Travel Report From Fuzzy

Hey Chris!

Just got back from Montana last night, toooo long of a drive man. Had a
good trip into Big Sky country. Did some major mileage on the roadie in
Montana and especially in Yellowstone National Park located in Wyoming.
We had two full days of riding in the park and still didnt get the
chance to see everything there, its too massive. Pretty amazing land
out there though just the fact that we were riding in a massive caldera
that spans 45 miles wide and it blew its lid thousands of years ago and
now is growing again is just mind-boggling. From the caldera's
metamorphic walls, geysers shooting super heated water into the air,
fumeroles releasing steam that sounds like a jet engine, hot springs
alive with bacteria, earthquake faults to prestine rivers and high
alpine forests. The wildlife is also amazing; roaming herds of bison,
bald eagles and ospreys diving to catch fish, moose, wolves, and of
course the grizzlys! Here are a few pics from ridin in the Park, we
actually got caught in a massive thunderstorm that blew in out of
nowhere ... reminds me of the time we rode in the Brian Head area
hiding under the trees and getting pelted by hailstones.

I'm actually heading up into the Sierras again tomorrow until Friday.
No bikes this time just straight mountaineering the peaks in our
beloved granite monolith.

I'll talk to you later when I get back!

The Wanderlust Fuzz

Luka's First Ride Sans Training Wheels!

Luka set for launch.


OK, so I know this isn't really team related (like the Michael Jackson story is?), but I was VERY proud of "Tiny" yesterday. he learned to ride his bike for the first time without training wheels! Here is the photo essay of how it went down!


Look ma! No training wheels!





Immediately after the accomplishment, we headed to Luck Brothers for coffee and a donut. Well done!


Now back to your regularly scheduled programming...

Tour Starts July 4th!

The Tour starts on July 4th, with coverage once again being handled by Versus Network! Although Tomac doesn't make a road bike, I'm willing to bet that if they did, Backbone's very own Bert Blanchette would jump in to the race and show those boys what a drug-free ass-whuppin' would look like. Bert has ridden several passes along the TDF route, timing himself against the peloton. He actually had staggeringly fast times of L'Alpe d'Huez, coming in well inside the Tour time limit. H e actually did it alone, too, no domestiques to drag him up the hill! Anyhow, while the rest of America is watching fireworks in the backyard, I'll be glued to the set in the hopes that Contador takes what rightly belongs to him..the Yellow Jersey!

Michael Jackson Dead; Nose Still On Tour.

I'm sorry....this was just too damn funny and I couldn't resist. The similarities!

RIGHT?


Michael Jackson passed away today, and while it is certainly a moment in history to be aware of...I'm sadly disaffected. I think had it happened just after the release of "Thriller" it would have been more serious. After that album, the craziness just got too crazy for me to even care about. Seriously, nobody believed that he was actually singing to a woman in "The Way You Make Me Feel," and the only good thing about "Thriller" was Vincent Price's (now THERE is someone I'm sad to loose)voice over. O.K., that's not entirely true..in the video's opening sequence, the "girlfriend" (haha) says "Michael, you'r not like other guys." Oh my god the jokes after I heard THAT line were incessant. Anyhow...too many years of children in his bed and Jesus Juice led to Randy Rush being the way he is now, and that's just not acceptable..unless you are on our team, then it's o.k.

So, goodbye to the '70's and really the '80's, it was nice knowing you. With Farrah also passing, today was a thirty-something's changing of the guard. We now can look forward to our clothing becoming "fashionable" again, and probably see Duran Duran in Vegas at the Tropicana when we are all geezery and still clinging to "New Moon On Monday."

Rest in piece, Michael. Just be sure all your "pieces" decay at the same rate the rest of you does...

Randy's KMC Chain Love.

Captn. I'm now married and get no sex....



What the hell's going on Captn ? Hey I just wanted to send a little post because (as you know) I'm getting my Carbide built up! So while deciding what components I wanted to build with, I needed to decide on what kind of chain to run. Now I'm OK on the maintenance side of things (except when it comes to drive train components). If you remember a couple years ago at Fontucky my drive train was completely worn out and WEHE was laughing at me like I'm a d#####t which is probably true. Anyway when I replaced things back then (two years ago) I went with a KMC x-9 chain.



This thing has been bullet proof and the reason I know this is because I'm still a d$$$$$t and I haven't replaced it since! So deciding which chain I wanted was the easiest decision to make. I went right back to a KMC chain because there won't be problems with them. So if any of you other 'Boners out there need a chain for your sled I strongly recommend you guys and gals roll with KMC. This doesn't only pertain to all the 'Boners out there anyone who reads this blog check out their chains, they rock.

Randy

Kenda Kup West Overalls!

Claudia Espinoza (U-23) finished 2nd overall for the Kenda Kup West, and Vanessa finished fourth! Vegas Bob (who did 3 of the 8 races in the series) finished 23rd and Randy Rush finished in 7th! Ara was SECOND overall, and Matt Thome ended up in 10th after just one race. Super-D overalls aren't up, but we cleaned house in that category for sure. I'll post 'em as I get 'em!

Vanessa' 12 Hr Race Report

Bert and I finished up third in the 2 person coed. Thanks to Bert. He rocked. Cheyne (new Backboner) did a 2 person single speed with his friend and they finished second. It was a warm day with a lot of steep technical climbing. I believe they had over 400 racers. A very fun atmosphere. Ryan was the only non racing Backboner to come out and support. He did a great job and made sure we rested and ate in between laps. Roger had to work, but is always at every race. He also made sure I had everything I needed. The Tomac Carbide's ran great and Amino Vital kept us going. So I wouldn't mind doing a 12 hour race again, but would like to specifically train for this type of race. I think Bert is ready for 24.



**Thanks Vanessa, and GREAT JOB Cheyne, Bert and V! **

Timo Takes Gold!

Although not a REAL Backboner, Timari Pruis is one of the many "Honorary Backboners" out there in racing land. Timo just nailed her first GOLD MEDAL of the season for her new sponsors, and I just wanted to say GREAT JOB GIRL! She took first in a 24Hr race on her new bike, courtesy of Chris Cocalis.

Jeff "Tookie" Williams Wins!

My man Tookie just CRUSHED the competition yesterday in North Carolina, taking his XC class by five minutes. He assumed that the series overall leader had blown him out at the start and was always JUST around the next bend. Hammer dropped, he pushed himself to the brink of puking for two hours in slop and steam of the East Coast summer. After crossing the finishing line with a bile-caked throat, he couldn't see his "leader" anywhere. Five minutes leader the series leader came in, near death. Turns out Tookie was out in front the entire time, having no idea he was pinning it to win it. GREAT JOB JEFF, and I will eagerly await your report!

New Amino Vital Endurance Mandarin Orange!

Mindy Reger getting googly-eyed at Taylor's Amino Vital ad at Interbike.


While Pete O'Brien has been getting settled in to his new digs up in the hills near San Francisco, the mad scientists in japan have been hard at work filling canisters with THE ALL NEW MANDARIN ORANGE FLAVORED ENDURANCE FORMULA! That's right people, a new flavor. It's no slouch either. I have been using a top-secret canister of Mandarin Orange for a some time now, and I actually like it better than the Lemon! Order as much of it as you possibly can (if in a bike shop, QBP should begin having the new flavor soon) get to whippin' up on someone!


My mantle is full of bling thanks to Amino Vital!


Jeff's endurance racing requires a ton of ENDURANCE FORMULA! BTW, he just WON his race yesterday in North Carolina!


Lil' Lydia (center) and the rest of the girls from the Arnold Classic in Columbus.

Full Circle

Wow. How do teeth get THAT yellow without smoking?


As a child I lived on a very large piece of property for Southern California. It was great too, because we were right up against miles of citrus orchards and adjacent to the Santa Ana River wetlands area. Open space was all around, and I have memories of waking up in a cold sweat at 4a.m. to the sound of a human male blurting out the sounds of military reveille. The yard was huge, and on a slope. Prior to the sun piercing the sky, in that odd blue-black hue of the pre-dawn California summer, I was frightened awake by the overbearing father unit. It was time to hit that vast Kansas-esque plain of grass in the front of the property and begin the daily regimen of "Invasive Species Relocation."
Not a form of internment for whatever ethnic group we are supposed to hate for this decade, it was more a task set forth by my father to remove weeds from the yard. I hated it. I told myself I would never again pick weeds as long as I was out of that house.

Enter Luka.


He threw a fit upon waking up while at his father's house this morning, prompting him to ALLOW HIM to stay home from school. I got home from work and discovered this transgression. Immediately my brain triggered a chemical that recalled the memory of the "Invasive Species Relocation Act Of 1976." It has rained here off and on for days, and the weeds were ripe and full between the many bricks along the backyard's walkways. "If you don't go to school, you better learn to do manual labor!" I said to the almost six-year-old. I marched him out back, away from Nintendo, Jenny The Teenage Robot, Avatar, and Spongebob for a little early childhood development. If you didn't go to school, you don't get T.V. time, and you WILL get manual labor time. Ya gotta make it a non-option to skip school, so weed picking was the order of the day.



It wasn't long before the whining started. I then was happily able to discuss that kids who don't attend school have to work a LOT harder than those who do. By talking his dad into staying home from school, he earned the really amazing and fun ability to do back-breaking manual labor until it was dark. That was at 3p.m. It doesn't get dark here until 9p.m. It's going slowly, but the old Socialist adage of "Peace Through Labor" seems to be working some mind-magic for the boy who would stay home. When asked thirty minutes ago if he'd like to miss school again on Monday, he quickly answered.




"I love school now."

Tookie Rocks The 'Hawk.

In preparation for the weekend's racing for Tookie in Pennsylvania, he decided to strike fear in the hearts of his fellow racers by shaving a Mohawk into his head. Now appearing as though he were a member of the Wannaseemapeepee Tribe, this Backbone racer is ready to wage epic battle in the woods Sunday. When he called me on this, he reminded me of the very first Sagebrush race we attended as a new team in 2005, when Jim Roff, and Fuzzy shaved their heads into Mohawks as well.




Maybe if I buy some of that weed off of Missy Giove, I can get Vanessa to inhale it and shave her head too! That's hot.

Good luck this weekend Jeff, sorry I have to work both days. I'll catch the next 24 Hr though, and hopefully by then you'll have your Carbide!


Holy s**t, what's up there SLINGBLADE?

BUSTED.

"...other endeavors" must be where she thought smuggling weed was covered.

So, who amongst you REALLY didn't see this coming? I have never heard a single interview with Missy Giove that was anything short of rambling gibberish. She had dreadlocks on the top and shaven head on the sides, like some kind of crack-head mullett. She wore a dead and half-busted pet fish on a string for a necklace. She kept her dead dog's ashes in her shirt. Is it any wonder that the DH ex-champ was busted for a couple of hundred pounds of marijuana in her car (some reports have the amount at over 400 lbs!)? That is some SERIOUS goddamn glaucoma, right?


classy.

Bert and Vanessa To Race 12 Hrs Of Rim Nordic!

Bert is coming out to flog his Tomac Carbide like a donkey alongside teammate Vanessa Humic for this weekend's Rim Nordic 12 Hour Race! This will be a first for both Backboners, since neither have done a 12 Hour before. Roger can't make it, so if anyone can please donate some time to help feed them that would be really great. Best of luck to my peeps, and have some fun, ok?

Fresh Pix From Colorado!

Roger, Vanessa and Claudia prior to the race last Saturday.



Claudia at the start of the U-23 race, where she would take Bronze.

Check Out This Video!

It's from a band called Doves, and the song is called "Winter Hill." This was sent to us via team fan Peter Ross high above the North Bank Condos in Columbus...

Kenda Kup West Final Report

This in from Roger Hernandez today...after the 17 hr drive home from Colorado Springs.




Hi Chris,

Wow what a trip!!! I want to say thank you to our sponsors again!!! They gave us the tools to have a great Kenda Kup season... Joel at Tomac bikes, Ken at Xpedo pedals, Pete at Amino Vital, Jim at Kenda tires, Brian and James at Sigma, Nomad, Formula brakes, Jay at Sunline... With your help we have had a spectacular season so far!!!

It started with how much for airfare?? Extra to ship a bike!!! Lets just drive there, how far could it be? So we borrowed a compact car, threw a bike and a cooler full of monster amino vital mix in the back and just started driving. After sneaking out of work early and driving eight hours for the first day we pulled over for a cat nap, then a short 11 hour drive on the second day we were there staring at Jim W just pulling into the venue, man that guy is always there first in and always leaving last!!! Vanessa suited up and took off on a pre-ride of the UNMARKED course... she had a downloaded map (note course wasn't marked until Friday afternoon). I then got to work with Jim, Chris (Kenda /Tomac mech.) and Robbie Wannamaker to set up the Kenda trailer. Did I mention Robbie was there... so after I found the duct tape and zip ties Robbie was occuppied, so that I could sort the kenda trailer out with Jim W :)

Did I mention how beautiful it is in Colorado? It takes a lot for me not to just sell everything and make the move. Up at 7:!5 and off to the venue, as I roll up I was already late. Jim had already been there an hour and was busting his ass, I did what I could to keep up with him. 10:30 take off to pick up new Backbone rider Claudia and her father Jaime. What troopers they are! Up at 3:30am to catch flights from San Diego to Denver to Colorado Springs. After loading the Backbone Nissan Versus limo with Claudia, Jaime and bike carrier we looked like hill billys going to a swap meet. Claudia did a hot lap as Jaime and I help Jim W. with Kenda stuff. We then went to the registration venue which wasn't a the track, but 8 miles away in town?? Then we were told that there was a cap on 100 cagt 1 riders... wtf??? Hey Scott Tedro isn't this the Kenda Kup Final for the West Coast??Maybe a points deciding race ??? All I can say is that I have found a much larger respect for Team Big Bear and their crew!!! The guys in Colorado couldn't throw a junior high dance let alone a large scale mtn bike race??? I won't go into too much detail but not marking the course earlier, no class markings on the legs, terrible announcing and no music... every Kenda Kup race this year on the West Coast has been top notch except this one, please Scott work on them for next years' final, I thought Colorado was a mtn bike mecca???

The race... just two Backbone racers at this event; Vanessa and Claudia, two cat 1 girls!!!

Vanessa's race recap...
All the cat 1 men and woman lined up for the race. They didn't mark any legs so you had no clue who you were racing. 2 minutes before the start they announced we would do 3 laps instead of four. Then about 80 men took off at once into a single track. 1 minute later 25 girls started. They were fast technical laps and all single track. It was a like Rim Nordic/Fountain Hills/ cyclecross. If it wasn't for the 65+ men the girls probably would have stayed together for awhile. Claudia took home the bronze and beat up on those Colorado girls. I didn't fair as well, but I did finish right behind the cat 1 cal state and norba champion from last year and passed up some locals myslef. It was great to be able to race and glad things worked out.

Special thanks to Kenda tires... Claudia and Vanessa ran karma 2.0 up front and small block eights 1.95 in the back, it was Claudia's first time on Kenda's and she said they blew away her old Maxxis tires.

Also thank you very much to Jim Roff for coming out to the race, helping with the feed, selling some Kenda rubber and taking Claudia and Jaime to the Denver airport, too bad they were leaving from Colorado Springs airport... lol.... hey Jim make some room out there Vanessa andIi will be there sometime in the future

Roger and Vanessa



**Great report guys..thanks for making the looong road trip. I'll bring Lyd and Luka and will squat in Jim's house!**