fall is still hanging onto the identity of indian summer

there has been some wet
but it has been wonderfully warm
hopefully not global warming warm
hope just unseasonably warm

slow days and warm weather dance together sweetly

slow days and warm days dance together sweetly
days like this were made for slacking

I had to knock out some work
but
I was able to move about outside for part of my day
walking versus taking a cab for work is a pleasure for me

a warm day in the city

a warm day in the city
is a good day to be in the park

it is late fall and people are getting a little nip of spring fever before the start of winter

the happy pirate

this may make you smile
the happy pirate

stolen from milk and cookies

closing a chapter of life... changing the focus of a blog

just got off the phone with a friend
he is in town trying to get things straight with stuff in storage
moving again
back to the states
but over to the left coast
san francisco to be exact
my guess it will be different than the last year plus down in Mexico City

the year down south of the border was not just a year away from the states
it was also a year away from the bike
in our talk I was psyched to hear that he had gotten out to a cross race in SF
he was psyched to be out on the bike

with his move to cali
there will also be a move in the direction of his blog
musings from mexico no longer works as a title for his life

that image is from a Men's Vet team at a Granny Gear 24 Hours of Snowshoe event in West VA a few years ago
we fought hard for third in Vet
which was a strong finish overall
here is an article that my friend brian wrote for dirtworld about that race

a few more shots of Swampy

swampy sporting a city bikes shirt and a bedlam bag

lauri webb in france

the mid-atlantic cycling culture is a small subculture
if you attend the events
if you stick around for the prizes
you will see some of the same faces

there are people who I recognize but do not know
in seeing them around
you may also come to notice when they are gone

within that circle of riders that FATMARC rolls with there is a woman who slams out some fast miles for IF, Lauri Webb
Lauri is in France with her family

last year at Lodi Farms Fatmarc (who is not fat) teamed up with Lauri and Lauri's yound son Jeff for a three person team

Lauri Webb's blog from France
Lauri Webb IF
IF Chicks
IF Chicks Blog
Fatmarc Archive from last year's Lodi Event
gwadzilla archive from last year's Lodi Event

a gwadzilla archive from 2004

goclipless blogs about a weber grill

somos peru

no bicycles...
no bicycles?
then why are they on the blog?
in short...
because they were in the park

they called me over
they wanted their picture taken
they were curious about the messengers

the woman on the left is in town from peru
they have been friend forever

they were very intrigued by the messenger culture
but until I told them that these guys were at work
they thought they were just hanging out

they were very excited about my proposal to my now wife at Macchu Picchu story

1600 Penn

some clubs you can not join

swampy
the swamper
with a new bedlam bag
this photo does the bag no justice
so many of the bedlam bags are built with great attention to the exterior identity
this one is bare bones
well... other than some custom modifications
there is an external pocket that aids swampy's getting into the bag on the move
he often hands off his packages on the move

swampy
real courier
IF grass roots mountain bike team
bedlam bags

Swampy is a beast on the bike

Swampy is part of a club that you can not join
there is a small little club of only a handful of members
that elite group would be the select few who have race in every and all of the Shenadoah Mountain 100 races
been there from the beginning
never missed a race

doing this event once is something
doing it every year is another
doing it since the beginning....
that is insane

let me guess at this list....
Swampy
Sue George
Barry Quigley (a clydesdale)
ammendment after David Crouse's comments then Camps' comments
Larry Camp
Mike Buchness
who else?
let me check with Chris Scott

caught on tape

max with gears
and I have proof
what are all of his fixie and single speed freak friends going to say?

cycling and the classes

david crouse a friend of mine from the races sent me a link to a cycling forum
in this forum there was a discussion about the addition of a clydesdale class at a state championship
I must admit this race option for this weekend excited me

I scanned the forum for a link to the race promoter
I glanced at the race name and the venue then went to chip's midatlanticcross info page
check the events for this weekend's date
there was nothing that matched up with the names that were temporarily stored in my head

with no luck there I went to a google page
cut and pasted the information from the forum to the search bar
then hit enter
a number of pages came up
it was not hard to find the race promoter's page for the state championship
the race was not local
only a local mid-atlantic race would have fit my weekend plans
up until seeing this the notion of racing this weekend had not crossed my mind
the addition of a clydesdale class at a state championship event was exciting for me
not an option
but the idea was exciting

here I go
I better pour another drink
work on some yoga breathing
and now take a look at what was covered in this forum

ROADBIKE REVIEW posts that there is the addition of a CLYDESDALE CLASS at the Clyclocross State Championship
1st Annual World Unicycle Cross Championship
apparently this is not local
I think it would be too far to drive is I packed the car in the morning
from the looks of things this race is in Oregon

jonathan maus may know more about this event

the forum starts off moderately positive
the first person claims a dozen Krispy Kremes will aid making weight
the next responder wants a small guy class with climbs so he can win... but cheers on the "plus size athletes" for getting theirs
another poster feels they are a meal away... thanksgiving dinner away
not sure what the next person was saying one of us has had too much wine... but I am liking their name
ATPJUNKIE.... that is some sort of intellectuatl Krebs Cycle joke
cycle... I said cycle
okay... now the white wine is hitting me hard
and honestly... I was expecting to be on the defensive
then ARGYLESOCKS comes in with the basic question of why clydesdale?
I understand that arguement... but honestly.... why b? and why c? and on the mountain bike circuit... why single speed? why all the classes?
i am with ya ARGYLESOCKS... why all the classes?
well... if there are these sub classes of age, sex, and skill... why not weight?
weight is a much greater factor than age
to a certain point
masters are faster than most 25 year olds...
he understands the height... or almosts... but will not grasp the weight issue
on to the next effort...
GRIPPED gives it to them straight
which esscential offers the multiple classes for more classes
which makes smaller groups
which improves racing and the race experience
cross is worse than mountian bike by the race being established in the first two minutes
call ups or sprint ups
or riding in the back
then ATPJUNKIE comes back to the plate... this time with loaded guns
making a good explaination of weight being an advantage in some sports and a disadvantage in others...
Nix gets into the "just for fun" thing... when it actually has more to do with a competition with your species thing... everyone is out there just for fun... unless it is their day job
another arguement for splitting the classes and a wish to gain 35 pounds to make weight
breezed through a few
more people talking about weight
small guys do not get it
funny
small weight weenies do not get it
they gram count on their bikes and calorie count on thier plate
yet they do not see how being big can be racers genetic disadvantage
I think I weighed 157 in 8th grade
yes... I could do to lose a few
but it is unlikely I could hang below 220 for more than a day
230 now... maybe 240 by thanksgiving
and yes
much of it is my inability to say no to that midnight ho-ho
but... the rest of it is size and genetics at 6'4" how light could i get?
crepitus almost gets my heart up
but... it is all a repeat of agreeing with other class break downs
but not getting the weight class break down
which is funny... I am compeitive.... I know a number of fast clydesdales
but we could never be elite... we are over coming a genetic disadvantage
that is part of the reason I like to race Clydesdale
especially at the mass start events
bring respect to the class
racing with other clydesdales at a multi-lap event and finish fast
well...
it brings respect to the class
there is chris redlack, the once clydesdale bill davis, and that guy keith ( I think it was keith) as well as some others that will school most of the jokers on this forum
okay... the names mentioned could all be skinnier... but... they are still fast and would be faster if they lost that excess fat
this ONTHERIVET guy and his weight loss.. 40 pounds...
and the thing being American... the whole class issue is the american way
it is not a SUPERSIZE ME thing that makes it American
it is making everyone a winner that makes it American
trophies for all participants
kindergarden graduation
those are the american ways... not Clydesdale and Athenas (rivet... rivet)
ATP kicked his ass.... I better go back and read his first comment... it could make sense now that I know his perspetive
SUNNYSIDEUP comes back with some weird shit... I think the crack pipe went around the circle and stalled at him for a few rocks... he is wacked
the crack then wears off and SUNNYSIDEUP comes back with the removal of the class arguement
the best arguement of all
but... that arguement should end that a weight class is as viable as any class
then ATPJUNKIE is back... man.... i need this guy's number... I could use him on the other line when I am at a party trying to explain the disadvantage of being a Clydesdale and the justification of the big guy class
then when he tosses in the ROADIESNOBBERY
I like this guy
then he brings back the STATS
ARGYLESCOCKS gets back into it with a solid point... should there be multiple clydesdale classes? well... the idea is not so far fetched in the running world they do have such classes
as the 210 guy is disadvantaged less than the 230.... then the 250 like the stats stated
but there needs to be some rational control plus 200 works for me... plus 220 works for me
there are more posts..
GEARDADDY starts pointing me to my close....
I love his MARRIED WITH KID CLASS IDEA
but the motivation issue is the factor...
just as a B get motivate harder than if they were an A
or a C gets motivated harder than if they were trailing in the B
the CLYDESDALE gets to match up with like opponents
push themselves to race pace
instead of giving the faster guys a head start so that they are not in their way

the notion of the classes is an interesting one...
are certain classes neccessary
are various classes more justifiable
should there be a break down in the classes based on skill level
should there be a break down in the classes based on age
should there be a break down in the classes based on sex
the break down of the classes is really not that important
after all
the decision of the fastest of the day tends to invole just a handful of elite men
the rest are just showing up
paying an entry fee that kicks in to the promoter and adds to the purse for the winner of that small handful of men

should there be all of these classes?
should it be just one mass start?

a good band name?
Trust Fund Junkie

I think the mood was wrong for this
whiskey instead of white wine would have let my anger direct my response
I was too mellow

sid in the park

tcourt on 18th then later in the day turning onto H

myspace W H O R E

I posted this on a my myspace bulletin this morning...

it is true

I recently became a myspace WHORE

running around
grabbing friends
stealing friends
trying to be friends with all sorts of people that may not even be friendly

not sure how it happened
first I was denying friends
then I accepted a few friends
now I am seeking friends

why?

I need to drop the pointless networking addiction and focus on my primary addiction
my blog

that is where my real distraction should be

if I am not going to work
I should go straight to my blog

and
so should you

www.gwadzilla.blogspot.com

are you a myspace WHORE?
you know you are

how many friends do you have?
a longer list than actual friends
it is a compulsion
not a pleasure

gotta go
that girl in the Victoria Secret ad is starting to creep me out
I wonder if Victoria Secrets has a myspace page?

my page on my space
be my friend
please

NEW YORKER ARTICLE ON BIKES

THE NEW YORKER has an article on bikes

this place has framed New Yorker Covers with bicycles

lights.... lights are now a must

winter is here
even if I get out on time
I still need lights

the darkness has arrived
the cold has yet to present itself

had blinking lights
lights to be seen
not lights to see
the light to see also helps to be seen
the lights to be seen do not do much for seeing

took a healty sweat causing spin on the fixie
not sure of my trajectory
but it took me up and around the capitol building looping on sections of the mall

rolling up 16th Street I remembered my desire to check out the Ginkos on Swan Street
so I looped back a few blocks
before I could make it to Swan I saw a familiar face
looped back around and chased it down

he had a city block lead but was pedalling at a leisure pace
so I reeled him in without much effort

sure it enough it was the familiar face I thought it was
it has/had been years
but he looks pretty much the same
we caught up as we rolled down the road
lots of years lots to catch up on

while I was heading home from work
john was heading to work
john just got a new job
john's new job is a new bar at 11th and U

my short ride was cut shorter as it became a social experience
we rolled down to his bar
I was nearly lured in
but decided to return for a drink when I had time for more than a shot

did not make it inside
but it looks pretty sweet from the outside

john solomon has opened solly's tavern with his wife candy
that is the bar that the chariots hosted their ska experience earlier this week

SollysTavern

the man on the corner has a story

the man on the corner has a story
if you want
he will tell you his story

skateboarding

skateboarding
people are attracted to the idea of skateboarding
just as people are attracted to the idea of surfing
people cling to these ideas even if they have no actual association with the ideas

Repeal California SB 994 - Skatepark Helmet and Pad Law

I am not sure where I stand on such laws
I am against totalitarianism
yet I know that people are too stupid to make the right decisions on their own

I had a motorcycle helmet many years back
there were two stickers on the back
one said
LOUD PIPES SAVE LIVES
the next sticker read
HELMET LAWS SUCK

I wore that helmet all the time
no matter what the state law may be for wearing a helmet
rode from washington to washingto then down to san francisco
wore the helmet no matter the law

thrasher mag

a slight accent

she had a slight accent
an accent that gave a hint of roots to a more cycling friendly culture

I have not read many books in my life

I admit
I have not read too many books in my life
of the short list of books I have read
I have read some of the titles several times

it has been a long time since I have read The Prophet
I think that at this stage in life the book could be appreciated in different ways
the same lessons could have new meaning

I will have to dig around
as I never throw anything away
I most certainly have a copy or two
chances are I will not be able to find it

Khalil Gibran as defined by Wikipedia

at one point I had an old copy with that classic cover
it has a signature
as it was a gift
the message was in spanish
it was signed in 1944
I never translated the message
my curiosity is heightened

NY TIMES ARTICLE

NY TIMES ARTICLE
CYCLING IS THE NEW GOLF

I do not think I need a bike boutique

I like nice stuff
yet I feel there should be some humility with gear
just because someone can affort it does not mean that they need to have it

years ago there was a dirt rag article, cross is for yuppies

trends come and go
cycling can survive a short infection
it will be good for bike shops and future bike swaps
and certainly
a bike thief or two will prosper as well

bike theives are the worst
way the worst

more bike lanes... we need more bike lanes

an article from a paper in canada had me thinking

we need more bike lanes

yes, we need more bike lanes
but we need more than bike lanes

we need a mass education
there needs to be an education for drivers on how to drive
there needs to be an education for drivers on how to behave around bicycles
there needs to be an education for drivers on common sense and common courtesy
there needs to be so much more than bike lanes

there needs to be a section of driver's education that pertains to bicycles
there needs to be a part of the licensing for professional drivers on how to respect the rights of cyclists
there needs to be a stress on the law protecting cyclists instead of punishing cyclists
there needs to be an education to the law on how cars should behave around bikes
there needs to be some for of education at an early age that tells the next generation of drivers how to behave around cyclists

things need to happen on many levels
city planners need to factor in the presence of bicycles
designers of citys need to look at other cities
see what is working
correct what is not

schools should have a course pertaining bikes and cycling
just as there is a manditory class on sex and health
such a class could teach people to ride who may have never learned to ride
such a class could teach people to make repairs and adjustments that would normally cost them money
such a class could not only teach people to become cyclist
such a class could teach people to respect and understand cyclists

there is much room for improvement
so much room for improvement
sadly
from where I stand
things are not getting better for the bicycle
things are getting worse
the door is closing
change is happening
we need to stick our foot in the door jam and stop that door from closing in front of us
we need to be active in making change

we don't need to be activists
we just need to be active

active in our community
active in our actions

everyone just has to contribute on some level
some will contribute more
others will contribute less
we all need to contribute

another shot of Jay Moglia

jay prefers the action shots
but
each time I try and snap a shot on the street he charges straight at me
leaving nothing but a blur
unless I see him and he does not see me
then I may get the shot

the ranch
gwadzilla archive images of jay
jay complained that the sidewalk shots would be the same as the sidewalk shots taken previously
in some ways he is correct

you have been spared

you have been spared
I am not going to post a picture of a dead mouse

I took the photos
downloaded the images
even opened the full set of images in photoshop
some were blurred
a few others were clear and crisp
none of the images appealed to my taste

honestly...
I do not take great joy in the death of the mouse
I take pleasure in knowing that I have one less mouse in the house
but... I do not get pleasure in killing the little rat

the mice were hear last year
there was a combination of warm weather evacuation and low lever extermination

the mouse traps have been slow
in fact I was ready to pull the old school traps as most of them were picked clean of the peanut butter bait
one by one till nearly all six of my traps were picked clean
until this afternoon one of the last two traps caught itself a little gray mouse

so i disposed of the one trap with its quiet little gray mouse
and gathered all the traps
setting off each trap with a screw driver before I handled them
not sure what to use after trying cheese and then peanut butter
then it occurred to me that the mice really liked my Cliff Bars for kids
they liked my Cliff Bars for kids so much that they went ahead and climbed into my gear bag friday night
so that when I drove to the race on saturday morning I did not bother with the cliff bars
as they had been opened and nibbled at
no cliff bars remained
so I broke apart an old balance bar

not sure of the trick
tried using just a little piece of bait
had a real fun time setting the traps without breaking a finger
it is really a fun little game

got all five traps set with Balance bars
hopefully I cat a few more mice before the week is up
prefer the traps rather than poison
poison is a hazzard
and well
who wants to deal with the smell of a dead mouse stuck between the walls

in war the goal is often to kill the enemy
but... when the dead bodies are found
there is respect for the dead

I always wondered...
in Star Trek and Star Wars they have the ability to set their guns on STUN
yet they kill their enemies
why not always stun them?

bicycle riding school

bike riding school... for adults

article about this school in the christian science monitor

when myspace gets dangerous...

.

this is the sort of stuff that gets people in trouble
while this guy has enough friends

neither of these people are my friends
but
I would not mind if they were

.

short ride home

took a short ride home
not a fast ride racing the cars
not trying to catch the rides
not trying to ride the wave
just riding around town

taking it slow
just cruising on the fixie
taking it as it comes
with no real destination
accepting a turn when a turn is all that presents itself

should have rolled down swan street to catch the golden ginko trees
bet with the rain that the street looks like it is paved with gold

stole that picture from camps
he took that shot of his new front yard up in PA
bet his already sick skills are going to go up a notch being so close to the rock hills of the gettysburg area

but
I did not go down swan
my path was further south down P street
checking out the city
the buildings, the people, the traffic patterns and the roads
curious about the effectiveness of bike lanes
frustrated with the absence of bike lanes on other stretches of road
not that there should be a bike lane everywhere
but there are places where they should be added
bike lanes or share lanes
along with an education
people need to learn how to behave around bikes
people need to learn to behave in their cars
people need to learn to behave

the ride was short
the streets were slick and shiny
the wet leaves made for good practice of my less than second nature track skid
actually nothing is natural for me on the track bike
well, pedaling works
but the rest is pretty stiff

ran into a girl who I had taken pictures of some time back
asked her if she ever saw the photos
not sure if she did
I finished my ride up 14th street with the girl from the pictures

we split at Park Road
all the while my focus had been on the bicycle's position on the road
the behavior of the cars
the presence of the bikes, mine and others

on Park Road I was reminded of the planning of widening the sidewalkd and thinning the street
riding down this stretch of road where it is already combat for the bicycle
trying to imagine where the bicycle will fit into their plan

there is no thought of the bicycle in their plan

got home to a house of energy
the boys were at the dinner table
got some hugs
before I could take a bit of a cold burger I was reading some comic books to the kids
funny
the boys choose the tough aggressive, destructive, and violent stuff
but when the teen titans revealed themselves as a free extra insert
well
it was the age appropriate characters and stories that really drew them in

we talked about the characters as I tried to read and explain each frame
argueing with two year old grant that one character is raven and not batman
infact raven is a girl
a teen age girl with teen age curves
dean understood that all the teen tightens are teen agers
grant soon understood

discussions and agruements continued and I finshed the abreviated comic for small kids
then offered to read it again
this time without discussions, arguements, or any interuptions
the boys agreed

ending wanting more I made the deal
upstair, get your pajamas on, and I will read it one more time to you guys in bed
grant was already in his new favorite pjs, batman
it was a fight to get him out of his superman pjs and into clothes
then it was a major drama getting him to switch from superman to batman
while superman gets washed
tried with spiderman
that did not work
while bat man won his favor

dean got dressed and into grant's bed beside me
grant was more interested in other things
so I started the teen titans comic without him
knowing he could join in at any time
dean's focus was more on conversation than listening
so I adlibed with more glazing over the page than reading each individual frame
the boys were clearly tired
grant climbed into bed and got a view
the boys listened to the last few pages then lisa subbed in and tucked the boys into bed

day lights savings time is good for one thing
earlier bed time

that is a great photo
I need to get some skills so camps will take me out on some trails

motion

who is doctor octopus?

bike mechanics making house calls...

years ago I worked in a shop
while in the shop I thought about how I could fit into the bicycle industry...

bicycle tours and bicycle rentals passed through my head
bicycle repairs with pick up and delivery passed through my head
the combination of the two sounded like a winning business model

Better Bikes in DC does some of this

Arleigh has started the Bicycle Mechanic House Call thing
ARLEIGH'S
arleigh at myspace
arleigh's at myspace

through my meeting Arleigh I electronically have gotten to know one of her former employers; Frank of Biketopia
Biketopia
Biketopia Blog
Frank of Biketopia at Myspace

there is a great blog from Ohio from a Nomadic Mechanic; Rogue Mechanic

ALL OF THESE SITES ARE WORTH VISITING
(after your read all of my shit)

THE SPECIALS

the specials at myspace

great to play the music in the background as I do other things
like blog

found this at The Chariots site
they are a SKA band from DC
with a few cyclists in the mix

The Chariots are playing tonight
unlikely I will catch it
but... you should

it may have been over 20 years since I heard anything by The Specials
GHOSTOWN is an amazing song

jay moglia

jay moglia
jay's band Rambling Shadows
Rambling Shadows at myspace

jays old band crippled pilgrams at myspace

tonight... The Chariots play at 11th and U Street

November 30th Rambling Shadows play with The Chariots at Red and Black Bar on H Street NE

live music is most definitely not my thing
been there
done that
when I was young it was no issue waking up hung over smelling like smoke
and
having my ears ring for the next three days

insert caption here

demoncats and the worlds

AZ has some POLAROIDS on the DEMONCATS site from the Messenger World Championships in Sydney

Race Report: Tacchino Ciclocross

stole this off my mountain bike team site
DCMTB

Race Report: Tacchino Cyclocross Leesburg VA

Race Report: Tacchino Cyclocross race in Leesburg, VA

This weekend past I had the freedom to do as I pleased as my wife went to visit her parents in Pittsburgh with the kids. With the weekend completely open I weighed my options and created a list…

the list
drink and get drunk
rinse and repeat
stay up late/sleep late
Home Depot and IKEA
home projects
help friend pick up and move baby furniture
dance around the house naked
watch television with the volume as loud as I need it to be without guilt

On an evening neighborhood walk with my dog Brutus I ran this list through my head. The list sounded possible, there seemed like there was room for a little more. I mentally penciled in the bike. Then it seemed that penciling the bike into the weekend was not good enough so I called my brother and made a final commitment. Rather than just ride the bike… there were two cyclocross options and I was to race at least one of them.

In a matter of a few cellular seconds I was on the phone with my brother and it was agreed that I would pick him up the next morning and head out to Leesburg for a cyclocross race hosted by Squadra Coppi. As I finished my neighborhood walk I altered my focus from the list of things to do around the house to a list of what must be done to make racing a cyclocross bike happen the next morning.

First I did some math about driving time, the driving time to my brothers, the driving time from my brother’s to Leesburg… then I communicated with my executive memory what time I would need to wake/walk the dog/make and drink coffee/and pack the car. After that I focused on gear. By this time I was in my basement with a glass of red wine in hand selecting the right set of tunes on my iPod as I pulled out my repair stand and my Specialized Tri-Cross Comp.

With the bike in the stand I started the first step of the routine, cleaning the bike… primarily cleaning the drivetrain. As the Pedros biodegradable degreaser worked its magic I forwarded the song on the iPOD and wiped down the frame. The BAD BRAINS I AGAINST I played and red wine was consumed as I went through a three step process of cleaning the drivetrain: degreaser/syn-lube/wax lubricant. Each step taken independently with the wiping clean with a cloth rag between each step. With the bike and drive train clean I pulled out some tools. The wheels needed a little straightening and the gears had been skipping. Other than that things had been working pretty okay. The Avid cross brakes are less than sensational, but that is not so much an adjustmet as it is a need for replacement with something more cross custom like Paul’s or Spooky.

During the process of the drivetrain cleaning and lubing I had stepped away and packed an assortment of gear from head to tow. Now that the bike was cleaned and tunned I double checked my gear for the next morning’s race. No reason risking arriving without a shoe or a helmet. In the end I had all I needed for a cold weather race, but managed to forget my camera. In the end my socks did not match… but television and red wine seemed more significant than matching socks.
The next morning came quickly. I did not go to bed early as the bottle of red wine had yet to be finished. There are certain tasks that I like to see through. When the morning arrived I was shocked that I got up before the alarm, not being a morning person I feared sleeping through the alarm, but being a father has conditioned me to wake up with the boys; the boys wake up early.
Brutus got a short walk, just a little more than it takes for him to make his deposit in the woods. The rack was on the back of my wife’s Passat wagon and I was in the car headed to my brother’s ahead of schedule. The drive was effortless as the city was still asleep. We arrived in Leesburg at the Ida Park for the cross event with some time for registration, parking lot banter, and some warm up on and off the course. At registration I was excited to get a free cowbell and noticed one of the Coppi Volunteers from a trail encounter on one of my commutes.
The line up for the 35+ did not have the numbers of the Charm City or Ed Sanders events that I had attended earlier this year. But, the competition was still strong. I took the back of the line along side of fellow Clydesdale Chris Redlack. At the sound of the gun the racers took off. The large field quickly funneled into a thinner section of trail, allowing the top racers to move ahead, while those of us in the back stalled and waited for traffic to move forward. Not being focused on racing or placement I let things move forward before I started to pedal along myself. With Chris at my side I warmed up slow, thinking it may be better to pace myself than to sprint out hard and die. There were some long slow climbs that I felt would disadvantage myself so I figured pacing myself would make things a tad more pleasurable.

A few laps into the race I had moved up a few spots and was playing cat and mouse with a few other racers. Somewhere around this time Chris had stepped off the course. Apparently he had a sloppy dismount/remount at the barriers twisting an ankle. Then I caught up to Chris’s rugby buddy turned cyclist who was also on the sidelines with a mechanical (I know John as well, oddly enough we all went to college together many years ago, but did not meet until recent years) These were two racers I was focused on for pacing. With them gone I was on my own. So I focused on the wheel ahead of me.

The Squadra Coppi event in Leesburg was an amazing experience. The day was cool and crisp in a late fall fashion. The sky was big and the earth was soft. The course offered a wide variety of technical demands, there were barriers, short run ups, long fast flat sections, off camber, some tight turns, and some downhills that were sketchy at high speed. There was even an announcer giving a play by play of it all.

My race and my race effort was a pleasure. Nothing to boast about, nothing to be embarrassed about, a good day on the bike… a fast fun work out on a sensational course. This year I have attended three different cyclocross events. Each event was spectacular and special in its own way. This Leesburg course is being committed to memory as a race location to return to next year and years to follow. Once again the fun of cross invigorated me. Getting me stoked for more cross practice, more cross racing, and more cross riding. Not sure of my next event. Maybe some stuff in an urban park before the PVC Lake Fairfax event in early December.

and of course
more images and more rants on my blog
www.gwadzilla.blogspot.com

You may view the latest post at

http://www.dcmtb.

com/blog/archives/152

word on the street....

the word on the street is that Rob Campbell broke his clavicle
or
maybe I am just spreading rumors

as this is a blog
there is no fact checking
there is no need to be accountable
just put it up there

my guess is this happened in Stokesville

as I was at the Tacchino cyclocross event

Rob has been one of the guys fighting for the most fun in the Killer Bs this year

on Saturday Rob had a very exciting race where it appeared that he felt good on a course that may favor him
he took off the front fast and hard
but could not hold off the challengers
then Evan Ellicott (of DCMTB) tried to power forward with the same tactic
but managed to maintain
it was a very exciting race to watch unfold
the play by play announcer added to the fun
(turns out EVAN has a BLOG... go figure!)

I did not hear the announcement
but as Joe Foley (also of DCMTB) came around on one of his laps the announcer make mention of Joe's recent engagement to Heather!

ROCK ON JOE AND HEATHER!

NCVC
and
NCVC is hosting a cycling film at the Arlington Cinema and Draft house in December
Six Day Bicycle Race

Rob
heal up fast
take care of yourself!

gear... bicycle gear/winter gear

last night I was catching up on some blogs...

in my meanderings I was visiting The Old Bag
in one of her earlier postings further down the list she went through a list of gear....
I think that I need to get some gear recommendations on my blog...
no... I do not think I need to name my bikes
I also do not see the point in naming hermit crabs, fish, or cats

most of my gear comes from City Bikes
City Bikes is my local bike shop as well as the title sponsor of my team DCMTB
but...
I am not above Internet shopping or bargain bins at other shops

this morning's gear call-

gortex shell/gortex cycling pants MEC in Canada
pearlizumi knickers/pearlizumi shoes (I own several shoes, these shoes' cleats match the old SPD pedals on the fixie, TIME are my pedals of choice)
camelbak pack
bell helmet (with great adjust-ability dial in the back which allows me to use the same helmet with or without a skull cap)
gloves? who knows... the gloves change everyday
serfas glasses (interchangeable lenses, riding with the clear today, usually ride with the yellow lenses on these serfas frames and amber on my smiths)
shirt and sub layer jacket of unknown maker or design
sock from Walmart

within my camelbak pak I have an assortment of bicycle tools
crank brothers pump and multi-tool (but these tools circulate and interchange with other varieties with varying strengths)
standard 15mm wrench
a few tubes of various sizes
an allen key for the fixie cranks
a quick stick
and certainly other stuff I do not need

a few of my bikes
Surly Karate Monkey geared with front suspension in green
Surly Karate Monkey Single Speed rigid in brown
Specialized Tri-Cross Comp cyclocross bike
Jamis Nova cyclocross bike (not yet built up)
a 26er: Rocky Mountain Blizzard (old and tired)
Franken-Fixie

then floating around my garage...
Kona Explosif
Kona Huma Huma Nuka Nuka apua Ah
Raliegh Racing USA road frame
Old Benotto road frame
then certainly some more stuff that I will never use

rainy morning... short commute... saw Eric

Eric of WABA: washington area bicycle association
image not from this morning
it is rainy and wet this morning
is that repetitive?
well
it could be wet and not rainy

ran into eric as I rolled into work this morning
did not stall for photographs
lacked the camera on my person
was already running a tad late

it is clearly time for me to fix my fixie
that bike and many others need some serious TLC

the Pink Colnago Frankenbike Fixed Gear needs some work
simple enough
the non-drive crank arm is worn/stripped
in not much time the arm comes loose
the right size allen key is in my pack
but... when I tighten things down
things are worn such that the crank arm contacts the bottom bracket
causing massive resistance
well beyond friction

need to dig through my garage
I am certain that I have another 175mm crank arm
it is just a matter of digging

it hurts... am I not cool enough for rip slyme?

am I not cool enough for the guys in rip slyme?

why don't they want to be my myspace friend?

rip slyme myspace

I know... rip slyme is so last month
but I still find it to be catchy
actually
I can not get enough of this song

long time since kim has been on the page

GWADZILLA ARCHIVE WITH A NUMBER OF CLOSE UPS OF KIM AND HER PINK HAIR

another PSA from the mind of Gwadzilla

riding a fixed gear is not a crime

a judge rules that a bike must have a brake in oregon
interesting
a rider's test would make more sense
www.oregonlive.com

bruce back from the worlds

ran into bruce
he had a few seconds to answer my questions about his trip to australian
apparently he was not as impressed with his finishes as I was

he had a strong alleycat race
but was not impressed with his placement in the main event
I had not know that Sean Bega had gone for this race as well
bruce told me that bega finished strong

more than just a pretty face

fatmarc
more than just a pretty face
marc is not only a fast cyclist
but from my perspective it appears that marc is a focal point in a cycling community
someone who organizes stuff
someone who acts as a mentor to others
someone who aids in getting people psyched

maybe I am way off
what do I know

over the last few years
definitely with the assistance of the Internet I have had a bit of a window into the cycling culture of the Delaware area

there are a number of rides and racers from that little state of Delaware the are totally pumped to ride their bikes

it is inspirational
their cross practices seem to occur with regularity and amazing intensity

Delaware Cross Coalition
Buddy (who I believe is from across the PA border, but they let him hang around just the same)
Fort James (who I do not think has anything to do with Fort Frames)
IF/Laura Webb (who is in france for a year with the family)
well... that is enough
okay... one more Diane... Fatmarc's main sponsor

is chris from around there?

it is so confusing
it will all make better sense to me at the next race
as much as Fatmarc likes to crack on hippies
he looks hot with his long hair and he lives in a communal enviroment
that moves around like a tribe
setting up camp like nomads
making where they park their temporary home

from one of the many mini circles of cycling in dc
dcmtb team captain joe foley is engaged
joe rides, races, takes pictures, blogs, and gets married

faia rocks out a strong finish

tim faia rocks hard for a big win
here is how he tells it on his blog

not sure who took that picture
but
I stole it

boulder cup

team green/IF blog

it has been a while...

it has been a while since I posted this little GWADZILLA PSA

take off your headphones and listen to the world

each season has its own sounds

cell phones are worse then headphones
I use both... but not compulsively
not even regularly

same story... different day

this morning I ran into this guy I sort of know
we run into each other from time to time

when ever we run into each other we talks bikes
usually he talks
while I listen
I know... I know... anyone who knows me finds that hard to believe
but it is true
I listen
while he talks

each time we talk it is escentially the same story
he starts with something about looking for a bike, getting a bike fixed, or buying a new bike
then it all transitions into some race he did some time ago
I am not sure how many races he has done
or what level he competed
but... somehow I think that I may have done more races this year than he has done ever
but... he tells me some anecdote just the same
a glorious moment of making a pass
or a defeating moment of getting passed back

the story always ends the same way
he finishes the story
they he walks away

no...
conversations are not about
your story then my story
but
maybe there should be a moment for me to respond to your story

I can not wait till we run into each other again
pretty soon I will be able to write his biography

catching up on some BLOGS

trying to catch up on some blogs
life has had me too busy to read all the blogs that I love to follow
so I spent a few minutes scanning the web for some favorites

while in the North East checking in on Kerry Litka

I was pleased to see she made mention of my blog as she took photos of herself while spinning on her fixie

then
I saw that Graham at GoClipless is having his Interbike BOOTH BABE Contest
(where he misspelled Kerry's name and wrote Terry)
((no he didn't it is Kerry from Terry Bikes))

no catch phrase to insert here

catch me if you can...

bipsquack!

this is daniel
he said I could take his picture...
but then he rode away
that was on another day

he has a humorous personality
a bit of a wise guy

P1 not HardRock

fort knox five

was hanging with my friend rob the other day
we hiked the dog
we chatted
we caught up
we moved all sorts of baby furniture
as I no longer have a baby
and
he is about to have a baby
well... his wife vida is pregnant and due this winter
rob is one of the five of fort knox five

on the drive I had the pleasure of listening to some of the high energy tracks on the soon to be released CD by FORT KNOX FIVE

fort knox five
fort knox five at myspace

give a listen to the tracks at myspace

rob also plays sitar with Theivery Corp as well as guitar in a few other projects

turkey fever

will this motion banner play?

injury and health and keeping perspective

today I posted a few things earlier on two different elite cyclists and their health and well being

a link to Jeremiah Bishop and his condition after a crash at a race in Costa Rica
and a link where Barbra Howe talks about her battle with fatigue that has kept her from racing cross this year

too few of us appreciate our health

I am no different

we can operate at 100 percent
then so much as a cough or the sniffles on race day can really effect our performance

last season I was in the ER twice for different cycling related injuries
it is part of the game
during the healing process I tried to keep it all in perspective
a broken finger or a dislocated shoulder may be unfortunate
but people suffer worse

I am back on the bike
been riding injury free
my confidence and technique are not where they should be
but neither is my fitness
that is just how I roll

yet... my perspective is where it has to be

keep perspective

ie.... your job may suck... but at least you have a job
or
your basement may flood when it rains
at least you have a basement

perspective

gwadzilla racing in leesburg

squadra coppi
velo photos

winter weight
already starting to put on my winter coat
7-10 pounds larger than I was in early september

a few more images from JOEYP from this event

my third cross race of the season
charm city, ed sanders, and tacchino cross
three amazing courses
three amazing race
three less than amazing performances by me
three really really good times

cross is special in a weird way
it is tough for me
cross is a strange painful pleasure
the climate and the course can combine to make it a unique pleasure
pleasure that may not often be felt until the pain stops

this year I have held back a little
tried to keep a little more pace
as it is not fun to be dying 10 minutes into a 45 minute race wishing that things were over
debateing quiting
counting the laps and looking at the timer
no
that is no way to race
unless of course you are leading the pack

and well
I am not leading the pack
but
I am having fun
there are a number of cross races coming up
maybe one or two more for me before the season closes till next fall

most definitely planning on doing some cross practice races with some friends in some dc urban parks
those informal events can be nearly as fun without the cost or the drive

barbra howe

barbra howe cross diary
a year away from racing as she battles fatigue from unknown causes

barbra howe image stolen from cycling news
photography by shelia moon

jeremiah bishop bows out of la Ruta after a serious crash

jeremiahbishop.com
jeremiah blog

la ruta de los conquistadores

image stolen from canadian cyclist

jeremiah.. heal up fast
okay... jeremiah does everything fast

kevin dillard images

images by kevin dillard
squadra coppi

DCMTB/City Bikes

kevin dillard's RAW series

world cycling tv

world cycling tv
it is not suicide girls tv
but it will work

the lance show

lance finishes the NYC marathon in just under 3 hours
just under three hours

in the news

I heard it was heavily covered
guess he is used to that

the jack knife

cannondale

I have had a variety of very different cannondales

this may be old news
but I have never seen anything like this

no in print
not on the road



some bikes I loves
and honestly
a few dales I hated

got my money's worth

saturday I got my money's worth
the coppi team put on an amazing event
the course was awesome
the energy of the event was natural
the play by play announcer is a great touch

but it was not the race
no, it was not the free rasberry gel or anti cramping tablets
no had to be the free cowbell
I will certainly get sick of all those rasberry gels
and honest... I could never eat that many anti cramping tablets
but I will certainly be able to ring that cowbell
a real solid cowbell with a nice sound and the logo from the Tacchino cross race

good stuff

half of a cross double header

my body is feeling good
my body and soul are feeling pretty good

it is good for the soul to push your limits
it is not just the achievement of doing it
there is definiately something that happens on the physiological level that effects the psychological level

feeling pretty good

it was a busy weekend
managed to get some stuff done
including going to bed early and waking up late
something that does not happen often
but was able to happen this weekend with the wife and the kids up north in pittsburgh for the weekend

the weekend sans kids freed me up to do what I chose
saturday morning I drove by my brother's house then out to leesburgh for a cross race
a local teal Coppi hosted a wonderful event known as Tacchino Ciclicross
the day was perfect for cross
the air was cold
the earth was soft
there was a bit of a bite in the air
a tad cooler than brisk
not really cold
no where near freezing

the course was an interesting number of laps
a course far more interesting than some tape on a football field
the course had some steeps as well as some long ang flats
but it also had a long slow steady grind
a tough course for a big guy
a tough sport for a big guy
an especially tough course for a big guy
but I raced in the 35 plus around some racers I had finished around in the last two races I did some time ago this season
was feeling the seven pounds I have gained since september
maybe that seven is now ten, have not weighed myself since Halloween

the weekend also involved some great hikes with brutus in the woods
one long hike with brutus and a friend
the friend was over for an after noon hike and an opportunity to pick up some baby furniture
as we are no longer in need of a crib we passed on our old crib and changing table
felt better than trying to sell something on Craig's list
it does take a village

only raced saturday
gave no real consideration to racing sunday
until I woke at 7 am after a going to bed early the night prior
but my gear was not packed and the bike was not tuned
so I slammed my head back in the pillow and slept a little more
not often I get to sleep late

there were trips to home depot and trips to ikea
solo...
man style...
no thinking
just buying
did not buy the paint after having it mixed at Home Depot
it did not look like it was matching what I have on the walls
then the lights from Ikea were not mounted as they do not have an on/off switch on the light themselves
so... a few things did not get done
but I did get some other stuff that needed to be done

no... I did not rake the hay yet
but I did toss out the pumpkins
no... I did not take the Halloween lights off the clubhouse out back
but, I did put out mouse traps with peanut butter

no there was no Honey Dew list
but, there are always things that need to be done around the house

my iPod...

Bells of
my iPOD love the music of Bells of

looked for an image of the first Bells of release, Eleven Eleven
no luck
I think song for song... record straight through the earlier work of Lawrence is my favorite
yet there is some magic to some of his later stuff as well

I worked on the design of this cd sleeve with my friend Rob Myers
yesterday Rob came over and hiked the dogs then picked up some baby furniture

it was good to catch up
it is good to share what we have and what we do not need

on the drive home Rob switched from the radio to CD in his SCION wagon and I got to hear the get up and dance sound of Fort Knox Five
one of his more recent projects
perhaps his focal project

I need to get Lawrence to put up a MYSPACE page
his music is worth sharing and hearing
maybe he can re-release some of it
reproduce his old stuff with his new style and new tastes
release a double album
the music with it folk-sy appeal and his music with his current Space Music flavor

Key Bridge and M Street

the other day headed back from a cross race in Leesburg my brother and I were stuck at the light at Key Bridge and M Street

on the line between traffic stood a man with one of those cardboard signs
not sure what the sign said as he ducked and weaved so quickly between the cars
smiling and waving even if he was not given the pocket change he requested

I mentioned to my brother that I used to know that guy
just from around town
from hanging out
from the parks
whatever
he was always on hard times

not sure of the timing of the light I searched for my wallet
as my brother called his name

george came over and leaned into the car
he had that same smile and that same twinkle in his eye
my brother greeted him and directed him to me
making mention that I knew him
he leaned in and in fact recognized me
decades later and a lot less hair... he still recognized me

I passed him a two dollar bill
not much
but a two dollar bill

my brother said... you gave him your two dollar bill
I said... I know... I have always felt that two dollar bills are good luck
he needs the luck more than I do

in our short exchange he mentioned that another character from the park from that same era named Racoon had passed
my memory is often better with faces than names
I did not recall a guitar player named Racoon
with the light green and cars honking behind me I had to pull away before George could jog my memory

maybe george is not as bad off as my world may think
maybe he is where he wants to be
doing what he wants to do
either way
we can all use some luck from time to time
hope he gets some good luck

maybe I will remember who Racoon was
either way
it sounds like he was too young to die

borrowed that photo from Tony Colter
I do not know him
hope he does not mind...
check out his photo of the day
good stuff