One Upping

DRJ

I love it when I show up at Castlewood and the DRJ is just coming in from a ride. I can usually smell the money before I even get out of the car, Bobby likes cool stuff and I always look forward to seeing the annual blingetry near seasons start. It won't be long, they'll unveil some candy soon. Today, no such luck, the goods must be locked away, in a humidity controlled safe room, at an undisclosed location, without wives knowing Jack's squat about nothin.

Of course, Ploch has had his custom Badger singlespeed for so long it is likely to be coined, "last year" by purists. But who cares? I would have a picture of this bike, one of the best singlespeeds I have seen, but it appears that it was an all "gear day" for the DRJ. Most likely in honor of the Mardi Gras parade. Bobby, still on last years Dos Niner, and a secret combination mismatch wheel style advantage thing going on, said he was being lazy, I think it is early prototype for speed play. All I got to say is this. No matter how dirty my bike gets, how heavy or old, how fat my ass gets, how crickety clank my drive train, I'll always do my part for my boy's at the DRJ. I will make sure Bauer gets his late ass out of bed and on to the trail at least one day a week with the Pfoodman. I still say, there is the DRJ and then there is everyone else when it comes to MTB racing in Missouri. Dick and the Destroyers would get a huge endorsement as well, if they would quiet down long enough to get a word in.

Others

Frankly, it was a bit tough on a singlespeed today, because of the drifting snow on the northern exposures. I love that, what Thrasher said anyway. He said the "northern exposures were drifting", like we were friggin riding Mount Hood or something. I don't argue with Thrasher, because the dude is smart, in fact, he is the smartest man in the world. If you have anything you need to know, anything, just ask this dude. I am totally serious. He is a "how it works" freak. From now on, I will only refer to Thrasher as The Smartest Man in the World. Forget wikepedia, email The Smartest Man in the World and you will get educated.

Love Canal was a bit plowlike. I was on my Karate Monkey and it was damn near not doable. Snow plowing is when your tire washes out, off the trail, and makes you dab, an uncool act of novice not to be seen or talked about. If you dab, forget the slick root thing. Just take it on the chin.

Jim "Johan Django Reinhardt" Sullivan showed up of Ghisallo, also saw Walt Steiner and Jeremy Meitz of Gateway, Rich and the ICCC were out there, again, a bunch of "one upping" going on. Saw Stover, I think, maybe O'guin of Dent Wizard, sure as hell can't miss that truck. Lauren Cavanah. There was a pissed off dad looking for his kid. Bill Howard, always a pleasure seeing him, a Velo Force team member.

Oh, by the way, I love it when people ask me, "Are you doing Froze Toes"? I say, "dude, I just got off a cross bike in December, should I"? I suck when I am at mediocre fitness level and since the weather and work has only allowed me two solid workouts a week since December, and gaging the number of cars in the parking lot on a snowy windy day with wind chills in the teens at Castlewood, I am not going to be at my best until I friggin feel like it. There are lots of races coming up soon, the competition will be incredible. The first Heartland race is next week? Froze Toes on the same day? It is not even March yet.

By the way, the picture of The Smartest Man in the World's face? He thought he was taking a picture of the group, but had the camera pointed the wrong way. Sigh...