Bike Drool

Longer Days Around the Corner

2008-12-27T00:20:00.004-05:00

On the way up Lookout Mountain in Golden, CO with Casey Dugan and Ty Kiser... this was February '06, maybe?

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Bubba CX After Dark...

2008-11-24T01:32:00.005-05:00

Saturday evening, I'm not sure how, I got roped into checking out the night time cross race at Creve Coeur Park. Quite the scene it was... shivering spectators, racers in Hula-skirts, and chili-dogs I didn't dare go near, but I think Ron ate about 20?

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Hub day at Council Bluff!

2008-10-29T19:09:00.004-04:00

Ron "Hot Rod" Clipp getting revved up for Match #1 of "No Touch". I can't really explain the rules, as I do not know them, but it's something along the lines of smashing your bike into the guy next to you without taking your hands or feet off your bike... if you fall down, put a foot down, or go off the curb, you're out of the game.

Devin trying to intimidate everyone with his skillz.

We rode the lake trail too, but I didn't bring the camera on that. I borrowed Alex's single-speed 29'er with a rigid front fork... which was interesting... my arms are still sore.

The drive home along Hwy 21 (aka "Blood Alley"!) was next-level terrifying, but for Ron's sake, I won't go into that...

More pictures, HERE.

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'09 bikes

2008-10-25T17:36:00.009-04:00

Meet Saxton's French Bulldog. (Note: Not a Boston Terrier.)

The 2009 bikes are starting to trickle into the shop. This is a '09 Scott Addict R4 with the new Sram Rival group. The buzz around InterBike this year was that the '09 Rival grouppo will be the road group to beat. And I can see why, at the price point. The brake/shift levers are lighter than Dura-Ace! Or 7800 series at least. What do you think about the new graphics on the Addict?

Rival brake levers get the carbon treatment for '09. Sweet!

Giant. Giant has taken it up a notch; quite a bit really. For '09 they introduced two new lines of high-end carbon road bikes. TCR Advanced SL, and TCR Advance. These look like great bikes. The one pictured here actually has an aluminum steerer, but the next one up (Sram Force) has a carbon steerer.

The Hub rug.

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If you wonder...

2008-10-17T21:08:00.003-04:00

...where our Redbull Soapbox Race went; San Francisco stole it! I don't know why they discontinued it? I thought the one in Forest Park was dope! (cell-phone-cam bad quality)

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Bike Clown Brigade

2008-10-01T22:30:00.002-04:00

Bike Clown Brigade - WTF?

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A Nonpartisan Message

2008-09-17T20:54:00.002-04:00

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G to the C

2008-08-31T21:46:00.004-04:00

Labor Day weekend in St. Louis means Gateway Cup! The Tour of the Hill neighborhood, or "Giro della Montagna" is always good times.

The P/1/2 racers take a moment to refuel...

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Beauty.

2008-08-28T23:26:00.002-04:00

Yet another gem from Craigslist:

Looking for a new bike?

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Festival of Nations - St. Louis

2008-08-13T20:39:00.001-04:00

Have you been bitten by the international spirit of the Summer Olympics, but don't have the scratch to fly to Beijing? Well, if you're free the weekend of Aug. 23-24, and in the St. Louis area, be sure to check out the Festival of Nations in Tower Grove Park! It is hosted by the International Institute of Saint Louis.

Sat., Aug. 23, 10am-7pm

Sun., Aug. 24, 10am-6pm

Admission and entertainment are FREE!

So, stop by and check it out! Lots of great food!

More info: HERE

Or check out pictures from last year's event: HERE

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Baby bird rescue.

2008-08-09T22:32:00.005-04:00

Right around 7 this morning I walked out to get the newspaper, and on the front walk next to the paper was this bird. At the time it's wings were not out like in the picture. It wasn't moving so I thought it was dead; especially since a train of ants had started to surround it. But when I went in for a closer look, the bird leaped up at me and let out a menacing hiss! It then proceeded to chase me around, for what had to be pure comedy if anybody was watching... as I was momentarily terrified of the little hissing creature.

Well, something had to be wrong with the bird. It couldn't fly, and wouldn't normally make itself so vulnerable. I couldn't identify it, but knew it was more unique than a Robin or Sparrow, or some such common bird around here. I kind of hoped it was a baby eagle, owl, or something.

I took it to the Wild Bird Rehabilitation center on north Midland, up past Overland. At first they thought I had removed a baby from its home and asked me to put it back where I found it. I told them the story, and they decided to keep it for "observation". They identified it as a Nighthawk, or Lesser Nighthawk, and said it was in good health apart from being a little dehydrated. Cool bird, I hope it goes on to have a nice life.

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More Cube bike...

2008-07-11T16:14:00.002-04:00

I first mentioned the Cube bike on the Future Bikes: Part Deux! post, way back in January. It was not in production then, and is still not, but looks to be getting closer to hitting the market.

Carbon Fiber Gear has an interesting post on it over HERE.

And there is always Cube's official website. Or here.

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Eagles

2008-07-09T23:00:00.004-04:00

It's July which means Tour de France time!

I saw a bald eagle in Michigan. That was cool. I took the above picture at maximum zoom on my little camera, so it is not the best quality.

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Tour of Missouri - Part Deux!

2008-06-24T11:06:00.003-04:00

The Tour of Missouri is back! Flood walls be damned!

A stop in Rolla this time.

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Webster Crit '08... BE THERE SUCKAS!!!

2008-06-16T18:48:00.001-04:00

* * * RACE INFO HERE * * *

It's worth the price of admission just to see the massive Hub Team leadout train!!! (F to R: David Mark, Ron Clipp, Kevin Wayman, Chris Miller.)

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Charlie don't surf!!

2008-06-05T19:09:00.003-04:00

"You either surf, or you fight!"

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Bike to eat?

2008-05-27T14:07:00.003-04:00

"Hunger justifies the means"

But it's cool that their advertising folks are thinking stuff up for rental bike fleets... over in Europe. Here too maybe, if gas keeps going up.

Borrowed from Tinsie.

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Puzzle of the Platypus...

2008-05-20T10:11:00.004-04:00

Puzzle of the Platypus solved at last

The unique creature shares 82 percent of its genes with other genetically mapped mammals.

By Blythe Bernhard
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH

Is it a bird? A mammal? Reptile?

An international team of scientists led by the Washington University School of Medicine has finally solved one of nature’s wildest puzzles: the duck-billed platypus.

The scientists spent two years decoding the genome sequence of the Australian platypus, which has boggled mankind for centuries.

Historically the platypus has gotten a bum rap as an evolutionary fluke. Researchers had two goals in mind: to learn more about the inner workings of the wacky critter, and to translate that knowledge into better understanding of human evolution.

“We weren’t evolved from platypuses, but we and platypuses had an ancestor in common millions and millions of years ago,” said Richard Wilson, director of The Genome Center at Washington University and the lead author of the platypus study, which was published in a recent issue of Nature.

Female platypuses produce milk for their young like a mammal, but also lay eggs like a bird. They have duck-like bills that help them find food underwater by smell and thick fur to survive freezing waters. The male platypus produces venom like a snake through his hind legs to protect against predators and to keep romantic competition at bay.

Researchers compared the platypus genome with those of humans, mice, dogs, opossums, chickens and lizards. Turns out the platypus actually shares 82 percent of its genes with other mammals whose genes have been studied.

The scientists can use the knowledge to figure out which mammalian characteristics have been gained or lost through evolution.

“We don’t just do this because it’s a crazy animal and we’re trying to figure out what it’s all about,” Wilson said. “It’s to better understand ourselves and why we develop the way we do and why when we get sick, what goes wrong.”

bbernhard@post-dispatch.com | 314-340-8129

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Only in California?

2008-05-15T10:28:00.006-04:00

These bicycle railroad track crossing caution signs sure are getting more and more detailed.

Doh!

Watch out for the Right Hook!
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Sneak peak at future helmets?

2008-05-13T00:01:00.000-04:00

Or for the full skinny go: HERE. All artist renderings by Scott Robertson.

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St. Louis gets a "D", but...

2008-05-12T10:18:00.000-04:00

(photo credit, Laurie Skrivan/P-D) ...At least they used Hub racer, Ryan Heine for the photo! Now, about that orange bike......

STL Today story: HERE

Or if it's banter you want...

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Bicycle-sharing Program

2008-04-28T15:42:00.000-04:00

It should be interesting to see how a bicycle sharing program will work out here in the US.

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Tour of St. Louis

2008-04-24T16:51:00.000-04:00

The Tour of St. Louis presented by Edward Jones.

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quake 'n shake

2008-04-18T16:40:00.001-04:00

Uh, that was an interesting morning... to say the least!

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Shimano Dura Ace 7900

2008-04-17T22:22:00.002-04:00

After attending the SRAM kool-aid camp in Colorado Springs, Cozad, the Hub chief wrench has declared his love for all things SRAM.

I can hardly blame him, but I must say that I am quite intrigued with all the new Shimano stuff due to come out. And now our overly tan Shimano rep is saying enticing things about the new chops direct from Sea Otter.

Update! CyclingNews leaks more info about the new 7900 grouppo at the Giro.

Downtube shifters still rule!

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Broadcast News

2008-04-15T22:03:00.000-04:00

Is Katie Couric leaving CBS? An interesting story over on FOX Business:

Jon Friedman
MarketWatch

NEW YORK -- A melodrama of Shakespearian proportions is being played out in the broadcasting world, centering on the intrigue surrounding -- who else? -- Katie Couric, the $15 Million Broadcaster.

According to a report in The Wall Street Journal this past week, Couric is on her way out of the ratings fiasco known as the "CBS Evening News" and getting ready to replace Larry King on CNN.

Of course, any number of CBS (CBS: 21.69, +0.45, +2.11%) employees would happily help her pack, but what's especially interesting is that the move would carry CNN's tacit approval. Watch related video.

After all, the New York Times recently reported that CBS was considering outsourcing some of its news operations to Time Warner's (TWX: 14.61, +0.26, +1.81%) CNN. Another suggestion floated by TV Guide and others is that Couric's prospective successor might be Anderson Cooper, one of CNN's brightest stars.

You gotta love the media business!

A smart move

Understand, nothing is remotely official yet. Still, I believe these changes will ultimately happen because they make a lot of sense.

At CBS, Couric's ratings have badly trailed those of NBC's Brian Williams and ABC's Charles Gibson for almost all of her 19-month tenure.

CNN's King is one of the most identifiable names in cable television, but as skeptics suggest, he's lost a few miles off his fastball lately during his hour-long broadcasts. He still remains a big name, though, and could likely latch on somewhere else without too much trouble.

For CBS, Couric and CNN, however, this process would be a win-win-win.

The key is for CNN to ease out King, whose contract is slated to expire in 2009. That may not be easy because he clearly loves his job. Of course, King could be persuaded to accept a buyout if CNN made it plain that his contract wouldn't be extended. He could then use the next year or so to find a new TV gig.

Once King is out of the equation, CNN could work on wooing Couric, who most likely wouldn't join CNN until the path is clear. She wouldn't want to be viewed as the selfish, younger broadcaster who forced the warhorse King to limp off to the sidelines. In the no-holds-barred television world, there's a very fine line between shrewd and opportunistic.

Thus, the drama shifts to CBS.

The ex-Tiffany Network would love Couric to break her contract and bolt to CNN -- or al-Jazeera, for that matter. It wouldn't have to pay all that dough to keep her in the anchor spot until 2011.

Also, fairly or not, Couric has gotten a reputation in New York media circles as a royal pain in the neck. Morale might jump if she left CBS, giving its staff a chance to begin a new, hopeful chapter with a new, hopeful anchor.

CBS could then replace her with a seasoned TV news pro -- someone like Scott Pelley, Russ Mitchell or Diane Sawyer -- who would fit very comfortably in an anchor's chair.

Damage control

If you believe everything you read, you can probably assume the Couric saga is complete with backstabbing, deceit, Watergate-worthy non-denial denials, betrayal -- and a 21st century phenomenon that the Bard or King Lear himself never had to worry about: the high art of damage control.

We live in a media-saturated world where "saving face" is right after "succeeding" on the list of a celebrity's paramount goals. As the old Wall Street saying goes, in times of crisis, always blame the person who isn't in the room.

So CBS can fault Couric (behind her back, naturally) for failing to deliver the ratings it expected when it made the bold move of hiring a woman from the "Today" show in the severe role of evening-news anchor.

Couric (or her well-paid handlers) can turn around and say she was the victim of bungling from the start by CBS. She could whisper that the network made numerous gaffes in her name, such as when the network released photos of a photographically enhanced Couric and when it executed a rather heavy-handed PR strategy in the beginning, plastering her face on every New York City bus. (Whenever I missed the bus, I'd mutter about Katie and her smiling face.)

King, who would feel so injured that he could actually talk on the record with impunity, could rail about CNN's disloyalty and curse its willingness to treat one of its two biggest stars (Lou Dobbs is the other) so callously.

Meanwhile, CNN, the self-proclaimed Most Trusted Name in News, would be so preoccupied with the task of churning out glowing press releases about Couric that it might not even hear him.

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zenaida macroura

2008-04-11T15:35:00.000-04:00

Every morning, over the last few days and weeks, a pair of mourning doves (sometimes just one), have been my alarm clock. They sit on my window sill, which is pretty much directly above my bed, and they make their patented woo-oo-oo-oo call. Some people think they have a nice call, but they just sound like pigeons to me.

I'll usually bang on the window so they fly away. But this morning I refrained and watched them for a bit. Considered by many to be a symbol of peace, their racket is anything but. I can't venture a guess why they like my window, of all the windows in the city? Maybe they'll find a way to your window, and stop bugging me. They are prettier to look at than cicadas though, I'll give them that. But I think I prefer the songs of the cicada. A few more months before any of that.

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A Whole Lotta Nothing

2008-04-10T14:32:00.001-04:00

I was recently asked to, "update your damn blog!"

So what's up? Not much. As TK would say, "A whole lotta nothing".

I've been quietly shopping around for a new mountain bike (but not really). The full-suspension or hardtail question keeps popping up. Alex enthusiastically recommends the Giant Anthem 1 as a great deal that is tough to beat. It does have an impressive price point, and I don't really see how the Anthem 0 is much better than the Anthem 1?

The other day I was taking a short-cut through the Wash U campus on my "commuter" bike when I foolishly decided to ride down a set of stairs rather than dismount and walk down. Fortunately for me, there was only one witness to my pathetic display of bike handling masterpiece of crashing. He had the usual reaction of laughing first, then asking if I was OK. I was fine, but the rear tire flatted in the debacle. It was a humiliating walk home. I should of just ridden on the damn rim. It crossed my mind to just leave the damn bike where it lay, and stomp off in disgust.

I've been eating a lot of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches lately. Those are good. It has to be done right though. Bread selection is key. As is the other stuff... none of that Skippy/Smuckers Jam crap. On toast is yummy too, if you want to mix things up a bit.

Evidently, peanut butter was introduced to the world right here in St. Louis!

"Peanut butter was widely introduced in 1904 by C.H. Sumner at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition (Saint Louis World's Fair) which also popularized the ice cream cone, the hot dog and the hamburger."

Word up.

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Clouds.

2008-03-12T01:48:00.000-04:00

I like clouds.

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Quote of the Day

2008-03-04T15:50:00.000-05:00

"It's snowing like we're under attack!" - Devon, Hub shop employee.

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Warm weather / Bad stomach.

2008-03-03T14:36:00.000-05:00

Watch what you eat! Great weather this weekend... hope everybody got out. I rode both Saturday and Sunday. But my Sunday ride was wrecked by something I ate Sat. night. Or at least that's what I'm guessing? I felt horrible the whole ride... bad headache, no power AT ALL, just totally zapped. It was annoying because it was such a nice day, but I was hardly enjoying it. The whole ride, the only thing I was thinking about was getting home. I kept apologizing to Joe W. for ruining the ride, because I was creeping along at a snail's pace.

Saturday morning I was helping my brother clean up his house, and he gave me a bunch of food (canned goods) he didn't want or had too much of. I don't know if this was the cause, but I can't point to anything else as of yet. Oh well... the best thing about feeling bad is feeling better. I can't wait to ride again when I don't feel like a truck plowed over me. Of course it's cold and raining outside right now.

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sampson returns

2008-02-27T09:04:00.000-05:00

Do you remember Sampson bicycle components? Way back in the day, I had some of those absolutely HORRIBLE clipless Sampson road pedals.

I thought for sure Sampson had vanished off into oblivion along with Suntour. But then I read this over on Belgium Knee Warmers: Sampson presents an all-new road grouppo! Two new road grouppos, in fact! One to compete at the Dura-Ace level, and the other the more affordable option.

Wow. Or maybe, yikes?!

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A Reluctance to Kill?

2008-02-26T09:26:00.001-05:00

In World War II, only 15-20 percent of combat infantry were willing to fire their rifles. In Korea, about 50 percent. In Vietnam, the figure rose to over 90 percent.

Over the last few nights I've been reading "On Killing: The Psychological Cost of Learning to Kill in War and Society" by Lt. Col. Dave Grossman. It's interesting, but maybe more disturbing. You will definitely feel uncomfortable at times. And by the way it reads, I'm guessing this book is required reading by anybody that teaches self-defense classes.

"Any man who is a man may not, in honor, submit to threats of violence. But many men who are not cowards are simply unprepared for the fact of human savagery. They have not thought about it (incredible as this may appear to anyone who reads the papers or listens to the news) and they just don't know what to do. When they look right into the face of depravity or violence they are astonished and confounded." - Jeff Cooper, criminologist.

Of course there are people out there who want to hurt you, even kill you. Avoiding these people is probably your first and best defense. Followed by limiting your chances of encountering said bad people. You know, don't walk down a dark alley alone at 2 in the morning, for instance.

But Grossman writes about fighting on a personal level all the way up to full blown war.

"As we have seen before, death from 20,000 feet is strangely impersonal and psychologically impotent. But death up close and personal... can be hideously effective at sapping the will of the enemy and ultimately achieving victory."

While the United States was fruitlessly bombing North Vietnam, the North was efficiently murdering the infrastructure of the South, one by one in their beds and homes.

According to AP news articles, we have seen this [effectiveness] in Rwanda, where the Hutu tribesmen made their Tutsi victims purchase the bullets they would be killed with in order to avoid being hacked to death. But here Grossman was talking about warfare at "Bayonet Range"... intimate brutality.

In the last section he goes into contemporary civilian society, and how the media is disturbingly copying the army's conditioning techniques and (according to Grossman), is responsible for our rising rate of murder, especially among youth.

"...As a society we have become systematically desensitized to the pain and suffering of others. We may believe that tabloids and tabloid TV make us exceedingly conscious of the suffering of others as they spread the stories of victims. But the reality is that they are desensitizing us and trivializing these issues as each year they have to find increasingly more bizarre stories to satisfy their increasingly jaded audiences.
We are reaching that stage of desensitization at which the inflicting of pain and suffering has become a source of entertainment: vicarious pleasure rather than revulsion. We are learning to kill, and we are learning to like it."

This could not be more true. Just look at the way the media handles recent atrocities, it's like a free-for-all with no commercial interruptions! Virginia Tech massacre, or even closer to home, the Kirkwood City Council shooting. Should the media not cover these stories? Geeze, you tell me.

I'm not going to go on a gun control soap-box here or anything, that's hardly what this post is about. If you've even read this far. Sure blaming the media is only Grossman's argument and opinion, but he has a strong case for sure.

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Smaller than Smart.

2008-02-25T09:43:00.000-05:00

The G-Wiz is smaller than the Smart Car. It's an electric car that gets about 48 miles per charge, with a top speed of 50 mph! However, unlike the Smart Car, it is not available for sale in the USA. Yet another car designed here (in California), but not for sale here.

Parking would be a snap in that thing! Carrying another person and stuff, would not.

Still not convinced? How about a G-Wiz with three skinny models draped around it.

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Grand Canyon National Park

2008-02-23T10:19:00.000-05:00

"The one site every American should visit in their lifetime." - Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., 26th President of the United States.

Yes, the Grand Canyon is amazing and majestic and blah, blah, blah... But my motivation behind this post is a bit more on the morbid side.

So, something like the second leading cause of death in Grand Canyon Nat'l Park (after heart attacks), is people falling to their deaths. That's right. Tourists going too close to the edge, and falling to their death!!!

I can't get over this factoid.

Oh look, there's an insanely high cliff, let's go run over to it! Now, I know as a kid this kind of behavior is second nature. But through tough lessons, most of us learn not to do these kinds of things, or at least weigh the risk vs reward.

Here is a story from earlier this month! From KPHO TV in Phoenix.

GRAND CANYON, Ariz. -- The body of a man believed to have fallen off the edge of the Grand Canyon has been recovered from approximately 300 feet below the rim at an undeveloped view point on the South Rim.

National Park Rangers identified the victim as Mihaly Szabo, 44, of Ypsilanti, Mich.

Rangers said they first noted what appeared to be an unattended vehicle in the Buggeln picnic area on Wednesday afternoon.

Investigators said they determined that the car was a rental and had recently been abandoned.

A ground search began on Friday. A chair, camera and other personal items believed to belong to the driver of the vehicle were located near a picnic area, according to the rangers.

Searchers reported conditions at the rim as very icy in the area.

A technical search team was deployed and found Szabo's body about 300 feet below the rim, rangers said.

Due to oncoming darkness, the body was stabilized and plans were made to retrieve the body in the morning.

A helicopter rescue team recovered the body late Saturday morning.

The body has been taken to the Coconino County Medical Examiner’s Office in Flagstaff where an autopsy is pending.

In early October, a 4-year-old girl became the youngest person ever to fall from the canyon's rim and die.

The girl fell near Mather Point and her father immediately scrambled down the cliffs to reach her. The child's body was recovered from a spot about 400 to 500 feet below the rim.

Fifty-three people accidentally fell to their deaths from the canyon rims between 1925 and 2005, according to Michael Ghiglieri and Thomas Myers, authors of Over the Edge: Death in Grand Canyon.

Some areas at the rim are not protected by railings.

The majority of the deaths in the canyon are cardiac-arrest related due to exertions from hiking, according to the park's emergency services personnel.

That's messed up... I'm just sayin'. OK, after typing up this post, if I die a foolhardy death, you totally have my permission to laugh at my funeral. Um, not that I could do anything about your laughter anyways.

Recommended reading: Deep Survival, by Laurence Gonzales.

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Giro Pneumo Repaired!

2008-02-21T19:30:00.000-05:00

Thanks Giro!

If you haven't yet experienced Giro's warranty program; it's great! Some years ago (2003 maybe?), I broke two (2) Pneumos and Giro replaced them immediately, no questions asked! They didn't even request we ship the broken helmets to them. Well oiled machine, they are. Giro helmets all the way!!!

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Lunar Eclipse!

2008-02-21T10:00:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone got to step outside last night to see the total lunar eclipse. Last visible from North America until December 2010.

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Now, back to these satellite transmitters attached to critters.

I was quietly laughing, or is that giggling? I don't want to say I was giggling... that's like using the word "cute". I'll leave the giggling up to my nieces. As I was saying, I was amused in a hushed way by this bit of information in the article from my last post:

"Scientists followed the godwit, known as E7, via a satellite transmitter implanted in her abdomen."

You say "implanted" and I envision the poor creature is cut open and the transmitter is stuck in there. But I don't think that's really the case. There's a transmitter on a Godwit (above), and that doesn't look "implanted in her abdomen". And isn't the abdomen the belly? That looks like it is stuck on the bird's back. Besides, slicing open a Godwit seems a little out of line.

Hey, get that thing off my back!

Solar powered satellite transmitter... pretty small. Alfermann said he's attaching one of these to his new Orbea, so he can watch his progress from outer space. With yellow cake.

That's a big turtle.

Want more? Then click here.
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Amazing Feat of Flight!

2008-02-16T20:00:00.000-05:00

Trip out on this!!

From Wildlife Conservation magazine:
(April 2008, Vol. 111, Number 2)

The Bird That Flies Forever

Last September, researchers tracked a female bar-tailed godwit as she flew nonstop from Alaska to New Zealand, 7,250 miles across the Pacific. The trip took 8.2 days and is the longest known continuous flight of any bird. Scientists followed the godwit, known as E7, via a satellite transmitter implanted in her abdomen.

A small shorebird, the bar-tailed godwit (above) breeds in the Artic and spends the austral summer in New Zealand and eastern Australia. How these birds get to their southern sites used to be something of a puzzle. Since few of the birds are seen on land once they leave the north, scientists suspected that they made the journey in a single haul. But the thought of a godwit, which weighs a tad more than a pound, traveling over the largest ocean without stopping seemed incredible.

Not anymore.

Flying such a baffling distance requires sufficient fuel and some physiological streamlining. A few weeks prior to their departure, godwits gorge on marine invertebrates. They bulk up to the point where their fat stores make up more than half their weight. Then, just before they leave, their gizzards and intestines whither to almost nothing. At takeoff, the birds are little more than brain, fat, and flight muscle.

Once in the air, godwits take advantage of strong tailwinds that help blow them south. E7, for instance, flew at an average speed of 35 miles per hour, according to Bob Gill, a scientist with the US Geological Survey in Alaska and one of the leaders of the study. E7 probably used polarized light to navigate during the day, which would allow her to key off the sun even under cloudy skies. At night, she likely relied on the stars. When she needed to rest, she may have shut down one side of her brain at a time, as mallard ducks are known to do, flying on a sort of autopilot.

Sadly, this natural feat may be in jeopardy. This year, close to 70,000 godwits made the trip with E7, but those numbers are less than half of what they were in the 1990s.

"Part of the concern comes from the loss of habitat at the staging grounds when they fly north," says Phil Battley of Massey University in New Zealand. Staging grounds are the crucial stops where tired birds can rest and refuel, sometimes for weeks at a time. The godwit follows the east Asian coast on its way to Alaska. Its resting sites are near the Yellow Sea between mainland China and the Korean peninsula, a region that is home to some of the largest land reclamation projects in the world. Drained wetlands mean no food.

"Almost every godwit from New Zealand will go through those areas," says Battley. So, what governments can do about the wetlands - whether they can work out ways to preserve them - will go a long way to determine the future of this far-flung traveler.

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Bearded Dogs & Broken Pneumos...

2008-02-15T13:25:00.000-05:00

I sat down thinking I had something to type up. But now I'm not so sure. So bear with me here:

Be wary if you ever go visit Tosh; for this is how he greets you at the front door! Then again, he probably saw me standing there with my camera out like a jackass. Tosh, quite a character, the only guy I know to sweep at Gateway Cup. Yes, it was in Cat. 4, but he won all 4 days in a row... it was nuts. Not sure if his feat has been repeated or not, in any category? It caused quite a stir. Emotions ran high. Name calling like "sand bagger" were heard. But it didn't matter, Tosh was merely introducing himself to St. Louis.

My trusted Giro Pneumo is falling apart a little more with each passing day! I like the Pneumo a lot, it fits my noggin' super comfortable. And I didn't think the Atmos was much of an improvement over the Pneumo. Now we have the Ionos... that $225 travesty is out of control. Again, I don't think it is a huge improvement over the Pneumo. Maybe it protects better - maybe? But style-wise, not an improvement at all. Well, okay, the back of the Ionos is pretty slick. But neither the Atmos or the Ionos are as slender looking as the Pneumo. I looked closely at the Ionos at InterBike, and I asked the guy there how much it cost, and was like "damn, dawg!"

So, now my Pneumo is a broken, beat down, hollow shell of its former self. And now those pointy little broken pieces of plastic enjoy poking me in the back of the head. Hey you! Yeah you! Poke! Poke! Poke! I know, I know, time for a new helmet. I think I'll stick with the Pneumo.

---------

One Messed Up Story

2008-02-12T14:30:00.000-05:00

In this case it was the cyclist that may have been drinking! Check out the video... actually it's not very interesting and doesn't tell you anything different from the text. But man, WTF? I get the impression that a lot of these car/cyclist bang-ups that are in the news... most of them are not "cyclists" like when we think of cyclists. But every now and then they are; like when Shawn O'Neal and company were ran off the road in Chesterfield recently. I don't really know what I'm getting at here, I'm just rambling. I apologize if you have made it this far and want the one minute of your life back. No refunds here on the 'Drool!

------

13th Tour de Langkawi

2008-02-07T11:26:00.000-05:00

Feb. 7-17

From last year's Langkawi. Who's that in argyle? None other than Missouri's Huffy USA, of course!

Malaysia... what a strange place for a significant bike race. Well, no stranger than Qatar, I suppose. According to the start list, it looks like the only USA racer this year will be Colorado's Ian Macgregor (Team Type 1).

Chris Horner won in 2000 while on Mercury, and Tom Danielson won in 2003 on Saturn. I remember Danielson's win getting a lot of buzz, but I don't recall much fanfare when Horner won? What's up with that? Or maybe my memory just sucks. But we all know what they have gone on to accomplish. So is this little stage race a definitive springboard for greatness? Maybe the Tour of Missouri will become THE race to do as a tune-up before Worlds? That would be cool. ...wishful thinking perhaps.

(Images from www.cyclingnews.com)

-----------------

2008 Tour of Missouri

2008-02-06T18:30:00.000-05:00

Tour of Missouri

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Ghetto Fabulous!

2008-02-05T18:30:00.000-05:00

Okay, don't judge me too harshly (auto man, TK)... but how does a bike rat fix his car? With bike parts, of course!!

So, last week my parking brake cable broke, and parking on any kind of hill became a serious hassle. I looked up "parking brake cable 1992 Toyota 4-Runner" on eBay and those cables were going for about 30 bucks.

Instead of that horse shit, we used a tandem bicycle (for length) brake cable, which I thought was all good in the 'hood. But of course Alex had to take it to the next level. Instead of using the original cable attachment, he suggested a V-brake arm! I was like, "dude, are f**king kidding me with that?!" He convinced me it would be under far less stress on the car than it is under use on the mtn. bike. I thought it over for about 30 seconds and said WTF.

Parking brake handle.

V-brake attachment... this is about directly underneath the front passenger seat.

V-brake attachment... this is about directly underneath the front passenger seat. Gotta say, it works like a charm!

Brake cable: $1.25
V-brake arm: free off beater bike
Labor: 45 minutes?

Using bicycle parts to fix your car? Priceless.

OK, so you might not want to park behind me on a steep hill. Or park near me at all: Big Shark's Aaron Inch learned this the hard way. I'm telling you... I'm having car issues, but it's not so bad.

------------------

Crap...

2008-02-04T10:26:00.000-05:00

...this thing is still here?

So what's up?

- I ran out of gas for the first time in my life. That was interesting. I joke you not, I was rescued by a nice couple in a Toyota Prius!!! I kept waiting for them to lecture me, but they never did. Good people. They made me smile. And I don't smile much. Their dog kind of scared me though.

- I didn't know that Wild Oats had been bought out by Whole Foods. Huh, I need to get out more! Or grocery shop at more places other than Schnucks.

- The Giants won the SuperBowl; did I read that right? I didn't watch the game, so when I checked CNN.com tonight I was quite surprised!

- I offered Schvonzie $100 down and a coupon to Smoothie King for his 58cm C'dale System6... he said no. I don't know why? LOL

- Road ride outside with Joe Williams a few days ago. We talked about Froze Toes. I think that will be the extent of my "Winter Worlds" success... talking about it.

- Rusty P and I had a long, complicated discussion about Libertarians. It gave me a headache. I'm fairly certain I did not know what either of us had talked about.

- I laughed at the local TV news coverage of Chelsea Clinton's visit to the STL area when they showed her speaking and some buffoon yelled "YEAH CHELSEA!" inappropriately loud and in the middle of her quiet speech. She didn't flinch or acknowledge said yeller.

- Sold a bunch of crap on eBay. I played fast and loose with the shipping charges (didn't charge nearly enough) and totally screwed myself b/c the shipping was almost as much as the junk I sold. I walked out of the Post Office cussing up a storm.

- Troublesome fish. Alex said his fish tank was leaking, so I told him to take mine. He offered to buy it. I asked him what he would do with my fish, and he said, "flush them down your toilet." I said, "come on, man!" And told him to give me enough time to take my fish back to the pet store. Today he called and he said the leak was only in the filter, so he'll buy a new filter. And my fish get to live another day.

- Tom Boonen's dominance at the Tour of Qatar should have his competition nervous going into the Spring Classics. Do you think he will get another Paris-Roubaix?

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Changes in the weather

2008-01-14T11:00:00.000-05:00

Saturday was cloudy and warm. Sunday was sunny and cold. I got outside for road rides both days, but neither really amounted to much more than pedaling around slow and looking at the scenery that is Saint Louis. Saturday I did the tour of U. City. Or rather through downtown Clayton, Old Bonhomme Rd. up to Olive (by Stacy Park), to Warson north turns off to Ashby, to Midland, to Delmar, and back through Forest Park. Sunday I totally wussed it, heading back in after about an hour. Apparently, I have forgotten how to dress appropriately in accordance to the weather. I need to be more like TK, and hit it hard when riding outside.

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Future Bikes: Part Deux!

2008-01-08T11:32:00.000-05:00

I want a Nulla bike!

These hubless, spokeless concept bikes are so cool! Reminds me of the Zero bikes. Designed by Bradford Waugh. The bike was close to going into production for 2009, but the backer... well, backed out. Maybe somebody else will swoop in?

Oryx... cool crank.

Oryx.

This Cube bike is awesome! You can read more about it: HERE

This costs $7,500 but that's still less than a Toyota Prius! Heck, less than a lot of current top-end road racers.

Ride home in the rain and stay dry. Interesting cockpit.

This is for real - A bicycle vending machine in Amsterdam!

You can read more about it: HERE

It doesn't look like it folds all that small, if you ask me... And those tiny wheels! I doubt the ride quality of this bike would be very good.

Suitcase bike.

Snowmobile bike.

Really bitchin' !

Link to: Innovate or Die contest... check it out it rocks the cosmos!
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Future Bikes:

2008-01-07T10:17:00.000-05:00

Not much of a wind screen.

Goes 30 mph... if you dare.

Goes 30 mph.

Cargo in the front.

Rental bikes, the Barcelona way. A great idea.

Not so much.

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Get your road trip on!

2008-01-05T10:56:00.000-05:00

Sunrise over Indy. On Friday I had to drive to Indianapolis to pick up some bikes from Bike Garage Indy. I left STL at 3 AM to be back in STL around lunch time... I was back at The Hub right at 12:45 PM.

Okay, so maybe this doesn't really fall under "road trip" status... it's not like a drive to Maine or California or anything whack like that.

Load 'em up! The Dodge Caravan is not half bad for highway driving.

Almost back. That big yellow sign for the new casino is UGLY! Gotta be temporary? Hopefully.

---------------

Get your Rol on!

2008-01-01T15:38:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year everyone!

On to the new wheels:

I guess around late November or early December? Schmatz and TK pointed me in the direction of Rol wheels when I was looking for a do-it-all wheelset that wouldn't break the bank.

I've been pedaling around on the Rol Volant's for a bit over two weeks now, and I can assure you that these wheels are SMOOTH. Despite the rude wake up call informing me of my piss-poor level of fitness right now; reminding me that I did not own a road bike for a couple of months... The bike and the wheels are definitely not my problem.

True to the idea that not noticing your equipment during a ride means it is good and working well -- I would say the Rol Volant's are deluxe. On my most recent ride, the only thing that was nagging for attention was the shifting of the rear derailleur... it was off just a bit and would "clickity-clack" around until satisfied. But as I was coasting down a deserted Olive Blvd. into downtown, I was thinking about how quiet the wheels are. Or maybe that I had gotten used to the not-so-quiet Chris King wheels I had a few years ago. It is really nice to have quiet wheels, let me just say. While the Chris King hub does make a unique and distinct sound (loud!), I got to a point where it drove me crazy. And I would mumble to myself like Milton Waddams of Office Space wishing it quiet. I ended up selling the King wheelset to some guy in Iowa that was going to use them for Cyclocross. Probably a better application for them than road biking.

On the first ride, I got the impression that the Volant's were surprisingly stiff, and maybe not very forgiving. But I thought that might be a good thing? Trade a little comfort for performance. However, now I think that impression might be a bit off the mark. While cruising over the cracked and bumpy streets of downtown St. Louis - again, I barely noticed the wheels. But when it's time to sprint for a yellow light (don't think you can call what I do "sprinting"), or jam up and over a little rise, the wheels are more than eager to get up to speed. In fact, I think the wheels pretty much hate me for crawling around town on them at 15 mph all day long.

For MSRP $379, the Volant's are a steal. And I'm fairly convinced that Rol founder, Sean Lambert, is basically making no money from his wheels right now. I hope that's not the case, but, damn. The RaceSL wheels which are +/- 50g the same weight as Mavic Ksyrium SL's and are crazy less expensive than the Mavic's.

I guess what I'm saying is: Check them out for yourself, they're nice wheels!

--------

Where to go?

2007-12-31T01:45:00.000-05:00

I skipped out on a lunch invitation to Dewey's Pizza so I could go riding outside. Believe me, not an obvious choice for this fatty! But I decided, "just how much can a person eat over the holiday season before exploding?" Turns out Dewey's was closed and they went to Blueberry Hill instead. No burger for me. Which is probably for the best. Went on a much needed ride to the Gateway Arch and up the River Front Trail for a ways.

I was stopped at a red light on Olive Blvd. and was staring at this sign, thinking, "that's weird, man." Snapped a quick pic and continued on. I really hope I never need this place.

I rode past this at first, deciding I couldn't be bothered to take a picture. But then circled back, because the Agusta F4 is not a bike you see everyday. Or at least not me anyway. Cool machine. Right up there with Ducati, if not more of a boutique-bike? (Please ignore my reflection in the window.)

Been trying for awhile now to get a decent picture of the Arch. Or every time I ride down to this National Monument. Maybe it's my tiny camera or lack of photography skills, or both. But it seems like mission impossible to get a good shot of the sucker. I like this shot OK.

I didn't mean to take this... was turning off the camera to put it away. Damn all the million tiny buttons on these things!

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention -- when I got to the north entrance of the Arch grounds there were police every where, and an officer stopped me to ask where I was planning to go. I told him the base of the Arch, and asked him what was going on. He asked that I please go around. Because there was a suspicious bag left unattended. He pointed towards a black suitcase, about the size of a carry-on piece of luggage, leaned up against a trash can. I hastily rode away, but momentarily considered the horror of getting blown up. What was the address to that artificial limb store again?

-----------------------------

Give blood...

2007-12-26T14:18:00.001-05:00

...get a t-shirt. Cool long sleeve Tee though. So, head on over and get yourself a t-shirt: American Red Cross StL.

(you've gotta feel bad for the sorry sap that gets my blood.)

-----------------

Merry Christmas

2007-12-24T12:00:00.000-05:00

deviant art.

Not to be confused with, Lloyd Christmas:

Finally got my tree up... whew!

---------

Artwork in your coffee?

2007-12-22T11:46:00.000-05:00

That is so cool! Sadly, coffee baristas don't do that here in St. Louis. Or at least not that I have stumbled across.

Once, while visiting a friend in Portland, OR we were at a coffee shop and I didn't even notice the fancy artwork of my morning beverage until I got back to the table. And I tripped out on it for probably a good few minutes, just staring at it. It was no lion, like above, it was a leaf design, that looked more like THIS. I suppose such things are reserved for coffee havens like the Pacific Northwest?

Here's the link to the Lion Mocha. And while you're at it, check this out!

----------

A reprieve (in the weather).

2007-12-21T19:00:00.000-05:00

I managed to sneak outside this afternoon. Glad I'm not going westbound on Hwy 40 in a car. Looking down from Tamm Ave. bridge; traffic was creeping! And it was around 1:00 pm maybe? Oh, it is going to get worse around here... much, much worse!

The inaugural ride for the CAAD8. Everything was good. True to form, the 58cm Cannondale fits like a glove. The shifting was crappy, as is to be expected on a first ride. When I was building it up at the shop, I got a lot of comments like, "You're going to hate that thing switching from a carbon bike" or "That bike is going to suck!". Well, thanks guys. Initial impressions? It definitely feels more lively (and quick) compared to the CR1. The ride is not harsh at all, as some attribute to C'dale CAAD bikes. I have a 110 stem on there right now, and I think *maybe* could go a bit longer? The bike loves being thrown into tight turns, and I can only guess it's going to be right at home in crits. The bike wanted to GO! Unfortunately, the rider couldn't really help out in that department today. Fatty, slow poke. Big thanks to TK, and new dad DS, for the hook up on the Rol Wheels - Sweet! The wheels are sick! If they're in the same category as say, Mavic Ksyrium Elites or Shimano Ultegra SL pre-builts... they blow either away, easily. With upgraded spokes and bearings, they are super slick, and at a price point the competition can't touch.

Hey, isn't that where Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani, crashed for a night? Yep.

When that guy saw me taking a picture he said, or rather yelled, "I've caught 18 so far today! On my own lures... wanna see my lures, I make them myself." I hope he doesn't eat the fish he catches - yuck. But it looked like catch-and-release. Forest Park was looking good, as usual. The traffic in there is kind of busy though, for a park and all. And I love it that drivers get impatient with you IN A PARK, asshats.

--------------------

Holy Sh*t!

2007-12-20T12:43:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite novels, "Blood Meridian Or the Evening Redness in the West," by Cormac McCarthy, is slated to be a movie in 2009 with Ridley Scott as Director. Wow, I can't think of a better director for the project, except maybe Terrence Malick.

Ridley Scott, with Gladiator and Black Hawk Down, should really be able to bring across the atmosphere of violence that is the backdrop of the novel. Let's just hope they get the cast right!

Unreal. "No Country for Old Men" by the Coen brothers, which I thought was beyond fantastic. Never mind the popular criticism of how the film ended. I had no issue with that. Thought it was great... wouldn't change a thing.

A lot of people refuse to see the movie of their favorite novel or book, for fear it will have received the typical Hollywood treatment, or will ruin their fondness of the book. Not me! If I love the book, a bad movie won't change that. If anything, I will forget the movie, but the book will remain lingering in memory. Usually, I enjoy seeing the challenges the director and screen writer faced transforming the book to screen.

The most widely received, and equally accepted, book/movie, that everyone seems to love, that I can think of at the moment, is "Fight Club". If the movie not being more popular, and bringing cult-like status to author, Chuck Palahniuk. Annoyingly enough, I had to read "Fight Club" for a fiction writing class a couple of years before the movie ever came out. Nothing like school and classroom discussion to ruin a good book for a person. I remember being both surprised and amused at the popularity the movie brought. Let's be honest here, Palahniuk was not exactly a household name before Brad Pitt became Tyler Durden. Now, if they would only make "Choke" into a movie (joking).

But back to McCarthy... You'd think I'd know this, but I really didn't. The thread over on the STLBiking Message Board about "Bladerunner" had me thinking and wondering about the year that movie came out (1982!!), and it got me clicking around... and I saw "Blood Meridian (2009)" listed under Ridley Scott's movies, and I was struck dumb, "holy shit!" Hence the title of this moronic blog post.

You know, sitting through the ridiculous amount of previews they show at movies these days before they get the to movie you paid to see - at "No Country for Old Men", I was quietly thinking to myself, "why didn't they make 'Blood Meridian' into a movie?" Well...

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Christmas Cookies

2007-12-19T10:23:00.000-05:00

Dangerous stuff.

----

Speed of Sound

2007-12-17T01:51:00.000-05:00

The other day I got an email from Chris Miller, Hub Racing Team member, and Boeing employee. He is out in California this winter working on some heinous (shockingly evil...haha), electronic warfare equipment.

From Chris:
"Dan, I work with the instrumentation system that is installed on the jet, that we use to capture data that tells us how the system is performing.

The aircraft itself is an electronic warfare bird. It's primary mission is to jam radars and ground sites, so other heavier equipped fighters/bombers can come in and BLOW everything up!

Happy Holidays,

Chris"

I like the "happy holidays" part. BLOW SHIT UP!!! Oh yeah, and happy holidays.

Sounds like a good time, all around... Chris has some good cycling stories from SoCal too... he said he ran into Arjuna Flenner, (of Columbia Bicycle Club fame), on a group ride out there. He said everyone is crazy fast, and group rides usually mean riding back in alone. Been there, my friend.

-----------------------

first snowfall.

2007-12-15T11:17:00.000-05:00

Well, it looks like St. Louis might get a white Christmas after all. That, or this snow will all melt and Christmas day will be sunny and 63?

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SUPER REX! BIGGER & BETTER!

2007-12-13T11:48:00.000-05:00

"...just a completely ferocious animal"

Haha, I like the London double-decker bus used for scale. Because a bus full of Londoners does make for a satisfying meal?!

It looks like Spielberg will have some new-and-improved dinos for Jurassic Park IV. Although, I'm fairly certain I never saw 2 and 3.

Big teeth. Suddenly a Great White doesn't seem too bad.

------------

Bicycle Bits & Pieces

2007-12-11T16:46:00.000-05:00

C'dale CAAD8 + Ultegra = Crazy Delicious

Nothing like New Old Stock to brighten up your week. A 2006 model year, brushed aluminum 58cm Cannondale CAAD8 (Note the 'Williams Metal Works', work stand... word up!)

Ultegra SL bits and pieces... and a DA rear der.

Ultegra SL crank... RP and I had a long discussion regarding how silly "Ultegra SL" is. What's next? 105 SL and Dura Ace SL? So, of course I have to agree how stupid a grouppo it is - and then of course go out and get it. You know what's up!

So, back in mid-October, in a solid plan of tomfoolery, I sold my Scott CR1 to some sucker in the Lone Star State for a pretty penny. Way more than I thought I'd get for it, anyway. eBay is crazy, people. Crazy. The plan was to sell the Scott with the idea of getting a Scott Addict R4... but then reality bitch slapped me across the face! Well, that, and the outlandish prices of Scott HMF carbon fiber. Out of my price range. I was without a bike. Options were mulled over. None of them were all that great. Never mind the "wait" period for Scott bikes right now. You want to order an Addict? Yeah, you won't be getting it until about April (?).

My ever expanding waistline (it's holiday season, and food is in abundance) couldn't wait until late spring. Had to get something. Found this here C'dale... been slowly gathering parts since. Still need some good hoops. That's about it.

Was happy to see this glowing review on the Cannondale CAAD8 over on Belgium Knee Warmers: HERE

Well, if anybody out there has a decent 27.2 seatpost they want to part with, let me know.

---------------

Edge of Existence

2007-12-10T21:10:00.000-05:00

What a strange little creature: Long-eared jerboa.

Is it a mouse? A kangaroo? A rabbit?

First video of rare animal

Another link: Edge of Existence

----------------------

Soap

2007-12-08T17:37:00.001-05:00

Funny this picture came up when I did a Google Image search for "dish soap".

----

More about... Ninjas

2007-12-06T18:09:00.000-05:00

I had the gmail window open, and the sidebar Google search thingy was going strong and through it's demented widget suggested I go to "more about ninjas"... cracked me up.

Their keyword optimizer isn't too shabby though. I had an email open about the band The Ginger Ninjas, so it wasn't that far off the mark.

Evidently, the band is touring N. America next year all by bicycle. No support trucks, etc... all self-supported, including a pedal-generated amplifier?! Nice. While I am not familiar with their music; at least they have their transportation system down.

On an unrelated note: Dirk Sprogue has eagle-eye vision! He spotted me today from down the street in an unfamiliar (to me) neighborhood, and gave a wave. I waved back, but thought "how the hell did he see me from way down there?" Can't be anonymous in this small mid-west city. Watch your back, jack... somebody is always watching!

(photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/8pril/528575080/)

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"Call it, Friend-o"

2007-11-30T10:03:00.001-05:00

AWESOME

------------

Very Dangerous

2007-11-18T23:03:00.000-05:00

That's right, Ice... Man... I am dangerous

Ranked Most Dangerous

1. Detroit, Michigan
2. St. Louis, Missouri
3. Flint, Michigan
4. Oakland, California
5. Camden, New Jersey
6. Birmingham, Alabama
7. North Charleston, South Carolina
8. Memphis, Tennessee
9. Richmond, California
10. Cleveland, Ohio

I think St. Louis used to be #1? Oh well, can't be number one all the time.

Twisted Numbers

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A screwdriver?! "Bike Rage" in Toronto

2007-11-12T10:52:00.000-05:00

Wow, this had to be one pissed off cyclist!

I know we've all been there... beyond normal levels of anger toward a motorist; and it would bring nothing but sheer joy to throw them around WWF-style. but most of us can cool our jets and go about our day.

But this guy...

City News

Toronto Star

Police have since made an arrest in an investigation into a stabbing which occurred on Friday, November 2, 2007, at the intersection of McCaul Street and College Street. Yonan Inwia, 34, of Toronto, was arrested ... and has been charged with:
1- Aggravated Assault,
2- Carry a Concealed Weapon,
3- Assault with a Weapon,
4- Weapons Dangerous,
5- Assault Causing Bodily Harm.

--------

Switchback maze...

2007-11-10T20:35:00.000-05:00

Have a few switchbacks! Stumbled across this photo on flickr.

"This shot was taken on the road from Santiago, Chile to Mendoza, Argentina. I counted them, there are 10 visible switchbacks, which makes the total something like 19."

That's crazy... looks like a lot of fun to pedal up or down though.

Link.

-----------------

Dirt Church

2007-11-09T13:52:00.000-05:00

Just getting the word out. This from Ryan Heine:

Greensfelder last Sunday was great. The trails were hard but tacky which made for some fast riding. This week's Dirt Church is offering a double-hitting enduro service: Lost Valley and Matson Hill. Lost Valley is a fun and fast 12 mile loop of forest road and single track. After whipping through that once, we'll ride up the Hamburg & Katy trail to the Matson Hill trail head for a romp on the technical, short and serpentine Matson Hill single track. Then its an easy unwind back to the Lost Valley trail head. I'm not sure on the exact milage but I think that it clocks in above 20 miles. Of course, if some cringe at the thought of spending that much time on a fat tire, they can accept their participant ribbon and head out after lost valley.

With the time change and the long route and the whine of people trying to get back by 9-10 in the morning, we'll move back the meet time to 6:17 AM at the Hub. I'll have all 4 the trays on the dodge working this time so we can carpool out there.

The early start time worked well. Last week we did a nice long ride way out in St. Charles and still was back to the Hub a little past 10. Having tried the homemade tubeless on the fast tracks, I want to put them through the torture.

So this week, we're returning to the old fav, the Chubb Trail. So I'll meet again at the Hub at 6:17 AM which is just before sunrise and should get us to the Lone Elk trailhead just after sunrise around 6:32 - 6:37, for those who just want to meet there. I'll have the space on my car for 3 more so if you want to hitch a ride, Sunday be at the Hub by 6:17 AM.

-----------

Treasures Beyond Imagination

2007-11-08T09:32:00.000-05:00

Quite a shame that King Furby is too busy taking it to the next level to give us new words to add to our limited vocabularies. Fine then, I'll take the responsibility to enlighten our readers (all four of you), with some choice words every good person should know. Today's word is:

Nuannaarpoq - Inuktitut word meaning the taking of extravagant pleasure in being alive.

Jot it down on a napkin. Embrace that word, Furby... but it seems that you already do. I'll take note. While most of your escapades, quite frankly frighten me, some do seem genuinely entertaining. I'll have to try riding up the River Front Trail in the wee morning hours sometime. I don't have lights, but I can probably track some down.

Maybe King Tut had it right. But how could a boy-king be wrong? His tomb had the most magnificent treasures. All during the Golden Age of the Pharaohs. That's the high heat! Not even a Donald Chump of today buried with his yacht and fleet of Ferraris could compare with that.

On a long enough time line we are all insignificant. Where did I read that? I don't recall. Depressing, perhaps... but seems to make sense.

The other day (last night) I asked Alex what the difference is between "XTR" and "XTR Shadow". I didn't know, so I asked. Talk about extravagant living. XTR Shadow is some next-level-ridiculous stuff. Is that carbon fiber on there, or is that faux carbon laminate? You know you want one! Me? Nah, I'm waiting for that carbon Dura-Ace crank due out sometime next spring. Okay, not really, but I did get to drool over it at InterBike, and it is pretty sharp. And by sharp I mean completely unnecessary and won't make you go any faster, but it looks cool.

I find my attention span growing weaker by the day. I have a stack of books, all of which I've started and want to read, but can't seem to read beyond five pages before allowing something (anything!) to distract me. And I can't get back to them. Neglected. I should just put the dust-jackets back on and return them to the U. City Library, and accept my late fees. I don't even live in U. City, but I still have my library card from yesteryear and apparently it NEVER expires. Now that's a sweet membership. Speaking of membership... I have a card to the Richmond Heights Rec. Center, and apparently that never expires either. How great are these places. That card was around $90 for 25 visits, and I never used up the visits, and that was something like two years ago. Went the other day, and yep, still works... but I only have two or three visits left on it. And since we're on the topic of memberships - USA Cycling - now there's a raw deal. How much was that sucker? $75? And that was for road only. I think I did all of five races this year, and three of those five were Tuesday Night Worlds... and that sucker is going to expire come New Years. Talk about a bad return on investment (or poor decision making).

At least give me a $75 sticker... Even the decal has gone to pot. You used to be able to rely on the "USCF" shield in all its red, white, and blue glory with the silhouette out-of-the-saddle cyclist going to town. Now that was a sticker you could slap on your bumper or rear window and roll with! What is it now? That weak sauce "USA Cycling" white rectangle sticker with a wheel... I guess that's OK, but it's no USCF shield of yore.

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Suckle from the Teet

2007-11-05T10:41:00.000-05:00

Maybe Romulus and Remus had it right. But how could they be wrong fathered by the God of War and all that. Not too shabby for feral children.

I guess it's acceptable to act like a wolf if you were raised by wolves. I should have been raised by a pack of hyenas. Perhaps then explanations might make a bit more sense. I doubt the Incredible Hulk turns green upon getting angry. I mean, why the color change? He's not a chameleon. I guess the lingering affects of being caught in a gamma bomb explosion would make you angry too.

Pakistan's emergency declaration seems a bit out of line. Something that Hollywood writers would write about if they were not on strike. The writers want more money from the sale of DVDs... go figure. But with all the fakes coming out of Thailand and Peru they're lucky they're getting anything at all. I see a movie in there already. Me love you long time!

Horse shit. The only thing worse than Pervez Musharraf is watching all-American boy "Tom Terrific" roll over the Indianapolis Colts when with nine minutes to go the Colts had a 10 point lead. Outstanding. I'm not even sure why it upsets me that the Patriots won? I don't care. But I do... I was all bent out of shape last night. And I didn't even bet on the game or anything like that. The Patriots knocked the Rams out of the Super Bowl... the hate still lingers. I'm going to turn green. Or purple from nausea.

It doesn't matter. You know what really bugs me, though? The stop sign in front of my home. Or rather, nobody stopping for the stop sign. People don't just roll this stop sign, they don't slow down at all! Never mind it is in front of a school. The stop sign is run like it's not even there. Maybe the city should take it down? It's a joke. Clearly the intersection is not enforced. I'm sure St. Louis' Finest do in fact have better things to do, but... damn.

Turkey and mashed potatoes season is upon us.

I lost my house key on Lockwood Ave. between S. Rock Hill Rd and Berry Rd. It fell out of my jersey pocket. Or to be more specific, I knocked it out of my jersey pocket while digging around back there for some good eats. Let me know if you find it. It's silver house key with a red plastic cap thingy on it. And now that you know about it, feel free to come in unannounced and take what I don't have. I thank you in advance.

--------------------------

Rags

2007-11-02T11:42:00.000-04:00

Among the many things I neglect and fail to do is buy new clothes.

However, it might be needed as my current batch of clothes has seemingly reached the end of their life cycle. Over the last couple of weeks, all my clothes/towels/sheets, etc, have ripped. And I'm not talking a little rip you can easily conceal... No, no, these are big tears that either need patches (who does that anymore?), or a trip to the dumpster.

My favorite army-style, cargo shorts (over 8 years old) are among the victims. I even twice patched 'em up, only for a new rip to appear somewhere else. They're finished. Yesterday, upon exiting the car, my blue jeans tore from the crotch to the knee. All I could do was laugh. I no longer have any clothes!

I don't pay attention to designer names or the latest clothing trends; although perhaps I should. The majority of the year you'll find me in shorts and a t-shirt... I mean, how complicated is that? And the majority of t-shirts are cycling give-away shirts. I used to try to stay with Levis for all my blue jean needs, but even that brand loyalty has fallen to the wayside.

Now before you accuse me of being a cheap bastard, allow me to defend myself by stating... okay, I have no defense. The most expensive piece of clothing I own is probably a leather belt from Banana Republic. And I never use it. My Adidas bib-shorts are most likely more expensive than any shirt hanging in my closet.

Take for example, the shirt you'll find me in as of late. It was free, of course. A black t-shirt from "David's Guitar Loft" with an Ampeg amplifier logo on the front... The Hub's next door neighbor in Webster Groves. It's a show stopper of a t-shirt. I was stopped by an inquiry regarding guitar lessons, for which I did not have a decent answer, but encouraged them to stop by the shop. ARE YOU READING THIS DAVID? Gimme a fat discount on my next guitar purchase. I am out there advertising... all for you. Okay, not really... But I'll settle for another t-shirt.

Free t-shirts don't seem to be an issue. Free pants/socks/shoes, on the other hand. Looks like I will have to open the wallet wide and go buy some new clothes. Much to my dismay.

Case in point:

Free t-shirts fall from the sky! After writing up this here little post, I venture out for a minute and snatch up two free tees. Boy 'o boy, can't wait to go out and wear my spiffy new "Saw 4" t-shirt.....

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Darn those birds...

2007-10-23T23:27:00.000-04:00

NASA withholds air safety survey results

Or you can always go BIG...

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Tamm Ave. bridge returns

2007-10-20T19:33:00.000-04:00

After a several month disappearing act, the all-new Tamm Ave. bridge is back. While I'm not crazy about the fence siding on the new bridge; it will probably look a lot better when the lights are installed (?).

The Tamm bridge was probably the easiest and most pleasant way (for me at least) to ride into Forest Park. While the bridge was down, the only options to cross HWY 40/64 were Skinker/McCausland, Hampton, and the Science Center tunnel off of Oakland. So I definitely welcome the return of the bridge! The Hampton bridge wasn't too bad going southbound leaving the park, but it was sketchy going northbound into the park, with the westbound Hwy 40 entrance ramp on the park-side of the bridge. I guess Skinker is not all bad, but the Tamm bridge is too easy with no traffic lights, and very little traffic around it.

Today's ride... the weather was darn near perfect. The only downside, if there was one, were all the gnats! A mouthful of gnats was a minor inconvenience for such a nice day.

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More about Dogtown...

2007-10-18T02:27:00.000-04:00

From the Southwest City Journal:

This story is kind of interesting if you care about the history of the 'Dogtown' neighborhood in St. Louis... Otherwise, probably not very interesting.

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Daihatsu bike carrier

2007-10-10T14:57:00.000-04:00

This thing is crazy! More photos on AutoBlog: HERE

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Similar? Not really.

2007-10-08T00:30:00.000-04:00

"Hey, that looks just like The Hub grocery getter. Take a picture of that," Alex remarked at InterBike when we walked past the green and yellow bike designed by Tom Ritchey to assist coffee farmers in Rwanda to bring their product to market.

I thought the two bikes looked similar also. But now that I have them pictured here side by side, they really don't look alike at all. The biggest similarity probably being that they share the green and yellow... and even those tones are not the same. Ritchey said his bike was designed and tested to carry loads of up to 300 lbs. If you saw The Hub grocery-getter in action at the Webster Crit.; I think it's safe to say it too, can carry up to 300 lbs. (when "Hot Rod" Clipp was riding it around with people riding on the back). They both have a single gear up front, and multiple gears in back. Both use mtb. style V-brakes. Hmmm... maybe they're not too different after all?

Only vastly different in purpose! Tom Ritchey's Project Rwanda is very cool, and is taking off quickly. The Hub grocery-getter mostly fetches coffee from Kaldis or Starsucks everyday, or the occasional "El Blanco" burrito from The Natural Fact Deli... While Ritchey's design is cutting delivery time in half for coffee farmers, yielding them more capital sparing their usual loss of freshness due to very slow delivery. But both bikes do have coffee in common. Kind of like a F-15 and a 747 are alike in that both aircraft have wings. I'm an idiot. So, support Project Rwanda, and buy Ritchey components. Ritchey seatposts and stems are awesome anyway! Tom Ritchey talks about his project with Dave Towle on VeloNewsTV: HERE.

As long as we're in that part of the world... I was bummed to read this report tonight. With any luck, no more gorillas get killed in the fighting over there. Visit Wildlife Direct's website, it's interesting, and has a lot of information from folks at the scene; some of their daily reports are amazing.

----------------

You might...

2007-10-05T21:08:00.001-04:00

...not want to surprise or startle this old lady! On a side note, this picture was taken not too far away in Bentonville, Arkansas.

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Fatty McFatterson

2007-10-03T18:52:00.000-04:00

Two pizzas were not enough to eat away my empty soul. After polishing those off; I then attacked everyone else's food. Still not satisfied, I assaulted the birthday party going on behind us there, ate the birthday girl's cake, ruined their "beer garden" fun, opened all her presents, and ate the ones that were edible... which were all of them.

(thanks, Tosh!! Revenge will be mine.)

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More InterBike, and twilight crit.

2007-09-28T13:18:00.000-04:00

Now that's a slick townie bike! Even has a place to attach a kick-stand. Grocery-getter supreme.

Tonight (last night, rather) was the WCSN USA CRITS FINALS at Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino. It was more or less a parking lot crit, but a very slick parking lot crit with a lot of money... backed by main sponsor Rock Racing.

In the men's Pro Race there was an insane $5,000 prime at 2 laps to go, a Kelly Benefits rider won the prime. And Toyota United's Ivan Dominguez won the race. Missouri's own, Brad Huff got in a 3 rider break for a few laps, but Jonas Carney put the entire Kelly Benefits team on the front to chase it down, and after the break was caught KB stayed at the front until the end pretty much.

Eric "I will fart on you" Pirtle after the 'Industry Cup' race... his teammate finished 4th, but EP was caught behind a crash.

Carrie Cash in attendance. She handed me a Heineken, but after a plastic cup of budget red wine from the Big Shark crew... the beer about made me yammie.

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Top Secret Specialized Booth

2007-09-27T22:52:00.001-04:00

Good times, good times...

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InterBike... and 'Cross Vegas'

2007-09-27T04:16:00.000-04:00

InterBike is totally insane! All things bike and more. A little over the top for sure, but way past cool. Any bike-head needs to hit up InterBike at least once. You will not be disappointed, I assure you. Plenty more pics: HERE

After too much time looking at bicycles, whatever do you do... but go watch pros race bicycles. About six miles west of "The Strip" was Cross Vegas, a first time UCI Cyclocross race run by DBCevents, Excel Sports Boulder, and with Dave Towle announcing.

Ryan "Tree Farm" Trebon took out the win, with an aggressive last lap that had the audience roaring. It was a very cool race (and course) to spectate; diminished very little by the crazy bus ride out to the park. It should not take 1.5+ hours to go six miles on a Las Vegas city bus, but leave it up to me (and Alex), and it will. Fu*king idiots.

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Next Level Ridiculous

2007-09-26T02:43:00.000-04:00

Ridiculous gaudy, not ridiculous good.

Yeah... Instead of Texas Hold 'Em, I threw down on some Enchanted Unicorn. That's right. Don't be fooled by its soft exterior, it will fu*k you up!

A simple walk down "The Strip" will treat you to all things dumb: Fake Venice, fake Paris, the water fountain show at the Bellagio, the pirate show at Treasure Island...

Needless to say, the novelty of Las Vegas wears off in about five minutes. Done, done, and done. Now, bring on the 1,000+ booths of InterBike.

On the plus side, I won a staggering $5 on my first pull of a slot machine. Stopped while I was still up, and bought a giant Arizona Iced Tea w/ lemon flavor at the corner Walgreens.
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Sin City.

2007-09-25T11:15:00.000-04:00

Leave for Fabulous Las Vegas this afternoon for InterBike. Never been. Should be a bicycle bonanza. Check out all the new gadgets for 2008. Throw some cards. I'll try to sneak away for a bit to go admire the Hoover Dam... never seen that thing either. The Scott/Shimano rep. said he'd take us to a titty bar... never seen those either. Could be a trip of FIRSTS! I am totally unprepared, and a little frightened I might add. SWAG for everyone!
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Baseball, bicycles, and troublesome fish

2007-09-23T10:43:00.000-04:00

Cards vs. Houston Astros. Cards actually won! 7 to 4... kind of scary at the end there... looked like the Astros were not going to go out without a fight.

Bike racers not racing: Coil spring, Rob D., Tosh... Well, Nick gets excused... he did, in fact, race his bike earlier in the day at the St. Gen Road Race. The road race sounded like a hilly suffer-fest. I would have been dropped in the neutral roll out, if not earlier.

Some people never leave home without their American Express card. Tosh doesn't leave home without his mega, super-duper camera. Apparently, that zoom lens cost more than my car (but that's not saying much). Binoculars be damned, that thing can spot HGH pimples on the ass of Ankiel, and capture the moment!

Evidently, these little gals don't need bicycles. So, a while back I threw out some unneeded furniture and rearranged the living room opening up some space. There was a glaring empty spot on the table, and I dimly thought a fish tank would fill that space perfectly. Yeah, well... crap... little did I know how much of a pain in the ass a fish tank actually is! Nitrides, ammonia, filtration, blah, blah, blah... little bastards. Who knew they needed so much care? Or am I just that inept? Never, ever, give me your pets to take care of while you go away on vacation. You will come back to a dead pet, or pets. It's a small miracle I managed to drive Kayla back to STL from Colorado without incident. Not sure how I pulled that one off? I guess a dog is a bit tougher than tropical fish. Stupid fish. Next time I'm getting a hawk.

--------------------

WTF?! Noooo

2007-09-20T18:25:00.000-04:00

Landis loses; appeal uncertain

He's almost certain to appeal, right? Wow, and the hits just keep on comin'...

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Tour of Missouri... damn nation!

2007-09-20T09:47:00.000-04:00

I've been wondering what to say that hasn't already been said about the first edition of the Tour of Missouri. Other than it was really cool. But that's just stating the obvious. But I love to state the obvious.
The time racers take before and after each stage to talk with the fans and sign autographs is very impressive... especially after the stage when you would think they'd be tired (and grumpy if the stage didn't go the way they wanted). But everyday, they were out there, very accessible to the fans. Now that's SoPro!

One thing is for sure: The Tour of Missouri was not very nice to its Missouri racers. Dan Schmatz taken out by a wayward armadillo, and Brad Huff's spectacular crash in the final sprint of the final stage in St. Louis. Definitely not the way us Missourians wanted it to pan out, but the mere fact that these guys were in the race was reason enough to celebrate. Very cool. And with Schmatz's departure from professional racing; winning the final stage would have been an epic swan song.

Either way, having Dan Schmatz, Brad Huff, and Brian Dziewa in there only made the race that much more exciting!
Huff, still smiling... even after his frightening crash. A true warrior.

A quick chat with announcer Dave Towle after Stage 6 revealed his impressions of the race: I asked him how he thought it stacked up against California or Georgia, and he said, "In it's first year, it's already as good as Georgia; which is huge." He said he thinks it will be back next year for sure.

After Stage Six the Hub'sters pedaled over to Forest Park for a few games of bicycle polo. In true Clipp fashion: yelling, cursing, beer drinking, and falling down ensued.

(All photos, except the above bike polo... from the photog himself, Tosh Yoshino.)

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It's Go Time... Wahoo!!!

2007-09-11T10:00:00.000-04:00

----------------------------------------------

wow'zers... 2008 carbon Shimano Dura Ace crank

-

Gateway to the West

2007-09-10T11:00:00.000-04:00

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We Are The Cyclists

2007-09-05T19:27:00.000-04:00

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Important Research

2007-09-04T14:43:00.000-04:00

...did they really need to do a study?

Mating habits

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Gateway Cup: University City

2007-09-04T01:32:00.000-04:00

University City Corners: In The Loop

(The cat. 3 race through turn one.)

(City Hall towers over the P/1/2 race.)

(The P/1/2 race as seen from the 7th floor.)

(Dirk S. asked that I not post this on Bike Drool - so of course it's getting posted!)

More pix: HERE

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Gateway Cup: The Hill

2007-09-03T02:01:00.000-04:00

Giro della Montagna

(It's even spelled correctly... Ryan and I tried to gank a sign, but they're stuck in the ground pretty good!)

(Doug Loney and Schvonzie await the start.)

(Dan Schmatz and Brian Jensen have a laugh at the start.)

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Gateway Cup: Washington Ave.

2007-09-02T02:55:00.000-04:00

Rolling in the loft district

(Streets of St. Louie.)

(P/1/2 thru the start/finish.)

(A small fleet of the new all-carbon C'dale Super Six... sickness!!)

(Busted! Me taking a picture of Tosh, taking a picture of Jess and family. Schvonzie looks on.)

It was good to catch up with the nomads that are Brian & Jess. Where are they now? Racing in St. Louis, but next... Who knows? TK and Deanna continue to make future cycling champions with Hanna and Tyson torching the kids' races.

I can't close without mentioning this tid-bit: About mid-way through the P/1/2 race when Schmatz was chasing down the breakaway, solo, during a big effort... he nonchalantly said, "hey dan" as he passed. I was thinking, "WTF?!" Who does that? Who can breath during an effort like that, much less bother saying hello? Dan Schmatz ... the man, the myth...

Now, in closing:

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Gateway Cup: Lafayette Square

2007-09-01T02:59:00.000-04:00

Under The Lights

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This morning's ride...

2007-08-30T12:25:00.001-04:00

I woke Alex up at 6:30 a.m. and talked him into a stroll around Forest Park. But I think he was already up, or never went to sleep? Such is often the case when you have little kids around the house. Anyway, after lingering around for a bit, we rolled:

(The Hub man is not even wearing his jersey! That's OK... I was.)

(Purty waterfall. ...doesn't smell so purty, however.)

(Purty creek.)

(The maintenance/utility road on the east side of the MUNY... a short little hill, that will do in a pinch.)

(Police horse. Neigh, neigh. There was a sign, "Beware horses may bite"... no such luck.)

(Since the Tamm Ave. bridge is out... the tunnel under I-64/40 just east of Macklind will have to substitute.)

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You know you want one!

2007-08-28T11:56:00.000-04:00

WTF?! Row Bike

This could be a great addition to your: Magic Wheel

Dope.

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Good weather...

2007-08-26T18:30:00.000-04:00

Nice day, today. A long ride was in order to soak in the day. Went out west, then south... I felt like dookie; but it was so nice out. I didn't bring enough water, but there were plenty of places to refill.

Bottom of the 8th, Cards lead it against ATL, 4 to 1.

(random photo from google images... I think that's in Russia. So, yeah, not from today's ride!)

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Cards vs. Cubs

2007-08-18T20:52:00.000-04:00

Checking out the game right now... Gotta hate the Cubs! The Cards need to kill 'em. But with the Cubs Grand Slam earlier; this graphic might be more accurate:

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route finder

2007-08-17T18:00:00.001-04:00

Lately, I have been going north to northwest on my rides instead of the usual west or southwest. Not sure why, really... maybe because I have it stuck in my wee little mind that Clayton Rd. has become a disaster area with all the construction, and the I-64/40 construction; that traffic on our main cycling artery is now too much. Even though the few times I have ridden Clayton Rd it was fine.

Midland, Old Bonhomme, Hanley... those roads have become my routine the past few weeks rather than Clayton, Conway, or Ladue. I guess it's good to mix things up every now and again? Sometimes I will take Lockwood to Adams past The Hub to Kirkwood Park area which can lead you to some good roads, but often I get bothered by the amount of car traffic on Laclede Station Rd. and Big Bend enough to talk myself out of that route.

I rarely venture down into Jeff. Co. alone, but have a few times. A lot of our typically "low traffic" roads have become anything but... Unfriendly motorists, you know, the guys that shake aluminum baseball bats at you out of their Ford Probe - can ruin your ride... but I guess only if you let those a**holes ruin it.

There was this loop I used to like pretty well, about 60 miles door-to-door, and simple enough... out Clayton Rd. Conway, Wild Horse Creek, Ossenfort/Orville, and somehow wiggle my way back over to Clayton Rd., and head back home. The past few times I tried this, maybe it was the time of day, but there was a sh*tload of auto traffic! So, I thought "screw this!" I'm not going west out Clayton Rd. for awhile... unfortunately, as you know, Clayton Rd. is like THE east-west road for cycling around here... yeah, there's Conway and Ladue, but same-same-but-different.

As far as going north through Clayton, U. City, and all those fine communities... it's pleasant enough, I suppose. There is very little car traffic on Midland, no matter the time of day. How many municipalities do you pass through going north up Midland?? You would be sprinting for city limit signs every other block!

King Furby's rides up the River Front Trail and his Illinois rides seem interesting enough. Across, and a little past the Chain of Rocks Bridge is usually as far as I ever go, when alone at least.

Guess it's time to venture out more? I haven't done many South County rides, except for ages ago when the Stage 1 team rides would leave from Sunset Cyclery by Lindbergh and Watson. I don't know the streets around there too well, but there are some good hills for sure.

I often complain, mostly to myself, that there's nowhere to ride around here, but I'm not being creative enough. Guess I'll go do some laps of Forest Park.

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More on: Tour of Missouri

2007-07-31T11:35:00.001-04:00

From CyclingNews.com:

Eight American squads announced for Missouri

The Tour of Missouri has announced a further eight squads which will join the Tour de France winning Discovery Channel outfit at its September race. Jonathan Vaughters' Professional Continental Team Slipstream powered by Chipotle will join International Tour de Toona winners HealthNet-Maxxis and Toona runners up Toyota-United at the inaugural Tour of Missouri, on September 11-16.

"Professional cycling in the United States continues to grow, and it's reflected in the strength of the American-based teams racing mostly in the western hemisphere," said race director Jim Birrell. "Most of these teams field a strong contingent of the best American riders, as well as top international guys."

The other five new announcements are Navigators Insurance, Colavita-Sutter Homes, Jelly Belly, BMC and the USA National Team. "We look forward to the Tour of Missouri," said Colavita-Sutter Homes director Tom Schuler. "This is a great way to end the season for the top domestic teams. It starts with a quality event with the Amgen Tour of California and ends with a the Tour of Missouri. And, we always look forward to battling the international teams."

According to the race's competition director and former Tour de France rider Kevin Livingston, the race will add six, possibly seven additional teams, made up almost exclusively of internationally-based teams, some which have raced in the Tour de France.

"The BMC Cycling team is ecstatic about participating in the inaugural Tour of Missouri," says Gavin Chilcott, director of the BMC Pro Cycling Team. "These major tours are great for the sport in the United States. We plan on bringing a very strong team that will be suited to the terrain in Missouri. And that team, of course, will feature Missouri-native Dan Schmatz."

Rosters for each team will not be announced until early September.

Tour of Missouri

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