Found this video on Red Bull. This is really cool.
Gee Atherton, DH world cup champion
vs.
David Knight, World Enduro and GNCC champion
It is amazing to watch the line selections that the 2 vehicles have to choose. The motorcycle has more pace in the fast sections, but cannot flow the turns as well as the DH bike. The DH bike seems to be able to hit the slow technical spots with more pace than the motorcycle. A DH bike can go better on downhills than a motorcycle. It is purpose built, and can be pointed down easier.
Still, Gee’s lines through the rock field towards the end is impressive.
I could not get the video to embed in the post, so you will have to link out to it. It is worth it though.
This is a post about a few random things. As the title suggests, the Dude will abide. But, how will the Waffle House and that great and ubiquitous copy, the Huddle House play into it all?
This week, I am down in Arkansas at our annual redneck extravaganza of MTB riding, beer drinking, burning stuff, cousin laughing, burning stuff, more beer drinking, more MTB riding, more burning stuff etc… After all, we are not stopping until there is blood-or at least until we are told to stop. The Sheriff is here after all.
We have done a night ride, 3-4 XC rides, some dirt jump time…basic mountain bike extravaganza. We have drank too much beer, we have eaten too much etc… Tonight, we plan to burn more stuff.
So what does the Huddle House or the Waffle House have to do with it all? That is the basic question in all of this. They are not really that much different than each other. They both serve breakfast, pretty much any time you walk in. They both have a raspy voice smoker who greets you at the door and suggests that you can sit where you like. They both serve really bad coffee. They both have a waitress that will call you “Hun” when they take your order. They both have some old guys sitting at the counter, they are there every day. They both have a few guys that are there just trying to get breakfast because they have a hard day of work ahead of them. etc… All of that is good stuff.
The Huddle House has a more expensive and modern interior. The Huddle house has a much more sporty color scheme (red and white), the Waffle House uses a more reliable black and yellow color scheme. The Waffle House is more classic, dirtier, greasier, and not as nice of an experience. But, there really isn’t a classic line about the Huddle House.
The Dude would end up at the Waffle House. Check the website. Church of the Latter Day Dude. Dudeism is hard to beat. I mean, just think of it, you can be ordained in the church and be just like the Dude. You could wear the same serape every day and drink white Russians. Plus, I hate Nihilists, although In-n-Out burger is a good burger.
Regardless, there is a classic line in a movie called “Ladykilers”, from somewhere in the 90’s. The movie is not important, but the line about the Waffle House in the movie is what makes the Waffle House the classic place and the place to eat. After a heist, the gang was meeting up at the Waffle House, and one of the guys brings his girl along. Another of the gang cannot get over that. “You brought your bitch to the Waffle House?”, is repeated over and over again.
The point is, the Waffle House is not for the faint of heart. It is for people with a commitment. It requires commitment of its patrons. You cannot just show up at the Waffle House and expect that you are going to have a great experience. You just have to accept what comes your way at the Waffle House.
I only did 2 (well really just 1) GNCC race this year. But, if I had done them all, this would be my video. This came from the great guys over at Offroad Junkies.
Cool little MTB bike video I found. Classic song. Don’t you wish we had this trail nearby?
I started with the password “xxxxx” on my work email account, many many years ago.
We have a stupid system there that makes you change the password on a regular basis. I don’t even know how often. To frequently is all I know. Being of limited brain capacity, I just could not be bothered. So, I did what any of us would have done.
I added a 1 to the back of my password when I was told to change my password, giving me “xxxxx1”. I have been adding 1 to the previous number ever since (xxxxx2, xxxxx3 and so on), every time I have been prompted for years. Yes, I am that lazy, and that unconcerned with my computers security.
I am now on “xxxxx49”, and I am 49.
Weird.
I think it might even be science. At a minimum it’s a math thing, and math is hard.
If you follow along with me, you might get the feeling that I like 2 wheelers. I am not fussy. I like them with knobby tires, with slick tires, with motors, without motors, mountain bikes, road bikes, offroad motorcycles and just about anything in between. You probably didn’t know that about me.
Also, if you have been following along, you might have figured out that I love everything about a little place called Rays MTB park (I am not a one track mind though, because I can also talk endlessly about Whistler, Fruita, Alpe d’Huez and a few other places – my family is already rolling their eyes now). This weekend was the opening weekend for Rays Cleveland. Rays Milwaukee is coming, but this was the season reopening of the original.
I have been going there for years. When Trek got involved last year, it gave me a reason to go that was not just to ride and have a good time. This year, Ray and crew way way way out did themselves. They added what feels like about 25% more of everything. There are more places to ride in the beginner room, in the sport area and everywhere.
There is a new sport jump line that was just crawling with newbie jumpers.
Matt Pickersgill (@mattpickersgill) arrived there on Friday evening, spent the evening at the park and then went back the next day and spent the whole day there. Yow, is all I can say.
Rays Cleveland is about 110,000 square feet of indoor space that has been converted to a mountain bike playground. There is an XC loop, a skate park for BMX bikes, tons of north shore freeride style lines, jump lines, a sport section, an expert section, a beginner room, an expert jump room called the rhythm room, a pump track… the fun just goes on and on.
When we arrived on Friday, there was really not anyone there yet. We were there to help get ready for the opening evening with the local mountain bike clubs. Matt is a computer expert from our computer system at work. He spent most of the time that evening training the employees there and helping them sort out bugs in their system. It was good he was there, as I certainly could not have sorted that for them.
There is a new demo area there, where they are demoing new Trek FS bikes. Remedy, Fuel EX and Scratch Air were big hits. Lots of people trying new bikes over the weekend.
Then we went back on Saturday, where the crowd was out of control. It was so huge. I have not seen that many mountain bike riders all in one place other than something like a big race or Crankworx in Whistler etc… Wow.
We rode a bunch and then had to bust out to make our flights back home. I cannot wait for Milwaukee next weekend. You now know where you will find me on Sunday every weekend this winter.
303 Off-road 