NorCal Cycling News

Before I go into a bigfat ‘hey-hey’ to the cool cats who fight fires and work for our public good …

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Gotta give madshouts out of “radness incarnate” to the  Bay Area Women’s Cycling folks.  Brooke Kuhn is the founder and director of a “best practices” model of how adults can get introduced to, and excel at the bike.

She’s built a model of how the bike can be introduced to folks who may not have had it in their own personal or community “culture”.

It’s true, there are a LOT of people and communities out there who don’t have much familiarity with the bike, the benefits of the bike, the possibilities of the bike.

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Bay Area Women’s Cycling - check it out and see how cool the action is.  Hundreds of women breaking cultural norms, spreading the culture of the bike as far and wide as they’re legs, smiles, and painfaces will take them.

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2008 BAWC AWARDS ~ it’s November 2nd, 4-7pm at the SportsBasement - Presidio.

Local phenom and pro-racer extraordinaire, Sarah the Blamberger, will be there to share the highs and lows of the pro-racing experience, as a woman in America today.  And maybe what that experience can be like for our future stars.

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See you there.

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COMMUNITY

Just gonna toss up these pics and share thoughts on how important our public investments are.

Fire protection is only one aspect of how we can invest in protecting each other, bettering each other, bringing us all up.

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a handful of moments after the first sign of blackness - this coil of black snaked up.  luckily, the 35+ forecasted winds hadn’t arrived yet.

a church with attending children is evacuated quickly and relatively calmly.

An RV is afire on a street behind the church, and next to a “private community”.

the fire response was immediate and effective.

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public safety investments.  your dollars should go to this, not an illegal invasion and occupation of Iraq.

… just sayin ~ this firefightress’s quick and sure action got my own bloodlevels fired up and bubbling in appreciation.

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just saying.  public good is so hot.

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i know, lately windmills have been kicked about bikes and change ~

that’s why i promise after this one, i’ll get jiggy with it …

.Freeman debates PG&E rep on Energy

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just sayin, “heyhey, see you there on Friday Night.”

Sorry, but civic action is so hot right now.

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NorCal Queen(s) of 2008

There are some serious contenders for the coveted crown of hottest, baddassets, coolio’ist racer d’ femme in our region.

We’ll call it by discipline of the bike, even though there are the odd atomic few who cross into dirt, road, and track riding … but those cats are a different temperature all together.  So …

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VelodroMadonnas!

There’s little argument that the hottness of NorCal Track Racing in ‘08 was ShelleyOlds - the giant slayer, the rocket fit’n in pocket, the woman who can smile at you as she attacks 500% … again.

Shelley is more than just a great racer, she’s a FUN racer.  I love racing with Shelley and look forward to getting out there for the PROMAN WorldCup Fundraisers.

see you there.

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Road and Crit Queen for a Year

Brooke Miller … what else can you say?  Other than she’s the woman won both road and crit national championships in the same year.  That’s more than impressive … that’s ridiculous!

In 3 years, you count them, 3 years ~ Miller will be a time trialist (yes, it’s another miller-time).  You wait and see.

3 years of racing her ass off at the top of the charts, and then you’ll see that woman winning some big stage races.

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Cyclocrossia Amazonius

hmm … it’s early days yet ~ but, i’m giving out a pre-emptive Queen of the Galaxy re-coronation because Barbara Howe, the barbarella, is coming back to the big time after blowing out a FRICKIN ACHILLES!!!

holee-crap ~ there is no injury worse, in my mind, to an athlete who has to do all the ply-O-metrics of cyclocross, than snapping the mighty achilles.

And here she is storming her way back to the stage as both racer AND celebrity fashion designer with Oakland’s SheilaMoonCyclingApparel.

congrats Barb, bring on the hotness.

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MountainBikeDirtyLady

I know most will want to give a shout out to NatzSuperD Champion of the universe, Rachel LaLaLloyd … as the hotness that never stopsit … on either dirt or road.

But, i’m gonna go with a superspunk personal favorite of mine, and fellow SuperD junky ~ MaryEllenAsh.

M.E. is all about having a blast and ripping up the trails.

Love watching this woman race.

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all right … now i better tap into the male sides and see who swells as the kings of swing for ‘08.

lates,
M

Fox Racing
… best suspension systems in the world.

Click To Play

(sound gets better after a bit)

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BUT hey FOX Head… instead of investing in ANOTHER stripmall, outlet outrage in where’eversville to sell shirts and caps … how about instead …
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You invest in transforming your FoxTail snowmobile partners into producing Green-machines to the market place. I mean, how cool would it be to have hybrid or electric snowmobiles running through our public lands. Quiet, clean, powerful.
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That’s INVESTING your money in the future, FOX. Because there are 5gazillion bikers, skiers, and other recreationalists that would buy, in a heartbeat, a clean snowmobile to go out and bang around on. and oh, that immediacy of torque the e-engine provides!
.hellyeah.

the below is part of a series of vid’s i’ll have out as soon as i figure out how to edit these damn quicktime movie files from the new camera.

Click To Play

Hope you’ll watch and spread the intent of these vid’s … it’s all about getting word out and educating ourselves that the bicycle is a central solution to our crises of dependence on foreign oils, pollution levels from too many cars, and the health of our young and old as they become more obese and sedentary, or suffer the consequences of each.There are real and immediate public health problems that can be addressed by the ‘green’ benefits of bike education, advocacy, and integration into our everyday transportation needs.

And we can make some jobs happen, too - you know?
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How about this local producer of fresh, pre-made foodstuffs in the Santa Cruz area - Gloria’s Pantry.  They deliver pretty decent fresh and healthy’ish food (at least around the 20 mile area where i’ve seen and eaten them).

One of the seller’s of Gloria’s Pantries is the Ugly Mug Cafe, in Soquel.  You’ve heard me tell tale before about this smooth place ~ with the drums that thunder overhead and the open mic nights that can crash your classics or swing wide your mind in surprise.

It’s definitely a place to check out when you’re cruising the Cruz.  And i’ve got some poorly recorded ZekeD’s music to play you later … but, i digress.
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Well, the Ugly Mug is about 5 miles away from the address listed on Gloria’s Pantry products … and i reckon those foodstuffs are likely delivered by truck or car to each of the many sellers (gas stations, cafes, gyms) that i’ve scarfed some down at in the area.

And hey-hey, the employee owned PedalersExpress company is a short couple miles west of both locations … with a fleet of bike delivery folks ready to make a wage in delivering the goods.

Well, i think these people should get together and help each other out.  The Ugly Mug owner is cool and funny and a HUGE bike advocate.   He’ll be psyched about the chance to put some dollars in bike delivery hands instead of tossing them down the gas tank of another delivery van (if he doesn’t already!). And I bet he’ll be willing to call up some of the other local sellers of Gloria’s Pantry product to join him in this Green economic idea of requesting products delivered by bike, not car.  A clear and immediate example of us all using the Bike as business improvement.

And ~ as a matter of fact I met a couple people from the PeddlersExpress company recently who were just as fabulous and hip as the UglyMug owner was …. and i bet you anything that when i walk into Gloria’s Pantry on Monday, that those folks, too, will be interested in hearing about a chance save some money for their business AND improve our community by taking a car off the road and putting some people to work riding their bikes!

I think Gloria’s will warm quickly to the idea that a bike can deliver all those sandwiches and burritos in that 20-mile radius I’ve seen their stuff sold at (at least!).   It helps to live in a progressive area like this … but, money is money - and it’s doing most the talking in this matter.

You add the dollars of a bike company’s service against paying overhead, gas, drivers, and mileage on a vehicle … i think the benefits will speak for themselves.

I love that the bike is a ZERO-emmission delivery system. Let’s use it.

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more later, much to discuss and do!

m

Now way …

The homegrown, world fabulous  … the dropdeadbeauties … Shelley Olds and Daniel Holloway earned their first Professional US National Scratch Championship Titles.

It is sweet to think of all the people who share a bit of glory and reward for such accomplishments.  Both Shelley and Daniel came up through the San Jose local ranks, got the fundamentals from HometownHellyer … and established themselves qualified to take step onto the top of the podium.

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Hellyeah.

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