Hagens-Berman Hit Squad: Oregon Edition

I got a list of all the Oregon based Hagen-Daz-Borg Riders there are. It's quite impressive. Here's the break down of the players:

Carl Decker: He's pretty fast.
Andrew Fischer: Been known to win a race or two. Won the 2006 Oregon Cup
Ian Boswell: Now that he can drive a car I'm sure he'll be upgraded.
Brian Marcroft: Straight money pimp.
Damien Schmitt: Still racing after all these years.
Alex Newport-Berra: He goes up hill very fast.
Dan Watson: Does he still ride? I saw him dish out some serious pain in 2005...
Joe King: He races a lot, I'm sure there will be some results in 2007.
Adam Curry: If you can't say anything nice don't say anything at all...
Solomon Woras: Anyone that races SS Cross in a Speedo is alright with me. Besides we were on Team O together, as 4s...and Omer too. I'm seeing a trend here.
Taylor Kneuven: Altitude training and keg stands.

Don't hate.

Trade Show?!

Looks like I better get off my ass and get a booth set up to show off Marcroft Cycles. I only have 11 months to prepare.

Trade Show in P-Town

I'm sure booth babes are optional.

Oh, I can race again....Thanks

So did everyone implemented in Operation Puerto dodge a bullet, or will there be some more fallout down the line? I don't know but there are some serious problems with the UCI and WADA that need to be ironed out.


So in case you're wondering about my training program for next year is going, I think this pretty much sums it up:


Peace!

Ultimate NW Training Bike

I've been kicking around the idea of building high zoot rain bikes for the crapped out weather we get around here for 5 months at a time. There's been a ton of interest but who really wants to spend a grip of cash on a custom bike that they are going to beat the hell out of? I found one guy and he's stoked.

It'll be a sweet ride. I figure the bike will match the riders race bike in fit and relative handling but the frame will have special enhancements to make winter life better. Including disc brakes, 135mm rear spacing and extra fender clearance not to mention that custom steel feel. Sure this bike will need a special wheelset, but don't all rain bikes? I should make an interesting project. I hope this is the catalyst that sparks some more sales.

I'll post some pictures as the build goes on.

Respect the Riis

I think Bjarne Riis is doing a fantastic job protecting his name and the integrity of Team CSC. By sacking Basso (I know they are saying mutually decided to part ways but we all know what that means) Riis can wash his hands of anything that might come out of Operación Puerto and Basso's involvement.

Riis is taking no chances and if that means letting a potential Tour winner go he's willing to take that chance to protect the squad.

Hillsburrito - 'Cross styling in the mud

Since I'm not doing the 'cross thing this year I gave my bike to a dude outta Corvallis to rock on. Here's how his first race went:


A story doesn’t exist until it’s been told. So with that little deep thought in mind (I made that one up all by myself too), I have a little ditty to tell about my adventure last Sunday. It just so happens that I don’t think any of you were there!

My story has a little background to it. Brian Marcroft approached me recently about riding his custom built Ti cross bike during this fall to get the name out for Marcroft Cycles. Considering that I was riding on a large, heavy Kona Jake I immediate said heck yea! I started training on the Marcroft ‘cross bike just before my trip to Raleigh, NC last week. I returned to Oregon last Thursday and took the Marcroft bike out for some intervals and ‘cross skills in Avery Park (Corvallis) last Friday and peeled the Tufo tubular clincher cross tires off twice! This was very concerning – I didn’t want this to happen in a race. So I bought a new pair of Hutchison cross clinchers and put them on the bike Saturday night. Not good planning to have new equipment that I’ve never tested before, but considering the risks of continuing on the Tufos I decided to go for it.

Race day dawned a beautifully gray morning in a full down pour. I looked like excellent Oregon ‘cross weather and I couldn’t be happier to be headed out to play in the mud. The down side of the rain was the cold wind that was whipping along the race course. I was able to get to the race (whole family in tow) early enough to preview the course with one lap after the C’s finished their race. The course was very slippery and there was a beautiful section where the sadistic course designers decided to send the race through the 25m long mulch pile with ankle to calf deep of lose chipped mulch. It was still raining during the Master’s B/Junior race so I kept moving to warm-up doing laps around the stadium. About 25 min before my race start I decided to do some mount/dismounts and the saddle seemed to slip back so the nose was pointed in the air. I found a couple of teammates near by and borrowed an Allen wrench. I adjusted the saddle to level, tested it and it slipped again. I did this three times total before I realized race time was just too close so I’d have to just go for it and hope for the best.

I staged about 15min before my race and was mixed in the back of a large mob of SS and B’s shivering in the rain. I was able to see my daughter Kate do her first ever bike race in the kiddie kross group riding her trike with her mom to help. Apparently they sent the kids over the six pack too, what a trooper. Back to my race – they flipped a coin and the B’s would start first. So I pushed my way through the SS and rolled up to the start line and staged about 3rd deep. The line had about 20 people wide and about 5 deep total. We then shivered for the next 10+ minutes in the rain. Eventually we started and most of the group didn’t realize that the whistle was going to blow which added to some confusion. At the first corner (about 100m in to the race) someone ahead of me in my line crashed taking down about three other riders. I went to the left through the ditch to avoid the carnage and looked around to realize I was dead last, about 85th position! Well the racing games began and I quickly passed lots of people who were rolling around in the mud on their backs (literally!). There were also a couple of flat gravelly sections where I punched it and flew past people 2 and 5 at a time.

More drama ensued about half way through the race when I dropped my chain coming into the six pack of barriers at the finish. I ran the barriers and then put the chain back on. When I went to remount the bike there was a load crack from the saddle and now it was cocked up in the air and sideways. I decided that the saddle wasn’t going anywhere so I rode it and was very careful mounting the bike again after that. It didn’t feel too good to ride like that but I only lost about 5 more places and finished 45th. I also dropped the chain one more time, and it turns out that the lower rail of the seat post clamp broke off completely. On the positive note the new tires worked great and I never lost traction anywhere, nor did I slide out or crash anywhere on the course.

In the end I’m listed as 45th – I passed about 40 people in the race. …so if I could pass 45 people next time and I started in 50th position I’d be fighting for a spot on the front of the race!

So that’s my story. Next up for me is that I’m planning on racing at the Flying M Ranch October 29th.

Ben

Too Hard?

So people have been giving me shit about how hard my picture looks in my profile. What can I say, that's how I roll.

You want soft and cuddly, here ya go:

It's Hobbes, he likes to sleep.

License to Ill

Ahhh yah, I got my upgrade, I'm a Cat 2. See whining and pestering the officials works. Or maybe they need to raise the sexy index of the Cat 1,2 field. It'll be off the charts now.

Ultra-Sound

Kristin went in for her ultra-sound today to check out the babys progress. It was amazing! Seeing the little heart beating and the little legs kicking, awesome!

BTW it's a boy.

2028 is right around the corner.



No pressure son, no pressure.

Old Skool Mountian Biking

Back in the day (mid 90's) I started mountian biking. I went riding with these guys that were way faster than me and they'd beat my ass on every ride. I suffered so much on these bike rides, I don't know why I kept going. But I did. Fast forward a few years and out of that original crew most are still riding but now when we ride I get to inflict the pain.

On Sunday a few of us got together again and rode Mt St Helens. It was a social ride so no pain was dished out, lucky for them. We rode up into the clouds and across the lava flow, it was sureal. You could only see about 50 feet in front of you.

I brought along my custom painted Edge 305 that has been on my desk for a couple months.

Da' Ride

After rides like yesterday it makes me want to ride more in the woods. It also makes me want to build a new mountain bike....hummmm

True, True

Sometimes it hurts to be this good.

Confusion?

The ladies in the beer garden don't seem impressed by my raw beauty nor my amazing custom made Marcroft Ti Cross bike. Must be gay and DeSalvo fans.

Final 'Race' Report of '06

It's was StarCrossed weekend in Seattle and I was going up to help out and maybe race then haul ass to PDX for the first Cross Crusade. Here's how it went down.

-Up bright and early Saturday
-Pack all my stuff, caffinate, plug in i-Pod and hit the road. Only 4 hours to Marymoor Velodrome
-It's 1:00 and I'm only an hour late. Of course Russ is just arriving too so we go look for Terry to find out what needs to be done.
-Terry is looking a bit tattered and points us to registration and says, 'Make it happen'
-Cool, looks like I'll be helping out with registration for a little while before the others get there.
-6 hours later everyones register and I'm heading off to get kitted up. Why am I racing after sitting in registration all day without any fluid or food in me...I'm stupid I guess. Something I learned about working in registration, be calm and cool. It seems as though a racers IQ drops 20 points 2 hours before their race time. Odd.
-Barrow some water from the Whitman boys and down a Cliff bar. I guess I'm ready to race.
-Random number call ups, I'm mid-pack of 100+ riders on the start line.
-Gun goes off and I set off to get to the front of the race.
-4 laps later I pull the pin and practice my wheelies around the course until the officials pull me because I'm about to get lapped.
-Dickson did give Marcroft Cycles a shout out while I was racing though. Sweet.
-Roll around a little bit showing off my Ti crosser.
-Give Tubbs shit about riding a GT that's as old as I am. Seriously you gotta get a new ride.
-Get changed and watch the best Elite cross race I've seen at StarCrossed.
-Hand out some Marcroft Cycles cards. I hope someone bites.
-Get a text message from home, Kristin just felt the baby for the first time. Oh man, I really hope some one bites on a bike.
-Take off to Anthony and Mire's place. Decide that I'm wicked hungery and Applebees is just down the street.
-Dine on half price appitizers and a beer until midnite. Talked a lot about mountainbiking and racing motocross but we mainly just gave Mire a hard time about riding a 30+lb mountainbike. Why do that to yourself?
-12:30 finally getting some sleep.
-7:30 get up.
-Slam a double esspresso and haul ass to Russ's to meet up for the 9:30 Hagens-Berman team ride.
-3 hours of sidewalks, trails and back alleys we get done. Wierd training in Seattle and it makes me really appreciate living in the mid valley.
-First ride with the SRM and I got 1100 watts in an effort some place. I don't even remember sprinting either. I wonder if I can do 1200 watts in an all out sprint?
-Russ's new wife, Dana, made us lunch. Mmmm pizza. Damn it I'm never going to get skinny.
-Go do some fit stuff at Russ's place of employment. Found out that I'm not very far off in my position. Good.
-Hit the road home.
-It's 3:30, oops I guess I'm not stopping by the Crusade race. Next weekend maybe.

Good time, sweet race and I'm still sexy as hell.

Dang!