Brady - Moss 08

If you are not from Boston, here is what it's all about...If people aren't crazy about da Sox, they're talk'in smack about who the Pats are gonna kill Sunday. I just hope it's a close game, the only way I stay awake in the fourth quarter is if it's a nail biter. Go Pats! Thanks for sharing Haa'vee! Massachusetts is a pretty small state..I probably know this guy somehow.

1/2 day at Cannon

Fortunate to see the forest thru the trees.
On a glorious day with a moderate breeze.
Conditions loose granular like frozen peas.
Ipod singing mellow tunes from the English band Squeeze.
Whacking 'dem bumps and bending 'dem knees.
Screwing off mid week? or preventing cardiovascular disease!

Not Dead Yet!

Battling back the mounting stress of the work week, found some ways to take a break to find personal relief. Rode the 25 miles to work in 21 degree weather on my fixie yesterday- Wrapped with wool and windproof atire. Evaded frostbite on the climbs while core temps were up and hiding my cheeks on the downside. Man I needed that.
Last night, foolishness abound on stage while Lesli and I stepped back in time to 932ad, the middle ages, with Monty python's Spamalot.
Go see this, don't look to tear it apart, that'd be too easy.
John Cleese would approve.
If I were to give it a review, the funniest scene was one of the first in act 1. with the Finland Sch lapping Dance. After this ridiculous song and dance complete with slapping fish, one cannot resist temptation to forget the days troubles and slip into a Monty mood and search for the holy Grail.

Some things in life are bad
They can really make you mad
Other things just make you swear and curse.
When you're chewing on life's gristle
Don't grumble, give a whistle
And this'll help things turn out for the best...

And...always look on the bright side of life...
Always look on the light side of life...

If life seems jolly rotten
There's something you've forgotten
And that's to laugh and smile and dance and sing.
When you're feeling in the dumps
Don't be silly chumps
Just purse your lips and whistle - that's the thing.

And...always look on the bright side of life...
Always look on the light side of life...

I feel like Andy Rooney

What's up with people taking their dogs for a ride in baskets? I was surfing on ebay and tripped across this phenomenon. It seems a little crazy...wouldn't the dogs be better off walking and getting exercise while you have them outside? Here check this one out. It has pictures of Huskies and dalmatians on the advertisement...like your going to get a 90 pound dog into a basket? Good luck.

These ones are nice and thoughtful, got a bit of shade to keep ren and stimpy comfy and cool on the hot days

...and a dog trailer? Maybe it's just the dogs I've owned but I don't see any dog staying confined too long...maybe that's why the dude in the picture is holding on to Fido?? One glimpse of a cat or squirrel and you'll be glad your on the bike..cause that's the only way your going to ever catch Sparky on his rampage around the neighborhood.

ok, this is the answer to confinement..hell, maybe Dominic's answer to getting back on the trails..(Dom is my 13 yr old retired mountain bike dog). From the makers of Track'r Pet Bicycle Trailer - Our Track'r Bicycle Trailer is a great way to maintain an active lifestyle with your pet. If you want to get in a bike ride, but your pet isn’t up to it, you can still take them along. Going to the park to give your pet a little fun and exercise? Why not get some exercise yourself on the trip their and back, without tiring them out along the way?

Without getting tired along the way?

isn't that the point?

This one has a "dog roll-cage"

wow, the deeper I dig into this the weirder it gets...this company make dog helmets??

with no ear holes??

yeah, and this isn't the strangest thing EVER??

ah ! This one's got style..

where do I order?

Heading to a soldier near you

Big props to Igle and Monague fur getting this bike together to send to Baghdad. The frame reads X Military technology, nice touch Monty. Christopher added the pink king head set for a little comic relief - for a place that could use MORE than a little. Hope the 972nd MP Company can get out and ride...if not,... use it for target practice. :)

Frankenbike lives !

It's a one of a kind alright.
Installed a pair of studded snow tires
and a Tomi Cog.

ready for winter base...

I learned a few more lessons about fixed gear riding..

Tried my first skid yesterday, did not go well.. On an icy road I leaned forward and locked them up..The chain fell off the front ring and wrapped around the rear cog. Luckily didn't break the chain. I'm running more tension now...but now with no rear brake thanks to Tomi.
This should be interesting.

Fixed? Didn't know I was Broken...

I'd always looked to new technology and innovation to make the experience better. So why was yesterday's ride so damn fun?
I turned my Igleheart single speed mountain bike into a fixed gear to help achieve base fitness. I chose a gear pretty much at random (46 x 20)... and rode it for the first time (on a long-ass ride) with my friend Tal. Three and a half hours and I don't know how many miles...maybe 60? It was the first beat down of 2008!
On our tour around Cape Ann we ran into three other people on fixed gears, all of which Tal knew...all the cool kids are doing it I guess...and all of these fixie aficionados were on beautiful rigs. Rich on a glossy black ANT, Laurie on a plum Gunnar and Gary on his battle ship gray Surly.
I learned a few things about fixed gear bikes;
#1 my gearing was a little light
#2 wind it up coming down a hill the bike owns you till you can slow it back down.
#3 don't stop pedaling to reach in your pocket or you'll be reminded quickly that there's no freewheel to go 'click click click'.
#4 it hurts really bad to keep up with people on fixed gear road bikes when your on a mountain fixie
#5 Maybe I'm just addicted to gear...Maybe I need a third Igleheart.

looks like a screaming good time

stir it up

Please don't a rock'a my boat, cause I don't want'a my boat to be rocked anyhow. It's been 10 long years with out a big stir up at work but the Airport is a'stir, and heads were chopped, and people displaced to new positions and others layed off. I've got a new home and a new client base and a new work schedule that could work for a while. Working Saturdays will certainly bite into my amateur racing career but It's the workin skills that pay the bills.

time to regroup

I "Sat in" for 42 miles today with no regret and enjoyed my laziness to the fullest extent. A guest appearance from an unlikely roadie...When Skip heard Barry was coming out for a group road ride his response.."is he gonna wear his full face helmet?" Only thing that could top this is to some-how con George to road-ride with us!
Barry was the phantom anchor of the group. Where else in the world does wearing a cloak of black spandex make you stand out, but among a bunch of guys in pink and blue?

questions for 2008

So I have to ask..was that "it"?
Not that it was NOT the shit.
Every year is what you make of it.
Was THAT the very best it will ever be?
Was THAT the very best of me?
Will I have another chance to try harder?
Will I have the TIME or WILL to go farther?
Is it possible to make the friends that I have made...
Will this passion ever fade?
2007 was an amazing year, was it merely the frontier?

ice cream head ache

The amount of cheese cake I devoured over Christmas warranted this ride. Outside my window freezing rain. Inside, not even the dogs would rise from their dog dreams or their comfortable beds. When the phone rang I could only hope to hear a fellow rider on the other end...Was it the motivation I needed or someone to share in the winter suffering? The caller was my die hard friend Skip and he felt the same way. "I need a clp hours on the road". Sweet.
Beggars for a ride, soon to be beggars for warmth and hot cocoa. We lasted two hours and got soaked to the bone. Skip beat me up good. A month off hurts real bad.
A less-traveled road heavily frost-heaved and covered with slush served as the turn toward home. 23mm road tires were not going to cut the mustard, or the slush. At an exact moment the road turned to glaze ice and Skip demonstrated his ability to fall and tumble with the best of them. Me being the good friend, held my line and politely asked if he could get out of my trajectory as I couldn't stop and was heading right at his left arm. That's compassion huh? Thanks for the ride Skip, u da man.

snow rake

I found a great upper body workout that can be done around the house...literally. All you need is a sh*t ton of snow on your roof and a snow rake. Cranking the tunes also helps.
I was going to go for an xc ski or road ride but my house was letting out alarmingly loud cracking noises that I needed to investigate. Maybe the old saying "they don't build'em like they use to" applies in our case. We love our ranch house but it maybe a tad under built by today's standards.
Heavey rains coming later today it was probably a good thing to scrape off a ton of snow and get rid of the ice damns that were forming.
Does a person own the house or does the house own the person.. hey at least I got a workout!

snow roomba!

As a life long New Englander this doesn't happen every year...we're getting walloped with snow so far this winter...14 inches and mounting, and that is just counting what is presently in my front yard. Hope it keeps up. Skiing is going well. I've adapted my nite rider HID to work with out a helmet and have been blazing through the darkness regularly in a near by patch of woods after work. Not nearly as fun as biking in the same woods but hey what can you do... enjoy the off season right!

I would like Santa to bring me a hybrid form of snow blower if it's not too much trouble. Can your elves combine the Roomba robot vaccuum and a snow blower? This way I can be out skiing or down at the local pub and not have to worry about cleaning out a space to park. Thanks soo much.+

I'd ask for a pair of 29 inch Gazzi extreme studded tires for my single speed but see that they are still on back order... oh well. The snow-roomba will do.

It is bitter sweet having all this damn snow in the woods. great snow sports but zero biking. I am anxious to try out my new fixed gear set up on the SS...can't even get out on the road, there's so much powder on top of ice the sidewalks haven't been cleared in a week.

As soon as the trails are passable I'd like to organize a BCT (bay circuit trails) ride from Ipswich to Andover and back for anyone who'd like to go. Taking in to consideration that this may not be until April by the rate the snow is falling here.

Merry Christmas

where the lyrics live

Boston was blanketed with six to ten inches of white fluffy snow. the kind you don't mind shoveling, it's not the usual back-breaking experience. Light and fluffy. Not the snow balls kind, and you couldn't make a snowman with the stuff if your life depended on it. Just good dry powder. No base. You'll cut right thru to dirt on the local ski hills so bring your early season board if staying local...but why would you do that.
Christopher called and asked if I knew how to ski...cross country. And I don't, but should, I replied.
Five years ago when Lesli and I bought our house from an elderly couple moving in with their son, they left behind many things they would never again use, like a snow blower and a set of cross country skis. My one attempt to use the skis two years ago didn't go well. Now it was time to try again and learn something new.
"It's like shuffling your feet down the school hall" Chris said. So we shuffled and I moved awkwardly for an hour and that led to another hour of less awkward movement. Then Les and I went out again yesterday, she on her snow shoes and I on Ben's skis. The waxless skis with the price tag still on them. $99 at MVP...almost like he was going to bring them back after the season for his money back. That was Ben. Thank you Ben. He was the elderly man I bought my house from.
So yesterday's less-awkward movement will lead into today's shuffling around the halls of the woods in perfect powder. I've now made a track in the woods and my technique is coming along. It's funny when learning a new sport or learning anything... Learning is a matter of a style, balance and effortless motion that needs to be learned, then honed to look as if it were instinctual.
When I learned to snowboard a long time ago, I took a flogging of epic proportions. The act of directing a plank of wood to the bottom of a hill with grace was painful. And also frustrating. A few friends were learning at the same time, back in 93 or 94. Brad and Allyson on Wha, o-Wachusett mountain on New Years Eve. They could go top to bottom, and top again and also lap me. This was my fourth attempt in two years at snowboarding, and then I got it. I felt like I was granted a super power. I could link three turns while strapped to a plank of wood! I earned my super power with many a bruised hip and swelled elbow and this technique was now mine. I owned it. To be permanently stored in my memory banks next to an untold number of song lyrics that I never wanted to learn in the first place. Funny how that works.

Weekend warrior land

A big shout out to dear old Dad for the video cam. I break them as fast as I fill the memory with images of debauchery. I'll try to take care of this one :) Thanks.

sidelined

enjoy the time off?

but already miss it.
beat up and sick,
Costa Rica you bitch.
So, begins the off season I guess.
Enter weekend warrior land.
I like weekend warrior land.
Away from the daily commute,
Away from the head wind on marsh road.
Away is a way to make a will stronger.
But the legs don't agree.

My back in Lynn

Met George and Jambalaya at the ball field lot early Saturday to visit Lynn woods and some old school trails, and a few new ones, for a mini-epic tour of George's manicured stash. I had built my dually back for the occasion remembering the beating I got here with my hard tail.. With the aggressive rock and boulder strewn lines of Lynn you're better off with as much travel as you can bring...unless of course you're a super skilled trials rider..
Cold and super windy, I had a large backpack with extra clothes and lots of food for myself and Gus. Knowing George's style of packing everything one could possibly need I didn't want to forget anything, so my pack was pretty heavy, as was George's.
We started out on the Hike, a few changes have been made to the trail since the old school days of DM, KD,JH,GA,MD,BB,AG,AP and others. My gears were totally sucking my will to try anything that required stomping force. I had mistakenly installed a used cassette and a new chain, George quickly nicknamed me "skip". Otherwise I was enjoying the cheat factor of six inches of travel front and rear.
We banged and smashed our way over to Balanced Boulder and I needed to stretch my back...but it didn't help. Call me a nancy boy (thanks for that one Barry) but I couldn't handle 4 hours in Lynn with out getting beat down. Yeah, I can cross Costa Rica on a single speed but I couldn't pedal 10 miles in four hours (in four hours...you do the math) with out sheer agony.
I think because I haven't done a single sit up or stretched my back or legs in two solid weeks, but now feel like some has inserted thumb tacks in my lower back.
Might have to see a professional for repair. Four hot baths and lots of vitamin I, nor beer therapy have helped.
Thanks for the ride G. Gus really enjoyed himself.

trail trip

Bust out the balaclava, winter shoes and tights

cover that skin cause the arctic wind bytes.

Weekend rides start early, as do the nights.
It's fun to ride with folks who aren't afraid of heights.
Hide in the comfort of familiar beaten tracks,
carpeted with camouflage, but you can't hold back!
these are your friends but you start an attack,
flying up leaf covered hills in a blistering pack.
Adrenalin levels heightened in an oxygen deprived head,
whirling the pedals, wide open, full speed ahead!
On a blistering pace my chassis glows infrared.
flames now lap my heels, the steel radiating a deep cherry red.
Grab a hand full of brake but the pads dissolve to a gas,
hot embers streak from my hurtling mass,
I try to avoid hitting trees and the tall grass
and my bike now ablaze like liquefied natural gas.
I reach for my camel back hose and can only hope that it isn't froze.
I extend, aim, and pinch and alas it isn't froze and it goes and flows,
and the red red glows of my incredibly weird woes
have spared my life but burned my toes.

La Ruta Pictures

Day 1 "yeah La Ruta!"
(When I still thought this was a good idea)

Day 2
(4 hours to go, then I can have beer)

"This mud isn't too bad"

Willy Wonka's chocolate waterfall
and the Costa Rican hulk

Morning of Day 3 with Reenie and Tom

It seems Heart Akerson needed to be free of at least one artical of clothing the entire race.

Read more about this truly original human here.

I'm sure Brian's shirt made a few people hungry day 3

Jon Nutbrown was just Hoping Sue Haywood would come and buckle his helmet on day 3

Climbing up front out of the coffee plantation, day 4

Climbing out back, from the coffee plantation, day 4

day 4, the laundry list is long

It was the night post stage 3 and we'd been driven to a far off resort 1.5 hours into the Costa Rican rain forest. This resort was ridiculously lavish. A private fenced in community of perfectly landscaped white stucco buildings hidden deep in forest, private restaurant, pool & spa. Hell our bus driver had to stop twice to get directions it was so far off the beat in path.
We arrived at 7pm and needed to be back on the bus at 3:30 am. Simply not enough time to enjoy our surroundings.
Barbra, whom organizes the Cohutta race in Tennessee was there with husband Perry. Perry had just received a dozen stitches in the forearm late in stage 3 on Jeremiah Bishop's hill. I'm sure that Perry would have preferred to remain at the River of Pearls Resort and recuperate for a day or two, I know I wanted too.
One final early wake up call, one final early morning breakfast, one final early morning bus ride to one final early morning race start. Ahhghh CRAP! I forgot my wallet at the fancy resort! I exclaimed, more like I freaked out. Standing in the rain near the start line of day four, I had no idea what to do. All my money and credit card was in that wallet 1.5 hours away at the River of Pearls resort. What a boob! Tim D stood next to me.. He saw me freaking out. I respect Tim for what he said next.."don't worry man, I've got money to loan you, just get through today and things will work out." I also had Roger to help my dumb ass. Post race I realized that it was just a jacket that I forgot and I actually had my wallet buried deep in my yellow race bag. Thanks anyway Tim.
I had taken my congestion pill and a celebrex that Andrew Caputo had so graciously kicked down to me. Enjoying the medication's effects in this photo, still worried about my forgotten wallet. I had plenty of clothes on today and would not be caught out with a chill in the rain again. Rich Dillon stood near me with quite the fashion statement. He was wearing a sleeveless shirt, arm warmers and a black trash bag for a rain coat. I complimented Rich on his kit and wished he was in this picture, it was just the humor I needed to smile on the miserable morning.
The first 5K was a gravel climb to start out. Tim D went with a big gear 32x18 mashing the pedals and turning his 29 inch wheels up the slope. I rolled with a 32x20 and concentrated my way up the hill. I think Rich was using a 32x18 for stage 4.
Before long we were enjoying extended downhill sections on gravel with wide swooping corners that begged for as much speed as we could provide. I was playing leapfrog with a cannondale support truck on some of these slopes. The spare Cannondale on the roof of the Chevy Blazer swayed wildly like a broken keel on an out of control ship as the blazer bounced down the rough gravel road. I thought something was going to snap, the bike, the rack, or the truck.
Speed obtained on the extended downhill was in the ball park of 50 mph and the hill went on for 10 miles . We definitely deserved this after three days of climbing hills. I was in the bomber position, sitting on my top tube with the bat wings out enjoying every second. On paved roads now with police stopping traffic at the intersections.
The episode I am going to describe next may just go down as the funniest 10 seconds in my life. I was on a residential dirt road moving slowly as I approached three young Costa Rican children in the road. They were staggered in line with their arms outreached and seemed to be marshaling me into a left hand corner. I thought, "wow, these three young kids are course marshals?" So I stopped and looked down the path they were sending me and said.."left here?" They looked at me blindly not understanding English tho to say.."yeah stupid down there." I raced down the path scanning the dirt for tire marks in the mud but saw none, and as I sped along, looking down at the ground my front tire came upon a rug, a green braided rug??...and I looked up to find my self IN SOME ONE'S HOUSE! The path had ended and I had ridden directly into some one's house! There was no door to the laundry room and I had fully ridden into someone's freekin house! Clean laundry hanging to my left and a teen aged boy watching television on a couch to my right. I looked at him with dismay and exclaimed, "LA RUTA?? He slowly moved off the couch and with a puzzled look said, "no, no La Ruta" He started to laugh, I started to laugh and he motioned me to the path that I had entered his house on.
His mother looking wildly out the window, she wasn't laughing. I turned my dripping bicycle around within the laundry room and in the process took all of the clean white clothes off the line with my handlebar. I bent over trying to pickup the clothes but my mud soaked gloves were making matters worse. I apologized profusely and the teen aged boy just laughed and motioned me to the street. I looked at the kids that had directed me down the path and they were now in a straight line formation with their hands skyward wanting only a high five...and not directing racers down into the laundry room at all. For the next mile I died laughing.
The guy bent over on the far right across the river is me. The spring on my front brake had broken and needed to be fixed. I had my tools out and spare brake parts were on the ground but I could not for the life of me get the pads re-installed. I didn't want to force the pads on and snap the piston nub so I tried to reason with the cylinder and sweet talk them on...nope no dice. I was there for four or five minutes until Doug and Roger appeared on the river bank. Roger said, "hey let me try" I asked.."do you know how to install the pads?" He quickly said no...but with in five seconds had them back in the piston.
The three of us rolled together along with a few friends that Roger had made through out the trip. Good to see he was really enjoying him self and pushing a fast pace on this dirt road riddled with pot holes. Poor Doug was getting his wrists shattered on this section, riding a rigid fork in the train of riders as we snaked around and smashed into deep pot holes.
The three of us were together for about an hour. Moving quickly on roads and sharing pulls within a large group on paved sections.
The day was flying by for me. At one point a woman we were riding near said that we were at 103 kilometer with about 17k to go. Wow this day was flying! I had just consumed a red bull and was feeling pretty high so I left the group and entered the final section of railroad beds alone.The rail bridges were interesting. This one pictured had a 1x8 piece of lumber nailed down for quicker passage. Some bridges did not have the safety of the 1x8. Most were suspend high above rushing white water and the act of stepping rail to rail had a dizzying effect. I think the bridges claimed the adventure aspect of the entire trip.
The first bridge I came upon I was with a group of four or five other guys. Looking across the 200ft span there was a train on the other side. People warned that it was moving, we waited but it did not show signs of movement. The guys in front went for it. My plan was that if the train was coming they would jump first..so I just looked down at the rails and step one tie at a time until we were across. The train was indeed running and after we made it across the conductor went ahead and put the train in motion.The remainder of the rail bed wasn't as bad as I expected. Thankful I had my 29inch wheels on the bumpy sections and just sped along comfortably high on red bull. The beach appeared on my left and I knew the finish line was near. I felt a little bad that I'd ditched Doug and Roger but wanted to stay ahead of Rich in the off chance that I could beat him in GC.
Later, after it was all done and people were celebrating the brutality of crossing Costa Rica via mountain bike Rich said to me, " I officially hate you, you beat me by 7 minutes in GC"