While you were busy hitting the delete key, I was busy living vicariously as a lonely list lurker. Here's what you missed on the regional cycling list-serves this week...
The Virginia Cycling Association had a couple items to mention this week:
- Sure it's June, but the Virginia cyclocross'ers are hard at work, dreaming of waffles and hole shots. They just announced the schedule for the Virginia Cyclocross Series. With the exception of the State Championship which will be set ASAP, dates are "pretty much set in stone" here.
- The Alleghany Gran Fondo will be here BYKI: July 10th! It looks to be a unique timed cycling event with three different routes/distances for competitors of every experience level. Check it out here and get a $15 discount on your entry fee with the coupon code "Roanoke2010."
MABRA, as usual, had a bit more to say about a few more topics, some made me CSG, others made me BMGL:
- The Bicycle Film Festival will return to Washington DC on July 16th and 17th! DNBL8! Based on last year's success, they are planning two days of screening at the Gala Theater with films ranging from cyclocross to bmx and urban cycling. Even if you don't go, check out this trailer. Flames and bikes: two great tastes that taste great together.
- MABRA BAR Standings have been updated through Ride Sally Ride and Church Creek TT. Sure, Dave Harrell does a GR8 job with this but, frankly, I think I liked it better before when things weren't updated until the very end. At least that way I could go through the whole season thinking "maybe... I mean, you never know..." Well, now I know; I'm not the best all around (but neither are you most likely! GTM...).
- In the spirit of last week's "list poster primes," I have to make a call in this week's head-to-head battle between topics: it's "TT Bike Saddle Nose and BB Orientation Rules," a very deep discussion of just how far outside the rules we were going to be allowed to be for this weekend's Tour of Washington County, versus "WTF Did Cavendish do at the Tour of de Suisse?"
- The detailed discussion of TT Bikes and BB Orientation immediately went beyond my capacity to understand (as one of many who basically clips aero-bars onto my older road bike and calls it a TT-rig). But it seems to be pretty important to some folks that the nose of their saddle extend just far enough to massage their prostate gland properly while still being far enough back to allow their knees to bend. I refuse to mention certain serial posters who kept this one going like Tim Rugg, who has had 20 posts already this month, or Martin Austermuhle, who tried his best to ignite a flame war about banning TT bikes at the ToWC. I'm definitely not going to bring up Drew Armstrong who tried to revoke list-poster prime socks from Austermuhle or Harry Fang who incited even more posts by admitting that he had a LMAO moment at one remark. Amateurs all...
- The real pro-poster this week, however, is Joe Jefferson which is why I'm presenting him with this week's "Where's The Flame?" Award. He gets it for starting the discussion of Cavendish's crash and getting everyone to chime in on who was at fault, how Cavendish's wheel broke, why his steer tube didn't break, and what we all would have done in that situation. He started it all, a 26 message long thread, with three simple letters: OMG. Note the sublime beauty: it's not a question, not a statement, not even a spoiler. It's just three little letters with the power to compel folks to hit the "reply to all" button with their own in-depth analysis of something that doesn't apply to them in any way. So, Joe Jefferson, for your willingness to spark up beside the local fireworks stand, some racers would say "chapeau!" I say "OMG" (without any emoticons because, as we all know, Lance does not approve and that commercial makes me ROTFLMAOOL...) Hey you! Recognize the marketing opportunity and get Jefferson some free socks! Now, I have to go, PIR. BRB...
- Oh wait... for those keeping score at home, Bryan Vaughan has sold almost everything in his house. He's down to a BowFlex Gym (great Father's Day gift for that weakling dad in your life!) and his wife's Trek Bike (without the ever-popular spontaneously detaching fork/steertube). Touch base with him off-list if you want anything; he's what you call a "motivated seller..."
Got any comments, interpretations, re-interpretations, or mis-interprations? Send them to me; I've got nothing better to do than to sit in my darkened room and live vicariously as a list-lurker...
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Gus Grissom races for Team GamJams Racing, teaches Greek and Latin at DeMatha Catholic High School, and writes a dissertation in his spare time. He compiles this column strictly for fortune and glory.
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