Wednesday, November 19, 2014

6 REASONS WHY SKIING WITH GIRLS RULES


The backcountry isn’t a place reserved solely for testosterone. While the current demographics of the sport’s participants are slanted in favor of the boys, a day in the hills without Y chromosomes offers a completely different, yet totally enriching, experience. And thanks to products like the Freedom SLand the Gea RS, girls have never had better gear for getting out there. Here are some of the best aspects of skiing with the gals according to our athletes Annelise LoevlieRebecca Selig, and Shaun Raskin. You better believe that farts are involved.
Credit: Re Wikstrom Photography
Chicks break it down
When was the last time you were with a bunch of dudes who broke into a rendition of Lady Gaga’s Fame and busted out a few dance moves just before dropping in? Probably never. Guys don’t typically admit their love of fun girl music, and they don’t typically express themselves by shaking their hips and belting out ridiculous lyrics. For us girls, dancing breaks up the tension. It reminds us that it’s about having fun right before dropping a sweet line.
Chicks set better skin tracks
Skin tracks and boot packs are generally better fit to our stride when they’re set by a fellow female. Plus we get to talk about food and farts on the way up.
Chicks laugh more
There is something about getting a bunch of badass ladies into the backcountry that stirs collective hysteria. Expect jokes, pranks, funny faces, and a conscious effort to keep spirits high. Why? Well, why not? We are free in the mountains. We’re free to share all of our wild unabashed selves with our girlfriends. If skiing is about setting our souls free, then laughter is the wings upon which it rides.
Chicks understand the importance of pee breaks
We tend to be on the same pee schedules, so when nature calls one of us, we generally all take a moment to appreciate the view. There isn’t the same worry of slowing the group down when you have to go to the bathroom.
Chicks let you hear it
If you want a good show, watch a bunch of women standing at the top of a pillow line pushing each other to go bigger. Girls know how to support each other, and they aren’t afraid to vocalize that support: “woohoo,” “take it deeper,” “you’re killing it.” There’s a level of mutual respect and admiration amongst ladies. When one girl pushes hard, others inevitably follow.
Chicks ski with fire
When women come together on the hill they create a sense of power, and they bring a connection not found in many places. The energy behind the costumes, smiles, and stoke explodes in lift lines and on skin tracks brightening up any hill and making everyone wish they had similar experiences to take home.

Reminder: 30th Anniversary IMT [Sale Kickoff] Party Thursday Night


Monday, November 17, 2014

Ibis launches the all new 2015 Mojo HD3

No, I haven't ridden it. I was not at the launch last week and despite being a fan of, and having worked for, Ibis I don't know any more about the new Mojo HD3 than what is outlined by our friends at VitalMTB below.

Wait... I lied. I do know a little more: It seems pretty ideal for local Boise trails due to it's (light) weight, lessened 150mm of travel, and relatively steep 66.6-degree head angle. Also, the smaller sizes are shipping in December (read: January) with the larger sizes following in January (read: March). Come see us and we'll get your name on one ASAP.














I have a cross-related post coming shortly (Title: A Beginner's Guide to Heckling), but until then, enjoy.  http://www.vitalmtb.com/photos/features/First-Look-All-New-2015-Ibis-Mojo-HD3,8344/Slideshow,0/bturman,109


BC



Friday, October 24, 2014

Now ya done it, 'cross chick.

You may not be aware, but as my buddy Stevil eloquently puts it, "there’s a huge push to ‘keep cross weird‘, but to not mistake that for throwing beer in the faces of people who potentially don’t want beer thrown in their faces."

Couldn't agree more, but I've been stewing on a little incident since last Sunday that I need to get off my chest (it's taken considerable time just editing the curse words out). Let me set the stage for you a little. I'm a fan of cycling, and as such I go to cycling events. I don't really race anymore, and don't usually have too many dogs in the hunt at most events. I just go to support something I've been into for a long time. Some think that's weird, but football fans will spend all day screening TV from their couch, or tailgating, or at the stadium. No one should bat an eye at either notion, in my opinion.

My football buddies wanted me to come do said football couch thing last weekend, but in some kind of Halloween miracle I convinced them to come to the Waffle 'Cross SICX race in Eagle instead. "I've got a bag of bells, a bunch of beer, some Solo cups, and it's nice out. Let's go heckle some bike racers. You'll dig it?"

 I showed them pictures such as these. They're all in.

Now, Stevil's quote up there is in reference to a pro 'cross race they had at a bicycle trade show in Las Vegas this year. At night. In all their wisdom, the promoters never expected things to get all Rowdy Roddy Piper and some serious world class pros got beers thrown in their face (just the liquid, no cans or bottles). Racing a bicycle steeplechase in circles at night, in Vegas, at the epicenter of all things bikes in the US that week, they got beer in their faces. Who knew? But racers being the self-absorbed sort that they are, they weren't expecting anyone would go to a bicycle race in Vegas for any reason other than to see how ripped their legs looked in the light of The Strip.

So that's one thing, and no one likes to get beer thrown in their face when they're going anaerobic, but there is another thing that is a tradition in 'cross racing and it is called a "beer handup." It is where you pour part of a beer into a cup and offer it to racers on the course. While they're in the throws of the race, they grab it, shoot it, and throw the cup aside. Off they go and you as a spectator go pick up their cup and reuse it with more beer for the next guy/gal. If you want to be a b-hole you put gin in the cup, but I recommend only doing that to your buddies.

That last part is crucial, you advertise what you have. "Beer handup?" and if you're nice you run with the rider a couple of steps like you're in an Olympic relay to avoid spillage. This is a tradition of cyclocross that goes back long before you or I.

So we're out there, we're doing this, my friends and I, and we bought all this beer and brought some swag and I'm showing them how it's done and they're loving it. Not at first, mind you. At first they were angry they had to leave their house and get outside on a nice day, and also because no one was taking the cups. I explained, "Listen, you have to get in the head of a racer. No one starts a race intending to be a crushed loser. Most think there's a chance they'll win this thing. So you'll get no takers on lap one. Probably none on lap two. Lap three, you'll start to see some cracks, and that's when you tell the guy in 6th that he's way off the guy in 5th and he'd better grab a gear or a drink. Tell the next guy he's about to get 'chicked!' (passed by a female) and then...watch 'em come to daddy every lap from there on out." Half-hour later, they (my football friends)...they're old pros. They found something new here. This is bitchen. People are finishing and making it a point to come back to our spot and thank the beer hand-up crew for our support. We're "lifesavers." "We haven't seen that spirit here since 1969" said some jackass Eagles fan [who I wish would die soon].

Feel good story of the decade, right? Yup, 'till the Women's heat. That's when on lap three (and I'd already given some hand-ups to several very happy-to-see-ya ladies) a woman is coming up the climb and I start asking if she wants a beer hand-up.

"What is it?" she says?
"It's beer," and I begin running to meet her pace.
"Beer?"
"Yeah, it's beer, if you want it, here you go."

She takes it, and throws it back all over me. Her male husband/mate was apparently shadowing her on the course because he was right behind her in the same kit and said, "Yeah, Honey. You show 'em!"

You showed me, alright. You showed me and a bunch of potential fans of your sport. Listen, you take it, or you don't. There are lots that don't, there are many that do, but what you don't do is take a beer from a fan that is there to support you and throw it on them. And lets be clear, she didn't take it to her mouth or take a sniff and realize it was beer and didn't want it, oh no. She was mad that beer existed, took it from someone who had it, and threw it back on him.

There was a little fallout. The racers immediately behind her asked what that was all about and might have thrown around some words in her wake, but nothing else. Except the real "miss" with all of it: my buddies were immediately turned off. They asked if that happens often, and I said, "no...not to me. Never, actually."

I probably won't be able to talk them into coming to another 'cross race. So here's the thing, lady (and I love ladies, if it were a male I'd be saying the same thing. She happened to be female), my panties are not in a wad over this, but think about it next time. If you were in the NBA and a fan offered you a beer from afar and you went over to the front row and took his beer and poured it on him, you would be fined more than I make a year. But your sport doesn't even have fans like the NBA, or football, or nearly any other sport I could have followed that day. Your sport doesn't have cheerleaders and Ford Truck sponsors and fireworks. It's not easy to get up early in the morning on my weekend to watch you turn laps in a field, but I do it. Keep in mind, however, I'm the rarity. My friends are the norm. Look around at your little cross event and what do you see? Racers and their immediate families. No other spectators. I'm sure you get a discount on product and you think you deserve it. You don't. You're not selling anything. No one is looking at you to see what frame you're on and then going and buying it at full retail because you went through a sagebrush loop fast one weekend. You're not Lebron, and even if you were, he treats his fans like gold specifically because they are there to support him.

I couldn't care less if you like beer, but you'd better come away with something from this so here it is: Spectators don't need 'cross. 'Cross needs spectators.

Get it straight, "Honey."


-BC





Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Cross...with a side of 'cross!


'Cross racing has officially begun, but in case you take me for a blatant liar, I have proof beyond the fantastic footage on our facebook page of Damien not running over barriers: Behold, the IMT boys in Hood River mixing it up.


Don't be fooled by the music, the footage, the captions, or all the funky-hip style, this was not filmed in the early 90's, and it's intent is to get your blood pumping. It was put together by these guys  http://idahobikeracing.org/

Additionally, last weekend I went to Sandy Point (in Idaho, but not to be confused with Sandpoint ID. That's far away) to check out some sick SICX first round action. Some raced, some spectated, some were on beer hand-up duty and heckled. I prefer the last two, but I think we all had fun... save for the 12-year old I called a sandbagger and told he was going to slow way down once he and his girlfriend started having relations. Judging from the immediate bird he threw my way, I think even he was in good spirits. Point is, come on out to one of these things because it's probably not the style or tone of racing you've seen before, and as the weather gets colder, what better is there to do? https://www.facebook.com/pages/SICX/491156767585637

- BC

Monday, September 29, 2014

Red Bull Rampage Finals - Live streaming in t-minus 15 minutes.

someone took these images and it wasn't me

If you have some time today (right now!) and want to see a spectacle of big mountain riding and one of the last remaining competitions of the season (other than 'cross), check out Red Bull Rampage here: http://www.redbull.com/us/en/bike/events/1331676062973/red-bull-rampage-2014


Finals were supposed to be yesterday but got bumped to today due to rain. They are in a new zone this year with what looks to be even bigger lines and more commitment.

Live streaming begins in a few minutes from the time of this post.

My money is on Brandon Semenuk here, but he's a bit of an easy bet, so maybe Cam Zink. Wait, he's also
a bit of  a shoe in when he doesn't wreck...maybe we should just watch and see.
Enjoy.
- BC

Thursday, September 25, 2014

Bike Industry Scandal: Plagiarism Abounds, Nearly 4 people care!

There's not a lot going on in the world of cycling right now, except for a Giant Demo weekend at Camel's

Back Park in Boise, Red Bull Rampage coming up on Sunday, and this little journalism scandal:













http://www.bicycleretailer.com/north-america/2014/09/23/bikerumor-pledges-tighter-editorial-control#.VCSIN_ldWCk

Be sure to scroll down and read the comments. It's a subset of a subset of a niche, but it's about bikes and writing about bikes so it's right up my alley. Enjoy, and remember kids: speak your mind, do your own research, develop your own voice, wear your heart on your sleeve, and never plagiarize. Lest you end up like "Toolbag" Tyler here (his nickname, not one I anointed).

Kudos to James Huang for finally calling this guy out.
- BC

Sunday, September 14, 2014

King of "Deathbed Regrets"

This space is to be, I hope, first and foremost, about cultivating a love for the sport of cycling. A secondary goal, however, is to entertain. This post has nothing to do with cycling. It has nothing to do with IMT. You will not be inspired to purchase anything from us due to what I write next. These are words expressing a thought that has been on my mind for what feels like forever, and I think you might find it entertaining.








So here we go. You're familiar with the artist known as Sting, right? Of course. He was one of a power trio that made up The Police, he is in amazing shape; tantric with Trudie, solid solo career, former teacher... that Sting. He was the stud in Dune (above).


I imagine him on his deathbed and I have to think he has all these thoughts running through his head. He's a big supporter of Humanitarianism, he's made his mistakes but seen it all. Friends with Sirs and royalty and probably Gwyneth Paltrow
(who looked dead tasty playing Estella in 1998's Great Expectations, by the way, see picture right). He plays bass like a surgeon and is crazy about preserving the Amazon. On said deathbed, he can't have too many regrets, right? I can only hope for such fine thoughts in my own final hours.

So I can't understand one thing. I refuse to believe that the man who wrote Every Breath You Take and Message in a Bottle, took to his sixth solo album, 1999's Brand New Day, and penned the line, "turn the clock to zero buddy don't wanna be no fuddy duddy." Really? That's just one example in a song that sounds like it was written on a dare from a super hip pastor at his church. It's deplorable. I'm sure my mom loves that line, but it's not only immediately dated, it makes me want to Indiana Jones-whip him in the face for daring to publish it. If you look on the official Sting website right now there is Sting, waxing poetic about how when you write lyrics you have to be concise. you don't have a novel to tell a story. Great point, Sting, but when a guy like Isaac Brock is writing lyrics like, "We kiss on the mouth but still cough down our sleeves," Gordon Sumner has the gravitas to ink drivel about being a "Fuddy Duddy."??? There is no competition there. No one even uses those words now. That one line defines "Sting" as an artist, and perhaps as a person, to me.

The moral: Don't sell out, kids. It's like meth: "Not even Once."
People see right through that crap, regardless of everything you've accomplished before.
Stay strong.
-BC



Saturday, September 6, 2014

Absalon won the Men's XCO Worlds; DH predictions

Within the past 5 years or maybe more I would have rather seal-clubbed my mother's skull than bet against a Swissie winning a World Cup-level XC race. The exception being Julien Absalon, who I thought was now over the hill a bit. Apparently not; Frenchie can ride, and he is once again your World Champ. Big ups.

This is a big sports Saturday, and locally we have BSU vs. CSU. You'll likely pay attention to the show surrounding that for the next 24hr. Don't hate me, but I went to CSU, and I want them to win. On another level, BSU is Idaho's closest thing to a professional team, and as a homer I'm fine if they get over. In the grand scheme of things, however, it means nothing compared to the DH World Championships tomorrow morning.

Hopefully you read my last post and some of the links and got Vital's take on who might win. I feel compelled to put my money where my mouth is right now and say that I don't think Loic Bruni will win. This year. He will get his Worlds, just not in 2014. So, here are my predictions.

World Champ: Josh Bryceland

Why? Yeah, Sam Hill straight up pinned it in the final at Meribel and got the win. Good on him. He had pressure and he freaking won. Josh, on the other hand, merely had to finish better than 26th to secure the overall World Cup win. Given that, here's what everyone is telling Josh, "Eye on the prize, buddy. Just don't wreck. Take it easy. Safe lines and you win the World Cup Overall."

Josh finished less than a second back of Hill in 3rd. Talking it easy. I think he is in his zone.

WC Silver:
Stevie Smith...wait no....he's not racing, so how's about Gee Atherton here.









WC Bronze:
Loic. He's young, French, disciplined, has sick style, and it's only a matter of time. I slot him here because I like the kid.










4th. Minnaar:
Greg is the current World Champ and one of my favorite racers of all time. This year he came into the series hurt but still competitive. He went off course in OZ, and the UCI DQ'd him for that race because he re-entered the course a few feet further down than he exited. No time advantage, but it's a new rule and it meant he basically couldn't win the World Cup overall. He rode through with a slew of top ten finishes, but he is clearly saving it for this race, and God know's the man is capable.



5th. Sam Hill:
He cannot be counted out. Ever. Even if he is a savant.










Prove me wrong. That's the thrill, and I'm all in for this. BTW, The one guy who might make me look totally foolish: Aaron Gwin.

- BC

UPDATE: I'm gutted for Josh. He had it...and had he just scrubbed the final jump he'd be World Champ and I would've been correct in my predictions for 1 and 2. Well, that's racin' folks. Love it.




Thursday, September 4, 2014

Come get it: MTB World Championships this Weekend

NORWAY is upon you, whether you would risk it or not, my friends. Specifically, scenic and gnarly Hafjell, Norway, host to this week's Mountain Bike World Championships.












As of this post, the Junior cross country (XCO) finals are over, and if you were hoping for a crushing display by the US kiddies and a future full of DEFCON 1 'Merican domination in that discipline, you can just roll back into a nice fetal position and begin sobbing now. The USA's best placing girl Jr. rider came in 27th, and nationally we rank 12th. For the boys, our best was a promising 8th, but our next best was way back there in 46th, placing us 9th in rankings by nation. That's not so good. Maybe we should stop giving out all those trophies for participation now, eh?

Sidebar: Before you get on me for calling them "girls" and "boys" just ask yourself what a simpler term for a
"Junior Women" is. Likewise, I refuse to call boys a "Junior Men." They're lucky I'm not calling them "fawns."


Coverage for this weekend's events begins with Women's XC finals at 3:50am on Saturday the 6th, with the Men's XC finals following at 6:20 am. That's rough, I know. I've said it before: cycling doesn't make it easy to be a fan of cycling. I know I won't be up at 3:50 streaming Women's XC racing, but maybe that's your cup of tea. Knock yourselves out with that while I'm saving my energy for the DH Finals on Sunday morning starting at 4:05 am (all times Mountain Standard).

Go here to stream http://live.redbull.tv/events/371/2014-uci-mountain-bike-and-trials-world-championships-hafjell-xce/

or if you're having issues there (I heard rumors we might not be getting the Red Bull live stream), this should get you to an alternate streaming site if one comes up http://www.cyclingfans.com/mountain-biking/live

I'll write more over the weekend, but if you're into DH and want to bone up on who will be pinning, here are Vital's Power-Rankings-that-I don't-agree-with http://www.vitalmtb.com/features/Vital-Power-Rankings-2014-Downhill-World-Championships-The-15-Fastest-Going-In,783

Have a read and we'll discuss later. Go on, be a fan.
It's worth it.
-BC




Sunday, August 10, 2014

What's important this week

There are three things that I've concerned myself with this weekend:

1. Camping with the chickie and the kids, which was awesome and I have a load of pics, but nothing you haven't seen before. I could take pictures of amazing meals I've eaten, too, but that's not what this space is. There's this new Facebook thing I've been hearing about...maybe I'll join one of these days. Anyhoo...


2. Shark Week. I love me some Shark Week when I get home from a weekend in the great outdoors mid-summer. And while I think the "Shark of Darkness, Submarine" only exists in Narnia
http://www.inquisitr.com/1403972/submarine-is-discoverys-legendary-shark-getting-megalodon-treatment/   ...it's still entertaining.



and 3. Ratboy (Josh Bryceland) winning again in Windham. Repeat win, in the USA, for the second time this year and taking the overall DH World Cup lead. Furthermore, I called it at the beginning of the season. Scoreboard, suckers. Walk off home run.















Become a fan here: http://www.vitalmtb.com/photos/features/Windham-World-Cup-Race-Insanity,7977/Slideshow,0/sspomer,2

It's late, so good night and more soon.
BC

Sunday, August 3, 2014

Luscious green mountains with racers everywhere.

Many, many things I've said and written as of late are negative. I get upset. I get frustrated. I go ride my bike, or see my chickie or my family, or spend some time with my friends and it usually helps. But the reality of my world is that I'm reactionary to things that upset me. With the things that I love I just say, "Yeah, I
admire that. That thing is fine....this thing over here is in need of an immediate beat down, however." Well, no. That's no way to be, even if I have an ability to do that and be somehow entertaining. I don't want to do that all the time. What I want to do, and what I want this space to be about, is fostering an appreciation for what is good out there, especially when it pertains to cycling. See, this guy's amazing, love him.



I say this after just finishing a piece for another publication that is, at the very least, a bit scathing. Coming soon to some print media near you [not that anyone buys words printed on paper anymore].


So this one's for all that is right. In the bike world. Right now. Hopefully it's just the first of many (but I'm skeptical.) We start here: http://www.vitalmtb.com/product/guide/Bikes,3/Giant/Reign-Advanced-27-5-0-Team,15055

That's the amazing people over at Vital MTB (and I mean that very seriously) talking about the new Giant Reign Advanced 27.5.
I got a new 27.5" carbon mountain bike a few months ago and it blows my mind how good it is. Have I ridden this particular bike yet? No, but I am very excited about it. The spec is right, the geometry is very good, I like the wheel size, the look is sexy, and I think Giant should be commended for being the first of the big three bicycle manufacturers to just say, "This is it. This is the new thing. We're all in, and we're going for it." Giant, as a company, hasn't always been that way, but they are now and with their manufacturing abilities, if they continue to do things like this, the sky is the freaking limit for them. Clap. Clap. Clap, Giant. I haven't given anyone besides Shimano three claps in what seems like decades.

What it means for you: a rad bike with more to follow.
Speaking of, you know who goes really fast on rad bikes? You nailed it, mountain bike racers. Wanna watch some mountain bike racing? go here:  http://www.pinkbike.com/news/video-king-of-the-hill-race-highlight-from-msa-2014.html

You'll have to pardon the pinkbike link. That's a hack site, but they had it up before Red Bull. Sam Hill won, and while he's not my absolute favorite racer, you shouldn't ever overlook his skill. By the way, in the opening to that Aaron Gwin is talking about having, "pretty close to the perfect run." I love hearing these guys talk, because if you look at it, that's where there ability is. That's the level that they're competing at. It used to be stuff like, "He had a good day. He had a fast run. He was due for one." Not anymore, "fast" isn't even a thing now because they're all fast. There's real money in this now, and a real expectation of professionalism. They are talking in terms of perfection. There's no wild man Maverick winning anymore. That's exciting for our sport, and more than any analytics or sales or anything else, that's what makes me hopeful about where we're going.

Good on ya, Sam Hill.
I got a Sunday to enjoy...till next time.
BC

Ed Note: I stole the good images in here from Giant and Sterling Lorence, but we sell Giant, and Linger is my favorite photog ever and when I was once upon a time in marketing we hired him a lot, so there shouldn't be an issue. Love you Sterl...

Monday, July 21, 2014

Rain in the summer in Boise is amazing and it just happened. Take a breath, kids, this is a rare moment that I just enjoy life. 

Backstory: it's been 100-ish for what seems like a decade. Riding is cathartic and amaze-balls and I would die without it, but not in the heat and the smoke. Oh, I rode this weekend, and I hope you did as well, but that tickle in your throat is not good for you. I'm a sensitive guy, and maybe I'm just happy that it's over for a moment. 

-BC


Monday, July 14, 2014

In reference to Contador

There's this Tour de France photo and a story about it being his second or third or fourth bike..on top of a car...or run over by a car...or whatever. Great spin, boys.

That's Contador's bike. That's his race number. He crashed out hard. Those are the facts...allegedly, I wasn't there.

All I have to say is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vQaVIoEjOM&feature=kp

All for now.
BC


Friday, July 11, 2014

You're not your khakis...and commuting

There's no other explanation, you're just trying to make me upset
This one goes out to some blokes that I work with, but first, a disclaimer. I've been accused of being a bit of a rage monkey/hate monger in both my writing and in my personal life lately. Well, perhaps I need to work on that, but I was brought up believing that if you don't wear your heart on your sleeve then you're a jackass, and if you aren't passionate about something then you're either stupid or you just don't care. This way of thinking can come across as harsh, but there is a yin and a yang to the universe, so if you want me to embrace the things I love more, I will also have to cultivate hate for the things I don't. I don't smoke weed, not everything is going to be great, and not all things are totally acceptable. So as is my wont, this post is about two things that are unacceptable to me.

Kicking it off is this thing where people seem to think that I don't like Khaki shorts. I don't.

But I don't shop in a mall and most people do so it's just part of life and nothing to get too upset about...unless they are pleated khaki shorts. Downtown store coworker Dax, these are pleated khaki shorts presented acceptably.=>









<= But this is what you look like, bro, and from where I'm sittin' it looks like you took a load of buckshot to the groin and need this linen accordion to keep pressure off the bandages. If you or anyone else are wearing these just to be cheeky, then good on ya, I'm riled up about it. Such a plan would have to be choreographed better than the plot of The Usual Suspects, however, so stop it you fools. At least get some flat fronts. Flat front khakis can be ok when you err on the side of more brown than stone. Stone just looks like you messed up a janky load of whites...and pleats are for churches.





Commuting is not Racing
Another coworker at our Meridian location pulls this one often, so let's set the stage: lots of establishments have showers for commuting employees. Our Meridian location does not. There are many professional workplaces that also don't offer showers, it doesn't mean you can't commute by bike or whatever alternative ways you want. I'm all about less cars on the road and saving the earth, less emissions, a higher quality of life. I want to ride my bike to work every day. Stage set.

Coworker, ohhh let's call him "Justin," likes to ride into work as much as I do and often does because he lives closer to that location. It's Pearl Jam out lately (that's right, hot...in the 90's), and "Justin" rolls up in full race kit just about every morning, earphones in...stankin. Sweatin. Sometimes there's UCT (Unnecessary
Chamois Time) going on 'till noon. He puts on his deodorant and gets to work thinking nothing of it...and that would be ok. I could grin and bear that, if he didn't go into this little bit of braggery, "Bill, dude, I saw these riders two lights up ahead and went into full on diesel mode to catch them. Passed them by Main St. and I think they were trying to drag but just couldn't. Dropped 'em. Brah."

"Justin" could be any coworker in any setting, confused about the difference between a race and commuting to work. Those people he just caught, they didn't know he was trying to catch them, let alone pass 'em. They're just trying to get to work on time and maybe they left earlier than he did so they could enjoy the scenery. This race that he made up in his head, the one with no entrance fees, no trophies, no route...it doesn't exist.

That's what's frustrating...the part where I have to deal with Axe body Spray up my nose all day because he wanted to be a hero in his head for a half hour. I would much rather hear this story, "in consideration for others around me, I woke up early and went for a ride. I came home, showered, got dressed for my commute, and then I did my best on said commute not to burst into flames so that my clothes weren't soaked through by the time I got to my workplace. I went slow and steady and tried not to over-exert myself. How was your morning? The End."

What's my point besides spewing bile all over the internet? Be considerate.

How's that for turning this frowny face upside down and spreading love instead of hate?

- BC

PS. REMINDER: the Boise Twilight Crit is tonight. It's worth the crowds. Come on out and be a fan http://www.boisetwilightcriterium.com/


Sunday, June 29, 2014

More Sea Otter and 12 hours of Avamore


This is Boise this morning, and this is happening: http://dirtbagpromotions.com/rides/12-hours-of-eagle/

I thought the image was a nice way to represent what you might see at the race, said race being a sunset to sunrise 12 hour jaunt just outside of Boise on July 18. Am I invested in this at all?
No. Am I gonna do it? Well, my racing days of being selfish with my time are long behind me and I hate riding with people on a whole, but maybe?? I am all about Idaho and being in the outdoors and having super-fun events here. Besides, it looks like fun and I need an excuse to buy a new Light & Motion kit  http://www.idahomountaintouring.com/product/light-motion-seca-2000-enduro-lighting-system-9793.htm Let's do it.

And now more Sea Otter Tech

I need a new 'cross bike this year, not because I'm actually going to race cross, just because I'm an elitist snob and I want another very versatile bike in my quiver. We don't deal in deception here, so why not just say it plain?

This is going to sound very much like I'm just schilling for the company, but I'm not. Available to me at IMT in terms of 'cross bikes are the Trek Boone 9 Disc, the Giant TCX Advanced 0, or the Ibis. Honestly, I can't lose given those choices, but I'm goin Ibis (pictured) because a) I think they make a very quality product. b) I love Enve forks...even better than Alpha Q. c) I used to work there and I believe in the guys and their vision and riding an Ibis might feel a bit like home. d) I already said that I'm super elitist when it comes to my bikes. I will never show up at the trail with the exact same bike as the next guy. e) have you noticed I'm all about disc brakes? Disc brakes on everything, all the time. I want Shimano disc brakes on my shoes. I want them on my water bottle cage. I know there are hurdles. Road pros don't want 'em. Tri guys don't want 'em. Don't care, you guys are living in the past and you need to embrace the future. Here is the future: http://www.ibiscycles.com/bikes/hakkalugi_disc/#buildkit

I have to go now, but not without a parting shot. This was the Ellsworth booth.

Can you hear the vultures? They were circling. 

Don't buy an Ellsworth, kids. I tell you these things as a friend.

BC

Friday, June 27, 2014

Ratboy, Neadly, Otter, Meat...Dear lord I love this post

I have a meat fest to go to tomorrow, but it was absolutely time to get something other than Goldilocks headlining this blogspace. What is a meat fest? Well, my best friend Chad and his wife hold an annual BBQ that they prepare for 2.5 days. Smoking meats, harvesting honey, grilling pigs raised only from farmers that they know and trust, and ultimately having the meat-sweats by 3:00 pm. I'm going for a ride in the morning and I don't eat beef or pork, so I can usually walk away feeling just fine about myself. I'll post pics.

Moving on, I've promised more World Cup and Sea Otter coverage and here it is. First, my World Cup DH mountain bike prediction that Josh Bryceland would finally get his first FREAKING WIN was a week off. The following weekend, he did it in Leogang. That's in Austria. Austria is really steep and rooty and I've ridden there and I should have had a little bit more insight into course knowledge before that prediction, but by God I'm essentially an 8-day-early prophet. Like Morpheus in The Matrix, my predictions seem to be just slightly off. 

No matter, here Josh is in a pic from 2011. Carefree and talented as all get out with a buddy of mine from Santa Cruz (hey Will, why you never call?). Being "Ratboy." Dirt jumping with his bros all the time, certainly developing skills, but maybe not taking his talent as seriously as he should on an every day basis. He's the understudy of Steve Peat, and like Peaty he was doing it his way. And like the story arch of one Steve Peat, he finally took things seriously and got a win. Lots of wins are on the horizon if he keeps up the ethic. To me, he's Sinatra, but with a really bad accent: 



I could listen to this kid for days, but the point is: World Cup Recap 2014 has different winners in every race so far. This is very exciting, people. Unfortunately, now we have a mere 5 more weeks till the next race. I've been trying to hold my breath but I lack the lung capacity. I think the UCI might need to work on scheduling if we want to keep fans interested. I don't think hockey players take 6 weeks off, ever. Seriously, their off season is like a month...

On to sea Otter part 14 (14 sounds right, correct? I've lost track). 

At Sea Otter, Specialized had on display this Ned Overend fat bike. Of course, 58 year old Nedly is riding it super fast these days. There are a bunch of things to comment on here, #1 being, "hey Bill, you don't sell Specialized, why would you post this pic?" 

Main answer: Ned Overend is amazing and he always will be and I like to see his progression and legend grow. Part of this blog for me is to try to make people fans of the sport of mountain biking, and Ned Overend and John Tomac and Thomas Frischknecht are the pillars of that. "The Human Lung," as he is known, now has a fatbike. If it wasn't real in your mind that this fatbike thing is legit before, it is now. 

Additionally, we sell fatbikes from Surly and a more advanced one from Trek called the "Farley" and they came to market before Specialized. Specialized is one of the big three in terms of large bicycle brands, and they make a good bike. We carry the other two top brands in TREK and Giant, as well as Surly, and they all have a better warranty policy, so I say suck it, Specialized. You do have Ned Overend, but you're late to the show, your business tactics are questionable at best, and I think we have better bikes. All that "The Big S" is really saying here is, "Ned is fast on any bike we put him on... and we put him on this." Cheers, but that doesn't make your fatbike better, or you any more innovative. 

Sand, snow, or just another cool bike in the quiver...fat bikes are here to stay for a bit. I think, however, that fatbikes are not at all about speed and every bit about the experience. That's the draw. Winning a race on a fat bike, even if you're Ned Overend, misses the whole point, and I think maybe other companies don't get that. 

XOXOX
BC

P.S. I have a story about Ned and I one crazy night in Hollywood when I was working for Mountain Bike magazine that I won't tell out of respect for him, not that he did anything wrong. What I can say is, I almost went fisticuffs with a 'roided up Filip Meirhaeghe. This guy:

I would have died that night had Ned not told the Specialized handlers to take him away to let us enjoy the evening. Respect. 

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Updated 6/25: Event Tonight; This One's for the Ladies

UPDATE: We have another one - tonight 6/25 at our downtown location!

This isn't really Bill's Blog material so much as I just want to get the word out there for our Women's Bike Maintenance and Fit Clinic tonight at our downtown Boise location. Am I losing you? Here you go, a little Bernhard Eisel eye candy for ya.

The clinic is free, it's from 7:00-9:00 and get this, it'll be taught by our esteemed owner Chris Hizzownself Haunold. He will be going over safety checks, basic day-to-day maintenance and really whatever else you want to know. He's cool, will answer all of your questions/concerns candidly, and it'll be very relaxed (read: wine will be served). It's perfect for all of you out there getting ready for the upcoming Goldilocks ride http://www.goldilocksride.com/gid


Oh, and there will be refreshments and a raffle of 2 free event registrations (worth $75 each). 
1310 W. Main St. Boise 208/336-3854


Friday, June 13, 2014

It's not about the chickens.

Alright, some semi-minor stuff has happened to me recently and it has me a bit out of sorts. This is a long story, but a good one that I think you'll enjoy. You're here to enjoy the things that I write down on a virtual piece of paper, right? For enjoyment? Then lets go, and I'll try to ham fisted-ly rope it back into cycling at the end.

So I work at a bike shop. Maybe you know and maybe you don't, but dudes that work at bike shops typically don't own their own house. I get paid very well for what I do, IMT treats me and all other employees amazingly in that regard, but I'm not a stock broker in NYC and as such I rent a room in a house. The owners of said house recently went out of town for a lovely wedding in Hawaii, and I've been dog and chicken sitting. Mind you, my only duties are to make sure the dogs don't die, the chickens don't die, and the garden is green.

Cut to the chase, I get home the other night and let the dogs out (answering the age old Bow Wow Men question, "Who Let The Dogs Out?" I did. That was me). The chickens are in their coop, so no big deal. Apparently it was irrigation day because the back yard is flooded. Irrigation day is a bit hectic here
so I was glad that that responsibility was left to someone else. I later found out his title was The Water Master, which made me laugh because I've seen The Little Mermaid. Is he King Triton?

So my lady friend, whom I adore, comes over and we start watching some forgettable movie when one of the dogs comes and lays a dead chicken at my feet. Jen (lady friend) kind of loses her mind in the process of telling me that the dog just laid a dead chicken at my feet. The dog was proud, she was presenting it to me. This is what dogs do, but I'm not a dog and it wasn't cute. On the way to the backyard to investigate, there's blood all over tarnation and a dead rooster in the other dog's bed. Get to the backyard, it's a pond of blood and feathers. Like a flashback in The Shining. I know, a tougher man wouldn't even flinch, but these aren't goldfish. I eat chicken all the time but I don't get off on seeing them torn up and floating in my backyard. All 7 chickens were demolished. Dead. They were going to die eventually, sure, but now they are dead in front of me and I have to clean it up.

So I do, and that wasn't fun except that Jen is blind as a bat and kept throwing away dog toys thinking they were chicken parts. I didn't have the heart to tell her otherwise.

The next morning is trash day, and I want nothing more than to get these rotting bodies out of my life, so I take them out to the street where this old man...I'm not 100% sure that this guy wasn't a ghost...tells me that I'd have better luck throwing them away in the trash can across the street??? Then he says, "Hey, once those dogs get the bloodlust you have to put 'em down." Of course I told him that I have 7 dead chickens and I'm not about to put down two additional dogs, but I was really beside myself. What world am I living in at this point?

So how do I rope this back into something you care about? I don't. But I had a lot on my mind when I went for a ride this morning, and when I got back I felt better about the world.

Friday, June 6, 2014

World Cup MTB Racing - because not everyone cares, but it's still cool

A brief departure from re-living Sea Otter through my iCloud pics.

This weekend, the World Cup Mountain Bike series goes to Fort William. In Scotland. Never heard of it? Well if you don't follow mountain bike racing, I can't say I blame you. It's a storied, hallowed place in
Downhill mountain biking, and like it or not World Cup Mountain Bike racing is super cool. But odds are you probably aren't following it. For a reason.

I meet a lot of people that are mountain bikers, but don't care about racing or what's going on in the competition aspect of our sport. Great, you do it for you and you don't have to...but when riding a difficult section on your bike, how do you visualize what you want to execute? Put it this way, say you've shot a basketball before and you're an old timer. You don't play "the basketball," but you find yourself with a ball at the 3 point line one day when you were just trying to walk through a gym. Haven't shot a ball in years, and you'll probably miss and look bad doing it, but what's going through your head just before your release? My bet is that it's a video reel of Larry Bird in short-shorts nailin' a buzzer beater, or something similar. He showed you how that s#$t is done.

I'm a huge fan of the sport of mountain biking and have been most of my life. For European World Cups I'm up at 5am to get a clear stream on some site, and when I do, there isn't a single person in my life that wants to be in the room with me for the next few hours of scrutiny, elation, and sometime-disappointment. I can certainly understand why: I'm hyper-into it, and cycling doesn't make it easy to be a fan of cycling.

I'm not going to be able to turn you into a super fan, nor do I think you need to be that unless you want to. But if you like riding your mountain bike, you might want to see what's going on at the highest level. You don't have to pay attention like me. Lebron fans don't have to watch every Heat game to know what he is capable of. If you're curious, though, what I can do is give you an overview of the World Cup Downhill series to date. If anything, it'll make tomorrow an even more sports-centric Saturday. Seriously, Belmont Stakes, Miguel Cotto vs Sergio Martinez (boxing, folks), a ride, and then wake up early on Sunday and watch some World Cup DH. Weekends like this are made to be taken advantage of. Go here to see who's who.

http://www.vitalmtb.com/features/Vital-Power-Rankings-Fort-William-Scotland-World-Cup-The-15-Fastest-Racers-Going-In,723

and if you want to stream World Cup DH, go here on Sunday morning at about 7:30am
http://live.redbull.tv/events/356/2014-uci-mtb-world-cup-5-fort-william-dhi/

I'm out of time, but we can follow up more later. Enjoy your weekend, and for the record, I'm rooting for Ratboy (Josh Bryceland) for the win, Gwin to place, and Gee Atherton to show. Giant rider (we sell Giant!) Danny Hart might podium, in 5th, so I guess that leaves 4th to Minnaar. I never, ever, bet against a Minnaar podium (top image). Best current racer and a damn good guy to boot. Best racer of all time? That would be John Tomac (bottom image). Yes, that bike has drop bars which is absolutely so insane that it blows my feeble little mind.

Off to go stream some racing.
BC