Monthly Archives: March 2010

Carson City BMX Open House

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Spring is here, and it’s time to start another season of BMX racing! I’m told the track has been redesigned this year to make it more challenging for the advanced rider, yet still rideable by the beginners.

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Riders at the Gate

The track will be having an Open House this Saturday on April 3rd. This gives parents and kids a chance to try the track for free for a day to see if it’s something they’re going to like. My family did it one season, and I was amazed at how friendly and helpful all the parents and kids were. The kids all wanted to win, but they all jumped at the chance to help a new rider out too.

Carson City BMX Open House – Saturday April 3, 2010 – 1pm to 3pm

The track is located in the Edmonds Sports Complex, 1555 Livermore Lane, at the south end of Carson City, accessed off South Edmonds Drive. MAP HERE.

Carson City BMX also has a new home on the web: carsoncitybmx.com. Check the website to see further details, rules, and dates.

Racing Starts – Sunday April 11, 2010. Sign-ups 9am to 10am.

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Big kids can race too.

Wednesday Night Ride

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Seven riders showed up for a windy, but fun, ride in Ash Canyon Wednesday evening. Unfortunately I didn’t get a picture of everyone on the ride. By the time I remembered I had my camera I was off the back. Fortunately, I was able to get this shot of Jimmy coasting up Baldy Green.

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Thanks to everyone for a great ride

The Lost Coast

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…and now for a Bike Carson special report from the road!

On Tuesday I got to explore a very special section of back country road on the northern California Coast. This area is known as the Lost Coast, and is so rugged that there is very little development. The main road that goes through this area is narrow, very steep, and looks like it was last maintained by the German Luftwaffe during World War 2.

Lost Coast
The Lost Coast

Not surprisingly, these rugged conditions have attracted cyclists. The Tour of the Unknown Coast, a ride that advertises itself as one of the toughest rides in California, uses this stretch of road as part of its 100 mile trek. There were some sections of this road that looked like a cyclists dream, and others that looked like visions from nightmares. Nightmares with pretty scenery. The pictures on the TUC website show riders with skinny tires, but even the smoothest sections of the road looked pretty rough. The bad sections were undulating, uneven, and pocked full of cannon ball size potholes everywhere. There were even a few gravel sections, where I’m guessing the whole road must have washed away.

Lost Coast
The Wall

One particular section of road is so steep, it is known as The Wall. The Tour of the Unknown Coast ride starts this climb at Mile 81.5, and climbs at an 18%-22% grade for 1 mile! Even climbing this road in my little car was tough, and it was steep enough that my dash board cover fell off. I straddled the center line just to make sure my car didn’t fall off the edge. I can’t imagine doing this climb with standard road bike gearing, and it would still be tough in mountain bike granny gearing. Descending was just as bad, and possibly worse if you have acrophobia, since it feels like you’re just going to fall off the edge into the ocean below. If The Wall isn’t enough for the Tour of the Unknown Coast riders, mile 86.7 takes them up “The Endless Hill”. This section has several switchbacks, and climbs for about 8 miles up out of Capetown (not really a town…just a few barns).

Lost Coast
Looking Down The Wall

Once down at sea level, the road mellows out, and you can actually enjoy the scenery. We went as far south as Petrolia, and then took Lighthouse Road along the creek all the way to the beach. There was an excellent campground behind the dunes here that would make a good base camp for cycling adventures. The ideal bike would be light and rigid enough for the road, but have tires fat enough to handle gravel, and several miles of rough pavement.  The area is very remote, but Petrolia did have a few services and supplies.  Almost everyone waved at us too, as if to say, “Congratulations for surviving Mattole Road!”

Lost Coast
Sugarloaf Island as seen from Mattole Road

Bike Carson Photos of the Week

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We’re starting to get some more photos in the Bike Carson Flickr pool, so I thought I better get them up for you. Keep those photos coming!

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View of Carson City by Jesse Richardson

The first photo is from Jesse Richardson, and was taken up on the new Evidence Trail. This is the trail that has everyone talking right now, and is the subject of many photographs.

Jellystone Park
Jellystone Park by Antoine Pethers

Antoine rode all the way to Jellystone Park, only to find that it was closed. Can you imagine? What a bummer! Actually this is part of the Yogi Bear movie set in Auckland, New Zealand. Read the full story over on Bike Friendly North Shore.

Me on the new Trail
Riding the Evidence Trail by Scott Russel

Here’s a shot of me climbing up the new Evidence Trail taken by Scott Russel. What a fun ride! The views from the trail are outstanding.

New Wheels!
New Wheels! by Brent Ruybalid

A shot of Brent’s new American Classic wheelset to make me jealous. I just noticed that the red spoke points to the valve stem. That’s kind of handy.

Log Skinny
The Log Skinny by Jeff Potter

Here’s a photo from Jeff Potter, taken of an unknown rider crossing the Log Skinny on the Creek Trail. A good reminder that if you’re riding up in Ash Canyon, Potter is probably watching you.

Switchback
Switchback by Jeff Moser

And finally, here’s one I took of Scott Russel clearing a switchback on the Evidence Trail. This climbing switchback has given me fits the last half a dozen times I’ve tried it. Scott shows me how it’s done. I easily clear it going down, so I analyzed my descending line yesterday. I’m ready to try it again.

These pictures were selected from the Bike Carson Flickr Pool. Instructions for adding your photos to the pool can be found HERE.

ESPN Urges Motorists to Run Cyclists Down

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Wow. Here’s a story that I saw this morning that stunned me. ESPN’s Tony Kornheiser and his buddies ranted for several minutes on their radio show about how cyclists don’t belong on the road, and actually encourage running cyclists down.

Lance Armstrong has attacked a US radio host on his Twitter page who urged motorists to run down cyclists. Photograph: Bryn Lennon/Getty Images

This show obviously got the attention of many cyclists including Lance Armstrong. Here’s a story I found over on the Guardian: www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2010/mar/18/lance-armstrong-radio-host-idiot

Lance Armstrong has laid into an American radio host who claimed live on air that motorists should run cyclists down. Armstrong branded ESPN’s Tony Kornheiser a “complete f-ing idiot” on his Twitter page, saying the comments were “Disgusting, ignorant” and “foolish”.

Kornheiser, who has recently returned after being suspended for criticising a female colleague for “dressing too young”, launched into a rant about cyclists while discussing a new cycle lane in Washington.

“The last time I looked, the roads were made for automobiles,” he said. “We’re going to be dominated as if this was Beijing by hundreds of thousands of bicyclists …”

The broadcaster also attacked cycling clothes before urging motorists to run over those on bicycles.

“They all wear … my God … with the little water bottle in the back and the stupid hats and their shiny shorts,” he said. “They are the same disgusting poseurs that in the middle of a snowstorm come out with cross-country skiing on your block. Run ‘em down.

“Let them use the right, I’m OK with that. I don’t take my car and ride on the sidewalk because I understand that’s not for my car … Why do these people think that these roads were built for bicycles? … They dare you to run them down.”

Armstrong, a seven-times Tour de France-winner, reacted furiously, posting: “Disgusting, ignorant, foolish. What a complete f-ing idiot.” He then later suggested his Twitter followers should write to ESPN to complain, after adding: “Tony Kornheiser on cyclists on the road, ‘run ‘em down’. Really? Big mistake, Tony.”

Tony Kornheiser on cyclists on the road, “run ‘em down”. Have a listen: ESPN 980 – Home of the Redskins (Listen to the March 11, part 1 segment and go to 31 mins in.)

I don’t watch ESPN or listen to this guy’s show, but I’m sure a lot of people do. Talk like this is dangerous, especially when spoken in the tone he uses. The part that really got me was when they said you don’t need to kill the cyclists, just give them a bump and make them crash. I can see the weak minded taking this advice to heart. What are your thoughts on the matter?

Here’s a link to send ESPN an email: www.espn980.com/info/contact_us.php