Tookie Takes Bronze; The Year In Review

Alright, it's official. I placed third overall in the OMBC series this year in my class. Heading into the championship race I was three points ahead of third place. After racing 20 miles I finished third agian, but the time gap between second and third was too much and I lost second place overall by ONE point. When they say every point counts it does, and the entire season for me was all about fighting for that one point.

My first race this year was in the middle of a monsoon that dropped 5" of rain in a 24 hour period, and a wreck late in the race put me out for the next three weeks with lower back pain. After missing the next two races in the OMBC series, I got back on track with a couple of podium spots and heat stroke just to remind me how hot this summer was here in the East. By mid summer things were getting better with another third place finish to put me in the top five in the series, but as you know I pulled a "Bob" and showed up one hour late to the Alum creek race (Didn't check the website for early start time, because all the other races in the series started at 1:00, why because the slower riders would slow down the lap times of pro/expert riders on the short 6 mile loop).
I got the monkey off my back this year at the Lake Hope race with a second place finish, but clipping a tree in the first mile of that race messed my shoulder up for the next two weeks. Soon the season was drawing to an end and I needed to pick up another race for the NO SHOW at Alum Creek.
After spending the next couple of days with Captn Chris in Columbus, I went to Dillion Sate Park recharged and ready to race a tough rocky and rooty 18 miles, after finishing 1st at Dillion it put me in the top three in my class for the overall series.
By this time of the season everything was looking great. I was getting ready to go on a short vacation, come back and race a 12 hour solo in WV just to keep the legs loose for the championship in a few weeks.
Then as we all know from being mountain bikers... shit happens and life continues in multiple directions. So in that short period of time before the championship race the rear end on my Tomac cracks, and I start on a two week remodel of a new home I'll be moving into the week of the championship race. Fun times!!!! Fun times!!!!!!
Yet, Capt incredible Chris gets the Tomac put back together the day before the race, and in the three week period I had been on my crossbike maybe four times so lining up at the series championship with a 3 point lead over third place it was time to race, not for me, but for all the people that helped keep my season rolling along.
So I want to say thanks to Capt Chris (The Man that was the glue of my 2010 season), thanks to James at Sigma (Don't worry man I'm going to run the hell out of the night lights in some 24hr.races next year), thanks to Jim and Matt at Hydrapack, Ken at Xpedo (Third year on Ti pedals now!!! that a stress test of product), thanks to Jim at Kenda, Thanks to the guys at Ryder sun glasses (Sorry I lost my glasses, I was also bit by a dog that day and had to bush whack though 2 miles of thorns to find my way back, so I think I know where the glasses are, I'm just not ready to go back for them), thanks to the guys a KMC (This is the first season I didn't break a chain durning a race), Thanks to Pete at Amino Vital (I wish you the very best, and I'm glad I had the chance to hang out with you guys), and Thanks to Joel at Tomac (The speed and effort you put into getting a replacement rear end, you think I was JOHN TOMAC, thanks again). Well its starting to turn cold here and my Thanksgiving day ride will soon be here and we start getting ready for next season.





Talk later
Jeff "Tookie" Williams

Bike Fight!

O.K., so you have to understand how awesome the '80's were. Dubbed-over-multi-language fight scenes, quick-edit-cuts from the actors to the stunt people (clearly on vivid display in this film), and purple anodized everything. Here's a short clip for your viewing pleasure, showcasing how deadly your old Kuwahara BMX bike can be in the hands of an all girl ninja assassin squad. These guys never knew what them..except for the plastic mag wheel pieces embedded in their forehead! "So, you wanna be a Kung-Fu fighter, eh?"

Supercruise.

The Lockheed Martin/Boeing F22 Raptor. The United States' most technologically advanced fighter aircraft. It has a radar-elusive coating, an airframe so advanced that it can only stay aloft with computer assistance, internal armament to decrease it's radar signature, and something else....

"Supercruise."

Supercruise is a term used to describe a top secret engine technology that allows the aircraft to fly at a rate of speed that is just short of a full blown afterburner cook-off...but with the fuel economy of a Yugo GVX. Thanks to its' Pratt & Whitney F119 turbofan engines it can fly faster, farther, on less fuel.

Turns out you have Supercruise too.

*Jr.Olympic Gold Medalist Claudia Espinoza on her way to another win..clearly in Supercruise mode.



There is a magical blend of power output, gear ratios, calorie intake and cadence that give you your very own version of "Supercruise." It's that sweet spot between effort and speed that you can sustain for what seems like forever. For me, that usually ends up being somewhere around 92 on the ol' SIGMA ROX 8.0 cadence meter. At that point, I'm not blowing up my heart rate monitor, but my average speed seems to be "pursuit mode" high. It's a great feeling to be in that zone, and while in Supercruise mode, you feel unstoppable.


*U.S. Cup West Champion Vanessa Humic racing in Fontana, CA. Supercruise in full effect.

On the mountain bike, Supercruise allows you to flow over and through the obstacles before you even remember where they are. On the road bike, it ends up allowing you to TRUCK over mountain passes at a speed that just sucks other riders in and discards them behind you, at a pace that you feel could continue forever. Supercruise is a state of mind.

*2006 Super D National Champion Bert Blanchette in Los Olivos a few years ago racing Pro XC in Supercruise mode.




Find your Supercruise with the help of a new SIGMA wireless computer today. Be sure it has at LEAST cadence...better if you can lump in a heart rate monitor. Ask your friendly Backbone racer for help in dialing in the perfect SIGMA computer for your riding needs, and show your friends what Supercruise looks like...even if they only get to see it for a second.

Flume Trail Makes Nat Geo's "Top 100 American Adventures."

National Geographic Magazine has a doozy of a website. If you love travel and do it, or if you love travel and can't do it, their pages and site allow you to really feel as though you are there. They have a segment now that points out their "Best 100 American Adventures." On that list? Mountain biking the Flume Trail in Tahoe. This region also has some amazing road rides, like the ride around Lake Tahoe and up the old two lane road to the summit of Donner Pass.

*Meet Mr. Keseberg. He ate the members of his party who froze to death during the ill-fated Donner Party trip over this mountain. If you get caught in the cold, don't stop...he might still be hungry.



Along that road ride, you can get off and walk amongst ancient petroglyphs that sit below abandoned 19th century gold-rush train tunnels. Mountain biking those tunnels with lights on yield spectacular finds, like subterranean waterfalls and the occasional large mammal (not me, bears).


*Pro endurance racer Timari "Booty" Pruis calls the Tahoe area home, as do many other top ranked pro cyclists.



A quick drive from the Flume Trail will take you to Northstar Ski resort, a mountain bike riders Mecca in the Sierra Nevadas. This area is so full of epic rides for both road and dirt riders, the trip is well worth it. Just up the mountain from Sacramento, or a mind-blowing drive from L.A. via 395 (where you'll pass the entrance to Death Valley, Mono Lake, Gold Rush towns, and the historic Manzanar Japanese internment camp) lies this "complete vacation package" for cyclists of any type or ability. The Nat Geo article is listed below!


*Pro DH racer Charles Libolt taking 8th in the Kamikaze, just down the road from Tahoe.


By Doug Schnitzspahn
Encircling the largest alpine lake in North America, the 165-mile (266-kilometer) Tahoe Rim Trail just may be the singletrack with the greatest view in the United States. More than 80 miles (129 kilometers) of the trail are open to mountain bikes. In fact, the riding here is so sublime that the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) named the 21.8-mile (35-kilometer) section between Tahoe Meadows and Spooner Summit as one of its Epics, an honor bestowed on trails that epitomize the best that mountain biking has to offer.


*Another area pro gravity racer, James Schwanke (dual slalom) is pictured here in blue getting WORKED by Brian Lopes. Sorry Schwanke, had to burn ya!



For good reason: The trail takes in gritty climbs and fast descents with spectacular views of Tahoe to the west and the Nevada desert to the east. Nine miles (14 kilometers) in, you’ll split off onto the adjacent 22-mile (35-kilometer) Flume Trail, which starts at the Spooner Lake campground. Though not officially part of the Rim Trail itself, it’s the signature ride here, and it requires a decent climb and a bit of singletrack to get down. Just remember, it’s tough to keep your eyes on the trail with all those eye-popping views of the lake. One of the best things about the rides on the Rim Trail is that it can be just as much fun for novices as it is for fat-tire vets.

*Nor Cal's Jr. World Cup racer Austin Benge airing it out in Tahoe.


Need to Know: Some sections of the trail are only open to bikes on certain days. Many local bike shops provide shuttles for the point-to-point rides in the Rim Trail. Rent bikes and check in on trail conditions at Flume Trail Mountain Bikes (www.theflumetrail.com). Bike rentals start at $45 a day; shuttles from $15. Read about the trail at www.tahoerimtrail.org.


*Chucky-T. Seventy Miler Per Hour, south of Tahoe in Mammoth. Full tuck.

Sad Day. Tutus Closes.

*Team photo from 2006 (by Michael Darter), with all the new bikes from Tempe.

I was perusing the electronic pages of MBACTION.com and came across the headline "Titus Calls It Quits." Wow. That just really kinda hits home after having been a Titus backed team for two years (2006-8). The people that work(ed?) there are so awesome, and were so much fun to hang out with it was hard to believe.

*Lydia wearing a Titus "T" titanium necklace they gave her at Sea Otter.
We would go as a team out to Phoenix for the Scottsdale NMBS race each year, and we always made it a point to go hang out and tour the facility in Tempe (it has since moved).

*Randy and Vanessa after their races in Scottsdale.
Our sales rep at the time was the incomparable E.J. (short for "Evil Juicy"), and he would have us hang out for the afternoon and learn how the carbon process was done, watch the designers creating the next generation bikes, test ride some of the "Franken-Bikes" they had created for themselves...and generally drink a crap-ton of beer after they were closed.

*While still at Titus, E.J. was one funny mother-f****r. This is him, hammered, wearing a wrestling mask the night I showed up on my trek East.

When I was moving from L.A. to Columbus, I stopped in to Tempe to visit with the guys on my drive to Alburquerque, New Mexico to pick up Lydia at the airport. All my crap in tow, we rode beach cruisers from EJ's place through town and got quite hammered. The next day's drive from Tempe to Flagstaff, then on to New Mexico was a rough one...but something I'll never forget. The Titus peeps were great.

*The Scottsdale race was always a great place to see friends you don't normally get to see, like Mary Mac! Well, I can only hope that someone other than Pacific Cycles will step in and take over the brand, because I would hate to see it all disappear. Good luck to everyone at Titus, we all wish you the best...

*Service? Yeah, they had that. While at Sea Otter, Ara's bike (his beat up old race bike, not a Titus) was a total loss. The guys at Titus stepped up and loaned him a brand new Racer-X for his race.

Saturday At COSI's FIT FEST

*Laura Miller, of Followmekids.org.

This Saturday is going to be a blast! Up early and loading the truck, I will be heading downtown to the children's science center here in Columbus (COSI). Friend and founder of Followmekids.org Laura Miller asked me to hang out with her for the day inside the cavernous and fun spot. Located inside the room where the Titanic exhibit has been for the past few months, Laura will be there to fight the good fight against childhood obesity..which is what her organization does.

*Luka enjoying the great outdoors. He loves parks that don't have a theme.
By educating the parents and the kids, she has made a tangible impact here in Columbus. With tips on proper nutrition, exercise, outdoor and indoor play, local parks and facilities that promote active lifestyles, cooking tips and much more, this is an organization I am always happy to help out.

I'll be there on behalf of roll: bikes to set up a killer "Parents vs. Kids Speed Trap," talk about the importance of wearing a helmet, proper bike fit, rules of the road, etc. ALSO, Laura asked Lyd to show up and sing her kids songs to the throngs from 10 to 11a.m.

*Lydia Brownfield being interviewed earlier this year by NBC 4's Monica Day.


I'm trying to get her to belt out "Puff The Magic Dragon," but I'll probably be the only one who has any idea how that song goes. I think they call that "old."

Stop by the COSI building Saturday! Just a few things to expect:
- Join us for the first Family Fitness Walk at COSI ( by Asics & Fleet Feet)
- Inflatable bounce house, obstacle course, joust, slides & more
- Participate on a scavenger hunt for your Passport to Health
- Free interactive activities for the family held every 30 minutes
- Meet & take pictures with former Ohio State athletes
- Cooking demonstrations and sampling of healthy foods

For more info go to http://www.familyfitfest.com/

**Thanks to SIGMA for providing the computers for the Speed Trap!