Its that time of year again...

Time for the RAGBRAI!!



I'm heading to Des Moines, Iowa tonight with the OMB. Tomorrow we start riding west towards Breda, the big bagger meet up town.
Looking to be a grand week. Lots of friends to see, beers to drink, miles to ride and fun to be had.





2011 will make 10 trips to the RAGBRAI in a row and will earn me one more mark.



Gonna be sweet.
Full report and fuzzy photos some time after I return.
And possibly even a few of these:




Ride bikes. Drink beer. Talk back to the Police.

Gentlemen. Lets race.

Once again I have found 5 like minded individuals willing to ride all day with me to take part in the 2011 MWI Gentlemen's Race.
Just like last year the event will be held on March 19th the first day of Spring.
Hopefully unlike last year we don't get a huge amount of snow overnight cancelling the event.

Info straight from the man himself Crusty:

Why recreate the wheel when it has been perfected? Well that is not the intention here, what we want to do is replicate what has been done by others.

Here is a quote straight from Rapha's first Director " I sold it to the racers as an unsupported, unsanctioned, unmarshalled, six-rider team time trial meets alley-cat, meets ‘Cannonball Run’. Inspired in large part by the Rapha Continental style of riding long days, gravel roads, hard miles and finding your own way," Slate Olsen.

The course will be in and around rural Jackson/Johnson County on March 19th, 2011. The first day of Spring.

For those of you who live in this area know that these roads are rough, narrow, and hilly. On top of that this year the gravel sections will make up more than 50% +/- of the race . The plan is having two checkpoints, a pass near one convenient store, and a party afterwards to celebrate our accomplishments of the day. The mileage will be in the 75-90 mile mark.

Rules:
Start with 6 members. Finish with 6 members to be officially scored/bragged about or harassed.
Elect one(1) person to contact for the event and pass on news to the team members.
Staggered starts will be required depending on the USCF category of team members.
Six(6) member rosters will be requested 4 weeks before the race. Must have rosters before team races, with 2 substitutes. Reminders will be sent out. NO Roster, NO Race.
Self supported, drop bags will be allowed with the checkpoint crew.
Remember you/team are volunteering to participate in this event.
Recommend not using your race wheels, we are not responsible for your choice's of equipment.
Have someone take a phone in case of emergency. Checkpoint crew #'s will be given day of event.
If you have a couple of volunteers please nominate them for help, just in case we might need more.

Rosters are due Sunday. I have sent ours in.
Looks like a good squad of locals and out of towners riding with me this year.

Our line up:
One Eyed z
Mr. Joshua
OMB
CVO
Raj
Mr. Clark

Should be good times.
We don't have illusions of winning.
We just want to have a good day on the bike, riding hard & having fun.
Hell if we can find a bar along the route we may not even finish the race.
After all we are flying the Evil flag.
Besides the other invited teams are filled with "real" racers.

The other invited teams:
360 Racing
Bicycle Shack Racing
Bike Iowa
Cow Town Cycling
Cycle City Racing
Epic Cycling Team
GP Velotek
KCOI Boulevard
LocalCycling.com
My Wife Inc
Slimenundgrossen
Team Colavita/Parisi Coffee
The Wheel Cyclery
In A Tub Cycling Team
LocalCycling.com
St. John's Shack
Team KCCX/Verge

We'll see in the coming weeks who has teams signed up.
Should be an interesting day.

For a little taste of what the Gentlemen's Race is all about heres a video of Rapha's West Coast Gentlemen's Race from 2010

2010 NW Gentlemen's Race from RAPHA on Vimeo.

Evil Collaboration Jersey... WTF?

Thats right.
For 2011 Evil Cycling decided it was time to spread the hate and create chapters of the Evil Racing Syndicate around the world.
In celebration of this this (and to make next months rent) Evil has teamed up with their favorite friends (i.e. the ones most likely to give us a ball tap) to release collaboration jersey:

Evil Cycling
Cars R Coffins
All Hail the Black Market
One on One

Full PRE-ORDER Info can be found HERE





If you want one don't delay. Orders must be placed and moneys must be in by January 15
No crying if you miss out.
This is your one and ONLY chance to get this jersey.

Please note:
This is NOT an Evil team jersey.
This is a collaboration jersey.
It is jersey only. Not a kit. No shorts/bibs.
Evil caps and socks are also available on the Evil page to round out the look if you so choose.

All you people who have been bothering me for years to get a jersey its time to get up off your wallets and buck up.

$66.06 plus shipping.

Make it happen before we realize what a horrific mistake we are making.

Evil in the 816

A few Evil sighting in CX events recently

Boss Cross #2 in Riverside 10/03/10


Photo by Roger Harrison

Watch for Evil x2 at about 1:03 and the carnage begins



Cross Out Cancer 10/10/10


Photo by Laura Keithly

Results?
Typically middle of the pack or DNF
We've been racing two races per event when two races are available.
Masters 35+ & single speed

Stuff is happening

Did another training ride for the up coming MWI Gentlemen's Race this past weekend.
Its was a wet one and pretty chilly too.
Which, as it turns out, might be a good thing to get used to.
Weather for race day is looking to be wet & in the upper 30 with a chance of snow.
SNOW.
I hate to sound like a puss but I was really hoping for sunny and in the 50s.
Ah well. Fortunately I've got a good crew gathered to do this with me.
Plus I found out today that one of the 8 teams has dropped out because of the "possible inclement weather".
Which of course means now we are guaranteed at least 7th place.
Assuming we finish at all.
*
The KC Sprints crew has announced a few more dates coming up in April.
Saturday April 10th at the Buzzard Beach in Westport
Friday April 30th at the Replay Lounge in Lawrence
Should be good times. Mark your calenders.

Gent's Race route released

The route for the 2010 MWI Gentlemen's Race March 20th has been released.
I've captaining a 6 person team to compete (if you wanna call it that).
Its a pretty good crew
Considering getting together a support team to hand us up beers on the road and take photos.

The route is shorter than I expected but thats OK.
This early in the season I don't know if I have any legs for the 54 mile route.
Guess I better find some. I would hate to be the only holding up the team.



The Evil KC squad is:
B-man Poo
N8
T-Garv
PZ
CVO
One Eyed z

Should be an interesting day.
Winning isn't as important as having fun.
Fun will be had

Pappa got a brand new bag...

...or will.
I don't really need a new bag but I'm really diggin' on the creations of the folks over at the Mission Workshop. More so with The Vandal bag.
Check out it out yourself:

Day in the life of the Vandal Cargo Pack from Mission Workshop on Vimeo.

Thinking I may have to buy myself a X-Mas present.

Speaking X-Mas gifts if yer still looking for the perfect stocking stuffer for the cyclist in your life... possibly me... hop on over and check out some of the goodies at Brother Stevil's :All Hail the Black Market
Or Brother Hurl's : Car R Coffins
And you can always pick up some new socks from the fine folks at Evil
Don't forget the soon to be avaiable stickers from the KCSprints gang

Git to shopping. Those gift giving holidazes are almost upon us

KCSprints season opener photos

Some photos are going up from the KCSprints season opener Saturday night.
Capt'n Coco took some shots for us.
Check'em out here

KC Cup weekend

The HSP KC Cup weekend is over with
It was fun but disappointing
CX race on Saturday and XC race on Sunday
Mr Joshua and I flew the Stars and Hearts of the BKB for the CX race Saturday
It was a great course but I flatted out right at the end of the 1st lap.
I was feeling good but with no pit bike or extra wheels my race was over

Mr Joshua hung on with a respectable middle of the pack finish.
Mr Joshua's little lady even did her first CX race ever
She was all smiles for the grueling 40 minutes race in her BKB t-shirt

Mr Joshua and I flew the All Blacks of Evil for Sunday's XC race

We raced in the Clydesdale class and screwed ourselves right from the start
The course started with a long pave section and instead of treating it like a CX race and putting the hammer down from the gun we slow rolled.
This put us behind the people in our class that we should have beaten to the woods
We managed to work our way up by the middle of the first lap.
I got tangled up in a technical section and watched Mr Joshua and the others ride a way
At the end of the first lap I turned it up a notch on the road section and got back in front of a small group and started a gap.
Back into the woods I spotted Mr Joshua and thought I was gonna reel him back in
But once again when I got to the technical section (8 Pins) if faltered and stepped aside to let some other racers around me.
After that I struggled to find a rhythm, I kept clipping my pedals and was getting knocked all over the trail.
It was frustrating and I let it get the best of me... ended up losing it and in a rage threw my bike off into the woods.
Not my finest moment... luckily there was no one around to witness it.
I composed myself and got back to it. Things came together a little.
I came across Mr Joshua getting up off the ground. He had flatted his front which in turn pitched him over the bars.
He was disappointed, he had crashed (swore at the start he wasn't going to), flatted (costing him precious time) and had been sitting in 2nd when it all happened.
I pushed on and once again got tangled up and lost a couple of spots.
Popped out on the road for the finial climb and put the hammer down to catch one of the two that had passed me.
Crossed the line in 4th.
Mr Joshua got back in it quick enough to pick up 6th.
Over all not a bad race for either of us with respectable finishes just not as good as we could have done.
It was the first MTB race of the year for both of us so really it was pretty good all things considered.

Next weekend we are back on the CX bikes for the Diamond BlackFan Cyclocross Challenge at Sar-Ko-Par Trails Park in Lenexa, KS
We're racing single speed class since it starts later in the day.
Mr Joshua determined that the 4's 10am start was too early (funny since he is an early riser) and I am working the MS150 that morning (hope I make it in time).
We normally race SS in the CAT 4 race (we never win but we're never last either) but next week we'll be dragging the SS race down to our level of mediocrity.

Cross season has begun
Time to find the bugles and cowbells

Save Carrie's Thumb!

Since we are on the subject of spending money on worthy causes here is another one.

Evil Cycling's Capt'n Dave has a really nice lady friend named Carrie. They've been together for quite a long while... Boarding on common law marriage long while.
Yet as great as they are together, they have found themselves to be in a bit of a pickle... and its a big pickle

Carrie crashed during a weekly Ironclad ride and shattered her thumb.
Its not just broke (which for me would be bad enough) its SHATTERED.
Meaning a difficult, extensive and painful surgery plus lots of down time for Carrie.

Their insurance company, being the way insurance companies are, promptly ran away to hide.
Leaving Carrie and Dave holding the bag... a bag filled with 8k worth of medical bills.

Where do you come in?
Got a dollar? Got $5?
How about digging the change out of the cushions of your couch or the ashtray in your car and sending it their way?
Its easy.
Send it to savecarriesthumb@gmail.com VIA PayPal.

Cause we don't like this Carrie:


As much as we like this Carrie:


Save Carrie's Thumb!