Colonnade Mountain Bike Park Grand Opening - Sat, Sep. 13th
The official Grand Opening of Seattle's most raddest bike park is upon us. Saturday, Sep. 13th is sure to be a great turnout under the freeway with raffles, vendors, etc. I'm mostly looking forward to throwing a few tail whips, hucking some drops with all the other kiddies enjoying themselves on their burly bikes, and grubbin' some BBQ.
Here's your sneak preview at the park map I've been working on for the past year. This has involved many photos of the park, lot's of sketches and revisions and plenty of riding "research" in order to capture the spirit of the park (hard work, I know). The hand-drawn line art is finally complete and scanned, and we are now adding digital color late into the night for the next 9 days. If everything goes according to plan, this will be finished and installed in the form of a large sign, in time for the grand opening. We'll see about that...
Very cool new bikes
While wandering around the Wooden Boat Festival in Port Townsend, Washington, I came upon a booth selling bicycles! Wooden bicycles! Very cool bikes... light and strong and beautiful... no, not me, the bikes. I spoke at length with Ken Wheeler, the engineer who designed the bikes. When I said I rode a Cervelo, they explained that the geometry of the Cervelo was an inspiration for the Renovos. They are out of Portland, Or. They also make Fixies! They use Fir, Bamboo, etc. The frames start at around $2k. Check them out: http://www.renovobikes.com
Colonnade Map Update (again)
Progress continues late into the night! A pile of lumber and some plexi-glass which now resides in my garage will soon be converted into a finely-crafted sign fixture to house the artwork seen above. This is the latest not-quite-final map illustration and layout overview (still subject to change).
Look for the final map (hopefully) installed at the Colonnade Park grand opening party this Saturday (Sept 13, 2008) - and bring your bike!
Lance Rides Again?
Rumors are running rampant that the 7 time tour champ is coming back. If true, he'll be racing in 9 races with Astana for the 2009 season. In addition, he'll be racing for no salary or bonuses and all his internal testing results will be available for the public. It's been a crazy year for cycling, but this one takes the cake. Viva la Lance.
Feel the Love
In cycling there's a delicate balance between having great gear and bankruptcy. We liked to be kitted up in great gear and pimp our rides with the best components but it aint cheap. It's a hard line for us bike huggers, but now we have Chain Love.
Vanity Fair: Lance Rides Again
Great article in Vanity Fair on this whole return of Lance business. Should be interesting…
Good People
Last Sunday... two friends, rising sun, bikes loaded, coffee in hand... another epic morning on Tiger Mountain looming. We travel through Seattle, go East on I-90, past the calm waters of Lake Washington to exit 25 (Hwy 18) and discover my friends brand new $2400 Specialized Stumpjumper was missing from my hitch rack. Seriously.... gone.
New Commuting Clothes
Just saw this company online and thought I would pass it along.
More Commuters Pedaling to Work
Our own Dave Cole makes the Seattle Times in an article about commuting. Check it out. (Nice work Dave!)
dz-nuts
Proper mainTAINTanance of the perineal area is essential during high level training and racing. Nothing can ruin stage race success faster than an infected saddle sore.
—Dave Zabriskie
Check out dz-nuts!
A free app for your 3G iPhone
There is a new free application for your iPhone (3G) that you can use to track your ride.
http://www.ridemonkey.com/forums/showthread.php?t=209203
Hardcore Headlights Get You Hardcore Respect
The days are getting shorter again, the fair-weather commuters are returning to their exoskeletons and the cyclists are turning on their headlights again. I'd say that 80% of the night riders (knight riders!) have headlights. They are the same ones that have yellow bike jackets or anything made from lycra. That guy that commutes in jeans on a crackle-paint mountain bike with half-flat tires does not (but you can usually see even him sufficiently because of his flapping flannel shirt). A little glowing LED goes a long way to improve your visibility. A bike with a light is much safer than a bike without a light. Common sense and statistics back it up. But might we be even safer?
Resist the Car - The Signs are Everywhere
Recently, I attended an all-day concert at Red Rocks Amphitheater and noticed many signs of how increasing gas prices have changed peoples minds and transportation habits. Of the over 10,000 people in attendance, the parking lots weren't full. And, the cars in the parking lots were mostly 6-seaters. What a joyous reason to drive an SUV. However, maybe the greatest sign of the times was how fashion has become THE place to make a personal statement :
Nothing better than a biking picture
This image made my day:
Come Ride with Second Ascent
This Saturday (9.27) Second Ascent and Team Group Health will be hosting the meet the team ride. Meet the team rides are lo-key no drop rides around the south end of Lake Washington. Rides are open to riders of all skills interested in racing and looking to join a team next year. It's a great way to casually put in some miles and get to meet a group of people who share the same interest in cycling.
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