Mojos...

Aaaahhhhh December on the Front Range....could be snowing, could be 55 degrees...

Could this be a preview of 2009's secret weapon? I've been testing out the Gary Fisher SuperFly 29'er, and, I think ol' Gary may be on to something with all this G2 Genesis voodoo...

As a bonus, this sweet rig would include a sweet hood ornament...

That doubles as an ancient Aztec headress. ......gnuk-gnuk...gungzumi

Coming up, my year in review...

Karmacism...

Christmas has come and gone, and part of mine was spent driving 743 hours through the state of Texas. Everyone deserves a road trip once a year. And when you're driving through America's heartland you've got a lot of time to look at oil wells and cotton fields; and a lot of time to think...

And this gave me time to ponder a recent scenario that I thought was perfect for the holiday season.

• Last week I found a $5 dollar bill on the ground, which I promptly picked up.
  
• Later that night I was at a Christmas party at a restaurant, where drinks were free. I tipped the bartender that $5.
• The next day I was at the car wash, and the car wash attendant offered me a free car wash.
• On my way home, I used what money I would have at the carwash to pick up a 12-pack and gave it to my favorite bike shop.
  

Peace and love, people..................and Bambi. Peace, love, and Bambi.

In other news, while in the heart of Texas I learned a few things. Specifically, never offer tips to a Texan on how to load his rifle. Especially while you're on his ranch. Never. But more on that in a few...

6 Fathoms...

But I'll always come back to the bike. And just because it's December, pitch black, and 29 degrees out doesn't mean you can just sit on the couch (all the time). You pull on the warmest clothes, you charge up the light, and you do it.

Tip Of The Day: Fleece mittens and one-finger brake levers do not go well together. And the 40+mph sustained winds turned this well-intentioned-joy-ride into an interval session in no time. But despite all that, night riding is one of the coolest, most memorable experiences I've yet to come across...

And yes, Hughes, I took this picture of myself, by myself. And the animal paranoia was runnin' pretty high at this point.

It is my life.........it is my curse............

Take Only As Prescribed...

In the daily planner of life, I feel like last week.

A cyclist's legs are great at repeating the exact same motion thousands and thousands of times...

In the past few weeks, however, I've gotten in to some different types of cross-training activities, just to show my legs how "well-rounded" they aren't...

You ever get out of bed and crumple straight to the floor? Running when your not used to running will make you do just that...

Yup, I'm seeing things from a different perspective these days, to compliment my "all-things mountain-bike" persona, and....

...and it's given me some fresh illumination on winter training...

Illumination. Some restrictions apply.

• Does not include Monday's that follow Sundays.
• Do not take illumination if you're currently pregnant, or may become pregnant, have high blood pressure, or are currently taking Accupril, Nevirapine, or Zithromax, or any histamine-blockers.
• If you experience discomfort while taking illumination, discontinue use.
• Consult your doctor to see if you're fit enough for illumination, and if illumination is right for you.
• Side effects may include increased levels of animal paranoia, blurred or lack of vision, and a sudden desire to build a life-sized replica of the Eiffel Tower.
• Documented abnormalities from taking illumination include, but are not limited to, facial expression abnormalities, para-hyper-hypo-thyrallamus, myoparagligmia, and a sudden drop in blood pressure, and bladder control problems.
• Limit sobriety whem tlaking illunimashun.
• Some symptoms may be an indication of a much more serious problem; especially confusion and hiccups.
• Take the illumination 1-month challenge - log on to, www.frygoflichmia.com

The Talent Pool Runs Deep...

USA Cycling has just announced that the new 2009 UCI Pro Cross Country Tour will have a stop in the hometown this June. UCI, meaning it will attract not only the top US professionals, but also a smattering of European pro's, as well.

So not only will I have the opportunity to race in the US National Championships in 2009 just steps from our remote mountain post, but I'll be able to sleep in my own bed during the Sand Creek International in C. Springs, as well.

And if I have to tell Adam Craig to get out of my way, don't even think I'll hesitate.

Don't Forget Your Lance Pants...

Recognize anyone??

My quest to make a household name out of......myself continues; one tiny picture at a time...

I am 33 years old. Me and the Mrs. have no kids. Me and the Mrs. just got finished watching Charlie Brown's Christmas Special for the 33rd time; and were captivated like it was the first time we'd ever seen it. Never grow up people...

Long base training rides, when done solo, let the brain wander at a dangerous momentum and that just leaves the mind full of questions...

So it's nice to ride with a few of your comrads from time to time to help keep things moving...

New friends and old ones; we all share a common bond. Cheers to the group rides that only feed our motivation. May they get us through the winter...

In other news, the 2009 racing season calender is already beginning to take shape and I hear some big things are happening locally. So stay tuned...

The Incline...

When you've lived in one place almost your entire life there are certain places you take for granted. It took me 14 years of living in Colorado Springs to finally take the Cog Railway to the top of Pikes Peak, for example. Climbing the Manitou Incline is another perfect example...

1 mile, 2000' elevation gain. REPEAT THAT - 1 mile, 2000 ft elevation gain... 3000+ steps straight up. 40% avg grade, 68% max grade.

This is "hoo-ah" country. I mean, Semper Fi, friggin pound your chest type terrain - and no, I don't ride up it... Imagine a staircase with over 3000 stairs - where each stair is, like, 2 ft higher than the last. Now we're talkin...

It's one of the city's famous proving grounds where people sit in Kinfolks bar at the base of Manitou Springs and compare their best times. Champion marathoner Matt Carpenter runs it almost daily. Olympic speed skater Apollo Ohno practically sidesteps up it. And I had never attempted it in almost a quarter-century living here...

I have to be honest - in the winter when it's dark and snowy, I'm far less inclined to go for a ride after work than I am to scamper up this beast of a workout, so I regret the fact that I've neglected it for so long. I intend to make it a regular addition to this winter's training regimen...

Perched precarously near the top, with a strong sense of.......vertigo.....

Insufficient Funds...

I was right....

..my paws did take me to the mecca of all that is chowda.' Despite the fact that there was little room, post-turkey-feast, I made sure to pack it in.

Well, 19 days left until the shortest day of the year. And it's both easy and hard to get excited for the '09 season about now. Easy because as the temps continue to fall and the snow begins in earnest, visions of warm summer days entice the imagination; those symptoms never fade. Hard because I know those days are 6 months away and I've a lot of work to do before then...

In the coming week or so I'll start dabbling with the indoor trainer...........or not. But sooner or later we'll be tethered once again...

Or maybe my post-work-darkness-induced gloom will be better spent doing a little night riding, or on the Manitou Incline. This time of year is full of those familiar "you-know-your-pro (but)" moments: you-know-your-pro-but-with-the-short-winter-days-by-the-time-you-get-out-of-work-it's-gonna-be-dark-and-27-degrees-sucka.

But one thing's for sure:

......aaah screw it..............I ate too much and I feel sick........