Retro Big Mig.

Southern Rock.

King.

Photo courtesy of cyclingnews.com.

And now for something totally different..... (VICE video)

Well worth the watch and it serves as a reminder how good we really have it. And when I say "we" I mean anyone who is able to read/watch this video on their computer.
Perspective is crucial.

The Vice Guide to Liberia series- tough to witness.
As a side note, this was the most diluted of the videos.

What not to do.

What not to do-forget lube for your seat post. I have been there more times than I can admit without sounding totally foolish.

Courtesy of the 6th Element-http://www.6thelement.net/

Must.

One year I really want to make the pilgrimage to do the "Old Caz"- it is on my list of must do's.

More adventure ride than race with real roads (open paved and not so paved roads) big pack and copious amounts of climbing through some of the countries most beautiful countryside. Does not sound like a bad way to spend a few hours.

In the meantime, 30 degree training rides will have to suffice till I make the pilgrimage to do one of these suckers. 30 degrees....not so bad I keep telling myself as I kit up and head for the exits to put some miles in the bank on the glorious day.

Dirt Racing.

3Focus trailer from Orpheus Productions on Vimeo.

Quote of the week.

"Yes that's a 36er. It made my 29er look like a 26er and it made 26ers look like BMX bikes and it made BMX bikes look like 16" wheeled kid's bikes and it made 16" wheeled kid's bikes look like those little bikes monkeys ride in the circus and it made those little bikes that monkeys ride in the circus look like a bike that Stuart Little would ride...."

Genius.

IF Winter Ride.

Utility has its own appeal. It is the sense of empowerment of what you could be doing. Lust for a S&S coupling, single speed commuter feels totally normal when it is such a freakin' cool bike. Normally, I don't get too excited at the prospect of a commuting bike.

Local racing.

Notes.

The weekly collection of notes and observations:

• The 313 Life- A nice piece on riding over at RedKitePrayer. There really is no sport like biking- it can be sooo hard (suffering hard) and yet be such a social experience (ride up to the "Spoon" for cafe con leche with friends). 313- days you would ride in a year if you took one day off each week.
• A continuation from the last 2 notes: More polemics in the Armstrong/Contador- "There was a pair of wheels of a certain brand that were more advanced and lighter than the rest. I thought that there had to be equality in the team and I decided to buy a pair. We shouldn't have to go on and on about this - that's the way it was, period.". I think that the horse is dead and sufficiently beaten.
• A nice bit of history on Dr. Dope from the nice people at NYVelocity. Well worth the read, but certainly will cause one to question the results of all major races from 1992 to 2004.
• Noam Chomsky, terrorism, Bin Laden and the disapearing ozone: I love that Osama is quoting/referring to Chomsky, but he seriously has his fact wrongs- we are number 2 on the infamous list, not number 1.  
• Salinger and Zinn: The main stream media picked up on the passing of JD Salinger with the quickness, but the passing of Howard Zinn was not covered at length. Personally, Zinn was the equivalent of the Clash of intellectual thought- he brought awareness to the hippocracy of the state in a manner that was not partisan, but rather constructive, concise, precise reflections of the time. His books on history were palatable to the point that they magically transcended the lesson into entertainment- what KRS-1 of Boogie Down Productions would call that "edutainment" and became in some ways my moral geo-political compass.
• Banks and tax cheats- do you make a deal with a criminal to catch other criminals?
• Lemond 1- Lance/Trek 0. And, most importantly, Greg has no gag order. That must have been one good pay off by Trek/Amrstrong to avoid a hearing in which Lance would testify. Any bets that Lance will be even tighter with the media now? It be curious to hear what comes out from the 3xTDF about the 7xTDF.
• Losers- It has to suck to work for one of these places...how is it the CEO's are still making a mint?
• Portugal, Italy, Ireland, Greece and Spain- Will we look back and wonder if was one of these countries or all of them caused the end of the Euro Zone?
• Finally, are you missing warmer weather as much as I am? The lack of riding is starting to wear on me. I just want to go for a three hour dirt ride with out feeling like I am frozen to the core. Is it too much to have weather above 30 degrees for one weekend so I can get some miles in?

“Get off our wheels and stay away from my team!”

Serious girl racing.

“Ina took her hand, pushed me on my shoulder and I went flying across the road.” Then she said, “Get off our wheels and stay away from my team!”

Velonews has a piece on Ina Teutenberg- the highlight of the article was her strong arming former Wolrd Champion Kirstin Armstrong off the echelon because she was new to road racing (came from triathlon) and could not ride a straight line.

Etiquette precludes me from doing this- but I have to say sometimes I really want to give a shove to a few folks who have no business on a bike.

Classic.