Super late post - Dirty Bird DH

Been neglecting the blog for a while, but have been getting tons of things done and hustling after Cassidy's All Star softball games! Be sure to click the pics for full size.




It was time to kick off the local race season back at the Bird. I had to stop by Grandfather campground to set up camp for Ryane and the girls before the race. High winds and no help made it almost impossible to set up a borrowed, massive, poorly designed tent. So I got there late.



Late, as it would seem, was perfect. The rain dumped as soon as I hit the parking lot and stopped as soon as I got registered. Track was slick and snotty, but a blast. I had to ditch my clipless b/c of a shot cleat and go flats. Fun no matter what. I nailed down 12th with a couple bobbles and riding the brakes too much, but landed among the big dawgs still. I don't feel 37.



I even appear at 1:33 in two different vidoes. Same time slot...can't beat that.
Click Here:

Dirty Bird Dh--June 2010 from Alex Boyd on Vimeo.

Dirty Bird race #1 2010 from TJ Kearns on Vimeo.

There are no more bees...and it sickens me!

I'm not a doom and gloom guy when it comes to nature. I believe we can teach the kids and they'll know more and do more to help nature than we have done. And we've done 10 times what our parents did. That's a good thing.

But this weekend, I saw something that seemed to me a harbinger of bad things to come. Since I was little, I used to walk bare foot to my grandmothers house through the clover. I'd get a honey bee in the foot about once a summer, no matter how hard I tried. But now, they're all gone. All of the honey bees, bumblebees, black & white faced hornets are absent.

I don't think it's a weather cycle. Something isn't right. What happens to our natural world when something that blanketed the grass all day every day simply disappears? That's a massive link in the chain of nature and I really worry about it's repercussions elsewhere.

My father mentioned that honey bees aren't even native to the US. So what bee was? And what will play their part now that bees are gone?

Bent Creek-Silent and Wonderful

You have got to love it when you haven't ridden trail in weeks and it starts to rain as you leave work. But all was not lost. Rule #1 of a trail ride is go. If you abandon it, the rain stops.

I got Bent Creek all to myself yesterday. It looked nasty out but since the trails have been so parched, the rain just soaked in and made the trails fantastic!!! I didn't even get gunk on the bike until I hit the parking lot exit. Flat out fast as snot, quiet, peaceful and serene!!

God Bless!

Massanutten Yee Ha - GES #1 - Podium town

I haven't been on the podium in a while. Been way too lazy too early in the season or on a bike of my own for too, too long. It was great being back on a familiar bike and a familiar trail (even if it is never the same weather).



Huge drifty turns and techy, straight forward rock baby heads mean full on moto style riding, something I live for.

Anyway, I landed on the Open class podium in 3rd behind a Pro and a buddy, Matt Griffin of SEI Racing. http://seiracing.blogspot.com/

See you on the trails soon. Oh, and my Turner 5pack is back up and running with some cranks finally. Yeah!!!

Downhill shuttles at Windrock

Just an absolutely beautiful weekend of riding at an incredible bike park. If you've never been, it's on par with the greatest riding areas in the U.S. Since no one is making money off it, it's doesn't get the traffic of a Snowshoe, but the terrain is among the best.

Short clip with me leading out Jason from SickLines.tv :

Out with the negativity

I saw some sunlight yesterday and felt a breeze that lit my spirits. I think God reached down and breathed new life into me this week. I'm enjoying it. May even do a ride in the gooey woods one morning this week!

Til then,

That Butch

Intervals make me feel alive

Is it wrong to actually enjoy intervals for the first time in a long time? Somehow I was actually looking forward to pushing myself. That's got to be a good sign for the rest of the week!

It helped that a free 30 minute DH video was online for the watching too. Cured the boredom!



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