Papa Smurf

Today we rode a sick trail up in Telluride called "Papa Smurf". Can you name any of the celebrities in this group?? Hint : one is american champ and another is a world champ... good luck - you might win a noddy badge if you get them correct. Maybe!


The Aspens are starting to turn... bring it on!

Tour de Fat

Yes folks, this is what i call a "dik wiel" for non-south africans, that is afrikaans for a "fat tyre", slang for a mtb.




Everyone gets involved in the celebrations here in Durango - the "Tour De Fat" is sponsored by the New Belgium Brewing company Locals and tourists alike dress up in crazy costumes and celebrate the bicycle. Its an awesome carnival atmosphere, there are lots of activities for everyone to join in the fun.





You can test loads of crazy rides, check these ones out...
"SCORPION" is her name, yes, all the wheels turn!


The easy way to "wear-in" your running shoes!









Ever ridden a TRIPLE DECKER bike !? Come to Durango!









Beer + Band + Bikers dressed as hippies = ...

Base Training...

Hi Guys,
I am in a base period in preparation for World Xterra Champs which are to be held in Maui, Hawaii on the 23rd October. So the Mtb season is over and the bike is hanging up. I am learning to swim and trying to wear holes in my running shoes. Its only a short time to prepare for Xterra but i am going to give it a good go. Last weekend i was in Moab... it really is awesome and is just a 3 hour drive from Durango - photo's just don't do this place justice, it is phenomenal!

This is a view from the "porcupine rim trail" which is really technical - definitely a course for a full suspension bike. The views are amazing and you had better have your wits about you doing this one!!


This is the famous "SLICKROCK TRAIL" its about 10km long and you ride on the rock for 98% of the time, its Killer. Its marked with white dashed lines, you can see them in the pics if you look closely. You ride INSANE gradients, its like riding on sandpaper... just don't overcook the decents or you will turn the white lines into red blotches!




This image was taken on the day of the world champs in Italy. I wore my kit and sent the guys energy! Congrats to all the RSA riders, you did us proud. Wish i could have been there too but it was just not to be. I will save my energy for Xterra!








Here's a high country image taken in the mountains above Durango ... you can check the singletrack in the centre of the image

Xterra Keystone... another photo.

Near the top of the climb at 11000 ft. Sucking oxygen!

Xterra Mountain Championship - Keystone

Conrad is a BULL ! Stoltz took 2nd in this race which is the first time in the whole season that he has been knocked off the top step... incredible consistency, the "caveman" lives on... Well done Conrad. Mike Vine took overall honours, he is coming back after a drug ban that he got a while back (as legend has it).

The bike course was the roughest course i have ridden in the USA and it wasn't even a mtb race! The mtbers need to harden up and take some lessons from Xterra. This course was sick. Hopefully we get some images from the official photographers that show the insanity, i will def post them here if i find some!

This is a pic of the sky on the way home... luckily the weather was good to us during the race. Water temp was great and there were sunny skies all morning.

"one minute!" ... the anxious pro field are lined up behind the start buoy and everyone sinks into the water. Suddenly i start feeling nauseous, what is happening? I feel like i am moving backwards and the gun hasn't even gone off. Then i cracked up laughing - everyone is doing doggy paddle trying to sneak in an extra few metres and get a good "line" for the first buoy. It was so pathetic seeing all of the "pro's" pushing the boundary. Only about 10 strokes and 5 kicks in the head later (from the swimmers ahead) did i stop laughing under the water! The swim was in a Square and was 2 laps of a tiny pond which was great for the spectators, especially when i swam into the quay in front of the restauarant. Yes, i have a natural tendency to wander, (not like dog, like Nemo with one eye). Speaking of dogs, check out the collar on this specimen I found in Steamworks, the local Durango hangout... I had to get my pic taken.


Please pay special attention to the hairstyle under her right arm.... PRICELESS ! I wonder if her dad has a mullet?

Sorry, i got sidetracked - it happens... back to the race. Ja, so the bike leg was awesome and I managed to muscle into 12th position by the end of the leg (and ahead of all 10 women who outswam me !).

Beginning the run, I was a bit overeager and passed another chap - 11th position wasn't to be... the 'flat' run course turned brutal. Horse kak on the trail and a couple of steep kicks in the terrain managed to put the hurt into this mtber and i limped home in 14th position. Outside the prize money this time, but just wait - one day i am gonna learn how to swim !


For the official results, go to http://www.xterraplanet.com/race/results_05/keystone_05overall.html

Kabush or Kabush-abie ?

Here is the view from my rear wheel ... well for some of the race anyway! Is it a Kabush or is it a Kabush-abie? There have been several spottings of Geoff Kabush wannabe's on the NORBA circuit... we call them "Kabushabie's" They grow the burners, get the kit, the bike... its so confusing trying to tell them apart, but i think that this one is a genuine spotting, what do you think ?

NORBA Brian Head - OLD SCHOOL

Or as the locals say "owild schoowil". One big 26 mile loop. Classic.

Yet another oxygen scarce Ski Resort town greeted the athletes for the 7th leg of the NORBA series. A fierce tarmac pass shook the field up from the gun, a few mild attacks ensued and a selection group of about 20 riders formed. Tarmac faded into gravel road taking us up from 9500ft to over 11500ft. After 20 minutes of climbing, we hit the first singletack and it was well worth the wait. Now that all of the snow has melted the 'high country' is open for action.

Even at this altitude you get pretty big pine trees, its bizarre - in Lesotho or at the top of the Drakensberg, virtually nothing above knee height survives the climate but here the plants must just be tougher. The same goes for us humans! Some of the riders who usually blast their way around the top 10 positions at sea level NORBA races battle to make it into the top 20 up at altitude whilst some of the more mortal athletes just come into their own up at cloud base.

Trails criss cross the patches of woodland and open plains of the high country. Stream crossings and gnarly 'rock garden' sections of volcanic rock slashed tyres, weeding out some the less fortunate (or less technical !) riders. Four days of wet weather prior to the race had turned the lower forested sections of the course into muddy mushes of roots and rock, again challenging the technical abilities of the pack.

The last 5 miles of the course put the hurt back into the legs. Open forestry road allowed riders to regroup and chase each other down, fighting it out to the line.

Results...