Bike Hugger is bringing the party back to SXSW with 43% more bike culture. The Mobile Social is an intersection of bikes, technology, and culture. We ride, blog, party, and give away product.
This event is for the Urban Ride. Meet at the Susanna Dickinson House in Brush Square Park.
The BBQ is here...http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/1372978/
Update: The DJs of the Sun, aka Sycons, are bringing their art, solar energy, and music to the Urban Ride ride and BBQ. Digital, analog, mobile, and powered by solar packs. They’ll mix music while we ride around Austin and party at the BBQ.
Enjoy.
Belated Amgen Tour of California Report
Tuesday, March 3, 2009 1 comments
Yes I know it's late but as they say better late than never...
A few weeks ago I went out to the Amgen Tour of California. This is the biggest stage race in the United States and it was great to see some of the cyclists that I have seen participate in the Grand Tours on television up close and personal.
Saturday, February 14 - Loaded up the family truckster and began the drive to California. The initial plan was to get to about an hour within Arizona and call it a night. But once we got to about an hour away from our hotel, I knew I still had a few more hours of driving in me, so we canceled our reservation and pushed on. Tucson, check, Phoenix, still feeling good, but should have checked the map, as after Phoenix there is nothing for about another 150 miles. Well there is nothing to do now but push-on unless we wanted to sleep in the car in the middle of the desert in Arizona. Um, no. So finally arrived in Blythe, CA at midnight Pacific time. Nothing like 17 hours of driving to get your trip started.
Sunday, February 15 - Woke up pretty early and luckily only had about 3 hours of driving to Rancho Cucamonga, where we were staying with family. Basically did nothing all day but lay around, and nap, and eat (including my first experience with In-N-Out burgers, and that was so amazing it will get its own post), and nap some more.
Monday, February 16 - This was supposed to be a pretty easy travel day of about 5 hours from Rancho Cucamonga to Ripon. The optimal word is "supposed" to be. Unbeknownst to me at the time there is really only one major way to get from southern California to Northern California inland and it is through the Grapevine. Well California was having terrible weather and the Grapevine (a twisty, mountainous section of Interstate 5) was closed because of snow and ice, so we had to detour and take a secondary route that was also experiencing weather and our 5 hour trip turned into about 8.5 hours. Luckily we made it through safely, and had a great dinner waiting for us at my Aunt's.
Tuesday, February 17 - This was our first day to pick up the tour, and the weather was still vile. Temperatures were in the upper 40s and it was raining cats and dogs. We arrived at the Stage 3 finish line in Modesto about 2.5 hours before the boys came in and after walking around at the finish line festival for awhile we decided to get out of the elements and watch some of the coverage on Versus. After about 30 minutes of this we headed back out and luckily the rain had tapered off. It was amazing that even with slick streets the riders still came barreling into town at such high speeds. After the finish it was another 2 hour drive to Fresno. After a few beers and some pizza it was time to turn in for the evening.
Wednesday, February 18 - The Stage 4 finish was in Clovis which is only about 15 minutes from Fresno so we were able to sleep in a bit. Also the weather had changed and the sun was shining and it was beautiful. Now this is what California was supposed to be like. Clovis really did it up right and they had a huge turn out. After walking around for an hour or so we posted up by one of the video boards about 300 meters from the finish line. It was here that I bumped into my friend Kevin, who I met last year at Pro Night at the Driveway Crit. He was driving the team bus for Toyota-United at the Driveway and was driving for Team Garmin-Slipstream for the AToC. He is such a great guy and it was great to see him again. So we posted up and watched the board until the riders came flying into town. Mark Cavendish of Team Columbia Highroad won the stage and clocked in at over 42 MPH in the finishing stretch.
Thursday, February 19 - Woke up pretty early in the morning and began the drive to Paso Robles which was the Stage 5 finishing city. After about 2 boring hours of driving we pulled into Paso and it was a really cool little town. Very nice people, beautiful weather once again, etc. Was able to post up at about 200 meters from the finish in front of a video board. Once again it is amazing to me the speeds these guys reach as they come into town sprinting to the finish. Cavendish won again. After Paso it was back in the car for about another 2 hour drive to Los Alamos (right outside of Solvang). In Los Alamos we found an awesome little dive bar right by our hotel. Had a few drinks, had the locals buying us drinks, buying locals drinks, it was just a great time. The hotel itself was a bit sketchy but whatever.
Friday, February 20 - Solvang. This was Stage 6 and it was a 15 mile time trial around the city. Solvang is an amazing little hamlet in the middle of California. It looks like someone took a piece Holland and uprooted it and place it in Cali. This was by far the most fun as since it was a time trial the start and finish lines were within a block of each other. Plus we were able to see the guys warming up on their trainers, walk out on the course to see the first turn, walk to the start house to see them leave, and then head over to finish to see them come in. Just amazing. Plus Solvang is such a cycling crazy city it seemed that everyone was a cyclist. After the time trials ended it was back on the road, and unfortunately time to sit in some traffic in L.A. Nothing like L.A. on a Friday, during rush hour. Oh well the day was amazing what is a little traffic.
Saturday, February 21 and Sunday, February 22 - On the road again back on the road to Texas.
All in all it was an amazing trip seeing some amazing cycling. Congrats to Levi for winning especially now that news come out he had a fracture at the time.
If you are interested in seeing my pics from the trip they are uploaded here.
Eventually I hope to get off my duff and make a movie of the footage I shot, but until then...
Enjoy the ride.
A few weeks ago I went out to the Amgen Tour of California. This is the biggest stage race in the United States and it was great to see some of the cyclists that I have seen participate in the Grand Tours on television up close and personal.
Saturday, February 14 - Loaded up the family truckster and began the drive to California. The initial plan was to get to about an hour within Arizona and call it a night. But once we got to about an hour away from our hotel, I knew I still had a few more hours of driving in me, so we canceled our reservation and pushed on. Tucson, check, Phoenix, still feeling good, but should have checked the map, as after Phoenix there is nothing for about another 150 miles. Well there is nothing to do now but push-on unless we wanted to sleep in the car in the middle of the desert in Arizona. Um, no. So finally arrived in Blythe, CA at midnight Pacific time. Nothing like 17 hours of driving to get your trip started.
Sunday, February 15 - Woke up pretty early and luckily only had about 3 hours of driving to Rancho Cucamonga, where we were staying with family. Basically did nothing all day but lay around, and nap, and eat (including my first experience with In-N-Out burgers, and that was so amazing it will get its own post), and nap some more.
Monday, February 16 - This was supposed to be a pretty easy travel day of about 5 hours from Rancho Cucamonga to Ripon. The optimal word is "supposed" to be. Unbeknownst to me at the time there is really only one major way to get from southern California to Northern California inland and it is through the Grapevine. Well California was having terrible weather and the Grapevine (a twisty, mountainous section of Interstate 5) was closed because of snow and ice, so we had to detour and take a secondary route that was also experiencing weather and our 5 hour trip turned into about 8.5 hours. Luckily we made it through safely, and had a great dinner waiting for us at my Aunt's.
Tuesday, February 17 - This was our first day to pick up the tour, and the weather was still vile. Temperatures were in the upper 40s and it was raining cats and dogs. We arrived at the Stage 3 finish line in Modesto about 2.5 hours before the boys came in and after walking around at the finish line festival for awhile we decided to get out of the elements and watch some of the coverage on Versus. After about 30 minutes of this we headed back out and luckily the rain had tapered off. It was amazing that even with slick streets the riders still came barreling into town at such high speeds. After the finish it was another 2 hour drive to Fresno. After a few beers and some pizza it was time to turn in for the evening.
Wednesday, February 18 - The Stage 4 finish was in Clovis which is only about 15 minutes from Fresno so we were able to sleep in a bit. Also the weather had changed and the sun was shining and it was beautiful. Now this is what California was supposed to be like. Clovis really did it up right and they had a huge turn out. After walking around for an hour or so we posted up by one of the video boards about 300 meters from the finish line. It was here that I bumped into my friend Kevin, who I met last year at Pro Night at the Driveway Crit. He was driving the team bus for Toyota-United at the Driveway and was driving for Team Garmin-Slipstream for the AToC. He is such a great guy and it was great to see him again. So we posted up and watched the board until the riders came flying into town. Mark Cavendish of Team Columbia Highroad won the stage and clocked in at over 42 MPH in the finishing stretch.
Thursday, February 19 - Woke up pretty early in the morning and began the drive to Paso Robles which was the Stage 5 finishing city. After about 2 boring hours of driving we pulled into Paso and it was a really cool little town. Very nice people, beautiful weather once again, etc. Was able to post up at about 200 meters from the finish in front of a video board. Once again it is amazing to me the speeds these guys reach as they come into town sprinting to the finish. Cavendish won again. After Paso it was back in the car for about another 2 hour drive to Los Alamos (right outside of Solvang). In Los Alamos we found an awesome little dive bar right by our hotel. Had a few drinks, had the locals buying us drinks, buying locals drinks, it was just a great time. The hotel itself was a bit sketchy but whatever.
Friday, February 20 - Solvang. This was Stage 6 and it was a 15 mile time trial around the city. Solvang is an amazing little hamlet in the middle of California. It looks like someone took a piece Holland and uprooted it and place it in Cali. This was by far the most fun as since it was a time trial the start and finish lines were within a block of each other. Plus we were able to see the guys warming up on their trainers, walk out on the course to see the first turn, walk to the start house to see them leave, and then head over to finish to see them come in. Just amazing. Plus Solvang is such a cycling crazy city it seemed that everyone was a cyclist. After the time trials ended it was back on the road, and unfortunately time to sit in some traffic in L.A. Nothing like L.A. on a Friday, during rush hour. Oh well the day was amazing what is a little traffic.
Saturday, February 21 and Sunday, February 22 - On the road again back on the road to Texas.
All in all it was an amazing trip seeing some amazing cycling. Congrats to Levi for winning especially now that news come out he had a fracture at the time.
If you are interested in seeing my pics from the trip they are uploaded here.
Eventually I hope to get off my duff and make a movie of the footage I shot, but until then...
Enjoy the ride.
On the Cusp
Sunday, March 1, 2009 0 comments
Have you ever been right on the edge of something beyond yourself? That is where I teeter right now. Just too out of shape to participate in a race but just wanting to do it just for the sake of racing. So close, but yet so far. Soon enough I will sign up for a 35+ 4/5 race, just to see what I am made of.
Maybe I have to wait till the Driveway. Who knows?
Maybe I have to wait till the Driveway. Who knows?
Welcome to the Family
Saturday, February 28, 2009 0 comments
We would like to welcome the following shops to the Grease Monkey Wipes retailer family:
- ATX Bikes
- Cycle Progression
- Nelo's Pro Cycles
Welcome aboard.
- ATX Bikes
- Cycle Progression
- Nelo's Pro Cycles
Welcome aboard.
Levi Sidelined with Fractured Sacrum
0 comments
The Astana Cycling team announced Saturday that Levi Leipheimer suffered an undisplaced fracture of the sacrum in a crash during the third stage of the Amgen Tour of California.
As a result of the diagnosis, Leipheimer will not compete in next month’s edition of Paris-Nice (March 6-15) and will delay his return to cycling until March 23, when he competes in the five-day Vuelta a Castilla y León.
Leipheimer reported pain and discomfort following the February 17 crash in California, triggered when he overlapped wheels with teammate Lance Armstrong. The fracture did not, however, prevent him from continuing the nine-day California stage race in which he subsequently won the individual time trial and the overall classification.
Click here to read the rest of the story.
As a result of the diagnosis, Leipheimer will not compete in next month’s edition of Paris-Nice (March 6-15) and will delay his return to cycling until March 23, when he competes in the five-day Vuelta a Castilla y León.
Leipheimer reported pain and discomfort following the February 17 crash in California, triggered when he overlapped wheels with teammate Lance Armstrong. The fracture did not, however, prevent him from continuing the nine-day California stage race in which he subsequently won the individual time trial and the overall classification.
Click here to read the rest of the story.
More Cycling Related Thefts
Wednesday, February 25, 2009 0 comments
While the Web-based cycling community was all a-Twitter over the recent theft and return of Lance Armstrong's time trial bike, another cyclist has suffered a bigger loss of personal property, but did not discover it until he returned from the recent Amgen Tour of California.
Salt Lake City Police have issued an appeal for the public's help in recovering items stolen in a burglary at the home of Garmin-Slipstream’s David Zabriskie.
According to police, the break-in occurred while Zabriskie was in California for the recent Amgen Tour.
Salt Lake City Police have issued an appeal for the public's help in recovering items stolen in a burglary at the home of Garmin-Slipstream’s David Zabriskie.
According to police, the break-in occurred while Zabriskie was in California for the recent Amgen Tour.
Three in a row for Levi
Sunday, February 22, 2009 0 comments
Astana’s Levi Leipheimer collected his third consecutive victory at the Amgen Tour of California on Sunday as Saxo Bank’s Fränk Schleck won the eighth and final stage, a 97-mile leg from Rancho Bernardo to Escondido.
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