- Bad Idea Racing - HAS LEFT THE BUILDING

(Doesn’t it appear that he’s looking up and thinking “Geez, nice white line up there in the photo-crop job.  How long you been doing this blog thing?  I can’t believe I trust you with my safety”?)

Wally the terminally ill foster dog moved in with us back in April shortly after my father passed away.  He wasn’t supposed to be around long enough to see the Fourth of July, but here it is Christmas and Wally’s still kicking around the house.  He’s gonna have a good Christmas, and he hopes you do to.

On Monday the “Big Change” will be complete.  I will no longer be posting on teamdicky.blog.com… well except for a friendly post reminding people that I have moved.  Teamdicky.blog.com will still be around for a long time in order to store all the old shit that fell outta my head over the last three years, but I will have nothing new to add.  All of my new posts will be over at TEAMDICKY.COM starting Monday, Decmeber 29th.  Let me say that one more time for the hard of hearing:  THERE WILL BE NO NEW POSTS HERE STARTING ON MONDAY!!!!  ALL NEW POSTS WILL BE OVER THERE!!!!!!  Well, except for the friendly reminder that I have moved, but other than that there will be no new posts.

Why should you be sure to change your sidebars, links, favorites, and wall graffiti to send folks to the right place?  

Things move so fast around here I can’t keep up.  Forget spraying the word SPOT on the wall and just cross out the word BLOG.  I’ll be at TEAMDICKY.COM next week.

Maybe you want to keep going back and reading my archives.  Maybe you wanna be a stick in the mud curmudgeon… the kind of person who will brag to his friends and say “I liked Bad Idea Racing better when it was on blog.com.  Just watch, this will be just like when Coke brought out the new version of Coke that no one liked, so they named it “New Coke” and then brought the old Coke back and called it “Coke Classic”.  “Teamdicky.blog.com Classic” is just around the corner folks.  It’s all just part of the plan-o-gram marketing hype used to build drama and increase readership.  Boring.”

I promise you that this is not a marketing stunt, a sham to increase readership, or a ruse to lure you into an Amway type pyramid scheme.

Why should you be sure to tune in next Monday to the all new (and slightly improved) teamdicky.com?   I should be able to properly identify my frame sponsor for 2009 by the end of business today.  Being that a four day holiday starts tomorrow I’m just gonna have to keep it a secret until Monday since I’m taking some time away from the computer to spend with family and my bike.  I’m just waiting on one more piece of info to show up in my inbox, and then I’ll be able to make the call. 

Dealing with this one potential sponsor has been just like a negotiation you would see in the movies (except that it’s taken place in the virtual reality of the interweb).  I wrote down a figure on a virtual piece of paper and slid it across the virtual table.  They picked it up, laughed, excused themselves from the room, laughed louder, returned, and then wrote something down on another sheet of paper.  It was slid across the virtual table where I picked it up and looked at it.  It was a drawing of a stick figure me (I knew it was me because it had big ears) riding a Huffy and crying.  They laughed again.  I drew a picture of their mascot being violated from behind by satan and slid it across the table…  anyways, you can see why this negotiation has taken so long.  We’ve put the cartoon insults behind us, and we almost have an actual (well virtual anyways) contract for me to accept or decline by the end of today.

and something random that happened yesterday…

Big Worm went out for a ride yesterday on a local trail after his early dismissal from work related activities.  While out on the trail he ran into John from Gainesville, FL.  John said “I think I’ve seen your bike before.  Was it on teamdicky.blog.com?”

Big Worm called me from the trail to let me know about the events that transpired.  He said that John from Gainesville admitted to being a “closet fan” of my blog?  What does that mean John?  Are you ashamed of me?  Are you in the closet for other reasons, or just a fan who is “in the closet” because you can’t afford the whole apartment?  Don’t be ashamed John.  There’s nothing wrong with reading teamdicky.blog.com… well other than the fact that there will be nothing to read at teamdicky.blog.com starting next week.

So John, when you get back to Florida climb to the highest point in the whole state (it’s only like 4.5 hours from your house, but you could hit it on your way home from Charlotte) and scream to the world “I love teamdicky.blog.com, but don’t go there, go to teamdicky.com starting Monday to see why I’m such a big fan of Bad Idea Racing and all that is the phenomenon of Team Dicky.”  You’ll feel a whole lot better then, I promise.

Seriously, it’s only 345 feet above sea level, so it shouldn’t take too long to get to the top and get it over with.

Have a holly, jolly Christmas.  See you in four days.

LATE EDIT:   Thanks to a local friend (Blair) you can now just go to TEAMDICKY.COM for all future needs.  All links up in the post have been painstakingly replaced for your convenience.  Carry on.

There are a few things that took me years of being a messenger to figure out.

Shimano sandals can be worn all year long, but you have to be prepared for the consequences.

Skidding on a fixie is fun, but buying new tires is not.

A U-lock has to have some TLC after a day in the rain, or you might not have a U-lock to use the next day.

“You best break out that steel wool and cheap lube, and not for the reason you normally do.”

Cycling caps actually do serve a purpose other than pulling the whole hipster look together.

There is no such thing as “water proof” anything.

Covering your knees in cold weather actually makes a difference.

People will never, ever, ever stop talking to you about the weather.

Wool is worth it’s weight in gold.

Someday when the global economy collapses entirely gold, diamonds, and napkins signed by Madonna will be worthless, but wool will hold it’s value forever.  I didn’t catch onto the concept of wool till I had been a messenger for at least five years.  I can’t remember if my first wool sweater was a bargain-bin score or a thrift store treasure, but I do know it changed my life.  No longer was I scoping the stores for discount long sleeve poly-poo shirts.  Wool is where (and wear) it’s at.  I can wear my wool for days on end without washing it and it never stinks (well kinda never).  It keeps me as warm as two or three layers of poly-poo, and it wicks seven times better.

Imagine how happy I was when I got my Christmas present from Brent and Ryan at Twin Six yesterday.  I considered waiting till the magical morning of the 25th, but I couldn’t help myself.  When I made quick work of the plastic wrapping paper (just an envelope, but for the sake of Christmas we’ll call it “wrapping paper”) I was delighted to find the most precious of the earth’s natural materials inside.  Wool.  Sweet, warming, non-stinky, soft on my precious skin wool.  As soon as The Pie got a look at my booty she snatched it from my hands and hopped on the mantle screaming “MINE!! MINE!!” to the world.

I promised her that she could wear it if she could beat me to it.  Since she had it first and was up on the mantle outta reach she got to wear it first, but since I’m up every morning at 5:00AM this mighta been her only shot at my new wool.

Can you believe she’s wearing my pink flowered pajama bottoms too?  She’s really pushing the limits of our marriage.

How appropriate.  Three days till I change formats, and today’s post did not show up at 6:30 AM  when I published it.  Is there any doubt as to why I would want to switch over???  Wonder how long it will take today….

As much as my wrists bother me from time to time the thumb on my right hand is less than happy also.   I tried to think what I mighta done to upset the fat opposable digit.  Good thing I keep track of crap like that.  Could it have anything to do with the injury I experienced almost 11 months ago??

Doesn’t seem possible, but this is sometimes the image I see after a long ride, except due to the economic downturn I’m now drinking cheaper beer.

Maybe it’s related, but maybe not.  Prolly not worth thinking about, and definitely not worth using  the painful time consuming SEARCH function on my blog either.

The other day when I mentioned my Ergon grips and my feelings about the packaging I never thought that anything would come of it.  Apparently the people at Ergon could see that I was right, or at least half right, and the excess packaging issue is going to be addressed.  I got this message from Jeff Kerkove (the face of Ergon in the US):

FYI….the Ergon packaging changes for 2009 on all new grips produced. The material is 100% recyclable…as it the current packaging. The new packaging will be a similar material to that of an egg carton.

While they apparently did not see the merits of turning the current style of packaging into something useful (like a Slovakian rapach) they are going to make their 2009 packaging more eco-friendly.  I must say I feel totally responsible for this change, but then again maybe they were planning on doing it the whole time.

I should have two things figured out by Christmas.  First off, the new blog format should be 100% ready to go, and I’m going to make the swap over the Christmas holiday.  Think of it as my little present to you, so when you go back to work on Monday, and you’re looking for something to read while you drink your nasty coffee I should be somewhere other than here and more than likely here.

Secondly I should have my sponsor stuff worked out before Wednesday is over.  All the meeting planning meetings and plain old meetings should be behind me before I sit down and watch my kids open (not really open since we’re making the tree friendly choice of not wrapping gifts this year) their Christmas booty.  It will be somewhat of a relief to have all that behind me, and I’ll be able to start working on my winter training program (closing my eyes and picturing myself on a bike).

Short post, but I wanted to include the following press release from Cyclingnews.com.  The place they’re talking about in the article is less than 1.5 hours from my house, and I have yet to get out there.  Maybe it’s just me, but I would rather go to a mountain bike museum than the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame in Crested Butte.  Maybe it’s due to the fact that I am a gear junky that makes me more attracted to the former, but perhaps it’s my lack of interest in idol worship that makes me think the latter isn’t my cup of tea… well at least until AFTER I’m added to the list of inductees….

Here’s the article:

Mountain bike museum opens in North Carolina

By Gary Boulanger, BikeRadar

The sport of mountain biking is celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2009, and leading the celebration is the Museum of Mountain Bike Art & Technology (MOMBAT), a new museum created to preserve and chronicle the evolution of the sport, its personalities and products, located in Statesville, North Carolina.

The museum’s collection contains over 400 bicycles, including more than 250 mountain bikes. Displayed alongside the bicycles at MOMBAT are hundreds of vintage parts and accessories and thousands of pieces of literature, including period catalogs and magazines that follow the evolution of the sport.

“With our location near the intersection of two major interstates, the museum is convenient for anyone traveling in the area, and we’ve had visitors from all around the US and overseas as well,” said Jeff Archer, the museum’s curator.

Archer told BikeRadar the museum is split between two floors of 5,000 square feet each, with 14-foot ceilings.

“The online shop history tells quite a bit about how we got to where we are now,” he added.

In the mid 1970s, the mountain bike sprang to life as a grassroots effort by a small group of riders in Marin County, California, who converted balloon-tired cruisers into trail bikes by removing superfluous equipment and installing knobby tires. The first purpose-built off road bikes were made in the late 1970s when the term “Mountain Bike” was first used to describe them, and the sport grew rapidly worldwide in the following years.

The original mass produced mountain bike, the Specialized Stumpjumper, arrived in stores in 1982. An example of this model now resides in the Smithsonian Institution, and a similar model is displayed at MOMBAT.

Technological innovation is evident in the bicycles featured at MOMBAT, with the evolution of front and rear suspension designs, hydraulic disc brakes and the progression from five to 27 gears over the life of the sport. Frame materials also evolved, from basic steel tubes to wildly shaped and extremely lightweight composites and metals. Artistic design and construction is also found on bikes and components as some of the best examples of bicycle fabrication are on display at the museum, including details ranging from experimental to innovative and artful.

The museum also sponsors the Cackalacky Cup, an increasingly popular vintage-themed mountain bike festival that takes place each summer.

MOMBAT is located within First Flight Bicycles in historic downtown Statesville, NC. Admission is free and the museum is open to the public Monday-Friday, 10-6 and Saturday, 10-5. Visitors are welcomed and encouraged to take their time to view the exhibits.

Those unable to visit the museum in person can view much of the collection at www.mombat.org.

I can’t say for sure that I’m moving over to teamdicky.blogspot.com, but I will be swapping formats some time over the holidays.  A couple people smarter than I in the ways of the interwebs have suggested I just create my own website, use some net thingies (with their help) I don’t comprehend, and publish my blog with something like Wordpress.  I realize some of you will be offended by the switch, and you may consider no longer tuning in when I switch providers.  I know some of you like spending upwards of fifteen minutes trying to get a comment posted, while others like to see if they can blow up my monthly bandwidth by clicking refresh over and over in an attempt to see the elfen penis nose guy rear his ugly penis nose equipped head.

I’m sure there are those out there that enjoyed the Heinz ketchup-like anticipation of watching the page load onto your screen at a rate that makes the tectonic plate shift seem like a speedy process.

You know, the kinda folks that like watching paint dry, grass grow, or even the evolution of a species.

I’m sorry.  While some readers are regaled with my inadequacies on not just a cycling level, but also my computer related ineptitude I can assure you I will never improve in the use of correct grammar, sentence structure, punctuation, metaphors, and anything associated with the proper use of the English language.  As a matter of fact, in the same way that galaxies are gaining speed as they accelerate away from the center of the universe I can promise that as time goes by I will be getting worser faster.   See?

When the shift takes place you will know.  It probably won’t make the front page of the New York Times, but I’m sure there will be some fanfare and local media coverage.  Be prepared to swap out your bookmarks, replace your links, and if you own TEAMDICKY/BADIDEARACING/FJEAR/COOKIES/THYLACINE jersey be sure to get out a Sharpie and scribble in the word SPOT in the appropriate place.

It’s coming whether you like it or not (and it will be black).  Please leave any comments regarding the swap over on the new blog, and maybe I’ll actually be able to read them.

There’s some more important things to discuss later, but for right now it’s time for another…

(not necessarily on Thursdays, but it seems like it always ends up being that way, except when Thursday was Thanksgiving, and this isn’t totally a full-on) Sponsor Appreciation Post.

Last item up for bids on The Price is Right:

I came back from my self imposed Ergon probation in the middle of my Sponsor Appreciation series, so this one is outta the normal alphabetical order of things.  Since I’m just getting back into the swing of Ergon things I am a little behind in reviewing the Ergon stuff I’m using.

The BD2 pack has been everything a man (or a very emotionally secure woman) could ask for.  I’m not going into a full-on review here since I’m the 115th person to rave about the fit and function of an Ergon pack, but I’ll just say that it is the most comfortable way to carry a ton of crap on your back.  I’m very happy to add that my old Camelbak has been put out to pasture and is enjoying the good life that can only be enjoyed by a retired pack.

Bees meet happy knees (and lower back and shoulders).

So let’s talk about those grips for just a gosh darn second.  I’m running the GX1 Leichtbau variety sans bar-end bananas.

They are living up to the the hype that is hyped on their site, and the hype you might find if you search around on the interwebs.  They do a fine job spreading your weight across the meaty section of your hand instead of just concentrating it in one area.  They are a key element in my wrist re-hab program, and I am convinced they make me a better man. 

I do have one complaint, so they will end up getting the…

Seal of Semi-Approval

The grips come with a lot of packaging.  I realize the intention of this packaging is to allow potential consumers the opportunity to grab the grip in the store so that they can feel for themselves if everything they’ve heard about the grips could possibly be true.  The problem is when I see all this left over packaging I can’t help but wonder what to do with it once I’ve installed the grips on my bike.

When I look at the shape of the smokey leftover plastic I can’t help but think they missed an opportunity to make their packaging serve a dual purpose.  Instead of some semi-useless, odd shaped tubes why not design them to be useful instead… sorta like a giant one of these:

Known as a Slovakian rapach, a Ukrainian derkach, or an American circus noise maker (we’re so creative) this fun and easy to use device could easily be incorporated into the excessive packaging and turn it into an item one could not easily throw away.  Imagine all the happy Ergon consumers lined up along the local race course cheering on their favorite racers with their official ERGON GREEN derkach.  Oh, if I only ruled the world what a better world it would be…

Since my packaging is the 2008 variety (I’m hoping the derkaches are coming in 2009) I tried to figure out a use for all the left over plastic.  Both shapes disassemble allowing access to the inside of the cylinder and the ERGON prism.

I’m trying to think of what to put in the thread-on cyclinder.  Breath mints?  Spare spokes for a ten inch wheel?  Maybe some Pixie sticks?  Wouldn’t want to crush my Pixie sticks if they’re just sloshing around in the back of my BD2… 

It wasn’t hard figuring out what to do with the ERGON prism shaped storage device.  I’m using it to keep my Toblerone’s from getting stale.

All kidding aside…

Thanks Ergon for the making making products that are useful in making great bike ride. Kermit said it isn’t easy being green, but I beg to differ.

AND IN BIG NEWS…..

I’m thinking about leaving blog.com.  I’ve had enough people complain to me about slow uploads, missing posts, the difficulty of commenting, and all kinds of other things to make me think about the swap.  I’ve had enough of some of this crap too, and even I have problems getting a comment to show up on MY OWN BLOG.  Of course I’m considering doing this AFTER I took all that time revamping what I already have, but this is BAD IDEA RACING, not USEFUL FORESIGHT RACING.  So I got something started over here.  The post is just a test post, but please go over there and let me know what you think by leaving a comment on that post.  Please let me know it you use blogspot.com (blogger) and what you like about it or dislike about it.  Let me know if you have problems with bandwidth limits, tell me if you like the background/font selection, or just tell me if you think it’s easier to leave smart ass (and often times painful) comments.  Please click over and let me know because if it’s a happy thing I’ll make the swap over the holidays if it’s a popular idea (I only do things to please people because I need exteral validation).

Don’t worry about all the old posts and archived stuff.  I’m gonna keep this blog alive so all the links on forums, websites, message boards, and carved into trees will still work.  There will just be a message on top letting folks know where I’ve moved to and how to keep informed of my very dull (but current) happenings. 

So go over to teamdicky.blogspot.com and let me know what you think.  Operators are standing by.

I am.

There was a time when I could have cared less about race schwag, but that was mostly because I never finished close enough to the front to get anything.  I always thought it would be great to be one of those folks who were rewarded with material goods for their performance on the battlefield, but once I started finishing (occasionally) a little closer to the front I found out the good life ain’t so good.  I got scads of odd parts, useless tools, ill-fitting clothing, and things that wouldn’t even be worth putting on eBay.  To make things worse the larger (in weight and girth) sector of our population seems to be skewing the BMI bell curve, and now I can’t even count on an event shirt (size medium) to fit me.  A medium male is now what we called a “large male” back in the early nineties, so sometimes I find myself going home with a large medium shirt, a pair of tire levers, and some XL shoe covers.

This year the NUE announced that they would be handing out prizes to all the riders who competed in at least four races in the eight race series.  I finished five races and ended up sixth overall in the SS category, so I figured I had at least two sets of tire levers and one odd sized piece of apparel coming my way.  When my box of goodies arrived I was pleasantly surprised.  The rewards for my summer of effort included a Yakima tray, a Thomson certificate, and a pair of Ryders eyewear (more about those later).  The tray was sold, the Thomson certificate was filed in my “Thomson certificates to be used later” file, and the Ryders went on my shelf where I keep all the Ryders and Tifosis that seem to be handed out at races with greater frequency than bananas.

“Sideshow Garth” Prosser (NUE promoter and racing ectomorph) let everybody know they would be getting a custom NUE Cannondale “Feel It” jacket as soon as they were done being printed.  Intrigued, I googled Cannondale “Feel It” jacket to see what would be arriving in my mail box someday soon.  I could find no solid visual evidence, so I let my imagination run wild.  Since I am used to being disappointed when I let my imagination get out of control I envisioned a Member’s Only’ish jacket with the words FEEL IT boldly printed across the back in some flashdance font. 

When I got my jacket Monday I have to say I was pleasantly surprised.  I promised Garth a semi-nude photo, but since I didn’t want to step on minor league blogger Craig Barlow’s toes and use his now famous nude reviews theme I present you a fully clothed image of my new “Feel It” jacket.

“Are you feelin’ it?  I sure as heck am.”

That is not a strategically placed YAZOO jersey in the background.  It is still hanging up from Sunday’s ride, and I apologize if you feel the sudden urge to go out and buy some quality YAZOO beer.

Speaking of Craig Barlow…

I am surprised how many people clicked on the link Monday to see him naked.  What’s wrong with you people?  If this guy ends up beating me to my goal of being a Playgirl centerfold I will be so let down.  Have you seen a grown man naked?  It’s not pretty.

Anyways…

The jacket does not say FEEL IT anywhere that I can find, but it does say “Hey, look out.  Here comes a guy who FINISHED four NUE races.  Make way.” without coming right out and saying it.

Best thing of all…

It fits.  It actually fits so well that it will become a regularly used piece of gear.  It is windproof (or wind resistant depending on what part of the hang tag you read), and it packs down small enough to fit in a jersey pocket.  I wouldn’t necessarily say I’m FEELING IT, but I am LIKING IT.

About those Ryder glasses…

The ones that the NUE shipped to me were the Photochromic lensed Tarmac.  They went on the shelf as I felt they were just a little too Hollywood for my tastes, but I gave them a try on the trail, and as much as I hate to admit it, they work.  I never had a “my glasses are too dark, and I can’t see” moment in the woods, or an “Oh my god. I just popped out into a clearing, and I’m blind” moment either.  I feel like a moron (more than usual) when I wear them, but damn it, they work so well I have no excuse to not wear them every time I ride.  I’m gonna have to go ahead and give them my….

Seal of Semi-Approval

Why semi-aprroval? 

Look at me.  Seriously, look at me.

I’m so not “that guy”.  I’m not sure what guy I am, but it is most certainly not “that guy” who can pull off these glasses.

I didn’t count the votes from yesterday’s hose routing poll, but I must say we’re all a bunch of winners.  Yinz are some hate spewing folks, so lemme defend the undefendable.

Bubba’s set up is partially my fault.  I helped him build the bike as he had never built one from the ground up before.  I had to shove him out the door before the bike was finished, so I sent him out “sheep amongst the wolves” style.  He knows that all he has to do is unbolt the levers and swap it over to be like everybody else, but I think he feels good knowing that every time I see him I get a small headache.

Stabby’s set up is totally on purpose.  He has seventy two frames which share all manner of bike parts that range from an XC 29′er to a Shiver equipped death bike.  He learned a long time ago to never shorten his hoses or to cut his steer tubes too short in order to maximaize the usefullness of all his parts on all of his frames.  There’s a method to his madness, and a lot of madness in his method.  Few people know this, but he won a lifetime suppply of zip ties in a DIY screened-in hot tub entertainment center lawsuit against Home Depot a few years ago, so he loves to use them whenever possible just to stick it to the man.

 

Was the start of a revolution.

I woulda never thought that my decision to go back to a suspension fork for awhile would have global implications, but thanks to the statcounter installed on the sidebar my team of experts was able to pick up on some of the global chatter.

This was found on a Portuguese forum:

Boas voltas, estou certo que vais gostar da experiência 29er.
Fica aqui um link para um dos mais conhecidos SS 29er, rigidas dos EUA, que agora por problemas de saúde passou a utilizar uma suspensão, mas continua SS: http://teamdicky.blog.com.

Of course I do not speak Portuguese since I am an ugly, egocentric American, so I took the text over to Babel Fish and got a nice loose translation.

Good returns, I am certain that you go to like the experience to 29er. Link for one is one here of the most known SS to 29er, rigid of U.S.A., that now for health problems started to use a suspension, but continues SS: http://teamdicky.blog.com.

There were some other responses discussing whether or not I still had a Peter and a set of Thads, but you get the point.  I think Fox should start sending Mark’s royalty checks my way, since I’m changing the way the world thinks about rigid forks.

Sunday I headed up to the mountains with a crew of nine for some Farlow Gap/Butter action.  I really wanted some speedy/deathy action, but I was gonna have to settle for the techy/rocky/injury proney flavor that Farlow had to offer.  While there were three cameras on scene you will get very few pictures due to my lack of desire to link a mess of photos this morning.  Big Worm’s got the goods here if you need visual aids (which can not be cured at this time).

photo: Biggus Wormicus

I was hating the Fjox fjork on the upper section of Farlow.  It’s a steep, slow, technical section with no obvious line.  I ended up locking the fork out to keep it from diving into all the holes and gaps, but then the blow-off would activate and scare the shit outta me.  I wanted to put my saddle down, since compensating for all the fork movement was even more difficult with a saddle in my stomach, but alas my racer mentality tells me to always get used to shit with the saddle up.

The craziest thing about Farlow is that we have a race here every year called The Swank 65 that includes this trail .  I’ve done it a couple times, but every time I RIDE Farlow I’m amazed we raced down this shit.

Hard to be in a hurry when the consequences of one wrong step will send you fifty feet down the mountain.

photo: Biggus Wormicus

When the trail got faster the fork was more tolerable, and dare I say enjoyable.  High speed riding is about the only place I liked having the suspension working.  I found my old sloppy trail habits coming back to me as I lofted the bike as many as six inches off the ground every time I saw a root or rock that could assist me in getting airborne.  Riding with a squishy fork means there are fewer consequences for poor form or lack of a visible clean landing area. 

Photo: The Dude

Ninety percent of the ride I was hating the fact that my rigid fork was leaning up against a wall in Charlotte while I was riding around in the Pisgah on this mechnanized marvel that is so widely embraced by the people of Portugal.  Even locked out I can feel its portliness and pointlessness on the climbs.  On the slow technical stuff I was missing the predictable plodding that a pair of steel legs can provide.  I ended up walking down stuff I woulda normally rode right into, and that shit got to my head.  My wrists better heal up quick cause I think I’m losing my mind this time, that’s right, I’m losing my mind.

March.  March at the very latest.  That’s what I’m telling myself.  Keep the fork on and suck it up till there’s about a month left before the “season”.  Keep up with the re-hab program, and it will work itself out.  I know there may come a day when I can’t keep the rigid fork, and god forbid, the single speed, but I hope that’s at least a decade or more away.  As Big Worm says “I’ve flipped the switch, and there’s no unlearning what I know”.   Going back would feel like going backwards at this point.  I’m not feeling the trail anymore, and I know what I’m missing.  It comes to me in a muted form, and it’s sorta like listening to Bon Jovi with a pillow over my head.  I can’t help but feel a little less Bon Jovial, and that’s what life is all about.

Maybe I’ll just buy a scarf.  Anybody have a scarf I can borrow… Andrew??

BTW:  Should I change my tagline from Rich Dillen: Unprofessional Cyclist to Rich Dillen: The most known SS to 29er, rigid of U.S.A

Let’s have a little poll.  Who has the worst hose routing in all the land?

Contestant number one:

Stabby and his Niner (formally my Niner) with his “no such thing as too many zip ties” routing.  If I woulda thought of it I shoulda got a profile shot so you could see that his brake lines go out so far in front of his stem that they arrive at the trailhead two minutes before he does.

–OR–

Contestant number two:

Bubba Cohen and his Misfit with the “over the bars” style routing.  I think he was using the Misfit Assembly Manual for ‘Mericans when he put this thing together.  Either that, or he is messing with me, and this routing is just an attempt to give me a headache whenever we ride together.

Make sure you clicky-make-biggy before casting your vote.  If you don’t you may not see Stabby’s 342 zip ties that are holding his whole shitstorm routing together.

Seriously, this was posted at 6:55 (or so) A to the freakin’ M.  When will you see it?  Who knows.  Frickin frackin blog.com!!!!

If you weren’t one of the folks who stopped by here over the weekend you probably are noticing even more changes:

The header image- Why “MESSENGER AT LARGE”?  I thought I looked like a big man in front of tiny buildings.  That’s all, and it seemed just as pointless as my “unprofessional” statement.  Besides, Big Worm worked really hard to take a bunch of photos (including that header shot) for the article in Endurance Magazine back in January, and they never used one image from that exhausting shoot.  They have since realized his brilliance, and his work has been prominently displayed at least three times since then.

New enhanced blogger categories-  I figured not everybody’s gonna read Friday’s post explaining the new categories.  I figured a few visual aids were in order to make ignorant people less ignorant in the future.  My new classification system has even inspired at least one somebody to try a little harder.  It seems as if Craig just doesn’t want to malinger around in the “Regularity Issues” category, and he has actually stated he will move up to the “Daily Doses” pronto.  With two posts over the weekend (the WEEKEND folks) Craig is stepping up to the plate, and he will no doubt be playing in the big leagues in no time.  Little does he know I only read his blog to see him naked.

Logos-  Yes, after almost three years of blogging I almost have everything figured out.  It was pretty sad that all I could do for my sponsors was list them blandly under the heading “Nice Stuff”.  I’m sure collectively they have spent millions of our… I mean their hard earned money on logo design, so it seemed a shame not to post them once I figured out how.  I did have to design a logo for MTBTandems.com as there were none to speak of which I could steal from their site.  I expect that royalty check will be in the mail by tomorrow.

My 2009 Season-  There it is prominently displayed over there to the right.  This info is valuable to have for so many people.
 *Cyclingnews.com:  They now know which races they won’t have to bother covering too intensely.
 *My competition:  They now know which races to stay clear of if they want to spend time at the top of the podium.
 *The Promoters:  They now know they should be comping my entry fee.  That’s what all the pros ask for, right?
 *My fans:  They now know which races to bring an extra pair of panties to (I really prefer clean panties), so they can toss them at me whilst I take my place at the top of the podium or take a victory lap (even at the hundies).
 *My sponsors:  They’ll know which events to stay away from lest I see them in person and try to hit them up for more stuff.
 *My family:  They’ll be able to figure out where I am if they notice me missing for a few days, and I forgot to tell them where I was going before I left.

Some things on the schedule are still up in the air.  If I end up with one sponsor or the other priorities may shift a little in order to appease the powers that be.  Don’t worry, I’ll let you know, but to be safe you might want to carry a spare pair of clean panties at all times.

Profile Picture-  Gone now is the angry hipster in his PJ’s and the cheerleader Thad image.  I need to get back to reviewing some semi-approval worthy equipment, and this will serve as a nice reminder to me to get back to what people love to read; no nonsense, gritty reviews of the products you read about the un-pros using on a daily basis.

The only downsides to these improvements is that my blog looks way more professional (thus messing with my hard established image of being a slacker), and that it loads way s-l-o-w-e-r than it used to. Tough shit.  Who wants to see my photos anyways?

In other big news….

The other interested party that wants a part in partying with Bad Idea Racing next year laid his proverbial cards on the table the other day.  After being inundated with emails, phone calls, faxes, and morse code messages tapped out on his plumbing by the troll who lives in his basement wanting to know if the rumors were true Peter finally caved and gave with the goods.  Yes, its true.  Misfit Psycles has it’s hat in the ring (and has since August) to supply me with a frame, a hoodie, possibly a chain wallet, and all the immoral support I need to continue racing into the future. Peter has been kind enough to let me wait for the final offer from Swiftwickiburtonway before I make my decision, so as soon as the final offer phone call comes in (a certain somebody was busy in KC this weekend) I should have my shit straight.  Time is somewhat of the Evanescence (what does that mean?) as certain races might need to be shifted to make room for certain other races as certain discount opportunities will slip through the cracks SOON. 

FYI:  All these changes here on the blog took me way more time than I thought they would have when I started the overhaul project.  As with most of the shit in my life I got in way over my head but had no choice but to move forward (calling The Pie to bail me out wasn’t an option THIS TIME).   The effort to get the logos up was at least an hour plus of pushing the limits of my photo editing and HTML skills.  I know you could find the links to my sponsors without having colorful logos to click on, but I truly appreciate all they have done for me, and I felt it was the least I could do (I’m always looking to do the least I can do).  The blog will go back to normal tomorrow, and you can hear (if you read aloud) all about my first squishy fork experience in the mountains at that time.

You probably noticed a few changes on the blog yesterday.  I decided that it needed a serious enema, as the old shit around here was starting to stink.  The new header image was hardly what I wanted to use, but lacking anything better it seemed to be a better choice than a photo from a race a year ago that I didn’t really enjoy racing.  Once again I had to go through the hassle of hassling my friendstalker Thad to reduce the Tron motorcycles in the image down to a manageable number to keep the elfen penis nose guy off the site, as it was too big and detailed in its original form.  Now you can enjoy this blurry image of me from a race that I ENJOYED.

The description tagline changed too.  You probably got used to ignoring the three year old tag line:

“The single speed pursuit of dubious cycling achievements and marginal life accomplishments.”

I know I was sick of seeing it day after day after day…  That tiny gem popped outta my head the day I decided to start a blog almost three years ago.  It’s dated, and let’s face it, hardly accurate.  I don’t know if I’m really “pursuing” any “achievements” or “accomplishments”.  Anymore I’m just looking for a good time… not the kind you get from an anonymous stranger in a bathroom stall, but the kind I get when I travel away from my domicile to be around people who like to do the kinds of things I like to do.  I couldn’t think of a way to paraphrase that thought, so I went with the new and improved (and much shorter) tag line:

-Rich Dillen:  Unprofessional Cyclist

That seems like a more fitting description.  If you’ve read my blog before you probably totally understand my point, and if today is your first day here might I suggest you make some coffee, take the day off work, and read my posts from the last three years.  I think we’ll all agree that I’m about as “unprofessional” as it gets.  The funny thing is that I actually make a living riding my bike, so maybe (just maybe) I really am I a “professional” in some manner of speaking, but I assure you being a bike messenger hardly feels like a profession. 

Let’s see, what else….

I changed the font I was using for all the text.  I have gotten a lot of feedback from folks telling me that they were going blind reading my blog everyday.  I assumed it was because of font choice and size rather than the less than desirable thought that they were making much hand party while surfing around my site.  I’m using Helvetica instead of Arial… not sure if they look that much different, but I think it’s easier to read.  I don’t want to end up screwing with people’s vision and find myself on the wrong end of a class action suit like Navin R Johnson.

I swapped out the old profile image on the right.

That photo is way old.  I snapped it myself the day I created the blog and never intended to leave it up for three years.  I will say it does a fair job of capturing who I am and what not, but I’m sick of looking at it.  So for now you get Thad wearing his Team Dicky cheerleader outfit.  At least it makes me smile, and it’s all about me, right?  I guess I should give Peter credit for sticking Thad’s head on a cheerleader for the world’s amusement.  Wanna get your head stuck on something silly or offensive?  Just get on Peter’s good side (or is it his bad side?) and stand back.

I’ve also went ahead and sorted my blog linkage into some sub-categories.  This is for my own selfish purposes, as I use my sidebar to keep track of other people I know and/or at least want to keep tabs on.  There are three categories:

Daily (or close to it) Doses:  These folks almost always have something to say on a daily (weekday) basis, and it’s almost always worth reading. 

Suffering from regularity issues:  What can I say?  I would love to get these folks on some Metamucil so maybe something would come out of them on a daily basis.  Some of their blogs are updated regularly, then go on a few day hiatus, then post a photo and a sentence for three days, and then spill their guts like they took a dose of sodium pentathol and drank a six pack of Corona.  Lotsa folks fell into this category, which leads me to believe that they actually have stuff to do that’s more important than writing about the stuff that they do.

Have you seen me?:  I worry about these people.  They post so infrequently that I keep expecting to see their picture on the side of a milk carton.  Posting once a month, than twice in one week, then back to once a month.  I start to wonder if maybe they forget they even have a blog at all, as sometimes I know they just did something worth talking about, but don’t even bother to write about it.  I swear they’re like ungrateful grandchildren who never come around to visit even though they live right around the corner.

So there you have it.  I hope I have made your stay here a little more pleasant.

In real news (notice I put it at the bottom to reward everybody who bothered to read a bunch of crap about my blog make-over):

Last night I got a call from Swiftwickiburtonway.  There was actually a meeting on Wednesday, and it wasn’t a meeting planning meeting, it was a phone call planning meeting.  I should be getting a call in the next few days from the bike frame supplier and co-sponsor of the team with the nitty gritty details of their arrangement with me and their expectations.  After that I should have enough information to make a choice between my two options for next year, which I will discuss at a much greater length when I know what it is I’m talking about. 

I would love to say that I am just holding back information to create a little suspense around here, but unfortunately this is really the way it’s played out.  I’ve had one solid offer on the table (a literal table of the picnic variety) and this “idea” in the works since August.  I agreed to both parties that I would make a decision once it was all laid out, and it seems as if the long anticipated moment is right around the corner.  I am very lucky to have two opportunities for next year, but at the same time I’m gonna have to make a decision, which for me is not an easy thing to do.  It’s sorta like having two girlfriends that are nothing alike and having to choose between the two of them.  Do you go with the girl who has loose morals and a house with a pool who’s parent’s are never around or the smart girl who helps you with your homework and looks good without make up?

Or do you keep dating both of them till they find out, dump you, and plan your demise together?

Talk them into a “three way” perhaps??

Only in the movies.

 

 

Just when you least expected it (or sorta expected it as it has been almost always on Thursdays except for when Thursday was Thanksgiving)…

It’s another Sponsorship Appreciation Post.  This week we have…

Although Twin Six has kept me looking quite dapper for just over two years running, I have yet to meet Brent or Ryan in person.  We had planned a few rendezvous (plural for rendezvous??  rendezvi??)…

Anyways we tried to meet up at The Fool’s Gold 100, SSWC09, and Interbike, but to no avail our efforts always seemed to be quashed by some odd circumstances or lack of boobs.  Since I have not met either one of them it’s extremely hard to create a post that is thinly veiled as an Appreciation Post, but is actually a way of poking them on a personal level with my virtual stick.

One must realize that Twin Six never entered the picture until AFTER I won the 24 Hour Solo Single Speed World Championship.  At that point everyone wanted to board the Dicky Train to Fancypantsland… Nike, Nabisco, Kotex,  Purina, Discovery Channel… you name it.  But I saw something special in Twin Six, something that made them rise above the others.  Maybe it was the fact that they weren’t offering me a life time supply of feminine hygiene products or a guest host spot on Hot Planet (not a teen dance show like you would think it would be).  They went ahead and sent me a Buck jersey as a token of their congrats, and let’s just say I’ve been fighting the women back ever since.

Obviously we’ve had some communication breakdowns since we are so distant from each other.  They either thought I was a tiny little man or a very flaming homosexual (not that there’s anything wrong with that), so until we got my sizing info in their little rolodex I occasionally ended up with something a little too small.

Seriously, who wouldn’t want to get with this?

Over the years (all two of them) we have helped each other look good.  For instance, back at the end of 2007 who’s ass did they use as a pin-up model?

That’s right, mine.

My ass  looks so good I’m surprised anybody ever made it past the home page that month.

I guess at some point this year I’m gonna have to figure out a way to meet the two brains behind Twin Six and give them a nice brain hug.  As much as I love sporting their goods I just can’t make fun of anything they do as much as I’d like to.  Maybe there’s a reason they’ve kept their distance…

Hipster, but not too hipster hat in full effect helping me pull off some trendy facial hair patterns.

Let’s not forget the most key element of my racing career that Twin Six can take direct blame… I mean credit for, my inclusion into the most elitist non-team team; The Bare Knuckle Brigade.  If not for the kind words of Brent I believe that the directeur sportif at the BKB may have never even looked in my direction.  Now I enjoy all the fringe benefits of being part of a non-team team with none of the draw backs of being part of an actual team team (meetings, planning meetings, meeting planning meetings, etc.).

The BKB kit putting the “G” in “gnar”, also putting the “G” in “Get some” or “Get something even cooler” or “poseurenGer”.

Fjear me now, and believe me later.

So thanks Twin Six for all the serious (and not so serious) riding apparel and walker wear.  Here’s to another year of reminding the ladies to keep their hands to themselves.

Meh….

100% chance of two or more inches of rain today.

Wonder if these guys do ass cracks??  I bet these two guys do, and I wouldn’t even have to pay them.