On the weekend I travelled down to Thredbo, NSW to watch my partner race at the Red Ass 4X and Dual Slalom State Series. After watching a u-tube video of a dual slalom race in the States, I borrowed some pads and a full face helmet and decided to join in the race. I chickened out at the 4X, but by the time the dual slalom came around I had found enough psyche and lost enough insecurities to enter. I had such a blast. Anyways, here is a little rhyme about my experience…
Donning a suit of borrowed armour
I try to breathe, but don’t get any calmer
Remember folks, I’m not exactly Shaun Palmer
He’s as fast a cheater – I’m more like a llama.
But who said Dual Slalom was just about winning
Collecting trophies until your pool room is blinging
Lapping up applause until it leaves your ears ringing
Nah, fuck that, there’s another tune I’d rather be singing:
“Girls just want to have fun
Oh, girls just want to have fun”
I am doing well for the first two heats,
Even though I’m not racing the other elites.
“What’s that? I’m first over the line? Sweeet”
Pity it’s not something I’m able to repeat.
Still, it’s cause for me to rise to my feet,
And sing,
“Girls just want to have fun
Oh, girls just want to have fun”
Next up on the gate is a young wipper-snapper
The fact that he’s 13 years old doesn’t matter
He races out of that gate like some sort of mad-hatter
I slip off the pedals, which doesn’t make matters better
Loosing to a young punk is hardly a source of pleasure,
But when the chips get you down, you’ve just got to remember
“Girls just want to have fun
Oh, girls just want to have fun”
Sharing the gate with Vanessa, I’ll admit I was scared
There’s no point sizing us up – I don’t even compare
There is one hell of a rider under that mane of blond hair
Any victory she scores, is hers fair and square.
I was kind of close behind her for the first bit of the track,
But for the rest of the way I just admired her back,
You’ve got to get good at defence, when you fail at attack.
Although, I did lay down some corners, and avert some stacks
And I don’t come off too bad when you play the race back.
It’s just a bit of speed and coordination I lack.
But to anyone who says dual slalom has no room for the hacks,
We invite you to theflashgib Goldsprint competition, part of the group exhibition” J’ai mis un tigre dans mon vélo” which is based on the fascination around fixed gear bikes and the associated urban lifestyle. We aim to bring this lifestyle directly into theflashgib, to run a competition in an artsy environment and to provide a showcase for the riders as well as the art itself.
Be part of this and register for free here, or just come to theflashgib on Saturday.
February 13th, 2010 · Chris - Toronto · No Comments
Last year was my first winter back in Toronto. I hadn’t cycled through snow and ice much before, and heading into February I was about over it. And so just at the time when we’re getting good and sick of winter, and long for spring to start, cyclists in Toronto need something to put the fun back in it…. enter the Icycle, the annual ice race. When I first heard about it last year I thought they were crazy… ride my bike on ice? on purpose? I usually try to avoid that! But lots of cyclists in Toronto spend their time in January studding their tires with upwards of 750 screws per tire! The race was originally held off the Toronto Islands on a frozen Lake Ontario, but now that the Lake doesn’t always freeze, it’s held on Dufferin Grove ice rink, and is this weekend! If you’re in Toronto come see the thrills, spills, and all round mayhem! I’ll post pictures from this year after the race!
Saturday Feb 13th
Reg 6:30, Race 7-10
after party at Bike Pirates -1292 Bloor St West
first is my fuji track pro aka my commuting/good times riding/bombing in traffic/lackadaisically learning tricks on bike.
second, newest addition, a zeus orbea aka the most formidable machine EVER.
(this is before it was 100% finished - it's now complete with yellow tires and bottle cages)
my olivia orbea was generously built up for me by my amazing dad - a man 20 yrs into the new england cycling world - with the help of open bicycles (http://openbicycle.com/) in somerville, mass. the sheer beauty of my new souped up machine is what motivated me, and cemented my decision, to begin road racing this spring.
dilemma? i live in nyc, and it’s febuary; we’re dead in the middle of winter’s slippery tracks. add that to my irrational, inexplicable, yet all-consuming fear of riding clipless, as well as physical inabilities to rise at 5:45am for scheduled group club rides, and it’s safe to say i’m in poor preparation for the spring season.
so! i wanted to pose a question to you fellow nyc-ers and riders alike: what are some good training routes you frequent? i live a couple avenues away from both central park and the west side bike path, so i’m already all over those. any advice on some out of manhattan spots i can go ride to my little heart’s content? also, what do you guys do to get out of a winter-time-too-cold-to-ride funk? honestly, what works for me is coming to CC and seeing what everyone else is up to and deriving motivation/inspiration from the consistently awesome content. awwww!
The Tour of Britain and The Prostate Cancer Charity Reveal Three New Tour Rides For 2010
Following a successful entry into the world of sportives last year, The Prostate Cancer Charity, in partnership with The Tour of Britain, is pleased to announce they will stage a further three events in 2010.
Cyclists will have the unique opportunity to measure themselves against the pro riders, taking on one or more stages of The 2010 Tour of Britain, going the full distance of 150km, or taking on a challenging 70km.
The Prostate Cancer Charity’s Tour Rides, which will all take place in September, will offer amateur cyclists the chance to ride three full stages of Britain’s national cycle tour in 2010:
• In a brand new event for 2010, cyclists will be able to tackle a tough route which traverses the scenic South West, travelling 150km from Minehead to the South Devon coast or covering part of the route over a distance of 70km, on Sunday 5 September.
• Stoke-on-Trent, which saw 1,300 riders participate in the inaugural Tour Ride last year including British Road Race Champion Kristian House, will again play host to cyclists, offering a grueling 145km route which starts and finishes in Stoke-on-Trent in the City’s centenary year, as well as a 70km challenge event, on Sunday 26 September.
• There will also be an event on the London stage of the event, which will take cyclists on a route past some of the most iconic landmarks in the capital, on Saturday 18 September, prior to the final stage of The Tour of Britain.
In both the South West and Stoke-on-Trent, there will also be 20km family rides, as well as other cycling-related activities at the event sites, so that people of all ages and cycling abilities can take part.
To take part in The Prostate Cancer Charity’s Tour Rides, visit www.tourride.co.uk.
The Sydney Sunday Session crew are holding Sprint Races on Sunday 10th Jan.
Details:
Meeting at Martin Place from 5pm - roll out about 5.30-6.00.
Races will be held on a strip along Hickson Rd.
Gold coin donation for the prize and there will be guys and girls races.
The track is about 200m.
Ladies you should come on down, it’s always good fun and even if you don’t want to participate, it’s a good chance to meet some other female cyclists and the crew are all super friendly. You don’t need to be riding fixed, any style of bike is welcome so whatever your flavour come and say hi!
Aimed at capturing the lifestyle of female riders in the testosterone-ridden world of mountain biking, the makers of a new film, Awesome Land: Women of Dirt, hope to shed light on what drives these women athletes.
“The inspiration for Women Of Dirt starts first with the women who make up an important part of our sport and yet get overlooked,” said film producer Mark Brent. “We felt that our lifestyle gets overlooked, and that the women in our sport get overlooked. By focusing on two elements that we don’t see in DVDs, we are telling a story that hasn’t been told.”
December 2nd, 2009 · Nimzi - Honolulu · No Comments
Punani Pedal Club hosted its first Alley Cat for our friend Christopher who is moving to Portland!
The manifest included his favourite spots in Honolulu, including a couple bars, the university’s “free store” and the infamous abandoned Queen Theater! All stops had to be completed within 40 minutes….
Stop 1! Queen Theater where a photo must be taken!
Stop 2! Convenience store by Young Scale Co. where a mini whiskey must be consumed!
Stop 3! The University Free Store where something must be left behind!
these ladies found a castle!
Stop 4! Anna Bananas where a beer must be quickly consumed!
Stop 5! Fresh cafe where a cookie must be eaten! We found Open Mic there!
Stop 6! Smiths Union Bar where Karaoke must be sung! Only 1 team made it there as the rest of us got distracted by the open mic.. winners!
In my hometown Dresden the Glühweinrennen (Mulled Wine Race) organized by the erste mai brigade has a long tradition.
Unfortunately it`s been a while since I was actually there, but it´s basically about 8 to 10 rounds through the forest. After each lap there´s a glass of hot mulled wine waiting for you. The rounds aren´t too long, so as you can imagine it gets funny pretty quickly.
It´s happening this year on December 6th, starting from Alaunpark. All you need is your bike, a helmet, a mug for the wine and 4Euros entry fee.
Your can RSVP here.
btw…looking at the pics from last year , I think there should definitely be more girls participating.
2008 World Champion Downhill rider Gee Atherton gets his gear off for British Cosmopolitan magazine to help raise awareness for prostate and testicular cancer with all proceeds going to Everyman Charity.
I love old footage, this is the first part of a 1973 documentary about the Giro d’Italia, (Tour of Italy). It has some fab footage of Merckx and other cycling heros, the commentary is superb.
Keep an eye out for the guy in giant white flares and fro at 8.50, bottom left of screen.
Le Pista Resistance and the Sydney Bicycle Film Festival crew are proud to present you with the Harbour City Crown.
A concept that has been in the works for a few months now, that has been pushed through the organising stages in order to run in conjunction with the BFF.
The idea – 3 rounds, accumulate as many points as you can, finish the weekend with the most points – WIN!
Prizes, honour, glory, bragging rights and street cred are on the line.
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