Upcoming DH season

I realize that at this time last year I was telling you all about how I was going to get to a lot of races that summer and how excited I was.....Well this season I am aiming to actually hit most of the races that I've been wanting to do for so long, unlike last seasons fail.

There is no better time really for me to do this. I have a flexible job that lets me pretty much do whatever I want. And although I will be taking a class or two over the summer, I will be doing the races that I want. With any luck I'll have enough funds to do so without becoming poor.

Another reason that I'm so determined this year is that I have picked up a couple of sponsors that will be helping me out. Renthal and Gamut USA are on board and I'm excited to be riding under their name.

Now that I'm pretty much over being sick, I will be training and riding more than I ever have up to this point. I'm at a good spot in my life for this stuff to happen right now; sponsors, a bike that is dialed, a ride to most races, and an amazingly supportive girlfriend who puts up with all this bike nonsense.

Big plans for the season and I will be doing my damnedest to make it all happen! Time to get a plan together for getting ready for the season and making it happen!

Photo of the Day

We will get to ride you again one day soon Mt. Elden.....

Photo of the Day

This is what the next 4 months of my life look like...minus one more book

2012

Well, its been about 3 weeks dealing with this sickness. Its really starting to bring me down. Although I've been dealing with this and not knowing whats wrong with me, I've been really busy with life.

Between working and waiting for info about a new job position I applied for, I also moved, and decided to go back to school. Its been a lot to think about and handle all at once, but finally its all done. Now I'm just getting settled in to the changes in my life and hoping for the best.

Here's to a fresh start to 2012! I have some goals which include working on my video creating skills, as well as becoming a better writer, and RIDER. Hopefully I can get back into DH form here soon as well. There hasn't been any snow here in Flagstaff for about a month, so once I get fully recovered from being sick, I will be up hitting the xc trails harder than ever, just waiting for the chance to rip down the elden DH trails once again.

Test Ride - 2012 Specialized Stumpjumper Evo 29er

Thanks to my awesome friend Erik, I got to test ride the 2012 Stumpy 29er for 3 days.

Ill start by saying its the best xc bike i've ever thrown my skinny white legs over. The 29 inch wheels are far superior to the smaller "older brother" that we all know today. They roll over anything with much more prowise than the smaller 26 inch. The bike was excellent on the long uphills and descended much like a downhill bike, stable and ready to attack anything in its way. The super plush suspension meant that the ride was very comfortable and handled like a dream.

I rode 3 different types of trails in 3 days, from open faster wooded trails when the dirt was wet and tacky, to the rocky, dry, flat desert terrain of Phoenix. And even tight, technical, boulder infested trails of the dells in Prescott. Riding different terrain made me wonder if the bike was better suited for one type over another, but oh how I was wrong. It acceled in any and all environments that I threw at it.

I had zero complaints and problems with the bike, in my opinion, you wouldn't be able to find a better xc bike on the planet. Although the price tag is a bit steep, it is WELL worth it.

A big thank you again to Erik for letting me taste the wrath of his beloved new bike.



Here are a few pictures from a cool spot we stopped at.

More Black N' White Photos

Here is a few more black n white pictures that I took. Not sure why I've been doing this but they look cool.

Videos for your brain

Here are a few videos that I've found in the last few days that I think are really sick. Check em out!

Dane Searls: Giants Of Dirt Part 3 on pinkbike.com

The Track - Val di Sole world cup 2011 on pinkbike.com

Black N' White Photos

Just experimenting with some photos and stuff. Cool or not cool?



Bro status!

Photo of the Day

Just another day at work.

A not-so-biking edit. Here's a first of my winter film projects, enjoy!



Hopefully some riding opportunities come soon!

Photo of the Day

Since winter is here, it looks like it may be hard to post alot about the bicycle world I live in because it has been put on hold due to the snow. I will post updates throughout the winter but Im not sure how bike related they will be. I will however be trying to go to most of the winter series races in fontana so look for updates on that. So hang tight this winter and look forward to the warm sunlight at the end of the winterized tunnel!

Thanksgiving day footage

Heres some footage from when I went home for thanksgiving and rode my home trail.

Home Trail on pinkbike.com

Home Trail Helmet Cam on pinkbike.com

Race weekend

As I was sitting in the shuttle line listening and watching a 30 year old guy wearing all the newest and nicest gear tell a 12 year old kid about how good his bike is and how all the parts on it are amazing, only to find he's racing in the sport class, I realized that most people are full of shit. lol. This was a theme throughout the weekend at the race. I heard kids talking about how they want to get this part and that bike just because they think it will make them cool, and ride faster. Kids on brand new carbon V10s talking a big game only to race in the beginner class. All this going through my mind made me laugh at the "cali" kids and guys.

Anyway, after that being said....My weekend went really good. Good practice runs and nice weather made me happy. Watching Gwin shred was also really cool, after watching his helmet cam footage it made me realize that I had picked a lot of the same lines as him so that can only be a good thing. With the 7 or so runs I got in during the saturday practice, I felt I was going to be pretty ready for race day.

Sunday morning came around and I went up for a couple more pre-race practice runs. I felt better than I had the previous day so I was off to a good start. My race run came around and I was excited to get down the hill. Got a pretty clean run down the hill with only minor mistakes. Pedaling "the wall" was the worst part and i feel I could have done it better but all in all I was pleased with my run. I ended up 4th place missing 3rd by less than half a second.

It was a great weekend and I can't wait to go back this winter for some more fun. Here's another picture from the day and video below.