Muffin would eat the Pantani Ride

What better way to kick off a cold February morning post than a picture of our man in Asheville, Nolanpalooza. I sent out the call for photos from the top, and booyah! Nolanpalooza at the observatory looking a little icy and a lot handsome. On a related note, we should have some sunrays on our Sunday, might even touch 60 degrees. But rest assured it won't be that warm at the top of the hill. Take a jacket.

To the mailbag, sports fans.

From: Summer of Toph (henceforth to be called SOT2.0, per his marketing teams' request)
To: BFR
Big ups for organizing/suggesting an ohill ride pre muffin madness, loving it!....You said 7, right? I like to be that guy that stands front row center and tries to make eyes with the lead guitarist...so I wanna make sure I'm on time.

Nothing really says to a touring band welcome to our town like a sweaty, seedy looking individual in the front row staring daggers at your crotch. Possibly bleeding, likely with his helmet still on. For those about to rock, we salute you. For clarity, and for Toph's creepy sense of timeliness which I have the utmost respect for, we'd better make this a 6 PM and not a 7 PM rally. Meet at the shop at 6 on Thursday, no more than 15 minutes of jive, then a rally up to Ohill and back. Then proceed on to The Muffin. Done.

from: CHAM
to: BRC
RE: Magic Carpet Not-so-ride
The Niner is dead. Cracked it on the top of Bear Hole 20 minutes ago. Looks like I am building the Pivot up tonight 3x9. I wonder if a 10 speed front d will be compatible?

The front derailleur, I believe, needs to be a standard 9 speed and not the shimano 2X10 version if you want to use your granny. I could be wrong though. More importantly, I want to take this opportunity to address CHAM's morbid obesity and also his propensity to ride fragile skinny-tubed steel frames on the most vertical of local rock gardens. Two words: not working. I like the sense of self-esteem and motivation required to relentlessly pedal his massive girth up and down the gnarliest of gnar on a set of rear dropouts no thicker than pencils. He loves his body for what it is, and again, I think that's extraordinary. But at some point, reality has to be addressed.

And here's what reality looks like.


Those of you who have enjoyed the anomaly of physics that is watching just how freaking fast CHAM can ride a rigid hardtail, say goodbye. Those days are gone. Both the hardtail and the watching. Maybe he'll save you some beer at the finish. Probably not though.

And last but not least:
from: kev 29er to: brc RE: Reba Added 5ml of fluid to the pos chamber. Set pos to 150psi, neg to 135 or so. At the moment, I have 100mm of travel and sag seems to be around 20% or so. Ready to rally.

It's like reading an email from a robot. I have no idea what those numbers actually mean. But the effects I am painfully familiar with - especially after our last two training rides where I gave everything I had and couldn't get away from him and his overgeared singlespeed with the screwed up fork. There's always next time though.

And...The Muffin. Some tunes to guide you through your aimless humpday morning.


Thursday at The Southern. Get some.