New MTB

Got my new frame and just waiting for a headset to get things together.  This will be my first new MTB in 14 years- been shreading the Matt Chester since 1999.  <>

Curtlo OX Platinum built to military tank specifications.  Apocalypse-rated.  1X4.  Cool stuff from Profile Racing and Tree.  Have you seen this Severe Condition stuff from Ritchey?  Yeah.  Kore Bomber?  Check.

I am going to quit my job, buy a car with wood on the side of it, and spend like 8 years in Arkansas slaying trails, blowing glass, playing djembe, and figuring out how to get black market marijuana to Colorado.

That's a dream, but still, I think I'm gonna like this bike.

Manion's Cross 13

Pending Joe and Britton's approval, the course will look like this:

And here's the quick and dirty tour...

Start in the barn looking east; go around the big sweeping  righty 'til you head back towards the barn (that's a climb), and that's the finish line at the top; go down and through the "h" and head back up to the barriers- which are marked with a dollar sign b/c that's where all the girls in bikinis will be hanging out; then down and up, past the pit, dah-duh-dah... Mr. Stitches... yadda yadda, switchbacks, past the pit again; through the Crazy W (say: "Craaazeeee Dub-yaah"); corner; through the barn, and... (deep breath) lap two...

One and quarter mile lap, give or take.

Day two will be opposite, backards, t'other way round you see.  Get it?

This is the race you should have your mom and dad come watch b/c almost all of it is visible from the food/drink tent.  It's like finding a hot dog vendor on the goodyear blimp.

The Natural State

Spent some quality time in Arkansas this weekend.  No, not racing Joe Martin.  I was on the dirt.  I've been itching to get on the MTB for weeks now but it's been too wet around here.  The thing about Arkansas is, you can ride it regardless of the weather.  In fact, it rained all day in Rogers and it was still sprinkling when I started out on Hobbs.  I spent most of the time riding through mist/drizzle without a single problem.  The soil/tread is such that it drains superbly and any water on the trail is just that- water.  It doesn't combine with the dirt.  No ruts.  No mucky mess.  My bike was actually cleaner after the ride than when I started!  Brilliant!  (Remember those Guiness commercials?)

Let me say a word about the Vista trail: Fantastic.  It's not a difficult trail.  You won't come home bragging about some feature you cleaned.  It's just beautiful.  Curves in all the right places.  Superflow, bro!  I always start at the west trailhead by Shangri La and ride east towards Hickory Nut Mountain.  Out and back is 25-30 miles total depending on where you turn around.  Womble gets the press but I wouldn't skip Vista if you're down there.

Next trip down there will be mid-December.  I'll have my new geared hardtail by then and I plan on riding Hickory Nut and the Womble climb... finally.  I know- sad.

$40 Roof Rack

I don't like the way most things are.  Especially roof racks.  So I made my own- the way I want it.

Harvested a Dodge Caravan rack at Pick-n-Pull.  Cut and reformed the runners to fit my Mazda's roofline.  Cut the cross bars to length.  Added some fork mounts and some 3" studs for the rear bike tires to lodge in.  Voila.

Low profile, light, and efficient.  Sexy.  Quiet.  Holds three bikes.  $40.  Yeah.  My 2008 Mazda had threaded studs in the roof under the black rain channels.  I just drilled the Caravan runners to line up and inserted #6 allens.

Nate and I drove out to Perry and rode 3/4 of a mile when we decided it was too wet.  So we packed up and rode Lawrence River Trail.  It was barely dry enough.  Had a couple of beers at the Brewery afterwards.  It was no epic, but a nice salvage.

You can see I'm using a Thule 15mm fork adapter.  It blows.  That'll be the next thing I engineer.

Fighting off Winter

It's cold and the roads are nasty.  Not riding much has made me soft and that makes me feel like crap.  Being fat and slow sucks.  So I got a punching bag and starting working out on it in the garage.  I do a full body workout that includes low and high kicks and different kinds of punches.  It's all structured into reps, but sometimes I just beat the snot out of it.

If you think I'm still fat and slow in the Spring, you better keep it to yourself or I'll kick your ass.