2016 2017 New kit new Frame

2016/17 Was the year of change and ramp up. Ely is now old enough to travel and support me in my endeavors so we ventured out to 24hrs in the Old Pueblo then to Wente 8 hr before crushing the Golden Gate 200. I managed to ride 100 miles on 40 Fridays and filled in Weds and Tuesdays whenever possible.
I managed to reconnect with some sponsors of old and Mark from Rock N Roll Lube stepped up to kit me and absorb some entry fees. 2018 Will start in the Old Pueblo and will see me crossing over to the UK to compete in some heavy races and enjoy the camaraderie of some old/new friends.  I foresee 4 24 hr races as I attempt to earn a top spot for the 24hr National Series that is seemingly gaining some momentum......ten years after the 24 hr racing peak.

Time does indeed fly- I'm hangin on for the ride.

It's been too long since I've updated this thang so why not on the 50th bday. 2017 has been a roller coaster as have the last 49 yrs. Flailed at OP (top 10) with a lackluster effort in the rain and a broken rear cog  (came in too tired with too much baggage), I took on the Sf ride ovaa and back and had the best legs in the bunch ...that is until Tobin took some gel with tooooo much caffeine in it and pegged it from the flats just after the Pescadero climbs. I killed it on every climb all day and got spit out when the flatlanders put their gels into it- argh rode 23 mph home after 11 hrs  and could not catch em. hmm?
Tons of great rides but not a lot of racing just cannot put the $$ into traveling for races anymore. I managed well over 8000 miles on the bike this year and starting my lead up to what I believe is my 10th solo Old Pueblo....but honestly I lost count after a 2 yr hiatus. The 2018 version will be my 45th solo single 24 - I think. No one cares so I stopped counting years ago and then Ely was born and I thought he might like to know how I became such a train wreck.

Healing up from what they think were kidney stones but no definitive answers,the process took me into a word I knew little about beforehand. I mean I've waited to see Doctors in ER , exam rooms etc. but having to wait for results of what appear to be important tests is something you cannot explain until you have been there. Most of the folk that were aware of my situation would try to ease my stress by co mizerating with me over past scenarios of similarity. It helps a bit to hear these stories because these people  survived, they were here to share their personal scare/scar with me- this is good. The waiting has your thoughts swirling with a wide range of subject matter from death to ???? How will Ely get on without me? How will Tina ? I spent the 2 weeks on the verge of tears trying to soak up the kiddee time with Ely, Sedona and Noah in Florida. Thank Jah for Tina she has been amazingly positive and supportive.

...whatta bike

my new ride at
 the bd fire station refueling 2015 . Not quite OP ready but will be soon

2011 Boggs 8hr ..... After getting sick in Feb I was unable to make the trip to the Old Pueblo for my traditional start to the season. I stayed close to home and rode tons....when the event came I was a bit over cooked and went out really slow on the weather induced short course. I managed to get into a rhythm after getting lapped by both Danno from Sc and Yuri, who was on fire and riding with the anger of his wife being diagnosed with breast cancer. As many of you have realized, riding for a cause stokes the fire and inspires -all the while holding back emotions. I got schooled by those two as my bike started falling apart lap by lap. I ended up hollowing out some fsa carbon cranks...the pedal connection to the crank became wobbly once the aluminum sleeve bonded to the carbon arm came un bonded...given my experience dealing with bonding carbon to aluminum I should have known....nonetheless ...it done broke. Not to take anything away from Danno and Yuri they were much better prepared... Danno on his new Highball and jacked with honey and Yuri fresh off a new sponsorship deal with Specialized....both people I feel partially responsible for converting to 29er. Turns out Danno's confidence was low and he had entered into the open class which left Yuri and I for the "Pro class"..but Yuri had been also registered in the open class ....apparently registered by a co worker who mimic'd his previous years reg....which had no open class...yea he beat me that year as well. 2nd place...Whatever...it is actually a theme in my self mockery...the Claudio Chiapucci of ultraendurance racing. So anyhow despite them posting my result as a win they renegged it because Yuri picked up on the mistake....and had it switched...what gets me is that he would have won the open class as well so the only accomplishment  of him changing classes after the finish was to screw me out of a victory...kinda weird to me......  it really did not matter we both received a 26inch tire for our efforts and frankly after my efforts I was lucky to be near the podium. I was sluggish from the get go and finally warmed up like 3hrs in and started pulling back time on Danno and may have caught him during a longer race...who knows but he seemed shot after the 8. The pedal started loosening in the crank after 4hrs and had this whistling sound that had me dismounting on a climb or two to check it out ....it was pretty muddy and I thought it was a bent rotor or a loose bb ...but hyped up on the course I could not figure it out so I turned up the DeerTick a bit and tried to forget about it but as things wound up for me I realized I needed a bike switch...I was typically without pit support and this race was no different...in fact the bike swap would require a show swap to be compatible with the current pedal set up on the steel ride. So I went over it in my head to get it worked before I got to the pits but I changed the plan at the pit ,muy stupido,   a moment of indecisiveness...a neighbor jumped in to help but there was not much he could do other then hold the bike while I quickly thought I could fix the ti rig pedal thang....that moment of indecisiveness actually cost me another lap and as I rolled the hill to the start line the course had been closed ...it was good times hashing it out with Danno, Malia,Nick and Haley....we all left with rubber from the podium ...I hit the first in and out burger I could find on my rumblestrip drive home....rushing back to Tina and Ely is certainly one of my favorite things to do ...in this case I had called her to tell her about the victory but not yet called to tell her they renegged and gave it up to Yuri.  All week I remained pretty depressed from the situation and felt the drive to email Carlos the promoter to find out how and why it all went down the way it did...he was very gracious and apologized for the screw up and not at least taking the time to tell me in person...Dude been winning and loosing races for 20yrs...you should have a bit of respect...enough to at least TELL me before you go changing the results you posted so I'm not AS shocked when you read off the podium....whatever thanks for the 26inch tire.....thankin the Spokesman for the trade out.YEAH Potter 'preciate it.

Fractured

So the wranglings between IF and the Old Regime has left me with a garage full of Tyler Evans welded beauties and an indecisive start to 2011. Gary Smith has now taken the rains of his financial lifeboat and steered toward a more affordable New Hampshire. That being said the blood, soul and majority of friends have fractured into mostly unrecognizable pieces. Tyler and a few comrades have gallantly surged forward to form Firefly Bicycles without having to leave Boston. I'm left in the lurch until Firefly can design and produce a frame and ship it this way......May perhaps but I'm realistic and having spent the greater half of my life glued to the Bike Industry I know that means September for the Vegas show.......so I have planted some seeds with hope of continuing to race and travel. The interest is flattering but nothing happens quickly enough for me. I've been left riding some of the finest bikes made but with no support or acknowledgment. I have been paying particular attention to the ride quality of the T.Evans welded IF's and it is a comfort palace for me. I find myself wondering what these different Companies might offer that would ride as nicely....I'm pretty particular to fit and handling characteristics most specifically with my 29ers...I have been on one since 1999 when I ride Eric's pink If through the campsites at Dalton, Ma 24hrs of adrenalin...it took 2 minutes for me to realize these were my future. I was recovering from my 4th knee surgery on my left knee and had painstakingly duct taped my ass to the seat of my road bike just 3 months prior. My PT had released me from treatment with 20 degrees of flex-ion and I needed 120 to ride....after jogging in a pool and ripping some scar tissue I noticed I had some potential to get it back....I literally needed the tape job to break through the scar tissue and once I did that I would need more surgery to try to have it removed. I rode with an uncomfortable hitch for a bit but can now pedal well into the next day quite comfortably.....this leaves me happy ....my long debate has led me to ride for an old buddy Wright cycle Co. out of Flagstaff Az. Bryce has always been my biggest supporter and now that he is producing his own frames ..it seems a natural fit. I'll ride ti goodies from Tyler but a frame made by Bryce so 2012 should be the beginning of the unknown in many ways....I hope to start with my usual 24hrs in the Old Pueblo just outside of Tucson Az.

Coolest 8hr June 2010

So after telling my wife emphatically that once Ely was born I 'd be home for a couple of years chillin and raising him instead of heading off to race any chance I got......I kinda held up my end HE turns 2 in Aug but I need a road trip/race and Northey puts on a great one. I drove up and set up alone before realizing I was camped and pitted just under Yuri's VW bumper. We eased into the morning together and I really had wished I could have been doing the 24 b/c was top end was lacking and with Yuri there it would be a fun battle. There was mud again but my main problem seemed to be starting over dressed and perhaps going out a tad hard but we always do to separate ourselves and then do battle but today I could not breathe and I felt crampy by the end of the first 10 mile loop sitting closely in 3rd ...I pitted to loose the longsleeve and get on with it....I ingested some pills and cookies and rolled out with nobody having passed. I found my flow and began to really enjoy being on my bike on such a sweet day ...it was sunny and 75 after rain the days previously...the mud kept things crazy but manageable it was my cramps that did me in.... I had not kept up with my bottle regime and soon paid ...ridin a 33x 19 a step harder than Yuri's gear and today it showed early as he spun away once I recaptured him on the singletrack but the two of them were spinning while I was clearly laboring ...just did not ever feel warmed up and went out as if I had been spinning on a windtrainer all morn. I did not even bother to look at the results just ordered my Za and headed home 4hrs down the road deeply in the paincave and mentally shattered from my no show on race day. I clearly had no spark or inspiration ....but loads of guilt for time from the fam without the endorphin rush to subside it.

Boggs V Santa Cruz, Ca to CoBB Ca.

Boggs V was held in April with the hope of great weather but that hope was quickly shattered . People, it was snowing back in them woods .....I had'nt quite had the time to set up a camp because my morning museli drive that began at 3am was grossly underestimated. Managed 3rd without being able to pit or pee....tight comp kept me honest. My new Infinit Drink mix " Sully's Wizbang" work well with my stomach and the 270 calories helped hold off the inevitable bonk....there was just no where on the course to eat...Damn that singletrack...so those bottles were precious...nothing could keep me going much faster and after 9 or 10 laps it all ended a muddy mess with some hoppy ale to top it.