Loving every minute of it...

The Freedom of the Cyclocross bike cannot be compared.... ripping the gravel roads, rolling the pavement or blazing some trails... the Trek XO1 (now known as the Trek Cronos) lets you do whatever you want to do...

The leaves are fully ablaze in Durham Forest and the weather is perfect ... as long as you dress properly... but sometimes it's nice to go slower and stop more often.... training CAN be fun!!!

The only down-side of riding at this time of year is the early Sunsets... which can make for some dark rides home if you forget your lights... but also makes for some spectacular views on the way....

Get 'em while you can!!!

Doesn't happen very often so don't miss this one!!!!  Trek Store Toronto is having a CLEARANCE Sale this coming weekend... will be great deals on bikes and accessories.... but they won't be around long at these prices!!!  Mountain bike, road bike, Specialty bike.... get one of each!!!!

First 'Cross is always Horrible....

The warm weather finally brought me out for have some Fun on the 'Cross bike... and Albion Hills offered one of the best courses i have raced... a bunch of tough Kicker Climbs, Sandy Beach, Speed and Sunshine... good enough for Steve "Rango" Heck to make an appearance!!!!  Still dizzy from Angry Johnny's Spiral of Death...

 Playing in the Sand is always fun... as long as you make it across without Dabbing...

 Posing for the camera... Rango is still sitting so i wasn't going THAT hard....

 Rode the Mark Brusso Train for almost the entire race... was hoping to send out some fireworks and make an exciting finish but very willing to let Brusso take the W... he earned it... but he was cooked from dragging us around all day and let us go... he's a Good Man that Brusso...

 Celebrating the fact that i can stop the pain... and the Win i guess...

 Could be some "Fun" races in the future with these boys...

Is that a smile or the lip curl that occurs before passing out from lack of oxygen...?
Props to John Safka www.cyclingphotos.ca and Peter Kreiker www.kreikerphoto.com for their Awesome pics and support... great guys who watch too many races through a lens...

8hr of Partying!!!

 

Got to go play around at the Pulse Racing Epic 8hr race the other weekend...got the invite from Barry to fill in the Teams... it always seems to be bad weather for this race, so when not riding... this is the position i found myself in...

  

 Barry didn't even take off his helmet before Assuming the Position....

  

 Always nice to have the Trek Tents to shield us from the sun, wind, rain and hords of adoring fans....

  

 Especially when the Heavy Rain starts... at least i wasn't out riding for That Lap!!

  

 Although i felt like the Whipping Boy when i was Requested to do a Double Lap to try and close the 6min gap and get us into 2nd place... which turned into a Triple Lap during which i caught 2nd place with 1.5km to go and pulled the Trek Store Team #2 into 2nd place behind Trek Store Team #1....

 

 Made Barry happy enough to upgrade me from the Congrats Hug to the Congrats Kiss....

 

 Cayley "JJ" Brooks was equally proud of me... but didn't congratulate me with the same Enthusiasm.

Crank the shield Day 3

Crank the Shield finished with a beautiful day of riding... starting at Sir Sam's ski resort before heading out ona  long road section before hitting some Hydrocut and then some wicked singletrack... After a very cold 12km ride to Sir Sam's, both steve and i had a few "technical" problems staying with the lead group, and came onto the road section behind by a few hundred feet.... which steve quickly pulled back so we could enjoy the Kabush Pain Train on the paved road and gravel road sections... had a GREAT ride with this front group, enjoying the company, challenge, moose sighting and social aspect.... but we knew there would be a time when it would end... so we finished the last 15km rolling through some fantastic singletrack and many sections that had a West Coast feel to it with moss, large trees and short cliffs.... finished up the day stongly in 8/9th positions and another 15min ahead of 2nd place.... gaining us the Coveted CTS Champion Jersey and the admiration of countless fans.... maybe??  Great food, great laughs and well deserved rest at the finish line before making the Trek back home and some quality Family Time... An amazing race / ride with some great company, delicious food, fantastic trails, and years of memories and exaggerated stories for the future..

Collecting the CTS Jersey and plaque after Re-fueling with BBQ

I think i look much happier after Day 3 than i did after Day 1, non?

You know it's a cold start to your ride when your ClifShots are frozen....

The number to beat that weekend...

As beautiful as the mist rising off the lake was on Sunday morning, it was a sure sign of a cold morning and possibly a good excuse to have an extra slice of bacon and pastery... "Barnes... that's your 3rd Chocolate Croissant, eh?"

Crank the shield Day 2

Crank the Shield Day 2 - woke up to a much more promising day than the previous... sun was shining, puddles were drying out and the forecast was clear and sunny.... after yesterday's Mud Show it was a welcome sight.  Our bikes were once again Perfect and Clean thanks to the Rockstars at the Trek Store, and smiles / best wishes were laid upon us.  The longest day of the weekend at 76km, we started off with a great call up with Kabush and the Big Boys, and rolled a lot of the singletrack with them.  The sand hill leading up to the 1st aid station was a complete Death March, but stayed with the group and  were rolling really nicely until Steve broke his chain... he says "Too much power" but i saw "Mis-shift".... lost a few minutes getting that fixed up but was able to work through the Andrew Watson Train (containing Cayley Brooks) and really enjoyed a lot of the singletrack that the day promised us.  The Garming was saying 14km left to go in the Hydro Cut Field (a hellish combination of rocks, ruts and hills) and the best sight in the world was once again the "1km to Finish" sign....i was not enjoying that section and was glad to be done.... finished up 8/9th for the day and very happy with our ride.

First "Sunshine Sighting" in 36hrs... YAY!!!

Beautiful view of the Lake outside our cabin put a smile on our faces.  We got to relax and enjoy an extra cup of tea while many / most riders were spending HOURS cleaning / repairing their bikes for the day.... glad that wasn't us!!!

Finished the day with another great ride, satisfaction in our tired legs, and a great meal from Camp White Pine.  Yes those are French Fries.... Kabush eats French Fries, so Barnes eats French Fries.... although Barnes had an extra Dessert!!