the (dispencer)

Contrast.

2011-06-16T09:27:00.003-05:00

now.

then.

Rivals.

2011-06-13T21:28:00.014-05:00

Sports rivalries are things of legend. They help teams build morale and camaraderie. They have defined cities. Boston and New Yorkers know what I'm talking about.

Well, Minnesota is no stranger to them, (the evil Packers anyone?), but it is time I shed some light on a long-standing rivalry you may not be aware of, even though it's been right under your nose the whole time.

Yes, in the MN Cycling scene. Sort of.

You may be shocked to learn that my team, LittleGuyRacing, has had a rival in the cycling world for a few years now. I know, crazy!
The tension is always high, as we only meet on the battlefield, er- bike race, a scant few times each year.
It's your classic David and Goliath story. Your typical Cutters v. Rich Kids. Outsiders v. Soc's.
Your basic "we're the awesome underdog" and you are the "totally lame big budget lame-o spanks".

Yep. That.

It all started with our little teams humble beginnings, we created a small, tightknit group of awesome people and made super kick ass kits. It was a totally new and revolutionary idea.

THEN- Team Pegasus in Milwaukee TOTALLY DID THE SAME THING.

Only lamer.

So, we brought our A-Game and threw the area's most awesome race, made a bitchin' flyer, and pushed the self-promo hard as Minnesota's Only Professional-Looking Cycling Team.

THEN- Team Pegasus hosted an awesome race, made bitchin' flyers, and self-promo'd the shit out of themselves.

THE GAUL!

Our kits were an awesome grey/red, so we changed it up to black.
Their kits were weaksauce grey/pink and they changed them up to black too!

They beat us in races sometimes.
We beat them in races sometimes.

They made a flag.
And the battle really started.

But at the 1st ever Jon Page Cup where we first saw the Pega-flag, there were no spectators to see it.
Seeing an oppurtunity, we made a flag of our own and we brought it to Jingle Cross a few weeks later.
Amazingly, they didn't bring theirs.
We were pretty much heroes to the people of Iowa.

In your fucking face Pegasus.

Next fall at the now USGP in Madison, we brought our flag... but we were on their home turf, and they were clearly embarrassed from Jingle CX.
Yes, they had stepped up their game. They had their flag on a 20 foot pole.
Totally made our flag look puny and weak on it's 5 foot pole.

But we got our flag signed by Erwin Vervecken. So I'm calling it a win.

Since then, we made a bad ass podium for our races, and we have A LIGHT UP LGR SIGN for the night laps at the 24 hour races.

Srsly.
IT. LIGHTS. UP.

Intel says they've made hoodies and custom wheel grapics. Meh.

We have also made hella babies in the last year. Don't see Pegasus doing that!
In your fucking face Team Pegasus. Again.

I am redesigning the new LGR kits right now... or, I was before I start writing this. Anyway, they are going to totally rock Team Pegasus' faces off.

Yeah, I said it.

Evidence/History:

Our super cool black kit.

Their total rip off kit. Basically just changed the red to pink. Hosers.

our awesome holiday party flier.

their totes lame holiday lamefest flier.

their flag.

OUR FLAG!

ugh. showoff.

Did i mention they made a calendar? Yeah, a sexy calendar.
Well... we.. uh.

We might have bought it.

Interview! I met SmithersMPLS!

2011-05-17T15:03:00.002-05:00

me and smithers enjoy burritos. some other lame bike racers try to get in on the action.

Dis: Hey Chris. Do u mind taking a picture with me?
Smithers: Chris is my father's name. My friends call me Smithers. Call me Smithers.
Dis: Smithers! Smithereeno! U mind taking a picture with me Smithers?
Smithers: No problem. We love our fans. Is that a Canon or a Nikon?
Dis: It is actually a point and shoot DSLR 40.4 megapixels. It is GREAT for on-the-go picture taking.
Smithers: I love that. I could have really used one when I used 2 be a bike racer.
Dis: Yeah… I was wondering. What ever happened with that?
Smithers: WEll. It was just time 2 call it quits.
Dis: Bummer dude! It’s like breaking up the band.
Smithers: Yeah. It hurts to say goodbye. It really does.
Dis: Hey can I get your cell number?
Smithers: what for?
Dis: Well I was thinking I could do a phone interview with you for my new blog site
Smithers: Cool what's it called?
Dis: BikezRAwesomeBlog
Smithers: Oh yeah! I love that site. That's YOU?
Dis: Yeah. Just me. Love it. In it for the right reasons. To showcase premium local bike racers who are improving our scene. Our site loves your team, and gave your state cx championship 4.9 out of 5 thumbs up/stars.
Smithers: We really appreciate it. Your site is influencial and we saw a noticable attendance bump when u blggd abt it.
Dis: Yeah!
Smithers: Yeah!
Dis: Wanna go grab a bite?
Smithers: U know what? I'm super hungry. But really unfamiliar with the area
Dis: Let's go ahead and hit up this GREAT new burrito place around the corner. U like Mexican?
Smithers: Like it? My middle name is basically 'Flauta'!
Dis: Yeah! We'll get some flautas and guac as appetizers.

INSIDE OF LOCAL BURRITO RESTAURANT

Smithers: Holy EFF! This is better than Chipotle.
Dis: I'm not racist, but if ur gonna eat Mexican food, Mexicans better be making it.
Smithers: YEah I feel the same way about fusion food.
Dis: So how ru for real?
Smithers: Kinda sad
Dis: Why bb?
Smithers: I am not sure
Dis: BB… Ur U. Never be sad. U were put on this earth for a reason… Not every1 can say that.
Smithers: My ex-team hates me.
Dis: Why?
Smithers: Because I ended their income streams
Dis: Chris. It's gonna be okay. If they are ur TRUE FRIENDS, they would understand.
Smithers: Somebody left flaming poo on my doorstep.
Dis: U mind passing the peach salsa?
Smithers: Holy EFF this is the perfect mix of sweet and spicy, similar to the popular AZN sauce 'sweet and sour' sauce.
Dis: Yeah! I dip eggrolls in that on the reg.
Smithers: Hell yeah. Eff spring rolls.
Dis: LOLCAT
Smithers: So tell me about u…
Dis: 32/m/mpls ~~single and ready 2 mingle~~~
Smithers: Nice
Dis: Kewl
Smithers: U wanna get some sopapillas?
Dis: The flan is really good
Smithers: Tres leches milkshakes? Holy Effing EFF
Dis: Yeah let's get a sampler dessert, which is an appropriate sized portion so we can have all 3.
Smithers: OMG perfect
Dis: So can I get ur gmail address?
Smithers: Why.
Dis: Because Chri---SMITHERS.
Smithers: Cuz why
Dis: Bc ur my friend
Smithers: You bet your ass you are.

Please use the comments forum 2 share ur personal stories abt meeting local bike racing celebs.

all content and ideas 100% blatantly plagerized from hipsterrunoff.com. fuck it, you laughed.

two thousand eleven kit review!

2011-01-14T13:32:00.009-06:00

OMFG.

Well, the 2011 road season has officially begun, and it's my favorite time of the year!

...because all the PRO teams hit the streets in their new gear, and try to out-swag each other.
I'm not gonna lie, vaughters didn't call me and I am a little hurt, but I got my revenge in the end as his ass ugly kits came to light a few weeks ago.

...not that I hold a grudge.

Anyway, enough idle chatter-
Let's review!

(oh, if you can't tell i stole all the pics from cyclingfans.com, so thanks CF!)

Ag2R:
not major changes from 2010, which is really a shame. Ag2R had a big opportunity here to fix all that was wrong with the brown shorts/white top motif they had going on for 2010. It's a sad look on frat boys everywhere, and a sad look on Ag2R as well.
Only frat boy mandals could make them look less PRO.
2 out of a possible 10.

BMC:
although i tend not to be a fan of "urban camo", i don't hate this kit. maybe its seeing it alongside all the terrible-ness that is PRO kits this year... maybe it's Ballan's swag that makes up for the whole thing... who knows.
7 of 10.

Euskaltel:
this kit has never been strong in the swag department, but with the folding of Credit Agricole it is now officially the most retro kit in the PRO peloton. and retro = pimp.
Euskaltel held fast in the fashion faux pas until cool came back around. good on ya.
8 of 10.

HTC:
HTC's tuffguy/galdiator/csc steez of 2010 is gone, and it's been replaced with some retro/milram-esque/hippy shit. not impressed. while it's well laid out and stuff, it is nowhere near groundbreaking, and it pretty weak coming from the worlds best/biggest/badassedest team. my only thought is that they must be driven by possible aftermarket Fred-sales.
weak sauce.
3 of 10.

Katusha:
this kit sucked hard last year.
they must have known it, because they are one of the few teams that stuck with the general idea of last seasons digs, but then actually improved it. that said, it's not 100% awesome. but maybe 2012 will knock it out of the park?
8 of 10.

Lampre:
i'm really tempted to hate this...
but i can't. i just can't. like liquigas, they must have been feeling the pressure to wear some shit that wouldn't sear eyeballs for another season... but unlike liquigas, they didn't bow to the pressure this year. i can't say i approve of pink/blue, but they own that shit. and that's important.
9 of 10.

Liquigas:
WTF?
first to last homeboy. from first to last.
even basso can't make this look good.
0 of 10.

Movistar:
a lot of folks are trying to hate on this kit, but seriously; Movistar brought it.
two-tone collar?
non-symmetrical weird white graphics?
comicbooklook?
check. check. and mate.
imagine this with the longsleeve kit, knee warmers, and a bike painted to match... pure sex.
10 of 10.

Lotto:
i don't know what is going on with lotto. for real.
i see what they are trying to do, but they failed. and even if they could do it right, i am not sure why they'd want to do that anyway.
2 of 10.

Astana:
whoop-dee-fucking-doo. 4 years later and still using the semi-custom template.
i wish they would all wear the Vino-face jerseys...
2 of 10.

Quick-Step:
This is a continuation of the departure from the old and impeccable quick-step kit. But is it a step down the ladder? my initial reaction was to try to hold in the vomit, but after seeing this kit in full (arm warmers, leg warmers, etc), WITH the uber-pimp painted-to-match Merckx bikes... I am sold. It's not a step up or down the ladder, it's a whole new ladder.
...(although it may be a ladder that Skil-Shimano has been on for a minute).
9 of 10.

Rabobank:
sad.
they OWN these colors. and when you own colors as ugly as these, and you don't just go all out with them... well, you get a giant steez-fail. they needed some Mapei shit, and they created some first-class fred gear.
4 of 10.

Saxo Bank:
this is a huge improvment over last year and the amazing fall from couture that was the CSC-to-Saxo transistion... maybe it was the Schlecks? They seem to have taken the bad ideas with them.
8 of 10.

Sky.
i love a total package. and sky really has it. kits, bikes, busses, all screaming swag like an upper eastside trustfund chick during fashion week. yep, sky took her home.
10 of 10.

Garmin-Cervelo:
garmin's old kit was questionable, but the argyle worked and they owned it. cervelo test team had steez on lock. swag for days. styles for miles.
maybe i expected too much.
maybe sky did it first.
maybe the pressure was too great.
i was really looking forward to garmin-cervelo's lookbook with crazy thor looks on smash, and glamor dripping from everthing like steaksauce. A1.
too damn bad. though we was getting that butter knife. we got that arby's.
1 of 10.

Team LeOpArD:
there is nothing to say about the style, because there is none.
0 of 10.

RadioShack:
honestly, i never realized that i liked radioshack's 2010 kits until i saw this.
...so i guess it's got that going for it.
3 of 10.

Vacansoleil:
not much in a departure from last season, i do like historical value. and while the colors aren't the best, they aren't bad.
i don't know what the dashed cirlce thing is all about, but it intrigues me.
this would be a background kit normally, but with all the teams moving to white or black, i think the teams that deviate will look good in the peloton.
8 of 10.

thanks for reading, bitches.

just some iPhone photos.

2010-10-12T20:42:00.005-05:00

iPhone photos.

2010-09-06T21:16:00.006-05:00

It's not all fun and games.

2010-06-09T13:58:00.001-05:00

Ok, maybe it is.

From here.

stupid is as stupid does.

2010-04-09T10:40:00.002-05:00

someone fwd this to bsnyc.
holy crap.

Ronde in Review.

2010-04-05T16:21:00.002-05:00

the most wonderful time of the year.

2010-04-02T12:33:00.004-05:00

Ah, finally... Classics season is here.

The usual suspects are all among the favorites, but who is your favorite/man crush?

Devolder?

Boonen? Thor?

or Cancellera?

Someone else?

Me? I like...

2010-03-30T16:09:00.001-05:00

it's here!

starting thursday!

have fun.
let me know how it went.

stuporbowls.

2010-02-09T17:15:00.003-06:00

stuporbowl 13 was last saturday.

this marks my 9th SB participation.
i still want to win this thing, but at the same time my attention span for it is waning pretty hard.
i've been as close as 2nd, back at SB10 when i lost to littleguy.

it used to be a lot of fun, but these days it seems like a lot of work.

i don't know.

there are some alleycats out there that i would much rather win, like the Milwaukee Messenger Invitational for instance. or naccc. or even just riding at worlds again would be fun. (top 100 in 2003, yo!)

anyway, here is SB13 by the numbers:

20 stops.
30 miles.
2 hours.
13 minutes.
1 crash.
2 cramps.
7th place.
300+ 'racers'.
0 big deal.

since i thought i broke my damn fool knee crashing on the path btw the west bank and dt, going about 25 mph i took it easy after the race, and went home early.

i am sure eveyone was disappointed.

i was laid up for the first part of sunday too, but rode the trainer later to loosen up the muscles a bit, since i was sick of limping around everywhere.
i guess the superbowl was on.
i had kinda forgot.

so, i may as well recap the sb44:

the saints deserved it.
kia and googles had the best ads.
all the other ads sucked. bad.
srsly.
forgot the who exsisted.
remembered why i forgot the who existed.

so it goes.

slick.

2010-02-03T12:23:00.003-06:00

but did he land it?

it's official.

2009-10-13T14:09:00.003-05:00

skinnyski.com strikes again.

so, sunday at theo wirth i got the 'pleasure' of playing the role of USAC official.
i had heard the rumors/grumblings/legends of what a pain in the ass it is to be an official, and about how unabashedly stupid some of our bike racing peers can be... but i mostly blew it off.

"yeah, yeah. sure standing there with a clipboard is real tough... whatever."

"yeah, yeah. thats real tragic. but seriously, you guys must be cross eyed to have mixed up joe schmoe and larry lardass in 47th and 48th places... "

i figured i have done approximately One Million bike races since my 'career' began, and i don't have my head up my ass; officiating should be a piece of cake.

uh, wrong.

it was quite an eye-opening experience, to say the least.

first off, we took all the flack for the 'head-up-ass' promoter who ran the mens4/womens4/all juniors categories at once... 126 people in one field. wtf? some ladies/juniors managed near-front start spots, and some did not.
some may say, 'that's the breaks, get a good start spot next time', and they'd be right... but there is also the issue of 'fair'.
i bet there was a good 45 second advantage before the whistle even blew... (actually i know there was, i had a stop watch).

that shit ain't right. i agree whole-heartedly.
but it also ain't my fault, and i definitely don't want to hear about it while i am attempting to correctly score the race... jesus.

i won't even start on the crooked/crumpled/upside-down/missing race numbers... but rest assured they were in EVERY field, not just the beginners.

oh, and it is rather amazing how simple the instructions can be and still have 40% of the feild fuck it up.
amazing.

to sum up, i learned a whole lot about another side of the raceday coin, and i am glad that i did.
can't wait to relegate someone!
will it be you?

have you been an official?
do you not know the difference btw 'left' and 'right'?
what should i DQ super rookie for?
is an armani suit too much?

cx season has begun.

2009-09-28T14:02:00.001-05:00

time to hone your skills.

LGR has been.

[correct].

hope you have been too!

[incorrect].

best of show.

2009-09-12T21:09:00.009-05:00

i don't want to write about bikes anymore.

uninspired.

i write this blog mostly for my own enjoyment, but also when i feel like i have something that i want you to know. about me, about the world, whatever.
i like when you guys leave me your thoughtful comments. whether we agree or not.

even though i am currently not interested in this thing i would like you, my loyal readers, to continue to enjoy this blog.
i sometimes contemplate deleting it, but i feel like i've put a bit too much into it to make it just disappear.

so i put together a few of my personal favorite posts from the annals for you to relive.
...or live for the first time, if you haven't been a longtime fan.

maybe this is a heartfelt plea from me to you, for a sign that it's all been worth it- and still is.
maybe it's a gimmick to keep your interest.
maybe i'm just trying to impress a girl.
who knows?

srsly, click on these. they are fun.
and i spent a lot of time looking them up.

---

category: about me, bitches. REAL TALK.
-know what i hate?
-5 assholes.

category: the most truth i've ever put to (digital) paper. hardest thing i ever had to write.
-untitled.

category: best cuts at super rookie.
-it's funny cuz it's true.
-happy halloween.

category: trashing the local bike scene.
-(dis)approval.
-(dis)entertainment weekly.
-project runway 2008.

category: watching someone die.
-untitled.

category: best race report. ever.
-nothing but trouble.

whatever.

coming to a velodrome near you!

2009-08-08T11:14:00.003-05:00

as part of the regular NSCx event presenting;

THE MIDWEST SINGLESPEED CYCLOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIPS!

open category.
60 minutes.
male and female champions will be crowned.

stay tuned for more info.

total awesomes.

2009-08-03T12:47:00.002-05:00

circa 1987.

styling.
vans slip-ons/jams/avaitors/fingerless gloves/rat tail/color co-ordinated bike.

shirt matches bike/gloves.

all i need in this photo is a Louis Vuitton belt and i'd fit right in in Williamsburg today.

feel 'genuinely sad' if you were not this cool at nine years old.

god hates track racing.

2009-07-31T13:13:00.004-05:00

was going to blog about track racing. was prepared for the backlash from all the cyclocross/roadies/allthewayray types.
lucky for me, god/allah/bob hates track racing and/or wanted to spare me from having to discuss some of the spanks that race up there.

instead i went riding/racing/non-tracking on the unmentionable ride™.
it was [CENSORED]. if you were not there, well then you missed out on all the [CENSORED] and [CENSORED] we had/did/felt.
it was way more [CENSORED] than the track and all the [CENSORED] [CENSORED] up there!
of course, several alledged 'trackies' showed up on the unmentionable ride™, there was [CENSORED] and [CENSORED]. oh, and of course [CENSORED]. craazy!

i guess i don't blame god for hating the velodrome. s/he is probably still pissed that it is not indoors. i know timmer is.

albert timmer for skilz-shimano, of course.
yes, that slik-shimano.

was going to post this photo a few days ago, now it's kinda 'been around' the blog circut. hope you don't think less of me.

are you sad the tdf is dead?
do you wish there were 'other grand tours' we could enjoy?
are you as mad as god is about the velodrome situation?
what did you do thursday?

le (de)tour de style.

2009-07-29T12:41:00.004-05:00

the freaking tour is over!
i missed it.

i have been doing some craazy googling, and i can't figure out what happened.
maybe i should switch to yahoos? or bing?
maybe i should just buy an iphone and just 'get over bicycles' all together.
there must be an app for that.

so, i have been checking d-listed, perezhilton, and usweakly everyday but there is almost no mention of the 'le tour' at all.
...

SPOILER ALERT:

i did manage to find out who was on the podium though, except i don't know what order they are supposed to be in...

the podium was/is: albert contador, lance spears, and andy shreck.

i figure it shouldn't be too hard to determine the correct podium order. i mean, the race is french, so clearly the results will be based on who was the most fashionable.

let us examine the facts:
...

lance spearstrong, aka 'sparklefingaz':

with a clear affection for swooping necklines and 'questionable sports coats', i think it is safe to say that lancey finished 3rd.
while he is sponsored by nike, he is rarely sporting 'fresh-out-the-box' dunks, and would be better off wearing nothing at all rather than anything else in nikes 'fashion/livestrong' line...

albert contador, aka 'le petite diesel engine':

albert looks pretty put together for a spanish dude. aka 'doesn't look drunk'.

although word on the street is that he will not be bff's with lance/johan/twitter anymore, he IS still friends with levi leipenhiemer. here is a photo of them hanging out after the tour. total bffs.

and with friends like levi, it should be obvious that albert will never stand on the top step at a grand tour... but at least he doesn't have to shop at radioshack.

andy shreck, aka 'der pimp':

there are not many photos of the elusive shreck brother, but he knows where to be and who to be with if he does find himself in front of the camera.
here he is post le tour 'just chillin' with my fav Gossip Girl stars serena and dan! omg.

so totes jeals of andy schrecks.
plus, unlike lance, andy does have his own dunks.

now that's top step material.
...

so based on the facts available, here is your final podium:

1st: andy
2nd: albert
3rd: lance

also, i believe 4th place went to this guy. maybe.

what did you think of this years tours of france?
were you sad that cav didn't win stage 7?
do you hate my blogs?
do you want your own dunks?
gossip girl season 2 available on dvd 8/18/09, just fyi.

whoops.

2009-07-24T13:16:00.002-05:00

didn't watch the stage today.
what happened?

is there a website/link/twitter where i can get race information?

thx much.

can lance still win a 7th tour?

2009-07-22T16:16:00.006-05:00

the last two days stages of the tdf promised some action, and of course, i was there to witness it first hand via french tv replay.
i was busy doing a little shopping.

anyway first gc shake up was the missed madison exchange btw lance spears, and some italian. d'oh! this allowed the schleckx to hold hands all the way to the top.

maybe track/madison racing is not lancey's forte? should he stick to cyclocross?
i think so. team radio shack would totally get mad blog hits if he raced 'cx'.
i think that 'cross' will be the next hot thing in cycling.

other big news on the day was pellis0tay's outfit was finally complete, and was complimented via matchy bicycle. well done. believe his ppl had seen thedispencer.blogspot.

not sure if the fact that the schlecks rode a tandem bicycle was uci legal, but i do know that it 'just looked kinda creepy'.

there was another race today, but i didn't watch it.
seemed a little unimportant.
not really into 'dudes in funny hats'.

but, perusing the photos on cyclingnews, best look of the day goes to liquigas' weird little truck.
<3 weird little trucks, y'all.
hope to own an iveco someday.

do you think lance will win on ventoux via cyclocross skillz?
what will happen when team radio shack tries to use their radios for the very first time in 2010?
will they be subject to the same fate as garmin's 'remote-controlled/photoshopped helicopter'?
how many more ugly bikes will lance unveil before the race ends?

beef?

2009-07-21T20:50:00.002-05:00

settled.

garmin. raw like cocaine straight from columbia.

is mn bike racing authentic?

2009-07-20T12:02:00.004-05:00

concerned that bicycles being raced in minnesota may not be authentic/relevant outside of mn/mpls/twitter.com.
ToGC was in St.Cloud this last weekend. I didn't go.
Heard it was not going to be 'the place to be' and that the cool kids were going to 'just chill' in the city.
would have possibly went for the bowling. was not aware that the was anything authentic to do in sterns county.

what can the ToGC do to be 'more authentic'?
move to wisconsin?
protour teams are racing in wiscompton right now.
while mn had 5 guys in the masters/oldschool/bitter field sunday.

would you buy tickets for the ToGC if lancearmstrongs/gregslemond/greenday were racing?
if there was a event t-shirt/clownsuit/handbag for purchase [via the internet] would you buy one to feel like you were 'part of the movement' in sterns county?

[man in backgrd points/laughs at old man inflitrating the #tdf.
where is the badger when you need him?]

feel like opus is 'very relevant' while races sterns county get treated like 'total shit'.
feel conflicted about the scene y'all.
someone tell me what to buy. i need to be authentic.

think i will go to the tuff ride to purchase some street cred before the next meatyard criterium.

is cyclocross going to catch on and be the 'next big thing', or will it fade away into obscurity like cadel evans?
will bicycles ever be accepted as real/tangible/authentic?
what protour kits do you buy to let drivers know you are a relevant cyclist?

does tdf = blog relevence?

2009-07-18T17:03:00.002-05:00

starting to feel like blogspot might be 'the next big thing' now that twitters.com has failed to grasp the attention of the internet/public/@lancearmstrong.

blogspot will soon shove tweeter.com off the podium like the badger would a union man or random pale guy.

the badger knows that no french team could possibly be on the tour podium, let alone be in the 'mellow johnny'.

feel like the tour is also inspiring me to 'blog more'. feel like there are many injustices that need to be righted, and that i can help. just need to keep cycle-blogging (clogging?) about important issues. feel like one day the world/uci/levi may start to 'get it' and learn a little something about cycling as a hobby more than a sport.

polka dots = injustice.
injustice to polka dots = genocide?

pellis-o-tay may be italian but he is clearly not as gay as most italians. fashion-wise.
wtf. omfg. idk. puk.e.dots.

in local news, i raced the track this thursday, and i hate to say it y'all, but cx season is here.
feel like blogging about cyclocross = mad hits.
feel like blogging about track racing = blog suicide.

was reading super-rookiesdotcom the other day too.
feel like being super rookie = career suicide. (via soccer/arcitecture/timhayes)

do you think the thedispencer.blogspot.com will bring tdf back into revelence?
do you hope the french get to win a stage of the tdf this year?
are you glad super rookie is semi-quiet these days?

pictoimages are plagerized from cylingnews. like usual.

oh crap, the tdf is on!

2009-07-17T16:31:00.003-05:00

hey, why did no one mention that the tour is on?

wtf? srsly.

anyway, i guess you probably know more what's going on over that since you've been watching it for like weeks now and i am trying to catsup. (clever pun, eh?)

so, instead of some tdf review/prediction/made-up b.s. i have decided to 'run what i brung', cuz 'rubbing is racing'.

hot/not.

calling it in = hot.

as much as i dislike the cav, i gotta like that fact that he spends his day in the peloton coming up with new and exciting victory salutes. but.... hopefully he was calling in an order for a green columbia/htc kit b/c a leaders jersey w/o matching shorts/gloves/helmet = not a good look.

srsly.

"hello, bob stapleton? yeah, it's cav. hey man, um, do y'all think you could hook me up with some green tinted bibs and shit? i mean, even euskatel can deck their guy in full polka dots, and they are a joke... oh, and bob, how hard would it be to get my national flag on my shoes? look into it ok? thx."

hell, even ag2r was prepared!
who even thought they had a shot in hell at any jersey!?
but nocentini proves the italians a born with the genes to know how to work a runway.

the man busts out the full yellow kit/gloves/helmet/socks/wife/kids... that's preparedness.

live it up, bro.
you're on a french team. your days are numbered.

custom airbrushing on anyone/thing that is not mario cipolini = not hot.

thats like spitting in the face of all things cipo, and blasphemy will get you nowhere.

i was glad to see heinrich haussler doing it for the revolution on stage 12.

he took an enormous risk throwing the fist, could've lost everything.

maybe the uci did not take heinrich seriously as he is 'just some white guy on a bike' to them.
we know the truth.

all photos stolen from cyclingnews.com/bettini. whatever.
oh, except the 1968 opympics. i googled that shit.

i heart coffee and bikes. together.

2009-07-16T11:55:00.004-05:00

[all the way ray, and hurl at crc. circa may 2009].

i am currently sitting at the CRC cafe.

for those that haven't had the pleasure, it's kind of a coffeeshop, and kind of a bike shop, and kind of always full of nice people. hell, i even saw the cullen's here once!
and bob williams. no shit, bob williams!

so, i sit here kind of a lot. it's close to my house, sure, but i do feel like i should take every opportunity to support CRC that i can.
i mean, where else does this exist in the world?
my two favorite things in the world collide; coffee and bikes.

excellent.

plus, it's a pretty awesome place, and i would like to continue to hangout here into the future, so that makes it easy to support. and that's what i'm all about..
hurl can make a mean soy latte to boot! (yes, soy. it's delicious).

LGR has been starting our weekend training ride from crc for the last year now, and it is pretty great to be able to grab an espresso, and a tube before heading out, let me tell you.

so, i hear rumors that might make your head spin a bit with excitement:
there may be another coffeeshop/bikeshop in minneapolis!

holy crap, i know.

longfellow/hiawatha residents can rejoice, angrycatfish bikes & coffee is coming to south minneapolis soon!
4208 28th Ave South, to be exact.

you can trust that as soon as i opens it's doors, i'll be there.
supporting.

internet fame.

2009-07-06T12:35:00.006-05:00

so, the internet is all a-buzz about cycling lately and all the attention is on one man...

no, not lance.

srsly. check me out;

got to star in the new urban velo magazine, masi ad. (hot placement on the backcover, in full color!)
i also scored what i am calling the 'lead role' in the sweet masi promo video. (hot velodrome racing action!)
and, riotminneapolis.com got a nice write-up on my favorite fixedgear trend-watching site, hipsternascar.com!

i'm everywhere.
get used to it.

notes:
1) photo by pete demos. he's good at his job, but i like to think as a professional model i made his job a lot easier...
2) i am not an advocate of riser bars on fixed gear bikes.
3) i do support riser bars over mustache bars. those are just retarded.

omg, a new post!

2009-05-28T14:53:00.003-05:00

bet you thought i quit, huh?

maybe you were right. who knows.

anyway, here i am writing a stupid blog post. you are fucking welcome.

so, i guess the recent news is like so;

i raced up in duluth last weekend for tonytonetoni's duluth-classic. it was a ton of fun like usual.
a bit different from last year, as LGR did not field a full squad.

only me and the infamous littleguy made the trip.
stage one was the TT. awesome.
since neither of us would crack the top 10 on our best day, we both bagged it and rode tempo saving the legs for the "important" races. i did catch LG though, and we had a sprint finish where he got me by a tire. most excitement the officials had all day.

see me? i'm the cute one. (photo from www.viewthroughmylens.net)

the rest of the weekend was us attacking the field and having fun racing. managed some decent results, but no stage wins. which was expected, since i am currently way off the form i had last season at this time... it was good to see some new out-of-town teams in the mix.
you a-holes get boring to race every week. 'nowhatimsayin'?

and then;

the week prior to duluth was a busy one for me. masiguy (lgr's super fantastic awesome super sponsor) and staff were in town, and i spent the week showing him the sites.
masi was in town to shoot photos for their catalog and for ads/web stuffs. all that jazz.

fyi, my modelling career is about to blow up. get your autographs now.
i hear i will be in the next issue of urban velo.

we gave them the grand tour, and got alot of awesome stuff for the catalog.
they came out to the velodrome to catch the thursday night racing action.
they were treated to lgr and masi bikes going 1st & 2nd in the very first race of the season.
can't beat that.

me? i just tried to look fast.
i hope it worked.

...

don't forget, i have a new business!
please check it out and maybe buy some stuff. i have no kids to feed!

photo by TC worley

RIOT Design Collective

2009-04-05T14:07:00.003-05:00

coming soon!

my clothing company!

bicycle and urban themed shirts and accessories for the fashionable-minded among us.

Modulok.

2009-02-17T10:45:00.007-06:00

this is a photo my friend moe.
he lives up in toronto.
i was lucky enough to see him in paris when he was on tour.

this photo was taken by my friend andrew.
he lives down in mexico city.
i am lucky enough to have several prints of is on my walls.

i'm international.
well, at least my friends are.

moe has a new album, "cities and years", dropping on the 23rd.
the tracks that have been released already are amazing.

i am in awe of the talent that so many of my close friends possess.
i've known both these kids since forever. for years. in one city to the next. these friendships have been constant.

with any luck i'm gonna get them both here in minneapolis at the same time along with some other good friends from far away cities and years.

it's gonna be a fucking riot.

check out the video. filmed in st. petersburg, russia.

G and J

2009-02-03T11:05:00.002-06:00

In the early Gumby episode "The Blockheads," the Blockheads slip ice cream into Gumby's milkshake, while Gumby and Pokey are traveling through the Old West.

The bartender serves the laced milkshake and Gumby becomes stiff as a result. The Blockheads take advantage of this in order to kidnap Pokey. (!)

However, Gumby blasts himself through the sky by firing off his pistols and lands on the Blockheads, saving Pokey.

yo, video mondayz iz mad fresh.

2009-01-26T13:42:00.004-06:00

inauguration day.

2009-01-20T12:01:00.001-06:00

quite a speech.

2009-01-19T10:18:00.002-06:00

with all due respect to martin luther king jr., i am going to use this day to post a speech by another great speaker in history.
malcolm x.

amazing how problems of yesterday are still the problems of today.

listening to mlk's speeches, and malcolm x's speeches just leaves obama's ringing hollow, and almost tripping over themselves.

what ever happened to great speakers?
did they all get assassinated?

"the government has failed us. you can't deny that. any time you are in the 20th century, 1964, and you're walking around singing 'we shall overcome', the government has failed you.
this is part of what's wrong with you, you do too much singing.
today it is time to stop singing, and start swinging."
-malcolm x (13th minute)

holy balls! (or highroad's new kit)

2009-01-16T22:34:00.004-06:00

so... highroad revealed it's new team kit for 2009.

it's pretty different from the '08 version, which was a study in modesty.

yes, gone is the stark black and white contrast, which harkened us back to a simpler time in cycling. a more low-budget time.
a time before anyone realized you could hire a designer to create your kit.

by special request, i am going to share my thoughts on this kit, and you are going to read it, and consider my words briefly before moving on to the next blog and forgetting about this forever.

so it goes.

anyway, to the point. as you can see above, this shit is yellow.
yellow. wtf?

not only is it yellow, but it is yellow and white! a combo made in hell. in fact the only thing that might be worse is yellow and blue...

as for the styling, well frankly they look like a third-tier spanish or italian team.
shudder!
the nod to, (aka really crappy rip-off of), the former (and uber-cool) csc kit is... interesting. the muscles on the csc kit looked realistic, and were well done. no, these look more like they were attempting the bumblebee theme. or rather than the tough david-hasselhoff-in-bay-watch-running-in-slow-mo theme they were clearly going for, they got the gay one.

worst of all, is the white shorts. i mean, c'mon. this photo is delivering more packages than ups.
also, not working in this overall shoddy kit is the all important transition from jersey to bib short. there main panel of the jersey, (yellow), just... ends. leaving you staring straight at the polish sausage.

what does really work, is the national champion versions of this kit, which are all on the womens side of the team:

although it would be kind of embarrassing to be one of the 2 women that didn't bother to win a national championship.
also, it looks like maybe canada and denmark should swap bibs. (and not just for skibby's entertainment).

inertia.

2009-01-14T11:50:00.007-06:00

In 17 days, 975 Palestinians were killed by Israel including 284 children & 100 women, plus there have been about 4400 more injured.

While on the other hand, over the past 8 years the number of Israeli's killed due to Hamas rocket attacks has been recorded as being 28 as of January, 4th 2009.

palestine is immovable.

it is not going anywhere.

when will the unstoppable forces of the usa and israel learn that?

oakland.

2009-01-09T12:08:00.003-06:00

action:

equal and opposite reaction:

couldn't happen here. no way.

ouch. flandis is back!

2009-01-08T14:52:00.003-06:00

flandis is making his return and he don't give a crap what you think.

the unicorn.

2009-01-06T14:37:00.001-06:00

video monday [tape delay]

2008-12-30T10:47:00.003-06:00

c. delores tucker must be rolling in her grave.

where are the hoes in these videos? where's the pool party scene? what? oh, the artists are finally gaining creative control?
shit.

serves her right.
her number one target was 2pac, who undeniably wrote some of the most progessive and political rap music ever*.

record companies have successfully watered rap down to the point of worthlessness for years now, but some artists are taking the power back.

it's time you took notice.

it is important, whether you like the music or not.
don't be another ignorant fuck that doesn't like rap because "it's all just about guns and degrading women".
and, don't be another ignorant fuck that does.

*learn:

musical chairs.

2008-12-22T16:20:00.006-06:00

i don't get it.

why is everyone so pissed off at ol' whats-his-name-crazy-sounding-polish-name-or-something guy?

you know, the illinoise governor.

so he tried to sell obama's chair. so what?

it is a well known fact that chairs get sold all the time. like daily.

let's be honest, politicians sell bigger things all the time. sarah palin sold a plane on ebay, right?

so who cares if boscowitz tried to sell a chair that obama used to sit on? what was he gonna get?

maybe a $100 on craigslist.

maybe it was a nice chair though.

no, really nice.

no, like badass awesome nice.

more badass.

like a throne.

no, like a badass throne.

yeah.

or, maybe it was made from panda bears.

we may never know.

i have yet to see a photo of the actual chair in question.

perhaps dan's brother can shed some light on this.
he like chairs.

do you have any idea?

2008-12-19T10:39:00.002-06:00

seriously.

do you have any idea what is going down in greece right now?

not unlike paris a few years ago, except this time the targets of violence are banks and police stations.

get organized.

(i love this video).

fyi

2008-12-17T10:03:00.003-06:00

1

2

3

4

5

smithers is gonna shit his pants.

2008-12-10T10:30:00.004-06:00

formula "ungh" and track racing.
bike vs. car
this can not possibly go horribly horribly wrong.

this is quite the publicity stunt, i have to say. i mean honestly, when was the last time anyone gave a crap about what they were doing over in england? 1776?

hamilton has the engine, but hoy's got the diesel.
hoy will have to turn right, so he may be at a disatvantage. (aside from, you know, not being in a mercedes-benz f1 race car).

best part? watch the spectacle live on the internets!
this sunday sunday sunday!

who's gonna take it?

video mondays!

2008-12-08T14:09:00.002-06:00

back by popular demand!

(one vote for, zero against).

classic.
i try to stay out of the affairs of others as well.

it's what the kids are into. thee euros are craazy.
parkour. google that shit.

secret video footage from the LSC party.

update. live!

2008-12-08T10:01:00.001-06:00

jingle cx.

2008-11-26T14:09:00.008-06:00

i have 2 days to fix this problem... crap.

this hill sucks. it is really the only part of the course that i just can't seem to deal with properly.

the plan this year:
ride on the tops so i can't possibly use the brakes.

new favorite website.

2008-11-21T09:58:00.004-06:00

hot new website on the block?

dickipedia.

yes, dickipedia.

check this entry and get a feel for it.

just barely knocks hots chicks with douchebags down to number two...

eastward bound.

2008-11-20T12:36:00.003-06:00

if you know me at all, you know i have a love affair with milwaukee.

i lived in milwaukee for only one short year, all the way back in 2000-2001. sure, the city has changed a bit since then, but not too much that i don't feel at home there when i visit.

i love milwaukee mainly because of the people, and because of the city and it's character, and partly because i hate minneapolis and chicago for various reasons, and milwaukee is the perfect storm of the awesome aspects of both those cities.

minneapolis has soooo many "cool" places/cafes/shops/whatever, that they all end up being kinda watered down. and you just can't swing a dead cat without knocking some asshole off his fixed gear these days...

and chicago has...
uh, traffic?
seriously, what does chicago have? all it has it that is a real "big city".

...a big city that you can't find a vegan resurant (or a parking spot) in.
worthless.

minneapolis has this big city wanne-be thing going on, where we think we are super hip, but really we are 8 skyscrapers away from being madison fucking wisconson.

milwaukee.
seriously.
best of both worlds, and a well-kept secret.
i tell you because you won't believe me.
no one does.

that is why milwaukee remains awesome to this day.
i'd take my honeymoon there.

so, i'm going back again this weekend for the wi state cx race, which will be my 3rd trip there this year.
seems like i was just there a few weeks ago. ha.

anyway, going to the 414 for cyclocross races is something new. i have gone there for about a zillion alleycats, gone there for superweek races, stayed there to race down at the velodrome in kenosha... but a few weeks ago was the first cx racing for me in milwaukee.
i was impressed as always.

i will probably head back again in march or so, when they host the milwaukee messenger invitational. i think it'll be the 8th annual. i think i skipped number 6, but other than that i have been to all of them. i think i came as close to winning as 4th place, but now (much like cx) i don't really give a shit. it's just a good time.

velodrome cyclocross!

2008-11-07T10:47:00.002-06:00

no longer an oxymoron!

it ain't gonna get nicer as the year goes on!

High: 38
SATURDAY
Snow
Blustery & Raw!

plus, this event is guaranteed to piss skibby off for some reason!

...and that will be epic!

incorrect.

2008-11-05T15:04:00.001-06:00

dissent.

2008-11-04T10:53:00.003-06:00

being guilt-tripped into voting for the least offensive politician isn't synonymous with genuine democracy.

i am not going to write it again.

milwaukee.

2008-11-03T16:24:00.002-06:00

two races in the city.
awesome.

i love racing in new places! it's the most fun ever. new courses, new competition.
keeps it fresh.

don't forget!
nscx this saturday!

rock the vote!

2008-10-31T13:38:00.004-05:00

i am pumped!

pumped!!!!!!!!!

are you ready to rock the friggin' vote?!?!?!?!?!

well i am! hells yes!

woo!

i can't friggin' wait to do my amercain duty as an god-fearing american, and friggin' vote-the-hell-out of that voting booth!

i'm so pumped, i may even vote twice!

you may think that this is some sort of halloween gag, and that i am not actually pumped to vote, but you would be wrong. i have been long awaiting a ticket that fully represented my views on what this country needs to turn itself around!

well my friends, that dream has been realized.

granted i would like to see the unicorn on the top of the ticket, but hey- it is only the second time a unicorn has been on the ticket at all. and if we start grooming the unicorn now then maybe in 2012... well, who knows how far this could go?

now, i don't want to sound demanding, but it is time to put country first and elect change!
i'm just sayin', like puffy daddy told all you bitches-

vote or die!

168 days to tuesday night worlds

2008-10-28T11:19:00.003-05:00

now that i have decided that road races are for suckers, i am focusing on crits, track, cyclocross, and any other sporting, baking, or television events that take less than an hour to complete.
having these clearly defined goals has allowed me to really zero in on some key elements, and really start to work on some limiters.

for instance, here's a hot tip: my all-new crit strategy involves watching this film nightly, just before bed. looking ever so carefully for the stylish red aero booties, as robbie ventura soothes me to sleeeeep.

yep, only one hundred sixty-eight day until we "ramp it up to really hard"

Macaframa Primier

2008-10-17T23:18:00.002-05:00

if you need an excuse to come to milwaukee...

for whom the bell tolls...

2008-10-14T13:43:00.006-05:00

mccain and obama out themselves as anarchists.

interesting times.

ok, so maybe they aren't anarchist per se, but they both "look up to" the hero of hemmingways novel, for whom the bell tolls.

as you may or may not know, for whom the bell tolls is set during the spanish civil war. the hero, Robert Jordan, lives in the hills and in caves and fights the fascist state that is franco.

the spanish civil war is widely regarded as the best example of an actual anarchist state in modern history.

the question is, who was robert jordan fighting for?

maybe it says so in the book. i don't know. i started it, but i can not stand the way hemmingway writes.

it drives me nuts.

i also tried to read the old man and the sea, same thing. can make too far before i start wondering out loud why he is a famous author.

regardless, any way you slice it, both mccain and obama look up to a "strong, stoic, tough" hero, in robert jordan.
a man, living in a cave, prepared to fight to the death with the government of the country, and with a plot to destroy the countries infrastructure. a guerilla. ...a terrorist.(!)

interesting times indeed.

who knows if hemmingway/robert jordan was an anarchist sympathiser, what we do know is that the anarchists decided to help the communists (who would have otherwise been crushed) defeat franco and fascism in spain.
...only to have the commies turn around and wipe them out.

never trust a commie.
this is especially important to remember as we nationalize our banking system this morning.

hmmmm, so wait a minute...
then are obama and mccain anarchists or communists?
a hybrid? socialists!?

say it ain't so!

the terrorists may have already won!

rainy day.

2008-10-13T16:45:00.007-05:00

what are you thinking about?
the past weekend cx races? ha!
not me.

just the facts man.
on rainy days, all i want is coffee. well, espresso actually.
don't wanna be to too awake on a rainy day.

30ml (single) espresso: 40-60mg caffine;
dbl espresso: 70-100mg;
12oz americano: 70-120mg;
12oz brewed coffee: 120-200mg (or more)

robusta has nearly dbl the caffeine of arabica. Most budget coffees are 100% robusta.

Darker roast = higher caffeine.

so, as you can see, it's a complete myth that espresso will keep you awake more than drip coffee. you need 5x shots or more to match 12-16oz drip... but it is so tasty.

p.s. cx was just fine this weekend. although cullen beat me on sunday due to my flat tire, i was able to make up for it earier in the day by hekeling frye during his race, and then riding past him in mine. sweet. like a nice shot of espresso.

reminder.

2008-10-08T09:57:00.002-05:00

just a reminder, wristbands are still available!

find me at a race, or head over to behind bars and pick one up after you are finished drooling on the super sweet line of steel masi bikes! (i like the cx bike...)

there is no set price, it's a sliding scale donation. pay what you think it's worth to help out jason.
100% goes to him.

and he needs it. in addition to his stupid expensive medical bills, he just won't stop breaking shit.

(dis)chedule.

2008-10-02T10:43:00.002-05:00

my cyclocross season:

9/27 mad cx 1 uci (wca series)
9/28 mad cx 2 uci (wca series)
10/4 "orono" cx (mn cry series)
10/5 hudson cx (mn cry series)
10/11 twine ball cx (mn cry series)
10/12 wirth classic (mn cry series)
10/18 [open]
10/19 mclaren park (bay area super prestige series)
10/25 [open]
10/26 green acres cx (mn cry series)
11/1 Kletsch Park (wca series)
11/2 Estabrook Park (wca series)
11/8 nscx (mn cry series)
11/9 [open]
11/15 majorwood mn state cx championships
11/29 jingle cx rock 1 uci
11/30 jingle cx rock 2 uci

the last 3 are my only "a priority" races, and the other out-of-town ones i'd like to do well in, so i'm calling them "b priority" races.

all the local races are "c".

not monday, but who cares?

2008-10-01T14:37:00.002-05:00

defacto video monday. it's too serious around here.

holy crap.

2008-10-01T09:28:00.003-05:00

this is what i woke up to at about 3am last night.
smokey, sirens, lights, the whole nine.

it was the neighbors house, but at the time i didn't know. i thought it was our house.
i herded up the pets and ran outside. left all my shit.
clothes, bikes, everything. pretty much expecting to lose it all.

once outside, it became clear that it was the neighbors house, but we weren't out of it yet, it was burning up pretty close to ours, and could potentially make the gap. there was a tree right between that would make it easy for the fire to bridge across.

MFD was amazing. watching them work up close like that was crazy. they were all business, and really got the blaze under control quick without acting crazy or freaking out all of us from the houses.
i was looking for casper and linda, didn't see them. i didn't want to ask since i figured the firefighters had more important issues to deal with.
about 5am i was able to go back in our place, which survived just fine- just a little smokey.

suffice to say, it was very difficult to get back to sleep.

mad cx uci. video.

2008-09-30T12:15:00.004-05:00

lap one.
thru the barriers.

i'm not last, and i'm as shocked about that as you are.

here is a shot of my ass and all the guys that had to look at it for 2 laps...
i gotta get my endurance for that kind of pace up.

mad cx uci.

2008-09-29T14:11:00.002-05:00

really fast.

learned alot.

wish i was in better shape, but don't we all?

33rd of 41 starters day one, 31 of 36 on day two.

didn't finish either race, but made it to the half way point to get an official result which was my goal for each day.

i guess i coulda raced 30+ and got a good result and not learned how to go faster, but i prefer to get stomped and absorb race knowledge like a sponge.
that's just me.

see you in "orono", and hudson!

Lance is a bad bike racer.

2008-09-25T10:21:00.008-05:00

Pic by Lindsay Thomson of Interbike.

well, a bad cyclocross racer anyway.

although it may have to be blamed on his mechanic... a 53/39 chainring setup? seriously?
they really do think he is superman.

dumbasses.

oh well. i hope he comes to jingle cx so i can race him!

crosstitute.

2008-09-22T14:56:00.003-05:00

I am out of the office until September 29th attending the INTERBIKE spank-fest.

I'll be checking messages when I can, between schmoozing the knobs out here in Vegas, and feeding my losing streak at the craps table.
Please be patient if it takes me an extra amount of time to get back in touch with you sad, pathetic lame-o's that aren't here at the the big bike nerd-off.

Thanks.

Tootles,

Cxxxx T. Sxxxx

[identity masked to protect the guilty].

wisconsin has better ideas...

2008-09-19T14:27:00.005-05:00

it's a sad state of affairs.
wisco is out-gunning us!

but this has to be a skibby-approved epic combination of sports of cx and track...

not quite as good as this idea was, butt close! (get it?)

epilympic?

2008-09-18T14:21:00.002-05:00

k-murder. vanilla bicycles.

should cyclocross be an olympic sport?

(a winter olympic sport, duh).

what do you think?

nscx!

2008-09-17T19:06:00.004-05:00

It's back!

click here for the pdf version.

missed it last year?
read the reviews!

i am not going to duluth as a favor to boyce.

cx field trips!

2008-09-17T15:12:00.002-05:00

another one just added!

that makes for racing in madison, milwaukee, iowa city, and san francisco...

...in addition to all the mcf races i am in town for!

shit.
i better get fast quick!

lgr game plan stolen!

2008-09-15T10:15:00.002-05:00

security was breeched.

it appears that the top-secret and highly coveted lgr race tactics system has been discovered.

details are sketchy, but it would seem that kelly-benefit medfast has aquired or developed their own tactical information system based on littleguyracing's.

if they win duluth in '09 we may have to file a lawsuit.

and the 8-ball says;
"super rookie will take a chunk out of his shin via an ill-advised driveside dimount".

the 8-ball never lies.

not another political cycling blog....

2008-09-11T13:40:00.002-05:00

sick of smithers?

me too.

is anyone else reading this?

scattered and angry, but thought provoking.

...unlike smithers. (aka; fluffy and soft, but comment provoking).

cx'ing.

2008-09-10T10:03:00.003-05:00

tuesday night cross practice all up in your grill.

too fun.

i may have to give up all other kinds of racing...

p.s. rain forcasted for thursday. is anyone suprised?

Get some.

2008-09-08T18:48:00.004-05:00

As I am sure you have heard, our teammate and friend Jason is dealing with some serious BS.
He is being treated for skin cancer, and it has sucked for him.He's been through multiple visits to the hospitals and doctors, and all kinds of related stress.

He is dealing with it as best he can, (which is pretty well if you asked me), but he definitely can use all the support he can get.

My mom had the same thing, and I know that it is no fun to deal with.

He has been deemed "cancer-free" recently, and that is huge.
huge.
...unfortunatly, so are the bills.

As individuals, I know we have all reached out, and/or offered whatever support we can to Jason in our own ways, and I really want to sincerely thank everyone for it.

Our little bike scene really is something special.

As a way to show our support for Jason, LGR has decided to make wristbands, (ala LiveStrong), to wear in support of Jason and his battle.

I would love to see them on display at every race this cross season.

We will have plenty of extra wristbands, and we are hoping to sell them for donations in any amount. from a quarter to a quarter mill.
These donations will be given 100% to Jason to help with his medical bills.

Please give some thought to wearing a band whenever you are competing, and also to anyone you know that may wish to wear one as well, and cx out for a cause.

find me at the races, or get yours at behind bars bike shop!

Thanks!

trouble.

2008-09-08T11:28:00.005-05:00

i never need to go to the track again...

this is way more fun!

Go to the main page here, enter the site, and once the aural and visual assault is over, click on "Line Master".

Then click Enter, then click on a few random boxes of Japanese text, pick a racer!

Tap the space bar to pedal, steer with the cursor keys.

Don't tap space too much or you will get tired and go slower than super rookie.

rnc welcoming committe?

2008-09-05T12:26:00.001-05:00

outclassed.

2008-09-04T19:34:00.003-05:00

registered today.

jingle cross rock uci races in iowa city, and uci races at the johnathan page cx cup in madison...

well, at least i'll have decent start line spots.
...actually all that does is take away one of my armada of excuses for sucking. the "bad start position".

hmmm... a new plan is in order.

sounds grim.

2008-09-04T16:30:00.009-05:00

but who's starting it?

todays 'youth against war & racism' rally is under permit until 5pm.

from indy media's twitter (aka live blogging from the event):
(most recent at the top) :

cops have surrounded entire rally. riot cops behind stage. tear gas guns
pulled out on lawn 11 minutes ago from web

riot cops have entered middle of crowd at capitol. 2 people
detained. 17 minutes ago from web

rally at capitol being surrounded by
riot cops. 40 on horseback 21 minutes
ago from web

FreePress.net has collected
40k+signatures agains abuse of journalists in Twin Cities, deliver to Mayor
Coleman tmrw. FREEDOM OF PRESS! about 1 hour
ago from web

Warning: police in unmarked vans have
white numbers chalked on top of windshield. Avoid them! Someone is stirring up
riot rumors- the govt? about 1 hour
ago from web

have video of brutality, arrests, etc?
can deliver to i-witness video at IMC, 300 Broadway in STP, ring #38. or call
347.425.4224 about 1 hour
ago from web

cops in riot gear are parked on
sidewalk lining shepard road up to 35E. yawr march is on kellogg blvd south of
capitol about 2 hours ago from web

Word is that downtown businesses are
being asked to close. about 3 hours
ago from web

Word from several state employees
(teachers mostly) is that all state employees are being asked to evacuated from
the downtown area. about 3 hours
ago from web

...

it is currently 4:28pm

yeah, the cops don't start shit.

the fear and intimidation tactic cause most of the problems if you asked me.

don't believe indy media? ok.

how about minnesota public radio? same story.

st. paul kares.

2008-09-03T12:14:00.003-05:00

this is kare11 footage from last night.

police disrupted and shut down the day long legally permitted concert on the state capitol steps when rage against the machine came on stage. this was just after micheal franti performed.

the crowd got pissed and the cops proceeded to chase all the peaceful concert goers away with tear gas and concussion gernades. it looked like this:

http://www.kare11.com/video/player.aspx?aid=81577&storyid=523781

there is almost no mention of these incident in the papers, and when there is it is downplayed as a few "anarchists".

see it for yourself.
i see a concert-sized crowd, walking away. ...for some reason getting tear gassed.

sorry george.

2008-09-03T11:02:00.002-05:00

sorry george, but i still am not interested in trek.

or bontrager.

or fisher.

etc.

now lemonds, those i like.

sorry lance.

2008-09-03T10:20:00.007-05:00

sorry lance, but i will never ever buy a trek.

you do the math.

2008-09-02T16:03:00.004-05:00

from the same AP article;

A total of 284 people were arrested on the first day, 130 of which are facing felony riot charges...

and;

Officers said they were prepared, and responded by taking down dozens of “anarchists” causing chaos in the streets. As protesters ran wild through the capital streets, some went as far as to break windows of police cars and store fronts...

um...

"dozens" of "anarchists" equals 284 arrests and 130 felony charges?

it begs the question: just who did they arrest, and why?

rnc.

2008-09-02T14:19:00.004-05:00

mayor colman commended cops for showing restraint, and not being taunted into unruly, unnessary, or dangerous acts...

apparently no one showed him this...

when does a cop in a protest situation ever rush a group of people on his own to arrest someone?
is he retarded?

this crowd appears reasonably mellow and law-abiding.

until of course the cop randomly run thru the crowd and arrests someone, threatens everyone around with mace, receives a detroit redwings level body check, loses his grip on his "collar", and proceeds to mace every one around (mostly media with press credentials, if you are paying attention).

classy.

now what was just a mob of folks try to head home after a peaceful march, is an unruly mob.
...and they are pissed at one cop who is alone without back up.
...and for all that, said cop has no arrest to show for it.

yeah, give that dipshit a pat on the back.

here's what a cop in that situation should do:

1. call for back up.
2. wait.

pretty simple, huh?

gosh, i wonder why things got out-of-hand... must've been "the anarchists"!

democracy now?

2008-09-02T10:12:00.001-05:00

can't wait for this episode on npr!

adios!

2008-08-27T15:25:00.003-05:00

it is too bad that scott bicycles has had to pull their sponsorship of team american beef.

really too bad. i feel terrible.

where will they find a team to sponsor that will give them the same bang for their buck as a pro-tour (tm) team?

you know; almost limitless exposure, bigg victories, positive press, and -of course- one that gets invited to the big races?

stairway to heaven?

2008-08-27T14:24:00.004-05:00

cx!

oh boy! it is coming!

i am checking the calendars, and as of now it looks like 3 weekends in wisconsin, plus one in iowa for jingle cross... plus all my faves here in minnesnowta.

k-murder will be in wisco at the time, so i'll have a smoker on a single speed as a rabbit to chase all day...

fantastic.

holy balls.

2008-08-20T10:32:00.003-05:00

it is on now!
the best thing to happen to the olympics since... i don't know, table tennis?

in other news, i got a motorcycle permit today.
booya!

the biggest losers.

2008-08-19T09:48:00.005-05:00

not theo, that much is clear. where is the rider i love to watch so much?

disappointment of the games so far, for me anyway.

i don't hold anything against jennie reed for not nabbing a medal as "america's best hope" on the track... sure she is the world champion, but in the keirin.

i know they are both sprint events, but still the keirin and the match sprints are pretty different.
reed had an uphill battle the whole time if you asked me.

and, what's up with the coverage? pretty slim.
(i mean from our troops on the ground, i didn't expect nbc to come thru for me).
youtube is light on beijing track racing, i expected the track aficionados to be uploading all night every night.

i did find this keirin heat from round one. you can see nsc golden boy roberto chiappa qualify, only to be dq'd later.
you can see him get flicked way high, by the japanese rider nagai, which opened the door for ross edgar who had been pretty seriously boxed in. chiappa comes back down into the sprinters lane on top of the japanese rider.
right on top of him.
all but on nagai's bike. roberto earns the dq. can't blame him, only the top 2 move on. so if there is a chance the judges won't call it you aren't really any worse off.

edgar went on to take the silver medal. i think the owes the japanese team a cookie.

monday!

2008-08-18T13:10:00.003-05:00

i can relate to binky.

go net flik shakes the clown right now.

greatest movie ever.

...ok, definately in the top 5 though.

tough break.

2008-08-18T10:39:00.003-05:00

the usa's best shot at a medal on the track, ended up on the track.
...and with a busted clavicle. ouch indeed.

sounds like the cause was a touch of wheels after the second sprint. apparently the usa still need to be weary of cuba.
yes, cuba has always been sketchy, ever since that missile thing back in the day...

too bad for sarah, it is a tough way to end a long process of getting to the games.

initial impressions!

2008-08-15T11:00:00.004-05:00

even donimater's porsche is jealous of staff's power.
the brits did a great ride (42 sec team sprint in qualifing!), and put the frogs in their place.
not sure what france was thinking switching up the team members between starts... oh well.

the americans actually did better than i thought they would and finished 8th.
that's ok. we will do well in the pursuits.

poland actually had a faster team sprint than the usa by a tenth, but they are listed in 13th place. i assume they got some sort of relegation for riding part of the race on their backs.
some one fill me in on the rule specifics.

my pick is the darkhorse josiah ng for the keirin.
think it ain't?

olympic rr's.

2008-08-10T11:47:00.003-05:00

the men's rr sounded tough. sweltering heat, and all that jazz.
sanchez is a reasonable winner. he's been riding well, and it was a course for him.
cancellara is a beast, but that is no surprise.
valverde was a disappointment, but that is no surprise either.

they say this olympic course is the hardest ever. so, with that in mind, how could it get even harder?

well, the very next day however, the womens race lined up expecting the same 100 degree weather and humidity. instead a few miles in they got a downpour. torrential style.

that makes for miserable racing, but the attacks were still flying, and the race report is way more exciting. it seemed like it was really and epic race. i can't wait to see some video.

a truely epic day for them.
one they'll remember.

mostly because of the weather, party because for the flurry of attacks and counters, and possibly because the womens field was more wide open... who knows.

congrats to nicole cooke, she is a bad ass.

cheese with that?

2008-08-08T15:54:00.004-05:00

i like horner.
or, at least i did.

not sure why, but i just didn't like it when he signed with astana. i thought it was tacky. whatever, he can do what he wants.
but this, this is just poor form. what a world-class whiney baby he has turned into! maybe it's the levi rubbing off on him. seriously, chris? you have a freaking broken collar bone, and you a bitching about not being on the olympic team? guess what? even if they selected you, you wouldn't be there.

you have a broken collar bone.

not only would'nt you be there, but the person in your spot wouldn't have been training for the event. so, it actually worked out ok, huh?
go ahead and be salty you didn't get picked, but what is the point of blabbing off to the media about it?

the big show.

2008-08-08T13:37:00.003-05:00

the strib printed a nice little piece by dave zirin about the political climate of this years olympic games.
he wrote it far better than i will take the time to here, so go read it. it's good.

he poses the question about todays athletes, and really, the climate of the world today, on it's dedication to human rights issues.

would an athlete today risk a medal, (and not to mention endorsment deals), to make a statement?
is it even possible to make a statement like the one pictured above in today's world?
and, is there a point?

i have doubt any will, but i do keep hold on a small hope that someone will.

1968.

that is ten years before i was even born.
that photo, that statement, speaks clearly to me. i can feel the pride and the strength in it.
it says so much about the world in 1968.

way more than 1,000 words.

there are very few things in this world that hit me in the chest the way that this photo does.

smoggy.

2008-08-06T10:14:00.003-05:00

i stole this link from my very favorite soccer blog.
i'm not gonna tell you what it is, for two reasons;
1) you don't care, and
2) super rookie does.

anyway, it was explained well enough in the original post so i will just post that text without further comment, except to say that i believe the exact same thing can be said about cycling... the olympic road race is gonna be boring as hell.

hopefully the track event will be ok...

here is is:

Press play on the image of US Olympic midfielder Maurice Edu in China (from his personal website) and you will see 1st hand why this maybe the most low-energy athletic event in history. Ever. Period.
FACT! When you have superb physical specimens like Edu, Jozy Altidore, and Brian McBride saying that it's too hot, they can't see and they can't breathe WHEN THEY ARE JUST WALKING you know there is a very real problem.
If the smog --which is as thick and dirty as Kyle Beckerman's dreads-- in this video is any indication, these matches will be decided in the first 20 minutes due to mass respiratory failure; if no one scores by then it's going to be nil-nil draws all around.

Posted by SF at 8/05/2008

let's continue our discussions...

2008-08-04T09:27:00.007-05:00

quite possibly the best show on radio, is 'the breakfast jam' on minneapolis' kmoj (89.9fm), hosted by sonny day.

how can you not host a morning show with a name like sonny day? clearly, it is what you were born to do.

sonny has some great mannerisms that make his show unlike any other morning show that i've ever heard. for one thing, he's calm.

i really appreciate that in the am.

his show is a call-in style show, where he selects a topic from the news headlines or that affect the community in general, and asks people to call-in with their opinions.
he just acts as a facilitator to the discussions.

he's super respectful, and appreciative of everyone and their (sometimes hilarious and insane) opinions.

the topics are usually really good, and it is interesting to hear the range of opinions without some fat, blowhard, radio guy yelling over them not listening and putting words in their mouths... even if the blowhard agrees with the caller.

my favorite mannerism of sonny days is how he gently reminds you too get your ass to work;

"it's 8:42am, if you were supposed to be to work at 8:30, you are late. If you have to be to work at nine, well, your doing ok".

and;

"we're gonna listen to a nice song or two. then, we'll come back and continue our discussions".

sonny day. check him out.

there are some discussions going on in the local cycling world right now as well. i think we are gonna need sonny day to help us remain clam, and not get all heated about this stuff- but, unfortunately he's booked.

one is bergman v. doping. boy, that is a topic that has been done to death. i, for one, am not interested in getting involved.

bergman is a nice guy, and he got a shot at the bigtime. for one reason or another he blew it. i won't judge him on that.

but, i guess people still want to act like they know what's best for the man...
the price he has to pay for getting "famous", i guess.

seems like it would suck to have all kinds of folks chirping about you all the time.
...i mean, that's why i never pursued that acting career. otherwise i'd be the new brad pitt.
(oh, you know it's true.)

another good one is this discussion over at trissels weblog. actually, there is very little discussion on the blog, but i'm sure there is plenty behind-the-scenes.

the topic is cat 1/2's leaving birchwood for other teams, and trissels/birchwoods frustrations about not being able to hold on to them.
the question (if i understand it right) is basically, should bwood create an "elite team" that would receive more benefits than the "regular" team members?

in my opinion, i would say that even asking this question is skipping right over the problem, and missing point completely.

if i were on birchwood, (and i was), i would look at the question of why they are leaving very carefully.
i wouldn't look at bribing guys to stay at, (or join), the team.

i would try to answer the question of what are they looking for in a new team, rather than what can we give them not to leave.

think about it;

are they really leaving because they don't get free stuff?
are they getting free stuff at their new teams?
what benefits are these new teams offering?
so, what if they aren't offering free stuff, what is the draw?
is it the smaller size of the team? the functionality? the teamwork?

now, i don't know the answers to these questions, but, if i had to guess, i'd say added benefits will;
a) not keep riders like you might expect.
b) not entice many new elite riders to the team. (at least, not for the right reasons)
and,
c) piss off the lower cat riders who bear the burden, so to speak.

birchwood is a fast growing team, and i think that growth was a little unexpected.
but, elite team or no, i think birchwood should be very proud of their role as a fantastic beginning team, with a ton of enthusiastic members that really make racing fun, and accessible. a really great team to start racing for.
not very many teams do a good job at that.
it really is something to take pride in. guys/girls may move on, but you provided a solid foundation to move on from. that is just as important.

these issues they are grappling with are part of the growing pains, and whatever decision they come up with, the cycling scene will keep rolling.

"it is 9:45am, if you were supposed to be to work at 9:30, you are late. If you gotta be to work at 10, you got a good job".

week in review.

2008-07-30T15:03:00.003-05:00

time to do some recapping!

i've got 4 racedays in the legs since my last racin' write up last week!

thursday - co springs thursday night lights velodrome racing was cool, i guess the turn out was light due to impending rain that never came. racing was fast and fun. (and bumpy).
didn't die from the altitude like tuesday night so that was a plus!

saturday - mn old man track states. in the timed events i rode ok, all my times were good, but not as good as i would've liked.
i think if i did the events again next week i could go faster in all of them. still they were good enough to take the top spots in the 30+ group.
sweet.

the points and scratch races were a total cluster. all cats ran together, which caused alot of chaos in speeds and scoring. i managed 2nd in the 30+ in both with teammate extrodinaire fil taking the wins in both!

that was good enough for me to be crowned old man #1 in the state!
fil was #2!
joe j was there rocking too and won the open category.

medals all around for lgr!

sunday - mn state championship crit. our goal was a pack sprint. so some of us watched the front, some of us sat in, and some of us lead it out.
my job was laps 6-to-go to 2-to-go.

i hit the front at 6, and tried stringing it out, and the field didn't feel like going too fast so they let me roll of the front.
oh well, it accomplishs the same goal- letting my protected riders sit in.

got reeled in, sat at the back, finished. job done.

lg did the final leadout, but ran into traffic in the final turns. oh well, that's bike racing.
the team did a great job all around.

tuesday - dakota tech. made the break with teammate jake h., along with 3 others.
we got the bell a lap early, but hey, give us a bell and 1-to-go and we are gonna sprint it out even if we think you are wrong. raced myself to 4th place.

...and then they gave us the real bell for one to go.... ugh.

dug deep and raced some more, and actually finished 3rd that time. didn't try for 2nd, as 2nd place had already (in my book) gotten 2nd in the first finish.

again, that's bike racing.

stared the 1/2/3. that's all i have to say on that.

next up - thursday night lights!

video monday - special edition!

2008-07-28T16:49:00.002-05:00

an old classic!

this one is for chedda!

seven eleven.

2008-07-25T12:46:00.007-05:00

colorado springs velodrome racing impressions;

1. their 4/5's field (aka c field) is way slower than ours.
2. their 3's (aka b's) are slower than ours.
3. their a field (pro/1/2) was about the same, maybe a touch faster.
4. there were no pros/olympians in attendance on thursday night, so maybe that is not always the case.
5. the women field was fast fast. nsc ladies would need to step it up quite a bit. i think these ladies were all very experienced roadies though...
6. their crowd was lame.
7. the race announcing was non-existant. something that the nsc does very well.
8. locker rooms and a real bathroom are really nice features!
9. the cute little banked warm-up track in the infield is awesome.
10. there is a water fountain (aka "a bubbler") in the infield! lucky!