There are few things I enjoy more than super sweet bikes. Rock N’ Road Cyclery is where I’m purchased my super sweet bikes for the last 5 years. Right now get the best deals of the year on 2008 closeout bikes along with free holiday lay-a-way ($100 down at a time baby!). Their inventory levels are the best of the year and they have all the latest 2009 bikes from Specialized in stock including the new Epic and new dura-ace Tarmacs. Crap, I love bikes!
This video is hilarious, yet still interesting. The man is a machine and has had the winner mentality for a long time.
-DSheek
Favorite Line: “Yeah, Obviously, I have some talent… 3.01 on video”
I have been thinking this for years but I am waiting for my body to adapt to my mental ability.
A few weeks back while riding my mountain bike at Whiting Ranch, the original MTB saddle and post on my bike cracked in half. I’d like to think it wasn’t from the excessive weight of my stout manly frame but I know the truth. It came out of nowhere and just snapped leaving me to ride the next five miles standing up. Then, later in the week I crashed on my road bike at 30 MPH and tore my road saddle and hip to shreds, it was great week. After some research I picked up 2 saddles from SDG.
Since that time I’ve fallen in love with the company and their products. Everything they do is:
1. Easy to install and size. I did everything myself and I’m a tool weenie.
2. Looks great! Both my road and mountain set-ups are pretty much the best ever. They kill anything Old Man Sellers could ever muster up from his vintage collection of 1993 vintage mountain bikes.
3. Is super comfy but with high performance. I race*
The boys at SDG Saddles recently posted their 2009 bike saddles and seat posts catalog. It’s worth the click, these guys know how to build bike product.
If you’re in the market for a new post or saddle SDG is who you should be supporting. They love cyclists and the local biking community needs to back that.
Saturday morning I got up early, dressed quietly, made my lunch, grabbed the dog, slipped quietly into the garage to hook the boat up to the truck, and proceeded to back out into a torrential downpour.
The wind was blowing 50 mph. I pulled back into the garage, turned on the radio, and discovered that the weather would be bad throughout the day.
I went back into the house, quietly undressed, and slipped back into bed. There I cuddled up to my wife’s back, now with a different anticipation, and whispered, “The weather out there is terrible.”
My loving wife of 20 years replied, “Can you believe my stupid husband is out fishing in that?”
I still don’t know if she was joking, but I’ve given up fishing.
All I have to say is stick in the leg! He was on a ride last week after the storm the weekend before last. The guy he was riding behind ran over a large branch which kicked up and impaled Bob’s leg when he ran into it. The EMT’s had to cut the ends of the branch off to get him in the ambulance.
Click here to read the story and see the rest of the photos.
*This is pretty gnarly. View at your own discretion.
The Tri-California Folks have sure found a beautiful setting for the Tinley races. Lopez Lake is tucked away in San Luis Obispo County closer to vineyards and wine tasting rooms than persistent fog of Morro Bay or the heat of Atascadero. These races were a Senior Project at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo – and let’s hope the student got an A – because it was a great idea.
Yesterday the weather was beautiful. The rain of Saturday that we missed altogether by arriving near 3 PM for check-in had already come and gone. Becky and I found ourselves sitting in warm sun staring at a glimmering lake. Check-in was cheerful and I pulled the race bike out and took off to get a practice lap in. We met Stu after his on-road Tri awaiting the next day’s off road tri (by Sunday afternoon he was awash in race metals). Stu is awesome. On Sunday from the awards stand he said “there should be more parents and grandparents joining me”.
I got back to the Subaru and the seat post was still swiveling and I made a mental note to fix that later along with trimming my new running shoe laces. As I drove towards SLO on the 227 I was a bit frustrated that I couldn’t figure out my new Specialized bike computer, my throat was sore and I was tired. The computer was spitting out non-rational data and I was too. We had a big dinner and the shared a lovely evening catching up with my Aunt and Uncle overlooking Laguna Lake with Madonna and Bishop Peaks in the background into the night.
We left the house late and made in down Orcutt to the race with very few minutes to spare. I had no warm-up to speak of due to struggling with the seat post I had mentally noted to solve the day before. The laces never got cut. It is race time now and all that must go away. 26 weeks of training were complete.
Swim Finish: 13:37
Bike Start: 15:57
Bike Finish: 2:02:00
Run Start: 2:02:43
Run Time: 54:09
Finish Line: 2:56:52
10th overall (of 31)
2nd in age group (of 7)
I got a bit confused on the swim forgetting that I needed to pass the marina to get to the Swim Out section. I made some of the time back by knowing the first two miles of the ride as well as anyone. That helped me pass one guy within 50 yards and hold off a charge until the last few yards of the first technical section.
Without a warm-up I was left gasping for air within the first 30 minutes. I had to slow, cough very hard and slow even more. The climb out of Boy Scout land was brutal. Very brutal. I remembered it pretty well from last year so it was easier this time but I found myself in no mans land. By slowing so abruptly during my gasping period I lost contact with the strong racers. I slipped from being third at one point to somewhere near 10. Second thoughts about training, sleeping and working filled my rapidly unfocusing mind. Now I was chasing two guys uphill off my bike and in the heat. I lost them and I took my eye off the trail and into the surrounding hill sides. Beautiful, stunning and serene. Soon I was descending. My new bike was still a bit new underneath me and I did my best to trust it. I stood to stretch my legs. I took a deep breath and relaxed my wrists. The trail was coming fast and soon I was sliding above my very fast tires that lacked many gripping knobs to slow my pace. I remembered some snowboarding techniques and made the delicate section.
Without anyone around my pace was solely mine. Probably great for Lance, Miguel or Greg – but not me. I gained focus into the second lap. Every section of the technical portion was made without touching down. I was able to pass slower racers from the sprint race in great locations. Thanks everybody for making that safe and easy.
On the run, I ran to chase down the next racer I saw: some sprinters, and hopefully one or two extreme distance riders. The finish line came up on time. Thanks Tri-California. Thanks Tinley.
With one more race to go in less than 2 weeks I have the California State Series wrapped up, check out the standings as well as videos, photos and more on my new website http://www.manuelmannyprado.com/.
Thank you ! !
Manuel Prado.
This guy works harder than most on his rest weeks from the bike. He deserves all the recognition that will be coming to him.
-DSheek
Last weekend I was able to enjoy a great ride through the streets of DC.
BikeDC was organized to benefit the Washington Area Bike Association, and was extremely well done. Not often are you able to ride unrestricted through Washington streets. Normally you’re dodging the overly agressive cab drivers or negotiating the huge pot holes while trying not to hit the Washington elites yelling at their interns on their blue tooths.
But not so this day. This day we had an all access pass to some of the most beautiful streets in all of Washington. And I must say it was rather gratifying having Metro PD halting some seriously ticked Washingtonians while riding down Pennsylvania Ave. It was also gratifying to be riding my brand new Specialized Hardrock Sport, despite some minor technical difficulties.
After the ride, I decided that I really need to start getting more involved with WABA. According to their web site, “the mission of the Washington Area Bicyclist Association is to create a healthy, more livable region by promoting bicycling for fun, fitness, and affordable transportation; advocating for better bicycling conditions and transportation choices for a healthier environment, and educating children, adults, and motorists about safe bicycling.” Not to mention the fact that on Sunday they offered a free Bike Valet service to bikers at the Crafty Bastards art festival. I’ve never valeted my bike before, but I could definitely get used to it.
Road N’ Road Diva Night with guest speaker Amber Neben
Thursday, October 23, 2008 - 7:30pm
Hosted at Rock N Road Irvine
Thye have a very special evening planned. GREAT raffles (someone will walk away with a new bike), VERY special pricing, Amber Neben will be speaking, and we’ll be raising money for a great cause…
Doors open at 7:00 and the program will begin at 7:30.
Click below to see the flyer with all the details:
From on-road triathlon races, off-road triathlon races to youth and hill climb events, the Scott Tinley’s Adventures Triathlon has something for everyone - including your friends.
Bring a friend for race day registration to the Tri-California registration booth, and both of you will receive a custom designed Scott Tinley’s Adventures running cap at packet pick up.
Print this email, grab a buddy, carpool to the race, split gas money and come on down race weekend to pick up a race hat for you and a friend. Outside All Day expects to see you there. There will be gratuitous shots of racers on our site after the races so bring your best gear and smiles for photo day.
LAS VEGAS, Nevada — Bike maker Craig Calfee has found a way to grow bicycle frames in a field, with sunlight and water. He makes them out of bamboo. “It’s like bonsai basically,” said Calfee, who is based in Santa Cruz, California. “If you grow it in the shape you want it, it’s by far the strongest way to get it in the shape you want it.” He’s been making bamboo bikes for awhile now, but because each bicycle is made to order, his workshop can turn out only limited numbers of the $2,700 frames.
Life has been a little hectic lately and blogging has taken the back burner for the last 30 days. My world revolves around family and work and the rest is getting pushed aside. Our newest, Landon turned 30 days old today. Most of the time he’s great but sometimes he’s a pain in my neck. I’ve figured out a trick to calm him down when he is screaming bloody murder in my ear. I place him in the Baby Bjorn and bounce on the exercise ball for as long as necessary. I’m not sure if his is helping my core and my back is killing me!
Speaking of core, the boy’s at Amateur Endurance have an incredible article with full pictures up on a daily stretching routine that looks really legit.
As noted in my last article on the (debatable) benefits of stretching, I stretch on a near daily basis to keep things loose. My daily stretch routine usually takes me about 30 minutes, and I try to do it shortly before bed in a quiet room with minimal noises to help relax me before hitting the pillow.
Early this past week I found myself hammering out miles on a tread mill at the Morongo Casino Resort & Spa. 6 miles in one room can seem like forever at race pace. Late in the week I was weaving along the Rio Grande finishing up my weekly mileage. I am determined to hold work at bay while I train for Big Sur.
Many thanks are due to Bosque Youth Conservation Corp who manage the Middle Rio Grande Ecosystem. While I was putting in the trial of miles early Friday morning I was grateful to each of you for your work on the Ecosystem. THANKS.
Focused on my cadence while riding the mountain bike and nearing the top of Palos Verdes back here in LA on Saturday morning James Reilly slowed as he was passing me to offer words of encouragement. Twenty minutes later I had invited him to Tinley’s Extreme Tri in early October and he had shared his knowledge of the trails around PV. Thanks James for sharing your passion about riding.
Mountain Bike Racing is not dead it’s getting better…
Scott Tedro’s Call To Action: If You Want A US Race Series, Now Is The Time To Act
From: Scott Tedro/Sho-Air Intl.
“At the end of July several key industry teams, riders and management approached Team Sho-Air with a request for us to take over the now defunct National Mountain Bike Series. We recognized this request as an honor and challenge from the mountain bike community. Since then I have taken the necessary steps to produce a working model for the United States Cup in 2009. I have invested countless hours and extensive financial resources to ensure that America can have the National Unified Pro/Am mountain bike series in 2009 that not only does the community deserve, but that you asked for.”
“In the past two months I have personally traveled to Colorado Springs to meet with USA Cycling President Steve Johnson and his staff, I have received their support and guidance. I have worked hard to achieve support and commitments from event organizers of top venues to join the series “Sea Otter, Fontana, and Mt. Snow” etc. I have worked with the UCI to insure all events are in scripted at the highest level in order to provide maximum point payout for our Pro riders, and I have worked with various industry expert service providers and promoters to take this series from concept to blueprint for success. I have presented you with the turn key solution you requested, and I am willing to take it from blueprint to execution should you choose to support it.”
WHAT OUR INDUSTRY CAN DO
“Now we need commitment from the industry itself. The series will include extensive plans for marketing to create excitement and attendance. I highly recommend that you reach out to each other and challenge each other to support this endeavor. If we just get five manufacturers to come together for a modest racing investment, we can pull off the best racing series the US has ever seen and re-ignite the passion for racing and pro riders in the US. We can make this happen.”
“The reality is this: If Team Sho-Air does not have the pledged, written financial commitment from the necessary industry leaders/teams by September 19th, 2008, all efforts on the series will cease. I am, at the request of several of you willing to extend that date until October 3rd. I have also been requested to make myself available to any and all interested for a meeting at the USA Cycling booth during Interbike. Please contact Kelli Lusk at USA Cycling to confirm a date and time to meet.”
“Please take action now and contact me with your written commitment and or contact Kelli Lusk to confirm your involvement at Interbike. It was at your urging that I took on the task of creating the United States Cup; now I request your backing. Imagine what racing in the US can be again. Let’s make this happen.”
Respectfully,
R. Scott Tedro
President & CEO
Sho-Air International
Office 800-227-9111
rst@shoair.com
This is just the beginning statement from Scott Tedro but to read the whole story and to discover THE PROPOSED UNITED STATES MOUNTAIN BIKE CUP go to: www.mbaction.com
We are four weekends away from Scott Tinley’s Adventures Weekend and I am so excited it that I think I should get a new bike. Excitement about race = new bike. Is everyone in agreement on this? Well good. Now here are the details for you to join us at Lake Lopez in early October:
Let me set the stage for you. Beautiful sunrise. Breakfast is already digesting. If you have camped at Lake Lopez - you roll out of your bag and walk over to registration. If you put yourself up at the Madonna Inn or another fine Central Coast establishment then you enjoy an amazing drive through the Big Arroyo. Mist on the SLO County Lake. Gear out on your towel. Bike tuned. You are ready to rock.
Eric Barone trying to break his own speed record riding down a volcano in Nicaragua when his modified bike splits in half. He actually got the world record on this attempt when he hit 107mph.
A love note to Matt Ford, I would love to be a ginny pig for this…please, please, please,
In other Rock N Road news it sounds like the 2009 Specialized Roubaix road bikes are in stock. In terms of things I love it would go Julie, Carter/Landon, my Roubaix road bike, my mom, my friends, etc. Sheek and Old Man Sellers make the list but are toward the bottom.
Happy riding, running, hiking, camping, swimming and more this week!
A few weeks ago I came across a Subaru parked in San Bernardino County with this Web site across the back: bigbearoutdooractivities.com/. Needless to say it covered the entire back window. Being a devoted Outback fan I asked the driver about the site. It’s a group of people that use the site to do outdoor activities together up in Big Bear. The site could use a more frequent update but it is a great resource to check before you head up the mountain. If it can be done in Big Bear before the snow comes - this group is on it.
Rummaging through my MTB gear bag at the trail head Thursday night my phone buzzed with a text message. I had awaken at 5:30 AM for an hour swim with the Slugs and Diane Graner-Gallas’ training program was leaving me tired. I was struggling to ready myself for my evening ride with Rob up Del Cerro. The text was from James and now I was going to run along the strand in Manhattan after the ride. By 9 PM Thursday I had put in 3 hours of workouts all before 9 and after 5. I’m glad that the day before Andy B had handed me Fluid Recovery - Tropical Escape. Before Wednesday I had used Endurox as a recovery drink in a number of exertions over the three hour mark. Being familiar with the protein/carbo replacement/recovery drink concept I was excited to try Fluid. Having grown up on Champion Nutrition’s Cytomax and moved on to GU20 I had already replaced them with MotorTabs. This week I replaced Endurox with Fluid. Fluid has a great taste and tastes good even after the water bottle warms up….unlike its Endurox friend. And being a Cal Poly alum makes it even easier to love Fluid.
With forty-six days until Scott Tinley’s Extreme Tri I got fitted on Monday to my Bianchi road bike (training bike) and Trek mountain bike (racing bike). Outside All Day loves Rock N’ Road Cyclery. I just happen to live almost an hour and a half from the closest one. So I met up with Brian, owner of Beach Cities Cycle in Hermosa Beach, and he fitted me up to the bikes. I worked for Brian back in high school and it was great to hang and get his help. I haven’t been comfortable on either bike and he made a bunch of changes. Both pairs of shoes were adjusted, seat post height went up, seat distance changed, MTB stem changed and he coached me on knee position. We would all be wise to get ourselves fitted to our bikes. Go see your bike shop and then head to Lake Lopez to race the Eternal Timing System.
