Chasing Chubby is a full time job!

2014 Snowy Range Snowbike Challenge

I have always had a tumultuous relationship with the season known as, "winter".  Though I love Laramie, and Wyoming is the only home for me, I have always hated the crystal flakes that cover our mountains, and make the skiers in our region gleam with joy.  I even wrote a editorial for Dirt Rag one time that was a full page with pictures concerning my hate for winter...and they published it.  (Dirt Rag issue 143)

But this year something changed.  In the past, riding my bicycle in the winter was a challenge.  I would ride to work, smiling at the passing cars, rushing to get indoors and brag about how hardcore I was.  That was the extent of my winter riding. But this year, something just clicked.  I think it was my even deeper hate for riding a trainer inside.  So, I got on my fat bike and rode in the mountains, deciding that I wasn't going to let the cold keep me off of the trails, and after a couple rides it just became fun to be outside, in the cold, suffering, thinking about snow conditions, building groomers and seeing the mountains in a different way.  It is crazy.  

Last night, was the 2014 Snowy Range Snowbike Challenge, and even though I am still not a racer myself, I love being around bike races.  This race was no different.  Despite my lack of abilities, Evan and Nat let me "help" set up the course, and I got to see how much work they actually put into making races run smoothly.

It is a lot of work, and those guys deserve a ton of respect.  Thanks fellas!  

Here are some shots from the race, enjoy, and I hope to see you out there.   

Pre Race Socialization.  It was good to see everyone on Pedal House bikes. 

Snow started coming down pretty hard right before the race.

Fat Tires on a Big Boned Bike.

Get lined up!

Evan gives instructions. 

And they are off.

So graceful, like a cheetah. 

One of my favorite pictures of the night. 

Grrrrrrrrr.

Bicycle Love

Sometimes life will bring about challenges that we are not expecting. Look at stage eight of the Tour de France this year. It seems the American Favorite, Lance Armstrong, has fallen from grace and yet he continues to ride. Now let us be clear, I am not a Lance Armstrong fan. I believe that most people admire Lance simply out of the love of a champion. I think his fame is simple; people who do not watch cycling on a regular basis admire him the same way people who know little about basketball admire Kobe Bryant. He simply gets a great deal of press. I admire Lance's skills, but he isn't my favorite rider. Andy Schleck was my pick of the year. (Pictured in Yellow)

But there is something to be learned from Lance's Tour this year. He is out of it. He has failed miserably, and not because of something he did. In fact, he was riding an outstanding ride. Cadel Evans cracked under the pressure of yellow, and is a broken shell of a man at his own hands. But Lance was taken out by other's mistakes. And still Lance rides on. Instead of packing up and heading home, he has reinvented himself as a support rider for his teammate and hopeful podium contender Levi Leipheimer. He rides simply out of his love of the sport, and his commitment to the other riders. That is something I admire about him. I am never happy to see someone fail at their endeavors, but I love to watch when people accept the challenges of life and remain a positive member of the community. Kudos Lance, from the Pedal House.