Bicycle Roulette.....

In what has quickly shaped up to be a whirlwind year of team and sponsor changes, Scott Bicycles will apparently be the official equipment sponsor of USA's Team Columbia beginning with the 2009 season.
Team Columbia's bikes are currently supplied by Giant but that association was put into doubt after Giant announced its support of a trio of Rabobank squads beginning next season. Likewise, Scott was already assumed to have been searching for a team after announcing it would cease sponsorship of the still-fresh Scott-American Beef team after 2008. Although none of the involved parties have yet released any official word, the newly updated Scott web site has effectively done so as its top-end Addict LTD is now coined as "the official equipment of Team Columbia."

Its About Frickin Time... Maybe NOW They Can Get a TT Bike!

No more racing on Coffee Shop Bikes!

Giant Bicycles has announced that it has signed a two-year agreement with Rabobank beginning in 2009.
The agreement covers not only the elite team whose riders include Oscar Freire and Denis Menchov, but also the U23 developmental squad and the Rabobank cyclo-cross team which includes current world champion Lars Boom.
Giant will supply all three teams with bikes and Shimano will continue on as the primary component sponsor.
"We're pleased Rabobank has chosen to ride Giant," said Giant chief executive officer Tony Lo in a company press release. "It's a natural fit—two organizations with a long-term commitment to competitive cycling. Combine Rabobank's talent with Giant's ability to create superior products, and great things are sure to happen."

I Thought We Were Past This......

BOULDER - A bicyclist had a high-speed collision with a black bear Tuesday afternoon while riding down Old Stagecoach Road. It's an encounter they'll both remember.

“I remember thinking to myself, ‘I’m alive, but the bear’s here. Oh, this is bad,’" said Egan.
Boulder resident Tim Egan, 53, is training for the Triple Bypass Bike Race.
He and his nephew estimate they were traveling at about 45 miles per hour on the hill just west of Boulder. Neither one could believe what happened.
"I saw a blur and thought to myself, 'Big dog.' Then just as I was hitting it, I saw this gigantic bear head with huge teeth. He was surprised to see me and I was surprised to see him. It was almost like a cartoon when we collided," Egan said.
Egan and his bike were thrown through the air. Egan's breath was knocked out and he was afraid he'd broken his back. He couldn't move for several minutes. His nephew pulled up on the scene just seconds later and told him the bear was still there.
"I remember thinking to myself, 'I'm alive, but the bear's here. Oh, this is bad.' I mean, this bear was as high as my waist. He was extremely well-fed and a big guy. And he wasn't happy. He looked at me and he opened his mouth," said Egan.
Egan's nephew says the bear raised up onto his back legs.
"He wasn't leaving the scene," said Egan.
Eventually, though, the bear sauntered off into the woods, apparently uninjured. Egan, though, was bleeding profusely and his bike was bent. He and his nephew got it straightened out and rode to Boulder Community Hospital.
One longtime homeowner on Old Stagecoach Road confirmed there's been a very large bear in the neighborhood over the past few days. Jerry Dancy also says he's surprised bicyclists aren't killed as they race down the hill.
"We've got bears, we've got lots of deer that dart across the road. It's very dangerous for bicyclists," said Dancy.
While Egan had to go to the hospital, he doesn't think the bear had any problems.
"I don't think I could have hurt him," said Egan. "It was literally like running into a brick wall. I'm glad my nephew was here, or nobody would have believed me. I told him, 'I demand that this story be told at my funeral, because it'll get a laugh out of everyone.'"

Texas Homeless Bike Run....

Sent in from: Bici Bickel

So:

I built up this beater bike and picked up a trailer so I could haul groceries and run errands, something I could lock in front of a store and not sweat. The bike actually turned out a lot nicer than I really wanted; this is what happens when your junk drawer is full of carbon test bits from your race bikes.

$100 Trek steel frame that looks almost new, $40 set of Mavic/Campy 10speed wheels off Ebay (no pictures, no other bids)… well I’m just a pig in fertilizer.

Figure I’ll give the whole rig a good shakedown, run a bunch of errands, head out to ranch country to pick up some fresh eggs and honey, nice 60 mile round trip.

Plan was to get out in the morning but as usual, got interrupted. Then I spent an hours going through boxes (we just moved) to find the bike lock. By time I’m on the bike and out there door it’s 2 PM, but still plenty of time to make the rounds. First thing I notice when I hit the concrete is the humidity from the epic rains we had over the last 3 days.

The sun comes out from behind the clouds a few minutes into my ride and creates a nice steam bath.

Stop one is the bank. Find a pole to lock the bike to, do my business, and head to the post office about 6 miles away. I’m tooling along pretty well, which creates a nice breeze and makes things comfortable. Stop at a light and sweat pours.

The last part of my Post Office run requires an alley/parking lot fandango to avoid a bunch of expressway silliness. One section has a few speed bumps which I normally bunny hop, followed by a busy intersection, then one block to the PO. The PO is not to be confused with EPO, which gets you to the PO faster, but is expensive and defeats the cost savings of riding your bike to the PO.

Speed bumps: I found you cannot bunny hop with a trailer. Well you kinda can, except when you’re airborne and the trailer wheels hit the bump, it’s an interesting dynamic that can have you checking your dental plan for coverage.

I complete the MX course, cross the intersection, and notice a bike trailer sized wheel come flying past on my right.

Interesting.

This is followed several seconds later by a loud grinding noise coming from my right rear.

Followed by an identical wheel scooting past me on the left.

Followed by quite a ruckus from behind.

Man, road rage here is creative. I’ve had a lot of different stuff hucked at me, but trailer wheels?

Look back but instead of an irate, yet creative redneck, I find a sled where my trailer used to be. Sleds are very efficient if you’re in the snow. Trailers work better on pavement.

In case you were wondering.

Pull over and am immediately offered a ride by an elderly couple in a pickup, who I swear look exactly like the Jeffersons from the old TV show. I go on my easter egg hunt with the theme song rolling through my head…

“Well we’re movin on…”

Wheel.

“up (movin on…up)”

Bearing.

“To the east side….”

Spacer

“To that deeeeeelux apartment...”

Spring

“…in the…”

Nail (not mine)

“sky”

Bailing wire (not mine). Spacer. Shim.

You get the idea. Three verses and a short Abba medley later, I’ve found everything but the pins that I thought held the wheels on, but I now understand were meant to be used to hang Christmas ornaments.

Field expedient: I go back and pick up the wire and the nail, and end up settling on the wire for my makeshift pins.

Note: You do not need a cutter to get the desired length of certain types of wire. If you bend it rapidly back and forth, eventually the wire weakens and snaps. In the mean time the bending generates a nice amount of heat, the burns from which are quite painful. The pain is an excellent distraction from the sweat pouring down your forehead. Both the pain and the sweat will obscure your vision, at least momentarily. Wiping your eyes with burnt fingers does very little.

And…he’s off!

Drop off my mail, and head to the big box retailer to pick up some ant spray, the ants here like my cooking. Make it to the parking lot and realize that while Galileo proved the Earth was NOT flat, my front tire WAS.

By time I fixed the flat and got my “Saddam Hussien endorsed Mother of All Ant Killer” the sun was dipping a bit low, what little water I had left was now lukewarm, I had no spare tube, no lights, and the songs in my head had switched over to Blind Willie Johnson. Johnson died penniless from pneumonia brought on by exposure. He was living in the burnt out shell of his roofless house and was found under a blanket of newspaper. While tragic, there can be no more fitting way for a bluesman to go.

I, on the hand, would be found under a copy of USA Today toting bug spray and riding a cheap bike towing a trailer held together by wire and wearing mountain bike shoes.

The egg run would have to wait.
Bickel-

Don't Touch Me! -Yellow makes me "Testy".........

Cervélo: Ha but yes, is no pro-blem....

Cervélo SA Recalls Bicycle Forks Due to Fall Hazard
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.
Name of Product: Wolf SL Carbon Fiber Bicycle Forks
Units: About 5,800
Importer: Cervélo SA, of Switzerland
Manufacturer: True Temper Composite Material Products Co. Ltd, of Guangzhou, China
Hazard: The forks steerer can break during normal use, causing the rider to lose control, fall and suffer serious injuries.
Incidents/Injuries: Cervelo has received 12 reports of forks cracking or breaking, resulting in one consumer suffering a broken wrist and another suffering minor abrasions.
Description: The recalled forks have a clear coating over black painted carbon fiber, with the words “Wolf Superlite” and related logo just below the crown on each fork leg, and the letters “SL” on each leg above the fork blade dropouts. There is a True Temper CRT™ logo on the inside of both fork legs. The recalled forks could have been included on the following bicycle models: R3, R3 SL, Soloist Carbon, Soloist Carbon SL, and certain P3 Carbon framesets and complete bicycles.
Sold by: Independent bicycle retailers nationwide from November 2005 through July 2007 for about $475.
Manufactured in: China
Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using bicycles equipped with the recalled forks and contact their authorized Cervélo dealer to have a free replacement fork installed.
Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Cervélo toll-free at (866) 296-3137 between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.cervelo.com/WolfSLRecall
Media Contact: Peter Donato at Special Assignment Inc. at (416) 964-6118.

From Our Buddy Tex Bickel.....

Former Chinese Olympian Song Hongjuan has been banned from competing for four years after failing an EPO test, officials said Saturday.
According to the Chinese Athletic Association's website, the 24-year-old race walker, who placed 14th in the women's 20 kilometers walk at the Athens Olympic Games four years ago, tested positive for erythropoietin at a competition here in February.
The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), which also reported the case on Saturday, have agreed with the Chinese authorities to suspend Song until March 25, 2012.
Song did not participate in the selection process for the 2008 Olympics.
China is making great efforts to send a clean team to the August 8-24 Games with tough punishments, frequent tests and constant anti-doping education for its athletes, especially those heading towards the Games.
Earlier last month, life-time bans have been handed to China's top man backstroke swimmer Ouyang Kunpeng and wrestler Luo Meng after both tested positive for doping, while their coaches were also suspended for life.

....AND NOW THIS!

Six horses in NJ test positive for EPO
Trenton, NJ --- New Jersey Racing Commission Executive Director Frank Zanzuccki announced today that a Racing Commission investigation has resulted in the first positive test results obtained under the state’s recently-expanded testing protocols aimed at detecting the use of performance- enhancing substances in race horses.Racing Commission investigators oversaw the drawing of fluids from horses at the Commission-licensed Winner’s International Farm in Chesterfield, Burlington County, last month. Laboratory tests subsequently confirmed that six harness race horses under the care of trainer Ernest Adam and owned by Commission-licensed owner Stephen C. Slender, DVM, had tested positive for the performance- enhancing drug Erythropoietin- Human (EPO). The six harness horses have been declared ineligible to compete in New Jersey racing, consistent with the rules of the Racing Commission’s new “out-of-competition” testing initiative.New Jersey State Police searched the farm where the six horses had been kept earlier today. Based on lab results and other information obtained during the investigation, the Racing Commission will now conduct a hearing to determine whether Adam and Slender have violated Commission rules. The Commission is in the process of issuing Adam and Slender Notices of Hearing, which list their alleged rule violations.Pending the outcome of their respective hearings, both men remain eligible to participate in New Jersey racing. Under Racing Commission rules, a trainer is the absolute insurer of, and is responsible for, the condition of a horse within his or her care and custody. Violations of the state’s testing rules are punishable by a 10-year license suspension and $50,000 fine.The six horses identified as having tested positive for EPO have all raced at Freehold and the Meadowlands in New Jersey this year, and have raced at tracks in New York and Pennsylvania as well.The six horses are: Art Maker, who last raced this past Sunday at Harrah's Chester Downs; Jeremy’s Successor, who last raced at the Meadowlands on Sunday; Jovial Joker N, who last raced at Saratoga on Sunday; JW Dutch Treat, who last raced at Yonkers on April 24; Pacific Playboy, who last raced at Harrah's Chester Downs on Sunday; and Western Mac, who last raced at Harrah's Chester Downs on April 20.The Racing Commission’s out-of-competition testing program was launched in late 2007. It began following adoption of a new rule that expanded the Racing Commission’s ability to test horses for illegal substances by authorizing testing not only at racetracks, but at horse farms -- and at any time. Previously, the Commission was only authorized to conduct testing of horses on race day, and only at New Jersey’s four racetracks.Zanzuccki explained that the testing program is necessary to detect the improper administration of blood doping agents such as human EPO, which is improperly used in race horses to improve the animal’s performance.

Nice One!

The man of the day at the Tour of Utah was Jeff Louder, who started the final stage's time trial seven seconds behind Blake Caldwell (Garmin-Chipotle). He made up eight seconds in the short time trial to take the overall victory of the Tour of Utah by just one second. Glen Chadwick (Team Type 1) maintained his third place overall.
"It was a huge team effort this week," said Louder who moved closer to his winning goal when he took the previous stage four victory atop Snowbird pass. "These are my people, my roads and my conditions. My Dad was in the follow car, my wife Soorya and baby Milana are here. So, to be able to win this in front of them – I will relish."
Tom Zirbel (Bissell) proved to be on grand form when he blasted to a win in the final 12-kilometre time trial with the best time of 13'05". Zirbel bested the BMC pair - nine seconds ahead of Brent Bookwalter and 15 second ahead of the overall race winner Louder.
"I feel really good right now and my time trialling is where it needs to be," said Zirbel who has his eyes set on the USPro time trial championships to be held in Greenville, South Carolina.
"Winning today doesn't surprise me," said Zirbel. "I'm feeling good in the time trials and also I got to sit up at the base of the climb yesterday. You never know how the other guys might have been feeling after that stage."

Flight of the Conchords If You're Into It

Part 2 of chillin - this is my fav!

Flight of the Conchords Hiphopopotamus vs. Rhymenoceros

Ya ya, the blogs about cycling I know - but from time to time ya just gotta unwind... no not like that! Like this-

The Good O'l Boys @ NYPD

..as if there's nothing else going on in the city.....

Sent in from W/C Nick!

Tour de France (bike-babes)

From our friend Rick Bradley - always got our backs!

Hey Man.. We Just Report This Stuff!!!!

Finnish artist Mimosa Pale feels the world is too man-parts-centric. We'd agree. However, we're not sure what to think about a form of protest that includes thrice weekly cruising the streets of Helsinki. inviting its inhabitants to take a ride by slipping inside her giant disembodied vagina mounted on top of her bike taxi. It'll invite discussion for sure, and yes, that is one of the expressed objectives for this mobile art and protest piece. But what does "Oh my god, there goes the giant vagina bike taxi again" do to help the distaff-first movement anyway? Doesn't it just end up creating a false caricature of sorts of the feminine anatomy, seemingly inviting ridicule and toss-aside jokes from external commenters with no understanding of the real implications of the piece? Whatever, who cares -

I knew my two favorite things would one-day become one - Let there be light... and there was! A bit creepy looking...

Friends of ServiceCourse.... Speak up!

Hi - I was getting updated on ServiceCourse site....always entertaining! Finally brought myself to shoot you a quick note and voice my thought .... the "Friends of ServiceCourse" routinely seems a bit slanted. Hmmm, what's up with that?! Just plain not fair. (-: How bout' some sexy "him" pics to satisfy the female audience? (-:

MB

_______________________________________

Hi MB-

Thanks for voicing your opinion. ServiceCource is a non gender specific community. The following are for the Females of ServiceCourse! And Hottalk. Something for everyone...

Famous quotes...........

“At this juncture, I have not made any decisions regarding the 2009 Rock Racing roster. If – or when – Floyd Landis returns to racing, I hope people recognize that he has served his time and should be given the opportunity to showcase the talent that made him one of the world’s top bike racers. He has a right to continue to make a living in his chosen profession.”

He may just keep on cutting hair.....

June Lane?

2 nights ago a friend of many in this area had a bad accident on old hwy 40. In the report on BBI, now known as Puddin's, lady friend's blog; she reports:
"He's awake and joking and is considering making up a dramatic story about the crash involving a run-in with a large bear. (June Lane suggested that we hold a contest to guess how many tubes he has attached to his body.)"

June Lane? June Lane!

Dude you're being takin for a ride! Your chick has no idea what your name truly is! Ha! that's great - some impression you make. Wham, Bam, thank you "June Lane".... I think she's just using you - how dirty you must feel now, June.... how dirty..
Its not as if she has no other monikers to choose from... lets see, first there was JLaine, then BBI (Broke Back Idiot), then Puddin.... and now we have June Lane... I like it! If you say it fast as all one word, JuneLane, it really cool! Kinda superhero like, or pornstar like. I know you have a weird disposition toward wearing a cape.... Or it could simply be due to the ol lady glasses holders you just can't part with? Or possibly something none of us know of, as she is the only one who has seen you naked? That thought alone gives me the shakes.


Ether way, I love her. She has turned the tables on you and all of us males who cringe at being approached by a girl of who we have spent some (special) time with but just can't recall her name.


You know the one... her name is a long drawin out - Heyyyyyyyyyyyyy..... funny how they all have the same name?


She's a keeper June, you may just have to try harder........

EPO - It's Not Just for Cyclists Anymore!

Two Russian Olympic walkers were ejected from the team for Beijing after failing dope tests, their coach Viktor Chegin told local news agency All Sport on Tuesday.
Vladimir Kanaikin and Valery Borchin tested positive for the banned drug EPO in out-of-competition tests in April, Chegin said.

Thanks Bill Owens!

Rodney King MUST Be a Cyclist...

From Skinny Tony-

East Bay, CA

At approximately 10:30am our early group saw a driver swerve over the double yellow line in what was a clear attempt to try to hit us head on.

15 minutes later the same thing happened to the regular House Of Pain ride which didn't exactly take it lying down.
There was apparently some name calling and finger's pointing.
The vehicle then made a U turn and proceeded to make another attempt from behind to ram the group.

There was no actual contact as the group apparently got off the road and off there bikes, only to find that this guy was actually getting out of his car to confront 30+guys.
This should give you some idea of the insanity at root here.
I listened to 4 different people I know personally tell the same story of an unprovoked attempted assault on them.

The CHP and Alameda county Sheriff's arrived on scene, though the driver was not arrested. He should have been!
The driver is described as a white male 17 years, with brown hair, wears a black cap turned back. His name is Matt and bears a tattoo on his right arm of that name.
He drives a silver colored GMC or Chevy mid sized SUV. Apparently he and his family live on Collier Canyon Rd. just past the tractor and before the equestrian canopy. The ranch is aptly named "The Hard Time Ranch."

There has been something of a rift going on between the ranchers and the cyclists on this road for some time.
They make the case that they can't pass with trailers in tow when we are gutter to center line and will not ride single file.
Valid of course, but certainly not cause for this type of thing.

I encourage all of you to carry your phones with you when you ride, ride with a friend and if you experience anything like this call 911 immediately.
This is a rural area and therefore a shared jurisdiction with CHP and Alameda County Sheriff's.
911 dials CHP direct.
A description of the person, vehicle and license plate number need to be provided.

As provided by CA law you may make a citizen's arrest for any misdemeanor not committed in the presence of law enforcement.
Using a motor vehicle even in an attempt to assault someone is a felony and police must arrest them upon sufficient complaint of such.

Do make an attempt to stay to the right and share the road with these people, smile and wave.
We don't want to have happen what has happened recently in Los Angeles.