Here are a few pics from the weekend. Good people, good parties, cute girls, a ton of beer, bikes galore, and guns. It's Monday, maybe I can get some sleep..
Friday and Saturday was party time. Sunday I went for some good karma and volunteered for the Save the Trails Challenge. Gearheads and Pisgah Works represented an aid station and helped make to make muddy people smile. Even when they only had one shoe or no brakes.
With a new sponsor to impress and a new business to run, life has been taking a more serious note as of late. The stress of trying to "train" for races and working 40 hour weeks can take a toll on a good time guy like myself. This is why I have to take time to remind myself why I do the things I do. It's all for the glory winning races like the Whiskey Crit, sweet new gear and catching rad air.
The Whiskey Crit will go down in history as the most broken bones (and teeth) during a 30 minute ride/race I have ever witnessed. I know Kylie meant well when the inspiration struck for this one and she really meant well when she warned the boys not to go for a late night ride on the bum trails with no lights after the Whiskey Crit.
To back up just a bit, the Whiskey Crit involved 4 laps and 5 shots of Whiskey through neighborhood streets and a park. The laps were short but sweet however, sprinting on a track bike while taking a shot of whiskey per lap bike gives you a feeling that could only be compared to mainlining the stuff (just guessing of course). Despite mixing track bikes, crit racing and hard liquor the race itself went off without injury. Alex, birthday boy, took home the win, Adam W. 2nd, Marshall 3rd and yours truly took 4th and a good buzz. The rest of the crew came in, the whiskey took effect and that's when the fun began.
It was back to Alex's and Kylie's house for more good beer and food post race. An hour later, when the call was made for a ride on the bum trails by the river, everyone grabbed their bikes without even thinking about it. Kylie's effort to tell everyone what a bad idea it was just fell on deaf and drunk ears. A few minutes into the ride I hear Jake sliding down the pavement on a step hill just before we hit the trails. 5 minutes of riding, crash #1 on the pavement. Jake was fine and we were back to sprinting into the dark and towards the dirt.
Coming down the next hill Marshall was determined to take the lead and may have succeeded if it had not been for a metal cable that was hanging wheel high between two barriers. Over the bars into gravel with his face, hand and knee taking the majority of the impact. 10 minutes of riding, crash # 2 in gravel. Marshal was not as lucky as Jake and rolled over to immediately announced his front two teeth were gone and his hand was most likely broken. After calling the team car, then turning it down in favor of finishing the ride, we were back it again, racing track bikes on bum trails, on the river, in the dark. We are brilliant..
The main group was charging and at the speed they were traveling everyone had a good "close call" experience however, it was the birthday boy that would take the cake on best crash of the night.. So here I am, riding the trails with a little caution having just witnessed Marshal with half of his front teeth when Alex comes around me as though he was sprinting to the line at the Mellowdrome. Well, the bum trails are not quite as smooth as the track and my next image is one of a track bike five feet in the air sans-alex. A quick, "You alright? Yea, I am fine" exchange is made, he gathers his bike and it's back on the gas. I track his lines as we pick up speed and chase the group of blinking rear lights up ahead. A few hundred yards into our pursuit Alex starts slowing and makes a quick dismount while saying three words you never want to hear, "I'm not ok". Fifteen minutes of riding, crash #3 on bum trails.
Well, I didn't get anything for Alex for his birthday but I know I could have done better than the gift of a broken collarbone that the bum trail hooked him up with and I know he would have appreciated even the lamest gift in exchange for his second crash that occurred 5 minutes later in the street on the the way home. We made it back, more beer was had and a cool and sober Kylie C gave the crew a lift back to the North Side.
So, four crashes in twenty minutes. WTF, that's something broken every 5 minutes. One hellava party Kylie K! Count me in for next year but make sure to invite a doctor and a dentist! (maybe a lawyer too) You rock girl!
The next day I pulled it together enough to get rad again and mix beer and bicycles. Asheville on Bikes was throwing the "Bike of the Irish" and even though I wanted neither after the Whiskey Crit I pulled it together and went out for a ride in the rain with 15-20 others who like to mix good beer and all things two wheels. The ride was good, the beer was cold, and Asheville on Bikes showed a crew around some cool areas of town as we hit a few local breweries and caught up with friends. I was glad I made it out and even pulled off a late night show of High Windy at Jack of the Wood. The Brew Crew was in it for the long haul, High Windy rocked and we shut the place down and drank 50.00 worth of Pisgah Pale in doing so.
Fast forward to one week later. The Banff film fest was in town this past weekend and of course Gearheads was there representing all weekend in Brevard. I camped out in Pisgah Friday after the show and froze my ass off. On Saturday I hit the trails for a fast session at B.C. then it was back to Banff with Beth. Sunday, Beth and I hit the Pisgah for a little pre-PNBAR action and pulled off some sweet lines and creek gaps over the course of a five hour ride. Amazing spring day in the woods and I feel energized with the exception of my ring finger.
If anyone has had this happen to them let me know. I can't straighten it and the tip of my finger is just limp. Not good.. But, there are worse body parts this could happen to and I can still grip a handlebar. Life could be a lot worse..
Ok, enough typing. My finger is freaking me out. jut rut out..
