2008 US Señor Open in Colorado Springs

I competed in my first pixie stage race last Sunday. It was pretty much entirely stupid and hilarious. I had two 58 second runs back to back in the P3, my first times under one minute. Congrats to George for the overall win.

Stages:
Half Course PMX
Full Course PMX
2 Lap Pixie Helltrack
Pixie Super D(rink)
P3 Gravity Enduro

Pictures. Drinking is difficult after scrambling out of a steep ravine. Frame modifications to Peppermint Swirl can be seen in the header image.

In other news, I got to ride Blacksheep's yard'r at the RMBS last weekend. Much like driving a Cadillac, both in length and steering response.

I have been fortunate to continue on the pump track path to mountain bike domination recently. I am not there yet (maybe Brian just likes to take naps in that position), but getting better with every session. Eric and I believe that a new dizzydrome record may have been set.

Happenings Since Halloween

I spent this weekend in Boulder to watch some cyclocross, hang out, and ride my bike for no more than a couple minutes at a time.

Observations:
The People's Republic of Boulder does not allow public endorsement of candidates other than Barack Obama.
After about 20 goatheads, it appears that no amount of Stan's will reliably keep a tire sealed while riding a pump track.
Short stems are rad.
A handlebar and shin do not make a good couple.

I'm starting to rediscover the joys dorking around on a bike. Bunny hops, wheelies, manuals, riding backwards, curbs, jumps drops, pump tracks... I've also noticed that removing your clipless pedals in favor of platforms will change your outlook on life. Just hop on and ride.

Lee McCormack, the patron saint of pump tracks and bike nerddom, recently published some tire research which he performed a few years ago. Hopefully, I will get a chance to review it soon. My initial impression is that his methods may also be very useful for determining the impact of changes in other components and even training. Rad.