My boy Evan from my old home on the Left Coast is already set for this weekend's re-birth of Surf City at Watsonville this weekend. I used to LOVE LOVE LOVE that course. Check out his custom mud-ready A-Dugasts with Michelin mud tread and his team Scandium (compare to mine below...). Evan is the master of the bling.
Frigging YUMMY! Check these out:This thread got started 'cause I asked Evan about repairing tubulars as I have a ruined pair of Challenge I want to get fixed. When he was here staying with me here in CO for the GP's, he mentioned the following site you can send your tubulars to to get repaired. It takes a while but apparently the guy does a good job. Evan says:

" Try http://www.tirealert.com/ ...don't know if it's any good as they use a butyl tube in place of a latex (suppleness); continental uses all butyl so it probably doesn't matter. "

If anyone has good tips for local tubular repair people, let me know!

Update since posting: The "Tire Alert" URL does not seem to work so I used the Way Back Machine to get at it:

T I R E A L E R T !!!

SAVE SEW-UP TIRES!!!
Now You Can Bring
Those Tubular
Tires Back To Life

We've perfected the art of re-tubing sewup tires, saving riders time hassle and money!!
(We cannot retube "Tufo" tires)
Send your tires to:
Tire Alert
2320 Hawthorne Dr
Clearwater, FL 33763 Got any questions?
e-mail us at
tirealert@tirealert.com
or phone (800) 735 5516

COST: $20 for one tire, $16 each for 2 or more

.......... and we pay the return shipping!

Light weight butyl tube (64 grams) add $2 each tire
48mm or 60mm valve stems add $2 each tire
We also just install new base tape for $8 per tire
Personal checks, Mastercard and VISA accepted
If you're a cyclist who trains frequently and prefers to use expensive tubular sewup tires, then chances are you've experienced a blowout to a sewup tire that has plenty of good tread left. Or maybe you're a specialty bicycle shop that deals with biking athletes and you'd like to find a way to keep your customers satisfied....

Many riders use tubular sewups for the obvious reasons; they're GREAT! But there are those times when there's no way to avoid a premature blowout due to slivers of glass or other sharp objects out on the road that penetrate the tire....

That's where TIRE ALERT comes in....
Instead of throwing that still good tubular tire in the shed or trash, we can repair that expensive sewup quickly and at low-cost!!!

BUT instead of patching the tube we strip the tire open, rid it of any foreign objects, replace with NEW butyl tube, resew with a specialized industrial sewing machine and install new base-tape.

Ron Murawsky
Owner/operator since 1995
Hawaii Ironman finisher
Distance athlete since 1971

Lookin' good for the CX State Champs at Xilinx tomorrow:
Probably try and pre-ride today as there is no pre-riding tomorrow. My guess is muddy in the low flats and fairly dry up top....depending of course how they run the course this year. It'd be nice to replicate the Xilinx Cup course from the GP's.

HA! Just crapped myself laughing at this:

From Packfodder Blog:

Thursday, October 12, 2006

Fantastic night of absolute bike geekdom in Boulder. The premier at Boulder Theater was killer in terms of turn out and what apparently was an overwhelmingly huge succes sfor the junior cyclocross programs such as the Mud Skippers. It was essentially a packed house with lots of beer flowing, prizes drawn from Boulder Cycle Sport (thanks B!), Clif Bar and Noodles and Co (Thanks Tuba!).

The movie was decent. I have not seen Transitions ("Part 1") but this installation was pretty interesting. It certainly was not as powerful (read: artistically compelling) as Pure Sweet Hell which combines sincerely "core" imagery with "core" music totally suited to the "core" messages of what 'cross means (at least to me!) without the commercial aspect of Euro racing. Transitions 2 on the other hand was interesting for its raw documentary aspect of the scene behind the major races in Belgium. The film showed quite a bit of "day in the life of" the kids who stay at "The House" in Izegem Belgium which was a yawn. It was interesting to see it, how they eat, etc but could have eliminated a lot of that I thought.

The commentary from Geoff Proctor and Brandon Dwight was probably the most compelling. Geoff, because he lays it out: If you as a wannbe American cross racer want to be the best, get the F out of America, suck it up, and race with the best. This counter balances most of the whining you hear in the film about how hard it is being over there. Dude's, you are YOUNG. Suck it up. You made a choice to be a bike racer. Bike racing did not corner and kidnap you into this life style. You chose it (and invariably your parents are helping you incredibly). For me, I travel 150K a year on United for business while being a husband, daddy and trying to race my bike. Suck it up and eat your peas. You need to be in Europe if you want to (at least) think you'll be the best you can be at the game. Geoff nails this in my opnion.

Brandon's commentary was interesting for two reasons: 1) cause I know him and 2) (really my point here) because he fairly well articulates the reality of how fast and hard it is in a way that is simply beyond your prototypical racer dude saying "Man, uh, those guys are really fast and I feel like shit...". This was truly a homage to those "livin' the dream" as it were racing their bikes as amateurs to live vicariously for a moment through his very real experience.

So overall, great job. Not a film for those who are non cyclists (where Pure Sweet Hell could hook in just about anyone) but a direct commentary to people like us who truly understand the scene and live it to the extent we can here in the states on our weekend crusades of getting muddy, cold and of course ringing cowbells (incidentally, and American phenomenon, not something you hear in Eaurope it appears!).

Pre movie RM beer fest pics:

COLORADO STATE CYCLOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIPS - PLEASE NOTE

• There will be no warm ups allowed on the course on Saturday.
• Also riders will be called up so please cooperate during staging.
• Thanks Tim Madden, Chief Referee

Today was the 2nd to last Wednesday AM 'cross workout. I am weepy and misty eyed. One of the saddest songs of all time ever written is ringing through my head: "It's a tragedy for me to see, the dream is over...".

This was written by Milli Vanilli of course..

Today I felt GREAT. What is UP?? I can't say "No Chain" but I hung well. My cuts and bruises and stuff from last Sunday were a non factor. One huge difference: Cheap Tires! The Michelin Mud 2's were so solid and carved through the ice and snow beautifully. I think what I felt was...confidence! So I just rolled and powered and bridged to the strong men fairly easily. Baker was flying (as normal) and Tuba and B-Money-Dwight were rocking through the snow like they had no chains. All and all, swell.

Some pics from today:

Arrival for some java at Amante:

B-Money, Tuba and Tim F's teammate Daisuke.

My infamous backpack-o-barriers (PVC tubing we use for portable barriers)...

Matt Opp preparing for battle...

So my team mate Chris V sends me this AVI of me from Boulder Racing's Interlocken race earlier this season. He shot with some fandangled device he's got. Talk about suffering. Head down and going about the speed of a THC-ladened Slug. You may need a Flash plug in for this but works in IE and FireFox.

You gotta love Dave "The Voice" Towle's booming commentary in the background...

So Joe S of Peloton Photo posted his pics today (thanks for letting me blatantly rip this one from the site Joe!). Fantastic pics and pretty dramatic setting. Check 'em out and support his cause by buying one of your shining (or muddy, saliva encrusted) mugs!

I saw one of me show boating since I already was in reverse after my debacles. Tim F asked me today if I could get higher. Button it, Tim. I needed to remind him that he should not burst my bubble when I am day dreaming of being Nijs:
So at lunch today, I bring my bikes to our sponsor Boulder Cycle Sport to change the broken levers out from yesterday. There I see some Michelin Mud 2's hanging from the wall....back lit as if sun rays from heaven were shining upon them to give me a sign.

Do I have coin to spend on tires with one race to go? No. Check.

Do I have a fear I am going down again on my Tufo's even if there is only a dampness on the ground? Yes. Check.

Am I a gear whore? Yes. Check.

Here's my ATM card, Dwayne.

Also some fantastic pics from Ward's better half Heidi:

Form my bud in Louisville (KY, not CO):

[Photos as well here ]

Monday, December 4, 2006

Cyclocross makes splash
Competitors, spectators enjoy muddy River Road course

By Melissa Gagliardi
mgagliardi@courier-journal.com
The Courier-Journal

With mud on his face, Robert Bobrow took to the winding trail looping through River Road Country Club in a sport that is gaining popularity in Louisville: cyclocross.

About 160 enthusiasts of cyclocross, which is like steeplechase with a bicycle, competed in "Storm the Greens" yesterday at the city-owned golf course, which has been closed nearly two years.

Competitors slopped through mud, raced up stairs and encountered other obstacles that forced them to dismount, run and jump back on their bikes in one fluid motion -- at least for the more seasoned riders.

Bobrow, who lives in St. Matthews, was the Kentucky champion last year, but he came in second this year, losing the hourlong off-road race by about 40 seconds to Kevin Attkisson.

But he wasn't disappointed.

"It was great. I was very happy," Bobrow said, adding that his 5-year-old son, Will, won first place in a shortened version for children.

Bobrow is among a group of local riders hoping to see the course, at River Road and Zorn Avenue, become a permanent venue for the sport. He has raced on courses across the country and said the country club is one of the best he has experienced.

"We could even hold the nationals there," he said, noting that the event would bring about 1,800 riders and possibly twice as many visitors to the city.

Spectators are a big part of cyclocross.

To encourage the riders through one tough leg of the course, Pat Ruzicka stood on a bench ringing a cowbell, a tradition that goes back to the sport's origins in the dairy regions of Western Europe.

After searching all over town for a bell, Ruzicka found one at a hobby shop and said it was worth the $5 investment to support the racers.

"I've never seen a cyclocross race before. It's exciting," said Ruzicka, a member of the Louisville Bicycle Club.

Rick Lyon banged a spoon against a metal dog dish to encourage racers as they entered a particularly dangerous leg of the course where several muddy wipeouts occurred.

"Cowbells are for sissy Belgians," quipped Lyon, who had planned to participate but was recovering from the flu.

Watching his fellow racers proved to be a fun substitute. He was among dozens of spectators to crowd along the course's obstacles, which included sand traps, muddy dips and what's called a "whoop dee doo" -- the bikers must dismount, carry their bikes up stairs, then whip through two sharp 180-degree turns before taking on a small but steep hill.

Given the serpentine nature of the course, cyclocross events attract many spectators, who get to watch the competitors come through several times.

Brad Swope said Louisville is fast becoming a hotbed for the sport, and he wasn't surprised that this year's event had more than twice as many competitors as last year's, which was the first state championship to be held in Louisville.

"It's the next new thing. It's growing like wildfire," he said.

Andrew Llewellyn is one of the top younger riders. The 16-year-old placed second in the junior division, even though he was just introduced to cyclocross this year.

He said the atmosphere, with so many supportive people, is part of its appeal.

"It's so much fun. I fell in love with it," he said.

Reporter Melissa Gagliardi can be reached at (502) 582-4117.

Could not hold out to CX States. Had to pop the top on this after today's debacle to drown my sorrows. The pain was wiped clear. God Bless you Boulder Beer: