Hey all, sorry for the lack of updates but we've just returned from some funky days & nights in New Orleans. I saw amazing music, culture, people & ate some soul food, could be more NOLA info to come but I need to get back on the bike for now. Don't forget tonight is the Colorado PREMIER of a new film by the Collective:S E A S O N S. It's a film that follows 7 of the world’s top mountain bikers through the course of 4 seasons of one year. The film explores what it means to be a full time rider as told through the lives of downhill racers, slopestyle competitors, and big mountain freeriders. To benefit the BMA, Better Trails Fund & the Boulder DEVO/Tokyo Joe's Junior Development Team. At this First Annual Mountainbike Film Night BE ready to hang on to your seat-post.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Jazzfest & S E A S O N S
Hey all, sorry for the lack of updates but we've just returned from some funky days & nights in New Orleans. I saw amazing music, culture, people & ate some soul food, could be more NOLA info to come but I need to get back on the bike for now. Don't forget tonight is the Colorado PREMIER of a new film by the Collective:S E A S O N S. It's a film that follows 7 of the world’s top mountain bikers through the course of 4 seasons of one year. The film explores what it means to be a full time rider as told through the lives of downhill racers, slopestyle competitors, and big mountain freeriders. To benefit the BMA, Better Trails Fund & the Boulder DEVO/Tokyo Joe's Junior Development Team. At this First Annual Mountainbike Film Night BE ready to hang on to your seat-post.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Redstone Cyclery's new digs
Redstone Cyclery here in Lyons has moved from the world's smallest bike shop into something a bit more conventional. The new shop is located in the new Lyons Village Central next to the Laundromat. Dave specializes in building the perfect bike for you. He uses his experience in the bike industry(Schwinn, Pearl Izumi, Redstone Cyclery) to chose the perfect frame & component mix for each person. His custom builds come on Intense, Turner, Transition & Redline frames. He is also carrying Pearl Izumi clothing now. You can keep an eye on what's going on at the shop via his WEBSITE or BLOG. Or you can do what I do, stop on in & talk shop over a beer. The new address is 138 Main St #5.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Spot Brand SS: 1st Race Weekend Review
I built up my Spot late 2 weeks ago & wasn't able to throw a leg over it until I was standing in Fruita desert. After a weekend on I thought I would give you my thoughts on the ride.
Between the Carbon Drive System & the new 20mm through axle fork this baby had a few things that I rode for the first time. The CDS ran smoothly the entire weekend without any maintenance other than keeping the Crank Bolts tight. The crank bolts did come loose & appear to be the only consistant thing that creates noise within the system.
For a tire choice I rode the Kenda Small Block Eight's for the 1st time since 24hrs in the Old Pueblo. With all the loose gravel & loose sand in Fruita I found the tires drifted significantly. As an aggressive descender I also found the sidewall to be a little lighter then my preferences. In the smooth & packed wet sand at 24 hrs in the Old Pueblo the tire was absolutely killer but in these conditions I would prefer at minimum a front tire with a bit more bite & a heavier sidewall on both front & rear. 
I had a few flats over the weekend which hampered my race but also gave me the opportunity to test the Fun Bolts/Rocket Adjuster/CDS system. I was able to get quicker with my changes & have identified a few helpful hints while working with the system. 
Before I got this beauty up & running I had a pair of "old version" rocket tensioners. If you have a pair of these you certainly can use them with the "new" system after a small modification. You have to drill a 10mm hole 3/4" behind the current drilled hole. This allows you to have an entry big enough for the 10mm fun Bolt & still enough room on the tensioner to run appropriate poly chain tension. Here are a few tips I found during the first weekend.
1. Loosen the Drive side Fun Bolt first so the non-drive side holds the hub internals tight so it can come loose, otherwise the axle/internal parts of the hub turn & you may be unable to get the non-drive side loose.
2. Then make sure the 3mm "set nuts" on the rocket slider are in a tight position before you back them out, that will allow you to get close to the previous setting when you put the wheel back in & have to fine tune.
3. Don't loosen the Fun Bolts too much. If the threads of the fun bolts emerge out of the hub body they can get stuck on the sliding drop out & start to spread the frame apart(can bend your brake disc as well), causing it to feel like it's stuck. Just loosen them enough to allow the tensioners to slack & the wheel to feel easy to slide forward & back.
4. While removing the wheel never crimp or force the Poly Chain off the sprocket. A weakness of the Poly Chain is if the Carbon Fibers within the belt are broken during installing or removing it.
5. After you have changed the tire & have the Poly Chain on I work with only top 2 set bolts on the Rocket Tensioners. Once you have the poly chain adjusted correctly tighten the 2 remaining 3mm bolts on the Rocket Adjuster. Once all 4 are adjusted proper, tighten the "Fun" bolts on the Non-Drive side first so you can get the drive side tightened because of the same issue mentioned above
Another piece of bling I was looking forward to getting on was the new Manitou Minute 29er 20mm axle fork. Since I like to consider myself an aggressive descender I wanted to go with the through axle to see what rigidy differences I could feel. After taking it apart & adding oil I was impressed with the fork. I believe it really does offer a noticeable difference in lateral stiffness. I was surprised at how much ajustment came out of the top adjuster, it really does lock the system out or provide an noticeable adjustment. The only drawback comes in the form of the dropout. In order to change the tire you have to loosen 4 4mm bolts & remove a 6mm & the entire axle. Compare this to the Maverick system & you can see serious time & ease of use differences.
That's all I have, let me know if you have any thoughts on any of these products.
Between the Carbon Drive System & the new 20mm through axle fork this baby had a few things that I rode for the first time. The CDS ran smoothly the entire weekend without any maintenance other than keeping the Crank Bolts tight. The crank bolts did come loose & appear to be the only consistant thing that creates noise within the system.
For a tire choice I rode the Kenda Small Block Eight's for the 1st time since 24hrs in the Old Pueblo. With all the loose gravel & loose sand in Fruita I found the tires drifted significantly. As an aggressive descender I also found the sidewall to be a little lighter then my preferences. In the smooth & packed wet sand at 24 hrs in the Old Pueblo the tire was absolutely killer but in these conditions I would prefer at minimum a front tire with a bit more bite & a heavier sidewall on both front & rear. 
I had a few flats over the weekend which hampered my race but also gave me the opportunity to test the Fun Bolts/Rocket Adjuster/CDS system. I was able to get quicker with my changes & have identified a few helpful hints while working with the system. 
Before I got this beauty up & running I had a pair of "old version" rocket tensioners. If you have a pair of these you certainly can use them with the "new" system after a small modification. You have to drill a 10mm hole 3/4" behind the current drilled hole. This allows you to have an entry big enough for the 10mm fun Bolt & still enough room on the tensioner to run appropriate poly chain tension. Here are a few tips I found during the first weekend.
1. Loosen the Drive side Fun Bolt first so the non-drive side holds the hub internals tight so it can come loose, otherwise the axle/internal parts of the hub turn & you may be unable to get the non-drive side loose.
2. Then make sure the 3mm "set nuts" on the rocket slider are in a tight position before you back them out, that will allow you to get close to the previous setting when you put the wheel back in & have to fine tune.
3. Don't loosen the Fun Bolts too much. If the threads of the fun bolts emerge out of the hub body they can get stuck on the sliding drop out & start to spread the frame apart(can bend your brake disc as well), causing it to feel like it's stuck. Just loosen them enough to allow the tensioners to slack & the wheel to feel easy to slide forward & back.
4. While removing the wheel never crimp or force the Poly Chain off the sprocket. A weakness of the Poly Chain is if the Carbon Fibers within the belt are broken during installing or removing it.
5. After you have changed the tire & have the Poly Chain on I work with only top 2 set bolts on the Rocket Tensioners. Once you have the poly chain adjusted correctly tighten the 2 remaining 3mm bolts on the Rocket Adjuster. Once all 4 are adjusted proper, tighten the "Fun" bolts on the Non-Drive side first so you can get the drive side tightened because of the same issue mentioned above
Another piece of bling I was looking forward to getting on was the new Manitou Minute 29er 20mm axle fork. Since I like to consider myself an aggressive descender I wanted to go with the through axle to see what rigidy differences I could feel. After taking it apart & adding oil I was impressed with the fork. I believe it really does offer a noticeable difference in lateral stiffness. I was surprised at how much ajustment came out of the top adjuster, it really does lock the system out or provide an noticeable adjustment. The only drawback comes in the form of the dropout. In order to change the tire you have to loosen 4 4mm bolts & remove a 6mm & the entire axle. Compare this to the Maverick system & you can see serious time & ease of use differences.
That's all I have, let me know if you have any thoughts on any of these products.
BMA - April 22nd News
BMA & BAFF Present the Premier of "S E A S O N S"
A New Film by The Collective - Wednesday, April 30th, 7:30pm at the Boulder Theater
To Benefit the BMA Better Trails Fund & Boulder DEVO junior development team
Seasons is a film that follows 7 of the world’s top mountain bikers through the course of 4 seasons of one year. The film explores what it means to be a full time rider as told through the lives of downhill racers, slopestyle competitors, and big mountain freeriders. Come out and kick off your season with your riding friends and the rest of the cycling community at the Boulder Theater.
Tickets available via the Boulder Theater Box Office or contact Botsy Phillips with any questions. botsyphillips@hotmail.com or 720.629.5100
Bustin' Rocks With the Picture Rock Posse
Let's Do It Again This Weekend!
This week's session of the Picture Rock Posse was as challenging as advertised. BMA volunteers worked their way through 200 feet of jumbled rock on their way to the Great Wall of Heil, a massive switchback that will be one of the distinctive features of this trail.
The Posse was visited by County Commissioner Will Toor and City of Boulder Mayor Shaun McGrath, who happened to be riding Heil Valley Ranch's Wild Turkey Trail (and having a really good time) when President Mike Barrow encountered them. Karma dictated that we take a hike down to the work site and check it out.
Both Will and Shaun were blown away at the remoteness and sweet challenging singletrack that was being built. Awe and praise were given to the BCPOS Trail Crew when they saw the Great Wall of Heil. Pictures can be found here.
The Posse Needs Recruits!
We plan to be onsite again this weekend. We will continue our way through the rockiest section of this trail on our way to the Great Wall of Heil. If you are interested in particpating, click here to register. Our sincere thanks to those that attended April 19:
Eli Ohlhausen 2x
Jason Vogel
Scott Gordon
Stefan Richarz
Troy Mandery 2x
Andria Bilich
Jeff Stoerner 2x
Karen Newton
Logan Newton
John Honemann
Pete Webber
10 Miles End to End: A Remote Work Site
That's right, the shortest distance from the trailhead in Left Hand Canyon to the trailhead in Lyons is estimated at 10 miles. BCPOS held a field trip to review the trail corridor all the way to Lyons on April 3. You are going to LOVE this trail, but building it will be difficult, mainly because of the remoteness of the worksite. Pictures and a map are here.
Picture Rock Trail
Construction Event with BCPOS May 17
60 Volunteers Needed!
We are going back to the big bang event model on May 17. We are working with Boulder County to construct long stretches of relatively easy to build trail so the BCPOS Trail Crew can concentrate on the tough stuff.
It takes more than an hour to shuttle and hike workers to the construction site. Because of that reailty, we must expand the duration of our trail work events to a full day. Lunch will be provided as always, but the trail work event will have to run to late in the afternoon to get a reasonable amount of work done. We won't actually be working much longer than a typical BMA trail work event, but we'll be spending a lot of time getting in and out of the site. Shuttles will leave the parking lot/registration area at 8:30 am SHARP and shuttles will not leave the site until 3pm at the earliest.
For years, BMA has pushed Boulder County to embrace volunteer resources for getting work done on our trails. They are now delivering and it's time we stepped up to the challenge. It's an exciting time!
To sign up for the May 17 Trail work day, click here.
Can't swing a trail tool all day anymore? Logistics/volunteer support is just as important and we need help! Contact Mike Barrow at mtnbikemike@gmail.com
Boulder Mountain Bike Patrol
Kickoff Party Recap and Training Dates
Greetings intrepid (future and returning) patrollers! It was awesome to see so many of you at the Kickoff Party on April 15th at Boulder Beer Pub. The energy in the room was great, with a lot of excitement about doing our part to give back to the trails we love. We had such a huge turnout, it was hard to keep the appetizers coming fast enough!
As we announced at the party, Boulder Mountain Bike Patrol will be patrolling three main areas this year:
West Magnolia area (U.S. Forest Service)
South Boulder trails, including Marshall Mesa and Dowdy Draw (City of Boulder Open Space & Mountain Parks)
Heil Valley & Hall Ranches (Boulder County Parks & Open Space).
And if you're thinking "oh no, does that mean I have to go to 3 different trainings?"... NO WAY, one training will allow you to patrol for all three agencies!
Mark your calendars with these training dates: (1) May 14 & 15 after work, *or* (2) May 17. That's two after-work sessions, or a single (longer) session on a Saturday, your choice - the same material will be covered in both trainings. We'll do a couple hours of classroom instruction, then head out on bikes to practice our patroller skills in the field. Watch this newsletter for future updates on the trainings, and please contact us at mountainbikepatrol@gmail.com with any questions you have.
BMA Loves Our Business Members!
Redstone Cyclery
Blue Sky Cycles
High Gear Cyclery
Oskar Blues Restaurant & Brewery
Performance Bike Shop
Cutting Edge Sports
University Bicycles
Sports Garage
Rocky Mounts
Full Cycle
Maverick
REI
Bitterbrush Cycles
Boulder Cycle Sport
The Fix
GEICO Local Office
Two Dog Diner in Prospect
Wonderland Hill Development Company
Botsy Phillips/Colorado Landmark Realtors
Copy Experts
Brian Sundberg/REMAX of Boulder
Bike-n-Hike
Athletic Excellence Training Solutions
Bicycle Village
Bikes Belong
Deuter USA
Boulder Beer
Cateye
Boulder Business Products
Bob Maynard/Wright Kingdom Real Estate
Kustom Kar Audio
Catalyst Communications
Swift Cycling
Alta Physical Therapy
You don't have to be in the cycling industry to be a business member, These businesses understand the direct benefit of being part of BMA. Hey, they ride too!
We are grateful to all our supporters in the business community and look forward to years of "getting things done on the trails".
We have a lot going on these days, and a lot of it requires money to make it happen. Our volunteer trail work events with food and schwag, tool storage, website... it all adds up quickly. BMA has a business membership program to fund these needs. You will see BMA stickers on your favorite bike shops and other businesses. If you see it displayed, be sure to mention that you are a BMA member/supporter and you appreciate their generosity and stewardship. And if you don't see a BMA sticker in your favorite shop, ask them why! And those of you who own a business, send mtnbikemike@gmail.com an email if you haven't heard from us about this program! You don't need to be a bike shop to be a business member, just interested in making better mountain biking in Boulder County.
BMA thanks those of you who have used the online membership functions to keep us afloat. And thanks to those of you who use snail mail too!
Be Part of the Solution! Join BMA NOW! Click Here
Thanks to the people that have joined or renewed since our last newsletter:
John Noble
Christopher LeGault
Curtis Stevens (Big Wheel!)
David Moratelli
John Montgomery
Mike Koenig
What's On the Horizon
BMA Spring Film Night April 30
Picture Rock Trail - May 17
National Trails Day - Picture Rock Trail - June 7
Little Raven Trail - July 26 & August 23
Tired of seeing trails closed to mountain bikes in Boulder County? Then DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!! Join the Boulder Mountainbike Alliance and join the fight to open trails. Send a $25 check to BMA, PO Box 4954, Boulder, CO 80306, or join by using our online Paypal webpage by clicking here
Monday, April 21, 2008
Heavy Medals
SAN DIEGO, Calif. - Colorado breweries took home 22 medals out of 91 categories at the annual 2008 Brewers Association World Beer Cup, commonly referred to as, "the Olympics of beer competition,"
Category 84: Imperial or Double Red Ale (22 Entries)
Gold Behemoth
Three Floyds Brewing Co.
Munster, Indiana
Silver Organic Deranger
Laurelwood Brewing Co.
Portland, Oregon
Bronze Gordon
Oskar Blues Brewery
Lyons, Colorado
We also landed some hefty acclaim in the recent World Beer Championships conducted by the Beverage Testing Institute. Dale's Pale Ale won a silver medal in its bracket, while Old Chub and Gordon landed gold medals in their divisions. Lovely!
Thursday, April 17, 2008
The Zion Curtain
After spending the weekend in Fruita racing, wrenching & demoin' beer & bikes we got our payday after everyone else was gone. We woke to another sunny day & got the coffee going. Since we had been riding & racing the south side we decided to head out to the north to ride the Zion Curtain. The ride didn't wait to get going as you hit a steep climb nearly immediately after crossing I-70 from Rabbit Valley. Once we got to the top the trail split left & we headed into Utah. Ripper up & down singletrack kept the crew smiling all day before connecting back into the Kokopelli Trail & winding our way back to camp.
The early climbs were short & steep, the 32x18 gear seemed an appropriate gear for most of the ride.
Desert riding, gotta find shade when you can.
The view of the La Sal's & singletrack below was stellar.
La Sal's rocking in the sun. The Zion Curtain, the final gathering place of true believers.
Chelsea drops a steep descent.
with our ace mechanic Brett on her tail.
That's all for this time, we're packed up & heading to Sea Otter.
I have to give a shout out to the ladies that made the trip enjoyable.
We had a bit of a science experiment in the freezer & the ladies dug in.
While I was outside bent over gagging Monique got right in there & attacked the root of the problem. Thanks ladies!
The early climbs were short & steep, the 32x18 gear seemed an appropriate gear for most of the ride.
Desert riding, gotta find shade when you can.
The view of the La Sal's & singletrack below was stellar.
La Sal's rocking in the sun. The Zion Curtain, the final gathering place of true believers.
Chelsea drops a steep descent.
with our ace mechanic Brett on her tail.
That's all for this time, we're packed up & heading to Sea Otter.I have to give a shout out to the ladies that made the trip enjoyable.
We had a bit of a science experiment in the freezer & the ladies dug in.
While I was outside bent over gagging Monique got right in there & attacked the root of the problem. Thanks ladies!
Sea Otter Classic
We will be in the Sea Otter Classic Expo everyday 9:00am to 5:00pm Thursday April 17th through Sunday the 20th. We'll have the demo fleet out in full force. Come on down to catch a ride & talk Carbon Drive System over a cold Dales Pale Ale. Make sure you give a toast to Jen, she's going to be a busy woman this weekend.
Friday, April 18, 2008
Super D Finals 1:00pm
Saturday April 19, 2008
Short Track Professional Women’s Category 1:30pm
Sunday April 20, 2008
Cross Country Finals Professional Women 12:25pm
Skirt Chasing!
April 26 in Raleigh, North Carolina, we're the beer sponsor for another full-speed blowout from our pals at Skirt Chaser Sports. They make some very stylish -- and very functional -- running gear for women.
They also know how to have a good time promoting it, by putting a fresh twist on the age-old, er, tradition of men drinking beer and chasing after women.
Huh?
At the event, female runners get a three-minute head start on the gents in a 5K race. Back at the finish line, all runners enjoy fresh Oskar Blues beers live music, and much fun & games while catching their breath with the savvy ladies that make up the Skirt crew.
Get details on these very cool gender-blending athletic events HERE
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Mountain States Cup race #1 - Fruita, CO Race Report
The Mountain States Cup race in Fruita brought together all the excitement & enery that comes with the first series race of the year & a spring break backcountry trip to the desert. A early spring trip to the desert always creates that smile a mile wide, particularly when you have to navigate through snow storms & closed highways to reach pay dirt. With new teams, new bikes & fresh bodies everyone was super stoked to sport the kit & get it started. Being some of the fortunate ones to make it through the Eisenhower tunnel & over Vail Pass before more snow & accidents eventually closed to road we were set for a great weekend. The trecherous drive & simply long winter in the high country turned this race weekend into something of a spring training camp as racers & friends reunited after an off season of preperation. 
The Sunshine, great riding & short races created a vibe that was as much training camp with awards as it was an intense race weekend. As teams rolled into town there was a get together at over the edge sports, registration & talk over some OB beer created a nice landing pad before hitting the hay. We were also introduced to Local icon- Mike the headless chicken
After setting up in the desert sun & soaking in some rays it was obvious that this place had the makings of a BIG WEEKEND. Saturday morning riders hit the short Time Trial course for 15 to 20 mintutes on the gas. The course ran on trails 3, 4 & 5 right out of the Rabbit Valley parking lot. It was a nice short course with a few steep punchy climbs & a super fun descent. The DPA/Spot Brand team put a good number of folks on the podium. Within a minute of Georgia Gould & Katie Compton, Jen Gersbach lead the team with a 4th & Megan Monroe an 8th in the Pro Women's Time Trial. Our own Michael Vigers started off his ripping weekend with a win over SS legend Charlie Hayes on the Singlespeed, this kid is 15 so look out! After blowing out the lungs & legs everyone refueled & headed out to preview the XC race course for the following day. The course headed out of the Rabbit Valley parking lot via Trail 2 before veering onto the Kokopelli trail.
We then hit single track, great views & a super fun descent on the Western Rim Trail before heading back to Kokopelli & eventually more punchy climbs on Trail 2.
With such a short amount of time racing & so many trails readily available for riding the Spring Break 2008 vibe really started to grow as we headed back into Fruita to socialize over a few brews at Over the Edge sports again. You can't race without fuel & before hitting the sack we found a gem of a mexican joint, that place must have been serving rocket fuel since we had 1 of the top 3 men & women sitting at our table. Sunday we woke a bit earlier & got the day rolling with some coffee & breakfast. The comfort of the team & great people really made it easy for everyone to prepare comfortably for the day. Between Dales Pale Ale & the Carbon Drive System we had a good scene going on. The Spot Team rocked it, drinking beer & giving demo's all day while coming up with some quality results. Before I knew it the SS class was at the line. Michael, Charlie & OB fan Robin Guilaume lead us out of the gate. I struggled to keep pace on the road as the others were running a 2:1 ratio & I was running a 32x18. As Charlie Hayes had some mechanical issues Michael began to ride away with Robin chasing. We approached the final pitches on the Kokopelli trail & I remained in contact as we made our way to the Western Rim trail. During the super fun ups & downs of the single track I was able to catch & pass Robin & begin the chase on Michael. I made close contact with him before the trail went back to double track & we headed to the Kokopelli cut. Michael again started making ground on me, the whole way I was trying to minimize the loss to reel him in on the final run of ups & downs on the descent of trail 2. His legs must have been good as he stretched his lead to around a minute (i was told on course) as my rear tire was loosing air. Being somewhat close to the finish & with Robin on my heels I decided to try to hit the slow flat with co2 & race it back in. Robin caught me & got a small gap with the first fill up. I was able to keep the gap small & was riding for a 1, 2 finish for the team if I could keep air in the tire. It would have come down to a nice battle but as we hit full stride on the ups & downs of trail 2 I could feel I was going to have to air up again.
I had already changed the co2 in my pump & was ready for one last shot, I let Robin go & could see a group of 4 chasing me as I aired up. I was able to roll in pretty comfortably in 3rd as the 4 behind me all finished within 18 seconds of eachother. Michael had a smile on after his 2nd win in 2 Days. WAY TO RIP IT MAN...& yes I did say 15 years old. After rapping for a bit Robin & I made it back to DPA/Spotville to talk race & carbon drive system over an Old Chub. 
Soon Jen, Megan & Monique were preparing for the so pro show. With some serious speed the Pro Men & Pro Women took off into the desert sun. When I say serious speed I mean it. Example: Ross Shnell won the mens race in an hour & 6 minutes...what, what, what, what. Rumor has it the course was just over 20 miles long, that means Rad Ross covered the entire course with an average speed around 18 to 19 miles per hour...whew that's smoking! Following Ross in was Brian Fuentes who's fantastic choice of Mexican cuisine appeared to have paid off, nice work man. Such a short race really developed some close & painfull racing. With Geogie Gould choosing to race with the Semi-Pro men the Women's field was looking at Katie Compton on her Singlespeed for the 2nd straight day. Kelli Emmett proved to be too much for the singlespeed super hero as she earned her first MSC win in 2008. Our own super hero Jen Gersbach threw down a so pro hot lap to finish 3rd & collect her 2nd podium in as many days.
With the first race of the season in the books it was time to crack a beer & enjoy the company of Spring Break 2008 as the final podium presentations took place. 
As the crowd started heading to the highway it was quite clear that the drive home would be a tough one. It's always tough to leave the desert after a spring trip & this was no exception. It was the last day for all the Summit County Ski Resorts & there would no doubt be some serious traffic after it had been pounded with fresh snow all weekend. After tearing down the Demo Trailer & getting things in order our lead car confirmed the traffic & we went to bed with spiritual dreams of the Zion Curtin...Stay tuned...
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Brewery up and running in Longmont
HERE is an article from the Longmont Times-Call. It's a short article celebrating the first batch of beer to be brewed in Oskar Blues new facility. There is a typo in the story, we will not be selling or Lyons brewery. It will be used exclusively for the restaurant.
zero gravity
OB's man behind the lens Eddie Clark has passed along a few shots he took in Boulder a few Friday's ago. While a lot of the gravity pros were kicking off the season with the first NMBS race in CA last weekend, our own local top pros and rippers were getting their new whips and skills dialed here in Boulder.
Dave Camp, getting it flat for the Flatirons.
Pay no attention to the bike and Alien Bee strobe in the background, just know that TJ Sharp sticks his landings.
"Phactoree Phil" Wheeler was out putting the new Intense 66 Slopestyle through it's paces for the Fix bike shop.
Wiley getting sideways for the camera.
Eddie's new website PHOTO-CYCLE.COM is now showing the view from his lens. You can find one of his photo's of local hero & Maverick rider Mike West on pg 161 in the May 2008 issue of Bike Magazine!
Keep an eye right here for more of Eddie's work as he captures the 2008 riding season with us.
Dave Camp, getting it flat for the Flatirons.
Pay no attention to the bike and Alien Bee strobe in the background, just know that TJ Sharp sticks his landings.
"Phactoree Phil" Wheeler was out putting the new Intense 66 Slopestyle through it's paces for the Fix bike shop.
Wiley getting sideways for the camera.Eddie's new website PHOTO-CYCLE.COM is now showing the view from his lens. You can find one of his photo's of local hero & Maverick rider Mike West on pg 161 in the May 2008 issue of Bike Magazine!
Keep an eye right here for more of Eddie's work as he captures the 2008 riding season with us.
Chasing the Dream
Join the journey of Dell Starr as she sets her sights on Olympic Games selection for cross country mountain biking. Team selection is a very long process and has Dell racing her mountain bike all over the world. From National Titles in Australia to World Championships in Italy. Get a behind the scenes look on her BLOGSITE HERE.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
BEST BEER IN A CAN
Dales Pale Ale recognizled by another beer drinker at Details & GQ magazine. Click HERE for the low down.
An essay by 1984 Olympic gold medalist Alexi Grewal
By Alexi Grewal
Posted Apr. 3, 2008 on VeloNews.com
Editor's note: the following is an essay written by 1984 Olympic gold medalist Alexi Grewal. A full article on Grewal and his admitted use of performance enhancing drugs appears in the April 1 issue of VeloNews.
Sons have a propensity to follow in their father’s footsteps. For that very reason I write this. My son, your son or daughter, should have the right to find the sport better than it is now or was in our day.
My first temptation to dope came the first time there was something at stake. Such a thing so small as making the 1978 junior worlds selection camp and such a thing so grand as having to compete with Greg LeMond was all it took for me to pop that pill (street speed) and throw all reason to the wind.
Although I was to dope several times more in my career, that day struck a fear of performance drugs deep into me. The form I had, especially the "good legs," were thrashed in one short two-man time trial somewhere out in the Arizona desert. I cannot even remember if LeMond won or lost that day. But I do remember dragging two fully fractured legs to the finish the next day.
As I progressed up the scale, stimulants like caffeine were just a by-word. Rocket fuel was tea with one Vivarin, double rocket fuel was tea with two. As an amateur among the pros, caffeine injections replaced the pills and the stomach cramps went away too. When in Rome do as the Romans do!
The hard stuff, ephedrine, was reserved for when you really needed it, a few certain events where I was prone to asthma, and when you really wanted it, such as the Bob Cook Memorial. Ephedrine was illegal of course so I never used it when I knew there was testing! Even so, a time or two, I was caught out by inadvertent usage or surprise testing.
The fear of doping hit me for real the day I dropped into the continental professional scene. From day one with Panasonic-Raleigh it was made known that "The Program" was the high and holy way, salvation open to all, and required of all to survive and win. Faux doctors like Ruud Bakker, no more than pseudo-credentialed soigneurs, introduced me to the gospel of champions. That all of them said and took the Holy Vow. Team director Peter Post, as the high priest, intoned that I must listen to the "doctor" and submit to the "Preparation." Our syringes came gift wrapped in the morning and evening during stage races, and in the 2007 Tour de France one of my former roommates sat behind the wheel of a team car pulling feathers out of his hair.
Somehow grace intervened for me. Should I have ever been headed for classic or Tour podiums surely I would have entered the full-blown ’roid ranks. Dangle Liège or Paris glory in my face and there is no question both feet would have crossed that line. No one wants to hear that but it is very true. Whether it be the blood of bulls or goats, I would have drunk from that cup in a heartbeat for any measure of that glory.
So in a sense or in reality I have been there and done that. Even more, I have always turned a blind eye as have we all at one time or another. As the priest and Pharisee walked by the beaten and robbed man, so we too have walked by the remnants of life left in our sport, hoping somehow someone else would have courage enough to risk reputation and respectability to say enough is enough.
When will it end? When Floyd Landis or Tyler Hamilton or any one of the many other "all prisoners are innocent," fallen stars finally and ultimately does hard time. Don't think they won't, they will. Who are we kidding? Prisons and jails are filled with men whose transgressions are much less. Face it people, come on now! Trading $70,000 for a briefcase of refrigerated hot-rod blood, your own or someone else's! Drive it across international borders, for some bike rider to drink and be celebrated as some kind of cult worship rock star for winning a bike race? Have we lost our bloody minds?
Can we not return to some sense of justice and reality? Have not some like David Millar and Bradley Wiggins and others proven that honor is still honorable? Cycling will always be the sport that requires the most suffering, but just the same the "prisoners of the road" can manifest a courage the world needs to see. We can, and now we must lead the world in the face of this disgrace, of which almost all of us have had our part. We can and should affect the attitude of men and of nations, and if there is such a thing as providence we certainly had better!
My prayer and heart is that if, and I still hope that that day comes, that my son desires to taste the "King of Sports" that he can do so knowing that somewhere along the line and in some fashion I came clean and was willing at least once to speak out and do something so that what I saw and experienced is not what he will. He deserves that and it is required of me. And I think I am not alone. I did enough time in the game to know how it was and who did what. All of us who were there, and who can speak up, should do so. It is such a paradox that the sport that has the most potential to reform addicts, to help them to connect with long-fried neural pathways from such things as methamphetamine, is the sport that is so filled with performance-enhancing drugs.
When are we going to get a clue as to the value of our sport, of what we can do with the vehicle that means so much to us that our masters racers selfishly race on and on instead of looking at what we have to offer to the broken and less fortunate in our cities and our country. Maybe this whole doping issue is here to turn us from our own selfishness to see that we have not as yet realized that the bicycle and bicycle racing has a purpose and meaning we have yet to even think about or care to understand. I think we are missing the real reality of what we have in the bicycle and in the racing of it. Some of our more forward thinkers are starting to realize that we as cyclists actually have something to offer mankind; take Tom Ritchey for example.
Maybe the time has come to start looking at a broader perspective of the entire sport and issue. Maybe the bicycle has a place in time and space that we are being called at this time in the ultimate crisis of our competitive sport to know and appreciate.
Maybe, just maybe this is not an end but a beginning.
— Alexi Grewal
Posted Apr. 3, 2008 on VeloNews.com
Editor's note: the following is an essay written by 1984 Olympic gold medalist Alexi Grewal. A full article on Grewal and his admitted use of performance enhancing drugs appears in the April 1 issue of VeloNews.
Sons have a propensity to follow in their father’s footsteps. For that very reason I write this. My son, your son or daughter, should have the right to find the sport better than it is now or was in our day.
My first temptation to dope came the first time there was something at stake. Such a thing so small as making the 1978 junior worlds selection camp and such a thing so grand as having to compete with Greg LeMond was all it took for me to pop that pill (street speed) and throw all reason to the wind.
Although I was to dope several times more in my career, that day struck a fear of performance drugs deep into me. The form I had, especially the "good legs," were thrashed in one short two-man time trial somewhere out in the Arizona desert. I cannot even remember if LeMond won or lost that day. But I do remember dragging two fully fractured legs to the finish the next day.
As I progressed up the scale, stimulants like caffeine were just a by-word. Rocket fuel was tea with one Vivarin, double rocket fuel was tea with two. As an amateur among the pros, caffeine injections replaced the pills and the stomach cramps went away too. When in Rome do as the Romans do!
The hard stuff, ephedrine, was reserved for when you really needed it, a few certain events where I was prone to asthma, and when you really wanted it, such as the Bob Cook Memorial. Ephedrine was illegal of course so I never used it when I knew there was testing! Even so, a time or two, I was caught out by inadvertent usage or surprise testing.
The fear of doping hit me for real the day I dropped into the continental professional scene. From day one with Panasonic-Raleigh it was made known that "The Program" was the high and holy way, salvation open to all, and required of all to survive and win. Faux doctors like Ruud Bakker, no more than pseudo-credentialed soigneurs, introduced me to the gospel of champions. That all of them said and took the Holy Vow. Team director Peter Post, as the high priest, intoned that I must listen to the "doctor" and submit to the "Preparation." Our syringes came gift wrapped in the morning and evening during stage races, and in the 2007 Tour de France one of my former roommates sat behind the wheel of a team car pulling feathers out of his hair.
Somehow grace intervened for me. Should I have ever been headed for classic or Tour podiums surely I would have entered the full-blown ’roid ranks. Dangle Liège or Paris glory in my face and there is no question both feet would have crossed that line. No one wants to hear that but it is very true. Whether it be the blood of bulls or goats, I would have drunk from that cup in a heartbeat for any measure of that glory.
So in a sense or in reality I have been there and done that. Even more, I have always turned a blind eye as have we all at one time or another. As the priest and Pharisee walked by the beaten and robbed man, so we too have walked by the remnants of life left in our sport, hoping somehow someone else would have courage enough to risk reputation and respectability to say enough is enough.
When will it end? When Floyd Landis or Tyler Hamilton or any one of the many other "all prisoners are innocent," fallen stars finally and ultimately does hard time. Don't think they won't, they will. Who are we kidding? Prisons and jails are filled with men whose transgressions are much less. Face it people, come on now! Trading $70,000 for a briefcase of refrigerated hot-rod blood, your own or someone else's! Drive it across international borders, for some bike rider to drink and be celebrated as some kind of cult worship rock star for winning a bike race? Have we lost our bloody minds?
Can we not return to some sense of justice and reality? Have not some like David Millar and Bradley Wiggins and others proven that honor is still honorable? Cycling will always be the sport that requires the most suffering, but just the same the "prisoners of the road" can manifest a courage the world needs to see. We can, and now we must lead the world in the face of this disgrace, of which almost all of us have had our part. We can and should affect the attitude of men and of nations, and if there is such a thing as providence we certainly had better!
My prayer and heart is that if, and I still hope that that day comes, that my son desires to taste the "King of Sports" that he can do so knowing that somewhere along the line and in some fashion I came clean and was willing at least once to speak out and do something so that what I saw and experienced is not what he will. He deserves that and it is required of me. And I think I am not alone. I did enough time in the game to know how it was and who did what. All of us who were there, and who can speak up, should do so. It is such a paradox that the sport that has the most potential to reform addicts, to help them to connect with long-fried neural pathways from such things as methamphetamine, is the sport that is so filled with performance-enhancing drugs.
When are we going to get a clue as to the value of our sport, of what we can do with the vehicle that means so much to us that our masters racers selfishly race on and on instead of looking at what we have to offer to the broken and less fortunate in our cities and our country. Maybe this whole doping issue is here to turn us from our own selfishness to see that we have not as yet realized that the bicycle and bicycle racing has a purpose and meaning we have yet to even think about or care to understand. I think we are missing the real reality of what we have in the bicycle and in the racing of it. Some of our more forward thinkers are starting to realize that we as cyclists actually have something to offer mankind; take Tom Ritchey for example.
Maybe the time has come to start looking at a broader perspective of the entire sport and issue. Maybe the bicycle has a place in time and space that we are being called at this time in the ultimate crisis of our competitive sport to know and appreciate.
Maybe, just maybe this is not an end but a beginning.
— Alexi Grewal
What don’t you like about beer?
Our man Marty Jones sits down at the Falling Rock Taphouse with the Westword & talks Beer. Check it out via the Westword Blog HERE.
April 8th BMA Update
Boulder Mountainbike Alliance and the Boulder Adventure Film Festival Present the Premier of S E A S O N S
A new film by The Collective Wednesday, April 30th at the Boulder Theater To benefit the BMA Better Trails Fund & Boulder DEVO junior development team.
Seasons is a film that follows 7 of the world's top mountain bikersthrough the course of 4 seasons of one year. The film explores what itmeans to be a full time rider as told through the lives of downhillracers, slopestyle competitors, and big mountain freeriders. Come out and kick off your season with your ridding friends and therest of the cycling community at the Boulder Theater.Tickets available thru the Boulder Theater Box Office.
A fantastic update from our hard working friends at Boulder Mountainbike Alliance. I can't wait to get the Picture Rock Trail going. I hope to see you out there soon.
Q: When Will the Picture Rock Trail be open?
I can't tell you how many times this question is asked of me. First envisioned in the 1996 Master Plan for North Foothills Open Space, this trail has been on our radar for a very long time.
A: As soon as we can get it built.
We? Yes, we... Boulder County is committed to engaging the necessary resources to get this project done and open in 2008. Current projections put the opening in the October timeframe, but this is where we can shorten that timeframe in a significant way. BMA is working with BCPOS closely to break the mold of how we do volunteer work and expand traditional trail work events.
The Picture Rock Posse
For the first time ever, BCPOS has agreed to allow experienced volunteer trail crews to work unsupervised on the Picture Rock Trail. Our years of dedication and Boulder County's commitment to delivering this trail in 2008 have made this milestone in trust and collaboration possible. BMA has a pool of trusted and competent crew leaders, and they will lead crews of 20 or less on weekends in April and May and weekday evenings starting in June. These crew leaders will work with the County to determine the work plan and the logistics of getting the crews in and out of the site. The first session of the Posse is April 12! Experienced volunteers, come on down!
10 Miles End to End: A Remote Work Site
That's right, the shortest distance from the trailhead in Left Hand Canyon to the trailhead in Lyons is estimated at 10 miles. BCPOS held a field trip to review the trail corridor all the way to Lyons on April 3. You are going to LOVE this trail, but building it will be difficult, mainly because of the remoteness of the worksite. Pictures are HERE.
Big Volunteer Events May 17 and June 7: A Full Day Commitment
It takes more than an hour to shuttle and hike workers to the construction site. Because of that reailty, we must expand the duration of our trail work events to a full day. Lunch will be provided as always, but the trail work event will have to run to late in the afternoon to get a reasonable amount of work done. Shuttles will leave the parking lot/registration area at 8:30 am SHARP and shuttles will not leave the site until 3pm at the earliest. We don't anticipate the amount of work our volunteers do will increase by that much, but we have to account for getting in and out of the site.
For years, BMA has pushed Boulder County to embrace volunteer resources for getting work done on our trails. They are now delivering and it's time we stepped up to the challenge. It's an exciting time!
To sign up for the Picture Rock Posse, Click HERE for the April 12 event. More coming soon!
Crew Leaders, we need you to sign up for the event(s) of your choice! Contact Catherine Schweiger at cschweiger@indra.com
To sign up for the May 17 Trail work day, click HERE.
To sign up for the June 7 National Trails Day event, click HERE.
Can't swing a trail tool all day anymore? Logistics/volunteer support is just as important and we need help! Contact Mike Barrow at mtnbikemike@gmail.com
Valmont Bike Park Update
Members of BMA and the Parks and Recreation Department have been meeting to discuss the planning of Valmont Park. Discussions have been positive, and we are very optimistic about fostering a long term relationship between BMA and the Parks Department.
Although all signs point towards this being a Bike Park, we cannot cut temporary trails. The City wants to build this right, with input from professional trail designers like IMBA, and create something that truly reflects the cyclists in the community. We will soon have a website up with conceptual plans for the park, and updates on how to help and/or be involved.
Without delving deeply into the issues and challenges, here are a few hurdles we are working to solve:
The north side of Valmont has not seen significant activity since a SuperCup Cyclocross race in 1999. Wildlife such as foxes, prairie dogs, and birds now call this home. The City is aware there will be active recreation on the site, but wants our impact to be minimal. We did a walk through with city staff to hear their concerns. Fortunately, the wildlife corridors are mainly on the southeast quadrant near the current (and future) Dog Park. The plan for the park will be respectful to the wildlife and work harmoniously with the natural topography. The prairie dogs are another issue, but there is consensus that they will be relocated under the City Wildlife ordinance. This is a year long project on it’s own.
Ditches also run through the property. The two ditches run parallel to each other, and the trail network will cross each one three times. The City does not own the ditch rights, and must negotiate with the ditch companies for these crossings. The city has budgeted $30,000 per bridge/culvert, so there will be $180,000 just for the ditch crossings.
The construction budget for the project has been estimated at $2 million dollars.
Monday, April 7, 2008
National Mountain Bike Series #2: cyclingnews.com update
cyclingnews.com is reporting that Delly's finished 3rd place in the Elite womens cross country race, earning her 3rd in the GC as well. All 3 ladies cracked the top 25 with Jen in 16th & Megan in 25th, good job ladies. Check out the details HERE via cyclingnews.com & stay tuned as we hope to get some real insight into their weekend. Great job!
National Mountain Bike Series #2 (NMBS)
Fountain Hills, Arizona, USA, April 4-6, 2008
Elite Women Cross Country 1 Georgia Gould (USA) Luna womens mtb team 1.20.14
2 Katerina Nash (Cze) luna womens mtb team 1.47
3 Dellys Starr (Aus) dales pale ale/spot brand 2.00
4 Kelli Emmett (USA) giant mtb team 2.08
5 Kathy Sherwin (USA) sobe-cannondale 2.49
6 Monique Sawicki (USA) ellsworth 3.19
7 Lea Davison (USA) trek/vw 3.55
8 Heather Irmiger (USA) subaru-gary fisher 4.42
9 Jenna Zander (USA) sobe cannondale 4.55
10 Melanie Mcquaid (Can) bmc/natures path 5.30
11 Chloe Forsman (USA) luna womens mtb team 5.41
12 Amanda Sin (Can) 3 rox racing 5.50
13 Amanda Riley-Carey (USA) kenda/titus/hayes 7.09
14 Carolyn Popovic (USA) cicle/bear valley bikes 7.09
15 Sue Butler (USA) monavie/cannondale 7.47
16 Jennifer Gersbach (USA) dales pale ale/spot brand 8.14
17 Nina Baum (USA) sobe-cannondale 8.30
18 Caitlyn Tuel (USA) trek/vw /rocky mountain 8.45
19 Emily Van Meter (USA) sobe/cannondale 8.49
20 Maureen Kunz (USA) lost coast brewery 9.09
21 Willow Koerber (USA) subaru-gary fisher 9.46
22 Shannon Gibson (USA) velo-bella/kona 10.05
23 Jamie Dinkins (USA) devo 10.10
24 Mical Dyck (Can) trek/terrascape racing 11.06
25 Megan Monroe (USA) dales pale ale 11.17
Overall classification after 3 events
1 Georgia Gould (Luna Women's MTB)
2 Katerina Nash (Luna Women's MTB)
3 Dellys Starr (Dale's Pale Ale)
4 Kelli Emmette (Giant)
5 Lea Davison (Trek / VW)
National Mountain Bike Series #2 (NMBS)
Fountain Hills, Arizona, USA, April 4-6, 2008
Elite Women Cross Country 1 Georgia Gould (USA) Luna womens mtb team 1.20.14
2 Katerina Nash (Cze) luna womens mtb team 1.47
3 Dellys Starr (Aus) dales pale ale/spot brand 2.00
4 Kelli Emmett (USA) giant mtb team 2.08
5 Kathy Sherwin (USA) sobe-cannondale 2.49
6 Monique Sawicki (USA) ellsworth 3.19
7 Lea Davison (USA) trek/vw 3.55
8 Heather Irmiger (USA) subaru-gary fisher 4.42
9 Jenna Zander (USA) sobe cannondale 4.55
10 Melanie Mcquaid (Can) bmc/natures path 5.30
11 Chloe Forsman (USA) luna womens mtb team 5.41
12 Amanda Sin (Can) 3 rox racing 5.50
13 Amanda Riley-Carey (USA) kenda/titus/hayes 7.09
14 Carolyn Popovic (USA) cicle/bear valley bikes 7.09
15 Sue Butler (USA) monavie/cannondale 7.47
16 Jennifer Gersbach (USA) dales pale ale/spot brand 8.14
17 Nina Baum (USA) sobe-cannondale 8.30
18 Caitlyn Tuel (USA) trek/vw /rocky mountain 8.45
19 Emily Van Meter (USA) sobe/cannondale 8.49
20 Maureen Kunz (USA) lost coast brewery 9.09
21 Willow Koerber (USA) subaru-gary fisher 9.46
22 Shannon Gibson (USA) velo-bella/kona 10.05
23 Jamie Dinkins (USA) devo 10.10
24 Mical Dyck (Can) trek/terrascape racing 11.06
25 Megan Monroe (USA) dales pale ale 11.17
Overall classification after 3 events
1 Georgia Gould (Luna Women's MTB)
2 Katerina Nash (Luna Women's MTB)
3 Dellys Starr (Dale's Pale Ale)
4 Kelli Emmette (Giant)
5 Lea Davison (Trek / VW)
Sunday, April 6, 2008
NMBS #2, early update
Dales Pale Ale / Spot Brand Bikes sent our trio of elite ladies (Delly's Starr, Jen Gersbach & Megan Monroe)down to Fountain Hills, Az to battle with the domestic stars in NMBS round #2. Friday's Super D was more of a XC Time Trial than the rocky, rooty technical stuff we're used to here in the Rocky Mountains. Another change to the format we've become accustom to is that Team Big Bear started riders at 10 second intervals instead of the Le Man's start we're used to seeing. Delly's Starr collected our first national podium of the young 2008 season with a strong performance. Dell lost just 12 seconds to Colorado's Georgia Gould who won the race at McDowell Mountain Park with a time of 18:20.20 over the 7 Mile course.
Our Starr followed that up in Saturday's STXC out-sprinting Kona’s Wendy Simms to take third place on a course that included a short, steep, sandy hill that forced the women off the bike Cyclocross style.
Today the trio is set to tackle the Cross Country course. It's the final stage of the elite stage race(Super D, STXC, CX). We'll be back with pictures & more details from the first 2 days in the desert as well as watching Delly's battle for the general classification in the final stage of the race.
Our Starr followed that up in Saturday's STXC out-sprinting Kona’s Wendy Simms to take third place on a course that included a short, steep, sandy hill that forced the women off the bike Cyclocross style.
Today the trio is set to tackle the Cross Country course. It's the final stage of the elite stage race(Super D, STXC, CX). We'll be back with pictures & more details from the first 2 days in the desert as well as watching Delly's battle for the general classification in the final stage of the race.
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