By Jean-francois | 7/31/08 | 4:35 PM
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I was just at the Bromont World Cup site today, it was so muddy!! The Team Mechanics were very busy! Looks like all the Subaru-Gary Fisher team will ride the Superfly this week-end for the World Cup, JHK have number plate 29!! That’s kinda cool. I forgot the camera at home, but will go back again by Sunday and put pictures here for you to enjoy. I did 2 laps with Mat Toulouse and Geoff Kabush from Team Maxxis (Mat is a good friend of mine), we were really muddy, they were trying different bike/tire combinations to choose for the race. I can tell you that with my Jones ACX I was pretty happy, I think that’s what the Fisher Team will use and their Superfly. It was the first time I was seeing the Team Superflys in real, they look great! And that’s going to be the 2009 stock color! Can’t wait to get mine own, as I am out of Superfly since the begining of the season… Long story in a next blog.
I will be back with pictures of the Fisher Team riding their 29er.
By the way, the Team had their Truck stolen in Montreal… Just the truck, not the trailer and bikes, but still, I don’t think the Subaru will be good to pull the big trailer back home… So if you see a F-350 for a quick sale let the Team know, espacially if it says Subaru-Gary Fisher on it!
By Jesse | 7/31/08 | 1:37 PM
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“Do you have any stickers?” A group of day campers no older than eight raid the expo area of the Mt. Snow venue. One child asks for an autograph while another spins the wheel of a proudly displayed superfly. In his eyes the fresh ink equals gold. While MattO may not be the next Olympic hopeful he still races. He suits up earlier than the pros, races, and has time to fine tune each bike of the Subaru Gary Fisher mtb team. While he may disagree that his autograph is worth something I’m sure that his persistence and ability behind the wrench is well worth the gold. My first hand experience behind the scenes of the Fisher machine confirms that it takes more than just fast riders and 29ers to keep this train steamed. From the team manager to the chef it’s no wonder they’ve produced such results at a worldly level. My results are not equivalent to that of JHK or the young Sam Schultz but I did manage to pull off a top ten at the Windham short track. Despite some hindering flats and mental frustrations my two week stint on the national scene brought a whole new meaning to rigid single speed. There were moments when it felt like I brought a rubber knife to a gun fight as the binge and purge circuit got the best of me and my equipment. The rebound would come a day later as the contrary played into my hands. The 36:16 appeared to work with the short course as I sling shotted my big wheels up and around the competition. Go until you pop and then go harder, recovery is not an option. My next national trip will have me considering an alternative drive train for the XC but short track… the single speed is a crowd pleaser.
It didn’t take long to stabalize my manner once back in Wisco. Afterall, optimism was only an hour away. WORS #7 at crystal ridge was sure to bring out the Midwest mashers and with a change in the course we were in for it. Once the start dust settled I found myself towards the front trailing the local heros as we strung it out through the first section of single track. Mid lap I went through the lead as I dismounted the peak before descending with Marko and Mikey in tow. We worked well together with Mike pulling through on the flats and me on the climbs. Moments after our break I felt what appeared to be the tarsals of an unidentified insect down the back of my jersey. Before I had time to reach around and smash it I was stung. I backed off in an attempt to regain my composure when I felt another within inches of the last. Stung again. This time my reach was enough to hear the pollen sucking thorax crunch. It wasn’t until lap two that the realization of tired legs and dehydration hit me. The 36:17 was tough to turn over in the tight single track but managed as it forced me to climb faster resulting in a break. Marko and I gained the gap midway through 3 as we crested the climb together. Everything felt like slow motion. The climb, the single track, even the flats. My tired legs attempted to gap Marko but it all came back on the climb when I started cramping. I made some stupid decisions early on that put me in hydration debt so I dropped back and let him do some work. We continued to work through lapped traffic for the next twenty minutes as the finish grew near. My sit in recovery appeared to be working but at this point in the race anything could happen. As I exited the single track and looked upward to the finish I bolted on the right as Marko went on the left. I motored home for the win with a cramping Marko in a close second.
By Sam | 7/30/08 | 7:52 PM
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I had what might be my ride of the year this past sunday. It was like stage 17 for Floyd. My solo effort in the Offroad Assault on Mount Mitchell earned me the course record and $900 cash. The previous record for the 65 mile course, held by Jeremiah Bishop, stood at 5:08. I came it at 4:57. The superfly is definately a deadly machine. Hopefully the stage is set for some future battles on this most deserving of courses.
This is North Carolina’s premiere offroad event. It may not be a 100, but it’s better. It’s a tour stage offroad. Kitsuma, Star Gap, Curtis Creek, Heartbreak, Kitsuma. A bunch of cat 1’s with an HC right in the middle, Curtis Creek Road. Todd Branham has been serving up this helping for nine years. For year ten I hope to see the battle this race deserves. Come try to take down the record and an extra $500 on the best mountain bike course in the mix. Next year, late July.
By Kyle | 7/29/08 | 6:15 AM
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Good weekend up in State College PA yet another race in the N.U.E. series and most importantly a Chris Scottistan/Shenandoah Mountain Touring production. Pre and post race hangout is always a good time especially when the West Virginia night club contingent brings the late night party the night before and after the race (happy b-day to Johnny Martin).
For three years in a row, this 100 mile race has found me deep deep in the hurt locker, sleeping at aid stations, walking up steep pitches and sometimes laying on the side of the trail trying to eat/rehydrate while mumbling to myself. Little cooler temps and some better luck combined in perfect harmony for my best 101 performance to date, a 23rd place finish.
Results are here complete with a small Cycling News write up. And below you will see the race start line complete with the finishing mountain gap in the background.
Singletrack was ripping with some sweet flow and a little bit of rock added in for flavoring. A few killer downhills were on hand as well but they proved less entertaining than one of the old railroad tunnels. Look into the tunnel, pitch black but it looks as if something is coming into the other side. halfway through suddenly hear voices, then impact large tube for lounging in the river. Some girl holding tube. When I hit tube girl gets spun around and knocked down. oh wait one more knock her down too still can’t see anything. apologize…but I keep riding.
Couldn’t stop there that was bat country, and after 8 hours of racing all you want to do is finish. Plus, I had to chase down JK my nemesis riding for Ryan Fawley has sweet cheeks mountain bike racing team.
By Brandon | 7/29/08 | 1:59 AM
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The SERC series ended this past weekend in Fontana, NC. The promoters couldn’t have picked a better venue for the series to end on. A treacherous 2 mile climb filled with switchbacks and covered in wet rocks and roots tested your wits, while fresh benchcut with slightly off camber sections littered with wet rocks and roots, tested your ability. All this made for an exciting weekend and a good test for the big wheels and the Bontrager Jones ACX tires. I had a good race taking 2nd in the Expert 19-29 solidifying my 2nd overall for the series. Add the fact that I received my Semi-Pro upgrade and it makes for a season that not many could complain about.
So another year of XC racing has come and gone, now it is time to sit back and analyze on all the good and the bad things that happened throughout the year, what to work on before next season, and to get ready for some good ol’ fashioned cross racing. Now down here in the south we may not have the below freezing temperatures, snow, ice, and an abundance of mud that some of my teammates in the northern and midwestern regions receive, but the competition is stiff, the races are fast, and the cowbell carrying spectators are growing every year. This, our third year of the Bama Cyclocross series, http://www.bamacross.com/, looks to be a little bigger and a little badder, as the whole cyclocross thing is beginning to catch on down here in the south.
By Shannon | 7/28/08 | 11:11 AM
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Ahhh…Tonight is the night! Everyone should come out to the Portland International Raceway to watch me go for my 1,985,402nd in a row, series win. There will be all sorts of family fun so bring the cats, I mean kids. It’s looking like it’s gonna be a warm day and we all know what that means…it means that I just might have to unzip the jersey to keep from overheating.
figure 1. this is me dishing out a lesson on the lateral rigidity of the Superfly to Jason Sager.
Ladies please! I’m a happily married man.
By Bruno | 7/27/08 | 8:22 PM
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It is now time of vacations. Out of work for 2 weeks. This is great!! We are leaving tomorrow morning for Maine to pass some times on the beach with our little girl and do some training in the area with the child carrier. I really enjoy to take my bike and explore places that I didn’t know. For sure we will do some shopping with the canadian $ = US $ !! At the end of the week, we will heading back to Bromont in preparation for the World Cup for my girlfriend.
By Veronique | 7/27/08 | 7:58 PM
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Today, I was taking part of the Mont Ste-Anne World Cup and it was my first experience in a big event like this one. We were 46 girls on the starting line…lots of Euro girls decided not to come in North America to prepare for Olympics in August.
A couple days ago a was not sure to register because firstly, it is my first year as elite and secondly, considering the strengh of these girls, I was not sure if it was appropriate to race against them. Finally, my boyfriend convinced me to take part of the 2 World Cup in Canada as I had the requirement to do it and it was a great opportunity to have that near home.
So, my first experience was good. I had a good day in this pretty rough course. Technically I was there for sure. In climbings, I still have a lot of work to do!!! All the race I pushed so hard and I really gived everything… I still feel the pain right now!! I ended up 36th. I was afraid to finish last but 36th I am happy with that and next week, I will try for more at Bromont for the next round of the World Cup.
By Jim | 7/26/08 | 6:30 PM
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Today was a long one, 4+ hours on the ‘cross bike. It didn’t seem that long because I was so excited to ride my pretty new machine!! Started out with a 40 minute commute into work, including going up Washington Rock with a 42t single-ring, ouchie. I spent any time I could riding off the side of the road in the dirt or gravel or people’s yards or whatever I could find that wasn’t paved. Fun, fun, fun. After work I did the first half of our Thursday hill loop and scouted out a park on the way to do CX practices, 30 minutes to the park, 60 minutes figuring out a loop and then doing “hot laps”. I left and continued on our Thursday loop which goes past Chimney Rock, what the hell I said, let’s do a loop at the rock on the CX bike!! Almost an hour later I came out into the lot, the looks I got!! Priceless!! I also had the chance to drop some guys on one of the climbs, and later went by some “freeriders” struggling through some logs that I just hopped, bitches!! Rode home from the rock at a slower pace, I was starting to get tired, took almost an hour, ouchie. I LOVE my new cross bike!!
-Jim.
By Shannon | 7/25/08 | 1:02 PM
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well, now that short track is almost over, i figure it’s a great time to start writing this blog. i’ll try to keep it light for the most part, (no walmart rants), and full of fun and interesting things. i’d recommend reading this blog if you’re interested in witty remarks concerning cats, food, tv, and maybe a little cycling thrown in for good measure. feel free to come out to PIR this weekend if you are in the portland area. you get the chance to see the short track finals.
fig. 1. over head presses to warm up for my win on monday.
well that’s about it for this one, i wonder what tsai is eating right now?
