It's the New Rage

This light seems to be the rage of late with the mountain bike night riding crew in East Tennessee and since we are the center of the universe for all in this world to follow I find it easy to believe that these are now very hard to come by. Our one and only bike with rockets man found these and graciously spread the word amongst us. We are cutting edge! We are the knobs that touch dirt. We are at one with the pedal and sprocket! It's hard to find the Magicshine stocked, alot of places have it back ordered and hopefully GeoMan will have plenty on his next order. I found mine on Ebay (same price), who would have guessed that? If I like this as much as I think I will, I'm getting another one for sure.


MAGICSHINE

Here's a web page that has them in comparison to several other top brands: CLICK HERE

Now go get one and tell them SCOOBY sent ya!

LAter G.................................

NIRVANA

Wow yesterday was absolutely perfect. The weather here was over 70 degrees, the trails were fast , dry and leaf covered. What a great day for a mountain bike ride at Bays Mountain. Met several folks on top climbed to the towers via Big Oak, rode across the ridge to the "rake and ride" trail that I had never ridden. It was a blast even though there was so many leaves covering the trail I could barely follow it. That was a perfect day! Just bliss I say!



LAter G..........................

Packing

Man I'm so totally not liking the time change this year or for any other year for that matter. Keeping at ETSU til 7pm 4 nights a week now with my new arrangement kinda stinks but it's worth it in the end. It's weird how you enter a building in the daylight and then when you exit darkness has arrived. Oh well the season of night riding is upon us it seems. Most of my spare time has been taken up with putting stuff in order around the homestead for absolute relocation of living properties and such forth. The new pad is going to rock! I think I'm gaining about 50-100 square feet and it's all going to be modern and new! Don't get me wrong I'm grateful for my little cottage that I have lived in for years but it's very old and out-dated. The new place is fresh! I plan on staying there until I get out of school and secure a job but there's an old saying: If you want to make God laugh tell him your plans......... that's what I have in plan but of course I will do what his plans are for me.

I have been able to ride my bike to class this week alot mostly because it hasn't rained. I think that's going to change though with that hurricane down on the Gulf of Mexico. We have had a very quite hurricane season, THANK GOODNESS! Florida didn't get anything this year, yet!

On another note seems like I have got my wires crossed with my bestest sponsor of all time, Maxxis. Apparently I never got taken off the roster for 2009, I didn't get to do much racing under my circumstances but I like those people and would be proud to be on the team as usual. Looks like ORANGE IS BACK FOLKS. With everything back in somewhat of an chaotic order I may be getting to spin the cranks competitively on a consistent note for next year! Wait that would mean I need to train.............hmm well maybe a little, as long as I still have fun; MAYBE! Why do I still race? for fun and fitness in a race type atmosphere, period. I don't like training, I never have. It's not why most peeps would think though, PAIN? I can handle the pain it brings but that's not it at all, not even close. It's because I watch how people here in the area where I live do it. Some get so into it they actually seem to think that they are on a quest like Lance Armstrong or something similiar. It's like; what will a person gain winning a CAT5 or beginner classification in a series? Silence some insecurities that one is lacking in their life?? Most are past their prime (like myself) but continue on hoping that Mercury or whatever that mythical Greek speed god is will swoop down and grant a wish of SPEED or something. I see alot of people doing this and it doesn't seem FUN to me at all. Just watch, you will see someone KILLING it in one of these entry level categories and soon as they win and move up you never see them again! Get a little rough for ya in a class that folks are serious about racing? That's the posers I'm referring to here. I have a little article that I will post when I can find it that a local rider has written. I ride my bike because I have a passion for it, it makes me feel good and I get to spend time with folks and friends that have the same passion and that's good. I'm not out to win some grand title or beat everyone in sight ( I do like beating my buddies sometimes but I like when they beat me too). Fun competition totally rocks but when it's taken personally, I'm out! Now some may have a personal vendetta to conquer something inside themselves via the bicycle, that's totally cool. I have experienced such but not with a bike. I mostly witness roadies doing this but some dirt riders do it also. All in all I guess I'm just babbling about why do I want to ruin my passion for cycling by training all the time and never enjoying what it's all about? So what if I don't win a LOCAL race (it's not a WORLD EVENT) duh! If I'm needing for the respect from racers that would look at me differently because I win well that's not the type of peeps needed around me in my life, hey but some people want that and sadly NEED that. The Freedom to ride my bike in different places and Fun with my friends is what cycling is about to me. Some people need to ask themselves that same Q because I see more and more people working while riding their bike instead of enjoying riding their bike!

DISCLAIMER: If I offended any riders in any form or fashion you are probably one of the peeps I'm talking about and you have my deepest apologies, now get back to training you're getting slow! J/K

LAter G..................................

Harmony

Wow what a week so far, busy busy busy! I was able to secure a small part-time position at ETSU with my financial aid so that came at a great time. It's pretty cool too, all the other peeps that I'm working with seem ok. It's not hard work just office stuff like running errands and helping in the computer lab mostly. The bike shop is slow so not many hours there although I did pull a late night work shop last night. I got there shortly after 7 and had a couple of jobs that had priority. I built a Masi TT bike that had been a demo, when I lifted that out of the box it was chipped all over the down tube and a big ole black stain near the head tube also. YUK! The guy that bought it was supposed to show up last night and pay for it since B is out in San Diego with the Masi folks getting schmoooozed. He's done well this last month, he's been on both coasts of the USA with two different bike companies on their dime! Good job!

At the end of this month I pack up and move out of this small cottage home that I have been in for several years. The economy and college has my finances stretched to the breaking point to where I have had to make different living arrangements so come November 30 I will not live at this address anymore. Racing has took a huge hit also, not many for me this year! Another big note: I parted with the S-WORKS road bike, yea I know I loved that thing but it's time for a change so next year I think I will throw my legs across a BMC since I will be working up there an such. I haven't decided what model but with the $$ I will be saving with my new living arrangements I should be able to put a little something together with my discounts and all. The EPIC stays though unless times get totally crazy...



LAter G...............................

More Candy

My bottom bracket was needing some attention. The bearings were not as smooth as I would like them to be, well actually only one was not playing nice. I decided to replace them with new ceramics from Enduro. I also scored this little tool that makes installation sweet and easy. The attention to detail with this tool is awesome also. I'm hoping to get a few repairs to pay for it because it wasn't cheap but you have to have the tools of your trade to make any $$.

This week is supposed to be nothing but sunshine all week with temps in the low 60's so hopefully I will be able to get the wheels rolling some this week.

Keep riding even though it gets dark at 530 now!


LAter G....................

Here Comes the Rain Again...

Friday started out pretty good. The weather nice and warm, a call from Rob in the Nick's building netted me a lead on a FWS job at ETSU plus an interview! The weather was really kickin' Friday, nice warm temps and pretty sunshine. I loaded up and motivated towards Oak Ridge, Tn. for the 11th annual HOT (Hill of Truth) race that our club attends in force every year. We stopped at "Big Ed's" pizza for some pies that were not bad Friday night after everyone settled in. That place has to be one of the busiest pizza places I have ever seen too. There were at least 15 kids working making and baking pizzas. I managed a whole 14" pie by myself but I only had some french fries for lunch on the drive down.

We built a fire and we were all constantly watching the inevitable on weather apps in our cell phones. After midnight we all mostly turned in, then about 3am it started.......drip drip drip! It was unusually warm also, 70 degrees at 11:30pm. I awoke to loud voices and crawled out of the "hillbilly hotel" as Greg has tagged it. Slosh slosh is the sound that I hear under my shoes as I step across the wet grass, ugh I think to myself. I'm so glad I'm not putting my bike or body through this sloppy mess. I put my boots on instead, grab some breakfast, start packing and hangout til the start. Steady rain the whole time!

Greg will post up in the next couple of days with some good pics, I have a really good feeling that Team GRT will podium tonight!!!!!

2009 HOT from A Sparks on Vimeo.

LAter G.................

Mo Video

ROCKY FORK from A Sparks on Vimeo.

I almost forgot to post the video. I did somhow manage to get it on facebook though. This is not one of my better ones. I threw it together with Windows Movie Maker in Windows 7. It's not as good as the ones in XP in my opinion or I'm just really used to the old version. The music is good though! Either way here ya go!

Heading down to KnoxVegas today for the HOT (Hill of Truth) race, just riding and spectating this time though, no racing for me!




LAter G.....................