Tyler's Back!

It's official! Tyler Hamilton has signed with the new cycling team, Tinkoff Credit Systems.

Congratulations to Tyler and Haven. It's been a long time coming.

Now...I'm off to figure out how to order some new team gear in support.

Just a tiny cycling tidbit for today. Thanks for stopping by.

It's Officially Thanksgiving!

Snoopy, the Flying Ace, has passed the flagship store in New York's Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade!

Here's hoping that you all have some good things to be thankful for today, no matter where you live. And to my friends here in the U.S. "Happy Thanksgiving"!

Thanks for stopping by.

Congratulations Jimmie Johnson!

Photo by Robert Laberge/Getty Images

The NASCAR season is over for 2006. Hendrick Motorsports driver Jimmie Johnson was the most consistent driver of the year and takes home the Cup. Congratulations to Jimmie, Chad Knaus and the whole Hendrick Motorsports organization, including his car co-owner Jeff Gordon, who just so happens to have 4 championships himself! Jimmie is going to be a great champion!

Just a tiny tidbit. Thanks for stopping by.

Tyler Hamilton's Signs Team Contract!

Cyclingnews reported this morning that, in Nevada this weekend, Tyler said that he'd signed a contract, but didn't name a team. It is now being reported that the owner of the Tinkoff Credit Systems team is saying that Tyler is part of their new team. No official announcement has come out, but Tyler posted to his website today after a long absence. He details his relay team's Ironman adventure over the weekend (he kicked butt on the bike) and ends with, "As for everything else in my life, stay tuned... "

Sounds like an official announcement can't be far off. I see some Tinkoff team gear in my future....

In other team news, it seems as if Ivan Basso is with Discovery now and looks good in their gear. Congrats to him.

Just a little cycling tidbit for today. Thanks for stopping by.

To Blog or Not To Blog....

Yesterday (Sunday), I thought all day, "I need to blog". However, yesterday turned into an old-fashioned rainy Sunday. Some reading - I'm on a Stephen White kick these days - and some watching NASCAR. Perfect for a dreary Sunday in November. So, no blogging, but it was a relaxing day before the start of a hectic week. Blogging will resume this week for sure.

What did you do with your Sunday? I hope it was equally as nice. Happy Monday, y'all!

Just a quick, little tidbit for today. Thanks for stopping by.

Congratulations Deval Patrick!

The voters of Massachusetts made history yesterday when they elected Deval Patrick as the new governor. He is the first African American governor of the state and only the second ever elected in the country. Congratulations!

What an interesting night for the country. Some huge changes coming.

Just a morning tidbit. Thanks for stopping by.

Election Day 2006

The polls are open here in New England. No matter who you are voting for today, just get out and vote! Don't assume that your favorite candidate is a shoe-in. Go. Make the effort. Have a voice. Vote.

I'm off to vote right now. Thanks for stopping by.

Random Cycling Tidbits

Tyler Hamilton has changed the colors of his website from Phonak green. Seems to be more generic....then again, I haven't seen a color scheme for the new Tinkoff team that he's been rumored to be talking with now. That is an interesting situation that I'm watching closely.

Speaking of Tyler, his foundation announced the route for MS Global next year. What is MS Global? It's 8 days on the bike in Europe having a challenging, yet great time, all while raising money for Multiple Sclerosis programs. Here is what the THF has to say about the funds raised by this bike event:

A portion of the proceeds goes to fund the Jacqueline du Pre Research Fellowship & Grant through the MSIF. Increase public awareness of MS ,MSIF and THF. Promoting the health and personal empowerment of individuals with MS through cycling.

This year the riders will be tackling the might Dolomites! This is just an 'all good' event! If you are interested in joining this group of riders, check out the information on the website.

Austin, Texas is getting its own pro race in June, 2007. Read about the 2007 Austin Invitational here. C'mon, does this surprise anyone? Austin....the home of some racer-or-other that you might know about....what's his name anyway?

The big news for the cycling trade this week is that Eurobike, the largest bicycle tradeshow in Europe, has decided to have a go of it here in the U.S. They will compete with the only bicycle tradeshow in the country, Interbike. What do I think about this interesting bit of news? I've written all about it over the the Krew's site. Check it out.

What is a cycling tidbit section without Lance ? He's still not gone from the public eye. He's in New York to run the New York City Marathon tomorrow (November 5) and looking complete the course in 3-hours. He's been taking some running advice from the mother of his kids, too. Since she did well in her NYC Marathon debut, that might be a smart idea.

Just a few little tidbits for this Fall Saturday in New England. Thanks for stopping by.

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween to one and all! Please drive carefully tonight as there will be lots of ghosts, gobblins, witches and other assorted little ones on the streets all on a healthy dose of sugar! They may not always be aware of their surroundings as they get zoned in on the next 'fix' - getting to the next house. Drive with a little extra caution.

Wishing you all a safe, fun evening. And if some of the candy in the bowl calls your name....indulge a little!

Just a little tidbit for this morning. Thanks for stopping by.

Professional Cycling - A Messy Situation

Back in July the Tour de France was rocked when the world learned about 'Operation Puerto'. Top names were tossed from Le Tour because of some alleged scandal. I know that everyone involved with cycling has a strong opinion about all of this and I'm no different.

From the beginning I didn't think it was quite fair that all of these guys were tossed by their teams before 'the big dance' on suspicion alone. Now, before you get all uppity, I do understand the teams wanting to be firm on doping and drugs. No arguement from me there. However, I live in a country where you are innocent until proven guilty. There was no confirmation about any of this 'evidence', just names on a list and 'poof' - gone from the Tour Day France. Ullrich, Vino (because they couldn't field a whole team) and Basso among others. Gone.

I have to say that, right or wrong, I was pretty correct - that some conclusions were jumped to that can't be proven. Including the clearing of Ivan Basso and now the Spanish authorities have dropped the whole affair. If you want to see a good detailed run down of the whole mess from the beginning check out cyclingnews.com's coverage.

The Spanish did not feel they had enough evidence to go forward with any further investigations. Hopefully, they are correct. However, the damage to cycling has been done, it is a doozie and, for those of us who love the sport, it's heartbreaking.

People's livelihoods have been compromised, possibly for the rest of their racing days. Teams have fired riders. Riders have left teams. Teams have had to disband all-together. Sponsor dollars have gone down the potty. Sponsors have walked away from the sport, maybe never to return again. All because of a list - and an unsubstanciated list at that. One that now is not being persued any longer. There will forever be doubters as to every single person on that list. Were they guilty and got away with it? Some will say, "we know so and so is guilty". All because they were on that list. Well, the authorities didn't think there was enough evidence so what makes me or anyone else out here just reading things on the internet expert enough to pass that judgement?

Pat McQuaid is frustrated, as he should be. The whole shananigans has bought more than just a black eye to his beloved sport. His solution? Have each of the riders implicated in this mess give DNA samples to prove that they are innocent. Excuse me? Didn't the Spanish authorities say there wasn't enough evidence to go forward with this? Maybe that doesn't mean everyone on that list is clean. Maybe someone will get away with something, but maybe, just maybe there are a lot more innocent people on that list than not. I'd like to think so. However, it isn't up to me to decide - the authorities did that and we have to live with it. That's the way the legal system works.

I, for one, won't hold it against anyone if they don't submit to a DNA sample for McQuaid because, personally, I wouldn't either. Think of it this way -- you are on that list and you truly are innocent (McQuaid conceeds that there are innocent people on that list). You have lost a whole season of not only doing something you love, but also been barred from making a living at. You may have lost sponsors and even your team over this. And, your name will forever cause cycling fans to have a doubt about you and never truly think of you the same way again. Would you be so willing to give in to McQuaid's 'solution'? Or would you be a little bitter at your treatment, where your word meant nothing, and simply tell him, 'you will not be getting my DNA."?

That's just my little opinion on the whole situation - I know you will have your own strong opinions - feel free to share them.

I wish we could turn back the clock and redo the Tour Day France over again, with all the players....wouldn't that be something to watch? Ah well, there is always 2007.

Just a little cycling tidbit for today. Thanks for stopping by.

Random Tidbits

It's been awhile, but I've been collecting little tidbits the last week or so to share. Here are a few random pieces of info, that I think are interesting or fun, that I've picked up to share:

The Beachcruiser (update: link now fixed!)reports that you will be able to get Harley Davidson Beef Jerky in January. Beef Jerky and riders don't surprise me. However, I personally associate Harley Davidson with high end merchandise. So, this is a little curious to me. But, more power to them.

Denis Leary doesn't joke around when it comes to the welfare of firefighters. He started The Leary Firefighters Foundation six years ago and raised millions to help firefighters around the country. Recently, he went to New Orleans to present the fire department there with 15 search and rescue boats. The department previously had none. This seems like a must for these folks. Bravo, Denis!

Ever wonder what it is like to be a bike messenger in New York City? One of the best known is a guy named Squid. Here is a piece that World of Adventure Sports broadcast last month on Squid and some messengers in NYC. Check it out.

Speaking of Squid, if you'd like to see some great photography of messengers and bike events, check out his wife's website. Amy's a pro photog and a super sweet lady.

Keeping with the messenger theme...here's some television footage of this year's Cycle Messenger World Series held in Sydney, Australia earlier this month. The little boy right at the start is just too cute.

Know your movies? Check out M&Ms online game "50 Dark Movies, Hidden in a Painting". It's perfect for Halloween time. It's another promotion for their dark chocolate M&Ms, which are a little addicting. Good for the folks in their marketing department - they didn't miss a beat when their first promo was cut short.

If you are a super respected custom motorcycle builder what do you do at Biketoberfest in Daytona? Well, Dave Perewitz rescues a turtle from possible death. Nicely done, Dave!

Just a few tidbits for this Sunday afternoon. Thanks for stopping by.

Update: Thanks to Train The Beachcruiser link is now fixed! My apologies.

Where's Lance?

Did any of you think that you might not hear anything about Lance Armstrong after he retired from cycling? Personally, I thought Lance-mania would die down a little bit by now. But, I think we hear about him more now than we ever did when he was training. It seemed like everywhere I turned this week, I was reading about or seeing Lance.

Here are just a few of the places he's been in the last week.

He bought a new hybrid car.

"I drive a hybrid because I firmly believe that we are at a

critical time in our Earth's life," Armstrong said by

e-mail this week. "The evidence of global warming is,

to me, overwhelming, and I feel the need to do my part."

Bravo, Lance!

He talked about his relationship with Matthew McConaughey. They're just friends. Did you really think any differently?

He has 'denounced accusations' of a new book by the same guys that wrote, "L.A. Confidential: The Secrets of Lance Armstrong".

And, lastly, he's been training for the New York City Marathon on November 5. Here's the training shot, ladies.

In case you were wondering, he's not sitting still next week either. He's visiting Lexington, Kentucky as part of the President's Cancer Panel on Monday.

No, we'll be seeing Lance for a long, long time. I only hope it is more for his supporting cancer research and programs and even his environmental stance rather than the athletics or the defending against attacks on his cycling career (news flash - he's retired now!). For whatever reason, people really listen to Lance. He has the ability to continue do some real good in the world. I wish him well in that.

Just a little tidbit for today. Thanks for stopping by.

Tyler On His Way Back

Velonews is reporting that on Monday Tyler Hamilton may be announced as part of the brand new Tinkoff cycling team. This just makes Friday that much more enjoyable!

Just a tiny, happy tidbit for today. Thanks for stopping by.

Transparent Floyd

One of the things you hear most about blogging is that it allows people and companies to be transparent. This is talked about as a good thing. Well, one person who is going completely transparent is 2006 Tour de France winner Floyd Landis.

As many of you know, Floyd is fighting a battle over whether or not he won Le Tour fair and square or whether he had a little artificial help. Everyone has an opinion, which is what makes the world go around.

Whatever your opinion on the situation, Floyd has decided to use his blog to be totally transparent. Today, they posted a link to his case information, which can be downloaded by any and all. Included in that is a powerpoint presentation by an MD that, admittedly, I've never heard of and don't know anything about. However, I read the powerpoint and realized that I didn't need to be an MD to comprehend what I saw on slide 3. The lab results report has the athlete identification number as 994474 (this is clearly seen on the snapshot). Floyd's ID number (also clearly shown in a snapshot) is 995474.

Number on the report: 994474 Floyd's number: 995474 Similar, but not the same. That is the key here - 'not the same'.

Was it a simple transposition of numbers? Maybe, but it is the same wrong number on another results page, too. That should give enough doubt about who the sample belongs to.

If you are interested in the case, it's worth downloading from Box.net. When you get there, click "Login" and then use "PublicAccess" as both the login and password.

Bravo on being so transparent, Floyd.

Just a Tour tidbit for today. Thanks for stopping by.

Remaining Interbike Shtuff

Here are a few remaining tidbits that are somewhat Interbike related:

- TSA officials need to have their belongings screened at security at the airport, too. At least in Boston. They have to send through the x-ray their shoes, change, coat etc....just like the rest of us.

- Kids are way too awake in the early morning. When you are trying to just sit and wait for your early morning flight, not even able to really focus on your book, having kids running around and playing tag is just a little much. They weren't even loud - just had way too much energy for that time of the morning.

- Just found Roland Burns' take on Interbike on his blog. You can read it here and here. Part one is an interesting twist on the Interbike experience. Part two, well, is completely flattering. Thank you, my friend. For those of you who don't know Ro, he's a founder and owner of R.E.Load Bags in Philly. All of their bags are custom and done by hand. Yes, by hand. Check out the process that goes into making a custom bag. Magic.

- The Viper Owners Group was in the Venetian, right next to the Sands Expo Center where Interbike was held. I have to say, for the first day I would have rather been there with them. Hey, they had signs that said "transportation to the track". Seriously. The new models of Vipers.....on the speedway......sweet!

- The best billboard I've seen in a long, long time was on the highway heading into Vegas.

"Don't Drink and Drive. We'd Rather Wait"

The purchasing company was a funeral home! Brilliant! Bravo.

Just a few remaining tidbits. Thanks for stopping by.

Perewitz vs. Yaffe Premiere's Monday Night!

Monday, October 9, 2006 (tomorrow night), the Discovery Channel is going to air the Dave Perewitz vs. Paul Yaffe Biker Build-Off episode. It's on at 9pm EST. If you are in the US, turn it on, sit down and prepare to be entertained. Yes, we know who won and are very excited about that, but what you might not know are some of the serious trials and tribulations that happened on the road to Sturgis and the big win. Let's just say that there was a night without sleep, parts flown in and other things along the road. It will make for great, dramatic TV even if you aren't totally into motorcycles.

The Perewitz Discovery Bike was unveiled to thousands of people at their shop upon its return from Sturgis.

As we all know, the success of any television series is based on its ratings. The more people who watch, the better the ratings, the greater chance you'll be seeing it week after week and, possibly, year after year. Not only would we like to help Biker Build-Off have another successful season to be picked up for another year, we'd like to make this one of the most popular episodes of the season! Why? Well, I don't know this for a fact, but I have to think that the episode with the most viewers would likely guarantee another build-off for those two companies the next year. Right? Audience demand and all.

I will be seeing the episode for the first time tomorrow night with all of you so I don't have any knowledge as to the editing, but I do know the story of the build and the ride and, as I said, it has the makings of great reality TV.

Don't miss it!

Just a little tidbit for today. Thanks for stopping by.

Sights at Interbike

From my hotel room at the Venetian I had a great view of Vegas. I could see Harrah's, Bally's, The Flamingo, Paris, THE Hotel, Monte Cristo, Bellagio, Caesar's Palace, Rio, The Palms and The Mirage. At least those were the ones I could identify easily.

I also saw a few of the new items coming to the bike industry next year. Although I didn't get out of my booth much, I do know there are some cool things happening.

All those sights....yet my favorite 'sight' were the people I got to meet. I mentioned that I met up with some old friends, but this year there were new friends to meet. Actually, meet them in person as I've 'known' them through the blogosphere this last year. I even attended my first blogger get-together at Mist in Ti. Imagine that...me. At a blogger get-together. Seriously. There are even pictures to prove it.

We all know that I saw "New York Times" Jackson, Cubbie (no, I hadn't met Cubbie in person before last week!) and Chipps. But I met other bloggers, too. Curtis and Skiles from missingsaddle.com, Graham from Goclipless.com, Alan Snel, James Asher from altbike.com, Michael from cyclelicious.com, Kris from B.O.S.S. (brand new blog! check it out), Guitar Ted and even Michael from mtbikeaz.com, who has the best story. He was in Vegas at another convention during the same time and happened into Interbike with a big ole grin on his face (he may have been playing hookey from his conference...).

Rich and Chip from Interbike were at the get-together after their hectic day on the show floor's media center. And, I know there were other people at the gathering that I didn't get to meet by name, but it was just a nice, relaxing evening of chit chat.

One person I did get to talk to at both our booth and the get together was Tim Grahl. I'd been talking and emailing with Tim for months now. In some respects, I felt like I knew him, especially with all his podcasts going on. But it was just nice to chat with him for a bit. Although online is good, in person is better. We all know that. Tim did a podcast from our booth with Bob Roll - here they are in deep conversation. That was the first podcast ever from our meeting room location high above the show floor.

Not only is Tim talented, got a lot of drive (just wait 'till you see what he's going to be doing in the near future!) he's incredibly sweet. I'm looking forward to bumping into Tim at bike events for years to come.

I even got to meet the elusive Blue Squirrel. I think he was called in to work security for "New York Times" Jackson after the article came out, though.

I'm sure I missed mentioning a blogger or two that I met or talked to out there. If I did, I'm sorry. Talking with all of you was fun, fun, fun and the highlight of the trip. Thanks for being so welcoming to this non-techie.

Just another Interbike tidbit for today. Thanks for stopping by.

Interbike 1

So, Interbike is over for another year. There is a lot of work that is crammed into three days of the show inside (I didn't make it to Dirt Demo), but there is also some fun involved! What was fun for me? Here's a short list:

Seeing people that I only see once a year in person! I'm a people person, which is probably in the profession that I am! I enjoy spending time with people one on one or in small groups. It's great to see some old friends (Chipps, Garrett, Joe, Jennifer, Dave) and some new ones (Jill, Cubbie)!

I got to meet people in person that I've only 'seen' online! More on that later....

Celebrity sightings! Including my first, non-bike industry celebrity ever while in Vegas, Dennis Rodman. No fuss, no muss, no wild costumes, just sauntering through the Venetian with two other people. Dang, he's tall! I know, that's a silly comment to make about a former pro-basketball player, but he is!

Cycling celebs that I saw included Bob Roll (of course!), Gary Fisher, Mario Cipollini (The Lion King), Kristin Armstrong, Ned Overend, Dave Zabriskie and, of course, Tim "New York Times" Jackson. Yes, Masiguy was the lead, photo and all, in a New York Times article about blogging while we were in Vegas. That is just too cool. Congrats, Tim!

Dave Zabriskie visits with Jessi Pacetti and Curtis Zimmerman at the Kryptonite booth.

Although I usually hate having my photo taken, I couldn't say no to "New York Times" Jackson when he came by the booth, could I?

What else was fun for me? Going to my first ever blogger get-together! More on that later.

So, while there is a lot of work, there is some fun, too, thanks to the fun people in the bike industry. There will be more in the coming days...

Just an Interbike tidbit for today. Thanks for stopping by.

LiveStrong, Lance!

Got the Lance Armstrong Foundation's newsletter today with some good news in it. I'll let Lance, himself tell you....

"Ten years ago today, I was diagnosed with advanced testicular cancer. Like most young, healthy men, I had ignored the warning signs. Going untreated, the cancer had spread to my abdomen, lungs and brain. Next to the challenge I now faced, professional cycling seemed insignificant. A lot has happened in the past ten years. Seven Tour de France wins later, I still consider beating cancer my greatest victory."

As part of the celebration of Lance being cancer free for almost 10 years, the LAF is giving 10% off their LiveStrong merchandise for 10 days. Checkout code is: tenyears There are many other ways to contribute to this great foundation, too. Check 'em out.

10/2. LiveStrong.

Just a happy tidbit for today. Thanks for stopping by.

Interbike

It's time for the bicycle industry's biggest trade show of the year, Interbike. Although I won't be reporting from the show there are many people that will be covering it every single day. If I were to follow along online these are a few of the places I'd go for the best information:

Singletrack Magazine - Chipps will have nightly reports as he does every year. I have no doubt that they will be fantastic!

Crooked Cog Podcast - Tim Grahl has an incredible goal for thie year's show - 15 podcasts per day from the show floor! Wow. Here's a tip. I know that he's got Bob Roll slated for Thursday afternoon....

Masiguy - Yes, our friend and smart cookie Tim Jackson has said he's going to try to blog from the show floor.

Bicycling - The Rodale team are on a mission during the show. They have product features every day on the site.

I'm sure there will be many other people there as well. Check these out and then look for others. If you have a favorite Interbike site, let people know here so they can follow the fun and new, shiny gear, too.

Thanks for stopping by.