Twin Six 4 Day Sale

M friends over at Twin Six are having a 4 day sale - with 10% of the proceeds going to a good cause (Jenny's Light). More info on their website. Just click the link below:

A great time to pick up some cool cycling duds at very reasonable prices - and support a good cause.

http://www.twinsix.com/

The indignity of using bicycles in marketing

There's been a bunch of chatter around the bikey blogosphere about this particular advertisement:
There are so many problems with this advertisement, that it's hard to start:

1. Is this a bike ad or a car ad?
2. They are using bike Polo to sell an SUV. Bike Polo? I can't think of a sport where the typical players would disdain a giant SUV more.
3. The family in the picture insinuates that they are all out playing Bike Polo... "Hey Dad, Let's go play a family game of bike polo!" "Sure son"... Gee Dad, when did you get so cool.
4. The bike picture of the SUV itself is so small compared to the rest of the ad.

The next advertisement is actually right on the mark, and I like it quite a bit. This is the correct way to integrate bikes/bike culture into an ad.

Way to go, Kaiser.

Monkeys on bikes are funny

So sad, like the last kid to get picked up at daycare.

I didn't leave work that late this evening...

So not cool

Warren John Wilson, 52, faces a single felony count of vandalism, police Sgt. Linda King said Friday.

King said nearly 50 holes measuring about 1 foot by 2 feet (30 centimeters by 60 centimeters) have been found since June along a trail at Laguna Lake Park, and in some cases attempts had been made to hide them from cyclists. She said some riders went over their handlebars after hitting the holes, but none reported major injuries.

Detectives watching the trails questioned Wilson, who said he had nearly been run over by a mountain bike rider and began digging the holes in retaliation, King said. Source: www.foxnews.com

Kiss my knobby tire Mr. Wilson.

Best Bike Related Video Ever

Surfing YouTube, Found This 'bike related' video... .40 into it and whoah.





Could be my new favorite song.

Oh, the band is "Bats for Lashes"

2007 Season In Review

With Cyclocross Nationals happening in Kansas City as I type (I’m obviously not there), I thought it would be a good time to do a recap of my 2007 racing season (look for future post: 2008 goals).

All in all, I think it was a pretty good season (road/fixed, mountain, and cross). I didn’t race as many races as I had planned and my results weren’t overly spectacular, but it was still a good season. First and foremost, I had a bunch of fun, met some great folks, and experienced some new bikes (fixed gear and 29er). I also did by best to represent those that support me in this thing called racing (Big thanks to: Cyclepath, Twin Six & Soma).

Here’s the summary of the races I competed in and the end results. I believe there is a report on each and every one of these races in the archives of this blog.

Dan’s season in review: Sorted reverse chronologically by category:

Cyclocross:
17 Cross Crusade/OBRA Championship - Hillsboro Mst Men A 11/18/07

17 Cross Crusade - Estacada Mst Men A 11/11/07

22 Cross Crusade - Clatsop County Fairgrounds Mst Men A 10/28/07

18 Cross Crusade - Horning's Hideout Sgl Spd 10/14/07

21 Cross Crusade - Alpenrose Mst Men A 10/07/07

14 Battle at Barlow CCX Mst Men A 09/30/07

Short Track Mountain Bike:
8 Portland MTB Short Track Series Singlespeed 07/30/07

8 Portland MTB Short Track Series Singlespeed 07/16/07

10 Portland MTB Short Track Series Singlespeed 07/09/07

22 Portland MTB Short Track Series Singlespeed 07/02/07

Fixed Gear:
4 Mt Tabor Series Fixed Gear 07/11/07

5 Mt Tabor Series Fixed Gear 06/27/07

4 Mt Tabor Series Fixed Gear 05/30/07

Geared Mountain Bike
2 Falls City Firecracker MTB Sport Men 19-39 05/20/07

The biggest change this year was my move up from Bs to Master As. Definitely a bit of a rude awakening there, but alas it was a learning experience.
Thanks again.

-Porter

Hillsboro Stadium - Cross Crusade #7

Cross Crusade race #7

November 18, 2007
Hillsboro Stadium, OR

Masters 35+ A race

We asked for rain, We.Got.Rain.

The Portland area finally started getting some rain this week so the ground was fully saturated by race time. I woke up early on Sunday to the patter patter of rain on our roof and new it was going to be a race of epic proportions.

After spending the morning playing with the kids I loaded up the car with the bikes and gear. I arrived at the course at about 12:00 for my 2:00 race. It had continued to rain all afternoon and there was little chance that it would let up.

I set up my trainer and tried to hide under the rear door of my Subaru. Thankfully, a neighbor with a pop up tent invited me under their shelter. I gladly obliged. After setting up my bike under their tent I grabbed my Single Speed (pit bike) and rode over to the vendor area for registration and a cup of coffee courtesy of Chris King.

Before heading back to the car, I watched a bit of the B race and at it's completion I decided to do a preride on the course - Because of the conditions, I opted to ride the pit bike. It was a good thing, because it was so muddy, starting with my A bike covered in mud would have been a bit of a disadvantage. At the completion of 1 lap I was covered in mud. A team mate of mine saw me and asked how my race went... I promptly informed him that I had only prerode the course. Epic.

Back to the car and tent. I warmed up for about 15 minutes then decided to race around the parking lot a bit. Not sure if this was a good idea as I was soaked by the time 2:00 rolled around.

The Hillsboro Stadium course has always been mostly flat. The course designers use the parking lot as well as the periphery areas of the stadium to their fullest potential. There were two sets of double barriers — one set placed before a micro hill and another along a wide open section. There were two - I hesitate to call them puddles, maybe bogs is a better term that were only semi rideable depending on your line and the line of the guys a head of you. I managed to ride both of them some of the time. Towards the end of the race I gave up trying to ride the biggest 'bog' and ended up running through the shin deep 'water'. There were portions of the course where I was scared to blink, as every time I shut my eyes I smeared a glaze of mud over my eyeballs... Yes, that feels as bad as it sounds. There were large portions of the course I raced by braile.

I have no idea how I did - Somewhere between 15th and 20th I think. Apparently the officials are having a hard time determining placement as well as all of us were basically indistinguishable mud men by the end of the race.UPDATE: 11/20/07 Looks like the official results are in and I got 17th place out of 46+ riders. I did 6 laps. The top riders (1=9th place did 7 laps). Next year I need to figure out how to bridge to these guys.

I was VERY cold after the race was over. It took me a good 30 minutes to get out of my muddy clothes, rinse my body off, rinse off my bike (sort of) and get into something warm and dry. Driving home I had the heater on full blast, and my toes and fingers weren't truly warm until I took a hot shower at home.

Estacada Cross

Cross Crusade #6 and SSCXWC
Estacada Timberpark
November 11, 2008

A race finish area

I had my best race of the season this past weekend, finishing up at 17th place (broke the top 20). The results themselves don't really do my race justice as they weren't much higher than any of my other ones this season, but my style of racing, my overall strength and my in general overall attitude were all better.

The course at Estacada consisted of a couple of grass bowls, single track, pavement, a run up and a set of barriers. The total course was approximately 2.3 miles long and we (The A+ group) hammered out seven laps.

Going down one of the bowls

Although I wasn't racing at the front of the pack, I was able to hold my own and pick off racers in my 'race within a race'. It felt good and I can't wait for districts this coming weekend in Hillsboro.

Additionally, this was the inaugural weekend of the SSCXWC (Single Speed Cyclocross World Championship) which also took place out at Estacada. I didn't race, but I did spectate. This was great fun and I recommend that any fan of 'cross, single speeds and or beer come next year (hopefully it will be in PDX again). Here's a great write up over at Cyclocross Magazine.

No one really took the SSCXWC too seriously, but it was loaded with talented riders - pro as well as local heros. The highlight was the reverse call up at the beginning of the race which put all the really fast guys at the back of the 100+ pack. As for the winner, Adam Craig (Giant) was just about to win, when he sat up to take a beer hand-up 20 feet from the finish line. He was probably thinking twice about that mandatory tattoo, since he already got one for winning the Single Speed Mountain Bike World Championship a few months ago in Scotland. Former local hero, and now national superstar Barry Wicks (Kona) came by and put his arms up in victory. His winnings include the afformentioned mandatory tattoo, a golden speedo with rainbow stripes sewn on, and a custom Vanilla single speed frame.

Local fast gal (and 2006 Women's 35-39 national cross champion) Wendy Williams (River City Bikes) won the female SS championship and for her troubles got the tattoo, the speedo and a custom Ahearne single speed frameset.

It's suppose to be fun, right?

No Barton for me. I opted yesterday morning to forgo the Barton Park cross race. It sounds like it was a fun and fast race and I probably should have gone, but alas, my heart just wasn't in it. I'm not sure what it was. I had every intention of going. My bike was ready, my bags packed, my afternoon clear. The only thing I needed to do was load up the car and hit the road.

Unfortunately, I just could not get motivated. I'm not sure what it was. I woke up feeling fine, and then as the morning progressed, my enthusiam sort of waned. The kids seemed especially needy and I felt guilty about leaving Meg with the two of them. It wasn't just that though.

It was a beautiful day though and I had a good time at our park playing with the kids. Next week!

Halloween Cross: The aftermath

Cross Crusade race #4
October 28, 2007
Astoria, Oregon
35+ A category

The weather was sunny and mild and lots of people turned out in costume. As usual, the Halloween race feature lots of craziness, wild, silly costumes, and of course beer handups. It also included a lap of silence for Brett Jarolimek at noon. I wasn't sure if I was going to ride it or watch it. I opted to jump onto the tail end to ride it and I'm glad I did. It was a great tribute to the loss of one of 'the tribe'. Bike portland.org has a nice piece on it. Check it out.

The venue was the Clatsop County Fairgrounds in Astoria, OR. Each lap had at least ten 180s, the bulk of which were contained in a section of the course that wound through four side-by-side animal barns. There were a couple of hills, some pavement, some gravel, some soft soil, some grass, lots of turns, and very little mud. The course also weaved through the a big barn a couple of times (It's fun riding through buildings). There was but a single dismount per lap and it was through the six pack barriers up a short incline that dumped onto the finishing pavement.


The start was a bit sketchy. We had 50 yards (maybe) of pavement then a wide 180 lefty on grass and into the barn. I had a good start and was with the top 10 group going in. Unfortunately, that didn't quite last as long as I had hoped... I ended up doing 8 of the 1.5 mile laps, with each lap feeling like I was losing ground. I felt like I was continuously getting passed , but I think I actually was passing and then getting passed by the same guys over and over again. The course didn't really favor my strengths - the numerous 180s mentioned above required one to slow down and speed up repetitively...Basically doing short intervals. It felt like the windsprints we used to do during my wrestling days.

I ended up in 22nd place. I wish I could say that I was placing higher than that, but I'm not. It's just a blow to my ego after placing so high last year - It's a big step up going from one category to the next, and I guess this year is a 'building' year. I'm hoping to crack the top 20 (15 maybe?) before the end of the season, but I've got some serious work to do!

PS - the look I was going for was castaway pirate. Not Genie, Fire guy or "dude, whatever you are"

Halloween Cross

I'm really looking forward to this weekends race, It's one of my favorite of the year and I am glad that I:
a) opted to do it
b) am bringing my family along.

Actually, we are all heading out on Saturday to spend (what looks to be) a beautiful fall day at the beach. The kids of course are most excited about staying at a hotel with a swimming pool...

This is a great race at a new venue. The costumes are clever, the beer flows (beer handups anyone?), the vibe is happy. I hope that the light hearted atmosphere of the race can help take the weight of this past week off of everyones shoulders.

I love to see the clever costumes - I'm dressing up as a pirate. It's always fun to see the two extremes - those that go all out on a costume and can barely even ride a bike with all their accessories, and those that cleverly create a costume that allows them to still ride (granted, we all wear 'borderline super hero costumes everyday, don't we). I always try to have a happy medium. (Hopefully) clever but not so goofy that I can't still ride ok.

So what are you dressing up as?


PS: There will apparently be a silent lap prior to the single speed race in honor/respect of Brett. I'm really glad that this is happening.

Biker Down

If you didn’t hear, Brett Jarolimek, Bike Gallery employee & team rider was killed in a traffic accident on Monday 10/22/07. At the time he was riding his bike. According to Bikeportland.org, Brett and a garbage truck collided at the corner of N. Interstate and Greely. It’s truly sad to think that Brett was just racing on Sunday, taking 3rd in Singlespeed at Rainier High School and now he’s gone.

I didn't personally know Brett, nor could I pick him out of a lineup if he wasn't wearing a helmet and racing kit. That being said, this hits close to home. A fellow cyclocross racer, about the same age, doing what he loved, going for a training ride in the city at lunch. I've spoken to a few people that knew him, and he sounds like someone that I would have liked to have known. A ray of sunshine on a cloudy day. A smile and a sense of humor in any situation. The world is truly a darker place. My heart goes out to his family and friends.

God Speed Brett.

updated Hornings Video

Scott, the rider that did the helmet cam video posted below updated his video with front cam views as well. It's pretty sweet. If you look close you get to see me crash (more than once).

Never been accused of being PRO before

so I was riding home from work tonight and as I passed a guy going over the broadway bridge. Unfortunately the light was red at the first intersection so I stopped. The guy I passed went around me through the red.

the light turned green and I caught up with and passed the dude at the next light. As I passed I stated "It's super awesome how you passed me at the red, and I still was able to catch you at the next light...." I admit that it was a smart a$$ comment, but this is a pet peeve of mine. Anyway, the guy started spouting that if he had a road bike and wasn't a pro rider I would not have been able to catch him...

I was riding my fixie and riding full rain gear at the time... How unPRO is that?
What a jerk. I think that although I love the concept of bike commuters, there is a high % of them out there I don't like very much.

Hornings Hideout Race Report

Cross Crusade #2
Single Speed Category
Hornings Hideout
North Plains, Oregon
October 14, 2007

Do to an active 'social calendar' (two birthdays for two kids starting at 2:30) I wasn't able to race in my regular category (35+ A). Instead I opted to break out the 29er and ride in the single speed category. It was a beautiful fall day - warm and dry. Probably the last one of these this year.

Hornings Hideout is one of my favorite courses (at least it was last year). It was the race last year that really put me in the running for the series and gave me the confidence to really push myself the rest of the crusade. It is not a mountain bike course as some declare it to be, however it definitely suits those of us with mountain bike skills. There is no pavement and all the really fast stretches are on gravel paths and roads. the rest of the course is made up of single track, dirt trails, etc.

The start climbs out of the amphitheater bowl (they do concerts there) and joined the course after a few hundred yards. My nerves had gotten the best of me as I was waiting in the lineup and I pulled a total rookie maneuver at the start by not being able to click in to my pedal. This unfortunately cost me the good starting position going up the hill that I had.

After the initial climb, the first half of the course trended down and traversed a bumpy meadow that was slick with wet grass (it was here that I crashed for thankfully the first and only time), gravel road, buffed trail, and more bumpy meadow. At the far side of the course, the hills began. First up was the “run up,” and immediately following were three short steep terraces. Then began a series of hills interspersed with brief descents through some fairly nice trails. The final bit of climbing went up a gravel road to the top of the course. The last bit went up to the finish line went though a double set of barriers and past the officials/announcers tent.

Through the bumpy meadow - note dirt (crash mark) on my left leg

As I mentioned earlier my first lap was pretty pitiful. I started badly and then slid out on on a corner. Each one of these missteps cost me places and required that I crawl and fight my way back towards the front. I never quite made it, but at least finished on the winners lap (7 laps). My final placing was 17th (though I think I actually placed a couple of places higher based on others I finished with...) out of 78 riders. Not to bad, but not nearly what I had been hoping for (I was really shooting for a top 10).

I've been racing fixed gear & single speed mountain bikes for the last couple of years. Often against the same group of guys (weirdos). This course really handed me my a$$ on a platter where I was really wishing for a few lower gears. Kudos to the guys that race single speed week after week.

On a side note, the following video (about 7 minutes long) is pretty cool. It was shot by racer Scott Barker with a reverse camera mounted on his helmet. It really gives some great perspective on the course (and a cross race in general). Best of all, I get some pretty good face time at the 3:12 time mark. You can see me get passed, fall back, speed up again approach from behind, chase for awhile and then pass. (I'm wearing a black & blue Cyclepath Jersey, black shorts with a blue stripe and a black helmet). Enjoy

Cross Crusade press release — records broken!

Like everyone else in the Cross Crusade Blogosphere, I am publishing the official Cross Crusade Press Release regarding the record breaking first race in the series.
_________________

For Immediate Release: October 10, 2007
Contact: Candi Murray
Phone: 503-706-3133

Oregon Bicycle Racing Association announces record breaking attendance at cyclocross event.

River City Bicycles Cross Crusade Event Breaks Record

Portland, Oregon- The Oregon Bicycle Racing Association (OBRA) announced today that 1,078 cyclocross racers descended onto Alpenrose Dairy on Sunday, October 7, 2007 for the 1st race of the Cross Crusade cyclocross racing series. Breaking last year’s record of over 750 racers, the event again established itself as the largest one-day cyclocross race in North America and solidified its designation as the largest participatory cyclocross bike racing series in the world. In 2006, the first race of the series attracted over 750 riders.

The men’s elite race climaxed with battle a between Shannon Skerritt of Vanilla Bicycles-Stumptown Coffee and Erik Tonkin of Kona/YourKey.com with Shannon taking an inside line right after the last set of barriers to secure the win. On the elite women’s side, Wendy Williams of River City Bicycles took the win over Kristi Berg of Redline Bicycles.

Promoter Brad Ross said, “We are excited at the success of the race series.” Brad continued by saying, “We are also proud of that the U.S. Grand Prix of Cyclocross has again chosen our series as the finale for the series. We have truly become one of the hotbeds of cyclocross in the world.” Kenji Sugahara, Assistant Director of OBRA, said of the series, “Brad and Club Vivo has made cyclocross accessible to everyone in the community, and have helped take Portland’s racing onto the international stage.”

The long-running success of the River City Bicycles Cross Crusade - this is its 16th year - has firmly established the Northwest as the country’s most popular region for cyclocross. Each round of the Cross Crusade offers 16 classes of competition, from elite men and women to masters and junior categories. Races vary from 30 to 60 minutes, depending on the class. The series, sanctioned by the Oregon Bicycle Racing Association, will pay out more than $20,000 in prize money and merchandise.

Cyclocross bike racing is a specialized form of cycling competition, one that requires riders to race on a closed-loop circuit, over grass, pavement, gravel, and mud, with barriers and steep run-ups mixed in for additional challenges. The pace is frenetic, with little time to rest and less opportunity for “slipstreaming,” as in road races.

The series will continue on October 14th at Horning’s Hideout in North Plains, Oregon. Racing at Horning’s Hideout starts at 9 a.m. with Beginners and Masters 50+ and continues all day, with the Category A Men and Masters Category A 35+ race at 2 p.m.

Following Horning’s Hideout, the remaining River City Cross Crusade schedule is as follows: Race 3 – October 21, Rainier High School; Race 4 - October 28, Halloween Cross Festival, Clatsop County Fairgrounds; Race 5 - November 4, Barton Park; Race 6 - November 11, World Single Speed CX Championship, Estacada Timber Park; Race 7 – November 18, Hillsboro Stadium; and United States Grand Prix on Cyclocross 5&6 – December 1-2, Portland International Raceway.

The Cross Crusade is organized and promoted by Club Vivo, 4409 SW Dosch Road, Portland, OR 97201, 503-806-6943. For complete information on the River City Cross Crusade, visit www.crosscrusade.com. Learn more about the Cross Crusade and all types of bicycle racing in Oregon at www.obra.org, site of the Oregon Bicycle Racing Association.

The Oregon Bicycle Racing Association is the official bicycle racing organization in Oregon and is responsible for issuing permits for bicycle races. The major responsibilities of the organization are to ensure the ongoing safety and development of the sport. With a membership of over 3,000 annual members, Oregon has the highest number of racers per capita in the United States and is second only to California in the number of cycling events. In addition, Oregon was ranked 3rd in the number of amateur racers behind Colorado and California. (Velonews 2006)

Fixed gear for 'cross training?

I've been riding my fixed gear alot this fall (Mainly because this fall has started out so rainy and my fixed gear is my rain bike). I typically ride it all winter and into the spring to prepare for Tabor and then hang it up for a few months during the summer and fall to prep for cyclocross. Riding it only occasionally on severe rain days. Anyway, this year I've been riding it quite a bit and the question came to mind - is this helping or hurting my 'cross? I know it has made me a strong climber and it helps me learn to suffer, but does spinning at a high cadence (downhill) and a slow cadence (up hill) help or hurt?

Only time will tell I guess.

About time

Just read on the Soma website that 2008 will bring disc brakes to the 'Soma Double Cross' cyclocross bike.

Looks like I might have a new bike on my wish list for 2008...

Cross Crusade #1: Alpenrose Dairy

Cross Crusade #1
Alpenrose Dairy
October 7, 2007


The 2007 Cross Crusade kicked off yesterday at Alpenrose Dairy. Apparently 1078 people raced , reportedly the largest single gathering of cross racers anywhere in world (this is total unsubstantiated rumor that I read on the internets, but I'm going with it)

After a morning of race prep that consisted of: Making pancakes, picking up groceries at the local market and playing "dragon" and "pirate" at the local playground with the kids, I was ready to race! I left the house at 12:15 for the 2:00 race and got to the venue with just enough time to register and ride around the neighborhood for a warm up.

The course was a challenging mix of bumpy downhills, tight turns, staircases, runups and other obstacles. It was also quite a bit drier than last week at Barlow which made the course waaay faster. As an example, last week in 60 minutes I clocked 8 miles on the cyclometer. This week I hit 14.

My field consisted of 67 guys - I did 7 laps and ended up in 21st place. Although not as impressive sounding of a result as last week, it was actually a better one. The field was much tougher and larger than last week, so my placing was actually higher as a % of total racers.

Interestingly enough, I placed 21st last year at Alpenrose in the Bs. I feel much better about this placing as opposed to how I felt about my result last year.

Next week is Hornings - one of my favorite courses. I'll be riding the single speed category on my Soma Juice 29er vs Master As.

A note on equipment - The Stans Notubes system saved my wheels again at least a couple of times, though I was running way to low of pressure for as fast of a course.

dp