UnrealCycles.com News

Sneak Preview! The New C4

noreply@blogger.com (UnrealDeal) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 21:44:00 +0000

Grammo went in a bold new direction with the C4. Unlike it's predecessor the C3, the C4 has a compact frame, shorter tapered head tube, and Press Fit 30 bb. All of this adds up to a faster, more responsive, lighter bike! How light? The C4's frame weighs in at 989g.

The bike pictured with a wheel swap to our Grammo 540 weighs 14.5 Lbs with 105 pedals, and cages!!

Come check it out in person at Sea Otter, or at our warehouse in Central Point.

Available March 2012

www.grammo-bici.com

Pizza and a Movie is back.....

noreply@blogger.com (UnrealDeal) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 21:52:00 +0000

Yes the weather conditions have finally turned making riding difficult without a snorkel and flippers, so UnrealCycles is pleased to announce the return of Movie Thursday.

Starting this week, Thursday 19th we will have a selection of old school MTB and related films in the freshly refurbished Unreal Cycles showroom.

Come join us, no need to for reservations, bring a beer (or two) we will supply the pizza.

Do You Believe In Magic?

noreply@blogger.com (Avery Morin) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 22:32:00 +0000

Magic is different in every girl’s heart. Everyone’s magic is as unique as they are. Mine? Bikes.
I remember Christmas when I was little, when all the other 2nd grade girls were wishing for a Barbie mansion, I was wishing for carbon bars.
Even now that I’m 14, I still get all stoked around Christmastime, just wishing and hoping that I’ll get surprised with some awesome bike-related gift that would blow my mind. On the way home from getting Starbucks on Christmas Eve, I was wondering just what may be under that tree in the morning.
I had two Starbucks’ in my hands when I walked into my house. I went to the dining room to see about 6 of our friends sitting at the table with cameras pointed at our faces. What?
I turned to look into the living room and I saw them. Two red, white and black downhill bikes with big red bows tied to the handlebars. It didn’t matter that they were used. Oh. My. God. I almost dropped my Starbucks (NOOOOOO) and I’m sure the look on my face was priceless. I set down the Starbucks on the table (carefully) and said “Are you serious?” Yes. Yes they were.
It was easily the shock of my brother and I’s lives, and the best Christmas any bike-crazy kid could dream of. A million thank you’s to everyone who made this happen: Kris and Pat Morin (my awesome parents), Eddie Fontes, Joanna Petterson, and many more.
I also had a great time shuttling on Christmas day with friends!
And lastly, weird hippie healing vibes to my Mom, who shattered her wrist after crashing and going down a cliff on the last run of the day. You’ll be back to your ninja ways Mom, and stronger than ever.

Keep chasing…

2012

noreply@blogger.com (Wyatt Morin) — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 06:01:00 +0000

Hey all! So, I’m really looking forward to this New Year. 2011 was pretty great, but ended with some serious ups and downs. Absolutely insane Christmas. Probably the biggest highs and lows I have ever had in my entire life.

I don’t know how many of you have ever received a crazy surprise gift, but it is absolutely incredible!!! On Christmas Eve this year, my parents sent my sister and I out to get coffee. When we returned, there were a bunch of people with video cameras. When I turned, there were 2 downhill bikes under the tree with big red bows. I was totally, completely, utterly shocked and surprised. It was awesome. Easily the best Christmas present ever. I had no idea, but this had been in the works since August! We then had a wonderful Christmas Eve dinner with some of my favorite people. The next morning, we got up and had nice morning opening gifts with Mom and Dad. After that, we were off to the canyons to do Christmas Shuttles on our new bikes, with a massive group of friends! The group picture isn’t even all of us! I love my Morewood Izimu, it is wicked fast. I was riding faster and smoother than I ever have before. I am going to be FAST on the slopes this year.

But on the last run of the day, we had a problem. I wasn’t there to see it, but Mom had a bobble on a trail (one she has ridden hundreds of times) and went off a cliff. She ended up falling over 30 feet down, shattering her arm, and hurting the rest of herself pretty bad. We rushed her to ER, where she spent the rest of the evening getting x-rays, and getting her arm semi-reset. She got home late that night, and then went into surgery two days later. She currently has two plates in her left wrist. The past week and half have been tough, as she had bad reactions to some of the pain meds, and was sick for a while. She is doing much better now, though. I am so fortunate to have a mom that rides and shreds, I hope she can be back on the bike soon! Thank you to all the wishes, support, and visits from our friends, we really appreciate everyone.

Now, on to 2012. As many of you know, I am now officially a member of the Morewood iXS US Enduro team. With them, I will be doing many gravity based events this year, which I am really looking forward to. I am also continuing my sponsorship with Grammo for cross country mountain bike racing, as well as some road racing. I am racing Varsity in the 2012 NorCal Highschool mountain bike series, and there will be ferocious completion. I am also a Cat 1 mountain biker for all other events this year. I am a little nervous about the move up to these brutal catergories, but hopefully my hard work will pay off.

I have been training all winter, and now with spring, I will be ramping it up even more. I just got my current training schedule last night, it goes out to May. Something my coach, Paige Ramsey, said really helped inspire and drive me through my winter training, and makes me work longer and harder every time I workout. She said, “No matter how hard you are working, there is always someone going harder, longer, and faster.” This has motivated me so much, because every time I am hurting, and want to shift down and ease up, I see my competitors. I see them, and I shift up, and speed up; outrunning the pain. I am determined to be even stronger and faster this year, and secure the best results possible. I am attacking this New Year, and I refuse to give any ground. Let’s go, 2012.

An Accidental Quest..............The Final Chapter

noreply@blogger.com (asa) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 02:53:00 +0000

Sacramento CX Race #8 at Laguna del Sol. Last one! http://www.lagunadelsol.com/ LdS is a clothing optional resort in Wilton. Sac CX raced there last year and we are back to race and to have the end of the season awards party. As has been the pattern Asa has gone to the venue to do course set up Friday morning and I show up Friday evening after my day job. This time we have a room in the hotel right on the course, sweet! Not long after I arrive, Gene of TimeYourRace.com shows up with Thai food for the crew. We chow down, hit the hot tub then off to bed.

Icey!

We get up at o'dark 30 to finish setting up timing, reg and the P.A. It's cold (or at least California cold). I put down my sports drink and when I get back to it there is a layer of ice on top. Brrrrrrrrrrrr. I made the mistake of leaving my Paru in the back of my truck. (Asa is going to want it back. But today it's still mine. I may not give it back.)

Close up of the ice. No rain, just frozen condensation.

         We get set up and open reg. Wyatt is home so Frank gets the mic while I do my warm up. 9:30 rolls right around and it's race time! It's been a hard week at work and on the bike. My legs were not up for the plan my coach had laid out. This whole deal is an accidental quest remember. My year long plan originally had me taking a break in September; I was supposed to be in a build phase after a break in October. We changed that plan when I got into this quest. My legs had just had enough. My coach, Mistress H, nielson.heather@yahoo.com, had been having me do CX workouts and this last week I just could not do 'em. So coach that she is, she built me a rest and sustain plan to get me to this last race with as much go as possible.
            It is the usual cast of characters on the Men's C 55+ start line. We are off. I have my usual trouble with the only set of barriers and get behind. Lap 2 Richard is out front and I decide to try to just hang off his wheel and see how it goes. When we get to the finish line the lap card says 2 to go. I'm trying to figure out a plan of attack as we roll thru the first part of lap 2. But we aren't too far into the lap when I hear the "1 to go" announcement. So if we get caught this will be the last lap. I decide to make my move at a set of corners that seem to bother Richard. I'm going to jump just before the corners and see if I can hold on until the end. I do and it works but we are too fast and don't get lapped. (The rest of the C55+ers do get lapped.) Now I need to hold on for another lap. I give it all I have and it's just enough. I don't drop Richard but he can't catch me either. Yay! Another win gets me the "perfect 300" score I was after. So in a best 6 of 8 series I had 6 firsts. I'm really stoked! But my work and day are not yet done.
            I go back to my announcing chores and the podium awards. We are at a clothing optional resort and we have decided to end the series with a naked race. Helmets required, shoes and gloves optional. I've been talking up the "balls out" race all day. Both to warn those folks who have N.S.S. (naked sensitivity syndrome) and to get the racers into it. Endouro Bearings, Jagwire and Unreal Cycles have donated prizes that will go to the first man and woman across the finish line. The morning ice is long gone, the sun is out and at 3:00 there are 13 hardy souls on the line and I'm one of them. I don't have the legs or skills to win but I just had to give a go. I mean it's not everyday you can race naked. It turned out the residents of LdS knew about the naked race and they lined part of the course in the uniform of the moment and cheered, heartily for the racers. Way Cool! (They had been mostly discrete thru out the rest of the day.)
           Next up for me was the series awards ceremony at the club house. We did the series podium for all 18 classes and had a raffle where everyone took something home. Great day and great series. It wasn't until I was unwinding in the hot tub that it all started to sink in. First place in a series! I've never done that before. First season of announcing and just as crazy my first naked race. Wow first in a series. I'm still smiling. Thank you for wishing me luck.

            But this isn't the quest I started this blog to write about; there is an intentional quest I want to share with you........................................more later...............................By George

An Accidental Quest.............the penultimate part.

noreply@blogger.com (asa) — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 23:48:00 +0000

Race number 7 of the Sac CX series was last Saturday 12/3/11. Lange Twins Winery just outside of Lodi was the venue. www.langetwins.com It's a great place, at least in part because the Winery kicks down with multiple bottles of nice wine for podium prizes! Also they let us use most of their property. Asa and her crew went down to Lodi several times to scout, plan and build. Then on Friday she and some volunteers from Kinetic Cycles went to set up Saturday's course; stakes, cones. delineaters, and tape. I headed to Lodi after work Friday afternoon. I was expecting to help finish up the course set up but they were done before I got there so I met Ace at our motel. We like to stay near the venues when we can; more sleep and less stress. After Thai food, back at the motel, I put together a Sac CX mix to use at the race, and yes, I did include CCRs "Stuck In Lodi Again".

Saturday morning we're back at Lange Twins doing the final course work and setting up the timing arch, scoring and reg computers and P.A. system. As has been the plan lately I do some m.c. work then my buddy Wyatt Morin takes the mic so I can get in a warm up and then race. 'Cross races are short, mine is about 30 minutes, so the warm up is really important. If you have been following along with my quest you know that I went in to this race knowing that the series is mine to win or lose. This race I have the added pressure of knowing that Asa is a fan of the wine and I'm expected to come home with some!

The start gap that didn't hold up.

Last race the plan that worked for me was to get a gap on my competition at the start and just stay out front. Why change a winning strategy? It turns out that the boys have decided that they won't let me walk away with another race that easily. I get a small gap but they close it back up and at the first set of barriers 2 of them get by me. Scott gets a good gap of his own, I'm in 3rd behind Richard and it feels like he's going to let Scott go. "Richard we can't let him go. Punch it!" Richard kicks it up but I still have a little more go so I pass and try to get Scott. I close but lose time at the next set of barriers. It's an up hill sprint to the finish line. I'm closing on Scott as we reach the end of lap 1. Scott looks back to see how big his gap is and I'm right on his wheel. "Oh Shit' He is clearly bummed, thinking he had a gap and it's gone. Lap 2 we swap positions a couple more times, then early lap 3 I get in front and slowly open up a gap. Scott finishes 3rd, Richard 2nd and I'm 1st! Which means that with one race to go I have the series locked up and I scored the big bag of wine bottles. So Asa is happy, twice. I'm all smiles.

Here we are on the podium! With wine, metals and smiles.

Our last race of the Sac CX series will be at Laguna del Sol, in Wilton. What I'd like to do is win one more. My motivation is I can finish the best 6 of 8 series with 6 wins for a perfect 300 points, right now I have 299. Only a couple of other racers have a shot at the perfect 300 point season. I'm going to try to go for it. It remains to be seen if I can do it. I know the Grammo Paru is up it.One more time please, wish me luck. by George

An Accidental Quest............. continued

noreply@blogger.com (asa) — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 22:22:00 +0000

        I asked you to wish me luck in my last blog and it worked out, so thank you! Friday evening, after leaving my day job, I hurried home to get in an hour spin on the trainer and then pack to go to Ione's Howard Park. (Ione is a quaint little town about an hour south of my home.) Asa was already there working on setting up Saturday's race. We'd decided to camp out in the park to save a trip back and forth, to be course security, to get a little extra sleep and because it's fun.
         I caught up with Asa and part of her crew at the local pizza place. They'd just finished setting up and a pitcher of beer. I was surprised to find my strongest competition in the series at the table. I hadn't realized that he was on the Folsom Bike Team that was this week's race sponsor. So he had the pre-course knowledge that I usually have to help me in my race efforts. I also found out that he had changed up his bike choice to help get me this week. Hummmm.
           After finishing off my half of a pizza, we're off to the Howard Park. As we are setting up the tent an Ione Police car cruises thru the park. He's doing one final check before locking the gates. He wants to know what we're up to camping in the park. No, we are not starting an "Occupy Ione". Yes, we are cleared to be here. He's really very nice and let's us know that he's going to close and "dummy lock" the gate so it'll look closed but we can still get out if needed.

We're off! 6 old guys and a couple of juniors.

Just about first light the main crew arrives with the timing arch, PA, and reg and scoring equipment. We help get all that set up then racers start rolling in. I do a little mc-ing then Wyatt shows up, even before I'm looking, so I can get my warm up in. Thanks Wyatt. I have a nice warm up. I didn't mention that the weather forecast had not been too favorable but it was dry and warmer (about 54 degrees) than any one had expected.

Here's the early gap I wanted starting to form. Go go go!

          Most of the Men's C 55+ racers are on the start line when I roll up. They let me know that they've been talking about trying to beat me and/or at least hang with me for a lap or two. One wants to know what I've done to get better since last year. I say the coach I hired last January, Heather Nielson has made a huge difference in my fitness. http://www.heathernielson.com/ Thank you Mistress H! It feels both good, and a little weird, to be the guy to beat. I decided to pull the trigger early and see if I can discourage the other old guys. I want to look unbeatable. I try for a really early gap and pull it off. Hole shot! It's a 2 mile lap with very little vert; about 50 ft. I just keep pushing and pushing. I try not to look back and just work on chasing the racers 45+ that started ahead of me. All is going well. I've said before that barriers are an issue for we and that's still true; this race especially. I slipped and almost went down on a couple of dismounts and that made me too cautious. Too timid is actually more dangerous; I know this but still have trouble committing to the dismount. The rest of my race is going well and I'm feeling pretty good when out of the corner of my eye I catch a glimpse of a Folsom Bike Jersey not too far back, Eeeck. Is it my nemesis? No it's just a teammate of his warming up. But it keeps me pushing. My 30 minute race goes 40 minutes but I hold on to first. Yay!
          Change clothes and it's back to work. I need to get to the mic so Wyatt can do his warm up and race. The post race conversations all day long include discussion about how rough the course was. At first I'm thinking it wasn't really that rough. Then I'm wondering if my mad mountain bike skills smoothed it out for me. Then I come to my senses and realise that, nope, it was my Grammo CX bike. The carbon Paru not only accelerates well it really dampens the rough stuff while still letting me feel the course. After a full day of mc-ing and course take down we are out. Home. Food. And just sit. I'm not sure if my victory has locked up the series for me yet. So before bed I check the standings, it's a best 6 of 8 series so it takes a little math to see how it stands. Nope, I'm not secure yet. I need one more win to be secure. So the series is still mine to win or lose. And once again I ask you to wish me luck!

                                               by George, Asa's husband.

An Accidental Quest part2 cont.

noreply@blogger.com (asa) — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 04:11:00 +0000

           So maybe I should explain that the Sac CX Series I'm racing and blogging about is run by a quartet that includes my wife, Asa, the owner of this blog. So I not only go to these races to race but also as one of a couple of dozen volunteers. Besides racing I'm spending 8 to 10 hours working; helping to set up the courses, the sound system and timing arch, organizing the podiums, mc-ing and any general grunt work as needed.
            The rain, with which I ended my last entry, was still sprinkling when we arrived at o'dark 30.
All the set up work we did the night before was still good to go. Just a few more details to work on then we open reg. and the course. About a half hour before the start my buddy Wyatt, (you know Wyatt and his mohawk from these blogs) takes over the mc duties so I can warm up and race. My warm up goes well. This course is the most technical of the season and it's wet. The rain has stopped for the day but the ground is soaked. The climbs are short, steep and slippery but doable. There is a tricky,180 degree, sand corner that gives me trouble. The grass is short enough to be fast. I like the off camber straight. I feel good and confident and really want this one after yesterday.
            The Men's C 55+ lines up and starts with the Junior Men's B racers. This time it's just Tommy Sevey, a good kid and a great 'crosser. We declare him to be an honorary old guy and off we go. Tommy gets the hole shot then the rest of us are racing. I get to the front and stay there. We all drop Tommy. There is a little shifting of the order behind me but I hold on. A couple of times I slipped on a climb and I never got good at the sand corner but all in all I had a good race. My gap was never really big enough to be comfortable so I had to keep pushing; at the same time I never really felt too threatened.
             I'm happy with another 1st place, of course, and I gain a couple of points in the series overall. Thanks to my coach, Mistress H and Asa's Grammo Paru CX bike, with 3 races to go the series is mine to win or lose. I'm hoping to win another one in 2 weeks. Wish me luck.

By George

An Accidental Quest part2

noreply@blogger.com (asa) — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 04:14:00 +0000

This was a "Well, that's racing" day.

New guys on the start line. Good course for me. Turny with short straight bursts. Here we go. One of the new guys makes a break and I follow. The others can't keep up. It takes me just over a lap to get him. Then I pass. Slowly but steadily I pull away. I feel strong and realize some of my coaches workouts have been have cross specific. Go go go. On the bell lap, my 4th, my rear wheel locks up, full stop. My first guess is rubbing the frame; so I check the dropouts, keep trying to reset the quick release. It doesn't help. What's now 1st and 2nd go by me. OK I want to finish. I'll run. As I'm running I'm checking my brake lever. It seems like the brake is stuck. I try to wiggle the lever. I get a little movement out of the rear wheel. Hop on the bike. I manage to cover some ground Locks up again. Repeat 3 times. I finally get to the finish and the Women's racers are already staged and ready to roll. I let one wave start and then "Racer back" I push through, bike on shoulder, to the finish. I got cheers.Yeah!

The problem turned out to be that my brake hoods moved; effectively shortening the cable and locking the brake up. Just moving the hoods was the simple fix, if I'd known, the fix only takes seconds. Well that's racing. I did manage to hold onto 3rd today; which, with the mechcanical, feels pretty good.

Racing again tomorrow. The rain that held off all day is now here. Tomorrow will be wet, at least the ground will be.

by George, Asa's husband.

An Accidental Quest.

noreply@blogger.com (asa) — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 03:56:00 +0000

              I have done lots of different types of bike racing: XC, DH, Super D, DS and Road, Crits, TT and Stage. Back in early ’09 I found myself watching a CX race and thinking maybe I should give ‘cross a go. I think cyclocross maybe the oddest of all the racing I’ve thought about trying. Its special road bikes in the dirt and mud with paved, sand and grass surfaces thrown in plus built in barriers and other carry a bike sections. On top of all this it’s done in the fall and winter months so it’s wet and cold.

               So ‘cross season was about over for ’09 so next season I’ll go for it! The cycling gods had a different plan, Aug of ’09 I broke my right tibia and femur while attending Summer Gravity Camp at Whistler. So I spent the next ‘cross season watching and photographing the racing from the sidelines. Stumbling around the various venues on my crutches was not what I had in mind for my first ‘cross season.

             Fall 2010 was not much better my leg was up to riding but racing not so much. I did have a Fall 2010 season but the successes were those days I didn’t finish last or didn’t get lapped. There was no chance of keeping the winners in sight let alone riding with them.

This pic makes me look better than I am.

            Now, Fall ’11, I’m healthy and ready to race. I’m a beginning crosser and 59 years old. At the local, grass roots, Sac CX series that means I’m a Men’s C 55+. So I’m up for a 30 minute race. First race I’m not sure what to expect. My leg is mostly good to go but the barriers are a challenge and to
be honest I haven’t done the practice it takes to be decent at barriers. I take off with my start wave and just plan on watching my competition. I find myself riding in second. ;>)) I’m surprised but pleased and put in some more effort and hold on to second. So now I’m extra excited for the season.

              Next race I plan to try to hang with the first race’s winner.
He doesn’t show. I put the hammer down and hold off the other old guys for first. Yeah. After the race I’m chatting with a couple of my competitors. A team mate of the first race winner informs me that the only reason I won was because his partner wasn’t there and he was so good I just couldn’t beat him. I’m not sure what the point of this was. I don’t know if I should worry or just laugh. (I opt for an internal lol.)

           Race 3 of the series unfolds much as did the second. The added excitement is the arrival of a couple of new racers in my category. The first race winner is again a no show. I get the hole shot and manage to hold the lead; the new guys finish close behind me. So now I’m thinking I have a
shot at the series jersey. It’s a best 6 of 8 and there are 5 races left. This weekend is a double header with races on Saturday and Sunday. There is rain in the forecast and I’ll be there ready to race. My weapon of choice will be the white Paru. Wish me luck.

The Little Things Part II

noreply@blogger.com (asa) — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 07:25:00 +0000

So go read part I. No? OK. Short version, broke my leg in Whistler on August 2nd. No, I wasn't doing anything cool - I wish. Hit a fence post on a fireroad and broke my femur - Yes, the Universe does hate me in case you were wondering. The Little Things is a bit of therapy for me. I am not good at being broken, I am not patient, I am very competitive, and I need adrenaline to live. So needless to say, my mood was less than cheery and my friends were concerned that I might take to throwing things at them. Lucky for me, some of my friends have been through some terrible injuries and advised me to focus on the little things. Little things that I couldn't do the day before, little things that make me laugh, little things that I notice need improvement, and little things that motivate my recovery cuz they are just plain sad. Little Things Part I left off with me passing the crutch/stair test and going home after spending my vacation at Vancouver General.

So I got to go home. Now what? 2 weeks worth of pain pills, 6 months worth of pain and a big purple couch to lay on and watch the world go by.

The Little Things Part II -

1. I Never realized how low my toilet is. Right leg deep squats 4 - 5 times a day!

2. Muscles that take years to build, disappear in a matter of weeks. My husband bought me a little shower stool so I could sit in the shower. I dropped my brand new bar of lavender soap and tried to catch it in my lap. My knees knocked and the soap dropped to the tub with a thunk, nothing but net on the way down. I laughed, then I cringed. There is a two inch gap between my thighs when I sit now.

3. Dang, my bed is really low too.

4. Crutches and coffee don't mix.

5. Handicapped bathrooms are awesome, unless they are occupied by an able bodied person. However, giving them the stinkeye when they walk out on two good legs is priceless :-)

6. Getting cleared to ride the road bike is bliss, actually riding it the first time is awkward, painful, and less than inspiring. It is good to be on the bike, but maddening to realize how far back I have slipped.

7. I had very little ass to speak of before the wreck, now it is nearly concave. No grown woman should have this little ass. I look like a guy wearing his girlfriend's skinny jeans. And my tailbone touches the bottom when I sit in the bathtub. I have to lean one way or the other to keep from bruising it.

8. The first time I was able to stand and pedal out of the saddle was amazing. I literally couldn't do it the day before, then presto! Up I went!

9. One crutch is better than two - much easier to carry coffee.

10. No crutches is better than one, til my friend tells me I walk like a zombie. Now I am totally self conscious. Girls should not walk like zombies unless they are in fact dead. Otherwise, it is just not attractive. My better friend is brewing a beer just for me called Zombie Walk Sour. The other friend doesn't get any.

11. Finally being able to smoke Freds on the bike trail lets a bit of my killer instinct out. Luckily I ride way better than I walk. Always have, always will.

12. Building bikes makes me happy. Not as happy as riding them, but, mmmmmm... These beauties kept my hands busy and my mind off my troubles for a little while.

So there you have a few of the little things that get me through my days, they are motivators, sources of humor, and vexing realities which keep me moving forward. I know there are many things I cannot do today, but perhaps tomorrow I will be one step closer. I really want to ride my mountain bikes, I was born to ride dirt, but my leg tells me I am just not there. I hope that Little Things Part III will find me on the trails, and perhaps by Part IV I will be racing. Who knows. Stay tuned.

More Options: Morewood

noreply@blogger.com (UnrealDeal) — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 20:08:00 +0000

In our ongoing efforts to bring you the best products from around the globe, Unrealcycles is pleased to announce another outstanding cycling brand, Morewood Bikes from South Africa.

Hand made in Durban, South Africa, Morewood have been designing, manufacturing and selling some of the best gravity bikes money can buy for over a decade. In that time their mantra has not changed, "simple is better" and the results speak for themselves.

Morewood : 2012 Makulu

The Makulu is the flagship 8" travel DH frame. Available in 3 colors and with shock and build options available, it easy to build that replica World Cup bike you always wanted.

Morewood : 2012 Sukuma

With a revised line up for 2012 including an all new DW designed Split Pivot frame, its just another reason to start wishing for spring to come quickly.

For more information on availability, sizing and builds, you know who to call.

A little break . . .

noreply@blogger.com (UnrealDeal) — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 18:03:00 +0000

Its been a long season and the last race is just around the corner. I've spent a lot of days on the track and more in the pool. Lately most my rides have been on the road bike. Which is alright as long as I'm getting in some mountain biking, but I haven't been. I decided it was time for a mini break, maybe not the best timing but oh well. I needed to remind myself of why I got into racing in the first place and go back to having a little fun.

So I did, with the Toa down getting some upgrades for Maui I needed to get a bike for a few days of some trail riding. I got my hands on a Orange Blood demo from the guys at Unreal Cycles and was determined to ride it as much as possible in a weeks time.

Obviously not quite as efficient as the Toa, I'm guessing it comes in around 34lbs give or take a lb or two. But a totally different beast. I figured if I played on this for a few days until the Toa was ready then it would make climbing the Toa seem like nothing. The first day of my "Break" I was headed to the trail system that has kept me living where I do.

Its about an hour climb to the trail head then some of the most fun trails I have ever ridden in my life followed by some more climbing to the final trail which the Blood found itself right at home on. What a great day, we ended up riding for 4 and a half hours covering over 20 miles of trails and climbing just under 3500 feet.

After the ride I knew my break was going to last at least a few more days. The next day I called a few of my buddies who I hadn't rode with in a while and went back for some more fun to the same place. This time we shuttled it and did some different trails. Some of which looked like they hadn't been ridden in years, a little exploring. Finished just in time for me to get into work but ended up being a 3 hour ride of greatness.

The next day my friend called me and told me he signed me up for the shuttle to the top of Mt. Ashland. I got on the horn and called a bunch of friends and was off for another great ride. Ended up we had six guys riding in our group. Normally this is too many in my opinion. People often have different trails they want to ride and don't like waiting for the group but not today, six worked out perfect. There were times when guys would pull off the trail and hoot and holler when you rode by and it was fun to do the same. My friend brought his 13 year old son and that was great to see him tearing up some single track. It also helped that the upper trails where in primo shape from the rain we had recently gotten. It was 14ish miles of downhill with 5000 feet of elevation loss. Again another great day.

I'm not ready to give the bike back, at least one more day of great riding before I need to get back into the pool or on that track. I'm sitting here eyeing up the day trying to put together a ride. Its cloudy and looks like its about to rain, sounds the like the perfect day for a little climbing. Then later tonight a shuttle ride with the lights, today should be a good day!!!

They Call Me "Bitch"

noreply@blogger.com (asa) — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 03:36:00 +0000

Don't hate me because I am beautiful. I started out life as just another cross frame, my master chose these colors for me. Won't matter a bit when I am covered with mud. What will matter are my tubeless shoes and my hydraulic disc brakes, my internal cables and my bombproof drivetrain. I am light, I am fast, and I am pretty. My master's team mate rolled up to me and said "bitch". You might as well call me "bitch", cuz that is the first thing people will think when they look at me. Don't hate me because I am beautiful. Love me for what I am - my master's pride and joy.

Love at First Flight

noreply@blogger.com (Avery Morin) — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 04:48:00 +0000

A lot of people talk about love at first sight. Mine was love at first flight. I just let go of the brakes and put my fear aside, and landed on the other side. That was all it took. It’s hard to describe how fast I fell for downhilling… but I’ve been wanting to race since my first time at Northstar in August. I finally got my chance at the Tara Llanes Classic at Northstar on September 25th.
Wyatt, Dad and I carpooled with friends Eddie and Julie. We got to Northstar at 8:30 AM to get our numbers and do some practice runs. However, when we got to the registration, they told us we’d gone to the wrong site with the wrong information. We thought racing started at 1 PM, but instead it started at 11 AM. I was racing Cat 3 13 & Under (B13), which is the first category to start. My start was at 11:09, and we got to Mid-Mountain at 10. We figured that I had enough time to get one run in on the more technical section of the course (Sticks and Stones/Speed Control) that I’d only ridden once before. I was super nervous that my hand wouldn’t hold up, because I’d broken my left middle finger two days before. But once I hit that sweet track, I could hardly notice it. The dirt was a little loose and rutted, but my tires were hooking up surprisingly well. We got back to Mid-Mountain with 20 minutes to head up to the start.
Wyatt and I didn’t realize that we had to take one lift, ride for 10 minutes and get on another (extremely slow) lift. It took us around 30 minutes to get to the very summit of the mountain for the start. We missed our starts, so we had to wait until they could shuffle us in. It was freezing cold at the top, and I was shivering in full armor and a long sleeve jersey. I ended up standing up there with Wyatt and some friends for over an hour. When I finally got to start, my muscles were cold and stiff, and they felt locked up once I was in the gate.
Right off the start is a tiring peddling fire-road section, and by the time I hit the real downhill, my legs were jolted awake from such a sudden effort. The track didn’t get really steep until after the two tabletops at the beginning of upper Sticks and Stones. I kept trying to take the lines that I rode in practice, but I was going so much faster now that I ended up just flying down in whatever direction I came in. On my practice run I had taken the go-around on a 2 to 3 foot drop that was sketch in the powder dirt. I came around the corner into it so fast that I didn’t have time to turn out of the line, and I was launched off the drop. I landed with so much speed I could hardly keep it under control. I slammed my rear brake and slid around the turn tight. After another fire road section near the bottom of the course, I hit the steepest, most technical rock garden. I took a little risk and cut close to the turn, hitting a loose rock drop and then dropping perfectly into a rocky rut that led into a huge berm. I came in hot to the one part of the course that really scared me; A double rock drop straight into a hard turn. I didn’t have time to over think it, but I forced the thought that it would be okay into my mind, and launched down the drops. I railed the last few switchbacks and was finally in the finishing stretch. I cleared the backside of the big bridge jump and skidded under the finish arch.
About 10 minutes later, as I was sitting at a picnic table eating lunch, one of the other B13 guys came over and said “You’re Avery right? I think you won.” I almost choked on my PB & J and said “WHATTTT?”
Sure enough, I came in first out of 15 other racers (all boys) by a gap of 19 seconds. My time was 13:04. I was pretty stoked!
Julie, Eddie, Wyatt and I did some fun runs on Livewire and Gypsy, and then Julie and I got to do a run on Livewire with Cierra Smith and Lindsey Voreis, which was super fun! I can’t wait to ride with them again!
I was so proud to be on the top of the podium with all the boys. When I was called up, Tara Llanes herself gave me a high five, a giant hug and a big congrats for being the only girl in the class. I got to chat with her a little afterwards, which was really cool too.
Next year I hope to race a lot more DH. I’m already in love with downhill.
Thanks to Asa Salas for the bike, Eddie Fontes for the armor, and my sponsors and family for their never ending support.
Keep chasing (and flying)...

Mocha Friday

noreply@blogger.com (UnrealDeal) — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 17:55:00 +0000

Unreal Cycles was fortunate enough this week to win Mocha Fridays brought to you by http://www.lite102.com/. A lovely lady showed up and dropped off coffee and bagels for the whole office. Not only that, she brought Peter flowers:

There are some extras... You know who to call.

Unreal Cycles Xtreme Give Away

noreply@blogger.com (UnrealDeal) — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 18:07:00 +0000

Unreal Cycles in association with 102.7 The Drive gave away a $4,000 store credit to build a custom fit and spec'd bicycle.

The final drawing was made a couple of weeks ago at our Unreal Open House where our luck winner Dan, shown below, was over the moon.

After a week or so of deliberation and many many trips to our shop the decision was made and the prize was put towards a pair of Grammo C3 complete bikes.

Here are the final results:

With a small addition to the $4,000 credit the pair were able to spec Rival/Force built Grammo C3 bikes featuring cockpit and components from Grammo and Veleno Ultra Wheels.

These two just left to get their shake down ride in. Look for updates in the future on how they are getting along as well as reviews on their equipment.

To begin to spec your own Grammo C3 start here:

http://unrealcycles.com/ProductDesc.aspx?code=FR076&type=1&eq=&desc=C3-Sportif-Frameset&key=it

The Little Things... Part One.

noreply@blogger.com (asa) — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 03:19:00 +0000

So if you read my last Blog, you know that I am not good at being broken. If you didn't read my last blog, the short version is that I broke my femur on the second day of my Whistler vacation and I am not too happy about it. Anyway, that was 6 weeks ago and I have had a hard time seeing the bright side, I am grouchy, and it takes very little to push me to anger and frustration. Lately I have taken to throwing crutches and other blameless objects - not at anyone, yet. Needless to say, my friends have shown their concern and have done their best to cheer me up and change my attitude. More than one friend has advised me to focus on the little things, the small triumphs, the micro gains. So this blog is mostly for me. I am going to list all the Little things that have occurred since my accident in the hopes that by the end I might feel better. Some of the things are funny, some are sad, and some you may consider gross, but they are all real and I make no apologies.

Little Thing One: My first full day in the hospital in Vancouver hurt a lot less than the day before. Morphine. And that's all I have to say about that.
Little Thing Two: A transfusion is a wonderful thing when your red blood cell count is so low you can't sit up. "No doc, I didn't feel dizzy til you said I should. Thanks."
Little Thing Three: Happiness is the catheter leaving the urethra.
LittleThing Four: Dismay is knowing the bed pan is full and you are not done peeing.
Little Thing Five: Shame is feeling like an old lady when they hand you a walker.
Little Thing Six: Pride is feeling like a Big Girl when they hand you crutches the next day.
Little Thing Seven: Satisfaction is getting to the toilet on your own for the first time.
Little Thing Eight: Horror is getting to the toilet and realizing you haven't shit for 5 days.
Little Thing Nine: Relief. So, I have never been constipated before. Never. I thought I was going to push my eyeballs out of my skull, but instead, after about 20 minutes, I crowned a boxing glove with an anvil inside. Closest I ever want to get to giving birth. Is it wrong to be proud of a dookie?
Little Thing Ten: Made it up the stairs with my crutches, which turns out to be the magic ticket.
Little Thing Eleven: I got to go home.

To Be Continued...

Whistler Woes

noreply@blogger.com (asa) — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 04:19:00 +0000

I knew when I hit the ground that my season was over. One moment of inattention combined with a perfect storm of otherwise minor circumstances, culminated in a freak accident which turned my left femur into a 4 piece jigsaw puzzle. I wish I could tell you that I was bustin' a sweet whip off the 40 foot Crabapple Hit, or dropping the BIG rock on A-line, or slithering down some butt puckering wet root section through the fog on the upper mountain, but no, I was literally just riding along. Yup, a genuine JRA.

So, what happened you ask? Well, in a nutshell, I clipped a fencepost with my handlebars. It was the dumbest crash ever. I had ridden that section of trail leading to A-line twice that morning, taking the same line at the same speed on the same bike before lunch. The only difference this time was the fencepost leaning into the trail. It wasn't there before, and the bike patrol fixed it right after my crash, so it was only in the way for at most an hour or so, and I guess I was the only one who didn't see it. Perhaps it was hiding in my blind spot, perhaps I turned back to make sure my posse was behind me at just the wrong time, either way, I didn't see it until it clipped my bars. Had I been on my own bike, with narrower bars, I would have missed it completely. Had I been going slower, I would have had time to defend myself, and ride away with a bruised hip and bruised ego, had I been going faster, I probably would have broken the post and crashed with a tumble, once again riding away with a bruise and a smile. Turns out the speed I was traveling at was just fast enough to give me no time to react, and just slow enough to throw me onto my side, with my seat pressed firmly to the inside of my thigh, so that when I hit the ground, my femur was trapped between my seat and the Earth. The seat was too tight to deflect, and the ground was, well, hard and immovable. I hit the ground with my hands still on the bars, slamming my full body weight into my femur, so yeah, I basically pushed my saddle through the largest bone in my body. And that is exactly how it felt.

I thought I knew what pain was. I have been told that I am pretty tough and have a high tolerance for pain. I have had broken bones, I have had severe sprains, I even ripped my knee open to the bone with a dull pine branch, but nothing in my life compared to the agony I felt laying on my back in the dirt saying "oh no, oh no, OH NO!" over and over again. I didn't dare move, even though I knew my leg was flopped over to the side at a decidedly wrong angle. "Don't touch me" was the next thing I said as my friends and husband rushed to my side. Lucky for me the bike patrol office was like 100 feet from where I crashed and they were on me like stink on DH armor.

Nitrous Oxide is a good thing. It doesn't take the pain away, but it moves the pain farther away, and the harder I sucked on that canister, the farther away the pain went - until they had to straighten and traction my leg. I didn't know pain came in colors. The sick, purple color of wrongness in my thigh went instantly to bright shiny glaring angry chrome, like opening your eyes to the sun from a deep dark sleep, that was the color of shattered bone grinding on soft tissue when they began to move my leg. I was panting like an animal, the nitrous oxide like a bandaid on a hatchet wound. Finally, they got my leg stabilized, got me on a backboard, and silly me, I thought the worst was over. I didn't think about the ambulance ride, the bumpy, rocky steep fire road ride down the mountain. Fire road was actually an apt description. The pain was now the color of fire, I now know what hell feels like, and I am going to be a better person so I never have to go there again. Finally we got to pavement, and then to the clinic, and morphine, sweet morphine. They knocked me out briefly to do X-rays, and the next thing I know I am being loaded onto a helicopter, since femur fractures can be life threatening, they were sending me to Vancouver General ASAP for surgery. Apparently it is possible to sever the femoral artery with the type of fracture I had, and they weren't taking any chances. Luckily, I didn't sever anything, and I am grateful to everyone who cared for me and made sure I got the best and fastest treatment, especially the bike patrollers, who helped me stay calm and still when I was most afraid. From the time of the accident to my eventual release from Vancouver General, I felt like I was in good, competent hands every step of the way.

It has been a month to the day now since my wreck. I have a shiny titanium rod that runs the length of my entire femur held in by two big screws, and a set of crutches that I don't ever want to see again. I was cleared to ride my trainer 2 weeks ago, and I have been faithfully spinning away ever since. I have been lifting weights every other day to offset the muscle loss in my legs so I can still enjoy food without feeling like I am turning into a fat blob. Recovery is coming along, but nothing is fun and even the simplest tasks take twice as long. I can't do my job and that is frustrating to no end, and every day I must deal with the sinking feeling that I may never get back the fitness that I have lost, my leg may never be the same again. Everyone says it will, but they don't really know for sure. The prognosis is good, and I eat better than most, I heal fast and I was in top shape when the accident occurred. These are all facts in my favor. Still, I have never been injured like this before, and I know that even if everything goes right, it will be years before I am 100%. It is difficult to keep these thoughts out of my head since the one thing that always cleared my mind has been taken away. I need to get back on my bike. The trainer is not the same. So far, I feel like I am getting better every day, but I also feel like I am so far in the whole I can't see out of it yet.

Sorry this is not a happy blog, but I am not in a happy place. I go to see the doctor in two weeks to find out if I am healing right. If he likes what he sees, I may be allowed to get off the crutches and on to my road bike. If that is the case, it may be what I need to get my head on straight. Til then, I guess I will continue to heckle my friends on Facebook, watch reruns of Storage Wars, and worry about how I am going to do my job this Fall. Take care, and I will update in two weeks, hopefully with good news.

Unreal Deals

noreply@blogger.com (UnrealDeal) — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 00:35:00 +0000

For the absolute best in Unreal Deals this Labor day weekend you need to be on the mailing list.

If you haven't already, sign up for our news letter by clicking the link here:

http://visitor.constantcontact.com/d.jsp?m=1101917450907&p=oi

Look out for the newsletter some time on Friday introducing all new Unreal Deals and the best value on the web.

Flying High(LUNA Chix DH Clinic)

noreply@blogger.com (Avery Morin) — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 05:40:00 +0000

Everyone who knows me knows that I am MOSTLY a cross country racer. Sure, I race cyclocross, crits, and road but my focus has always been on cross country. My intial requests to try downhill were shot down by my mom, repeatedly. I finally wore her down. This resulted in a trip to Northstar to ride with a trusted and experienced DH friend (that's you Eddie). I had a blast on my first trip to Northstar, but I did spend a lot of time frustrated, ok, so I was downright annoyed, that I couldn't complete table top jumps. It was a day of casing jumps and I wasn't in a pleasant mood. Thankfully, a few weeks later, my mom signed me up for a downhill clinic at Northstar with Marla Streb and the Tahoe LUNA Chix. I convinced my XC racer friend, Julie Barton, to join me in the padded-up fun.

The first few hours of the clinic were spent doing drills at mid-mountain. Things like braking technique and cornering. It was a good review, and great to learn some new techniques. My friend Julie and I dug into the lunch of burgers and fries, and asked one of the instructors if we could sneak in a run down Livewire before lunch finished. A group of four of us headed up the lift to the top of Livewire. I was finally able to clear some of the tabletops that stumped me on my first visit there (YAY ME) and we blazed a quick run. We rejoined the group after lunch for more runs down Livewire.
A lot of the riders in the clinic had cross-country bikes, and were getting bucked into the air on the tabletops, so Marla sessioned a couple tabletops showing us how to suck up the jumps. I listened closely, but I wanted to jump.
After hitting Livewire two more times, we headed up the other lift to ride some rockier trails. Marla taught us basic wheelie skills (throwing the front wheel out for drops) and then we headed down Sinuous, and then Karpiel. I rode Karpiel behind Courtney, one of the instructors, and in front of Julie and Marla. We cleaned the section, which was super fun. Once we regrouped, Courtney, Julie and I hit some singles on the next section of Karpiel. I almost stacked it face-first on one that had a weird landing that was half concrete slabs and half dirt.
The others got to laugh at my silly shouts of happiness after clearing the big tabletop on Manure Pile that I’d wanted to clear. I love riding Manure Pile, and Marla let me demonstrate some doubles for the group. It was that time I realized I was being an eager little grom, always the first to try a feature and always the first ready to keep going. I think the instructors were a little amused. By the time we got to mid-mountain, some of us wanted to keep going and make the best of the 30 minutes we had left. So a group of six hit Livewire again (the quickest run we could think of) and I went crazy on the jumps. The only down side was Livewire was super torn up and dry. We were running out of time, so we raced down Lift-line just in time for the clinic raffle. I had the chance to chat with Courtney and Marla a little, which was super cool.
I got a lot out of the clinic, and my jumping skills especially improved.
Thanks to Eddie Fontes for the pads, Kirstie Douglass for the bike, Marla Streb, and all the LUNA Chix instructors for all the awesome coaching!
Keep chasing….

Its about family..........

noreply@blogger.com (Peter) — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 18:57:00 +0000

Here at Unrealcycles its all about family.

We are a close knit company that really tries to make everyone feel like they are part of our own small cycling community.

To that end we have created a new "Family" discount level available to all our current and future members.

With the new website comes many new features and capabilities.

Going forward we will be offering many new ways to save when you buy from Unrealcycles, but the main way will be to set up an account and become part of the family.

From now on there will be two price levels shown on the site.

MSRP: The retail price for any given product

Standard discount: If a product has a discount available it will be shown as a reduced figure from MSRP and the saving will be indicated.

For our Family members, there could be another level of discount, but this will only be visible once you log into the site.

As an indication, on the new site, any item shown in the "Unreal deals" column on the right hand side of the site, will have an extra discount available if you log in.

Going forward we intend to make special use of coupon codes specifically aimed at our family members, and weekly specials with offers only available through the mailing list.

So do you feel the love? if not sign up and join the family !

You know who to call.

New Game

noreply@blogger.com (Wyatt Morin) — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 07:19:00 +0000

Just as Asa's baby bird Zipp has learned the art of flying(mostly), I too will follow the winds into the clouds... Ok, a bit poetic for me, but hey, when forced to read Shakspeare (AP courses)... Haha. Hey all, so I have recently decided that I am going to learn to dirt jump. I have a bunch of friends who are experienced in dirt jumping, and I have a home built dirt jumper/street/trials bike.

Ah, that bike. I love that bike. That little red XC race frame has been with us for so long. First it was my MTB race bike, when I was really young. Then it was handed down to my little sister, and it was her MTB racer for a few years. Then I eventually got it back to build up as a trials bike, right after I had started trials riding. (Thanks again, Ryan Leech, for a fun hobby and some cool tricks!)

Now it has more of a street build on it. I have built it entirely out of old race bike parts lying around the garage. It's a pretty solid, light build. I am going to take it up to some local dirt jumps, and try my luck.

I'll start small, but I'm pretty confident I'll be hitting some mid level stuff soon enough. I really just want to branch out, and try everything. I love riding in general, and I've found the best way to not get burnt out on a sport is to keep trying new things and branching out. There are infinite reasons to try new disciplines of riding. It boosts your riding skills so much, the ability to switch bikes is always important, skills transfer well, and you could find something that you have a natural gift for.

This is why just going out and trying new things for the hell of it is so awesome. If it works out, I've found a new hobby/sport/passion, and if not I've still gained some useful skills and knowledge and only used a minimal amount of time and money. It's pretty easy to build up a play/street/jump bike. If you have an old frame, you could get the rest of the components from Unreal. If you have a bunch of components, you could get the wicked Unreal Junior Dirt Jump frame. Anyway, hopefully I'll be flying high and getting some cool show air pics soon. I'll keep you posted!

Motivation

noreply@blogger.com (Avery Morin) — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 23:14:00 +0000

Sometimes, it’s the simple things that can motivate you to do something that terrifies you. In my case, it’s chocolate that motives me to do pretty much anything.
I’ve never done a Super D race so my mom recruited a friend to “coach” me down the course on what would be my one and only pre-ride before the race. So, the night before the race I pre-rode the Super D course with Pro racer, friend, and Mad Cat teammate, Clint Claassen. Clint was awesome and coached me through some of the tight turns and fast flowy, burms. He was wonderful to ride with but not entirely prepared for the way I shut down when we arrived at the very end of the Super D course.
At the bottom of the Super D course at US Nationals, there is a rock ‘waterfall’ that is about 15 yards long and full of pointy, jagged rocks. When I got there on my pre-ride, I took one look at it and hit the brakes. Nope. Clint says, “Do you want to follow me down, Avery?” My quick response being, “NO, no I don’t!” Numerous people offered to lead me down and coach me through it…no thank you. I’m pretty sure I stood there, staring down the drop-off for over 20 minutes.
Alex Wild (a Pro U23 rider) rode up the steep hill and pulled up along side me and said “Psyche out party? May I join?” I grunted at him (Aren’t I charming?) and continued to psyche myself out.
I’m not sure if it was the fact that I was being bothered while in psyche-out mode (I say this in the nicest way, Alex) or that I hated this stupid rock drop, because I was afraid of it. I sat straddling my bike staring down the rocks and watching others either ride down it or take the long go around option to avoid it. There was no way I was doing the go around option, but I wasn’t going down the rocks either.
“Averyyy. Smile, unhappy child.” I’m almost positive I glared.
“Smile. Think of your brother’s face.” I smiled. A little.
“See? You aren’t gonna win this game. I can make you smile.” Man, if looks could kill, he would be very dead.
“What’s your favorite candy?” I’m sure a snarl and growl would fit my facial expression pretty well.
“Skittles? M&M’s?” Grrrr….
“Come on.” Fine.
I asked if I could follow him down it, and after riding at it and stopping at the top ledge a few times, I took a deep breath as I came around the turn. My heart did an intense acrobatic routine as I let go of my brakes and rode it. It was smoother than it looked, and as certain I’d been that this waterfall was a death trap, it really wasn’t so bad.
I followed Alex down it one more time and then once on my own. And what do I have to say to that? YES I CAN. Alex asked me at the bottom, “What kind of candy? You get three, one for each time down.” I laughed and said. “Hershey’s. Three please.”
The Super D was the next morning and I was scheduled to go LAST. Last because I was the youngest and lowest category , the 18 & under Women's division. The full Super D course was fun, a short fire road climb and then a long, switchback descent to the bottom. I had a slide-out crash (I was fine) on a turn, but I cleaned the rock ‘waterfall’ (whoop whoop) and placed 7th in the Open 18 and under Women (Cat 1, 2, 3). I was super happy, because I was the first Cat 2/3 after all the Cat 1 girls. I was recognized as the All Mountain winner for the Women’s Cat 3 division!
So thanks Alex, for joining my psyche-out party, sticking it out with me, and for the chocolate.

And thanks to Brian Butler for the tips, my parents for the support, and Clint, again, for the goggles(styles for miles!)

Keep chasing…

You Can't Always Get What You Want

noreply@blogger.com (asa) — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 01:28:00 +0000

But if you try sometimes...

So another Downieville has come and gone. The usual suspects, the usual result. Had a great DH run, and sucked on the XC climb. No surprise. I have a full size chassis with a 4 banger engine. 18 years with chain smoking parents just does not do a body good. I ended up 5th in the XC, 2nd in the DH which put me 3rd in Expert Women All Mountain. Not really a bad result, but if I could only climb better...

Funny how we always seem to want what we don't have. I don't have the climber gene, and I am envious of those who do. I have had little climber girls tell me they wish they could descend like I do. Meh, DH is easy I tell them, you just have to switch off your brains and let go of the brakes. Cake. If only climbing were so simple. I guess it is if you have A) an awesome power to weight ratio (not) B) a Godly VO 2 Max (ha!) and C) well, a light bike, but if you don't have A and B, you might as well ride a huffy - you will climb just as slow, and have way more beer money at the end of the day.

Personally, I feel like I am an incomplete cyclist. My inability to climb well just seems to overshadow all of the positive attributes of my riding, which is frustrating since intellectually I know I am a pretty good cyclist. It is just the one glaring flaw that is blinding at times; making it difficult for me to enjoy the highlights, and hard to accept praise for my accomplishments, though I try to be gracious on the outside, on the inside I am kicking myself. I should be proud of my podium in Downieville, but I am not. And that is lame, so I am going to do something about it. Starting this weekend.

My coach is putting on a climbing clinic and I am signed up. I am putting aside all other training goals as of now to focus on becoming a better climber. I want to be the one that appears to levitate over the mountain, the one calling "on your left" as I pass seemingly effortless through the rough, the one "dancing on the pedals" as Phil Liggett would say. I want to climb like I descend. Only then will I be the complete cyclist I desire to be... need to be. The time has come to try and get what I need. Look out mountains, here I come.