Have Gun will Conquer!

The story of Gerolsteiner rider Andrea Moletta's father being held by the Italian anti-doping police in a car with a large amount of Viagra might have simply been the source of many dirty jokes had it not led to his son's withdrawal from the Giro d'Italia.
Natalino Moletta was stopped by the Italian Guardia Finanza as one of three passengers in a vehicle travelling from Padua to the Giro d'Italia which reportedly contained 82 packages of Viagra, along with a disposable syringe hidden in a tube of toothpaste and a refrigerator with other unidentified products. The search was reportedly part of a wider investigation into doping at gyms in Padua, but reports also indicated the car, and thus the products on board, were headed to the Giro d'Italia. However, there is no indication that the police action was aimed at the Gerolsteiner team.
"It was a targeted police action," Gerolsteiner director Christian Henn told dpa. He said Andrea Moletta could not explain why his father was caught up in the incident, and agreed to leave the Giro. "If they were looking at Moletta, why wasn't there immediately a raid in our hotel? So far everything has been quiet," Henn said.
Doping is rife in fitness clubs worldwide, and Viagra is a widely used as a recreational drug, so it is possible that the products in question have nothing to do with cycling. Still, the Gerolsteiner team deemed it serious enough to remove the rider from the race. Do we have yet another Willy Voet on our hands? Was the car bringing drugs to riders in the Giro? And if so, why Viagra?
Viagra, or sildenafil, is normally used to treat erectile dysfunction, but a 2006 study published by the Journal of Applied Physiology (JoAP) and reported in Science Daily claimed that the drug can significantly enhance performance at altitude in some cyclists. At the moment, the 'little blue pill' is not on World Anti-doping Agency's prohibited substances list.
WADA's spokesman Frédéric Donzé confirmed that Viagra is not banned in competition, but said that the agency is looking into the matter. "WADA is aware of the high altitude study presented in Science Daily. WADA monitors this substance, as it does with many other substances, and is currently funding a research project on the performance-enhancing potential of Sildenafil at various altitudes."
But is Viagra a performance enhancing drug outside of the bedroom? The JoAP study tested ten trained cyclists at sea level and in an altitude chamber simulating 12,700 feet (3870 m) above sea level (or about 1,200 metres above the Giro d'Italia's Cima Coppi). The results were remarkable: while no benefit was gained at sea level, the Viagra group improved its performance over a six kilometre time trial at altitude by 15% over the group given a placebo.
However, the average numbers were deceiving, because the Viagra group was split into "responders" and "non-responders". Four of the subjects had shown a more marked decrease in performance at altitude than the others with placebo, and when they took Viagra, the difference went away.
Another study from a group in Belgium from 2007 tested the drug on "healthy subjects" before and after acclimatization to altitude (5,000m) and saw the performance benefit of Viagra vanish once the subjects were adapted to the low oxygen environment.
The impact of altitude on exercise capacity varies widely from person to person, depending on physiology and acclimatization. Some adapt quickly at high altitude, while others can have severe reactions such as mountain sickness or pulmonary edema - which typically show up above 2,400m.
Whether or not the drug can give a benefit to riders at altitudes below this level remains to be seen. With Monday's mountain time trial from San Vigilio di Marebbe to Plan de Corones heading from 1,200 up to 2,273 metres above sea level, will we see riders popping Viagra to get up for the race? If they do - and if the drug is not banned by WADA, and only the riders who have the unfortunate physiology to have their blood vessels seize up in hypoxic conditions can get a benefit - is it doping?

With a Little Help From Our Friends!

So a good friend who is a racer / traveler of mine has been talking about doing this for some time now, and lookie here - from cocktail napkin to market!

These parts insert into your front and rear drop outs when you are packing your bike for travel. The idea is that these devices protect your frame and the rear piece also tensions the chain so it does not flop around and marr or fill your chainstays with grease.

The set with quick releases included sells for $19.95 thru http://www.protechvelo.com/

And the winner is..... 5 years old and w/o a BIKE!

Take a close look at this photo-

Golden State Crit yesterday, one of which saw so many crashes they changed the course, saw what could have been the end of that race and, well, what could have been the end of the kid in the foreground....

The last race of the day - I think it was 45+ 3,4 had a young OJ attempt to commit "Childhood Suicide" I think there is some kind of pill or vaccine for this condition that pushes those "feelings" off into adulthood, or at least pre-teen.... Kudos to the 6 in the break who reacted quickly avoiding the Jr. OJ as he got to the center and did the bob-n-weave as if avoiding the rushing team... fade right, spin, and such stylish footwork Juice (from concentrate)! However, by upsetting the field (and his parents - who must have been at a different race - or Denny's) a few of the guys in the break decided this was the time to attack those who skidded to a stop while avoiding the orphan. That is pussy racing! and Jr. Juice's move had a total effect on the outcome of the race.

So in the end we are happy to report the yuth in question in back safely in the arms of his father - THE CORNER-WORKER! Yep, the guy with the flag on that corner!

This Is How We, Errr, um, They Roll.....

This from a team-mate of mine, ah, ours....... hard to believe he lines up with his bike pointed forward...

5:00 PM Tuesday
Brian: Hey Dr Greg PhD, what's up? What time should we leave tomorrow?
Greg: oh, we should leave like at 7 am and go with Dan so we can like ride the tt course
Brian: How many bikes are you bringing? I have Thuly rack with square bar. You sure your yakima mounts & wheel rack will fit? Maybe I should come over tonight and set it up...
Greg: Heh... i think it will fit man. Let's do it tomorrow. It wil be fine. dude, don't worry.
Brian: OK.

6:50 AM Wednesday morning
John & Carol, Dan & Elisa pack up to John's huge SUV. Dan's truck is parked in John's garage. All doors locked, organized, hit the road on time.

6:30 AM Wednesday morning
Brian: Hey Sue, let's go. Car's all packed and we gotta get to Greg's house.
Sue: ok (sue is jamming something into trunk which has been pricely packed with wheels). Slam! Trunk shuts.
Brian: I better put some wheels on the rack so we have more room in the trunk. (take out a front racing wheel). duh... why are these 2 spokes hanging out sideways? Sue? did you put something in the trunk?
Sue: yes, I had to put some extra sox.
Brian: Crap. there goes my racing wheel. Oh well, I will just use this american classic carbon tubular wheels I borrowed from friend. I never rode it before but better use it now. (Slap the wheel on the rack and drive to Greg's house)
On the way down to Greg's house on Hwy 50, "thump". Brian pulls over and the carbon wheel is laying sideways on top of the roof hanging on by the velcro. "Yike. I guessed I didn't tighten it".


7:15 AM
Brian: Hey Greg, sorry we are late. I almost lost my wheel. Let's pack.
Greg: Cool dude, let's put the rack on...
Brian: how many wheels do you...
Greg: Uh.. we have a problem. my yakima mounts are not gonna fit dude. These round things won't fit on your square bars...
Sinking feeling... 3 bikes, 6 sets of wheels and crap load of stuff...
Brian calls Dan and admit state of chaos... "Dan, you guys left at 6:50 am? wow."

Fast forward... Lance has mount that fits, stack wheels in back seat. everything fits

9:20 AM - heading north out of town on I-5 going about 70 mph
Brian: Finally, we are on our way man. 2 hours late. oh well. It's really windy out here. Wow, look at that wheel whobble on the rack. I'm gonna call Dan and let him know we left. (practical joke feeling comes on)
Brian: Dan, I don't know what to do. We can't fit the bikes. We can't find any racks. We are not going to Hood race anymore.
Dan: WHAT??? What do you mean you are not coming? BRIAN, CALL WILSON.
Brian: No Dan, we are giving up. Greg went back into the house and he's not talking to me anymore. I think he's crying. I gonna do modesto race instead.
Dan: What??? Brian, CALL WILSON. Go rent a car. Just get up here. Even if you leave at noon, you will make it.
Brian: We don't have any money to rent a car. Can you come back and get us?
Dan: WHAT? No way! we are 3 hours ahead of you almost to Shasta. There's no way we can turn around now. (everyone in John's car is cracking up)
Brian: I don't know what to do. We just can't deal with this anymore. We are stressed.
Dan: John, can they get into your garage and use my car or my rack?
John: no, all the doors are locked. There's no way to get into my house.
Brian: I just don't know Dan. We are screwed. I will call you back.
Dan: Uggg. (hang up the phone).

Right after Brian hangs up... THUMP! Brian's carbon wheel flys off the rack. Greg watches in amazement.
Greg: Dude, your wheel just rolled down the highway across the grass into the other lane. It was still rolling dude."
Brian: no way! That's my only racing wheel.
Greg: Dude, those carbon wheels are pretty tough. Plus it was still rolling so it should be ok. But it went right in front of the mack truck...


2 laps around Zamora exit.
Greg feels bad and calls Dan and tells the truth that we are on our way but we lost a wheel and we are driving slowly on the shoulder looking for Brian's wheel.
Dan doesn't know what to believe anymore. He's skeptical about wheel story.
Wheel is found cracked in the ditch.
We are back on course heading north.

Brian calls Dan again
Brian: Dan, we found the wheel.
Dan: Did santa clause find the wheel for you? or did tooth ferry find it for you?
Brian: Heh? we really found the wheel but it's shattered
Dan: That's what you get for lying to FBI agent.

Brian looses 2 wheels before race even starts and is down to 1 front training wheel. Reprioritize... just get to race with a working bike with a number pinned on. Rest is details.

Beginning of a beautiful stage race call Mt. Hood...

Brian.

Hey Rocky! Watch Me Pull a Rabbit out of My Hat!....

This just in From Skinny Tony:

If skydiving doesn't quite do it for you, you could always strap a jet engine to your chest. That's what Bob Maddox did until discretion got the better of him and he decided a jet-powered bicycle might be a little safer.
Maddox, an artist and cabinetmaker in Medford, Ore., has been tinkering with pulse jet engines for seven years now. He's recently started bolting them to old-school cruiser bicycles and selling them on eBay, and a video of him riding one is bouncing around the blogosphere.
We got ahold of him at his workshop, where he's wrapping up a sweet purple jet bike for a customer in the Netherlands. He's only built two so far. He got the first one up to 50 mph but backed off when visions of catastrophic wheel failure danced in his head. He figures the bikes will hit 75 if anyone's got the guts to do it.
"When you're on a motorcycle going 50 mph, you don't think anything about it," he told us. "But on a bicycle, it feels way too fast."
And loud. Way too loud.
"It's loud like a top alcohol dragster loud," he says. "It'll pop your ear drums if you aren't wearing protective gear. That's a drawback to the engines."
No kidding.
Pulse jet technology dates to the beginning of the 20th Century when they were developed in Sweden. Germany used them during World War II to propel the V-1 "buzz bombs" they hurled at England during the Blitz of 1944. The exceedingly simple internal combustion engines that will run on just about anything and remain popular with hobbyists.
"It'll run on propane, gas, kerosene, absolutely anything except cryogenic fuel," he says. "They'd run on peanut oil if you want."
Maddox has been into skydiving for 20 year and used to compete in tracking contests, where free-falling skydivers move horizontally across the sky at speeds approaching 120 mph. His buddy was always just a little bit faster, so Maddox thought "it'd be fun to strap a jet engine to my chest and make myself into a human missile."
He discovered turbine jet engines are expensive. But pulse jets are as cheap as they are simple, so Maddox set to work building one. "All I started with was a schematic out of an encyclopedia," he says. The engines are basically a long tube with a fuel pump, a spark plug and a reed valve. Air and fuel are mixed at the front and ignited in a process that repeats - or "pulses" - about 70 times a second.
Maddox soon had a working engine and he developed a throttle that allowed him to control the level of thrust - something he says is rare on a pulse jet. He made three jumps from a plane (that's him in the pic) but quit because "the fuel system was a little scary" and he worried about setting the plane on fire. But Maddox was hooked.
He started refining his pulse jet engines, which he fashions from aluminum and stainless steel in his workshop. He's sold about 50 of them. The smallest are used to power model airplanes. The largest - two monsters producing 500 pounds of thrust apiece - have joined the beastly nitro-methane engine in Wally Larson's Top Gun Groundfighter show car.
The thought of bolting a jet engine to an old Schwinn cruiser came to him about six months ago when "I wanted to throw the engine onto something that would get me around." The bike engines provide 50 pounds of thrust. They weigh 13 pounds apiece, but Maddox says you hardly notice it when you're on the bike. Get it going, though, and things get interesting.
"It accelerates pretty quickly," he says. "It'll hit top speed in about 7 seconds. But even at high speed, it feels very stable. You're just being pushed along on a column of air."
A column of air being produced by a red-hot tube howling at 150 decibels. Besides being hot and loud, pulse jets aren't very efficient. They'll suck down half a gallon of fuel a minute at full throttle, and the bikes carry just six to eight quarts.
With his bikes starting to, er, take off, Maddox is looking to his next project - a pulse jet motorcycle that he'd bring to drag races or maybe the Bonneville Salt Flats. If you think riding a jet bike is crazy, give a jet motorcycle a whirl. Maddox says, "you'd be straddling the engine with a fork out front and a tire in the back."

I got nothin....

Jesus! now that weather has gotten better life is a blur - riding has gotten harder and recovery always to be the last thing on the list. I skipped the local RR last night to build Fat Tony's new $10K Felt DA. As always, that thing is sick! I did some number crunching re: taking the price of that bad boy and my figures show it will cost FT $500 a ride over the life of the bike. Good investment for a CPA? At least it sets the bar for fixed-family-income. Anyway, good thing I did not race as there was a crash in the sprint leaving one guy out cold and Puddin loosing yet another good finish as he rolls into Dr. Puddin mode.... truth is, we race with two doctors both ER guys. One fast, one slow. One GQ, one IQ.... the personal list goes on, but the point is you both should make a deal on coverage, something like Dr. Puddin forward, and GQ everything else?

Kinda weird to think of the the local peloton as a single organism. That's to say, with the after mentioned two, we also have a gynecologist - that guy is the busiest in the group as we have a lot of pussies in there this time of yr. but he never seems to be able to cure them....

There's also a CPA who is constantly keeping track of the attacks and viability of of a break sticking - considering the biorhythms of each, number of teams represented and taking the average age of the entire attendees of the break into account.

There are also the lawyers... yes we got em, I keep waiting for one to sue for someone not pulling thru, crossing the center line or flat out just winning and causing emotional distress! But that's the point! We do this to cause emotional distress!

Hmmm,....... maybe I do have something......?

How to get rid of your bike! or, um, sponsor....

Sent in from Mark N.
Tis a good one!

Muffin Time.......?

Oh my... I just read the last of this string and thought it was a slice worth serving. The loose group of guys I sometimes call my "friends" have a habbit of throwing out an email and all the rest become Hunter S. Thompson


Below is a string from today-





------------------------





Fun With Numbers


Yesterday I did 7 x 1 min. all out anaerobic intervals (377 to 436 avg. watts). Those were super hard and destroyed me. Harder than any race


Today did two intervals to the top of Donner. The first was in 18:42 (my best time in years) at 242 avg. watts. The second climb was in 21:10 at 214 avg. watts. For comparison, Sunday I did a 25:45 minute climb (King's Mtn) in the Bay Area at 261 avg. watts (I had a little more to give). So I'm seeing a 20 watt difference (or more) in my power output at altitude vs. sea level.
My weight is now down to 143.





The GONDA!


----------------------





Ya racer - where are you for Modesto?
I just took a shit with an avg. of 320w on the first drop and 281w on ea. interval push for an overall avg. of 301w. That's the best shit numbers for the year! ....and 20% more volume! My weight is now down 6lbs


GB


---------------------





Soooo, do I DARE ask the obvious question…………… Nah,


I did the BBI Mtn Bike ride last PM and then went further up past where we turned off last fall. Climbing was hard, I sweated a lot, I have no idea what power I didn’t put out for any number of minutes nor do I care. The important thing was that a) I was on my bike, b) it was outside, c) it was 6:00 pm and it was warm, and d) I DIDN’T crash and break my back


Fat Tony


P.S. Off to Modesto on Sunday for a pancake flat RR. Put those watts to work and do the 35+ race with me!





---------------------





Gregg Bellicose,


Glad to see you’re back with solid numbers. And potty humor too. And to think, a new slimmer you. No Modesto for me. I have work this weekend.



The GONDA!


--------------------





What I see here is a simple muffin shortage. I’ll type slow so you dunderheads can keep up. Seems a tad early in the season to already have your kits riding up so high, and your lycra in a twist. Tis spring. Sunny, and finally warm outside. Ah, yes you say. Tis perfect weather for a battle. No, asshole. Perfect weather to go have fun. Sure, I can have fun, you say. I’ll do easier intervals on this lovely spring day, and follow my work-out with a delicious, chemical tasting recovery drink. Yummm-eeeeee! Why, I’ll just to revel in the moment, I won’t even look at my watts until after the work-out! (Obviously, I will need to track my heart rate to see if I am in the proper zone. Duh?) What I propose is going for a ride, not a work-out. Sans heart rate monitor, sans watt meter. No intervals. Ride with a fun group. Go on a long ride if you want, even if that is “not part of the program this week.” What??!! Next you are going to suggest that I stop being aggressive? Or stop >> being aggressive to my friends? No, no. This is what drive me! (Drives you fucking mad, that is.) So, skip the protein shake for breakfast today, and enjoy a muffin. And go for a ride, and skip the work-out, and the watching of watts, and the battling with friends. (OK, I can do that, but do I still get to stab the people-who-were-my-friends-last-week-but-not-this-week, in the back? Huh? Do I? Come on! A fella’s got to have some fun? Right?). Just throwing some truth at ya. Oh, sure, might sting a bit, but you’ll get used to it. Just kidding. For some it will always sting. But that makes me happy. Think I’ll have two muffins.





Puddin - formerly BBI


-------------------------





Dude! what did Paco ever do to you? When did he get under your skin so deep that you respond in such a way - he's your elder! show some respect! The other part of your message seems swirled w/ estrogen. Yes estrogen mixed w/ testosterone creepy mix, but it is spring and you are dating someones Grandmother-


Makes you a Grand-motherfucker!


GB


------------------------


Gregg, I think we may have identified your problem. A simple hormonal imbalance. You need that creepy mix of estrogen and testosterone. Perhaps you should make an appointment with Dr Peter Taylor to sort you out.Gregg As you age many vital hormone levels in the body decline. Hormones are the chemical messengers of the body. The body needs proper hormonal balance to function efficiently. If hormone levels become imbalanced or too low or high, then inefficiency will occur in your body, leading to declining function. Measuring hormone levels to determine if they are normal or not normal (which is obvious in your case) can be important in maintaining hormonal balance. Men need to measure their estrogen levels, as well as many other vital hormones, such as testosterone, thyroid, human growth hormone, and so on. I suspect you know what I’m talking about - Hint, hint. Since estrogen is one of the primary sexual hormones of women, men may overlook the importance of estrogen in their own bodies. Imbalance of estrogen levels in men can lead to disease, aging, degeneration, and breakdowns. From Harper's Biochemistry 25th edition, "increased free estrogen - (biologically active) testosterone ratio noted in aging, cirrhosis, and hyperthyroidism." Higher levels of estrogen may be involved with aging, cirrhosis, and hyperthyroidism. Also, "Abnormally high plasma levels of E-2 (estradiol) and changes in free testosterone (biologically active) ratio have been associated with pubertal or post-pubertal gynecomastia (male breast enlargement), particularly in older individuals and in patients with chronic liver disease or hyperthyroidism (Ref. Robert K. Murray, MD, Ph.D., Daryl K. Granmer, MD, Peter A. Mayes, Ph.D., D.Sc., Victor W. Fodwell, Ph.D., Harper’s Biochemistry, 25th Edition, Appleton & Lance, Stanford, Connecticut, 2000, Pages 596-597)." Imbalance of estrogen-testosterone ratios may result in disease, degeneration, and other problems including lower wattage output. You can measure estrogen with a hormonal specialist. Also noted is enlarged breasts, aging such as pear shaped obesity (estrogen promotes fat gain), and other feminine characteristics appearing in men may be an indicator of increasing higher levels of estrogen in men. So if you are a male and you note you are unable to maintain muscle, your body looks more and more like a woman's body, you are gaining weight on your belly that gives you a pear shape, and other feminine characteristics, you probably need to get your estrogen levels checked immediately.A hormonal specialist, up-to-date on the newest ideas of the hormonal sciences, will probably also check your testosterone and DHT hormonal levels, as well as other vital hormones. Hormones do not work alone and the whole story of estrogen can not be told without understanding what is happening to other vital hormones that influence and control estrogen levels.In conclusion, higher estrogen levels may result in feminization characteristics, such as weight gain and other aging symptoms, enlarged breasts, loss of muscle (which leads to decline in metabolic function), and other more feminine like changes, that can result in declining efficiency and function in the body. When function declines, this leads to degeneration, breakdown, disease, and aging, which leads to further decline in efficiency,which continues the cycle of further decline of efficiency and function in the body. Jonathan has none of these problems. Gregg, balancing and maintaining appropriate hormone levels can help neutralize many of the effects that imbalance of hormones can create. If you are a male, you need to measure estrogen levels periodically. Take Special Note of This: Often the hormone specialist will measure testosterone, but not estrogen and DHT. A chemical process called aromatization produces estrogen in men from androstenedione (androsterone) and testosterone (often fat in a man’s potbelly are causing him to lose his testosterone and gain estrogen). This could be the problem with Cookie Belly. Although men do not normally produce much estrogen, inappropriate high levels of biologically active estrogen in ratio to biologically active testosterone are being implicated in some potential cancers. You can read more about this in the article on this web site, called “Estrogen-Testosterone Syndrome/Pot Belly/Baldness Cure." Therefore, if Dr Taylor (Peter not Cathy) does not choose to measure estrogen, then you should consider asserting yourself and asking him to do so. Measuring estrogen, as well as testosterone, is a way to protect your health.Note – In order for these anti-aging ideas to be successful, you must use supplements of the highest quality.WARNING: DO NOT STOP ANY TREATMENT OR MEDICATION YOU CURRENTLY USE. CONSULT WITH YOUR DOCTOR BEFORE STARTING THE USE OF SUPPLEMENTS. Good luck buddy. I am concerned you may start growing man boobs.





The GONDA!


--------------------





You guys are weird. Keep my name out of these discussions. (but keep me in the weird e-mail loop)


Dr. Taylor


-------------------





You guys OBVIOUSLY need to get REAL jobs with REAL work hours!


Fat Tony


-------------------


END - for today.......

You Be Da Judge.....

There are new developments in the tragic incident in Northern California last March that claimed the lives of two cyclists and injured another when a sheriff's police vehicle crossed the center line and struck the group, who were on a training ride. The California Highway Patrol concluded its month-long investigation and filed its to the local district attorney's office that charges be filed against the driver, Sheriff's deputy James Council.
Both Kristy Gough, 30, and Matt Peterson, 29, were killed as a result of the crash, while a third rider, Christopher Knapp, 20, of Germany escaped with non-life threatening injuries.
Nick Muyo, a spokesperson for the Santa Clara County district attorney's office, confirmed with Cyclingnews that the office has the report which would contain any recommendation for charges. The San Jose Mercury News reported that internal sources said the recommendation was for two misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter charges against the 27-year-old Council. This could result in a maximum of a two-year prison sentence. The Associated Press reported CHP investigators did not find any evidence of drunken driving, which would carry much more severe penalties.
Multiple news reports revealed that Council had been convicted of a misdemeanor charge involving high-speed street racing in Los Angeles when he was 20. That conviction stemmed from plea bargain in which two drunken-driving counts - driving while intoxicated and having a blood-alcohol content greater than 0.08 percent - were dropped for pleading to the lesser charge. Santa Clara County Sheriff's spokesperson Sgt. Don Morrissey said that one blemish was not enough to disqualify hiring Council.
"He has had that one incident," Morrissey told the Mercury News. "There weren't any other incidents. We look at that as being young and making a mistake, adapting and learning from that mistake and becoming a viable candidate."
While no exact timeline was given on when or if Council would be charged, the process is expected to conclude in the coming weeks. "We are continuing our review of the case, but hope to have something in a week or two," Muyo said.
The Cupertino City Council has approved plans for a memorial plaque to be placed on the accident scene.

Been tryin to hide this......... Cats OUT!

From Barney-

Cyclists are the biggest sandbaggers and secret trainers around.
They'll say anything to soften you up for the kill. Don't let this happen to you.
Study this handy rider's phrasebook to find out what they really mean when they say:


"I'm out of shape"
Translation:
I ride 400 miles a week and haven't missed a day since the Ford administration.
I replace my 11-tooth cog more often than you wash your shorts.
My body fat percentage is lower than your mortgage rate.


"I'm not into competition. I'm just riding to stay in shape" ---
Translation:
I will attack until you collapse in the gutter, babbling and whimpering.
I will win the line sprint, even if I have to force you into oncoming traffic.
I will crest this hill first, even if I have to grab your seat post, and spray energy drink in your eyes.


"I'm on my beater bike"
Translation:
I had this baby custom-made in Tuscany using titanium blessed by the Pope.
I took it to a wind tunnel and it disappeared.
It weighs less than a fart and costs more than divorce.

"It's not that hilly"
Translation:
This climb lasts longer than a presidential campaign.
Be careful on the steep sections or you'll fall over -- backward.
You have a 39x23 low gear? Here's the name of my knee surgeon.


"You're doing great, honey"
Translation:
Yo, lard ass,! I'd like to get home before midnight.
This is what you get for spending the winter decorating and eating chocolate.
I shoulda married that cute Cat 1 racer when I had the chance.


"This is a no-drop ride"
Translation:
I'll need an article of your clothing for the search-and-rescue dogs.


"It's not that far"
Translation:
Bring your passport

The coolest bike ever......

1910 Pierce Chainless!
Sent in from Rick Bradley
Click for larger pics

Hey, Its Your Fault - Who Told You To Ride That Bike Anyway?

Legally Speaking with Bob Mionske - Blaming the victim
By Bob Mionske
Posted Apr. 10, 2008
Bob, Thank you for an outstanding article on the facts and media bias in the fatal Cupertino accident. I wanted to let you know that in the wake of the accident the San Francisco Chronicle ran a story in which they analyzed accident data, and reported that "Bicyclists were twice as likely as to be at fault." D.C., Napa, California
Dear D.C., Thank you for the link, and for your kind comments. In "Bicycling & the Law," I make the case that anti-cyclist bias is pervasive in the media. The first media accounts of the Cupertino tragedy serve as textbook examples of that bias at work. There is another unhealthy slant I discuss in my book, that of a bias in police accident reports. I've found numerous examples of how police choose to interview the driver, but fail to interview the cyclist, before erroneously concluding that the cyclist is at fault in the collision. And when the cyclist can’t be interviewed, because the crash was fatal, it’s even easier to get a one-sided account of how events unfolded. I've also encountered all-too-frequent examples of police reports concluding that safe — and legal — riding practices are erroneously interpreted by police officers as “cyclist error.”
Advertisement

With these factors in mind, let’s take a look at the Chronicle’s article, which appeared two weeks after the crash that claimed the lives of two promising Bay Area cyclists, and indeed, noted that crash in the second sentence of the article. Immediately after mentioning the Cupertino tragedy, the Chronicle reported that “large numbers of cyclists fail to follow the rules of the road, running stop signs and red lights, and drivers are becoming more aggressive.” Now an article about reckless scofflaws causing accidents, following right on the heels of a fatal crash, would be relevant if the fatal crash had been caused by reckless scofflaw cyclists.
But it wasn’t.
It was caused by a Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Deputy who is reported to have fallen asleep at the wheel. Reckless scofflaw cyclists had nothing to do with the fatal crash, and yet first the San Jose Mercury News, and then the San Francisco Chronicle, somehow saw a connection between what actually happened — a law enforcement officer falling asleep at the wheel and killing two law-abiding cyclists — and what they wanted to report — reckless scofflaw cyclists causing accidents. And in fact, the Chronicle only got around to reporting that “No one has suggested that cyclists Kristy Gough, 30, of San Leandro and Matt Peterson, 29, of San Francisco who were killed in the March 9 accident on Stevens Canyon Road in Cupertino, were at fault” towards the end of the article—after spending considerable space reporting on the recklessness and scofflaw behavior of cyclists. And even after reporting that it was not “suggested” that the two victimes “were at fault,” the Chronicle immediately reverted to painting a portrait of reckless scofflaws.
I don’t think anybody would object to reporting on road safety — after all, it is a matter of public interest. But shouldn’t that reporting be free of bias? What possible purpose could be served by linking stories of reckless and scofflaw cyclists to a tragic crash in which two law-abiding cyclists were killed? For that matter, what possible purpose could be served by reporting on cycling and road safety without discussing the most common road hazards cyclists face: inattentive drivers, distracted drivers, impaired drivers, aggressive drivers and road ragers? Reading the Chronicle’s analysis, it would be easy to conclude that cycling “accidents” happen because all cyclists are reckless scofflaws.
Furthermore, it appears the Chronicle's conclusions are largely drawn from its analysis of police accident reports. The problem with reaching that conclusion, however, is that the underlying data — the police accident reports — are notoriously unreliable, because of the biases inherent in them: Law enforcement failure to interview the cyclist involved, and law enforcement interpretation of safe and legal riding practices as unsafe and/or illegal.
Take, for example, the data discussed in the Chronicle article that indicates that the most common violation for cyclists was "unsafe speed." What exactly does that mean? We know that in the case of Lloyd Clarke, “unsafe speed” meant that as Lloyd was proceeding straight through an intersection in Incline Village, a 17 year old driver made a left turn, directly into his path, violating his right of way and killing him instantly. The police didn’t seem at all concerned about that illegal left turn, however. Instead, they reported that Lloyd had been riding “at a high rate of speed.” One month later, Brett Jarolimek was proceeding straight through an intersection in Portland when a garbage truck turned right, across his right of way. He too was killed instantly, and the Portland Police bent over backwards to blame the victim for riding at an “unsafe speed,” going so far as to invent an imaginary statutory requirement that the driver must “perceive” that he has to yield the right of way in order for a violation to have occurred.
We know what happened in Lloyd’s and Brett’s crashes; their right of way was violated, and the police blamed them for “speeding.” How many other crashes where the cyclist was blamed for speeding — remember, this is what the Chronicle identifies as the leading cyclist-at-fault collision — were actually crashes involving a driver violating the cyclist’s right of way? A few more? A lot more? All of them? And how would accurate police reporting of the causes of those and other crashes affect the conclusion that cyclists are twice as likely to be at fault in crashes? We’ll probably never know, but we do know that until law enforcement officers begin reporting what actually happened, rather than what their biases tell them happened, we’ll continue to get reports skewed by false tales of speeding cyclists, and newspapers will continue to report statistics skewed by the erroneous conclusions of those biased reports.
Now, just to be clear, I’m not saying that cyclists blowing stops isn’t a fair subject for public discussion. They’re not only thumbing their nose at everybody else on the road, they’re providing the ammunition to those who want to restrict our rights to the road. But let’s at least have an honest discussion — not only did scofflaw cyclists have nothing to do with the tragic crash in Cupertino, they didn’t even register as a significant enough blip in the crash data for the Chronicle to discuss as a factor in cyclist-at-fault crashes. Instead, the Chronicle noted that the two most common cyclist-at-fault crashes involve cyclists traveling at an unsafe speed, and cyclists traveling on the wrong side of the road. Now, if the Cupertino crash wasn’t caused by red light runners, and they don’t even register as a significant factor in the crash data, why do an entire story on them in an article that is ostensibly about improving road safety? Why not, instead, discuss the actual factors that contribute to cyclist crashes?
It’s hard to escape the conclusion that the Chronicle used the senseless deaths of two law-abiding cyclists and an ostensible concern for traffic safety as cover to write the article it really wanted to write — a sensationalist rant about scofflaw cyclists. Following on the heels of tragedy, it was poor journalism, and in poor taste.

Today on Versus.....

Today on Versus..... 2pm ET 2-hours!

The Tour de Georgia is North America's premier, professional cycling event and rolling festival. Shining the world's spotlight on the state of Georgia each spring, this international event is an annual, multi-day, professional cycling stage race that draws the most elite cyclists and showcases one-of-a-kind towns and terrain of the Southeast. Sanctioned by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and USA Cycling (USAC), the Tour de Georgia has a 2.Hors Classe rating, making the event one of the top-ranked stage races in the world.

A quickie from our friends in the bay... NOT that kind!

Start: May 4 2008 - 11:00am
End: May 4 2008 - 4:00pm
FREE or LOW COST BIKE TUNE-UP AT ALBANY SPRING ART & MUSIC FESTIVAL!Courtesy of Albany Strollers & Rollers and Street Level Cycles.Spring has sprung and Bike to Work Day is coming up on May 15! AlbanyStrollers & Rollers and Street Level Cycles are teaming up to help youget your bike tuned up in preparation for Bike to Work Day whileyou're enjoying the Albany Spring Art & Music Festival, Sunday May 4th atMemorial Park from 11am-4 pm.
The mechanics fromStreet Level Cycles will offer free or low cost tune-ups and repairsin our Festival booth so you can ride with the best of them. AlbanyStrollers & Rollers is the local advocacy group for bicyclists andpedestrians. We are working to make it safer and more convenient toride and walk in Albany. Street Level Cycles is a unique bicycle shop inBerkeley that functions as a classroom as well as a full scale usedbicycle shop. So roll, drag, push or pull your old bike over to the Festival, and StreetLevel Cycles will help you get it working better than you'd imagined

.....Annnnnnnnnnd, WE'RE BACK!

OMG! The Tour de Georgia. The roads are unreal in the Blue Mtns!! every year I just can't believe how great they are - not a crack or pothole, the grass grows right up to the edge and the just sweep and bank forever - if you ever get a chance..... don't pass it up. The people are great and as there are few fancy coffee's to offer an excuse of running over a rider on way to one - its mellow.

As for race reports - they are everywhere so I'll skip that. Rock Racing again is like that super hot chick who looks so unreal and when you get her home and naked shes covered in stretch marks! 6 support cars and trailers, 3min spots on our shows and a million dollar 2008 bus. Yet no results - still good to have them included.

Some of the chases were so fast - they were holding 35~42 for over an hour all strung out tip to tail!!

We had some good times and some not so good times... one day the 2nd moto broke a drive shaft and I was hung out to shoot fro 5 hrs straight on the longest stage 135mi.! 35lb camera - I was wasted!

We produced a live webcast, a 30min. show and fed images to the big screens everyday. This sun (May 4) Versus has the 2-hr show.

So here are some images - its good to be back!