tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35862162024-03-07T13:26:27.645-07:00MoscalineBikes, Cats, and Blog freekin Gold in the high desert<br>Tarik Salehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664260510124463879noreply@blogger.comBlogger873125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3586216.post-37023170530412890212022-07-25T22:07:00.000-06:002022-07-25T22:13:38.762-06:002009 Pajarito Pinhead Challenge Race Report 3/14/09<i>Pre race, we went up next to the antenna up there</i>
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Oh the pain. Still, best race ever, or at least dumbest, or more accurately, the race I am least prepared for, yet still participate in. To refresh your memory, this is an uphill downhill ski race. Starts and finishes just above the lodge at the Pajarito Mountain Ski resort (9200ft). In the middle it goes over the top of the mountain (10,400 ft). Since I will probably refer back to it alot, here is the <a href=http://tsaleh.blogspot.com/2008/03/2008-pajarito-pinhead-challenge-race.html>race report from last year</a>.
<i>Zac and I in pre race dork mode...</i>
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So anyway, there are lots of things I am good at in cross country skiing, but extended uphills (first part of the race) and scary downhills (second part of the race) are not it. Despite this I get absurd enjoyment from this race. Part of it is that it takes 15 minutes to get to, part is that it is free and part is maybe the whole nordic vs. skinners part. The trail jeep road on the west side of the mountain is groomed for nordic skiing, but those on skins can take a steep shortcut up dogpatch. This allows the nordic folks a fast, long way up, but allows the skinners a shortcut to even things out. There is a middle traverse section of the mountain top that is groomed and pretty much a big advantage to the skaters, and then a steepish downhill down the "I don't care run" that is frankly terrifying on skate skiis and the skinners are at a HUGE advantage, especially if they like going downhill. The skinners usually are on some sort of tele, backcountry or touring gear. The nordic folks are usually skaters, although one guy showed up on classic touring skiis and took the nordic route this year.
<i>Jeri prerace, victory was hers in the womens race.</i>
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Unlike last year, 9 of the 12 starters were skinners. Clay and myself skated and Martin classikked. The conditions were odd. After a dearth of snow since january, we got about 8 inches on the ski hill the day before the race. The warm temps and lack of snow put some sections of the back side of the mountain unskiiable, but there were some steep roads that were substituted. The nordic side of the course had been groomed the night before but it was really soft. The dogpatch shortcut was ungroomed. The downhill was groomed, but only one groomer width wide.
<i> Stretching at the startline</i>
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The race started a bit late and with a flurry. Clay got out to a really fast start, I sort of flailed behind him in second and super strong skinners Rich and Hans apparently were skating on their backcountry skis not too far behind me. All action at the front and back of the race are hearsay as I was middling the whole way.
<i>The start, Clay out fast, and me doing the pterodactyl behind, caw caw.</i>
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As Clay and I headed up the road it was clear that this was going to be a slow climb for the skaters. The snow was really soft and some of the ski resort's snowmobilers had passed up and down the groomed trail churning it up more and making it even softer. I got into a slow rhythm, not wanting to blow up like the year before.
<i>Great view of the fog enshrouded valley</i>
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Not much happened for a while. There were some spectacular views on the course, Clay was beset upon by a trio of yellow dogs, but their owners called them off before they ate him. Things got really slow for me and Clay disappeared far off into the heights of the mountain.
<i>Rich skinning close behind me at the start</i>
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After awhile we crossed courses with the skinners. I saw my buddy Zach skinning up just below me. He informed me that he thought he was about the 5th or sixth skinner on the course, which put us in the 8th or ninth position. After one more switch back the skinners and skaters joined courses and we headed up a steep off camber groomed trail toward the aspen lift. This part was my darkest hour. It was so soft and so off camber that I was getting no glide and not even able to actually move forward. Zach actually trudged by me on his skins and started to drop me. Oh the humanity. Fortunately after a while the course firmed up a bit with the altitude and I was able to catch up to Zach and drop him. There was a fast short downhill followed by some rolling terrain and I was able to catch Rob and pass him (almost exactly in the same spot that I caught him last year) and almost catch another skinner, Ken, before getting to the top of I don't care. For comparison sake, last year I had passed all the skinners by the top of the descent, but got passed by three of them on the descent...
<i>Flurries blew in midrace</i>
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The descent was really soft and I did my best to try and stay upright the whole way, but I quickly crashed pretty hard twice, once almost hitting myself in the head with my own ski, so I decided to try some alternative methods of getting down the hill. My first plan was to try to slide down on my hip like last year. It was too soft and I ground to a halt. I then sort of fell into the successful plan. I basically sat on the tails of my skiis and glided down the slope, half on my ass, half on my skiis. When it was steep, I would grind my butt into the snow and essentially, uh, snowplow with my crotch. When it was a more shallow slope I would kind of paddle with my arms to maintain momentum. It worked pretty well, but I am sure I looked ridiculous. While I am dedicated to you dear readers, my dedication does not extend to wishing that video of my ignominious descent existed.
<i>Jeff, Hans, Clay, post race, 4th, 1st 3rd respectively</i>
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About halfway down the slope Rob came blowing by me in a full tuck. I think he took no turns at all. Very impressive. I continued my dog-ass-wipe descent and finally got to the jeep road back to the lodge. As I turned onto the lodge, I attempted to get some speed up, but surprisingly, this descent felt much faster than I remembered it and I ended up snowplowing quite a bit. Fortunately no one else caught me and I finished up. A foggy snow flurry had blown in and I was soaked from the effort of the climb and from rolling in the snow on the descent. I quickly retreated to the lodge to change.
<i>Me finishing, do I look scared? I ain't.</i>
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As we gathered in the lodge and swapped war stories, the race fleshed out. Rich and Hans had gotten to the top well in front and Hans ended up being the class of the field and finished in a very impressive 31 minutes. Rich took second. Jeff made it up to the top in third, but was using light backcountry gear and fell alot on the way down. Clay actually out descended him on his skate skiis (and did not fall once, which is really impressive) and took third. Jeff followed in for fourth. Toti was in fifth. Ken and Rob in sixth and seventh.
<i>Race organizer Karen, thanks Karen! </i>
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I was 8th, Zach finished in 9th at some point behind me having some descent troubles as well. Turns out the half groomed downhill lead to some spectacular crashes in the soft powder. Here are some overall results:
1. Hans, Skin, 31:56
2. Rich, Skin, 34:05
3. Clay, Skate, 37:31
4. Jeff, Skin, 38:32
5. Toti, Skin, 38:55
6. Ken, skin, 43:17
7. Rob. Skin, 45:13
8. Tarik, Skate, 47:30
9. Zach, Skin, 52:39
10: Ron, Skin, 56:33
11: martin, classic, 1:02:58
12 Jeri, Skin, 1:22:11
<i>Race organizer Jean holding the results</i>
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I think I was much faster down hill this year and much slower up hill this year, but the overall result was exactly the same, eight place, and a time that was about two minutes slower. They ran a nice awards ceremony that broke the 12 of us down by both age and technique. Pretty much everyone won either a hat or a pint glass. After the race I ate the hell out of a giant breakfast burrito at the ski lodge cafe and then had a beer as part of the skiesta festivities featuring three local microbrewers. Good stuff and a great time had by most. I awoke extremely freeking sort the next morning from the hard poling up the hill and the hard crashing on the way down. Go races!
Big thanks to Dina for taking photos. All but three in the report are from here. Go see the rest <a href=http://swnordicski.org/photogallery>here</a> She got most of the racers finishing and more shots before and after the race.
<i>Post race fueling</i>
<a href=http://www.flickr.com/photos/targetsalad/3353410979/><img src=http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3021/3353410979_41948c5f19.jpg?v=1237059468></a>Tarik Salehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664260510124463879noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3586216.post-52412519050309568622022-07-25T22:06:00.001-06:002022-07-25T22:08:47.211-06:002009 Alley Loop Race Report, 1/31/2009<i>Buddy and me during better times</i>
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See that picture above? With me and the 7 foot tall bear costumed skier? Those were the good times. The Alley loop starts on Elk Avenue which is the downtown main drag in Crested Butte. This year we started by going up Elk avenue and looping back through the alleys. We were supposed to follow the guy in the bear suit through the sketchy parts of the alleys as a neutral start. Here is what happened. I was on the front row of the starting line. Buddy the Bear was in front of me. The race started. Everyone started skiing except the bear. The bear was still dancing. I hit Buddy the bear hard and bounced off. By the time I recovered everyone was way up the road and the bear still had not figured out what just happened. That, pretty much, sums up my race. You need not read any further, that was the best part of the report. For those who are looking for the usual overblown, late and too wordy report, please read on. For everyone else, thanks for coming by.
<i>Start area with imposing massifs in the distance</i>
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Paul and I made the drive up to Crested Butte to race the Alley Loop race. We left on a friday, made it uneventfully under clear skies up to Gunnison by midday. We checked into a hotel (the tidy and cheap ABC motel) and I walked around Gunnison for a while checking out the town and photographing bikes. I had a nice chat with the owner of Tomichi cycles about the wealth of local mountain biking and skiing, and then headed back to the hotel. Paul and I then headed up to Crested Butte to get our reg materials and get some dinner. By the time we got back to Gunnison it was 4 degrees F and dropping.
<i>Whole famdamily, crested butte is good stuff</i>
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The next morning we awoke to -12F at 7am and shivered our way for some grub at the W cafe there in Gunnison. I think I got serviceable huevos rancheros with bacon. Yum. We headed up to crested butte which was reading a balmy -5F as we pulled into town a coupe hours before the race. We scored a nice parking spot right next to the course and got our chips. Temp now -4. I took my time getting my chip for the ankle, hitting the loo and getting dressed for the race, by the time I was all suited up for it was 5 or 6 F at 9am. And my hands had no feeling at all. Poor glove choices (none) while getting the skis out of the top of the car and my boots laced left me with numb fingers. I skated around a while and realized they weren't getting better, so I went into a local restaurant and warmed my hands in the bathroom sink. Better.
<i>As usual it was a snow cruiser fiesta in crested butte</i>
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I skated around a bit and watched the kids races, got warmed up and realized that even though it was probably 8 degrees, it was not the 15 to 20 degrees the forecast called for and the squeek squeek emitting from my skis meant I was waxed a bit warmly. I did a warmup loop with my buddy Clay and former SWnordic ski member Denny and then watched them line up for the start of the 42k. Right before the start Lenard Zinn (also a former los alamosite) came by and said hello and disappeared into the 42km race pack and was gone as the races had begun.
<i>Pre race hyper dork pose. Oh yeah.</i>
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A few minutes later I lined up on the starting line and then, well, read the first paragraph again. After that, I furiously sprinted up Elk Avenue passing about 20 people and ended up at the back of a pack that seemed to be a good fast bunch. We turned off of elk avenue and into the twisty alleys, replete with 90 degree turns, bridges and little whopdedoos. Despite the lack of a pace bear, we took it pretty sanely through the alleys and as things opened up, off we went. There was lots of passing and jockying for position and after a bit I settled into a good group. Alas, we soon came up upon the tail end of the 42k race and there was some chaos trying to pass through them. I got a little too jiggy trying to weave between racers and I crashed and one of my skis buried itself in the side of the tail. It took a while to get it out, I had to back up slowly to get free of the snow bank. The pack I was with skated off into the distance and I chased futilely.
The 42k skiers do three laps of a course was the same as the 2 lap course us 21k skiers did, plus an out and back loop, so after a while the 42k racers split off from our race and then further on, faster 42k racers who had done the out and back already caught up to and passed us. This is nice as you can watch much faster skiers blow by you and occasionally get a burst of speed. You can also get demoralized when you see some fairly young looking women wearing purple spandex with puffy tails and mouse ears blow by you like you are standing still... Alas, after my crash, I was getting a little demoralizd and was skating and squeaking along and looking at my ski tips.
Finally the first lap was done and we skated through some back alleys, up elk avenue and then down some more back alleys at the start of lap two. This year I had a pretty clean shot at the alleys on the second lap and was moving pretty fast and proud of how I handled all the little turns bridges and whoopdedoos. At this point Lenard Zinn lapped me and said kind words of encouragement as he zoomed by me. A few minutes later I came upon him in pain on the side of the course being tended to by a spectator. He crashed and dislocated his shoulder I found out later. I yelled out to some spectators to help him (who told me the guy helping him was a doctor) and I told the next course marshall of the crash (she said help was on the way) and I skated out into the meadow.
The second lap was about as squeaky as the first, but as I got into my rhythm of ski tip looking, I realized that Crested Butte is a beautiful place and maybe I should look around. So I did and boy is it pretty out there. I kind of got into an enjoy the view epiphany and then looked down again and realized that my knees never really get balanced over my ski. I think I have always done this, but never noticed. You get more glide the more balanced over the ski you are and I was kind of buckled inward as I glided along. Self realization!. I tried to work on this and work on getting my poling to the right better and my V2 smoother and suddenly I caught and passed the guy in front of me. Yay me.
<i>Look at the bent right knee, I don't think it should be doing that</i>
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I started skating hard for the finish and though I was tired I felt pretty great and I headed back into town for the finish. Just before descending into town a guy came out of nowhere to pass me, I followed him as he skated away from me and then I was surprised to see he finished just ahead of me instead of heading out for a third lap like the 42kers. Crap. there goes that last pass... But anyhow, I finished and felt good. Though I warmed up quickly during the race, it was still quite cold out, maybe 10 or 12 F, so I ran to the car and changed into my warm clothes and watched Paul finish strongly and then, a while later Clay finish well in the 42k. The race had a New Belgium Brewing company sponsored beer garden with a free cup of beer for all racers, so I headed to the finish, got some free soup and a beer. They had a nice dark beer with high alcohol content and espresso infusion or something. It was delicious. I usually am not a fan of dark beer that has strong coffee flavors in it, but it might have been the post race hunger, or it might have been good. I think it was a one off beer, I have not seen it in stores or on their website.
<i>Post Race Frosting</i>
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The end result was 16th overall male in the 21k in a time of 1:30:32. Despite the slight miswax it was about 15 minutes faster than last year, which is probably close to 100% due to faster conditions. There were four guys ahead of me within a minute and that was probably the group I lost contact with when I fell on the first lap. Oh well. Next time, no falling for real. I really need to stop doing that. Overall it was a great race and a bunch of fun. Maybe the marathon next year...
<i>Paul and I caffinating at the Camp Four</i>
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After the race Paul and I walked over and enjoyed an excellent espresso in a tiny paper cup at Camp4 coffee, then we hopped into the car and drove to Gunnison for more coffee and eats at the Bean. Then we zipped home, enjoying the views, including seeing a bobcat, bald eagle and a herd of antelope in a five minute period between Gunnison and Saguatche. Damn, Colorado, you are good.
<i>The Bean in Gunnison for more coffee and grub afore the long drive home</i>
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<a href=http://www.ccrtiming.com/races/results/2009/09AlleyLoop.htm>Results</a>
<a href=http://flickr.com/photos/targetsalad/sets/72157613411105587/>Photos Here</a>,
<a href=http://www.swnordicski.org/photogallery>Dina's photos here</a>
<a href=http://tsaleh.blogspot.com/2008/02/2008-alley-loop-xc-ski-race-report.html>2008 Alley Loop race report</a>Tarik Salehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664260510124463879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3586216.post-53079820621393662092022-07-25T22:06:00.000-06:002022-07-25T22:07:36.236-06:00For you NM nordic ski fansI am hosting a new blog for our local club, the southwest nordic ski club. See the blog here:
<a href=http://swnordicski.blogspot.com/>swnordicski.blogspot.com</a>
It just started, and I am getting the club board up to speed on blogging so we can have fast timely updates on events and such to complement our soon to be overhauled <a href=http://swnordicski.org/>website</a>, which has more info on the club...
So far, mostly good for the pics, like the spiffy classic track seen here:
<img src=http://www.tariksaleh.com/moscaline/classicTrack.JPG>
Anyhow, we have a really dedicated small group of locals who maintain the trails and keep the club going year after year, so please come on by use the trails and join the club. We need your help.
I went skate skiing today and got my heart rate into the blood near squirting from my eyes zone by trying to follow one of our more experienced racers. He was able to cruise along at a low effort, while I did the retarded sailor monkey skate hop behind him inefficiently putting myself into the red zone. I am getting much better at it, but it will be a while before I can skate ski and talk while going uphill, and most of our trails are uphill, except when they are downhill and I yardsale. The conditions ranged from delicious slushy trails to newly groomed beautiful corduroy. Good stuff. It is raining like crazy in town right now, which I am hoping translates to a foot or so of new stuff up there on the mountain to keep us skiing into march.Tarik Salehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664260510124463879noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3586216.post-72799029459614552942022-07-25T22:05:00.001-06:002022-07-25T22:07:36.058-06:00NM cup race report, 1/25/2009Clay put on a couple of ski races with the help and hosting of the Enchanted Forest staff. Saturday was a classic race that started pretty early and I did not make it. I did not want to stay away for two nights and I was still pretty banged up from the previous weekends <a href=>chama race</a>. Paul and I drove up on Saturday morning, stopping at the bean for breakfast burritos and coffee and then made our leisurely way up to enchanted forest for some classic sking.
<i>Saturday's breakfast burrito (formerly)</i>
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As I mentioned before I bought a two pairs of waxable classic skiis and, even though the race went poorly the week before, I was eager to try them out. I organized nicely in a tackle box I got a garage sale. I carefully waxed one pair of skis with some hard wax, and saved the other for the likely klister conditions. I have avoided getting waxable classic skis for years as I was not all that psyched for the lore and magic involved in getting proper kick, but boy is it cool to have a little toolbox stuffed with carefully organized waxes.
<i>The mighty wax box</i>
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Anyhow, when Paul and I got there, it was warm and getting a bit warmer. So klister it was, with the advice of Clay and a few others I reapplied the swix blue klister that had worked reasonably well the week before. Paul, who hates klister, went with some super warm hard kick wax. We headed out on the trails and it was clear that it was much warmer than either of our waxes could handle. We double poled around for an hour or so and returned for a snack. I cleverly applied Universal Klister , which, in theory, would work in a huge variety of warmer conditions. I will now refer to as UMAKlister which stands for Universal My Ass, which might tell you how the rest of the day went. I actually had great kick, but no freaking glide as the wax was filled with a giant snowball after about 15 minutes of skiing. I realized if I kept moving and did not stop at all I could get reasonable sking done. Paul still had nothing, so I skied back an forth on the trail while paul walked around on his skis. He looked like he was having fun, and it was, upon reflection, a pretty good day, so I kept on skiing. Later I ran into clubmember Tom who clued me in that UMAKlister was too warm for the day, I needed violet Klister, and he was getting amazing kick. Feh, Universal my ass.
Anyhow, after a not unpleasant, but could have been much better classic ski, Paul and I headed down the hill to the charming burg of Red-River-filled-with-Texans. We checked into a reasonably cheap and clean motel. I almost got brained by a giant chunk of ice falling off the top of the two story hotel. Missed me by about 12 inches. And then I took a nap until dinner. Paul and I won dinner as we were the first at the "good" mexican place so we got the coveted spot right in front of the fire, and then we ate and then to bed.
Next morning we awoke early and went in search of food. The 8:30 AM on a sunday race start made it a bit hard to find food early enough to digest before the race. WE located a little cafe/pastry shop that had egg sammiches, atem up and drank some coffee and headed to the race. Got there, paid the fee and got out for the warm ups.
The UNM team was there as well as the "Los Alamos Team" as I overheard one of the enchanted forest owners say. Hey! Thats us! Specifically it was me, Clay, Paul, John B., Dina, and maybe Tom and Rich? Anyhow, there were a bunch of us there. Go team!
<i>Hanging at the start line, Paul in the foreground, in the middle Me, Hans Noordik, Shawn, front row, the UNM ski team</i>
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I registered, pinned on the numbers and then got my warmup on. The course seemed really fast. After the warmth of the day before it was quite cold and there had been a bt of new snow over night. That plus the fresh grooming and my skiis ran like the wind. As I skated around and mostly just stood in the sun to kwwp warm, I watched the University of NM team warm up. They are much faster than me. It is a joy to watch people who really know how to ski go.
Anyhow, the race lined up and started quickly. I got a decent start. I watched most of the UNM team and clay and JohnB ski away at a furious pace at the start. I settled behind a UNM woman and a guy who was taller and possibly heavier than me. The first half of the course was a twisty loop with sharp turns and some short straightaways with a couple of hard climbs thrown in. I kind of tucked in behind the UNM woman an big guy (even bigger than me, named Hans Noordik if you can believe it) and was actually drafting for a while. What a blast. I watched the two ahead of me skating with form I could only dream of having. I was tucked in just skiing along and rarely poling. My skis were fast and the draft was working well. I knew these two would drop me at some point, they were too smooth, but I was enjoying the ride.
The first half of the course ended with a hard steep short hill followed by a long twisty descent. The two ahead of me dropped me on the up hill a bit and then put what seemed like 30 seconds on me on the descent. They were tucked and stepping the turns, I was bolt upright and snowplowing a bit. I think I was the fastest person in the race who was snow plowing any. I was constantly wiping clean the carve groves and step marks through the tighter turns with my wimpy snow plowing. I am not sure that I am really going to get all that better at high speed descending on xc skis at my age, but it is definitely something to work on.
<i>Shawn trained pulling this the day before the race</i>
<a href=http://flickr.com/photos/targetsalad/3189825205><img src=http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3533/3189825205_611b976c2c.jpg?v=0></a>
As I transitioned from the long downhill to the long long climb that started the second lap I heard another skiier come up behind me. I was able to drop him a bit on the climb, but the second half of the course was the long climb followed by a bunch of rollers with more downhill than up, leading back to the finish. So through the rollers we went. I was able to ski away from the guy behind me a bit on the uphills and he would catch right back on on the downhills. Finally there was one sketch downhill that I was checking my speed on at the top and he came by me in the classic tracks and tucked. Turned out it was Shawn who was a former HS skier and had great form, but limited fitness and really good descending skills. Also he was on rental skiis. And he spent the previous day pulling his kid around in a sled behind him. After the sketchy downhill, there was a steep uphill, I pegged it to catch up to him, but I blew up and watched him smoothly ski away from me. Dammit. Form crushes fitness yet again. Note to self, learn to ski better.
<i>Post race awards ceremony, clapping for JohnB and his gloves </i>
<a href=http://flickr.com/photos/targetsalad/3285858501><img src=http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3244/3285858501_3064118b65.jpg?v=0></a>
We had a nice award ceremony and I finished fourth in my age group in a time of 39:48. Which is smoking fast for the 13 odd kilometers that the race was. The winner was even smoking fastier in just under 28 minutes. Wow. Even though I did not place in my age group, I got an extra cool participant ribbon, as I was a participant, see? Anyhow. Fun race.
<i>Participant!</i>
<a href=http://flickr.com/photos/targetsalad/3258771512/><img src=http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3482/3258771512_d4faabfdc4.jpg?v=0></a>
After the race, Paul and I headed back to the bean and repeated the burrito breakfast of the day before and headed home. It was a good day.
<i>Sunday Burrito</i>
<a href=http://flickr.com/photos/targetsalad/3225533325/><img src=http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3526/3225533325_dd19035dc2.jpg?v=0></a>
<a href=http://www.swnordicski.org/racereport/newmexicocup?e11a74f5664091488abb44b0bd117c41=8b59f74bf0b525b40fd093bb9589da28>results here</a>
<a href=http://swnordicski.blogspot.com/2009/01/new-mexico-cup-nordic-ski-races-2009.html>Clay's fast guy race report</a>
<a href=http://www.swnordicski.org/photogallery>More photos from the race</a>Tarik Salehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664260510124463879noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3586216.post-80952368931703839562022-07-25T22:05:00.000-06:002022-07-25T22:07:47.167-06:00XC ski funOn new years day and then again today, I spent a few hours traversing the excellent nordic ski trails here in Los Alamos up there on Pajarito Mountain. New years was great as it was sunny, spectacularly groomed and all the Los Alamos XC skiing all stars were out and I was able to sneak some pointers from my pal and MTB arch-nemisis <a href="http://www.kisielkoaching.com/">Jessica</a>. Now I am moderately less apelike on classic skis. Thanks jess.
Jessica and trees:
<a href="http://www.tariksaleh.com/moscaline/jessskibig.jpg"><img src="http://www.tariksaleh.com/moscaline/jessskismall.jpg" /></a>
click for big
Me at the bottom of the meadow on new years day. You can see fall biking photos of me riding at roughly this spot<a href="http://tsaleh.blogspot.com/2006/11/mud-and-snow-on-skinny-tires.html"> here</a> and <a href="http://tsaleh.blogspot.com/2006/10/how-much-trouble-can-i-get-in-on-25mm.html">here</a>.
<a href="http://www.tariksaleh.com/moscaline/meskinewyearbig.jpg"><img src="http://www.tariksaleh.com/moscaline/meskinewyearsmall.jpg" /></a>
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Me atop the meadow looking down ready to show the world how NOT to do tele turns on touring skiis. I had to ski along fresh elk track through aspens laced with very fresh elk scat to get there. Elk scat looks like piles of black olives in the snow. Yum! I was afraid of having to wrassle an elk in 4' of powder if I stopped to long, so I did not take a picture, sorry, next time, I will photodocument the "rocky mountain olives".
<a href="http://www.tariksaleh.com/moscaline/meskinewyear2big.jpg"><img src="http://www.tariksaleh.com/moscaline/meskinewyear2small.jpg" /></a>
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Some photos of the trails today, amid mixed squalls and sunshine.
The groomed trails in the woods with 2" or so of fresh snow on them:
<a href="http://www.tariksaleh.com/moscaline/freshsnowgroomedtrailbig.jpg"><img src="http://www.tariksaleh.com/moscaline/freshsnowgroomedtrailsmall.jpg" /></a>
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Rare shot of me without any glasses looking pooped with the inherited dark circles under my eyes (thanks dad!) at the top of the meadow with Valle Caldera land behind the fence.
<a href="http://www.tariksaleh.com/moscaline/menoglassesskimeadowbig.jpg"><img src="http://www.tariksaleh.com/moscaline/menoglassesskimeadowsmall.jpg" /></a>
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Me peppered with snow during a squall with a clouded panorama behind:
<a href="http://www.tariksaleh.com/moscaline/pepperedsnowbig.jpg"><img src="http://www.tariksaleh.com/moscaline/pepperedsnowsmall.jpg" /></a>
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It was a pretty good day, I spent a 45 minutes on a pair of used skate skis to see if I could get the hang of it. I couldn't, largely because I probably ruined my ski boots at somepoint on monday (<a href="http://www.tariksaleh.com/random/ros.html">see here</a> for the bored), thus I could not push off my right foot. I figure once I get boots sorted, I will pick it up pretty quick, I am a very adept ice skater after 4 years of intermural hockey and daily between class skating during college and weekly skating here in los alamos in the winter. After playing around on the skate skiis I switched back to my touring skiis and enjoyed sliding around on the fresh loose snow atop the icy groomed trails. The set tracks were still skiable, but the meadow had some impressive drifts and on the way back I biffed a few times pretty suddenly when I went from soft drift to hardpack or the reverse.
Also in this XC ski week, I picked up some used skate skis, aforementioned, for me and touring skis for elena from the <a href="http://www.swnordicski.org/">local ski club</a>. So I needed to learn a bit about waxing skiis. XC skiing is worse than cycling. Ski waxing is more steeped in lore than tubular tires. Thankfully Los Alamos has many people who practice the dark art of waxing, and the XC ski scene overlaps almost 100% with the cycling scene, so I was able to go bother my pal Paul (Lord Voldemort of Waxing) to get some waxing lessons:
<a href="http://www.tariksaleh.com/moscaline/paulwaxbig.jpg"><img src="http://www.tariksaleh.com/moscaline/paulwaxsmall.jpg" /></a>
click for big
My inner yoda shouts, "mmmm, it is not wax that makes you fast, no, it is having waxed". What a weird sport, wax on wax off, scrapy scrape...scrapey!. While I love getting new tools and stuff to support my gear intensive hobbies, I think I am going to put some clement tubular cement on my skis and call it good, at least until I give in to the sirens call of racing. Dammit.Tarik Salehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664260510124463879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3586216.post-86381711475412010932022-07-25T22:03:00.000-06:002022-07-25T22:06:44.204-06:00Vote for my mustache!Hey kids, the great state of NM is having a photo contest for images representing the land of enchantment. We of the <a href=http://swnordicski.org/>South West Nordic Ski club</a> are trying to drum up interest in the nordic skiing here in NM, so my pal Dina put up some photos of the great skiing here including this great image:
<a href=http://www.dayofenchantment.com/entries/64769><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3482/3258771512_d4faabfdc4.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Participant!"></a>
Click <a href=http://www.dayofenchantment.com/entries/64769>here</a> to view and vote.
The pic is from the New Mexico Cup races from 09, <a href=http://tsaleh.blogspot.com/2009/02/nm-cup-race-report-1252009.html>NM cup race report</a>
Now I am not telling you that you have to vote for my picture, especially as the require an email address and password to vote, but I am telling you if you go to the site and decide to vote for a picture of a fucking hot air balloon, I am going to be really really disappointed. So go check out the great photography of the state and vote for something with a mustache.Tarik Salehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664260510124463879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3586216.post-42445202669284080262016-10-24T06:30:00.000-06:002016-10-24T06:30:19.633-06:00Tarik Saleh Bike Club Webstore and such<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/targetsalad/30089811861/in/dateposted-public/" title="Tarik Saleh Bike Club has a webstore now. In stock with caps patches and pins."><img src="https://c6.staticflickr.com/6/5130/30089811861_80002b33f7.jpg" width="500" height="500" alt="Tarik Saleh Bike Club has a webstore now. In stock with caps patches and pins."></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<br>
Yo! I got Tarik Saleh Bike Club caps, pins and patches in stock and shipping worlds wide through the
<a href=http://tsbc.bigcartel.com/>TSBC Webstore</a>
<p>
The patches made by <a href=http://www.fallscreekoutfitters.com/>Falls Creek Outfitters</a> and designed by <a href=http://bradclick.bigcartel.com/>ACW Brad</a> came out great.
<br>
<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/targetsalad/28338700484/in/dateposted-public/" title="TSBC patches are in!"><img src="https://c5.staticflickr.com/9/8768/28338700484_1ec81f2a62.jpg" width="500" height="500" alt="TSBC patches are in!"></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<br>
Also I literally have over 1000 pins in stock and ready to ship.<br>
<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/targetsalad/30213260082/in/dateposted-public/" title="This is what 1000 pins looks like. Tarik Saleh Bike Club orders shipping now. tariksaleh.com/tsbc Thanks to @busybeaverbuttonco for being awesome and fast yet again. #tariksalehbikeclub #tsbc #ridebikestrynottobeanass #pins #buttons #busybeaverbuttonco"><img src="https://c3.staticflickr.com/6/5802/30213260082_65bccfdf3d.jpg" width="500" height="500" alt="This is what 1000 pins looks like. Tarik Saleh Bike Club orders shipping now. tariksaleh.com/tsbc Thanks to @busybeaverbuttonco for being awesome and fast yet again. #tariksalehbikeclub #tsbc #ridebikestrynottobeanass #pins #buttons #busybeaverbuttonco"></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<p>
So you know, operators are standing by....Head over to <a href=http://tariksaleh.com/tsbc/>tariksaleh.com/tsbc</a> and sign up for the email list, or follow the <a href=https://www.facebook.com/tariksalehbikeclub/>Tarik Saleh Bike Club on Facebook</a> if you want to stay in the loop.
Tarik Salehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664260510124463879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3586216.post-28699716979782836922016-04-06T09:57:00.002-06:002016-04-06T10:01:50.436-06:00Welcome!Hey! A blog post. Thanks for visiting via <a href=http://www.bicycling.com/culture/people/the-tarik-saleh-bike-club-has-thousands-of-members-and-two-rules>Bicycling</a>.
<p>
<a href=http://www.bicycling.com/culture/people/the-tarik-saleh-bike-club-has-thousands-of-members-and-two-rules><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbShJlaWTbxzqo1bmrx0lZFB1zRx9MLQy1qA5CzcaTtNxX1K7F4VsBk5lRV3ULqUkpZvOXKqSVurrOZKtn40To4mJZx5BSQsVXpTo-9NHvi6kGISpX7pKYPwzkfVx0Z6kyND0B/s320/Screen+Shot+2016-04-06+at+9.55.13+AM.png" /></a>
<p>
Got some good reviews quequed up for the coming weeks and some other stuff. Look for new TSBC hat action in May, and possibly some TSBC rides in various cities.
<p>
Pins are <a href=http://www.tariksaleh.com/tsbc/>indeed available</a> and will be shipped next week.
<p> Please root around in the blog archives for some older interesting stuff.
Tarik Salehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664260510124463879noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3586216.post-74569125419586676952015-03-30T20:37:00.001-06:002015-04-26T22:04:08.720-06:002015 TSBC Cap Time Hey Folks, <br>
<b>PREORDERS CLOSED! there will be some extra caps when the order comes in, email me to get on the waitlist. </b><br>
<strike><b> Order Window Extended until Friday April 24!</b><br></strike>
I am going to do another round of TSBC caps. $34 each shipped in the CONUS with 2 TSBC pins , see below for ordering details<br><P>
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/targetsalad/16984210751" title="2015 TSBC cap orders window is open. See tariksaleh.com/tsbc or link in profile. #tsbc #tariksalehbikeclub #capsnothats by Target Salad, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8710/16984210751_3101246bdd_m.jpg" width="240" height="240" alt="2015 TSBC cap orders window is open. See tariksaleh.com/tsbc or link in profile. #tsbc #tariksalehbikeclub #capsnothats"></a> <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/targetsalad/16813711818" title="New TSBC cap order is open! See tariksaleh.com/tsbc or the link in the profile. #tariksalehbikeclub #tsbc #capsnothats by Target Salad, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8692/16813711818_cf1103e84d_m.jpg" width="240" height="240" alt="New TSBC cap order is open! See tariksaleh.com/tsbc or the link in the profile. #tariksalehbikeclub #tsbc #capsnothats"></a><br>
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/targetsalad/17022640311" title="Hey! Tarik Saleh Bike Club Cap orders are open! Two wool styles, made by @randijofab with embroidered logo. See tariksaleh.com/tsbc for details. Link in profile. #tsbc #tariksalehbikeclub #capsnothats thanks @aemoffett for the pic. by Target Salad, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7627/17022640311_125579b9e2_m.jpg" width="240" height="240" alt="Hey! Tarik Saleh Bike Club Cap orders are open! Two wool styles, made by @randijofab with embroidered logo. See tariksaleh.com/tsbc for details. Link in profile. #tsbc #tariksalehbikeclub #capsnothats thanks @aemoffett for the pic."></a> <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/targetsalad/17138855182" title="Tarik Saleh Bike Club caps ordering open till 4/20. Check it at tariksaleh.com/tsbc. @fancy_fred approved! Photo: @andrew_squirrel #tariksalehbikeclub #TSBC #capsnothats by Target Salad, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8686/17138855182_24aae3461a_m.jpg" width="240" height="240" alt="Tarik Saleh Bike Club caps ordering open till 4/20. Check it at tariksaleh.com/tsbc. @fancy_fred approved! Photo: @andrew_squirrel #tariksalehbikeclub #TSBC #capsnothats"></a>
<p>
Learn more about the <a href=http://www.tariksaleh.com/tsbc>Tarik Saleh Bike Club</a>.
<br>This time there will be two styles:<p>
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/targetsalad/17249537831" title="Hot off the sewing machinery, Tarik Saleh Bike Club cap Samples, TSBC logo to be added. Propellerless brimmed beanie style on clear head, and classy goblin on blue head. Order window closes tomorrow, Friday 4/24, Tariksaleh.com/TSBC for details. #tariksa by Target Salad, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7608/17249537831_22015e9868_m.jpg" width="240" height="240" alt="Hot off the sewing machinery, Tarik Saleh Bike Club cap Samples, TSBC logo to be added. Propellerless brimmed beanie style on clear head, and classy goblin on blue head. Order window closes tomorrow, Friday 4/24, Tariksaleh.com/TSBC for details. #tariksa"></a>
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/targetsalad/16628001864" title="Top down! Hot off the sewing machinery from randi jo, Tarik Saleh Bike Club cap Samples, TSBC logo to be added. Propellerless brimmed beanie style on left, and classy goblin on the right. Order window closes tomorrow, Friday 4/24, Tariksaleh.com/TSBC for by Target Salad, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8739/16628001864_887a7a33bb_m.jpg" width="240" height="240" alt="Top down! Hot off the sewing machinery from randi jo, Tarik Saleh Bike Club cap Samples, TSBC logo to be added. Propellerless brimmed beanie style on left, and classy goblin on the right. Order window closes tomorrow, Friday 4/24, Tariksaleh.com/TSBC for "></a><p>
1. Regular weight wool Navy and Red alternating panels, blue brim, TSBC logo on the red. This is the sort of propeller beanie color scheme. So these are the "propeller beanie caps" no propeller included. <p>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFRxxPFD6WwRA2DJf8dNrbWxyqYw6obp1zdj7r6nip3Q4XwOZa9jD5jrUGc8mrGNDDQWy5q1wG9JzI7XAiCcrW8PaIc1gg8eSbbeYULYaGQEFO4I4ntWnMWlsgSTiEZfgvrX9r/s1600/Slide1.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFRxxPFD6WwRA2DJf8dNrbWxyqYw6obp1zdj7r6nip3Q4XwOZa9jD5jrUGc8mrGNDDQWy5q1wG9JzI7XAiCcrW8PaIc1gg8eSbbeYULYaGQEFO4I4ntWnMWlsgSTiEZfgvrX9r/s320/Slide1.jpg" /></a>
<p>
2. Light weight wool, navy and light blue/green (the fabric's name is "goblin"). Alternating panels with Goblin Brim, logo on the goblin. Lets call this the "classy Goblin"
<p>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_ACQ0j2UzOlscJ-5wQ9-oxtc3CrdhmW_AfKL-0aC1zyHK5rHDQ_4HiGuYRInyKPws3CTL99JUu90AQ_kuyJftYyqd93t2dM74HbjYYV-lYTQdCpa1OHu0rJ7xWe5JUM8rWW7n/s1600/Slide2.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_ACQ0j2UzOlscJ-5wQ9-oxtc3CrdhmW_AfKL-0aC1zyHK5rHDQ_4HiGuYRInyKPws3CTL99JUu90AQ_kuyJftYyqd93t2dM74HbjYYV-lYTQdCpa1OHu0rJ7xWe5JUM8rWW7n/s320/Slide2.jpg" /></a>
<p>
These will be made again by <a href=http://randijofab.com/>Randi Jo Fabrications</a>, sizes available are as follows:<p>
Large: 24"+<br>
M/L: 23"-24"<br>
M: 22-23"<br>
S: 21-22"<br><p>
I am between a 7 3/8 and 7 1/2 fitted cap and I find myself in a M with shorter hair maybe tending toward a M/L in full winter glory sasquatch hair. But measure your head. This is your chance to get a nice TSBC cap in your size. I will order a few more beyond preorders, but the price will go up a few bucks. Each cap will come with 2 glow in the dark TSBC pins.
<p>
HOW TO ORDER. This is important. All pre-orders will be paid in advance. You must email me with WHICH cap you want and WHICH size you want to hats "at" tariksaleh.com. Use the same address for paypal payment and questions. <b>Caps are $34 each.</b> All prices include shipping to the Continental US. Please email me if you want a cap and live outside the US (Europe is likely going to be an extra $10-15 bucks for shipping, the shipping has become brutal overseas, sorry). Comments in the blog or a facebook page or whatnot WILL NOT result in an order. You must email hats "at" tariksaleh.com and pay me before the order window closes 11:59pm <strike>April 20th</strike> April 24.
<p>
Delivery will be in mid to late May, I will update those who have ordered as things progress..
<p>
<i> glow in the dark pins, look white during the day, glow pretty good for a while at night, 2 with each order</I><br>
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/targetsalad/15421656491" title="Did I mention that glow in the dark pins are disturbingly good? Get em at tariksaleh.com/tsbc orders shipped out weeklyish, or something. #tariksalehbikeclub #tsbc #pins #flair #ridebikes #trynottobeanass by Target Salad, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2950/15421656491_4abfd8aba0_n.jpg" width="320" height="320" alt="Did I mention that glow in the dark pins are disturbingly good? Get em at tariksaleh.com/tsbc orders shipped out weeklyish, or something. #tariksalehbikeclub #tsbc #pins #flair #ridebikes #trynottobeanass"></a>Tarik Salehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664260510124463879noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3586216.post-17678657257639886682015-02-22T22:43:00.000-07:002015-02-22T22:43:27.053-07:00Bad riding, good ridingSaturday I took an nice rare February clearish dryish trail ride. Our winter has not been fierce enough for full on fat bike conditions, but the mess of snow-ice-mud-standing water has made it not ready for the unfat. But yesterday it was overcast, fifty and blowing juniper pollen everywhere, but the trails were kind of clear and sort of dry. I finally had some time between a pile of proposals to go for a real ride. I grabbed a fast twentyniner and off I went. I felt pretty good, flipped up some trails and down some others. Got greedy and hit a nice longer descent that ended up being a bit too muddy and icy to continue. I turned around and set to a brisk out of the saddle climb, enjoying the feeling of a responsive bike under me and leaning into the climb a bit.
<p>
Next thing you know I caught a pedal on a trail side rock and went over the bars. On the way over I slammed my knee so hard on the stem that I thought I might vomit. I made the sort of heroic gurgling sound that ballads were once writ, and then walked it off for a minute and got back on the bike and kept riding, determined to keep the good sensations flowing despite the rapidly swelling knee. <p>
I had a plan for the ride, I was a bit peaked and sore, but I decided to keep on with it and hit the technical bits that lead to home. I felt OK for a bit, cleaning a few difficult sections, blowing more than a few, but rolling on just the same. Until one little rock step up, where the front wheel got up there, but I did not quite get the english to get the rear wheel up, so I slid off the saddle crushing the back of the stem into my pelvis. Missing the good bits, but still knocking the wind out of me and eliciting more gurgling the ancients wrote tunes about. I rolled off the bike leaving it in the middle of the trail and sat on the side of the trail for something like 10 minutes, watching ravens fly by and clouds blow over town toward the Sangres while I considered my lot. It was not a great day for sitting aside the trail, but I have had worse and sat until I felt more of a need to be home than to continue with the sitting.
<p>
I got on the bike after a bit and rolled on the quick way home, bowing out of pretty much every tiny technical bit there was just to be sure there were no more grievous bruising and impacts. Got home, tossed the bike in the bike hole and took a shower and watched my knee swell up for the rest of the afternoon. Later that night, inadvertent bending and flexing jolted me out of sleep, as did sleeping on the deep bruise on my pelvis.
<p>
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Sunday dawned cold and snowy and blowing, never quite getting above 25F. Desperate to get out of the house, I went for a quick burrito coffee mailbox run on the big dummy, but was underdressed and my knee was not quite feeling it. Did some chores and such and finally decided, right before dark, to see about finishing the ride I started yesterday. I bundled up, grabbed some lights, hopped on the nimble bike and headed out into an increasingly strong blowing snowstorm. I meant to do a quick 3 mile loop from the house, just to get the knee moving, but despite the cold and the snow covered rocks and the inability to see any of the ice in the shadows due to the fresh coverage, I had a great ride. Cleaning some stuff I rarely clean, completely failing on others. Coming off the bike sideways and watching it skitter on ice down to the bottom of a wash a few times, but no stem induced carnage. <p>
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I felt good enough to keep going and dropped down into the canyons on fresh snow over old crusty ice and snow as the light left the sky. My way shown by a couple of inadequate LED's and sense of smell. I cleaned the whole damn canyon loop, well, maybe a dab here or there, but no carnage, no bruising, no gurgling. I felt good. I had not eaten enough to go too much further, my water bottle was completely frozen, temp was dropping and it was getting hard to see due to blowing snow. I climbed hard out of the canyon and sprinted up the road to home. Tossed the bike into the bike hole and ate the heck out of some dinner.
<p>
I will sleep well tonight. There was a good ride, there was a bad ride. My knee still hurts, but it will hurt less tomorrow. Onward we roll.
Tarik Salehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664260510124463879noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3586216.post-54163119049307538912015-01-24T10:16:00.000-07:002015-01-24T10:16:37.189-07:00Couple of things Saturday, Bike wheels and Cyclocross...Hey loyal reader, check it out! A couple things Saturday!
<p>
Look at this awesome OK Go video:<p>
<iframe src="//player.vimeo.com/video/115884748?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" width="500" height="281" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen></iframe> <p><a href="http://vimeo.com/115884748">Inside Brilliant: The Wheel Factory</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/ridebrilliant">Brilliant Bicycle Co.</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>
Or maybe it is just an awesome bike wheel building factory in Taiwan. Found via <a href=http://pencerw.com/>Spencer Wright</a> who is an interesting dude with a really strong bike background and the co creator of the <a href=http://www.thepublicrad.io/>Public Radio</a> and creator of <a href=http://us3.campaign-archive1.com/?u=2e2c86e49a5f6d1fd1ab7ce70&id=ac0103d383>the prepared</a> newsletter, where I found the link to the above, and which you should subscribe to. Really.
<p>
Also, <p>
I should have given him his own blog post, but <a href=http://www.cxhairs.com/>CXHairs</a> is just killing it with the cross videos this year, distilling world cup and other races down to 20 minutes of race coverage and analysis. Check out his coverage of the Womens world cup in Milton Keyes below, and three years worth of excellent coverage over on his website. I suggest binge watching them all with a side of whiskey and chocolate tonight, so you are ready for the world cup tomorrow and worlds next weekend. I met Bill last year at cross Vegas and he is a solid guy, he even took it well when I blurted out "I love your videos but man do I hate the music". Anyhow I still hate all the music as I am a twisted old man set in my ways (where is the Van Halen maaaannnnnnnn) but the videos and analysis more than make up for it, I love them. Videos are arranged sequentially on his Vimeo channel if you want to binge watch more efficiently, <a href=http://vimeo.com/cxhairs/videos>CX Hairs Vimeo</a> <p>
<iframe src="//player.vimeo.com/video/117652517" width="500" height="281" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen></iframe>Tarik Salehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664260510124463879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3586216.post-72285950729966121972014-09-25T21:35:00.001-06:002014-09-25T22:43:08.921-06:00Fatbikes at Interbike!So despite being in Las Vegas for other reasons entirely, and thanks to a cancelled meeting, I was able to attend interbike for the first time in more than 12 years. I walked up to the registration table on Friday, the consumer day, paid $20 and got a badge and in I walked.
<p>
And as I walked in, this was the very first bike I saw. <br>
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That is an Atlas Cargo Trike with 4" tires and a ebike front hub. There. That is Interbike 2014 in a single bike. Read no further.
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<p>
Wha? Still here? OK, there was actually lots of good stuff at interbike, but lets go through a small fraction of the fatbikes I saw. I decided to take pictures of all of them, but got a bit tired of the whole project. I pretty much skipped all the carbon fat bikes, and I don't really care about fat bike suspension, so no photos there, but lamentably, I did not document the really nice Surly Ice Cream Truck, nor the nice looking new fat offerings from Swobo and Twin Six. I am sure there were more, but you can google around and see what else was there and I missed. <p>
Ritchy had a very nice looking "Commando" fatbike. Steel. No camo paint, but still looked pretty good. <br>
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Then there were the kids fat bikes. <p>
Pirannah 20" fattie<br>
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with these 20" 406 Chao Yang Tires<br>
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If that was not enough, German brand S'Cool had both 20" and 24" fat bikes <br>
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QBP had an enormous amount of floorspace dedicated to a (QBP centric) History of Fat Bikes. There was no exhibit guide, or collectors book though. Get on that QBP. <br>
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There was a nice Remolino prototype fatbike in the exhibit, which I did not photograph, google it, first modern looking fatbike (as opposed to stiched together rims or double tires or smaller hanebrink type fat tires). As well as a variety of QBP bikes, Older Surly Fatbikes and newer Salsa's and the neat looking Cogburn hunting and fishing bikes. <br>
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There were so many new fatbike tires out there, from lower end tires to high end light weight tires. Schwalbe had a sub 1000g 4" fatbike tire, the Jumbo Jim. Which sounds great, until you realize that each tire is a Kilogram. But then you think, how much do my fatbike tires weigh? The answer is your tires, Tarik, weigh 1.6 kg each. Oh! Well then, sign me up for 1000g tires!<br>
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Blackburn had a really impressive array of racks and bikepacking gear, notable in this context, they had a nice looking fatbike rear rack, the Outpost<br>
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Like I said before, the Surly Ice Cream Truck looked fabulous what with its through axles and 4.8" tires, I am sad I did not photograph it. It was sparkly! 4.8" tires make sense if you ride in loose or deep snow and or sand at all. But I did photograph the even more fantastic, and my pick for the Moscaline Fatbike of Interbike 2014, the Curtis Inglis made Retrotech curvy 4.8" through axle love<br>
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Look at those stays!<br>
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Finally, there was a nice lot of demi fat stuff all over the place, from 29+ to 27.5+ to 26+, I think outside of snowy lands, this might be the ticket for a good fun as hell all purpose trail bikes. I regret not making it over to see the WTB 27.5x2.8" tires which might fit in the space of 29x2.4" tires, like on my singlespeed. My personal favorite not quite fat bike was the Surly SNS coupled World Troller. Sporting some 26x2.6" meats and couplings, this would be a great travel single speed/ all terrain travel touring frame, etc. etc. Bordering on too useful. I have lots of potential bike projects coming up, but a single speed just like this would slot right into my burgeoning quiver quite nicely. <br>
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OK, I have a couple more posts of interbike excellence if I get to em. Stay tuned.
Tarik Salehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664260510124463879noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3586216.post-77650860241637722082014-09-09T23:22:00.000-06:002014-09-25T22:41:51.287-06:00New TSBC pins - VegasHey! New pins!
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/targetsalad/15194067042" title="New Tarik Saleh Bike Club pins. Pink, holo, white, glow. Catch me at Cross Vegas or underbike for some or pay pal me $7 for the fourpak shipped to you in the US. Tariksaleh.com/tsbc #tsbc #tariksalehbikeclub by Target Salad, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3909/15194067042_445617c5cb.jpg" width="500" height="500" alt="New Tarik Saleh Bike Club pins. Pink, holo, white, glow. Catch me at Cross Vegas or underbike for some or pay pal me $7 for the fourpak shipped to you in the US. Tariksaleh.com/tsbc #tsbc #tariksalehbikeclub"></a>
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Four packs of a pink, glow in the dark, hologram sparkle and white pins are available for purchase.
<br> Check it at <a href=http://tariksaleh.com/tsbc/>http://tariksaleh.com/tsbc/</a><p>
I am also lurking on the periphery of interbike this week, if you see me at underbike or cross vegas and ask nicely I will give you some. Or trade you some, or something.
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Speaking of Vegas. I really like going out to red rocks. I have done two rides out there and one run. Weather ranged from 100F and brutal, to raining and kind of chilly to a sparkling cool morning run. Photogenic too. <p>
<i>In the shimmering heat</i><br>
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/targetsalad/14976115320" title="Mars. I think... by Target Salad, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3863/14976115320_b9e3c575fe.jpg" width="500" height="500" alt="Mars. I think..."></a>
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<i></i>
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<i>Sunday in the storms</i><br>
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/targetsalad/15175304075" title="Fixie Friday at the Red Rock Canyon Overlook by Target Salad, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3900/15175304075_b1d8277ec7.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Fixie Friday at the Red Rock Canyon Overlook"></a>
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<i>Another sunday storm view</i><br>
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/targetsalad/14988652490" title="Fixie Friday at the High overlook in Red Rock Canyon by Target Salad, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3919/14988652490_d4f4db403b.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Fixie Friday at the High overlook in Red Rock Canyon"></a>
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<i>After the storm passed Sunday night </i></br>
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/targetsalad/15172289831" title="Just outside Red Rock Canyon by Target Salad, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5588/15172289831_be3542c077.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Just outside Red Rock Canyon"></a>
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<i>Full moon set this morning.</i><br>
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/targetsalad/15167823946" title="Morning moonset at Red Rocks by Target Salad, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3875/15167823946_ecabd8235c.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Morning moonset at Red Rocks"></a>
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<p>Tarik Salehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664260510124463879noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3586216.post-66749666455344828022014-08-11T21:33:00.001-06:002014-08-11T21:33:37.692-06:00Big Dummy RedoAfter riding the Big Dummy all over the place, with the bare minimum maintenance straight into the ground since I built it up in 2008, it was high time to give it the overhaul it deserved. I want to thank my buddy Steve Pickle at <a href=http://30thcentury.wordpress.com/about/>30th century bike</a> in Iowa for helping me with some advice and sourcing some xtracycle bits for the rebuild, and old friends <a href=>Mellow Velo</a> for helping me get the bike in the first round of Big Dummies way back in <a href=http://tsaleh.blogspot.com/2008/02/surly-big-dummy-arrives.html>twenty-ought-eight</a>
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Pre redo, I think all I have replaced is the disc brake pads 3 or 4 times over since I built it the first time<br>
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The original snap deck had seen better days <br>
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Stripping it down, time for that ancient bluemels metal fender to go<br>
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Down to the frame, re frame savered, new rings, shifters, cables, chain, matching planet bike fenders<br>
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Holy Roller Tires to replace the well worn big apples<br>
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Flight Deck and Hooptie added, new xtracycle bags as well, also new glowing green grips<br>
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Neighborhood kids aboard<br>
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Aida Likes it, me too<br>
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We can get along pretty well on and off road, and use it for establishing hiking basecamp<br>
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She can't nap on the back, but a towel and some shade is all we needed <br>
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Still does the hauling <Br>
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With the addition of the magic carpet seat pad, we can do some reasonable mountain style bicycling<br>
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/targetsalad/14868336774" title="More mountain style bicycling on the big dummy #bigdummy #surly #xtracycle #hooptie #losalamos #nm by Target Salad, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3900/14868336774_c3a8f73dc2.jpg" width="500" height="500" alt="More mountain style bicycling on the big dummy #bigdummy #surly #xtracycle #hooptie #losalamos #nm"></a>
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But it carries the recycling nonetheless<br>
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All and all I still love this bike, it has now entered its new life as even better family adventure hauling mobile. I am soon to add a dyno hub and a <a href=https://www.flickr.com/photos/jimg/14832694463/>special front hauling addition</a>. Stay tuned.Tarik Salehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664260510124463879noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3586216.post-29365989539041799072014-07-01T13:05:00.000-06:002014-07-01T13:05:27.140-06:00Ubikequitous 12,Trammell Whitaker Tandem<i>
Trammell's in my Hall of Fame. Get your own Hall of Fame. There's a statue with him on a tandem bike with Lou Whitaker, and it's near the food court.
</I>
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From a Grant Brisbee Sb Nation article, <a href=http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/2014/7/1/5861418/rajai-davis-ultimate-grand-slam> "Renaming the 'Ultimate Grand Slam'"</a>
Tarik Salehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664260510124463879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3586216.post-82741814106203877842014-06-03T08:11:00.000-06:002014-06-03T10:28:26.231-06:00TSBC caps in productionUpdate 6/3/14, production is complete, caps will be shipping this weekend (6/6/14) to preorderers! There will be some extras, email me at hats at tariksaleh dot com to get on the waiting list, price will go up, but they will not last long. <p>
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Sneak peak of the exceeding all expectations crazy hats from <a href=http://www.randijofab.com/>Randi Jo</a><p>
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Yee haw...
Tarik Salehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664260510124463879noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3586216.post-87218131317790859522014-05-05T06:30:00.000-06:002014-05-05T06:30:01.230-06:00Picking stuff upHad a good month of finding stuff on the wheel. <br>
I found a nice 14mm Made in USA Craftsman Socket over near work (3/31/14):<br>
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/targetsalad/13550350333" title="Road find of the day, 14mm made in USA Craftsman socket. #roadfind #craftsman #metric by Target Salad, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2833/13550350333_c6e3d43b86_o.jpg" width="500" height="500" alt="Road find of the day, 14mm made in USA Craftsman socket. #roadfind #craftsman #metric"></a><p>
Then I grabbed a couple big rounds from a Chinese Elm tree off the curbside on my way home. It was a reasonably smooth ride home from there all loaded up on the big dummy (4/2/14):<br>
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/targetsalad/13591707623" title="Wood curb score! I love quarterly curbside pickup. Two well seasoned Chinese elm stumps. #surly #bigdummy #haulingbikes by Target Salad, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2857/13591707623_776d8fac65_o.jpg" width="500" height="500" alt="Wood curb score! I love quarterly curbside pickup. Two well seasoned Chinese elm stumps. #surly #bigdummy #haulingbikes"></a><p>
I found this excellent Hairy creature jaw on a run in the canyon near the house. I stashed it nearby in a somewhat relocatable place hoping the insects clean the bones for me by the fall. Or I will forget about it and never see it again (4/18/14):<br>
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/targetsalad/13929628863" title="Hairy creature jaw! Found in the canyons. #jaw #teeth by Target Salad, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3754/13929628863_5466f661f9_o.jpg" width="500" height="500" alt="Hairy creature jaw! Found in the canyons. #jaw #teeth"></a><p>
Then I had one of the best single road find days of my life on Tuesday April 29th, 2014. I found a big honking 4xl reflecty safety jacket in the middle of the road at 7am on my way down to white rock for training. Then I took a lunch break out at the overlook and found a lacrosse ball on the way back to class. Lacrosse balls are excellent to juggle with and really satisfying to hit with a baseball bat, but I don't really endorse that activity in a neighborhood or in close quarters...<br>
<i>Scene from lunch at the overlook</i><br>
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/targetsalad/14066411615" title="Lunch overlooking the Rio and Black Mesa #oceanaircycles #rambler #riogrande #newmexico #blackmesa by Target Salad, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5124/14066411615_d10ec02aed_o.jpg" width="500" height="500" alt="Lunch overlooking the Rio and Black Mesa #oceanaircycles #rambler #riogrande #newmexico #blackmesa"></a>
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Then after an afternoon of unsatisfying training activities, I took the long way home from White Rock, around the bandelier loop, and while climbing slowly out of a canyon somewhere, I looked over to the side of the road and saw this gleaming out at me amid the detritus of some recently removed trees:<br>
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/targetsalad/14069090585" title="Great day for road finds #antler #roadfind more later by Target Salad, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5208/14069090585_046eda38c6_o.jpg" width="500" height="500" alt="Great day for road finds #antler #roadfind more later"></a><br>
I stashed it in my musette and kept on riding.
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Then at the top of the long climb before the back gate, I saw an excellent pink Pedro's tire lever waiting for me on the side of the road. I picked it up as it began snowing reasonably hard. I took a break, put on my jacket and rode on home through the snow flurries. <br>
<i>4/28/14, the dubious collection of the road find day of infamy</I><br>
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/targetsalad/14067154882" title="Dubious Road finds of the day: 4xl safety vest, found 7:15am; lacrosse ball, found noon; XS antler, found 4pm; pink Pedro's tire lever, found 5pm. #roadfinds by Target Salad, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7207/14067154882_257da1f27a_o.jpg" width="500" height="500" alt="Dubious Road finds of the day: 4xl safety vest, found 7:15am; lacrosse ball, found noon; XS antler, found 4pm; pink Pedro's tire lever, found 5pm. #roadfinds"></a><p>
It was a good day.
Tarik Salehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664260510124463879noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3586216.post-71671495948626648462014-05-03T08:00:00.000-06:002014-05-03T08:00:00.521-06:00A couple things Saturday, TV timeWith any luck I am off at the races this morning. Please enjoy a selection of my favorite TV introductions of my childhood for no other reason than they all came up recently in discussions. In chronological
order of time wasted.<p>
<i>Someday the mountain might get em, but the law never will</i><br>
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/zRX4mlFi06A" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p>
<i> of a man... who does not exist</I><br>
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Mo8Qls0HnWo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><p>
<p>
<i>Too dangerous to be left in unenlightened hands!</i>
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/HBd6ighzqYA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p>
Tarik Salehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664260510124463879noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3586216.post-51977310409823980232014-04-14T06:00:00.000-06:002014-04-14T06:00:00.749-06:00TSBC cap order window closing 4/15<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/targetsalad/13840081013" title="Tarik Saleh Bike Club Cap Order window closing 4/15 by Target Salad, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3822/13840081013_c43a925df0.jpg" width="500" height="500" alt="Tarik Saleh Bike Club Cap Order window closing 4/15"></a>
<p>
Hey!, cap preorder is closing soon. 4/15/2014 at midnightish, just like your taxes. Three styles, all the sizes, <a href=http://tsaleh.blogspot.com/2014/03/tarik-saleh-bike-club-bike-cap.html>details here!</a>...<p>
<p><i> you get these four pins with each cap order</i><p>
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/targetsalad/13611972135" title="New tsbc pin stock! These 4 go out with all TSBC hat orders! http://www.tariksaleh.com/tsbc/ #tariksalehbikeclub #tsbc by Target Salad, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3707/13611972135_4b9136062a.jpg" width="500" height="500" alt="New tsbc pin stock! These 4 go out with all TSBC hat orders! http://www.tariksaleh.com/tsbc/ #tariksalehbikeclub #tsbc"></a><P>
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/targetsalad/13513996853" title="TSBC hats make you grit your teeths with awesome. Tarik Saleh Bike Club Hat Preorder still open! http://www.tariksaleh.com/tsbc/ #tsbc #tariksalehbikeclub #capsnothats by Target Salad, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7251/13513996853_8668105009.jpg" width="500" height="500" alt="TSBC hats make you grit your teeths with awesome. Tarik Saleh Bike Club Hat Preorder still open! http://www.tariksaleh.com/tsbc/ #tsbc #tariksalehbikeclub #capsnothats"></a>
Tarik Salehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664260510124463879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3586216.post-19741245706402092572014-04-05T20:53:00.000-06:002014-04-06T09:37:19.882-06:00Hey Hey Cobblyass HillsZoiks, The Ronde van Vlaanderen is nigh, and I am remiss if I have forgotten to tell you I explored some of the mighty cobbled climbs for you, dear readers, back in November of Ought-12. Yep, the same trip that yielded <a href=http://tsaleh.blogspot.com/2013/01/in-socialist-belgium-jonathon-page.html>Jonathan Page cheer you!</a> also yielded a quick trip to Oudenaard for a quick run through the cobbled climbs with long lost pal Jeff. Quickly speaking, we drove from Gent to Oudenaard. Checked out the RVV mueseum, got Aida a Freddy Maertens shirt and me a commemerative RVV beer from the 2012 edition, and then we rode around a selection of fine cobbled helligen. And then we had beers at the bar at the Ronde Museum. <p> It was a great day </p> It was in harvest season, so much of the roads and climbs were slightly muddy to super greasy (koppenberg). As you probably note from the race coverage, the roads into and out of the climbs are pretty much bike paths. I was on a borrowed bike from Jeff, with 23mm tires and did not have too much trouble with the cobbles, except for the super greasy koppenberg climb. Not knowing the roads and being slightly cautious anyway, I can't say I ripped up any of the descents, especially some of the dirty ones. But the wheels were definitely pretty much toast in the trueness department. Sorry Jeff. <p> Anyhow, no time for a hazy memories, but here are some photos of the ride back in Novemeber 2012. I am totally rooting for a Taylor Phinney/Tyler Farrar 1-2 finish tomorrow, or something. Full flickr set from Belgium <a href=https://www.flickr.com/photos/targetsalad/sets/72157632008977168/>here</a>.<p>
<p>
<i>Ronde Van Vlaanderen Museum was small, but fantastic </i><br>
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/targetsalad/8185556382" title="Ronde Museum by Target Salad, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8487/8185556382_4c861f38b6.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Ronde Museum"></a>
<p>
<i>Jeff and the giant turnip, or organic cobble... </i><br>
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/targetsalad/8185561850" title="Giant Turnips by Target Salad, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8347/8185561850_68f9854497.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Giant Turnips"></a>
<p>
<i>Greasy up there in the trees on the Koppenberg </i><br>
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/targetsalad/8185565728" title="Koppenberg by Target Salad, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8489/8185565728_6c22f093cd.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Koppenberg"></a>
<p>
<i>The country </i><br>
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/targetsalad/8185562666" title="IMG_0949 by Target Salad, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8207/8185562666_0c8c59ba3b.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="IMG_0949"></a>
<p>
<i>Oude Kwaremont, beginning, end? Who knows </i><br>
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/targetsalad/8185562298" title="Kwaremont by Target Salad, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8345/8185562298_1a46bedc7d.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Kwaremont"></a>
<p>
<i>Most of the way up the Paterberg, there is a little smooth line over the steepest bit... </i><br>
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/targetsalad/8185564888" title="Paterberg by Target Salad, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8070/8185564888_b707296a1d.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Paterberg"></a>
<p>
<i>Alo' my name is Koppenberg </i><br>
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/targetsalad/8185566260" title="Koppenberg by Target Salad, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8064/8185566260_b563ff8916.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Koppenberg"></a>
<p>
<i>End of the ride road beers atop the Koppenberg </i><br>
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/targetsalad/8185528531" title="Koppenberg by Target Salad, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8345/8185528531_c0f5ec0648.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Koppenberg"></a>
<p>
<i>The other end of the ride beers at the bar at the Ronde Museum </i><br>
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/targetsalad/8185531027" title="Bar at Ronde Museum by Target Salad, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8209/8185531027_9b9cd72e1f.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Bar at Ronde Museum"></a>
<p>Tarik Salehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664260510124463879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3586216.post-54901446270433569512014-04-01T06:00:00.000-06:002014-04-01T06:00:18.165-06:00Ubikequitous 11, Cosmos on a BikeSort of related to my last post, uh...
<p>
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/targetsalad/13527499003" title="Neil deGrasse Tyson. Rides a bike. #cosmos #neildegrassetyson by Target Salad, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5082/13527499003_8797ed8d01.jpg" width="500" height="500" alt="Neil deGrasse Tyson. Rides a bike. #cosmos #neildegrassetyson"></a>
<p>
Neil deGrasse Tyson rides a bike.
<p>
or at least uses it on cosmos to start to explain relativity and the speed of light.
<p>
Sort of related: <a href=http://tsaleh.blogspot.com/2007/09/ubikequitous-5.html>Niels Bohr, crypto-cylocrosser</a>Tarik Salehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664260510124463879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3586216.post-48501904900397512592014-03-30T06:44:00.000-06:002014-03-30T06:44:00.063-06:00CyclocosmlandiaSo, I am going to put a whole post about someone else's blog. OK? If you don't like it, go over to Cosmo Catalano's <a href=http://cyclocosm.com/>Cyclocosm</a> and watch everything obviating this whole post. <p>
I used to write a bunch about pro cycling and mostly doping, but I got tired of it and ran out of time and lots of other people like Cosmo are doing it better. I wanted to give Cyclocosm a bit more press as I think Cosmo has of the best pro cycling coverage out there, and someone actually needs to pay him to do this, so he can escape the confines of Connecticut and move into Lance's apartment in Girona while he covers pro cycling full time. So I am sure, among my many readers, is someone who makes decisions at NBC sports and they can just go ahead and make that happen...<p>
As classic season is upon us, there are too many races and not enough easy ways for us Murricans to see em. I, for one, am too lazy to get up to scruffle for some dodgy Belgie live feed that may or may not actually work. In fact, I timed the publication of this post to coincide with groggy eyed people waiting for their Sporza/steephill/etc feed of Gent-Wevelgem to actually work. However Cosmo has been doing a great job on race recaps of all the big races for his How The Race Was Won (HTRWW) series. See <a href=http://cyclocosm.com/category/htrww/>HTRWW</a> for all the videos. I will embed my favorite one ever, due to the fact that is was a good race, a excellent recap and dude wrote his own John Techesque race score for the whole shebang:
<iframe src="//player.vimeo.com/video/63561219" width="500" height="281" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen></iframe> <p><a href="http://vimeo.com/63561219">How The Race Was Won - Paris-Roubaix 2013</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/cyclocosm">Cosmo Catalano</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>
Spectacular. <p>
I recommend checking out his recaps from last years <a href=http://cyclocosm.com/?s=tour+de+france&submit=Search>Tour de France</a> which were better, funnier, and a much, much, much, more efficient use of time than the NBCsports coverage. I also like to go back and watch old HTRWW for races right before they happen again, thus refreshing my memory of the course, the key riders and the general race feels. Also the nyuks.
<p>
His newish <a href=http://cyclocosm.com/category/twib/>The week in bike</a> Series is excellent as well, for brief sardonically transfixing recaps of what all happened in pro cycling last week. Also his <a href=cyclocosm.tumblr.com/>tumblr is great</a> too.
<p> Cosmo also had a gig with Behind the Barriers TV for cross coverage last year, so there are a whole bunch of US based cross HTRWW out there. Here is me and Cosmo, a TSBC member from way back, himself at the cross natz in Boulder last year, where he was doing some race coverage production.:<p>
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/targetsalad/11913309553" title="Cosmo C from outer space and how the race was won. by Target Salad, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7309/11913309553_98c1d2a20d.jpg" width="500" height="500" alt="Cosmo C from outer space and how the race was won."></a> <p>
And hey, did you know that you can order the styling caps that the scary bearded man is wearing? <a href= http://tsaleh.blogspot.com/2014/03/tarik-saleh-bike-club-bike-cap.html>TSBC CAP ORDER DETAILS HERE</a>
<p>
Finally I will leave this here with no further comment, this will feed into next Sunday's post somehow, maybe (foreshadowing):
<iframe src="//player.vimeo.com/video/8165167" width="500" height="375" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen></iframe> <p><a href="http://vimeo.com/8165167">CHRIS HORNER'S CYCLOCROSS ESSENTIALS</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/cyclocosm">Cosmo Catalano</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>
Someone hire this dude already. Rumor has it he used to nordic ski a bit. Waiting for the HTRWW for all of the olympic nordic races please (foreshadowing)...
Tarik Salehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664260510124463879noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3586216.post-72214938836819123912014-03-25T18:06:00.000-06:002014-06-03T10:33:44.932-06:00Tarik Saleh Bike Club Bike Cap, PREORDERS through 4/15<p> <i>Update 6/3/14</i> Preorder window is closed. There will be some extra caps for sale. Read the below and email me at the hats@tariksaleh email address with your request and I will see if I can accommodate you. Price will be $40 per cap shipped. Mellow Velo in Santa Fe will stock some hats if you are local. If you live in Los Alamos, get with me ASAP...<p>
<strike>TSBC hat preorders are OPEN NOW! Window closes 4/15.</strike> <br>See <b>HOW TO ORDER</b> Below<p>
There will be three types of hats available, IN ALL SIZES, all made in the USA by <a href=https://www.randijofab.com/>Randi Jo Fab</a>:
<p>
(1) Orange wool with navy TSBC logo. Similar to last run, but more pumpkiny. This is a lightweight wool cap. $32 preorder
<br>
<i> something like these, but a little darker orange:</i>
<br>
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/targetsalad/13415141593" title="Tarik Saleh Bike Club cap preorders, http://tariksaleh.com/tsbc design 1 sort of #tsbc #tariksalehbikeclub #capsnothats by Target Salad, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3803/13415141593_84aaf1a757.jpg" width="500" height="500" alt="Tarik Saleh Bike Club cap preorders, http://tariksaleh.com/tsbc design 1 sort of #tsbc #tariksalehbikeclub #capsnothats"></a>
<p>
(2) Burgundy Wool caps with Navy wool earflaps, white TSBC logo. $34 preorder
<br>
<i>something like these with tsbc logo</I>:<br>
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/targetsalad/13415323664" title="Tarik Saleh Bike Club cap preorders, http://tariksaleh.com/tsbc design 2 sort of #tsbc #tariksalehbikeclub #capsnothats by Target Salad, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3808/13415323664_e23156bf28.jpg" width="500" height="500" alt="Tarik Saleh Bike Club cap preorders, http://tariksaleh.com/tsbc design 2 sort of #tsbc #tariksalehbikeclub #capsnothats"></a>
<p>
(3) Cotton crazy caps. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316789798/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0316789798&linkCode=as2&tag=tariksalehcom-20">Ed Emberley</a><img src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=tariksalehcom-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0316789798" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />dragon/batprint on the front. Blue side and back panels with green TSBC logo, red brim. $32 preorder.
<br>
<i> Pattern is the same in front, cap sides will be blue, cap brim will be red, logo green</I>
<br>
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/targetsalad/13414921603" title="Tarik Saleh Bike Club cap preorders, http://tariksaleh.com/tsbc design 3 sort of #tsbc #tariksalehbikeclub #capsnothats by Target Salad, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3738/13414921603_87597434be.jpg" width="500" height="500" alt="Tarik Saleh Bike Club cap preorders, http://tariksaleh.com/tsbc design 3 sort of #tsbc #tariksalehbikeclub #capsnothats"></a>
<p>
sizes available are as follows:<p>
Large: 24"+ <br>
M/L: 23"-24"<br>
M: 22-23" <br>
S: 21-22" <br>
I am between a 7 3/8 and 7 1/2 fitted cap and I find myself in a M with shorter hair maybe tending toward a M/L in full winter glory sasquatch hair. But measure your head. This is your chance to get a nice TSBC cap in your size. I probably won't do caps again this year. I will order a few more beyond preorders, but the price will go up a few bucks. Each cap will come with 3 TSBC pins of varying colors.
<p>
<b>HOW TO ORDER</b>. This is important. All pre-orders will be paid in advance. You must email me with WHICH cap you want and WHICH size you want to hats@tariksaleh.com. Use the same address for paypal payment and questions. All prices include shipping to the Continental US. Please email me if you want a cap and live outside the US. Email me if you want more than one. Comments in the blog or a facebook page or whatnot WILL NOT result in an order. You must email hats@tariksaleh.com and pay me before the order goes in April 15th. I may entertain some trades, email me at hats@tariksaleh.com...
<p>
delivery will be in mid to late May, I will update those who have ordered as things progress...
<p>
Tarik Salehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664260510124463879noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3586216.post-34318638761556915892014-03-10T06:00:00.000-06:002014-03-29T22:56:07.192-06:00On seeing what the Moscaline - Target Salad - Tarik Saleh Bike Club is up toThings got slow here in old Moscalineville, only because the real life has been excellent and pretty much everywhere of late. Too much time doing stuff, not enough time writing about it. But perhaps the hiatus will end shortly. Got some reviews in the queueueue as well as some crusty old race reports that I can barely remember. In the meantime if you are all into the new or older or middling media, you can foller me at:<p><a href= http://www.flickr.com/photos/targetsalad/ > Flickr </a> as Target Salad<p><p>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/targetsalad/11035350224/" title="Red Squaring it September 2013 by Target Salad, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3795/11035350224_3029639225.jpg" width="500" height="471" alt="Red Squaring it September 2013"></a>
<p><a href=http://instagram.com/targetsalad# >Instagram </a> as Target Salad<p>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/targetsalad/8774553517/" title="Into the beyond, red rock canyon, nv by Target Salad, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8140/8774553517_21a8630ac1.jpg" width="500" height="500" alt="Into the beyond, red rock canyon, nv"></a>
<p><a href= http://targetsalad.tumblr.com/ > Tumblr </a>as Target Salad<p>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/targetsalad/12326388104/" title="Candy Colored Skate race by Target Salad, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5550/12326388104_e9b3acfe19.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="Candy Colored Skate race"></a><p>
<p>I am Target Salad on Strava as well if you like such things <p>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/targetsalad/11440141976/" title="SantaFeCross2013Warmups by Target Salad, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3787/11440141976_f7706ce554.jpg" width="500" height="332" alt="SantaFeCross2013Warmups"></a>
<p>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/targetsalad/11157102833/" title="Last of 5 excellent days of Skate skiing. by Target Salad, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3741/11157102833_3ef9117fc1.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Last of 5 excellent days of Skate skiing."></a>
<p>
<b>On the Tarik Saleh Bike Club</b><p>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/targetsalad/10999683106/" title="Next batch of tsbc pins to be ferried to post office via fat bike. http://tariksaleh.com/tsbc/ #tsbc #tariksalehbikeclub by Target Salad, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3742/10999683106_dcbbfdaec1.jpg" width="500" height="500" alt="Next batch of tsbc pins to be ferried to post office via fat bike. http://tariksaleh.com/tsbc/ #tsbc #tariksalehbikeclub"></a>
<p>
The <a href=http://tariksaleh.com/tsbc/>Tarik Saleh Bike Club</a> is growing wildly and it even has its own <a href= http://www.flickr.com/groups/tsbc/pool >Flickr Group</a> as well as a <a href=https://www.facebook.com/tariksalehbikeclub>TSBC facebook page</a>. I will announce a hat preorder shortly for those who need some TSBC cycling caps. Which is everyone.
<p>
Also, remember if you see me in person, you can usually join the club on the spot for free. Like Cassidy from Philly did when he stopped me in the airport:<p>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/targetsalad/12057468143/" title="Cassidy from Philly recognized me from the blog and said hello in PHL. New member of the Tarik Saleh Bike Club. http://www.tariksaleh.com/tsbc/ #tsbc #tariksalehbikeclub by Target Salad, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5502/12057468143_5850ce1ec5.jpg" width="500" height="500" alt="Cassidy from Philly recognized me from the blog and said hello in PHL. New member of the Tarik Saleh Bike Club. http://www.tariksaleh.com/tsbc/ #tsbc #tariksalehbikeclub"></a><p>
Or even if you see me in ATL and you have terrifying rock climber hands like <a href=http://instagram.com/jason_halladay#>jason</a><p>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/targetsalad/13052945683/" title="I will even let you into the club if you barely ride anymore and you have terrifying climbers hands... Regram from @jason_halladay #tsbc #tariksalehbikeclub by Target Salad, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3356/13052945683_ef46c2c61f.jpg" width="500" height="500" alt="I will even let you into the club if you barely ride anymore and you have terrifying climbers hands... Regram from @jason_halladay #tsbc #tariksalehbikeclub"></a>
<p>Also, this <a href=http://tsaleh.blogspot.com/2013/01/in-socialist-belgium-jonathon-page.html>guy</a> is in the club too:<p>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/targetsalad/11900389473/" title="Some fast guy visiting from Belgium, new TSBC member. by Target Salad, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7327/11900389473_b00c13d775.jpg" width="500" height="500" alt="Some fast guy visiting from Belgium, new TSBC member."></a><p>
Anyways, Hope to see you here or there or anywhere.
Tarik Salehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664260510124463879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3586216.post-55549757762748834842013-11-04T21:42:00.000-07:002013-11-04T21:42:56.308-07:00Glorieta Cyclocross 11/3/13 Mini Race reportAs full blown race reports are apparently no longer within me, I will get down with mini reports to get some content out there. Here is the quick and dirty from <a href=http://bcdracing.com/nmofyak13.html>Hawke's Old Fashioned cross</a> sufferfest in Glorieta this past weekend. (see <a href=http://tsaleh.blogspot.com/2006/10/monastery-lake-cyclocrost-racing.html>here</a> for a report from a previous excellent Old fashioned cross race from the same promoter.) <p>
<I>Old faithful, ended up running a slightly wider more bitey front tire for the sand and the off camber loose stuff</I><br>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/targetsalad/10655023215/" title="Glorieta Cross! #kellybikes #kellybike #cyclocross by Target Salad, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7313/10655023215_f3ce8fd010.jpg" width="500" height="500" alt="Glorieta Cross! #kellybikes #kellybike #cyclocross"></a>
<p>
The course was on the grounds of the Glorieta (baptist) conference center and was really hard, somewhere between 2 and 5 dismounts per lap depending on how strong you were, as appropriate for the Old Fashioned cross series. Two long runups: one stairs, one quasi ridable dirt. One short set of stairs. A gopher hole riddled set of tight chicanes which was pretty ridable but slower than running. One short steep ride up with an ugly transition that was a bit too steep for my one gear for 5 of the 8 laps.
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Much more technical than the usual UCI looking cross we get used to. Lots of off camber, lots of grassy dirt, a couple sand pits, even tighter chicanes than normal, longer run ups. I acquitted myself decently on the one speed I think. Got an OK start, crashed straight through some course tape on a chicane, lost a couple guys I shudda stayed with right there. I churned along painfully in my slightly-too-large-for-my-fitness gear of 36-17 or so. Rode the sand well. Ran the run ups well. Did not chicane as well as I could of. Got lapped by two really nice fellers on cool bikes from a Trek Composites something something team (zach and some other dude), down from durango possibly. Highlight of the race for me was getting lapped by them in the ugly little gopher chicanes and then blowing right back by them in the sand as they were waylaid into running by another lapped rider. I lost my will to live about 40 minutes in and then lollygagged for a lap and then noticed that I was getting caught by someone behind me, so I turned on the jets and finished OK. Given the complete lack of training and the only one other cross race this year I was pretty happy with the effort. There was only one mens category, which I enjoyed, reminded me of outlaw races I cut my teefs on 20 years ago, I have no idea where I finished other than the three guys who lapped me, I think midpack. I am pretty sure I was the only single speed. <p>
Here is a video Elena shot of me through the sand pits. <p>
<iframe src="//player.vimeo.com/video/78507440" width="500" height="281" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen></iframe> <p><a href="http://vimeo.com/78507440">Sand Pit Riding at Glorieta Cross</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user5151904">Tarik Saleh</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>
It is probably best to watch the full minute with the sound on to hear what Aida thought of daddy racing. She did tell me today that she loved going to the race and wanted to go to another cross race soon, so this was probably just a bit temporary dissatisfaction with the attention meter.
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Anyhow, good course, good turnout, hurt my lungs. Yay cross. Thanks to all the organizers.
<p> also, firetruck!<P>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/targetsalad/10684022073/" title="Fire Truck by Target Salad, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3823/10684022073_bcb680cf46.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="Fire Truck"></a>Tarik Salehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09664260510124463879noreply@blogger.com4