junkyard cross

I went down to Philly for the annual Bilenky junkyard cross race this weekend. I didn't have a camera with me, so I'm just poaching video from www.cxhairs.com. I appear briefly at 3.01 in the first video, getting off my bike and passing four people. Somehow I was the only one without a helmet... It wasn't much of a "race" in the traditional sense (as its location would attest), and I was sitting around drinking beer when my race actually started with my bike on the other side of the junkyard, so needless to say, I did not do so well. At least I had the pleasure of passing people the entire race—that always feels good.

The whole event was super fun organized chaos. I'll be back next year—maybe I will even bring a cross bike, not a vintage touring bike.

Bilenky Junkyard Cyclocross 2010 from In The Crosshairs on Vimeo.

Bilenky Junkyard Cross Helmet-Cam from In The Crosshairs on Vimeo.

Seaver

Seaver Amundson in the baby hoodie, BJBC since day one

Unstoppable

Ran some errands yesterday during the snow and the riding was really good. Once you got some speed you were able to motor right through the slop. The drivers were all freaked out though, and it was bumper to bumper on the main streets. I'm always amazed that here in the Midwest where it snows all winter, a few inchs on the ground still manages to turn the city into a total shit show everytime. Although I will say this though, we were shoveling tonight and I had literally no place to put the snow from our driveway. If it keeps up like this, it's going to become a problem for everyone.



I was cruising down Hennepin with no one behind me and a car ahead, when a lady stuck in parking lot traffic rolled down her window from the oncoming lane and yelled "Not Smart" to me as I sailed past. All I could muster back was an unimaginative "fuck you," and that made me sad. Sad for not having a better comeback, and sad that people think you'd have to be crazy to get around under your own power during adverse conditions.
Have fun sitting in your car, asshole.

Bikes are fucking unstoppable.

Euro Club Speedway Racing

shall we bring this shit to MPLS? Snow Speedway?

Stone Arch Bridge

photo by Chris Leblanc

nice shot during the snow yesterday

Sold Surly Crosscheck Commuter 56cm

SOLD

I've decided to part with my longtime commuter a 56cm Surly Crosscheck


$550
Surly Crosscheck 56cm frame
Salsa La Cruz fork w/canti studs powdercoated to match
Nexus 8 speed internal hub with flat bar shifter
Wheels: Nexus 8 to Salsa Delgado rear, Shimano Deore to Mavic MA3 front
V-brakes, Avid levers
Includes Civia metal fenders (rear mounted)
FSA Gossamer external bearing crankset 175mm
New cables, new housing, new chain
*does not include pedals




prior to sale I stripped bike down and regreased and reassembled. Frame was treated with frame saver every year since it's initial build. I've really enjoyed owning this bike and the idea of selling it stings a little, but I'm at the point with All-City that I need to start getting rid of non AC bikes to make room for new ones.

I am also posting it on Craigslist. If you're interested please let me know

SOLD

Dose of Awesome

fuck.

Heal Up Bryan!

from Bryan my Philly connection:

Dude, Cool Story, Yesterday I raced my first cross race in 11 years. I did it on my Nature Boy wearing my AC colors. I crashed on my first lap, rear wheel slid out on some gravel on the paved section. Now I am wating to find out when I get to have surgery on my fractured and dislocated thumb. Cross Racing sucks, Cool Story Bro!
But I love the bike.
xo-b

Heal up buddy.

Saturday: Trash Bags Pop Up Shop

Had a nice day on the town followed by a nice evening in.


Colossal Cafe





Andy had setup a tent inside Angry Catfish



The new Street Sweeper backpack


my first impressions of it are super positive. This is the next step in Andy really polishing his product. There are two sleeve pockets on either side of the main outside pocket. The outside pocket has a super effective super simple organizational divider. The side flap on the hood is also new.


The back is where the major improvements and difference between this and his earlier work lie. The structure of the back panel is new and more structural and he has added wings to the lower attachment of the shoulder straps. The way the bottom of the bag lays with an empty or small load is my only complaint in regards to how the custom bag he did for me this summer fits. The addition of the wings should remedy that and my bag is already being retrofit with this new detail.

*I was having a conversation with Andy the other day and we were discussing people price shopping him, and the whole thing took me as being very funny. You don't go to a custom frame builder and ask him to match Trek's prices. It's about the process as much as the product, the opportunity to interact with someone and have them build you something specific to your needs. It's not very often in the modern world that you have the opportunity to do that. Or the opportunity to enable someone else to make a days living with a skill they've taken a risk to make available.

The new Dustbin hip pack




Congrats to Andy on a successful first pop up shop.

We also went to Yeti records

It was my first time there and I spent a shit ton.

I bought a bunch of records and two strobe lights.

BMX Video Monday

two Van Homan vids for your Monday pleasure

St. Ides

St. Ides was run on Friday evening. I missed the start of the race due to indifference and a nap, but managed to make the afterparty at Grumpy's downtown. As always for these things once I got to the party and heard about how much fun the racers had I was jealous and cursed myself for being so lazy. Ever since the MMI this spring I just haven't been excited to go racing. I'm starting to feel like I've gotten lucky too many times and that sooner or later my number will be up. The stakes are high and I'm one of the lucky ones that my close calls have all been near misses.


winter cruiser locked up


manifest


Martin's Big Block Proto


awards, note the apologetic face

The big to do was that the first two racers in were Brandon and SK. The problem was that both neglected to put their name on their manifests. Forgetting to do so is rookie move #1, and both have plenty of races under their belts, w/ Brandon being a former winner of Track or Treat. They knew better.

It's a heartbreaking thing for a racer to have ridden his guts out and to lose on a technicality, but for me anyway, the controversy was put to rest when I arrived home and told B.ridge about the evening. Her response to this was something along the lines of "Seriously, was it their first race?"
Exactly.

Props to Brandon and SK for being the fastest out there. I don't remember who won, but I do know that Andy took second and the yellow bag. Everyone seemed to have had a great time.

Role Models

No Jail Time for Hit and Run Driver

If you've been following this story it has now reached a conclusion in the criminal matter.

EAGLE, Colo. -- A hit-and-run driver who plowed into a cyclist in Vail will has been sentenced to probation, community service and making charitable donations -- a sentence that has outraged the victim.

Eagle County District Judge Frederick Gannett on Thursday night sentenced the driver, Martin Erzinger, to 90 days in jail, but suspended the jail time.

Instead, Erzinger, 52, will lose his driver's license for a year and have to take a leave of absence from his Denver hedge-fund manager job and complete 45 straight days of community service. He's also ordered to make charitable donations, instead of paying court fines

Let's hope the victim gets a healthy civil judgement.

read the full article here

Skate Vid

Apologies for the lack of quality posts this past week. It's been a slow news month.