National Mountain Bike Oktoberfest 2008 Wrap Up

I will be working on my story later this week but wanted to post the press release wrapping up the event. One thing for sure is that working with Cowbell Challenge, Inc. was a blast and we are planning next year's event already. Mark your calendars for October 23 -25, 2009!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 28, 2008
Contact: Connie Giordano
704-957-8450
connie@NationalMtbOktoberfest.org
connie@therightwords.com

National Mountain Bike Oktoberfest: Racing and Riding for kids from 2 to 52
Charlotte, NC – First-time racers, weekend warriors and pro-racers alike started their days early for National Mountain Bike Oktoberfest, held October 24-26, 2008. While volunteers from Cowbell Challenge Inc. finished checking and marking the courses At Fisher Farm Park in Davidson, NC, and setting up to check in the racers, seasoned racers began their pre-rides and first-time racers checked out the course and asked tons of questions. Spectators and support crews found some time to check out the new models from Cannondale, Specialized and Trek, and kids from 2 to 11 got their first taste of bike racing.

Friday dawned grey and chilly, but the threat of rain didn’t stop the competitors for the Friday NiteRider Short Track Race. 11 racers took to the course for just over 30 minutes of tight racing through the woods. Jeremiah Bishop (Trek/VW) took top honors with 17 laps in 31:57.1, followed by Diego (Bicycle Sport) with 17 laps in 32.10.9 and Nat Ross (Gary Fisher/Subaru) with 17 laps in 32.47.3.

Saturday morning brought a steady downpour before dawn, but the rain disappeared by the time the children took the field for Kids Kompetitions, sponsored by Cool Breeze Cyclery. “It is so much fun watching these kids hopping on their bikes and just getting out to ride for the sheer joy of it,” said Taylor Sullivan, Oktoberfest Race Director. Toddlers competed in a short race with running bikes provided by Strider. Cool Breeze staff officiated and presented the children with medals and special prizes.

The featured event, the Oktoberfest 8-hour Endurance race kicked off at noon, with an impressive starting lineup that included Oktoberfest partner Tinker Juarez (Monavie/Cannondale), Jeremiah Bishop (Trek/VW), Nat Ross (Gary Fisher/Subaru), Harlan Price (FT / IF pb Lionette's), and Ernesto Marenchin (Speedgoat.com), balanced by a number of bikers competing in their very first endurance race. From the word "GO" a really tight race was on, and Nat Ross, hitting the course for the ODI, "Grip and Rip" whole shot win, also grabbed all five of the Specialized “King of the Mountain" climbs in the first lap. Ross, Price, Juarez, Marenchin and Bishop stayed close in the early laps, and after a few more hours Bishop and Price were riding each other’s wheels, trading first and second for the rest of the day. As course faded into darkness and the hours counted down to the final lap, a mere 8 seconds separated the Bishop and Price. At the end, Bishop crossed the line just 12 seconds ahead of Harlan Price. The top five finishes are:
1. Jeremiah Bishop (Trek/VW) 14 laps
2. Harlan Price (FT / IF pb Lionette's) 14 laps
3. Tinker Juarez (MonaVie Cannondale) 13 laps
4. Ernesto Marenchin (Speedgoat.com) 13 laps
5. Nat Ross (Gary Fisher/Subaru) 12 laps

In the women’s race, Pua Sawicki (Team Mata) looked to be impossible to beat—with some of the top finishes of the year before coming out to Oktoberfest. At the start Pua‘s race pace matched the men’s and she looked ready to go for the whole shot over the men. In fact, she was the female winner of the ODI "Grip and Rip" first female on the course, and the Specialized "Queen of the Mountain". Her husband Ron, reported that the course was really slippery on the first lap due to all the late night rain and earlier morning mist, and Pua fell in the single track section of the course. She came back strong and fast, finishing well ahead of the rest of the women’s field and most of the men’s field. Pua’s family, coming in from Hawaii, was there cheering her on as for the first time they watched her compete in mountain biking. Denelle Grant (Bike Factory Racing) and Blakely Sapsford (Guy’s Racing) rounded out the top three in the women’s field.

The deep blue skies North Carolina is famous for returned bright and early on Sunday, as the racers prepared for Time Trials. Racers set off in one minute intervals to cover four miles of existing, flowing single track in the fastest time possible.

The results follow:

Open - Men
1 Jafer Beizer (Kudzu.com U23) Conyers, GA 17:46.4
2 Noel Kirila (Bicycle Sport Concord, NC 17:47.5
3 Michael Nixon (SoBe/Cannondale) Ft. Lauderdale, FL 17:53.8
4 Chris Wieczorek (Bicycle Sport) Charlotte, NC 18:11.2
5 Chris Baker (Bicycle Sport) Charlotte, NC 20:19.6
6 Stephen Janes (World Bicycle Relief) Asheville, NC 20:31.6
7 Michael Petersen Concord, NC 23:14.0
8 Dongseok Kim (NASCAR Technical Institute) Mooresville, NC 25:12.4

Single Speed - Men
1 Andrew Good (Cool Breeze Cyclery) Mooresville, NC 20:05.1

Sport - Men
1 Kristofer Karwisch Erlanger, KY 19:39.2
2 Scott Griffith Charlotte, NC 21:10.5
3 Brian Maxwell China Grove, NC 21:36.6
4 Douglas Engel (Bolt Brothers Cyclery) Charlotte, NC 21:54.2
5 Daniel Huey Cornelius, NC 21:55.7
6 Daniel Green Cornelius, NC 23:54.2

Masters - Men
1 Jack Crouch (Bicycle Sport) Charlotte, NC 19:22.2

The final event of the inaugural National Mountain Bike Oktoberfest was known as the “Beast” for good reason… three-quarters of a mile of running, biking, and obstacles. The modified cyclocross style race resembled “old-fashioned” cyclo-cross, challenging the skills of experienced and newbie riders alike as they raced for 30 minutes plus 1 lap.

The results follow:

Masters - Men
1 Jack Crouch (Bicycle Sport) Charlotte, NC
2 Perry Lee (Bicycle Sport) Charlotte, NC
3 Mike Metz Matthews, NC
4 Randy Nance Cornelius, NC

Open - Men
1 Michael Nixon (SoBe Cannondale) Ft. Lauderdale, FL
2 Jafer Beizer (Kudzu.com U23 Team) Conyers, GA
3 Stephen Janes (World Bicycle Relief) Asheville, NC
4 Chris Baker (Bicycle Sport-Shannon Ridge ) Charlotte, NC
5 Dongseok Kim (NASCAR Technical Institute) Mooresville, NC

Sport - Men
1 Richard Tsui (Cool Breeze Cyclery) Huntersville, NC
2 Kristofer Karwisch Erlanger, KY
3 Scott Griffith Charlotte, NC
4 Douglas Engel (Bolt Brothers Cyclery) Charlotte, NC
5 Daniel Green Cornelius, NC

Sport Women
1 Cathie Docherty (Dirt Divas) Fort Mill, SC

“My hat is off to the volunteers and organizers of National Mountain Bike Oktoberfest,” said David “Tinker” Juarez, former Olympian and Mountain Bike Hall of Famer and partner for the inaugural event. “It was a huge effort that came together quickly, and as a racer, I can say it was a blast to compete in.”

Sponsors for National Mountain Bike Oktoberfest currently include The Right Words, Organic Systems, LLC, NiteRider Lighting Systems, Cool Breeze Cyclery, Cannondale Bicycles, Kenda Tires, MonaVieCannondale.com, ODI Grips, Specialized Bicycles, Anse Chastanet Resort in St. Lucia iBert Safe-T- Seats, Strider Running Bikes, Summit Coffee, Blue Ridge Outdoors Magazine, Bicycle Sport, Tifosi Eyewear, The Cyclepath, Clif Bar, Hammer Nutrition, ByeKyle, and Cane Creek.

Cowbell Challenge, Inc., a 501C3 nonprofit corporation, is a volunteer organization dedicated to promoting and organizing endurance mountain biking events which raise funds in support of charitable causes that promote health, well-being, and strong communities. Its signature event, the Cowbell Challenge 12-Hour Endurance Mountain Bike Race finished its seventh year in 2008 with more than $16,000 raised in support of numerous local and national non-profit organizations that support those facing catastrophic illness, families in crisis, maintaining natural spaces, and promoting cycling and fitness.

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Related links:
http://www.nationalmtboktoberfest.org/
http://tinkerjuarez.blogspot.com/
http://www.usacycling.org/
http://www.cowbellchallenge.org/

What rain?

Just a quick update on the course conditions for tonight's short track race:

Check out weather.com for the latest: Davidson, NC weather

Today we had only light occasional drizzel. The locals say the best way to race this is when it is tacky - which it is getting to be now but it is not muddy or real wet since it hasn't rained much.

There is rain all around Charlotte area except Charlotte - hum.....??? Maybe it will hold off???

The race will proceed if it rains or not! Of course the festivities will be happening anyway! Come on out and join us for some of the fun and a night ride.

See you soon!

National MTB Oktoberfest THIS WEEKEND!

We flew into charming Charlotte NC yesterday and are getting ready for the festival this weekend. Folks have asked a few questions about the race and we wanted to send an update with the most common questions:

1) The festival and all the races are on RAIN or SHINE! Hopefully more shine than rain...

2) Race entry fees are LOW and are now updated on the website and Bikereg.com. Sorry for any confusion about this.

Schedule (pick up the more detailed version at registration):
Friday - 10 AM - 6 PM Registration, packet pick up, demo rides
7 PM - 8 PM Short track races
9 PM - 11 PM Post race party at Summit Coffee

Saturday - 7AM - 9AM Registration
9AM - Noon Demo rides
10 AM - 11 AM - Kids kompetition
11:30 AM - RACERS MEETING
Noon - 2 PM - Kids costume contest
Noon - 8 PM - 8 Hour Endurance MTB Race
8 PM - 9PM - Adult costume contest
9 PM - Awards
9:30 - 11 PM Post race party at Summit Coffee ($2 microbrew, live music, food for purchase)

Sunday - 7AM - 9AM Registration
10AM - Terror Time Trials
Noon -The Beast Cyclocross
3 PM - Awards & Grand Prize Drawing

Last minute NMBO Update

Hitting the AA flight to NC in the morning and wanted to post the last minute update about the race festival this weekend. This event has shaped up to be something not to miss - especially the Anse Chastanet trip raffel - that prize is worth over $3K alone and is not counted in the rest of the goodies we have for everyone coming out for the event.

And of course a GREAT BIG THANK YOU to all our awesome sponsors for making this race possible!!

Last minute reminders, updates and adjustments for this weekend:

· Online registration ends at 9 pm this Thursday, Oct. 23. You can register on race day, but the price increase is slightly higher—we call it Mountain Bikers’ Bailout Package-Amended.

· We’ll have a little something extra for all those who are racing in the Grand Champion Class or the 8-Hour race, from KENDA and MONA VIE.

· We did some fine tuning on the course for the 8-hour race over the weekend. The course is marked and you are more than welcome to go out and take a ride on the 8+ miles before Saturday.

· We will combine the categories in the Friday NiteRider short track and the Beast on Sunday so that everyone will race at once. Not to worry, we'll keep time with in the class you signed in on separately.

· Remember, there is a $2000 Equal cash purse payout in the Open Male and Female 8-hr Endurance race. And we have over $7,000 worth of prizes to win throughout the weekend.

· Raffles: the lucky winner of grand prize trip to St. Lucia will be called out on Sunday; Cool Breeze Cyclery will be doing prize drawings every hour; our Family Prize raffle for those with little ones features prizes from iBert and Strider, and we’ll raffle copies of the 24 Solo DVD autographed by Chris Eatough to benefit World Bicycle Relief.

· Don’t forget your Halloween costumes!

Fisher Farm Park will be the happening place for mountain biking this weekend, and Davidson will be the happening place for everything else—the Downtown Merchants sidewalk sale, Farmers Market, and Spooktacular—Visit the Town of Davidson website for more.
Races within the Race

The Oktoberfest 8-Hour Endurance Mountain Bike Race is the final race on the USA Cycling Ultra-Endurance Calendar. So you can bet the competition will be fierce! Our sponsors have really stepped up to provide some great prizes for all the events:

· King/Queen of the Mountain The Lady that climbs to the top of 5 to 7 climbs (still finalizing the checkpoints!) during Oktoberfest 8-Hour Endurance Race on Saturday will be recognized as the Queen of the Mountain, and will receive the Specialized/Komen pink Propero Helmet and 2008 Women’s Factory Team Jersey--also in pink—to support National Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October. The man who will be “crowned” King of the Mountain will be awarded a Red Propero Helmet and a red Specialized Factory Team Jersey.

· Fastest Lap, Fastest Night Lap NiteRider is the Official Lighting Sponsor of NMBO, sponsoring the Friday NiteRider Short Track Race. When the sun goes down the lights come on, and NiteRider will award the Fastest Lap at Nite Female and Male in the 8-Hour Endurance race.

· Grip it and Rip It for the Whole ShotFirst racer to get around the course in the short track race, first racer out of the prolog and onto the endurance course, fastest time trial racer, and first racer around the Beast course will be awarded ODI Grips.

· Get Spotted in Your Tifosis!The first racer in the endurance race to get spotted in their Tifosis gets their choice of a brand new pair, so make sure Shannon spots you first!
Just Kids’ Stuff

· Cool Breeze Cyclery is sponsoring and organizing the Kids’ races on Saturday morning… they’re setting up for 6-8 years, 9-11 years, and 12-15 years, so get your kids signed up! No charge to race, but they must have a parent/guardian-signed release.

· We’re not leaving out the littlest bikers! We’re setting up a Strider Corral for toddlers to 5 year-olds to try out, race and even win one of the Strider Running Bikes.
Cheap or free!

· Best breakfast deal going at the Egg at Davidson: Fuel up for Saturday’s race at the Egg at Davidson. Your choice of oatmeal or pancakes, plus two eggs, choice of meat, juice and coffee for only $4.50! Check your race packet for directions and a coupon.

· Cheap good tasting micro-beer, organic coffee and good music! We’re hooking up with Summit Coffee in Davidson for a post race party on Friday and Saturday nights. $2 brews and live music beats stock watching any day!

· Free, neutral technical support: provided by the great folks of The Cycle Path and Cool Breeze Cyclery.

· Free demo rides: check out the latest mountain and road bikes from Cannondale, Specialized, and Trek!

www.nationalmtboktoberfest.org

Best MTB Race Deal on the Planet!

Friday is your last chance for the best deal in mountain bike racing… NMBO’s Bail Out price freeze ends—and late registration prices go into effect on Saturday morning. You can still get a great deal on accommodations at the Days Inn Cornelius—make your reservation by October 21 to get the NMBO rate of $58.95 per night.

Get there early on Friday Or Saturday and join Cannondale, Specialized and Trek for demo rides. Then it’s time to try out some night racing and short-track – all in one race on Friday night—and sponsored by NiteRider. And we should see some great competition among the kids on Saturday. .. lots of them already planning to come out and play … err… race, thanks to Cool Breeze Cyclery.

Look for some great new features on the Endurance course… a new rock garden, double down bridge, and Kudzu Hill… the climb that just keeps growing and growing…..

The “Beast” race on Sunday is an “old school” cyclo cross race, so come find out what it used to be like in the good ole days. And really test your speed, your wits and your skills with Time Trials.

Make your plans now to head to Davidson, NC for National Mountain Bike Oktoberfest , for riding, racing, costume contests, more riding, more racing, party at Summit Coffee, more riding, more racing and the chance to win a 5-night stay at Anse Chastanet resort in St. Lucia.
See you October 24, 25, and26!

Tinker, Taylor, Connie and the Cowbell Challenge Crew
www.nationalmtboktoberfest.org

24 Hours of Moab - What a sandblast! 16 laps; Distance Travelled: 238.56 miles; Elevation Gain: 21760 ft. Ouch.

Being sandblasted is so much better than being in a cold cold rain for 24 hours.

The start of the race went a little fast but steady. From the start Josh was ahead. Chris and I chased him knowing our places and taking it steady. 24 hours is a long time to race and we both have experience to know it's best to not push too hard. Every time I pushed too hard in the past it got the best of me so I was happy to get a good rhythm. There was no point trying to do something rediculuous since he always catches me so we stuck together for a long time. It wasn't too hard or too slow.

Me and Chris Eatough Moab 2008. Photo credit Ultrarob

The race went really well for me. I felt great but I got worried because I didn't eat much and they told me I wasn't drinking enough. I kept on trying though and I guess it worked for me but it was tough since it got so cold. But I did get good sleep before the race and a good pre race meal the night before and at breakfast. Mom was there to make sure I had good food and drinks all during the race.

Everyone asks me what I eat so here it goes.
Cytomax drinks every lap

Cytomax gels

water

Pepsi (not my sponsor but I like it)

bananas

Honey Stinger bars

Honey Stinger chews

turkey & ham with cheese wraps (quarters at a time)

grapes

Bart's Mom's spaghetti

Cytomax protein shakes

Protein juice shakes

breakfast burrito

way too many advils

Whatever I could eat to get enough calories!

I was having a tough time out there and felt nauseous because I think I was taking too much advil. My body was in pain and it was so cold. My knee was bothering me, too, so I was favoring the other one. Bottom line, I was nervous about how I started feeling as the race went on.

The course was taking a tool on my body, especially my knee. It was a lot of technical stuff that beat the poop out of you. I realized when I rode on the course on Thursday that this was not my kind of course and I wasn't confident with it. I was concerned about how technical it was and the challenge it would be with the potential weather and fatigue. Last time I was at Moab was 2003 and it changed a lot. The course was torn up and there was sugar sand everywhere. It was so slippery and the rocks were so technical. My goal was to finish well without mechanicals or injuries. I wanted a clean race and was damned determined to finish no matter what. A good result would be a bonus. There was no stress of having the big expectations to win which sort of worked out well for me. I was in a good mood and enjoyed it!

I finished 16 laps; Distance Travelled: 238.56 miles; Elevation Gain: 21760 ft. Ouch.

The night riding was awesome! It was a great ride. My Niterider lights worked awesome, the mechanics were on top of everything and it all came together so well. I want to thank the MonaVieCannondale gang, Mom, Chris, Matt, Bart's mom for all the good cooking, Ryan, and everyone else out there to help out and make it such an awesome race!! Everyone kept me going with good vibes and positive attitudes - I couldn't have asked for a better crew, period. Will someone please send me a photo to post???

Photo credit: Ultrarob

Oh yeah - can't forget to mention the weather. We dealt with wind and cold. Really cold and really windy conditions but it didn't rain. May have had a few snowflakes, but if it rained out there I don't know what would have happened. Someone had a big order in for the guy upstairs for good weather - and I want to say 'THANK YOU GOD'!

Here are the top 10 solo Men finishers:
1 - Tostado, Josh J.
2- Juarez, David Tinker
3- Exelby, Roan M.
4- Bostrom, Ben
5- Poidevin, Leighton D.
6- Lichtenwalner, Rob
7- Yore, Steven E.
8- Strout, Chris
9 -Lideen, Taylor R.
10- Fish, Dereck J.

Also - Two of the MonaVieCannondale Pro Men's teams got 1st and 3rd place!

SobeBella got 2nd place in the Women's Pro team class

And the Mona Vie Cannondale VPs were out there racing just for fun! It was great to have them out there with us:

Steven King
kaleb Le Gore
Art Oconnor
Brick Bergeson

Yep - I am happy to get 2nd place! Now I will prepare for the next big event: the National Mountain Bike Oktoberfest in North Carolina! Hey if you want to come out it is not too late. The race is only about 20 minutes from the Charlotte airport and we have some top male and female pros coming out. It would be great to see you there!

Peace,

Tinker

24 Hours of Moab

Photo credit: addictedtobicycles blog

I am working on my story but wanted to post a quick note to say I am so happy with 2nd place!

Check out the great video by superhumanmag.com here: 24 Hours of Moab

Incycle Cross Country Challenge at Bonelli Park

I was training in the mountains on Friday and met up with a few guys from Mountain Bike Action Magazine that asked me if I was racing on Saturday in San Dimas. The first race of the Incycle Cross Country Challenge by Southern California Velo was scheduled. I guess I don't keep up with all the races as good as I used to so I didn't even know about it, but Terri, Joshua, and I had already made plans to go camping at our favorite spot right at the lake where the race was being staged. We called and I signed up.

I've been groaning over my bad luck lately so I really wanted to see how it would go and was hoping for the best.

It was a good turn-out, despite the rain, and the race went well. There was one other pro and a bunch of semi-pros and experts. It was a blast!!

So this was a great race for me and I won and had a great time talking with all the nice people before and after the race. The best part about mountain bike racing is all the cool people you get to meet. We got a few photos. Mom, Victor, Yvonne, Sebastian, Terri, and Joshua were all there to cheer me on. So was our newest family member Elmo. Mark Ray from Cannondale and the Incycle gang were out there, too, taking great care of everyone that needed it.

BIG Thanks to Incycle for all their support and working on my bike. Next time you need something, you should stop in. They have it all.

Peace,

Tinker

FACE PLANT AT THE CACTUS CUP

Some say three is a charm.

Well maybe that will work since we were in Las Vegas for the 2008 Cactus Cup races and I had my third DNF of the summer. The race was put on by the same race promoter from back in the day when over 1,000 people attended and it was televised. It was huge back then and still has the potential. I was excited to be a part of it and gladly headed over to check it out.

The MonaVieCannondale.com team all went to the annual Mona Vie Convention in Salt Lake City Thursday before the races so when I got to the race on Friday I went right into the first Super D I've ever raced. It was fun but I was not exactly fresh. We drove to Vegas from SLC through the night, got a quick nap and headed to the race. No preriding, which in hindsight, was a big mistake. But, I was happy with my 10th place finish in the Super D and loved the course.

Saturday we got a good night sleep at the Red Rock Resort. Of course you can't go wrong when you have a flat screen TV in your marble filled bathroom as you are lounging around in your hotel robe.

Nice!

We started the day with a good breakfast and hot steamy coffee. The race started early, so there was no time to warm up or pre ride. We got to the line, put our numbers on, and had a short lemans start. Even though I am used to running in the endurance events, I still don't look forward to them but I got a decent start. Then we hammered into the single track. I haven't raced a short XC race like this in a while, but it didn't take long for me to remember that hard start and burn. You have to dig deep to get a good start and I think it was a good one for me but it wasn't great. I entered around 10th or 11th.

Then hammer fest. I was hoping there would be some climbing or other terrain to change it up or get some ground but we all stayed closely stacked. It was difficult to judge the corners and pick the lines so here is the part when I wished I had time to pre ride, and then the big rock happened. Later when I told the story, everyone knew which rock I was talking about so it wasn't just an ordinary rock, but the 'big rock' that got me.

After I picked myself off the ground, checked to make sure I still had all my teeth in my mouth, spit out some blood, made sure my nose was still attached, I noticed the rotor on my front disk brake was tacoed and the front tire was flat. So, I tried to take off the rotor, but I didn't have the tool for the Lefty. Eventually a couple of locals preriding the course offered a tool that worked and I was able to get back to the pit.

Note to self: Pack a Lefty tool and extra rotor next time.

Photo Credit: Backboneracing.com

Tahoe Sierra 100 Wrap up

It has been real busy for me lately so I'm way backed up on my race reports so I will make this quick. First and foremost, I want to say that this race has intrigued me all year. I couldn't wait to race there - so beautiful, fantastic trails, as nice a place to travel to, and worth every cent in gas. The race promoter put on an excellent venue and was the ultimate back country endurance race - big trees, big mountains, big climbs, big fun! The promoter provided lights, food, tents, and everything else we needed. He took care of us because of his love for the sport and good riding. We were 40 miles from a little town named Auburn which was an hour and a half from the airport.

It was a true epic ride. Awesome!

So off we went.

And I felt great! I had good sleep and was pumped for a fun ride. It was me, Chris Etough, Jeremiah Bishop, Harlan Price, Jeff Schalk, and Evan Plews up in the early front group. We had a good hard start and then there was a washboard downhill section with a good steep descent. As I descended, I noticed my chain was off. It was early in the race and I didn't want to loose speed to stop so I continued figuring I could pedal it back on once I got through the technical stuff. I tried to pedal it back on but noticed something was wrong. I finally stopped and realized my derailer was missing. It could have been anywhere up that hill. So I decided to single speed it. I set it up the best I could and the chain wouldn't stay on. Somehow I bent it. I tried to shorten it, but that didn't work and by the time I was done having a fit about it (you can only imagine the emotions flying!), a very nice person stopped and handed me a piece of chain. She must have notice I was a little upset.

So, I put the piece of chain on and it still didn't work so I did my best to get going. By the time I got to the pit, I had already wasted an hour. I was done, though, and the second DNF that I know of for the day. Jeff crashed hard and had to pull out too.

Check out the Cyclingnews.com story: Tahoe Sierra 100 Race report

Yep, this one was a real heartbreaker. The worst part of it was driving out and seeing how much of a beautiful ride I missed out on. So I can't wait until next year to try it again!

National MTB Oktoberfest Economy Bail Out Plan

The Mountain Bikers’ Bailout Plan… sort of…

Like you, we’re feeling the pinch in the wallet from the Washington/Wall Street circus and the gas pump. We understand and we are with you --who knows what deal they’ll finally come up with—we figure we might as well race mountain bikes! So while you’re waiting on Washington, take a break, and take advantage of the National Mountain Bike Oktoberfest. OUR bailout plan makes it a little easier to get here, to stay here, and to enjoy a whole weekend of racing and riding:

We’re freezing registration prices! The increase was scheduled for October 1, but you can still take advantage of the current fees—all the way up to October 17! And don’t forget, the more races you do, the better the price—check out the grand champion combos.

Discounted room rates at the Days Inn Cornelius: Contact the hotel directly at 704-892-9120 to get the Oktoberfest rate of $58.95 per night. Bike friendly, inexpensive and just a few miles from the race venue.

Best breakfast deal going at the Egg at Davidson: Fuel up for Saturday’s race at the Egg at Davidson. Your choice of oatmeal or pancakes, plus two eggs, choice of meat, juice and coffee for only $4.50! Check your race packet for directions and a coupon.

Cheap good tasting micro-beer, organic coffee and good music! We’re hooking up with Summit Coffee in Davidson for a post race party on Saturday night. $2 brews and live music beats stock watching any day!

Free, neutral technical support: provided by the great folks of The Cycle Path and Cool Breeze Cyclery.

Free demo rides: check out the latest mountain and road bikes from Cannondale, Specialized, and Trek!

Then there’s always the really cool swag, the free t-shirt, and the chance to win a 5-night stay at Anse Chastanet in St. Lucia where you can forget Wall Street and Washington –at least for a little while. Register online at BikeReg.com today! And everyone who registers receives one raffle ticket for our grand prize trip to Anse Chastanet. Buy additional tickets for just $20 each.

Race for fun, race for the causes -- just come out and race!

Garage Sale Update: Cannondale Super Six

I have a road bike for sale.

Serious inquiries only, please.

See photos in my Garage and Swag Shop: Cannondale Super Six 54'

I have one just like it that I use for training and I love it but only have so much room in my garage. This is an excellent bike and a great deal.