in the morning headed to work... 1700 Block of Lamont Street

1700 Block of Lamont Street in Mount Pleasant
a place I once called home
a great block to celebrate Halloween!

every year they close off the block and there is a massive Halloween Celebration!
I DIG IT!
now things have expanded to the 1800 block and other parts of the neighborhood
decades ago... there was not a pumpkin lit in all of Mount Pleasant except for Lamont Street on Halloween
the neighborhood is changing.

as I rolled back downtown on a SMARTBIKE I snapped some shots...

another shot of Glenn of WABA with flowers...

passing that pasta place that often has a line out front...

before she took a turn the wrong way on a one way street...

DCMTB... DC Mountain Bike! good local folk having a good time riding.. racing... and hanging out!

DCMTB
Darren of DCMTB has posted some slide shows on the DCMTB Blog Site
http://www.dcmtb.com/blog/

Darren's Blog
http://thebikeandmore.blogspot.com/

just some shots around town...

Gary Ryan has some night photos from Wednesday at Wakefield number three!

http://www.pbase.com
photos by gary ryan!

running ahead of the boys as we ride up to Columbia Heights to grab something at Target

and I wonder...

are this flowers for his beautiful wife or for alice swanson?

DC Pedi Cabs... not sure how many companies are in the city now

RACE REPORT: Wednesday at Wakefield #3

RACE REPORT: Wednesday at Wakefield #3
W@W3 2009

no need for a traffic report... we know that Interstate 395 during afternoon Rush Hour is going to have a volume of cars that will cause some sort of delay
as for a weather report... the weather of the day was far different than the week prior... clear skies... low humidity... warm... not uncomfortably hot... and no threat of rain
now on with the RACE REPORT!

the two weeks prior I raced in the Clydesdale Class on my Jamis Exile Single Speed 29er
this week it seemed like a good idea to try and get better acquainted with the Niner: Rip Nine... a geared bike squishy front and rear

with bags full of all sorts cycling gear and my bike loaded on top of my car I arrived with the usual frustration of post work traffic and pulled into a somewhat congested Wakefield Regional Park

WAKEFIELD PARK WAS FILLED TO AN ALMOST MAXIMUM CAPACITY!

all sorts of post work athletic activity
kids jamming in the skate park, woman suited up for softball competitions... astro turf playing soccer players... men playing indoor full court basketball... as well as the gym rats heading to weights, swimming pools, and tread mills...
and then of course mountain bikers all buzzed around the parking lot
mountain bikers out for a ride and mountain bikers getting ready to race

a Potomac Velo Club volunteer directed me toward one of the few remaining parking spaces down by one of the many Rec Centers on this very interesting suburban athletic compound
I rushed to sign the waivers and get my numbers on the bike then suited up and then rolled on down to the start line to get ready for the release of the race

as usual the pre-race anxiety engulfed me
the anxiety of the moment was heightened by the anxious experience of the interstate traffic and the can of Red Bull I had just ingested
at the line there were some pokes, prods, and questions about the fancy bike I was racing

HOLD THE PRESSES! I HAVE SCANNED THE WEB FOR IMAGES AND JUST NOW TOOK A LOOK AT THE RESULTS POSTED BY PVC! OH MY GOD! WHAT THE F_CK! THIS IS SHOCKING! NOT SO SURE I LIKE WHAT I SEE...

PVC Results for Wednesday at Wakefield
Can these numbers be correct? Did the promoters fail to subtract the starting staggered starting times? This may be one of my slowest W@W Race efforts in years... on the Back to Back of years prior I averaged significantly faster times! WOW! I do need to learn how to race/ride this bike

back to the report...

the various categories were grouped for the 6:55 release
staggered they released each group... Expert Men... Expert Women... Sport Men... Sport Women... and then finally... THE CLYDESDALES!

when it was time for the Clydesdales to go they had given the the Sport Woman a two minute head start... this delayed start would change the dynamic of the race significantly
not only two minutes behind the women... all the other staggered release times added up to more time before having to pass racers from other classes

at the release I did not fumble with the pedals
I managed to clip in without issue and went back and forth between the gears looking for the right gear to get myself up the hill ahead of my competition
when I rounded the top of the hill I was a few bikes from first
then on the flats I dropped it into a harder gear and accelerated past the other racers... just edging by Marine John so that I could enter the singletrack first
this all seemed like a bit of a repeat of week prior

this was not how I wanted to get there... but I was in the lead in my class
that is where I wanted to be
that is where I needed to be
I wanted to be in control of my pace and the Clydesdale Race

rolling on the dusty singletrack I could feel a line of large cyclists in my shadow
not just one set of tires... but several
I tried to let my body recover from the effort at the start and find a groove

the longer gap of time before the release of the Clydesdale Class changed the first lap
making this a very different race than the weeks prior
on the Creek Trail there was no one to pass... it was smooth sailing
there was not a cluster of Sport Women setting my pace
there was not the Sport Men in their Singletrack Caterpillar
I was able to ride the turns at my pace without the need slow behind other racers often having to wait for the double track to pass

maybe this was not helping me?
maybe the racers ahead of me give me something to shoot for?
maybe passing forces me to race faster and harder?
these thoughts all after seeing the results... because at the time I thought that I was racing fast
I just thought that the plush suspension front and rear made for a comfortable ride at speed

unfamiliar with this very expensive squishy bike with all these gears I tried to find a groove
I accelerated where I could and tried to arc the turns with speed and grace
during this whole first lap I could feel what I was confident was Timmy of Gripped Racing in my shadow
there was no shaking him... he matched each effort I put forward
I did not have the passed racers to work as a slow moving pic

at the start of the second lap the passing started
the timing was such that there was not so much need to slow and roll at another racer's pace
I was feeling good about my race
in my head I thought about how my finishing time would be more reflective of my race efforts of the weeks prior
I considered how there would be less a measure of my having to slow and go at the other racer's pace
mistakenly I thought that this was going to be the time trial pace that I could compare my times to the other classes
mistakenly I thought that this was going to be my fastest race time of my three approaches to Wakefield this summer

there was much consideration of "smart racing"
I tried to remember that this bike responds differently and has different pedal clearance
throughout the race I did my best not to have my pedal kiss the earth or a rock on the down stroke
this has been an error that has sent me crashing to the ground more than once
in fact it was this kiss of the pedal that sent me crashing at the Baker's Dozen earlier this year
a crash that caused some injuries that I am still contending with

when the third lap started I was feeling like I had the race in the bag
I could not feel anyone nipping at my tail so I toned it down a bit
again... trying to get a feel for the bike and trying to race smart
tried to race fast and fluid... thinking that if I did not make any foolish moves that caused a flat tire or a crash that I would finish first in my class
then about halfway through this last lap on the powerline section I glanced back and saw that Timmy of Gripped Racing was not far behind... I gave him a friendly wave and a shout which he may or may not have seen or heard

back into the woods I thought about laying down the hammer and the risk of crashing
a crash would more than likely do more damage than trying to increase the gap
but I could not risk getting caught... relaxing was not an option
so rather than soft pedal my way to the finish I tried to keep things at race pace

anxiously I tried to get to the finish without any close contact with any of the other racers in my group
I reeled in as many riders as I could and made as many passes as I could

across the line I shouted out to the time keepers... FIRST IN CLYDESDALE
then went to join the post race experience

after coming across the line I was greeted by some cheers of some fellow DCMTB team mates
I stopped and exchanged congratulations with my team mates

Cargo Mike looked at me and commented... "you are not even sweating."
then when talking to Timmy of Team Gripped there was talk that I was slower on the squishy bike than I was on the Single Speed... I thought it was possible... but I did not think the speeds would be this significant

the week prior I had felt that I was faster than the first week... even with the last lap in the rain
but not sure how this third week could be so many minutes slower... especially the way the race was run... yes... it appears that I do need to learn how to ride/race this fancy bike

the week prior even with the rain I shared a great enthusiasm with the other racers that I thought that our race time was faster than the week prior
this week I was not so sure... yes... I already ruined the climatic finish by revealing the results
but even before seeing the results there was talk that I had been slower on this rig than my other ride

ah... the finishing place is more significant than the finishing time... but there is a tale to the tape
last week with a faster time I was a minute or so before the next finishing Clydesdale
while this week the gap was roughly 25 seconds

the finishing times are not really something to fret about
but knowing that I do not know how to ride/race this bike is an issue
maybe this is not the course for me and this bike
maybe this bike will give me an advantage on a different course
but should this bike give me a disadvantage on this course?
well... maybe with my riding style... but this should not be the case

the race was followed by some post race excitement
everyone was buzzing about how things had gone on the course
everyone had a tale to tell
after the awards were handed out a good number of people went across the street to get some food at Kilroy's
yes... Potomac Velo Delivers Again!

WEDNESDAY AT WAKEFIELD ROCKS!
even if we do not have the race we had intended to have

in my years of cycling I had wanted to do comparisions of different bikes on the same course
often wondering about comparing results on 26ers versus 29ers
and of course single speeds versus geared bikes
this is a summer training series... the perfect place for such experiments

sadly this summer and the responsibilities of adult life have not allowed for the "back to back"
that is the test of not just the bike... but the body, the spirit, and the mind
it frustrates me to see others doing the "back to back" with success
while I am struggling to get my head around one race
oh well... each season brings its own set of complications and issues

Gwadzilla has the camera on Capital Hill

one perspective of the US Capitol Building
is that the Cannon Office Building?

another shot of the Capitol with the newly renovated visitor's center

gwadzilla plus capitol
where are the SMARTBIKE locations on Capitol Hill?
SMARTBIKE DC LOCATIONS

I can recall Eric Gilliland of WABA being aggravated that they were not going to have SMART BIKES on the Hill... there was something about there being a different company doing a smaller more local bicycle rental service... not sure if that is just for people working on the hill?
either way... we have seen that The SMARTBIKE DC is starting to grow and catch on and that we need SMARTBIKE locations on Capitol Hill

another photo set from Wakefield

nice shot mike...
www.flickr.com

raced at Wakefield last night...

.


time well spent...

there should be more mid week activities that make me feel so alive

Lee snapped some nice post race shots...
thanks Lee... on Flickr


hopefully some words on this later
still never finished the report from last week

a number of cameras were out there last night


.

Green Lane Graphic

Green Lane Graphic
Long Beach Sharrow
www.flickr.com

thanks Xtracycle Gallery for the link!
Mark at Salon made this video of his Xtra Cycle Experience!

these ideas dance well together... utilitarian cycling and safer roads for cycling

I had never seen a Super Sport with a sidecar before... cool!

Washington DC USA.... it has a European Flavor... it is faint... but it is there

words here about how I have taken some photos of this guy before

a shot of nothing in Chinatown

ah... China-block in Washington DC

hug the ones you love... today and everyday... life is too short

on the hill

that looks like a comfortable ride...

The Facts about Alice Swanson's Death from Blacknell Dot Net

Mark Blacknell: The Facts About the Death of Alice Swanson
http://blacknell.net

what can we do?
we can be more careful on and off the bike...

I try to remind people that I am a cyclist no matter what
I could be on a balloon trip or walking on the moon.... no matter what... I am still a cyclist
people behind the wheel need to be more empathetic to those in the world around them
granting the pedestrians and cyclists around them their right to space
rather than bullying them

when I drive my car I anticipate the pedestrian and car traffic
the bike path gets special respect
when I see a runner, cyclist, or even a cluster of tourists I act as a blocker for the cars behind me
I slow and grant them their right of way

so many idiots and assholes behind the wheel
and the horn...
when I am walking my dog I often see someone do something stupid in their car
then the car behind them leans on the horn
at that moment there is a transfer of energy
the person who made the danger move with their car loses the attention of being the idiot/asshole
then the person creating the noise pollution becomes the idiot/asshole

dont' be an idiot/asshole.

oh... here is the Police Report
thanks John
http://johncurran.files.wordpress.com

jesse justice photography...

jesse justice photography...
some great shots of some local heros
http://jessejusticephotography.com/


congrats to Jon H who recently got married!

these very similar photos snapped at nearly the same time have different emotions

tomorrow it will be one year...

tomorrow will be the one year anniversary of the death of Alice Swanson
perhaps during lunch I will take a walk to the location of the ghost bike
then... maybe if I have the time... I can devote some time to reading on the topic of urban planning and what cities are doing to make cycling more safe in their cities

it is true... Michael Jackson Faked his Death! It is true... Michael Jackson is alive.

the across the street is almost more a shot of the city than the cyclist
this man's ride through the construction area's enclosed sidewalk was certainly more fun than this photo itself
but... photos of nothing are photos of something

a fly on the wall...
I wonder how much of the pedi-cab service is about "the hustle"
I always hate the haggle and the hustle when I travel
fixed price... is fair price
unless haggling for sport

lots of interesting architecture in this city
churches line some of the more major roads

snapping more shots on the move... this shot going up by the Capital Building on Capital Hill
I guess I could have burned the building in better with some photoshop effect... but I am too lazy for that sort of touch up work

ah... Pedro's and Vinny's
perhaps the best sidewalk burrito in town
me... I went for sidewalk bulgolgi... or whatever that spicy combo may actually be
got all salad and no kim chi
my legs are tired
it was a fast march there and back

team alley cat in NYC

I hear that there is a Team Alley Cat Race in NYC this weekend...
good luck to all
maybe Dillard is headed up there with the camera
or will Kevin be racing at Fairhill?

kevin... can you hear me?
how are things?
two weeks ago I went over the log cyclocross style in the name of C3
since then it is all up and over
that thing has long since been worn down
it was pretty for those that could clear it
I always had to go around
no helium in my tires

demoncats
I seriously should consider taking thing from pointing the camera and pushing a button to taking a photograph... about time I put some tricks up my sleeve...

exciting start to a long race...

wow...
what a chess match!
lance is good... lance got lucky
if he had planned being in the right place at the right time he would have played it down
he is stuck in a psychological battle with his team managers and the team leader
it is intense

lance got lucky
it would have been dangerous for him to prove himself later
he got lucky and reminded people of what sort of racer he is
things are just starting to get interesting
and well... lance has become part of this story

why are people talking about lance in the tour?
because he is a serious threat for the yellow jersey.

in the times
I am excited to see what develops with Tom Bonnon
and this Cavendish guy... well...
the show has started early... glad I tuned in at the start

taken from escentially the same spot in less than thirty seconds

DC is a Kayaker's Hot Spot... who would think? oh... kayakers.

head to head race... Great Falls?
this weekend?
is this shit underground?

Potomac White Water Festival
http://www.potomacfest.com/

Chris... we need to talk... we may need to do a trailer adventure
if you are willing to play in the baby pool with a newbie

well...

does life imitate art
or does art imitate life?

I would like to see DC Paint Their Bike Lanes...

PAINT THE BIKE LANE
this is not an original idea... this is an idea that other cities are trying
we should try it here

paint is cheap... life is priceless

paint the bike lanes blue or green
then maybe people would respect them more

people need to think twice before crossing over them
it could aid in people anticipating the cyclist
maybe people would drive and park in the bike lane less
it is about respect
respect to space
respect for life

maybe tape it off and offer up some bright color paint and let people tag it
the streets of DC could be filled with a montage of actual graffiti art

if it would be as SPARSE as "Cool Disco Dan" than it would need a background an alternate color than asphalt black
okay... you will settle for Department of Interior Green (which is pretty darn close to Bianchi Green aka Celeste Green)

then for the white strips... is that paint or is that some sort of street sticker that is pressed on the road?
if so... lets drop some reflective specks in that compound!

the bike lane. a very cool shop made up of some very cool people

I have still not been to the Reston Bike Lane Store
I was excited to get a walk through and a quick synopsis of its green-ness
but... I have yet to make it to the Reston Bike Lane
which is funny... because for Christmas Grant got a new bicycle... which I bought from The Bike Lane
that was done on the phone with one of the owners and then my wife picked it up
that is the bike that Grant is riding now... a Trek Jet 20 or something like that
he is just growing into it... I think I may need to raise his seat again

but honestly... I do not know The Bike Lane stores that well... I have poked my head in the Burke location a few times... but the shop is not convenient to me
so how I know the shops is by knowing The Bike Lane owners and The Bike Lane Team at various cycling events

The Bike Lane tents and The Bike Lane vans have been doing neutral support at local races pretty steady now... and well... lots of problems have been resolved and a lot of asses (races) have been saved! The Bike Lane people are quality people.

I Like The Bike Lane

http://thebikelane.com/

and my friends over at The Family Bike Shop most definitely feel the same way
DCMTB is now teamed up with The Family Bike Shop
I am teamed up with DCMTB

DCMTB: DC Mountain Bike
Ten Years of riding, racing, and serving the Metro Area bicycle culture and community
the DCMTB identity has morphed over the years
the team has grown with the times
DCMTB is in a good place right now
DCCX is a part of that

shopping online there now...
oh... I am starting to drool
so much cool stuff

RACE REPORT: W@W #2: Wednesday At Wakefield Number Two

this is old news... I never checked it out
not so sure I need to check it out
it would be hard for me to separate two weeks ago from last week
and I still need to write last week's report
you get what you get... do not fret
results are up for week two... did not find any photos of myself

almost a week has passed since the last W@W
if I am going to throw down some words... I best do it now
as the time for looking back has nearly past
it is rapidly approaching the time for looking forward
so... here it is... my report from last week
expect a Weather Report... a Traffic Report... and a Race Report
no extra charge!

RACE REPORT: W@W #2
Wednesday At Wakefield Number Two
the afternoon sky was heavy with the threat of rain
it was clear it was going to rain... it just was not obvious when
during my day I ignored glancing at Weather Dot Com as I did not feel that seeing a Doppler Radar's prediction of the weather forecast would aid in my efforts
I got out of work a few minutes early and got home to load the car with enough time to get out to Wakefield Regional Park without panicking
went out there with my fingers crossed... hoping the rain would hold out long enough to allow me to race

out of Mount Pleasant and through downtown I was moving through a steady flow of congested traffic of people just getting out of work
I drove down Interstate 395 out of the District shocked that the traffic was so light... I had left a few minutes earlier than the week prior and thought I had missed Rush Hour traffic... but no
the traffic started later in my trip... go figure

the week prior the traffic was immediate... this time the traffic backed up as I got closer to Wakefield
I just relaxed and breathed easy
or should I say... I tried to relax and breath easy as I knew that this snail pace traffic was not going to prevent me from making the 6:55 start time
traffic early in my drive... traffic late in my drive... what was I thinking... there is always traffic... there will always be traffic... it would kill me to have the bumper to bumper parking lot speed traffic the whole way
it would kill me to have this sort of commute in my day everyday

I arrived at the park with travel time similar to the week prior... when I arrived the early racers were half way through their journey
I signed my race waiver, threw a number on my bike, and suited up
the sky over head was blocking the sun so I tossed my sun glasses back in the car
rather than warm up I grabbed my camera and cheered on racers as they passed

with my camera in hand I cheered as the racers pass... I considered various vantage points for stellar photographs
then I stumbled mentally... it is tough to wrap one's head around more than one task... splitting my thoughts between the rapidly approaching race and taking photos had me unable for either
so I opted to not take any shots and to just cheer for the passing racers before I lined up with the Clydesdales
there really was not enough time to play photographer

in fact... on the ride home I had nearly crashed my bike trying to play photographer
while zipping around Dupont Circle on my bike I saw a subject on the bike perfect for a Gwadzilla Shot
I took the camera in hand... cropped around the subject... then when I was about to snap the shot in my perifferal I thought I saw traffic in front of me stopped short
I slammed on my brakes in a panic and returned my focus to the bike
traffic was still a few feet ahead... it was a scare just the same... I was lucky that such a heavy pull on the front brake did not send me over the handlebars in traffic

as I watched the racer cross the start finish and feed into another lap I saw things get sloppy
a fatigued set of woman racers from the beginner class got tangled up and crashed in a mass of bodies and bikes
it was a low speed crash without much drama and more than likely no blood
the women stayed motionless in the path of race traffic

I moved one bike... someone else moved the other
then people assisted the fallen racers to the edge of the path where racers were still racing

more racers collected in the confusion
then things were cleared... people were back on their bikes... people were back into racing
well... other than the original two woman crashers
after the passage of some time I reminded them that they should be on their bikes and finish the race
one of the women slowly mounted her bike and sheepishly pedaled back onto the course while the other sat with her heads in her hands
in a muffled voice she bitched about the obnoxious behavior of the other racers
how the racers had been so inconsiderate in their passing

I did not argue with her... I knew her point... she was neither right nor wrong... that was just her experience
a negative experience at that
I thought about the pass and how I can be one of those racers wanting to pass
how I try to be considerate... but thought about how the passed racer felt

then realizing the time I rushed off to the start line

at the line there were the usual suspects... there are only so many Clydesdales... the class can only get so big...
a few unfamiliar faces were there and some unfamiliar bikes
there were also a few vacancies
I had seen Greg's wife and kids milling about the course and figured he had raced Single Speed
later review of the results shows Greg racing single speed and Expert...
ah... the "back to back" I love and hate the "back to back"
this year I felt like the "back to back" Single Speed and then Clydesdale was more than I could get my head and my fitness around... it irks me to see others doing it... like I am missing the party
also looked for the name of Chris Redlack on the results... no sign of his name

at the line I surveyed the situation... tried to size up the competition
friend and DCMTB team mate Kent Baake had told me that his neighbor would be on the line this week as a Clydesdale to give me a run for my money... I shouted out asking if anyone knew Kent Baake... there was no response... then in between the friendly banter I noticed a Gripped Racing Jersey with the Dogfish Logo on it... I made mention of there being no slow racers on the Gripped Squad... I should have listened to my own words... those words would have made me better prepared for the events to follow

the other classes were released and we waited for our turn to come
with the count back from a minute thirty my heart rate accelerated
with a count back from ten I tried to get ready
then a half pedal before the words go had me half stepping to avoid the false start
then trying to move forward I missed clipping in with my right foot
I fumbled and fumbled again... bikes moved forward around me

finally clipped in and on the bike I was on that short gravel hill fighting for position
I crested the top of that mini challenge in the shadow of Barry Quigley
turning left onto the gravel road I took the inside line and passed Barry and spun my single speed wildly to get past Marine John
just before the hole shot feeding it the first section of singletrack I was where I wanted to be... riding first in my category

in the distance not so far ahead I could already see the challenges ahead of me
racers to be passed
I thought about the race prior and my intentions to race differently this week
I thought about racing fast and fluid... banking turns with my speed
trying to keep off the brakes and maintain speed
rather than my herky jerky style of over accelerating and over braking which expends a great deal of energy and really beats up the body
I also thought about being as considerate as possible when making the pass

but my desire to be fast and fluid was disrupted by the sound of knobby tires in my shadow
so I cranked it up
I raced ahead to try and get this bike out of my shadow
but alas... the trailing racers from the classes ahead prevented me from getting ahead
I raced ahead only to find myself forced to move at the pace of the slower racers released in the classes in front of me
so... I drop my pace and looked for a clean safe place to pass
as I passed each set of racers so did the rider behind me

I would try to sprint ahead to ditch this racer only to be blocked by the next set of stragglers
only to be caught and then have him make the pass through the same gap that I created

this pastern continued through the course of the first lap
I worked so hard to get away from this racer only to be blocked by the racers from the classes in front of me
it was frustrating... it was exhausting

as I made my passes I thought about the words of that woman who had refused to return to the race because of how she felt the other racers had passed her
I tried to be as considerate as possible... but I also wanted to make my pass
I also wanted the racers ahead of me to be considerate of me

there were lines of cyclist rolling along at a less than race pace
they were in that group that I call the Singletrack Caterpillar
a tough group to pass... they can all pedal faster... but they only pedal faster when you try to pass

AHHHHH! I am trying to be considerate of them... but are they being considerate of me... if they slow for a pedal stroke and let me slide by their race does not change... but forcing me to roll at their rate is totally screwing with my race

oh man! ohhhh mmaaaaannnnnn!
there I was on my single speed pacing along behind these racers
forced to take full sections of trail at their pace rather than mine
waiting for a spot to pass... then missing it
asking nicely to pass... some allowing me by other refusing to acknowledge my request
trying to take it... and having some accelerate to block it
while other times I could not bridge the gap fast enough
it was so frustrating

at the finish of lap one at the crossing of the line that marks the end of a lap and the start of another I was able to thrust past a group of riders who I had trailed behind quite long enough
then I turned back into the single track only to see that the fading light had created sections of darkness in the woods
I was pleased I was not wearing sunglasses but was bummed that I had not brought a head lamp

the second lap had far few racers blocking my path
there were still passes that needed to be made... but far few and far fewer situations where I was refused the pass
I was not sure how far behind me the trailing Clydesdale was but I tried to maintain pace rather than slow down and find out
I spun my single speed fast and fluid and worked hard to muscle myself up each little climb
before the end of this lap it started to rain
it was dark in some sections of the woods
and things were starting to get slick

at the start of lap three it was raining...
I thought to myself that the odds of someone standing in the rain to snap my picture were slim
oh well... no beauty shots
I took to the woods and thought about smart racing
tried to keep the bike upright
tried to find that speed that was just fast enough so that I would not be caught and not so fast that my bike slipped out from under me

my bike never slid or sketched
perhaps I was going slower than I should have... but... I did not want to risk it
the rain put a slick sheen on the hard packed earth
I saw riders wiped out at various spots and tried to slow down to prevent the risk of my doing the same

it was frustrating... so often I look forward to looking at the times to compare myself to the other classes... the slowed pace by passing is something that removes the notion of my time being measured like a time trial... then this rain... well... there would be no need to compare my time on my Single Speed to the Single Speed racers... my time would be completely different
not only are there different release times and different people to pass... racing on a dry course in the sun is very different than racing on a wet course in the dark rain...

lap three came to a close
a racer who I had caught and passed had been pacing behind me
as a joke he raced me for the line... but in this situation of the time trial... my later release time had my finishing time minutes ahead of his... so I did not care about his sprint and lunge for the photo finish... well... I cared... but I did not respond

racers gathered under The Bike Lane tent to exchange tales from the trail and then a number of people went across the street to get some grub at Kilroys
I joined some people on the back deck at Kilroys to extend my Wakefield experience

a good time for sure
time well spent
good racing... good people... good times

Wednesday At Wakefield is a highlight of my summer each and every summer!

PVC RESULTS
more on this when I get a second

looking for bike blogs...

there was a contest...
then contest relationship between race promoters and blogging bike racers
there were elections and I am not sure what else
not there is racing
and an understanding that a select group of racing bloggers will blog about their race
a race that they won entry into
or something to that effect

BRECK EPIC BLOGGER LIST!
www.breckepic.com

nice cover art...

www.dirtragmag.com

Bike Polo in The Washington Post Magazine....

Bike Polo in The Washington Post Magazine...

not the most impressive story...
not the most impressive photos...
yet it is cool for these guys to get some press
and
I know how difficult it is to capture the action of Bike Polo with still photography

The Washington Post Magazine: Bike Polo

Gwadzilla and Bike Polo...

Zits... a comic in the Post

ZITS

I hope you had a good 4th... we did!

Cancer took the life of one of my wife's best friends this weekend...

I hope that Laurie is at peace...

Laurie beat Cancer...
Cancer was behind her
Laurie is a Survivor and a Fighter

sadly... Cancer is a fighter as well and sadly.... Cancer is a Killer
Laurie's Cancer came back
Laurie fought her Cancer with grace and courage

Laurie died this weekend...
it was a long battle

Peace to all who knew and loved her...
my heart goes out to any and all who have to deal with this biological demon known as Cancer

and we trust... that cars and trucks stop when and where they are supposed to...

stop signs and stop lines
some of the simple rules that create order
right now it is chaos

Jason Berry and Le Tour!

Film Maker Jason Berry is pointing his camera at the Chipolte Garmin team at the 2009 Tour de France

words here...
trailer here...
(not yet.)
other stuff... on the Berry Train..

http://www.gfkracing.com/
http://gfkracing.blogspot.com/

http://jasonberry.com/

Ocean Bike Ride...

http://yvonlecaer.com/

Yvon le Caer's Ocean Adventures

Skate Ramp at the Museum of the Native American

this weekend past we rode our bikes down to The Mall to go to see the Skateboard Demonstration at the Museum of the Native American
the sport of Skateboarding has become popular on the Reservations in the United States
the Musuem is recognizing this...

my buddy Mike Mapp (aka Micro) built this ramp... who would have thought
had a gypsy read her crystal ball and told Micro that he would be building a skateboard ramp in the Smithsonian 20 years ago... he would have never believed it
AWESOME!

the boys had a good time... it was cool to see
and I bet it was even cooler for the kids from the reservations to come to Washington DC for this event

GWADZILLA TANGENTS ON MICRO
then... also Mike Mapp

oh man!

.


bummer
North Korean had their own fireworks show today
news on Yahoo.


.

on the scale...

.


weighed myself this morning...
weighing in just under 220


.

2009 Tour de France

http://www.letour.fr/

http://www.versus.com/tdf/

http://www.universalsports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=23000&ATCLID=3746664

let me get this call...

no time for the camera... I need to take this call
and respond to this text!

on the Mall... July Fourth on the Mall... I won't be there... but it is an option

just a dab will do ya...

little ripper!

this kid is a little ripper!
www.connectionnewspapers.com

Fort Knox Five on the Fourth of July...

looking for something to do post fireworks on the Fourth of July?

Fort Knox Five will be making it happen at The Black Cat!
The Black Cat
(I totally forgot that my buddy Jason Farrell designed the logo for The Black Cat)

Fort Knox Five
Fort Knox Recordings!