Sugar NORBA Nat’l 2006

terrifying

Project Platty

Project Pat

Project Platty

03.18.07 helmet cam: Dr. Mike on point, teh Gnome is caboose, and I’m running the cam

Dark Mountain Super D

another unseen gem from the vault with a big FU to google video for being a PITA

featuring Matt and Ellen Adams, Dawson, Noah and Tubby, Juancho, Devault, Steve Kaufman, TOHM MERPHY, teh Gnome, me and some a-hole, Sadler from the Bike Chain, Monster Truck Trottier, Wholesome, Ben and Will or Will and Ben, and some random dudes, with Manyele on the camera

R.I.P. R.M.S.

R.I.P B.I.G.

R.I.P. P.A.C.

R.I.P. R.M.S.

more about “RMS 40807 – Putfile.com“, posted with vodpod

04.08.07: Sev (that dude still ride?), Motomike, that Regency Rumbler, BMX Jon, Joe Haley, teh Gnome, me, and Zombie Jason, with ShrEd providing the camera work and commentary

Interiewing for residency is better than riding.

Those that know the horsemen intimately, probably more intimately than they would like, are surely wondering how on earth I could miss my chance at Windrock redemption.  The July past, I got to receive rather than give substandard emergency room care after a high speed detonation resulting in shoulder separation, concussion, and general upper body trauma.  Since recovering, I have had WR squarely in my sights…  I guess it will have to stay there until next season.

I thought I would share the one cool thing that occurred while on my latest interviewing adventure.  At the tail end of a 5 day interview tour, I needed beer…badly.  I convinced one of my fellow interviewees to accompany me through the streets of Pittsburgh in search of the mythical local microbrew entitled “Iron City.”  Regrettably, we found it.  The closest comparison I can make is to say it tasted remarkably like that already opened 40 of Steel Reserve that we “aged” under a rock at Platty for about 6 months.  Maybe it’s a beer-with-metal-in-the-name thing…

Anyway, after several pints of that, we needed grease.  When we pulled up to the Hot Dog Shack, announced in eXXXtreme neon lights, and had to dodge the psychotic homeless guy who tried to hit me with his pimp cane and circumvent a young lady who was voming on the sidewalk, I knew we had found the place.  I ordered a burger and SMALL fries…and this is what I got.

Small fries...just seeing the large made me nauseous.

There is a hamburger under there, and that thing that looks like a soup bowl is their prepackaged ketchup.  These are RMS fries, and they are made from taters fresh in front of you…delicious.

All and all, a better night than I had thought possible given what I was missing.

We’ll see what Madison, WI, San Fran, Seattle, and Portland have to offer next…

get amped for Ray’s

edit: Sweetmeat sucks at life, he can prove me wrong by deleting this

My boy JOWL, representing the dirty south

also, we should go to Ray’s and Joel is awesome

real life Bubbles

So I stopped by the Food Dog this AM to grab some longnecks since Harris Teeter was out of PBR yet again and I spotted this dude  part of a two man shopping cart pit crew. No word if they got the job by shoving all the buggies into a ravine.

Teh intrawebz is not being forthcoming with media with which to illustrate the Windrock report so I may have to dive into my own archives for material from past trips before I can finish the post. In other words, don’t hold your breath.

Windrock Fall Festival report

This past weekend marked the annual Fall Festival at Windrock.  For those not in the know, Windrock is a former coal mine (of the mountain top removal variety, I believe) outside Oak Ridge, Tennessee (of Manhattan Project fame) and current site of much redneckery, including but by no means limited to downhill mountain biking.  The trip started out normally enough. I rendezvoused with ShrEd at Chez Bumpkin (nee Buchan) 2.5 hours after the originally proposed departure, per SOP. We picked up the Gnome, beer, and some slices in the Hill and headed for Ashevegas to pick up Peter Mills. Sweetmeat was pinch hitting as an honorary Horsemen as Dr. Mike was interviewing for the rest of his life or some other worthless nonsense.  The boy has matured — he came equipped with case of TCOB, a box of talls, and a sixer of homebrew; he can be even excused for the last since he’s been going to UNCA for approximately 17 years now.

As you can tell, the skies poured out their misery upon us the whole trip down.  Trepidation mounted as we broke our fast at the hip hop Waffle House (were we ably served by a methhead with no less than 4 butterfly tats on her neck).  Our fears were realized when we arrived, nevertheless we manned the eff up and rode anyway in true Horsemen fashion.  We loaded the Bedouin bus (see 2 posts below) and held on for dear life as it swayed its way up a road that’s claimed the lives of more than a few McCain voters.

This is where I’d put riding shots if I had any.  Until I find some to steal, I’ll put it this way:  there was more slick brown stuff than a pediatric gastrointerologist working with Medecins san Frontieres sees in a lifetime.  The mountain was definitely taking names, as Windrock is wont to do.  Sweetmeat went down first, trying to stop on wooden berm to avoid a passel of rubber necking douche bags.  The Gnome tried to pacify the same berm with a little finger bang action.  Bikes were broken and passed around, as was the Fighting Cock.  Rob from Back Alley Bikes and Tamara from the Bike Chain showed up towards the end of day, along with Tamara’s bro Joe and another Boone dude whose name escapes me because I suck at life.  Moto put in a rockstar run or two.  At the end of day we retired to our rustic retreat, which can be seen in the background below.

The commute to the campground was an adventure in itself.

Give me a sec and I’ll update you on the evening’s festivities (or festivus, as both feats of strength and the airing of certain, um, grievences was involved) as well as the riding on day numero dos.

2009 SSWC, NCCSSR, and a truly hard corps event

SSWC returns stateside, August 6 though 9 in Durango, CO.  Event usually sells out (I’ll say) but SJ has peeps in the area if anyone’s up for crashing — could be a great start to a hut trip.  (You reading this Chris?)

This year’s North Cackalacky Candywompas Single Speed Rally has been scheduled for March 28, 2009.  Location is TBA, probably Mo’ville if it’s not plowed; if they move it to 286 I will ride this thing filled with brats and PBR.  PBR is a must regardless — “good beer” my ass.  Shit people brought last year tasted worse than Sweetmeat’s homebrew.

I came across this (scroll to the bottom) trolling for a Bedouin bus pic, which I just stole off RM anyway. PMBAR is for pansies: IEDs > logstacks.  I wonder where the Taliban comes down in the baggies vs. lyrca debate?

Windrock Fall Festival teaser

since Dr. Mike missing out on the last Windrock trip was the impetus for this blog, I suppose I should post something about it

it was awesome

I’ll have more words and pics as soon as they become available for stealing

in the meantime try and guess which of these shots was taken in Oak Ridge, TN — hint, it’s the one with two (count ‘em) national champs in it, as well as yours truly

OK, OK: it’s the second one, I think the SKS really looks tuff with my turban, don’t you?

Dude in the fatigue cap on the far right is captain of the national champion buzkashi team; kid cheesing in front of him is the kite runner.