Zac Rides CycleCross.

Zac raced cycle cross for the second time last weekend. He did great, and will write about it as soon as he is able. time is of the esscence for this man. I made a video of some clips taken during the race,but may not get it to upload. lets try again....

MOAB ROCKS!!!

We decided to spend the 4th of July week in Moab Utah this year. Turned out to be a great descision. Lonna was not as impressed as the rest of us, since everything is extreme here.

Shoulda figured when the pocket guide we got described the Slickrock bike trail like this... "This is the ride that made Moab. The mix of strenuous wall climbs and hair-raising dips, half pipes, and ledge drops on unbelievably high traction sandstone will make you a changed rider. This is THE slickrock trail. The promised land. The point to the pilgrimage. ..."

I think we are indeed changed riders. Made a short movie with some highlights. Need to get a better camera and practice with it more.

It was nice for us being there in the summer. The locals all thought it was hot, but being from the Phoenix area, anytime it gets below 95 after the sun goes down, its nice out!

The trails were wide open (only ever saw a couple of other people when biking and never saw another vehicle when 4wheeling), That gave us novices a great chance to ride without embarassment. Anyway, we had a great time and Will look forward to our next trip (except Lonna, who had enough the first time.)

Get Out! Get On! and Get Riding!

Flagstaff, AZ. State Championship Finals

Zac, just about 1/4 mile into the race as they entered the forest...

It was truly an AWESOME day! Ran up to Flagstaff to watch Zac race the final race for state championship. Not sure if he won by points (the second guy had some points for "trail maintenance"), but he definitely won the race, and our hearts. Way to Go Zac!!

The weather was perfect (but a bit windy) for racing. Cool in the shade and warm in the sun. Just being up there around the energy that surrounds a race was great. Anyone who has been, knows what I mean. If you haven't, I challenge you to go (but be careful, Mountain Biking can be contagious!).

This video was some of the younger guys...we were talking with Adam's dad while we waited for the riders to come by.

Meeting cool people and mountain biking go hand in hand!

Didn't get a good shot of Zac as he crossed the finish line due to camera operator malfunction (doh!), but you can still see it in this shot...

Also got a great shot of Mom and Zac right after the WIN! (Whos that other guy in the picture!?).

These things Happen to Other People...

Sometimes you hear great stories about people having cool encouters with wild life, or witnessing wild things, but it always seems to happen to other people. Well, Rex and Ian had one of those encounters this weekend, and luckily Rex had his phone to capture the moment. (the resolution is poor, but a phone is supposed to make calls, not great video!).

They were riding the ski slopes at Sunrise Ski Park in northeastern Arizona when it all happened.

They got there just as the lifts opened and caught a ride to the top. There was hardly anyone else there, and the weather was great (cold and windy seems great when you live in the desert, and it's June). The first run was great, just getting warmed up and checking suspension settings. On the second run they re-traced the first run until about 1/2 way down, then detoured to another trail. The trail went into the trees and narrowed, so Ian slowed down at the third turn, and came face to face with Bambi! Locking up front and rear brakes to avoid crushing the poor orphan, Ian nearly crashed. His cat like reflexes saved him again. Wowed by what was smack in the middle of the trail, he signaled for Rex to stop. The fawn must have been less than 24 hrs old, as its hair was still matted and wet, and it could barely stand up.

As the video shows, they were able to approach and touch the creature. They didn't want anyone else to run into it, so they ushered it off the trail and continued on, grateful for the chance to see so closely the ammazing beauty of Nature.

Mountian biking, more than most sports, allows you to really get out into nature. Cute and furry surprises wait around nearly every corner (stumps and roots and steep drops wait around the rest!). We Love this Sport!!

That's Gonna Leave a Mark!

Here's a great example of learning the hard way.

I 've said it once, and I'll say it agian...... Always, Always, Always wear a helmet when riding!!

I think you know what I mean......

Angel Fire N,M, Mtn States Cup Rnd 3

Had a Great Time in New Mexico for the Mountain States cup round 3. There was some great racing (as the video shows!).

That was not Zac crashing, he was filming. Zac took first in short track, and settled for a seventh in cross country. A malicious rock jumped up and attacked his pedal on the first lap. Recovering quickly, no more damage was done. However, the pedal was destroyed. Zac said it "felt a little wierd" riding on the destroyed pedal, but was able to finish (always better than a dnf!!).

Others were not so agile in thier recoveries (see video above). Ian wasn't able to complete his downhill run due to a flat tire at the very start (anyone got a pump?!). He took it in stride though. How can you get upset in paradise?

The weather was awesome and the racing fantastic. This is the BEST sport in the World!!

You Thought Downhill Mtnbikers were Crazy...

Just when you started to think that there was something wrong with the thinking processes of downhill mountain bikers, you come across this...

http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=1778399&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1
These guys are really nuts!

Zac is doing great!. Check out the link to see where he stands. (hint; look at the no.1 spot).

way to go Zac!

http://www.usacycling.org/rankings/index.php?sex=M&state=&org=mountain&disc=xc&cat=1&agemin=19&agemax=29

Springtime in the Desert...

"Absence makes the hear grow fonder", the philosopher says. I think there is a strong case for the idea. It has been a while since we've been riding, but the awesome springtime in the desert beckoned, and we finally got back out. Desert spring is very short, so we had to get out while the getting is good! It turned out to be a bit warm, but very invigorating! Due to high school band commitments, we didnt make it out to McDowell Mtn park until 12;30. Rex and Tina met us there with Ezra and Carley. It was a fun ride, and not a race, so we just took it easy and enjoyed the day.

Ryan and Lonna at the Trailhead...

The Pemberton trail is a great trail for most riders, and as our group had varied skill levels, we decided to take part of that trail. Pretty much it's uphill for the first half of the ride, and if you can make it all the way, a GREAT downhill run all the way back. Turning around at any point is also available, and was chosen by some in our group. No problem, they just got a shorter downhill run!

The rest of us Soldiered uphill to Tonto Tank and turned around there to catch the Granite Trail back down. Wow. The desert is at its most spectacular right after a rainstorm, in my opinion, but second to that is a sunny spring day, with a breeze, and that's just what we had.

The 20 min ride down is well worth the hour climb! I was calling out our speed to Ezra (10 yrs old), ( i got a speedometer for Christmas...), and he was totally jazzed when we reached 20 mph at one point. I realize that at that speed it is hard to appreciate the scenery, but it sure is a blast! Great ride with no injuries and got to see a rattlesnake on our way out. Days don't get much better!

Get out! Get on! and Get Riding!