Epic Fail

I would like for you all to meet Juan Pablo.  He leaves Dallas next week to fly all the way to Maine where he will ride his bicycle all the way across Canada.

Look for more about Juan and his trip very soon.

Be sure to check out his Website, Epic Fail Mail or read his latest blog post here.

My goal is to learn how to better put YOU into where I am.  Take this setup for instance.  I need to be able to shine some light onto the trails at night so that the GoPro can record it (theyre not too good about low-light shots)
We'll see how it goes...
Here you can see my new Princeton Tech EOS headlamp (it uses AAA bateries rather than a Li-Ion battery) and my GoPro.  I will use this setup for my Colorado Trail Race along with my Goal Zero for solar charging both the units.
Keep an eye out for more posts reviewing the gear I'll use in Colorado as well as everything that gets abuse day after day.

The National Bike Month edition of The Racing Post!

Be sure to check out May's edition of The Racing Post available at your local bike shop throughout Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana and New Mexico.  Can't find it?  Read it online!


Or read my article on Bike Commuting here:



There’s absolutely nothing I love more
than getting another person hooked on the bike.
Call me a Pedal Pusher - whatever - it’s my passion and I want to see more and more people
not only get into the sport, but the activity that is
cycling.

Yes, this month’s column will be a little different.  Rather than ramble on about racing or
adventuring, we’re going to talk about commuting!

Last night, I was telling a new friend that
one of the things that I love about the cycling
world is just how big it is.  You not only have the
Go Fast Racers, the Freeriding Mountain
Bikers, the Booze Cruising Urban Cyclists, but
the Car-less Commuters as well.  It’s the depth,
breadth and width of our Bicycle Universe that
makes this not only a sport, but a lifestyle unlike
any other.

I’ve dabbled in all of it, even a little Trials
Riding, but what excites me most is when I can
get someone to ditch their car and start riding a
bike as transportation.  I feel that Commuting,
unlike all the other sides of cycling, is what can
not only put someone in to the sport ‘through the
back door’, but for the rest of you out there who
already ride as sport, it can give you the variety
in your training plan which is often needed.

Commuting is about the freedom to
weave in and out of traffic, it’s about getting to
and from school, work, play, errands and
chores, all on a machine, which - if you’re reading this - we all love.  It’s about not paying for
gas, about eating even more food every day, but
most importantly, it’s about riding twice, if not
three or four times a day.

These days, my commute is an easy 6.5
miles in the morning and evening, but I’ve done
as much as 20 miles each way while a student.
It doesn’t matter the distance, you get to experience a cardiovascular slap in the face each day
right before arriving at work.  Now a day, if I skip
the bike and grab a ride, it's as if I missed my
morning cup of Joe, and that feeling lasts all
day.

It's also a great way to lose those extra
pounds, too!  Your metabolism remains elevated
post-exercise, so when 'working out' before and
after an 8-9hr work day, your metabolic rate is
essentially going full-bore all day.  People wonder why I'm always eating...

Besides all that, and without overstating
the obvious facts that you'll save money on gas
and maintenance for your vehicle, and the fact
that it's more sustainable and better for the environment, you get to have a daily adventure.  You
get the opportunity to decide whether to take the
hilly route or the flat, head wind route.  Perhaps
you'll find an off-road route which takes you
through a park and over a trail.  You get to see
the same people at the same spots day after
day, you're able to wave and say hello and actually interact with your fellow human rather than
being closed off in your bubble of a vehicle.

Don't worry if you have to wear a suit.  No
shower at work?  No worries!  There are all sorts
of solutions to every problem we can think of.
No one is saying you have to ride everyday,
though you might end up doing that!

While on my 14-week bike tour, I rode
through all different types of weather, across all
types of terrain and met all sorts of people.
Commuting on a Bike is the same sort of deal.
Ditch the car and replace one trip every week
with your bicycle.  Then try one trip a day!  Why
not?


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The Crit Scene

There's something about Dallas.  There's something about the Dallas bike racing scene. It's called a Criterium!
Just like the city itself Dallas loves its fast racing.  It loves going around and around at high speeds, pedaling through the corners and putting it all on the line.

I grew up learning to race and even getting my first win at the weekly crits around the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex and once again -- 7 years later -- find myself back there, going through a 90 degree turn at full speed.

I'm glad to be back.

And while I don't find myself trying to turn Dallas Pro and do the circuit i do see it as a fun way to get an awesome workout while competing  against other Fast Guys for The Win.
Thank you, Ginny, and King Racing Group for putting on such a great time!




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