Rim Fail

Ka-Pow!

Going Green

Marcroft Cycles management has decided the last two days of 'going green' has been an epic fail. Management would like to apologize and has promised to restore power as soon as possible.

Thx

Marcroft Cycles World Headquaters

Weekend production temporarily halted due to unwanted open air modification in lounge.

More Random Stuff

True

LA Twitter

Lances' thoughts.

I Got It Too

Factory Pilot

In the mud

FYI

Team O

Peak-A-Boo

Hmmmm

BattleCreek CCX

Should be awesome just like this

Tuesday is Here

PruDogBlog: Almost there...

Blog Slacker

Go here until I have a little more to say....and share :) Which will be cool and worth the wait.
And watch this

and this

True

see famous look-a-like faces

Really

only 17 days away.
To the doubters:

D-Dub Ride

Doug took ownership of his new cross frame today.

Oregon Manifest

Go

Should be a good show. I decided not to display for multiple reasons. The main one being that I don't have any display bikes. Plus I kinda blew my show budget on NAHBS earlier in the year.

Tight

This will get me some respect

Get your own knuckles at the knuckle tattoo gun.

Breakage

Bad luck for the hurt at CC#1
credit Kenji for the photo.

No, Really?

Gee, nobody could have predicted this.
Duh
To be THAT much better at TTing at the Tour, it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure he was doped.

Photo Proof

See, I can ride in the mud. Not very well, but I can.
Me
No crashing at CC#1 and I rode everything.

Ahhh, Welcome Back

Rain is back and so is the wind.

Looks like the air is holding in my cross tires so I'll be heading up to the first crusade this Sunday. I wimped out last week citing a sore throat and skipped the Rickreal race. I'll see how things go in the Bs. If I can stick a top 20 I'll move up to the A's....or just end my season with a top 20 finish. In reality, that's more likely.

Should be fun.

Got to Be

Terry Tate

I almost pissed myself.

Weekend Shenanigans

Saturday: Rickreal Rampage to get my cross on.

Sunday: The Monster Peach. 9:00 start time for anyone that wants to come along. Plan on the 100 miler and a 'good' time.

Shiny Banana

The Hurt's new ride.

Brrrrrat

Chad Reed given it at the Suzuki test track. Please note the slow-mo view of him coming out of a corner, doubling into a set and making a clutch lever adjustment while in the air.
Video » Racer X Films: Chad Reed

Posted using ShareThis
If I had a serious amount of disposable income I'd be back racing motocross in a heartbeat.

Tall Socks

For all of you on the ride today that were giving me shit about my tall socks. Here's my response, tall socks are for winners. Case in point, Mr. Contador.

Note the tall socks, just like I was wearing. Coincidence? I think not. Winners know style and tall socks are all about style.

Damon on Palin

He makes a good point about it being a bad Disney movie

Tour of Missouri

I just wanted to beat Kenji to the punch about Omer's performance today. Check it out:

General classification after stage 4

1 Christian Vande Velde (USA) Team Garmin-Chipotle
2 Michael Rogers (Aus) Team Columbia
3 Svein Tuft (Can) Symmetrics Cycling Team
4 George Hincapie (USA) Team Columbia
5 Thomas Danielson (USA) Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30
6 Ben Day (Aus) Toyota - United Pro Cycling Team
7 Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Liquigas
8 Tom Zirbel (USA) Bissell Pro Cycling
9 Dominique Rollin (Can) Toyota - United Pro Cycling Team
10 Jeffry Louder (USA) BMC Racing Team
11 Michael Barry (Can) Team Columbia
12 Dirk Müller (Ger) Team Sparkasse
13 Antonio Cruz (USA) BMC Racing Team
14 Danilo Wyss (Swi) BMC Racing Team
15 Marco Pinotti (Ita) Team Columbia
16 Andy Bajadali (USA) Kelly Benefit Strategies - Medifast
17 Eric Baumann (Ger) Team Sparkasse
18 Andreas Schillinger (Ger) Team Sparkasse
19 Richard Faltus (Cze) Team Sparkasse
20 Tim Johnson (USA) Health Net p/b Maxxis
21 Bernardo Colex Tepoz (Mex) Tecos de la Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara
22 Thomas Rabou (Ned) Rabobank Continental
23 Omer Kem (USA) Bissell Pro Cycling
24 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas
25 Darren Lill (RSA) BMC Racing Team
26 David Zabriskie (USA) Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30
27 Danny Pate (USA) Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30
28 Rory Sutherland (Aus) Health Net p/b Maxxis
29 Steven Cozza (USA) Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30
30 Christopher Baldwin (USA) Toyota - United Pro Cycling Team

Stuck in the 90's

I'm so stuck in it.

Lance is Back

To race the tour clean, against others that are now clean.

Cool.

SS Cross

In an effort to get even with Ryan Weaver for not racing for Marcroft Cycles this year I'm putting Kurt Haas on a SS with the intention of having him beat Ryan at every SS race he enters. Sorry for the tall order Kurt but it had to be done. Ryan, here's a sneak peak at the frame that's going to mess with your mind.

Fall

So, it's September now and everyone's thoughts are turning towards the upcoming cross season. I'm no exception. As I finish up some cross frames I can't help but think about the start of the NBA season and especially the Blazers and their potential season. they're going to be soooo good. I can't wait to see Rudy play in the NBA. This kid's good. Always looking for a play and it usually above the rim.

Check out the dunk over Howard in the Gold medal game.
Rudy Fernandez Dunks on Dwight Howard

Suck it.

Coffee

I love me some coffee every morning. Here's where we've been getting our roast. It's mighty good.

Cape Foul Weather Coffee

Fresh Tune-Up

You know what this means? I'll be bringing up the rear at some Crusades this year.

Made In?

Here's a pretty good article on where some large bike manufacturers have their production done. I'm not sure how old the article is but it seems pretty accurate.

Read it

The Future?

Dead

sexy

Waiting for the start of the State Crit.

Sometimes...

I still build bikes.

Return to Racing

I make my return to the NW racing scene this weekend

The Obvious

It's hot

Selling Out?

This logo

and a PDX address; I'll see a huge gain in business?

So it would seem judging from the shear number of builders in the greater metro area. 20 guys doing the same bikes? Really? Are they all making money and this? If it's true, I'm destined to be a non-profit builder because I'm not moving to Portland any time soon. If anything it might help to move further away from Stumptown. To a cycling community that isn't so close to a nexus of cycling that PDX has become.

Pretty soon a statement like: 'Marcroft Cycles Not Made in Portland' might be cool.

China

A great place for athletes. Here's an article from Cyclingnews that talks about it.

I have terrible asthma and can only imagine that the second I got off the plane in Beijing I'd have an attack that would cripple me.

Evans Is Quite Fragile

Almost a 'don't 'taz me, bro!" moment

Rock

A little more Fu Manchu to get the blood pumping

Busy:

not eating.
working for the man.
finishing a bike.
riding.
spending time with family.
contimplating the future.
planing for the future.
not eating.

Prez

PSA

This is for the individual I saw this weekend on L'Alpe d'Amity.If you're out riding and you see a group of cyclists at the top of a mountain waiting for the rest of their group don't just blast by them. Stop for a second to say hi, nice day, where are you guys headed, I'm so-and-so. The list is endless. Just riding by while you adjust your i-Pod ignoring the other 8 cyclists makes you look like an ass. Not to mention the fact that you're wearing a team kit from a rather large car dealer in the Salem area. Great sponsor representation dill hole.

Back From Vacation

Nothing like 6 days away from home/work and such. I was able to get some solid miles in and check out a couple stages of the Cascade Classic. I made me want to race. Unfortunately it's back to the grind.

State Champ

Congratulations to 'The Big Hurt' Kurt who won the OBRA SS MTB State Championship a few weeks ago. That's the first for one of my frames. Pretty cool.


Cheer up buddy, you've got a gold medal!

July 4th Ride

9:00AM start
4 hours
Starbucks in Salem

View Larger Map
Open invite.

True, True

Required Reading

Live it

Classic

done with Legos

Slipstream/Garmin

Here's an interesting article from Vaughters and the new Garmin sponsorship of his squad
Get it

Satisfaction....

it's guaranteed.

Weekend Racing?

I don't know if I would call what I did this weekend racing. I did pay an entry fee, pin on a number and start with a group of others people that had done the same. What I proceeded to do was slowly work my way backwards through the pack. From a choice spot in the top ten, I lost a few positions out of every corner until I was eventually tail gunning and then off the back completely. Grand total time in 'the race', 15 minutes.

Here's the proof that I was out there for a little while.

Maybe a shave would make me faster.

Ha Ha

The TrailBlazers are my favorite NBA team; my second favorite NBA team is....any team that's playing the Lakers. That's why last night made me smile.

24 point choke

Commuting?

I rode my bike to work today....for the first time. I've been such a bike snob that commuting to work has been beneath me as it's not really training. But I figure at my current berthing weight, it can't hurt to burn a few extra calories per day commuting. Besides $5/gal for petrol is a bit too much.

Should I Go

This years 'Oregon' Builders Show. Should I display?

As many of you already know I have a love/hate relationship with PDX. I realy like the idea of having an Oregon show but unfortunatly some people think that Oregon is just the Portland Metro area. But I guess when 17 of the 22 Oregon builders are in P-Town it's easy to see why.

Rumor has it they are going to have a handmade only cross race. Might be cool. I predict a Vanilla, DeSalvo or maybe a Marcroft winning. The later being my personal favorite :)

Busy?

I'd say.

TT bike going to Seattle

Damian's road frame

Memorial Weekend Race'n

Things I learned.
-When pros show up it's a hard race.
-Dogs running into a peloton sucks.
-Crits are fun.
-Seeing a crash happen sucks.
-Painting the house can be therapeutic.

Marcroft Cycles had Magnum PI guest ride this weekend too.

Built Just Right

Off-camber right hander at the Mt Hood crit. A couple more mm of bottom bracket drop would have proven disastrous for Mick.

Move Over Riis

We have a new bike toss champ. Congratulations David

Weekend Lessons

A couple things I learned this weekend:
-A Pro cyclist life revolves around coffee shop stops: Seriously, how much coffee and pastries can you guys consume?

-Painting and yard work is much tougher than riding for 6 hours: Just painting a couple rooms and mowing the lawn kicked my ass. Weakling.

BTW
Everyone should be getting their Government 'Stimulus' check in the mail this month....time for a new bike.

HSP Web Re-Do

Check it out. HSP has redone their website. It looks really good too. Check out this featured program. Seth at HPC offers the same service and is a little closer.

Everyone that's serious about cycling and getting the best performance out of themselves should consider getting a fit done before the drop $6500 on a new bike. It just makes good sense.

Cookied

Today was the Monster Cookie that starts in Salem. It's basically a flat as a pancake rip from downtown Salem to Champoeg State Park and back. 62 miles. It tends to get a little spirited with the locals and today was no exception. Let's just say there was some discomfort during the ride. I'll see about posting some of the data tomorrow. I did get to test out my Edge 705 with the 'pro' mount and SRM on my race bike.

Faux Wheel

For those non-builders out there, disregard this post. For those out there that don't have a perfectly trued wheel here's an option I've come up with for checking the rearend alignment to the wheel.

It snaps onto an Anvil spacer (which everyone seems to be using). The wheel profile shown is 700x23. I'm going to have faux wheels done in MTB and 29er configurations too. Heck I might even sell a few.

Snow?!

Really? Snow in April? A week after I got a sunburn at Kings Valley. This is BS, I'm moving to San Diego.

Oops

Poor Tomeke. He learned a lesson that is invaluable. Don't start the celebration until you know for sure you've won. Especially if that rascal Chavendish is in the field.

Re-Vamped

So King's Valley sucked a$$. Well at least the weather was good and Doug O won with Zach W coming in a close second. My race was a joke. I made it halfway threw before not being able to hang on anymore. It sucks because I know I can hang, maybe even race in that field. I'm trying to find some more time to train and I'm looking at making every minute on the bike matter, no more junk miles.

I'm also trying to scrape together the cash to buy a fit bike. I'm pretty sure I can do it. It'll be pretty cool to have a bike I can fit people on before I build them a frame. I think I'll be the only one in the mid valley with one.

King's Valley

Alright tomorrow is King's Valley Road Race, a classic in these parts. I've attempted this race a bunch of times and have always had the worst of luck. Hopefully tomorrow will be different. I'm going into it with hardly any training in my legs and a few pounds over weight. I'm sure I'll be a factor in the finish....right.

Bicycle Paper Luv

A little more press coverage from NAHBS.
Check it!

ToW

I wussed out of doing the stage race this weekend. I just couldn't justify the entry plus all the driving, especially when I don't know how my fitness is doing. So instead of racing this weekend I'm getting in a couple solid rides. Good luck to Doug W and Mick (even if he is in a FRM kit this weekend) It's pretty cool to know that I don't have to be at every race now and I'll still have good guys out there to show off the bikes. Now if I could just get Damian racing before September.

Today was 3.5 hours. I was able to shang-hi the ride today so we could do some of the tougher climbs around Salem. For 'climbs', what we have around here is not very long, about 2 miles, but gains on average about 800feet in the 2 miles. One climb is just 1.1 miles long with a gain of 800 feet. Sick. So it was throttle it on the climbs and noodle it to the next. We'll see what tomorrow has in store.

I'm building this guy a TT bike. He's pretty stoked. He just got fit up by the pros at HSP on their Waterford fit bike. I got the info yesterday and I'm working on the frame design now. Kevin is certainly one of those people that needs a custom bike. All leg, no torso. Basically the exact opposite of Kenji :)

POC

I just got home from racing Piece of Cake. One thing needs to be said about the 1/2 race. The centerline rule isn't a suggestion. I've never heard an offical say, "Guy's, we'd really like for you not to cross the centerline today." No. It usually goes like this, "This is your first warning, you'll be dq'd the next time." At least that's what I've heard.

I've never seen such disregard for one of the biggest rules in ameteur racing. Especially after a dude got hit head-on today after he went across the centerline. Where was our officail when this was happening. Where was Mr Kneuven? He doesn't put up with that crap.

Snow?

Weather got you down? Here's a little pick me up.

Dropped

I've been getting busy finishing up the rear dropout design for my Ti Cross bikes. Here's a little peek.

MC Update

D-Dub's bike is at the painter so he won't have to race on a Taiwanese made plastic bike for much longer.

Thanks to Russ at HSP I'll be building an TT bike for one of their tri clients.

Damian's road bike is still in box form. Luckily he's gallivanting around the Rockies to be too worried about it right now.

Personally I'm about 90% healthy again from being sick...3 weeks ago. That bug kicked my ass. I'll be rolling the Piece of Cake this Sunday and then making a decision about Willamette that evening. I'd really like to do that stage race but I don't want to get my ass handed to me during the first stage.

Sen Obama

Did anyone catch his PDX speech today? Holy crap, it got me all choked up with excitement. It was the first time I've ever felt like a candidate was speaking directly to me. Is this guy for real? Can he really do all the things he's talking about? I sure hope we get the chance to find out.

K$ got to see him when he was in Salem and I have to say that I'm a little jealous now.

BB #3

I'm so glad I don't need to ride around that stupid lake for 11 more months.

Team Marcroft Cycles had 3 guys...well 2.5 guys as I'm still not feeling all that well after being sick. Mick, Doug and I were there and ready to go. Race went like this.
Lap one:
-Fast, I'm in a break. I drop out of the break. CMG rides tempo.
Lap two:
-Zach Winter bridges to the original break that I dropped out of. CMG rides tempo. Break @1:00
Lap three:
-More CMG tempo. Break @2:00. Doug breaks his drivetrain.
Lap four:
More CMG tempo. Break @1:10
Lap Five:
-Omer bridges with Joe King when the break is @:45ish
Lap six:
-The break is getting hammered. It's down to just Omer and Sagers. We stopped getting time splits. They are out of sight. I'm hanging by a thread on every 'serious hill.' Oh, and more CMG tempo.
Lap Seven (last lap)
-Pretty fast. I get dropped on the hill 4km from the finish. Mick gets boxed out in the sprint and chills. Omer wins from the break.

Next up, Independence Valley RR in Washington. Time to take this show on the road.

Preview

BB#2 Prep

I'll take one sore throat and an overall feeling of exhaustion. That should do my fitness wonders.

I'm going to use the wonders of the human mind to thwart off the attack on my system, "I'm not sick, I'm not going to get sick. Stay strong." Will be my mantra for the next 24 hours. If that doesn't work and I am overcome with the illness, I'll mope around the house whining about getting sick until K$ tells me to man up and deal with it. At which time I'm usually felling well enough to get out and ride again.

I'm off to go mix up some more of this.
Drink it up

Represent

Who's the guy in blue and red, and what did he do to make the guy behind cover his face?
Sharp
Look closely at the head badge. Look familiar?

Bananna Belt #1

Aside from the racing, the one thing that really stood out on the day was seeing this guy in his kit. Holy crap, could you BE any skinnier Doug. I think the bike saddle was wider than his body.

Blazer B-ball

If there's one thing in this world I truely hate it's the Lakers. I hate them with every ounce of my soul. The reasons are many and just.

Last night the Blazers, with a full roster, took it to the team in gold and purple. It made me feel good to see those youngsters play team basketball and remain composed for the entire game.

Here's a clip that makes me smile evertime I watch it.

Ripped from Cyclingnews

I thought this was good. The Lion King breaks it down for Ball.

Cipollini and Ball's relationship on the rocks

The relationship that was started last fall in a Las Vegas discotheque could come to an end if Mario Cipollini does not get his say in the management of Rock Racing. The Italian, who came out of retirement at the age of 40 to race in the Tour of California last week, and his lawyer met with the owner of the team, Mike Ball, yesterday to discuss the coming season.

"We need to sit at the table and make clear who is in command," said Mario Cipollini in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport's Luigi Perna. The Italian from Lucca and lawyer Giuseppe Napoleone were scheduled to meet with Ball later in the day.

"The boss is Ball, but after him it is me. Therefore I want to manage the squad starting now. I can organise the participation in [Milano-] Sanremo. To find men to race is not a problem. ... If Ball does well it will continue, otherwise goodbye. I now understand that the name Cipollini still has value, in the United States and elsewhere."

Cipollini was happy with his return, but not with the fiasco surrounding the team and Ball's backing of Tyler Hamilton, Oscar Sevilla and Santiago Botero. The riders, all allegedly linked with Operación Puerto, were barred from racing by the organiser, but continued along daily by riding behind the race caravan and signing autographs for fans at the stage villages.

"For a week I had an infinite amount of patience ... Maybe it was my great desire to return to racing with an important project. However, we can't go forward like this. We are not able to continue to pull along this heavy weight that ruins our image, and now Ball also understands this. It is not enough to advertise and show off models."

En Vogue

Racing with your name on the frame.

Sexy Gathering

Pro/1/2 staging at the Cherry Pie RR.

2008 NAHBS Report

Here's how it went for 3 days at the show.
Me to showgoers, "Hi. How ya do'n?"
Showgoer, "Good"
"Where ya from?"
"Portland" (at least that was the majority of the people)
"Great! I'm from Salem."
"Really?!" they'd say with great suprise.

Another question I would get was, "Is this aluminum?" I guess people had never seen shape steel tubes before.

In all it was a good show. I handed out a ton of business cards and went though 100+ stickers. I met a lot of good people and I learned a lot having John Slawta displaying next to me. We'll see about going to Indy next year.

Cyclingnews.com Luv

James Huang of Cyclingnews stopped by the booth on Sunday to snap some photos. I was stoked because I was sure to not get any coverage from VeloSnooze or BikePDX. And we all know cyclingnews.com is the shiznit and the only real cycling website worth reading, well 'cept for Pez. Check it out.

SS MTB

Road

Jersey

Eff-Yeah

Just got back from the show.....I'm spent. I'll get a full report from the show up a little bit.

NAHBS Pre-Show

Got the booth set up tonight. Check it.

Getting my shiznit to the show. About $15K worth of bikes and equipment stuffed into the back of the Element.

Someone to do the heavy lifting.

Wheel in the goods.

Set up, ready for showtime.

Oh Dude,

Tomorrow I set up for the big show. I only have few more things to do :) Apparently my stress is showing. Vickers was nice enough to give me a hug today when I walked into the shop to pick up some tires for a bike. Thanks.

Got a text message today from the author of everyones favorite pro blog. Look's like Omer is going to start updating again. Let's hope he can keep it up.

WebSite Re-Do

A few months ago I was looking for someone to rebuild my lame attempt at being a webmaster. Who I found was a furry transplant from the mid-west. He agreed to rework my website while he adjusted to his new moister environment.

Check it out, I think it looks like someone actually knows what they are doing. Great job, yo!

NAHBS Exhibitor List

I was scanning through the list of exhibitors for the show and something struck me funny....some of the builders are actually big ass companies that are cranking out a huge number of bikes per year (6000+). Hmmmm. I was looking forward to displaying with my peers.

Oh well, I'll make the best of it. If you're coming up to the show stop by and say hi. If all goes right I should be losing my voice sometime Sunday so if you want to actually talk, stop by Saturday.

While they last, I'll have cell phone sized Marcroft stickers to hand out too.

Economic Stimulus

It looks like everyone that held a job in 2007 is getting a 'gift' from the government. Sounds like a great time for everyone to buy a custom bike that's made in the US.

The only true way to stimulate the US economy is to keep the money from going overseas. The largest component I use that is not manufactured in the US is the tubeset and that is made in Italy. Bottom brackets, bridges, bosses are all made in the bay area. The tubing reseller is in Sacramento and Tri-Cities. All my Ti is domestic. My paint is done in Salem, Grants Pass or PDX.

So when a frame is purchased from Marcroft Cycles it's economic effect is far reaching.

2.5 Weeks

A super short amount of time before 'the show'. I'm sorta freaking out about displaying. I hope I'm not laughed at.

You Tubed

I've been on the You Tube some more.

Rock on Jack and Meg.

Weekend away

So this last weekend was spent away from home. Bellingham Washington to be exact. K$'s best friend lives up there and we hadn't been up in a long time. Friday we packed dude and all his stuff, a bike, Mick's frame and enough clothes for a long weekend away. Here's all the stuff I didn't while K$ and dude hung out.

Friday:
-Ride for and hour in B-Ham and see three real cyclists (Western Wash and a couple FRM)

Saturday:
-Drive to Herriott Sports Performance to check out the facility and do a group indoor ride. It was cool to have 8 people all hooked up to Computrainers 'racing' a course and each other. All the while Todd is jumping around and talking a mile a minute.
-I then went to Cascade Bicycle Studio and met Zac. He's got a sweet gig going, Here's what he's doing.
-Went to the 'burbs and hung out with Anthony and company. We discussed the merits of riding on all white Flights and I think I might have his lady sold on a new mountianbike.

Sunday:
-Rode with a group out of Fanatik Bike under sunny skies. It was great, there where about 20 people that showed up. They have a pretty good bike culture in Bellingham and from the sounds of things it's growing.

Monday:
-Drive home, yuck. I have to work tomorrow.

Current Mood: Gloomy

Rain....go away. I've had enough of your cold moistness.

Where are you sun? I need the sweet vitamin D that you provide my ailing body. I'm in dire need of your postive ions that keep me sane.

Only a few more weeks until the weather breaks and life starts anew.

Off to Paint

Another rain bike heading out to get painted.