe that she trusts me and would feel comfortable coming to me for advice, help or just to talk to.

After the years of her growing up we have reached the time where she is becoming an adult and we are able to spend short periods of time together simply going to a movie, shopping, talking about her running and my biking, or taking time off work to have lunch. I now realize that the responsibility of being a Godfather was "just to be there" and since Hannah still says "love ya" to me in front of anyone anywhere tells me that i must have done that.

Hannah is an excellent athelete and runs hurdles for the Butler Track Team. During the early spring when practice starts I incorperate the school grounds into my training rides simply to stop by the track, say hi and on occasion get a chance to see her compete. I'm looking forward to seeing her run and compete at the collegic level for the next few years. She is truely a wonderful person and I actually gained much more than she did, by accepting the invitation to be her Godfather.

Look out as Hannah sails over these hurdles and many more in the future.

Happy Birthday Hannah!

The Godfather

Its the Most Wonderful Time of The Year

2006-10-25T05:57:00.000-05:00

Here it is, Fall Time in Western PA! What a great time to live in the North East of the country. As seen above, I'm riding in a small local park called Alameda Park. I'm trying to jump a log. Riding when the leaves are changing and falling makes each trail different than normal. Suddenly you are able to see around that turn or you'll notice just how close a house and the trail really are to each other. Wow its amazing how much life the fall brings to a boring old trail that you've been riding all summer!

What an awesome time to ride. I better get out there!

Take a close look...... yea thats correct, its snow! In October, I love riding thru a small snowfall.

A look out my back window as I dress for the exciting ride to follow!

Heres a look from the North East, just outside of Butler, overlooking Rt 422 (not pictured).

Best Friends

2006-10-23T16:41:00.000-05:00

Well, Best friends are great! Sunday morning i went to my best buds (TJ Platt) house to help him move a few things before going for a ride. Upon waking up I sat around the house for a bit drinking some fresh coffee and looking out the window and the glorious colors. After a few cups I drove off to TJs place. He and I have been riding together for most of the 5 years I've been riding. Yes I meet TJ at Dirty Harrys a few months after getting into the bike scene in 2001. We hit it off pretty good and instantly became close. We have trained & ridden together many many miles since then, winning more than a few 24 hour races with other teammates along with a few 6 hour and 100 mile duo races. During the summer race season we don't get the chance to ride together like we do in the off season so I've been looking forward to spending some hours with him. TJ & I are the most consistant training partners in our group of friends. We usually alternate between each other picking the weekend location during the winter and anyone else interested in joining in must meet us. Rule #1 very little time is spent talking on the phone about it. If he calls me and confirms a ride, location and time I know he'll be there and vice versa. Rule #2 never tell the others the real mileage intended, always make it sound shorter! (just kidding)Most sundays start with breakfast @ Eatn Park, drive to the trail then ride for hours and hours. Sometimes a sunday ride will be 5 to 6 hours of riding. If the weather lets us we'll ride trails, some of which are right from my basement door.

TJ recently started a new job and affiliation with Trek of Pittsburgh so for this ride we suited up with their colors and headed out. We talked about the things happening in his life and about the new store he'll be working at in Cranberry Twp soon. Everyone is excited about this store coming to the area. For sometime we really haven't had anything in the way of a major bike shop in the Butler area and alot of guys wouldn't drive the distance to pittsburgh to purchase a one. Soon this won't be a problem. If you're in the Cranberry Area around christmas stop in and check it out on Rt 228. You just may get to see a few of our race bikes on display there.

So I haven't download the data from our ride but I'll guess that it was close to 70 miles in the cool fall weather. The sun came out and went away, it rained lightly for periods yet the day was a great enjoyment for me..... pedaling with a close friend!
Weather never dictates how good or bad the ride is just getting out and feeling the freedom of getting somewhere using your own energy makes it a successful ride.

I'm looking at a long winter of fun rides with TJ and others so if you want to pedal look us up.

I'll Take the Big Mac with the Special Sauce?

2006-10-17T19:48:00.000-05:00

Special sauce, What is it really? Nothing yes nothing different. Its just a combination of simplier things. So why do I mention this? Well its basically the same thing when individuals talk about where they live and why one place is better than the other. Is it true that one local is superior to another? No, one place just has a different combination of the basics land, water & air. Some have more land others have more water but they all have air. So just because someone says their location has a "Special Sauce" it really doesn't mean its better.

Case in point.... I went to Bakersfield California this past weekend for

my brothers wedding and while there I was told numerous times how grand CA is. How at any given moment you could drive to the snow or to the beach. Hike, bike, swim, raft, ski and so on every day any time. I was reminded how the sun shines more days than not and rainfall is almost non existant. In fact one person even commented on the Pittsburgh area as "dingy". Well I have to disagree. We may not have sunny days all the time or magnificent mountains on the horizon but what we do have is change. Yes reality is waking up and having mother nature dictate your day with fall colors, cold temps, snow, rain, or wind that all may last hours or days. We don't have the choice for snow today and the beach tomorrow instead, we get stunningly beautiful color changes in the fall (right outside my picture window), snow and frozen ground during the winter, green green green blossoms in the spring and wonderfully sunny filled days during the summer.

I took a bike ride with a family friend Cary Mills during my visit. I must say thanks to him for taking the time to show me the local trails surrounding my brothers house. I regretfully say that they compare closely to our strip mine riding less the trees. It was fun yet I felt something missing like the unknown log around the corner of some singletrack, or the creek crossing that changes monthly with the amount of rainfall we have. We rode somewhere close to 20 miles and it was all fast flowing smooth sand trails. I loved being able to let it all out hammering in the big ring as we railed down the superfast descents. The town of Bakersfield finds itself at around 404' above sea level but offers some nice climbing in these foothills so I'll assume the local riders have some excellent fitness but it would be hard to hone any technical skills on the trails I rode. True they can travel a few hours for a variety but we have these outside our door. It was a nice change riding trails that where open and fast and I'm glad to have experianced them while there.

All in all it caused me to re-evaluate my opinion of western pa and my local trails. I thought long and hard on my return trip to the keystone state and found myself smiling as I mentally rode some of my favorite trails. Suddenly I realized that "home" wasn't ranked a lesser place, it just had a different combination in its "Special Sauce". Monday afternoon I took a ride from my basement door via trails into a local park to smell the fall air that resembles cotton candy and to hear the crunch of the crisp fallen leaves on the trail. The entire time feeling like those that I left in CA could never understand the love we have for our area and what it offers us daily.

The tempurature was barely 50 some degrees but the sun was hanging above and I could smell leaves burning as I passed thru housing areas. The trails where tight and colors where starting to brighten on the remaining leaves. This was the environment I enjoyed and what really keeps me going out.

My real purpose of this post is to help people realize that no matter where you ride its that environment that you consider your "special sauce" but its only special to you, and others may like something different but we should all respect each other and the places we enjoy. I think people overlook the PA area but with a little searching could discover something wonderful!
Happy Trails.

Get Outside, in PA? Chapter 1

2006-10-11T17:53:00.000-05:00

A quite place nestled in an area known as The PA Wilds lays an abundance of magnificant views that can be discovered via a mountain bike.

This past tuesday I took a well needed day off work to enjoy what the state is advertising as "Get Outdoors PA". A little known fact... PA is one of only several States that have free usage of the state park systems. I have experiance a few states where it isn't so and I paid a fee just to enter. Why then are there not more people out Hiking Biking camping and fishing? Who knows but I was. The following is a story of my outdoor experiance at Sizerville State Park and Elk State Forest.

5:15 I'm picked up @ home by my cousin Jeremy who is the Park Manager @ Sizerville State Park which is located 6 miles north of Emporium PA. After our drive to the park he proceeds to the office while I suit up for a ride I had layed out with his assistance. Packing up my food & water I headed out into the chilly 42 deg morning. I had made the choice to start up a small logging road called Crooked Run Rd which climbs from 1300' to almost 2400' in a 4 mile distance and takes me out of the actual park property into the Elk State Forest. What a tranquil ride it was up the mountain, all that could be heard was my lonely breathing and leaves blowing in the slight breeze. Now Crooked Run Rd is named after the water way that it parellels, which had captured my attention during the time I pedaled upward in hopes of getting a glimpse of wildlife. Squirrels and chimpmunks where everywhere but I thought of the excitment of seeing something like a blackbear or possibly a fox or porcupine during this ride. As I proceeded toward the top my lungs where stinging from the crisp air that my body was requiring to function but eventually the "air bags" adjusted and I settled in to explore. While continuing I would stop and ride out some of the forestry roads which where marked for riding just to see a little deeper into the wooded mountain. Some would take me in a mile or so to some spectacular open areas and by open I mean larger trees with very little ground growth where one could see for great distances into the pines.

Still no bear but lots of animal tracks in the muddy parts of the trails. Once getting to the top and snapping the above photo @ the Vista I meandored out Ridge road to the north. During this time I passed a vehicle or two parked along the road with hints that they where archery hunters.

Once I made it to the intersection of Ridge Rd and Cowely Rd I only had a 1/4 mile or so before I turned up Fox Fire Tower Rd. This was simply an out & back (up & down) ride that I wanted to do. Once I had climbed to the top I found a clearing with nothing more than an outhouse looking structure standing on the edge of the woodline. I took in the moment but thoughts about how stupid I was for standing in the tall grass waiting to get bit by a snake started to enter my mind so I jumped back on the bike and rocketed down the climb I had just pedaled up.

The rest of this loop was a sceaming down hill on Cowely Rd straight back into the park. I tooled around the park a little until the Park Manager offered to assist me in taking some pictures and suggested we ride a small loop trail which was the Sizerville Nature Trail. I took him up on the offer, changed into some fresh clothes and we took off. Now this turned out to be awesome! First you climb and climb and climb up a grassy forestry road breathing like a whipped horse(1300' to 2040') for the first 1 3/4 miles, then it flattens off but the trail gradually bottlenecks from the forestry road to a singletrack trail littered with rocks and roots! Something that any true mountain biker likes!! Suddenly I found myself railing on the edge of being out of control down the twisting narrow decent to the bottom. Wow was that a goldmine of a trail and almost overlooked by me had it not been for the Park Staffs invitation.

All in all I really enjoyed my day in the outdoors of PA and I would highly suggest that others take some time to visit a state park and make sure you talk with the locals and staff. They really know their areas. In fact I got the opportunity to meet Greg Sassaman who is the Assistant Regional Manager for Parks Region #1 and in that conversation I learned of PA being in the small group of remaining states that do not charge for entry into state parks. His knowledge of the forestry area surrounding the park was impressive and he took the time to explain some of the places I could explore on my next trip. He even admitted to "mountain biking" himself, saying he and his wife ride the Crooked Run Rd on occasion.

You do not need to be an elite mountain biker to handle these trails/forestry roads. The morning loop I rode took me less than 3 hours with several stops to look around. Any level of bike rider could manage although it does have climbing. A State Park such as Sizerville offers many things for mountain bikers. With 23 camping sites, Emporium close by and the Elk State Forest this place would be a perfect location for a weekend of training or recreational riding right from the park.

Take some time and look at the information that can be found all over the web for example:

Pennsylvania Wilds is two million acres of public lands for hiking, biking, fishing, boating, hunting and exploration in northcentral Pennsylvania. Within the twelve-county region are; 27 state parks, eight state forest districts (1.3 million acres), 50 state game lands and Allegheny National Forest (500,000 acres). Highlights of the area are; elk watching, scenic Pennsylvania Route 6, Pine Creek Gorge (PA Grand Canyon), the darkest skies in the east at Cherry Springs State Park, and hundreds of miles of backpacking trails, bike paths and trout fishing streams. Go to VisitPA.com Pennsylvania Wilds

Sizerville State Park 199 E Cowley Run RoadEmporium, PA 15834-9608 Phone:814-486-5605 Manager: Jeremy Rekich E-mail: sizervillesp@state.pa.us

I would like to thank Our Parks System (DCNR), Greg Sassaman, Jeremy Rekich, the Bureau of Forestry, and mother nature all for hosting & contributing to my day.

Trek University

2006-10-08T19:50:00.000-05:00

What an excellent day it turned out to be here in western PA. This morning Michelle and I traveled a little south to Bavington to attend a Trek U Class. Bob Myers and the fine people from Trek Of Pittsburgh where kind enough to include me as a guest. Ok you're asking what is Trek U? Well its a highly organized and secret meeting for Trek store employees where they are informed to all the changes and upgrades made to the product lines for the new year. After getting schooled on the changes and modifications you are tested on the info and if you pass they let you test ride some of the awesome rides from their van! Yea, being told that caused me to buckle down, listen and ace the test. Moving on now I picked out a fresh Gary Fisher Race Day 29" full susp. for my first ride. After getting names from the others we took off thru a section of dry twisty single track. I really started to enjoy the plushness of the full suspension and eventually let it rip down a rutted out decent to the roadway! In fact I pushed back up just to do that again. Back to the secret meeting place and on to another bike which was the Top Fuel (Trek). Now this I really liked. It felt fast yet not overly plush..... more like something I would want to race but oops only 26" wheels! Damn but for those out there wanting to stay with that wheel size ,well this bike is born and breed to race. I did a fairly long ride on this with several of the Trek of Pgh employees. We had a blast and returned to try a few other bikes. I gave a quick spin on a Fisher HiFi which is a new radical ride from the Fisher Lab. This bike has an offset fork which makes it handle extremely well at slower speeds. Now before you all start scratching your head wanting me to explain this, well I'll be honest... i wasn't paying attention when the teacher explained this in detail but hey I race'em & ride'em they sell'em so if you really want the full scoop stop by a Fisher/Trek store and get them to show you this. It seems like an excellent full range bike. On my final lap I rode my own bike just to feel the difference but the General manager of ToP (trek of pittsburgh) Chris rode the HiFi, and I constantly heard a laugh and a hoha coming from him as he railed thru the turns.

So I would love to include some pictures but when they saw my camera I was asked to turn over the disc containing all photos taken. They could be to careful.

Seriously I was there to ride and BS and somehow in all the excitement I forgot to get the camera out.

Thanks to Bob Myers, Trek Bob, Don, Chris, Adam, Kasey, Jordan, Paul and the others from Trek Of Pitts for allowing me to infiltrate their study session.

Mudfest @ West Branch

2006-10-04T05:12:00.000-05:00

This past sunday I took a short drive (1.5 hour) to West Branch State Park in Ohio for a race in the OMBC series. Since committing to the Mid Atlantic races, Michelle and I havn't been able to make any of these Ohio events except one back in May @ Mohican. I was looking forward to seeing the Ohio guys and gals and also really looking forward to the course @ West Branch. Most of these trails are built & maintained by a club called CAMBA. I must say there are some fabulous trails and I really enjoy racing here. In the past two years this course has proven to be a big ring hammer fest! Yes I would race the gears here because of the lack of climbing and abundance of fast rolling singletrack which doesn't lend well to the single speed. But this weekend Bob Myers (my Trek/Fisher rep) would be attending and he had just asked me why I don't race gears instead of the single speed so I wanted to show him just how well I can do with the handicap of a single speed drivetrain. Lucky for me it rained pretty heavy saturday and when i arrived at the venue I could see by the parking area that the trail would be wet & muddy. This type of trail condition is something I'm very familiar with due to my winter training rides hear in western pa.

Getting ready for the start i get a chance to catch up with everyone and what they've been up to, Chris Skinner, Ross Clark, SteveTwining, Gary Snodgrass, Tiffany Kenny and a few others. At the start I manage to place myself at the front line so I could hang on as we travel thru the open field area. Theres the word....go! I clip into my pedals and start cranking the 18T drive cog on my Gary Fisher Rig. Around the roadway and turning up into the muddy pathway cut thru the field I manage to pull into the lead. Knowing this won't last I try not to push the pace and eventually let a few riders back in front of me. Ben Ortt, Steve Twining, and Dave Walker all pull ahead of me but not by much. As the course rolled up and around to the section of rocky singletrack I found myself closing the small gap that the lead group had on me. Wow I was now riding in the pack with these three guys all with multi geared bikes! Again the course hit an open flat area at which time the leaders pulled away but I didn't get worried because we where about to enter the twisting slippery singletrack that follows the outside edge of the lake. Once again I found myself in the lead group and in fourth place only feet from the race leader.

Coming around for our first lap I crossed the line in the lead group with only tenths of a second difference. Now I had to hold on again thru the pathway in the field so i slid forward on my seat and prepared to raise the cadence (rpm of your pedals) to mantain my speed. Up and around we went tire to tire until Steve (in third) slipped up in the mud and dumped himself in front of me. With only a nanosecond to respond, I simply had no other choice than to unweight my bike and ride up and over Steve and his bike! Across the re axle, over the cranks and front wheel all while Steve is laying under the bike! I to do a semi slide but catch myself. Back up and off we go both laughing yet wanting to catch back up to the guys who took advantage of our mistake. Finally a few hundred yards later I catch the leaders only to watch Steve crank by me and steal the second place spot! Wow that was cool, I just rode over this dude and it never slowed him down! The three leaders Ben, Steve and Dave eventually pulled ahead again until the singletrack at which time I closed the gap back to a tire for tire race. Entering a tight 90 degree turn Dave slide out and I had to slow down at which time the two others pulled ahead. As we worked thru the lakeside trails Dave keep finding himself on the ground and it was slowly giving the others an advantage to build the time difference between us. Finally I worked past Dave but the others already where ahead by a bit. Oh well I'll just tough it out for one more final lap and see if I can hold Dave off and keep the gap between me and the leaders to a respectable time. I never pulled the leaders back into my sights but I did hold Dave and the others behind me off for a nice 3rd place finish. Bob Myers was there cheering us on and I got to show him just why I like to ride the Single Speed.

Two Awesome Guys (Chris Skinner & Bob Myers) along w/myself. Check back later for more information on these two individuals and the things they do for the future of mountain biking! I'm honored to have them as friends.

Walmart & Deans Milk

2006-10-03T19:46:00.000-05:00

Well everyone who really knows me understands how much I dislike Walmart! But in this day & age there are times you just can't avoid going into the "freak show". Tonight I found myself sitting in the Walmart Parking lot thinking twice about going in, no actually the thought of running in front of a car rather than going in sounded less painful! For the past two days I have been going into Target looking for my fix of Deans Ultimate Chocolate Milk only to find the cooler empty, so after two days cold turkey I had no other choice than to sell my soul and enter "hell" for a gallon of the good stuff. And by good stuff I mean Ultimate Chocolate and those who have tasted it would agree it is the good stuff! So after pulling my hat down low I trotted down the food isle straight to the coolers but as I got close I became uneasy and nervous, so without any hesitation I grabbed 2 gallons turned and bee lined to the register. Disliking being inside the Walmart so much, I thought it better not to chance running out of milk in a couple of days and needing to repeat this trip, hence the 2 gallon purchase. Now drinking this much won't be a problem since I average 1 1/2 to 2 gallons a week. I use Ultimate Chocolate for everything except coffee. It is a daily staple of my diet but I must ask when will my local supermarket carry it so I will no longer have to go to Walmart?? Yea as I said it's always a "freak show" I don't think I've ever been inside with out hearing someone say "baby, I gatta go thru register 23 cuz I needa getta roll of chew"!

MASS Final

2006-09-30T11:22:00.000-05:00

Well this past weekend I found myself driving to Bear Creek Ski Resort in Macungie Pa for the BikeLine Summer Showdown MASS Race #12. Since it overlapped with a cross race and a race @ Michaux Forest the turn out was less than normal but as with any MASS race still stacked with talented and strong riders. The Elite field still had Kyle Hammaker(Trek) who flatted, Rob Lichtenwalner (Cannondale), Ray Adams (VistitPa), and Dylan & Andrew Alesio (Giant) all of whom have the ability to push the pace at any race. As for my Class Vet Expert well we had 17 or so riders which is slightly lower than the avererage 25 to 30. But it too had all the normal heavy hitters with one in particular man named Kevin Cuasak (Wild Blues) who has become my nemesis for this year. The past 3 races Kevin has securely beat me by 3 to 4 min where as the following 6 races I had been the victor. So with this being the last race and impossible for me to win the series because of the mathmatical way they score the races I had plans to try to hang with him as long as possible.

This course turned out to be one of, if not the most, technical course of the series (which would favor me heavily). From the start I followed Kevin for the most of 1 mile until a mis-shift of some sort caused him to stop at which time I continued at the pace he had set. Thinking all along that in a few minutes he would be catching up and I would again let him dictate the pace. Riding riding, running up the hike-a-bike and finally at the highest point where the real rock sections start and no Kevin? Well I love the rocks so off I go, momentum and finesse are to great things to maintain in situations like these. Both are skills I've learned to contol like a Jedi Knight uses the Force. As I descended from the top of the mountain flowing thru the sea of boulders a feeling of comfort came over me. I realized just how much fun this season had been and what a course this was for a final! Slowly I started passing riders from the two classes that started before mine and I began heckeling them in a friendly way as I enjoyed the rocks! By the 3rd and final lap I had caught Ray (VisitPa) currently in 3rd place senior I class, who had clearly taken a yard sale (crash) by the looks of his bleeding arm and scraped elbow. As he and I picked thru the rocks I talked with him. I joked about drafting him around the ending flat but knew there wasn't anyway I would keep up and there really wasn't a need for me to finish in front of him since I started 4 min behind his class I was still ahead of him in regards to finishing time by almost 4 mins. Across the line we go and there it is the last race of the MASS done & over. I took first in my class (vet expert) and had posted the 2nd fastest course time for the day following the overall fastest time by 50 seconds. Michelle & I hung out talking with every one while Kevin and I wondered how I managed to put almost 10 mins on him over the entire course. He and I shared a few laughs about the day and parted ways hoping to battle it out again next year. I threatened him thatI may ride a bike with gears instead of the Single speed.......... that should keep him training, right?
My Friends @ Millennium. The Best Time Keepers!

Where Have I been?

2006-09-12T19:15:00.000-05:00

Yesterday i received a call from my brother in CA asking why i haven't updated any posts on the site and wondering what i've been doing? I told him if he would upgrade to a newer pair of glasses he could actually read them. See living in the CA sun& heat has recently started to take its toll on him as you can see. He is really a few years younger than me (although its hard to tell) but the daily exposure to the elements and his job as a firefighter have not been kind to him. His mind is however as sharp if not sharper than ever before but i am concerned with his physical well being. So with that let me update you on the past few weeks.

Well starting on Labor Day weekend I along with TJ Platt, DanWilson & Gerry Pflug raced the 24 hour Champion Challenge @ 7 Springs mountain resort. Rain filled the entire weekend which left all of us no other choice than to race singlespeeds. We hung out with the other Dirty Harrys teams, raced, rested, ate junk food and drank lots of Deans Milk (thanks to Deans Food and Jamie Smith). Yea thats right lots & lots of Deans milk, since Jamie showed up friday evening with 70 odd some Milk Chugs. Everyone came around our camp to "steal" some of the good stuff !
Milk really is a great recovery drink and I practically lived on it during this race. As did Amy & Fitzy (pictured) from one of the seven Bikeline Teams. Following our Victory I headed home w/Michelle (support for me at the race) rested up and then drove of to Queens New York with Michelle and my younger sister lovingly know as "pig" to see some of this years US Open Tennis tournement. This begun well monday evening but tuesday morning after just one match the rain again came to haunt my vacation. Never letting up they cancelled all matches for the day leaving Michelle, pig & I waiting around until wednesday. This really turned out well since the matches we got to see ended up being awesome and all 3 of the remaining americans (Roddick, Davenport and Blake) played in front of us! And for a bonus one of the matches we saw had Maria Sharapova (Russia Goddess) slamming the ball across court right there live and in action!

Anyway they past few weeks have been pretty busy at work leaving me little time to ride. I have been trying to get out but it really feels like the end of the season and I'm looking foward to a few long fall rides with a friends instead of driving hours just to race. This weekend I should be attending another MASS race and will update everyone after.
Enjoy the cool weather!

The Bike

2006-08-13T08:23:00.000-05:00

Yes, the Bike! This was bought for Michelles B-day last year and has became the subject for many discussions at gatherings. It seems that everyone notices "the bike". Always the bike but never any mention of my art-like sculpturing of the bushes, or magnificent landscaping lay-outs!Now a little story goes with the purchase of "the bike" so follow along.

Last summer as I sat in the Barbers Chair @ the Point Plaza Barber Shop here in Butler, Daryl (the barber) and I where talking about riding bikes. He expressed the intrest to get something to ride since he recently had hip surgury and the doctor told him riding would be good. As most people, he said he didn't want anything expensive and would really like to find something used. I mentioned Rapps Bike Shop in Butler has lots of used stuff that they fix up for the kids bike rodeo giveaway. Instantly Daryl got excited and asked if I would go with him to check some bike out. Now Daryl didn't have his drivers license due to mistakes he had made so I offered to take him over to the shop if he could leave for lunch. He finished up my "cut" and we drove off.

Pulling into the shop parking lot we could see hundreds of used bikes leaning on each other. Daryl rumaged thru the piles like a bear in a landfill, while I noticed this single bike with fenders, chainguard, and basket. Michelle has always said that she wanted an old bike in the yard with flowers in a basket. Being her b-day in a few days I realized that because of Daryl (the barber) I had just found the golden egg!

I quickly pulled the Owner away from Daryl and explained why I needed this bike. He said it really wasn't for sale but since it was so perfect for my needs he would let it go. I offered him $10 and he said the basket was worth that! Come on, I don't want to spend more than that on a "flower pot"! He agreed and before he could change his mind it was loaded into my car and I was dragging Daryl off.

Now Daryl never did get a bike there although he did buy one at Target a few weeks later and it took Michelle months before she set the bike up in the yard, which ended up being around Christmas. Instead of flowers it got lights, lights and more lights strung all over it. And thats where the conversations started......

Ok you're all wondering "who hangs out with their Barber? Well thats another story, I have known Daryl since I was in High School. The reason for the whole explaination on "the bike" came from Michelle and I going to a friends house last night for an outdoor gathering. These friends, Brian & Jen along with many others there all commented on "the bike" and this caused me to explain the situiation and how the bike came to be. Most of the people there also know Daryl because around the time I was in high school they where all hanging out together in the local car scene which Daryl was also a part of. Its not that I hang out with my barber but in a small town like Butler where you still go to school with almost 1,000 other students (in your class alone) you end up knowing people....... even your barber!

Traveling Companion

2006-08-01T11:18:00.000-05:00

This was a common sight at the D & Q Sizzler in New Jersey this past weekend. Most everyone who raced there ended in this position. With unbearable heat and humidity the fast twisting race took everything out of its particapants. Michelle sits here after 3 laps of the 5.5 mile course for a third place finish. I, like her, did the same thing after my 4 lap race but managed to hide from the media and their cameras! Most intellegent folks probably stayed home or went somewhere with central air but a few did show up for this race(D&Q SIZZLER), that I believe was named for the temperatures encountered during it.
Now before and after this event the exciting things happened! If any of you have ever driven around philly you would understand the traffic. I am unable to figure it out. There are 2 ways around (76 &676) Both interstates and both slowww moving. I have never seen an accident, fire, or major mudslide yet traffic never moves steady! Two weeks before this event i traveled thru Lancaster where the Amish horses & buggies are everywhere and yet, the motorist like myself managed to maintain a steady forward motion, free of abrupt stops and lingering moments of stillness. I have asked Michelle (who usually reaches a point of not talking to me during these "traffic situations") how on a roadway littered with one horse power vehicles (buggies) the average speed can be greater than that on an interstate full of cars with horsepower ratings in the mid 100s? Now All who really know Michelle know that she is Public Defender #1 and she will chime in on my moment of asking "what in Gods name would be holding these people up?" to explain that maybe people are looking at the skyline or there is a nervous driver ahead, or even the possibility that a squirrel is crossing the road and someone is avoiding it! At this time we start the discussion of saving the squirrels life in relation to causing the injury to humans who are rear ended because of the screeching stop. Shortly during the debate I usually get the chance to scan the local radio stations as I realize she has chosen to end any conversation with me until I will talk rational with her. This period can last anywhere from 15 mins to 30 mins before she will test me with a subject and possibly continue to talk if we have gotten past the troubled area. Now you're all wondering how much fun could this be for two people? Well, its a blast! All in all I love traveling w/ "Johnson, Johnson & Johnson Law" and have found some of our greatest debates have been over what others do on the road. She is a wonderful girl and always "open" in her judgement and at times I wish I could do the same. But, untill then I'll continue to rant about things in which I have little or no control over at all. In the past two years her and I have spent many hours in a car and I look forward to the driving in our future. Two, Three, four or even 6 hour drives never seem that long with her there. One things for sure... she is my traveling companion.......

Who is Travis......

2006-07-25T21:10:00.000-05:00

I am a dynamic figure, often seen scaling walls and crushing ice. I have been known to remodel train stations on my lunch breaks, making them more efficient in the area of heat retention. I translate ethnic slurs for Cuban refugees, I write award winning operas, I manage time efficiently. Occasionally, I tread water for three days in a row.

I woo women with my sensuous and God like harmonica playing, I can pilot bicycles up severe inclines with unflagging speed, and I cook 30 minute brownies in 20 minutes. I am an expert in stucco, a veteran in love, and an outlaw in Peru.

Using only a hoe and a large glass of water, I once single handedly defended a small village in the Amazon Basin from a horde of army ants. I was scouted by the Mets, I am the subject of numerous documentaries, and when I am bored, I build large suspension bridges in my back yard. On Wednesdays, after work, I repair electrical appliances free of charge.

I am an abstract artist, a concrete analyst, and a ruthless bookie. Critics worldwide swoon over my original line of corduroy evening wear. I dont perspire. I am a private citizen, yet I receive fan mail. I have been caller number 9 and have won weekend passes.

Children trust me.

I can hurl tennis rackets at small moving objects with deadly accuracy. I once read the Star Wars trilogy, Moby Dick and the Chronicles of Narnia in one day and still had time to rearrange an entire dining room that evening. I know the exact location of every food item in the supermarket. I sleep once a week; when I do, I sleep on the couch. While on vacation in Canada I successfully negotiated with a group of terrorists who seized a small bakery. The Laws of Physics do not apply to me.

I balance, I weave, I dodge, I frolic, and my bills are all paid. Years ago I discovered the true meaning of life, but forgot to write it down. I have made extraordinary four course meals using only the George Foreman grill and a toaster oven. I breed prize winning snails. I have won bull fights on San Juan, cliff diving competitions in Sri Lanka, and spelling bees at the Kremlin. I have played Hamlet, I have performed open heart surgery, and I have spoken with Elvis.

But I have not yet won the MASS Series.

2006-07-24T08:16:00.000-05:00

Fair Hill July 16th

After a wonderful day of racing at Fair Hill I got a chance to meet up w/ fatmarc who created the vivalasinglespeed blogspot for the defunk Singlespeed class of the Mid atlantic super series. His wife, chunky monkey, was kind enough to snap this shot for us! Marc is just one example of the many great people who attend the MASS races, which is alot of the reason I travel 4+ hours average to these events.

2006-07-24T08:02:00.000-05:00

Well here it is....... my first posting on the new blog site. As my webcreator Jesse said, "its pretty easy" and I must agree. SInce the Dirty Harrys site doesnt get updated often enough I felt the need to get moving on something where I can post race reports and results on a regular basis.