Every summer I search high and low for a couple of choice tracks that I always know will easily slip me into the perfect summer mood. Just when I was about to throw in the towel, NPR came rushing to the rescue.

I’d start with the Higga Boom track here and relax into a nice cocktail.

I don’t normally say this, but—Keep the Party Going!

I haven’t written in a few months because I’ve been holed up in my barn working on my 1974 Moto Guzzi Eldorado Police. Doing the Iron Butt is no small challenge, but doing it on a motorcycle that is 35 years old poses additional issues. You need to make sure everything is in perfect order and carry all the spare parts that are otherwise impossible to find. Although I’m a huge motorcycle enthusiast, I’ve never spent much time wrenching so I’ve had a steep learning curve. It’s going well though. I’ll show everyone how it turns out once I’m done…

I have been back from Yosemite for almost a week and trying to re-adjust to “normal” life. Just wanted to share a few photos. I went to Yosemite on September 7th to meet my friend JW and climb for two weeks. C joined us on the 12th for five days as well and we gave JW some time to prepare for his El Capitan (ed: !!!) climb. JW was planning to do the ascent the week of September 22nd with a German climber, Felix. Unfortunately Felix got sick the second day and they had to rappel down from the climb.

JW and I did mostly cragging, which consists of short multipitch climbs. The valley was very dry but the temperatures were perfect and there were not too many tourists. After September 15th there was a large influx of climbers including three very famous climbers. JW could tell you their names; I don’t pay that much attention.

The most noteworthy climb we did was Royal Arches. It’s a famous climb set up in 1931 by a climber staying at the Awanie Hotel. He was convinced that he could find a route up the cliff face to the top. After several failed attempts, and one bout of heat stress, he finally did. The climb is 16 pitches (rope lenths) long and about 2,400 feet high. In 1931, when the climb was first established, it was rated a 5.7. Most climbers today would agree that it is significantly harder. In 1931 the hardest rating was a 5.9, today the hardest routes are rated 5.16d.

JW

Hazard being sweet

JW and I started climbing at 6:00 a.m. in the morning. We climbed non-stop and finished the last pitch of the climb at 9:00 p.m. at night. We bivied on a small but comfortable ledge and the next morning hiked 8 miles up over the ridge by North Dome and then back to Camp 4. We finally arrived back in Camp 4 around 3:00 a.m. and promptly went to the Awanie to celebrate.

Gotta say, that’s a totally serious effort. Arches may not be the most technical, retarded-spiderman climb, but 16 pitches and a night spent on the rock in Yosemite should qualify as righteous in anyone’s book. Rock on with your bad-ass self Hazard & thanks for sharing.

“At the Primm 300 this past weekend, Sal Fish announced the 2008 Baja 1000 would be about 660 miles and follow this route: Ensenada – Ojos Negros – El Condor – La Ponderosa – Rumorosa – Laguna Salada – San Felipe – Azufre wash – Morelia Jct – San Matias – Mike’s Sky Rancho – Valle de Trinidad – Llano Colorado – San Vicente – Santo Tomas – Ojos Negros – Ensenada.”

I spent time in Baja earlier this year and heard from many people that loop races might be a thing of the past. This speculation was largely based on the growing popularity of the race, both in the number of entrants and worldwide media attention. A loop race (Ensenada to Ensenada) only benefits businesses in the North, while a point-to-point race (Ensenada to Cabo San Lucas) spreads the wealth. A point-to-point race is more dramatic and highlights Cabo which is the biggest tourist draw on the whole peninsula.

If this rumor holds true, it seems loop races are still in the mix, but the most shocking thing is the distance. That’s almost half the mileage of last year! If that proves true, my guess is that the course would be insanely technical.

If anyone hears anything else, please post a comment…

My Esteemed Dukes,

It is with great honor and sense of obligation that I have joined your exalted ranks. As a sign of my good faith and dedication, immediately upon returning to my native lands I set about a conquest to claim lands for the ever expanding Flatbush empire to the north. I am pleased to report that the summit of Mt. Katahdin was claimed for the Dukes as well as all territory visible from its summit (see attached picture). All vassals encountered upon the way were made to grovel before the Flatbush flag, and I would have dispatched any Los Compadres encountered, but I am sad to report that none were spotted. Becoming hungry during our expedition, I hunted down one of Maine’s alpine parakeets with my bare hands. My trusty assistant is seen in the second picture holding our substantial feast immediately prior to roasting.

For the glory of the empire!

Res Firma Nitescere Nescit

-The Duke of the North

With body and mind still recovering from the Reach the Beach juggernaut, I can assure you that there has been no shortage of wine consumed in our house this week.  Ran into a delicious little gem acquired from the NH State liquor store on the way back down and thought I’d share.  I normally shy away from any vineyard that aligns itself with the “new school”, or relies on cheeky names and such.  Generally I find their wines sub-par and the approach ill conceived.  Yeah, I’ve suffered through more than my fair share of sharp tannins and unbalanced ho-ha garbage at the hands of Bonny Dune Vineyards.

But every now and then I take a gamble, and the purchase of a bottle of Ro Sham Bo Winery’s Reverend Zin paid off.  Granted it’s primarily Dry Creek, which is known for some excellent Zins, but this is a damn tasty bottle of wine.  Nice fruit, tanins and and full bodied without going overboard. It puts me in mind of another favorite Zin  – Renwood’s Jack Rabbit Flats.   Anyway, if you dig Zins, check it out.  And I must say, the Ro Sham Bo folks seems to have a delightfully zaney approach to their craft to boot.   The Dukes may just have to make a trip to the left coast to take in the annual Rock, Paper, Scissors tournament next year…

I have four Jalapeno pepper plants that produce around 40 peppers every two weeks. With the help of a friend, we put up five jars of pickled jalapeno slices the other weekend. The jalapenos are ridiculously fresh having been picked moments earlier. Can’t wait to introduce these little fellers to St. Peter…

We seem to be having quite a mythical year. What’s nhhkjkkjkhxt? Nessie? Bigfoot?

I guess the same can be said for any fruit, but we were definitely blown away by the sheer cherry awesomeness. If you’ve never slurped the juice that collects at the bottom of the bowl you’re using for pitting cherries, you haven’t lived. We muled about 10lbs home; most are frozen awaiting future diabolical cherry plans, but some yielded an amazing cherry/balsamic reduction for a grilled pork loin. Is there no end to the cherry’s excellence?!?

True indeed.

Yellow Sweets

Mixed sweets pickin’ pail

Fresh cherry pie!

Also of note; they show appropriate reverence for the jerky in Michigan. I’m having all of my mail forwarded here immediately.

Just how far are we chunkin these punkins? The world record currently stands at 4434.28 feet, a little under a mile. Are you kidding me? The event is held in Bridgeville, Delaware from October 31 – November 2 this year. Count me in. I’ll blend in perfectly…

Q: How should I train for a road relay in which I’ll run about five miles three times in 24 hours?

A: Train as you would for a half-marathon, but add these strategies: (1) Do two-a-day runs of five miles each at least once a week starting six weeks before the event. (2) Run a hilly route once a week to increase overall leg strength. (3) head out for a few runs in the dark (with friends, reflective gear and a headlamp); night runs are an inevitable part of the relay experience. (4) Find foods you can digest easily because you’ll be eating at all different times of the day and night.

The cumulative mileages vary for each runner on the RTB team and some will log a good deal more than 15 (more like 20-22). But this seems like sound advice and a good place to start. Seeing as the author is Sean Coster, I’m guessing he knows what he’s talking about. I can’t say as I’m looking forward to initiating 2 x days much, but think I’ll get cracking on that this week. My dogs be barkin’ just thinking about it.

Stay tuned for more Dukes RTB updates from our RTB Captain: The New Guy.

I moved out of that carriage house, am no longer overloaded by it all and decided to try my hand. First, make some Basmati rice. Second, make some Chicken Tikki Masala.

Sound easy? Well, it actually is. It’s really a tomato based sauce with some type of dairy product to cut it, and lots of spices. I looked at a few recipes and freestyled my own. Here’s some inspiration:

Recipe 1, Recipe 2, Recipe 3

I had a watermelon on hand and decided to carve a “melon boat”, although I opted for the “melon basket” variation (easier to carry). I saw these a lot in the 70′s when I was a kid, haven’t seen one in a long while. You usually add cantaloupe and melon. It only takes 15-20 minutes and is all kinds of awesome. I served mine as desert with vodka.

Here’s the official blurb on the show – “The most comprehensive retrospective to date of the work of internationally acclaimed Japanese artist Takashi Murakami includes more than ninety works in various media that span the artist’s entire career, installed in more than 18,500 square feet of gallery space.

Born in Tokyo in 1962, Murakami is one of the most influential and acclaimed artists to have emerged from Asia in the late twentieth century, creating a wide-ranging body of work that consciously bridges fine art, design, animation, fashion, and popular culture. He received a Ph.D. from the prestigious Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music, where he was trained in the school of traditional Japanese painting known as Nihonga, a nineteenth-century mixture of Western and Eastern styles. However, the prevailing popularity of anime (animation) and manga (comic books) directed his interest toward the art of animation because, as he has said, “it was more representative of modern day Japanese life.” American popular culture in the form of animation, comics, and fashion are among the influences on his work, which includes painting, sculpture, installation, and animation, as well as a wide range of collectibles, multiples, and commercial products.”

But on to the eye candy…

I managed to get a ticket to their sold out show at Southpaw this past weekend, a venue a few blocks from my apartment in Park Slope – Brooklyn. First, Southpaw is a great place to see a show – small room, big bar, great sound. Second, The Black Angels put on one helluva show. The songs are long and kinda trippy, it’s easy to get lost in the wall of sound. Towards the end of the gig, I think it may have been during the second encore, the lead singer Alex Maas wandered to the side of the stage. Facing the wall, he sang for the next 15 minutes. Say what you will, but brother was into it. They are playing at the All Points West Festival this summer – really looking forward to hearing them on a festival stage. Should be a real kick in the head.

This installation is on the scale of “The Gates” by Christo and Jeanne-Claude that filled Central Park with saffron-colored fabric panels back in 2005. I wasn’t that excited to see “The Gates”, but was taken aback by the beauty and scale when I did make the trip. It was really extraordinary. Make sure you don’t miss this one…

Kudos to Mayor Bloomberg who helped the artists navigate the NYC bureaucracy to get over 30 separate permits to make this a reality. Well played sir.

No course records or PRs were set that I’m aware of, but everyone did managed to finish the race strongly amid much DOFB howling. Special congrats go out to Paolo, Lydia, Deirdre, Amy, PT & NG for completing their first race under the DOFB flag and earning their stripes (shirts). Righteous work folks!

Typical DOFB pre-race stretching routine. Works best with some horrible disco blaring to, you know, get Paolo pumped.
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Ivan showing strong form and gettin’ it done at the finish
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Juanito bringing it home
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GJ showing pluck at the end.
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The White Witch cranking towards cold water and a mojito
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PT making it look..well…something.
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NG & Amy showing that the Dukes will get it done no matter what. Neither rain, nor snow, nor pregnancy, nor a complete lack of training can quell our ferocious spirit. I salute thee.
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Big Lydz & Sam cruising home. There is no way on earth Lydia ever considered, a year or two back, that this is what she would be doing one beautiful June afternoon in the year 20 Ot 8. Seriously nice work to you both.
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One critically overheating Paolo as he nears the finish….huge showing P.
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Post-race Deirdre….who the hell knew she was so damn speedy?!?!?
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Much happier post-race Paolo grin. Thank god – I was afraid he was going to cross the finish and slug me for getting him into this sweaty mess.
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Lydz and staff photog Alixa…thanks for snapping all the great shots lady!
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DOFB Team shot for the Shelter island Reporter. Graham has a standing bet with an old friend and fellow islander about who can get in the reporter first (and not in the police blotter!). If this makes the paper, he wins. Hands Down. Seems like the prize should be paid in shellfish – no?
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A second group shot where we attempt to show our missing compatriot Jeff just how much we value and understand his life decisions.
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And, finally, expressing our club dominance by throwing the DOFB up right in the middle of the finish area. I’d say the “O” could use some work, but let’s see Los Compadres try something this daring. Hmmmm? Hmmmmmm?
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Dukes celebrate post race with a White Party involving amazing Fried Chicken from Commander Cody’s, outrageously good Margaritas & Mojitos and a fantastically prepped outdoor space….sweeeeeeeeet.
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Eating outdoors under a flawless night sky was the perfect way to end an amazing day ’cause, you know, that’s how we do.
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White lights in the trees…ladies in white on the lawn; very naaaace.
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The White Witch & PT. The post-race festivities were all her idea and everyone helped realize the vision. She rocks.
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P-funk livin’ the smoooove.
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As you can see, a shite time was had by all. Thanks again to the the great folks of Shelter Island for their amazing support over the length of the course. Especially those dudes with the hose at the top of horse hill…you really saved my butt from imminent heat-induced bootage. And to Graham for hosting us ne’erdowells and Fayth a& everyone else involved in making the post-race party such a fantastic time.

And, especially, to Jeff, for not ruining our fun by attending this year’s event.

Well……..I think the reaction to my decision can best be expressed below:

Deyrolle is right next to Saint Chappelle, known as the most beautiful room in the world. Just take a look – this is one of the most special places I’ve ever been.

I was also sent a link yesterday to Custom Creature Taxidermy, a shop that does “fantasy mounts”. I’m not sure what to say abut this so I’ll just show a few pictures. Wait, just one gag, “that squirrel is nuts!”

On the ride up I experienced one of those moments that every rider dreads, the kind of thing that puts a not in your gut just thinking about. I blew a front tire on the Merritt traveling at highway speed in failing light. Blowing a front shoe is one of those things you hear about happening but is by no means a regular occurrence. In fact, most of the folks I know who’ve been riding for a lifetime have never had their number come up. Let me tell you something – it is not a good time.

The tire went flat in about 10-15 seconds. Not with a bang or a pop…just all of the sudden the handling characteristics changed. At first subtly enough to wonder if it was odd pavement. And then, very quickly, the front forks started traveling about a foot in either direction, yanking the steering back, serpentining the bike and generally making it impossible to control. Mind you 75% of the braking on most bikes, and prob 90% on mine, is done with the front brake. So it was a pretty impossible situation to get the bike to rapidly slow while keeping it upright.

With mountains of luck, and a formation of Dukes behind me making sure I wasn’t struck by an oncoming car, I managed to keep the shiny side up and get to the shoulder. Where I no doubt would have remained if it weren’t for the formidable aid and patience of Sergeant Raymond LaPlante of the Orange PD. Ray pulled up on his police Harley to see what was doing and, over the course of the next 12 hours, not only helped us sort out local accommodations, sustenance/beverages and a great mechanic, but actually borrowed a trailer and, (on his morning off with his young son in tow!), pulled the wounded SuperBad from where I’d stashed her in the woods overnight to the shop for an early am fix that got us back on the road.

Ray’s effort not only saved our trip from ruin, it reminded all of us a bit about what’s so special about riding. That it’s appreciably different than traveling the roads in a steel cage. There’s a different connectedness to the experience of moving from place to place. You don’t always know what might happen (especially on an old bike), but that the journey in and of itself is adventure. And, more than anything else, the camaraderie of two wheels and that bikers look after one another.

So a hearty DOFB thanks and toast to Ray LaPlante. We sent many a cold beer to it’s maker this past weekend and damn it all if most of mine weren’t dedicated to his awesomeocity. Keep the rubber side down and looking forward to when we get to ride together!

The SuperBad being seen to by Art Handleman @ Valley Motorsports in Ansonia, CT. If you’re ever in a pinch with your machine in CT – Art’s the man to get you back on the road.
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Turns out – I had a “rust-based failure”. On older bikes that have seen weather at one point or another, the insides of the rims can get to rusting. Small metal filings eventually peel off and will, inevitably, roughly have their way with your tube. Here’s the shop tech de-rustifying the inside of my front rim.

To recap = small metal filings + rubber innertube + highway speed = bad. Put it on your list of shit to think about if you have a late model ride.
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Sergeant Ray and his awesome little boy Nathan flying the DOFB flag after dropping our side-show off at the shop. Nathan’s already bewitched by bikes and shows great promise. Rumor has it Ray may be heading up to NH this weekend as well. Boundless thanks to both of them for spending their morning sorting us out – couldn’t have done it without you fellahs. Have an awesome ride to the granite state Ray!
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Th big man…..Emperor of the Rage Hut, host for this Bike Week jaunt and head of the New Hampshire DOFB Chapter. Not a finer NH specimen to be found.
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Ride on Winni to the Wiers for a peek around, some grub and one (read:10) Margarita.
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Graham lends a helping hand to a parched Hombre
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2300 CC Triumph Rocket Sled….daaaaamn.
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Sweet trike art – Rowwwrrrrrr.
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The next day the Big Man took us on an epic ride up over the Sandwich Notch road, around through Waterville Valley and back over the Kank. Being dirt, recently graded and pretty steep in many places, The Notch road was especially challenging for some of the bikes. Fritz on the Yammie FJR1300 gets the hero’s salute for muscling that beast all the way through safely. That bike was built for smooth speed and she was more than a little ornery about the conditions. He rodeoed it though and, in exchange, was treated to a singular adventure through pristine NH back country. Nice work man.
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Big and mean never goes out of style in NH.
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DOFB, now with more Back Road Action!
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Juanito going native. The arm stripes perhaps suggest some sort of vestment. A man of the cloth? A country bishop perhaps?

Subsequently gathered evidence would seem to contravene this hypothesis.
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Graham loves it.
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Like Rodin’s thinker, this Duke too is made of granite. NH Chapter member (and lead carpenter) Whitney on his KLR. The KLR really is a perfect match for this guy and his natural surroundings.
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Top of the Kank….one of the best roads for riding on the East Coast and my personal favorite. The Dukes relay team will also be running the Kank this coming fall in the “Reach the Beach” 200+ mile relay. A painful reality not lost on those of us who’ll be on the squad as we climbed upward for 13 miles….
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Stop in Chocorua to visit the DOFB patron Saint – Ghee. Here’s she’s getting her annual ride around the block on the back of the Guzzer.
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Fritz on the Yammie. Can you believe he just took that 600lb beast over 20+ miles of mushy dirt logging roads?!?
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Heading back into the Wiers we start to get a taste of the action.
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Bike traffic for miles.
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Some local fauna met in traffic. The lady on the front claimed to have been arrested at last year’s bike week for mistakenly slugging a cop. Oops. Things can get a little dicey at Bike Week but come on ladies. These two sisters seemed a wee interested in a certain debonair Duke.
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This guy – can you believe it? No accounting for taste I suppose…
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Sunset at the rage Hut
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That pretty much concludes our trip. There were some other adventures had…a visit to the Franklin Girls’ natural lair, a few ‘old bike’ struggles with the Guzzi, electrical gremlins with the Triumph and many many coordinated high speed drifts to the curb of the highway for one dangling plate/about to be lost luggage/ atomic wedgie or another. But you’ll get that on these rolling thunder jobs.

Next year we’ll hope to have a bit more time and get a little more submersion into the epicenter of Bike Week. But I know I wouldn’t trade the ride we had on Saturday for much of anything – pure magic.

Thanks to everyone who was involved in making it happen this year…Ray and Chris especially!

Learn for yourself!

One thing you’ll learn about the Dukes of Flatbush is that we don’t trailer bikes to motorcycle rallies. We ride to them. I swear we’ve seen someone take a bike off a trailer just outside of town and throw dirt on it to give the impression of a long ride. For shame! To that individual all we can say is you better grow a pair.

I’m riding my 1974 Moto Guzzi Eldorado Police bike up this year. I’ve never ridden it on a long trip before so I put a few hundred miles on it this past weekend. It was a real hoss on the highway – very comfortable riding position, plenty of juice, bright lights. I did manage to lose my license plate and a foot peg so I’m going over the entire bike tonight to ensure all of the nuts and bolts are securely fastened. Not looking for a yard sale across the 1,000 or so miles we’ll ride.

One thing the Motto Guzzi has been lacking is proper saddle bags. I just managed to get this pair of vintage police bags off of eBay. I cannot wait to put them on.

We’ll post a round-up after the big event, make sure to take pics of all of the great bikes and people we meet along the way. New Hampshire here we come!

She and a small group of divers have gone lost in Komodo. Whether you believe in the power of positive thoughts or not, please send a good one their way and hope for the speedy and safe return of all on the dive.

Thank you,
-b

DAY 6

If you have been reading this story up ’til now, you may have the sense that I have a lot of off-road motorcycle experience. I have logged tens of thousands of highway miles, but only ridden a few hundred off-road prior to this trip. Lacking the requisite skills, I’d force myself through sections of the course which really took a physical toll. Here’s where things stood:

I found out when I got back to the States that I was riding with a separated shoulder, torn Labrum and bruised collarbone – injuries from a ride I had taken weeks earlier in Utah. I had trouble opening and closing my swollen hands – they were most comfortable in a clawlike position, a result of holding onto grips all day long. It would take about 15 minutes of exercise in the morning to get to the point where they were useful.

I had developed large blisters on my palms as well as a gash on my right butt cheek that had been rubbed completely raw. I did my best with Vaseline, Neosporin and moleskin to repair the damage. I suffered from any number of bruises and pains, randomly distributed across my 36 year old frame. In short, I am seriously banged up.

Day 6 was just shy of 300 miles, the longest day of the trip. I’d consider 300 miles to be a good day on highways so when you think about doing it in Baja, in those conditions, it’s really something. I begun the day with trepidation, but had managed 800 miles and felt reasonably prepared for the day ahead.

The first section was indescribably beautiful. We followed dirt roads that hugged a mountain for 30 miles. The views were incredible.

Amidst the beauty is a great deal of danger. This particular road had incredibly sharp turns and drop-offs of hundreds of feet. I rode this section very slowly and carefully. I couldn’t help thinking about the Baja 1000 race as this had been a section of the 2007 course. I hard trouble imagining doing it at speed, at night, amongst cars – it really gave me pause.

This road eventually lead to a small town, lined with pristine cobblestone streets and home of the Mission de San Francisco Javier Vigge Bigundo. It was founded in 1699 and the structure was built from 1744 to 1758. On December 2nd each year, thousands of pilgrims flock from all over Mexico to this special place.

The next 70 miles were fast and fun. A sandy road with gravel here and there, big straightaways and wide sweeping turns. This section had tons of water crossings which helped cool you down and added variety. We were criss-crossing rancher’s land so every now and then you’d make it past a home where cattle gathered for water and food. As soon as you saw any sign of civilization, you immediately downshift and stand – looking for cows or donkeys which would invariably be around the next corner.

We would ride staggered in groups so it wasn’t uncommon to be riding alone for an hour or more – you find a natural cadence and really get into it. We’d stop every 30 miles or so to catch up, check oil, get a drink of water.

We then made it to the highway where we met our supply truck. We fueled the bikes and grabbed a bite to eat. In no time, we were back on the road, riding 60 miles of boring blacktop. We then cut off the highway around 170 miles into the day. We ran across some riders from the Malcom Smith group who told us to be very careful on the section ahead. It was Sunday and a favorite local pastime is boozing and taking 4×4′s out in the desert. Be very alert. Look out for cars.

This section lasted around 40 miles and was incredibly brutal. The road was filled with good sized rocks and portions were completely devoid of sand, so you’d come over a hill and be riding across what amounted to chewed up concrete. It was also mentally tough because you wouldn’t see any other riders – I felt very isolated, facing an endless desert ahead.

I was doing my best to keep a decent pace, probably riding around 25-30mph when I struck a small boulder. In a millisecond, I was catapulted off the road, narrowly passing between two large boulders – this is all happening very fast. Another boulder was directly in my path so I cut the steering hard left to get back on the road. The only problem was a large cactus directly in my path. I hit it dead on, causing it to explode into a million barbs. Many found purchase in my right arm. In another millisecond, I was back on the road and stopped. To be completely honest – I was incredibly freaked out at this point. I had come really close to eating it in the middle of the desert, alone and under a hundred degree sun. I rested for a minute or two and thought the best thing was not to overthink what had happened, but to immediately keep going. I desperately wanted to get through this section as it was getting the better of me.

I got the bike up into 3rd gear and everything felt wrong. It seemed like things weren’t clicking. I shifted into second and didn’t feel any better. I tried first, more of the same. I felt that I was starting to lose it, so I sped up into third and decided to grin and bear it. When I caught up with my group about 10 miles later, they pointed out that I had a flat. I had been riding on my rim. In my adrenalin-fueled freak out, I hadn’t even noticed.

We swapped my tire and another for our guide, George. They also helped pull the cactus spines out of my right arm. At this point, I have ridden about 200 miles and am really starting to feel it. We have 100 miles left and are almost to the silt, an infamous section of Baja. Oh dear god.

We hit the silt about 20 miles later. Silt has the consistency of talcum powder – it is incredibly fine. If you hit a patch of silt at speed, your bike will immediately slow down, likely throwing you from your mount. You need to approach with caution and once you are in it, keep the bike in 2nd gear and hammer the throttle. You won’t be able to see anything as you are encased in a fine mist – you really just point the bike in a direction of your choosing and hope for the best. If that isn’t bad enough, these sections aren’t on level ground – they are on windy uphills and downhills. It is the devil himself.

I was pretty burnt out at this point and had a lot of difficulty. I dropped my bike at least 5 times. Picking up a bike over and over is very tiring, especially in this stuff. People say that every time you pick up a bike it adds 20 miles to your day. I’m not sure if that’s right, but I was completely exhausted. One of the guides, Pepe, helped me get the bike into the desert, off the silt – and we navigated a course around it. It was the only way I could get through.

I have now reached a point where I have gone far past my physical limits. I have to lay against the bike while I’m riding – I’m too tired to keep myself upright. It’s scary because you know you shouldn’t be riding, but there are really no options. Keep moving as fast as you can.

I’m riding along at 35mph and about to cross a wash, basically a dried out riverbed. As I’m coming down a small hill to cross it, I catch something out of my right eye in the periphery. It appears to be a truck and I’m going to hit it. I immediately locked both brakes, but you just slide in the sand – your speed doesn’t decrease fast enough. I made a decision at that point to bail from the bike. I simply jumped off. The bike went to the right and I ended up lying on the ground, looking straight ahead. I then saw the tires of a speeding black Cherokee jeep pass directly in front of my eyes, less than a foot away. That one second lasted forever.

I realized that I had come pretty close to cashing out, right then, right there. I knew there were other riders behind me so I crawled off the road to avoid getting hit. I pulled myself up onto a log and completely broke down. I was physically and emotionally gone. I have never felt this way before – there was nothing left inside me. I would never wish that feeling upon anyone.

A guide had been riding just behind me and saw the whole thing go down. He never even saw the truck until it blew by me as I laid in the road. The driver stopped – he was coming from a fishing camp just down the coast. He was as freaked out as I was. I couldn’t even speak to him. I couldn’t speak to anyone. I just sat there.

After 5 minutes, I drank a little water and took inventory. I had to ride at least 30 more off-road miles until we met the truck. We then had 30 miles of blacktop to La Paz. I had no choice, but to continue on. I got back on the bike and got it done. The only way I could get through it was to tell myself that I would never have to come back here and race the Baja 1000. At that moment – the thought of it was simply too much.

I didn’t drive fast, but I got it done. This picture was taken about 15 minutes after the near miss, when I met up with the group and where we recounted what had happened. I didn’t want to talk about it. I wanted to enjoy the view, listen to the waves, be far away. Pepe told the story. Thanks Pepe.

I made it to the truck. And then I rode the highway miles into town. I wasn’t going to put my bike on the truck. Baja may have won that day, but I would ride every single mile to Cabo – I would not let Baja beat me.

La Paz is a lovely town, but I’m far too exhausted to go on – this has been a long post and one that I have dreaded writing. I hope it doesn’t dissuade anyone from going down there and experiencing it for themselves. This could have happened anywhere. When it’s your time, it’s your time. And I may just be crazy enough to go down there next year and do that race. If I do and can get that done, it would be the greatest accomplishment of my life. I have no doubt.

Stay tuned for the final installment…

Be back soon with some reports on first few runs around Seattle.

The Dukes at the 2007 Finish Line

Sometimes a man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do and, I guess, this is one of those times for our beloved admin, erstwhile coach, training partner extraordinaire and certified master of the grill Jeff. He’s packed up the shop, loaded what’s important and is redeploying to the left coast in search of fortune, adventure and cracked crab. As we all navigate the fog caused by last night’s sayonara wumpus, I’d just like to pause for the cause and give a hearty HUZZAH to our partner in crime.

Fare thee well sir. You’ll be sorely missed but we’ve every confidence you’ll quickly get to holdin’ it down out there and swelling the ranks of the Dukes West Coast Chapter. Write when you get work and we’ll come inspect your beachhead.

Vaya con dios y un gato en tu pantalones Amigo.
-mismanagement

DAY 5

I’d wake up in Baja every morning and think about the day ahead, having peppered our guides with questions about the course the night before. I’d think to myself, “I’ve made it through some pretty hairy stuff, I doubt I’ll see anything today that isn’t at least familiar”. This was important because different terrain requires different riding styles. My biggest fear wasn’t getting hurt, it was that I’d encounter something that I couldn’t get through. By this time, I had three solid days of riding behind me and was feeling more comfortable, but I was really starting to feel the miles. I was taking 800mg of Ibuprofren every morning and every night, and had to use pliers to get my boots off because my fingers lacked the strength. I am halfway through the trip.

Day 5 started out like any other day, 5:30 wake-up call and on the road by 7. It was pretty standard fare at first, gravel roads that would tolerate high speeds.

This gave way to incredibly long stretches of straight road that seemingly went to the end of the earth. I was on a rare section of blacktop in top gear, really hammering the throttle. I couldn’t tell what was going on ahead, but it seemed like something was obstructing the road. As it turned out, the road was out and there was a short detour. It was no big deal, but I couldn’t help think about that same situation at night. Running at 90 or 100mph, that type of hazard could really ruin your day.

The terrain became a lot more sandy which was usually an indication we’re getting close to water. That was true, but what we encountered was a dried lake bed. I can’t remember the name off the top of my head, but it’s a famous part of Baja – reminds me of the Bonneville Salt Flats. Perfectly smooth, hard packed sand. We were all kids in a candy shop. You could drive balls out with no fear. A few guys were expert at riding wheelies and I have some amazing video of them going around 60mph. Will post. Incredibly fun stuff. A lot of these flat sections would be connected by deep sandy areas so you were constantly switching your riding position, but it was easy enough and satisfying. The day was really flying by and lunch was just ahead.

We stopped at San Juanico (a/k/a Scorpion Bay) to get gas at a makeshift station. This was typical of these remote areas.

And then I saw Scorpion Bay. The “town” if you can call it that, sits atop a bluff looking down at amazing surf break. One was literally the best place to learn to surf in the world. 3 foot tall waves, perfectly spaced that you could ride for 5 minutes straight. You could even walk to the break! Are you kidding me?

Just down the beach was a bigger break so it literally had something for everyone. Truly a magical place. We grabbed Shrimp burritos at the local restaurant and had an hour to relax, catch some rays. If I hadn’t been wearing so much gear, I would have stripped down and jumped in the water, but was content to find a patch of terra firma and let my mind wander.

The best day ever, but Baja has a way of flipping the script. We were crossing the Continental Divide later that day so I expected some pretty rocky technical riding and Baja delivered. It started off on nasty, rocky roads with sharp turns and steep drop offs. It was really brutal stuff. It was here that we encountered our most serious bike issue. George, one of the guides, looked down to see oil pouring out of the side of his bike. One of the gas tank mounts that was welded to the frame had broken off. It left a hole in the frame that also served as the oil reservoir. Big problem.

We took the whole bike apart and left with few options, patched it up with some JB weld and duct tape. We had a quart of oil on us so that and the duct tape had to hold for 70 miles, and hold it did. Amazing.

We then hit the most technical section of the course. I don’t have any pictures because when you’re in this stuff, you’re just trying to get through it. You’re not dicking around, snapping pics. The worst sections were little more than a field of boulders. I was having trouble imaging how a car could ever get through it and then encountered a truck doing just that. Wow. I’d guess it took me about 2 hours to get through 15 or 20 miles of it. Towards the end, I felt pretty comfortable, but was completely exhausted. Just another lesson courtesy of Baja.

With the hard part behind us, we blazed into Loreto which is an amzing border town.

After a quick dip in the pool and a few beers, I could start worrying about Day 6 which was the longest and most difficult day of the whole trip.

Read Part Six 

DAY 4

We left Bahia De Los Angeles before 7:00AM, standard operating procedure most days.

There were a lot of riders (~80) staying in the same town, taking part in a Malcom Smith Charity Ride. We tried to get the jump on them, but ended up riding with them most of the day. At one of our first stops, I saw a bike with a 1x number on it. I was naturally curious and as it turned out, it was Malcom Smith himself. Our paths crossed many times over the course of the trip – a real pleasure.

The roads for the first half of the day were pretty rough, but you could travel at a fast clip – I’d guess around 60mph.

The drill was finding a clean line around any particularly large obstacles (rocks) in your path. This was a road where a steering dampner would have been exceedingly useful. It’s fast, but it wears you down and you get a lot of flats. We got 2 of them about 50 miles into the day. The second one was particularly nasty as a portion of the tire had been torn off, exposing the ruptured tube underneath. You don’t carry spare tires, just tubes, so this presented a bit of a challenge. The first step is getting the bike up on a ‘stand’ and removing the rear tire. We made a stand out of rocks, something Baja has plenty of…

We wanted to provide some protection for the new tube given it would be exposed to the road, so we took the tube that has just ruptured, sliced in half around the axis to use as a protective insert.

We then placed the insert into the tire, then placed the new tube in front of it.

The end result was pretty sketchy and it needed to last 160 miles until we could get a replacement wheel. Much to my surprise, it did and was just one more story of getting by in Baja with what you have.

The road continued over mountain passes, got rougher here, easier there, before finally giving way to the coast and our lunch stop at Porta San Francisquito.

This was on the Sea of Cortez so the water was quite calm, very peaceful. We bought a little gas, ate some delicious tacos and I managed to get my picture taken with Malcom Smith. For those of you that don’t know, he won the first Baja 1000. This guy is the real deal. A living legend.

After lunch, we had at least 120 miles ahead of us so we took off at a fair clip. The roads were decent so we made really good time. We even managed to stop and climb up into a cave to see some petroglyphs. The view of the surrounding country was beautiful and shows just how desolate the landscape is.

This was the view inside the cave

I almost forgot! One of the more experienced riders on our trip was tearing along a narrow, twisty road that lead to the cave. This road was lined by very large cacti that were encroaching on the road. He whipped around a corner and an arm of a cactus knocked him completely off his bike, sending cactus spines deep into his right knuckle. Not a serious accident, but brutal in its own right.

Towards the end of the day, we had a long section that was reasonably safe to completely open up the bike. I had a race exhaust on my machine so I’d guess it could get up to around 90 to 100MPH. Even with a reasonably smooth, sandy road – this can be a bit trippy, although quite enjoyable. We then hit blacktop and rolled into San Ignacio which was an oasis in the middle of a desert. In all, I’d say this was one of the easiest and most fun days. I was beginning to get really comfortable on the bike and thought I could handle pretty much anything Baja had to offer – that wasn’t quite true.

Read Part Five 

DAY #3

This was going to be our 2nd longest day, around 250 miles, so we got up particularly early to get a head start. Things started to go wrong immediately. We had two rear flats that needed to be changed before we even got out of the parking lot, delaying us by about an hour.

We finally got off around 7:45 or so, wearing jackets as it was a cold, damp morning. The first section were rocky dirt roads through rolling green hills, shrouded in mist. You could run at decent speeds, but had to be on the lookout for rogue boulders. The bikes didn’t have steering dampners so when you hit something big, the front fork would completely twist and if you were sitting down, you’d get thrown into the front of the bike, possibly going down. This often resulted in a superman, both legs completely off the pegs, outstretched behind you. It’s a little unnerving at first, but you learn to hang on and regain your composure. Gotta keep moving.

We then hit a rocky technical section that criss-crossed craggy mountains. This was my first technical section and it took a while to get used to the punishing terrain. When in doubt, get the bike in first gear, stand on both pegs and find the cleanest path. When you’re riding through what amounts to a field of boulders, that can be tricky, but it does work. I dropped the bike a few times during this section and lost my SPOT Satellite Messenger. The drill in Baja is to conserve your equipment and energy, so dropping the bike a few times early in the day can really wreak havoc towards the end of that day.

We came out of the technical section and hit my favorite part of the whole trip – a fast winding, dirt road that dissected a cactus forest. First of all, I’ve never heard of anything like that before, but it’s exactly what it sounds like. Around 50 miles of 20 ft tall cacti. It’s hard to describe just how beautiful that is…

Since the road was decent, that meant traffic. Nothing like coming around a corner at 60mph and staring at the front of a pick-up truck. Happened a few times on this section, so you tried to stay on the right, but you really needed the whole road. You have to stay alert at all times. I ran across a cowboy on a horse around this same time. He signaled for me to slow down. I stopped and he pulled a rattlesnake out of his bag – just wanted to show me. It would be crazy if that type of thing wasn’t so common in Baja. In retrospect, I almost hit every imaginable animal in Baja. On this particular stretch, I kept having to dodge 5 foot long, jet black snakes that would wind across the road. You have to be careful because you don’t want to go over them and accidentally throw them up onto you. Surreal stuff.

After a quick lunch, we rode a punishing 10 mile stretch and got to a famous stop called Coco’s Corner.

Coco’s corner is a free campground and favorite destination of racers. It’s run by a colorful gentleman named Coco (see below). He gets by selling soda, water, t-shirts and hats. He moved out years back after he lost a leg to diabetes. When I was there, he seemed particularly animated. He said it was because he was trying to keep his mind off of the next day. What’s happening tomorrow? “They are taking my other leg”. Man, that is really tough. I hope he’s OK. If anyone has been there recently, I’d appreciate a report back on his condition.

Everyone that comes to Coco’s is asked to sign his guest book. It’s filled with travelers from all over the world. He asks for your name, hometown and type of vehicle you’re riding. Coco’s then decorates the pages with photos from magazines or draws illustrations. The books are beautiful in a Baja way.

After fixing another flat, we road some rough winding gravel roads that criss crossed mountains. This eventually gave way to a long section of rutted, dried out dirt ‘roads’ that felt more like chutes. It felt like driving in some type of medieval pinball machine. We were about 220 miles into the day and I’ve never been more tired. I was leaning up against the front of the bike as I was riding, trying to rest a bit. All the result of a rough morning. I was cooking along at around 30mph, came around a corner and launched off a 6 foot drop. The front end of my bike completely bottomed out, giving me a real shock (and scare), but I never left the bike – just one near miss of a 1,000 over the course of the week.

Towards the end of this section, we were told we’d hit the most famous whoops in Baja. If you don’t know, a whoop is like a mogul or speed bump. There are sections that have serious whoops for 40 miles straight. You have to stand and timing is everything. It is exhausting work. The section was only a mile or two long, but the whoops were about 5 feet tall and were very deep sand. You have to stand, lean back and hammer the throttle to keep momentum. You don’t have a lot of control in these situations, you just point the bike and hope for the best. I made it through about a mile of this section, falling a few more times. Lifting a 300lb bike repeatedly in sand kills you. It got to the point where I knew I wouldn’t be able to lift the bike again if I fell and it would be swallowed whole. I had nothing left in my tank. Absolutely nothing. I had no choice but to pull off into the desert and find another way through the cacti. Another Baja lesson – you don’t have to stay on the course, you just need to get through it. Find ways around problems. Save your equipment. Save your strength. Keep moving.

We finally made it to blacktop and had 30 miles to get into Bahia De Los Angeles. At this point, it’s getting dark and very few of us had tail lights or headlights. We ended up driving in packs, bikes closely gathered around whichever bikes had a small functional light. We almost hit a pack of donkeys going 50mph on a blind curve – man oh man. Must keep alert. We finally pulled into out hotel in pitch black darkness. We sat around drinking Pacifico, talking about one of the craziest days I’ve ever had in my life. Little did I know it was just the beginning. After the best fish taco I’ve ever had, sleep came hard and it came fast. The view below is from my room the next morning at 6AM – the Sea of Cortez. Read Part Four

Read Part Four

Myself, Mrs. Duke & the Mother-in-Duke just returned from a groovy jaunt to Ireland where we cruised around checking out the sights and pillaging keg and sea alike. It turns out Ireland’s a damn cool place; beautiful and very old. And they have beer…lots and lots of beer. Who knew?

Anyway, here are a few shots from the trip & I promise my fellow Dukes I’ll be more regular in my posting. At the very least I promise to be more vigilant and regular in my beer drinking and, if there’s one thing Ireland taught me, it’s that diligent, copious application of the suds will inevitably lead to great things.

Hook Head light…13th century lighthouse that purports to be the oldest continually operating in Europe

The colors in Ireland are pretty stellar

First Guinness on Irish soil…mmmmm

Your average goaty Irish road

The cliffs of Insanity…errr Moher

One of only one or two memorable meals had, and easily the best. Seafood restaurant named Boluisce in Connemara. The proprietors Bairbre Brooke & Monica Mac Gabham run a lovely little restaurant with top-notch vitals, a fine wine list and an extremely tasty Guinness tap system. of particular note was the unholy combination of local Galway Bay oysters and Guinness. We were previously unaware that Galway Bay oysters are akin to Kumamotos in creaminess. Combine that with the fresh Irish Guinness and you have the stuff of dreams.

Also awesome was the rough brown bread served with the meal. It was an excellent compliment and, I imagine, would be fantastic for breakfast toasted and slathered in butter. Here’s the recipe:

Aran Donn

1 1/4 lb Wholemeal Flour
4 oz Bran
2 oz Brown Sugar
1/4 oz Bread Soda
1 lt Buttermilk

Method

Sieve the bread and mix all the dry ingredients together. Add the buttermilk and bind thoroughly. Turn out into three greased 1 lb loaf tins. Cook for 45 mins at 400 degrees electric or gas mark 6.

Local

Regional lobstermen…note the tiny open boat and the north-west coast’s notoriously wild seas. Crazy.

Where they’re fishing

One every trip we try to find at least one place truly magical. On this trip it was this place, The Green Gate in Ardara in county Donegal. Easily the coolest place we found, run by a charming older Frenchman named Paul and as secluded and authentic as it is beautiful.

The view out front of Ardara Bay

Ireland is a little known magnet for good surf and we stumbled into a fine afternoon in Bundoran. You can’t get a real feel for it from this, but there were 6′+ A-frames rolling in and it made for an awesome, if freezing, afternoon. Nothing 5 Guinness couldn’t fix!

DAY #2

Each morning started around 5:30. We had a quick breakfast and were on the road by 7:00 AM. We had to drive 30 miles of blacktop to get outside of Ensenada and start our off-road voyage. The first day was by far the easiest terrain and we only covered 170 miles. The first leg was winding dirt roads – we were really blazing, getting comfortable on the bikes. It rained a lot this year so the countryside was uncharacteristically green.

As we approached the coast, the terrain became more rocky and sandy – a constant theme. The roads were a little rough, but the biggest hazard was the amazing scenery. You’d come around a corner, get a panoramic view of the ocean just as you hit a difficult patch. The scenery was like a siren song at times, luring you to make a mistake.

We continued along the coast the whole day, running through little towns. I believe this is a typical section of the Baja 1000 course. At one point, we were on a narrow road lined by barbed wire and had to pass 4 horses that weren’t terribly fond of our engines. It was honestly surreal – dangerous, but somehow under control. You come to know that Baja is lousy with animals – those and vehicles are your biggest concerns as you rip along in remote areas. This was where I got my first flat – again a constant theme in Baja. A guide changed it out as I assisted, an old folding chair serving as a stand. Another lesson: you have to make do with what you have or can find nearby. It’s all you’ve got.

We continued to follow the coast and came across a pretty amazing sight, an old tanker that had run aground and left to rust. The landscape truly is alien.

We left the coast and headed inland towards some mountains. We were making good time so we decided on this side trip to get a view. I was pretty exhausted by the time we got to the top, but it was well worth it.

It was getting late in the day so headed to our hotel. We stayed at the Desert Inn in San Quintin. They operate a chain of hotels throughout Baja and they were all excellent – heavily recommended in case you are planning your own trip. After a quick dinner and a few beers, I was sleep by 8:45 to get ready for Day three…

Read Part Three

DAY #1

I met up with my Chris Haines group in San Diego. We loaded our gear in the van and were driven down to the Mexico border, and then 100 miles down the coast to Ensenada. You know you have gotten to Ensenada when you see a Mexican flag flying that’s as large as a football field. This picture hardly does justice. The flagpole is probably 25 feet in diameter.

I have heard bad things about Ensenada, namely that it’s little more than a commercial fishing town, but I really enjoyed myself there. One highlight was a fish market that is directly across from a row of seafood joints where we you can grab a quick ceviche, whatever floats your boat. This stuff is fresh, right off the boat.

The main drag in Ensenada is the starting line for the Baja 1000. The race follows pavement for a few blocks then drops down into a drainage ditch where the racers speed out of town.

It’s hard to imagine 850hp trucks blowing through these tight, densely populated areas, but that’s the thrill of the Baja 1000. As Sal Fish says, “it’s not for wusses”.

After a great dinner in town, we checked out a famous bar named Hussongs. Legend has it that this is where the Margarita was invented in 1941. Not sure about that, but the bar has been in continual operation for 110 years and feels like the set of a Western. An amazing place where you can get a few cold ones, meet some people, listen to live music. A real honky tonk joint…

After a couple of cool ones, we retired to prepare for our first ride down to San Quintin.

Read Part Two 

 I had been following the Atacama Crossing race online this year which was won by Dean Karnazes and the people who compete/participate in this endurance event are nuts. Besides that you are racing for 7 days straight, in the driest conditions in the world (it is a desert) you have to carry all of your own gear and there are no support crews. Is there a purpose to this type of insanity? If there is someone needs to explain this one to me. I can understand ultramarathons and team endurance events like the Eco-Challenge or whoever is sponsoring it now, but this one is beyond comprehension. I think the only cool thing are the pictures.

That being said, if someone can come up with a good reason, and convince me, I will see meet you in the Gobi Desert and run across China.

Each year, Malcom does a big charity ride down in Baja to raise money for children’s charities. I just happened to be down at the same time, riding many of the same roads. Our paths crossed a number of times, but I got this great picture in Porta San Francisquito. It was a real pleasure meeting a living legend and I found his charity work inspirational. A lot of people don’t take the time or initiative to give back – Malcom does.

The one saving grace of this first day of spring is that we are getting closer and closer to summer. To get that summer feeling I decided to post this picture of many members of the Dukes of Flatbush out at Sunset Beach, Shelter Island last summer.

Hope this picture puts a smile on your face and builds anticipation for Summer 2008

I tried this functionality out for the first time on our Utah training run. My biggest mistake was putting the unit in a padded pocket deep inside of my Camelbak. Without a clear line of sight, this unit only works intermittently. I expected to see hundreds of waypoints, but only clocked 37 over the course of three days. Stupid is as stupid does. On our next training run, I’ll affix the unit to the outside of the backpack. I expect this will solve the problem and I’ll be able to see an accurate reflection of the course I travelled. It was cool to check out the waypoints we did capture in Google Earth. Take a gander…

I’m happy to report that we all survived the first training run. Most of us have a ton of road experience, but much less time riding off-road so this was literally a ‘crash course’. We rode around 150 miles over three days, spending time on a variety of terrain: roads, double track, single track, washes, river beds, silt beds, shale, gravel, dirt. You name it, we rode it.

Big props to Jesse Kimball who hosted the event and was our fearless desert guide. This was an incredible step towards our goal of completing the 2008 Baja 1000. It really put everything in perspective – we’re going to need a lot of riding time and will redouble our efforts in the gym, running, biking, whatever you got. This race is going to require absolute dedication.

I’ll post a few pics here, but check out this photo gallery and this photo gallery. Around 100 pictures in all. Great stuff. I’ll also follow up with a gear review in case it helps anyone out with similar pursuits. Enjoy!

A fixed gear bike has one gear. You use the same gear to go up hills, ride the flats, cruise downwhill. It also has no freewheel that means you can’t coast – if the wheels are moving,the pedals are also turning in the same direction. You can pedal a fixed gear backwards.

A fixed gear forces certain behavior from the rider:

“Riding a fixed gear on the road is excellent exercise. When you need to climb, you don’t need to think about when to change gears, because you don’t have that option. Instead, you know that you must just stand up and pedal, even though the gear is too high for maximum climbing efficiency. This makes you stronger. Really steep hills may make you get off and walk, but the hills you are able to climb, you will climb substantially faster than you would on a geared bicycle.

When you descend, you can’t coast and the gear is too low. This forces you to pedal at a faster cadence than you would choose on a multi-speed bicycle. High rpm’s force you to learn to pedal in a smooth manner–if you don’t, you will bounce up and down in the saddle.

Most cyclists coast far too much. Riding a fixed-gear bike will break this pernicious habit. Coasting breaks up your rhythm and allows your legs to stiffen up. Keeping your legs in motion keeps the muscles supple, and promotes good circulation.”

I’ve been riding mine for a few years and it produced noticeable results in a short period of time. I ride loops of Prospect Park which includes a steep, mile-long hill. At first, I could only manage one loop on this bike, standing in the saddle, huffing and puffing up the ‘widowmaker’. In a month, I could do three loops. In a few more, I could comfortably ride five. These bikes don’t let you rest, but don’t let that turn you off. You really get into a groove – very different from a typical bike.

If you haven’t checked one out, I recommend that you do. These bikes don’t have many parts so they are generally quite affordable. I splurged on a Bianchi Pista track bike that cost around $500. Note that track bikes don’t come with brakes so I added a front one. You can also find a number of these on Craig’s List.

Every year VMD chooses a particular brand of old sweetness to highlight. This year triumph takes the cake and the whole scene is sure to be bursting with awesome old Bonnies, thruxtons and toothless Britts ‘ carying on about the superiority of British combustion power and insisting that Lucas wasn’t The prince of Darkness. Needless to say I’ve been itching to gussy up the Superbad and get out to VMD for years. This year presents an almost to-good-to-pass-up opportunity to ogle the beautiful old Triumphs while showing what wiped the slate clear and issued in the era of awesome Japanese performance engineering and reliability. Heh.

Sadly, I recon I’ll have to pass with all that Baja prep requires; maybe next year.

“NYRR members as of January 31, 2008, can qualify for guaranteed entry to the ING New York City Marathon 2009 by meeting the following criteria:

• Members must complete nine (9) qualifying NYRR races within 2008.

• Members must volunteer for one (1) NYRR race in 2008 (registration for volunteers begins March 1, 2008).”

What do you think about having to volunteer?

Wanted to share some more photos from Delhi. Although this was a business trip I think I was still able to get some great shots as there is just so much going on in India. You never know what is going to happen when you go somewhere. One night I went to a party where 2 or 3 of the top Bollywood actors performed and then another night I went to dinner and Steven Segal walked in and sat at the table next to us.

Why does this always happen to me????

April 26 – Brooklyn Half-Marathon, Brooklyn, NY

May 18th – Bay to Breakers 12k,San Francisco, CA

June 21 – Shelter Island 10k, Shelter Island, NY

July 13 – Montauk Point Lighthouse Sprint Triathlon & Relay, Montauk, NY

August 23 – Queens Half Marathon, Queens, NY

September 6 – NYC Hash House Harriers Red Dress Run XI, New York, NY

September 14 – Staten Island Half Marathon, Staten Island, NY

The Half-Marathons are pretty standard, but you’ve gotta get fired up about the Bay to Breakers and the Hash House Harriers Red Dress run. Both of these races require liberal doses of foolishness and skullduggery. The Hash House Harriers probably say it best – they are a drinking club with a running problem. On on!

Bay to Breakers

Hash House Harriers Red Dress Run

Warren Lovelace                            Adrian Lovelace

“I have been training hard. Ate shit going about 50mph last Thursday. Another concussion, and a trip to the ER. Overall feeling good. My knee is out of commission for a while, but should be in good shape by the end of the month. I am going to have to get some of those knee braces and a good steering stabilizer.”

I couldn’t ride this past weekend so I decided to go to California for some fun that did not involve the use of my legs. I have attached some photos.

Awesome pics….damn guy is killing it! Heal that knee man – we’re commin!

Two days into the trip and I have already made my way to Agra, where the Taj Mahal is. All I have to say about the Taj and the trip there is that it was amazing, incredible happy I did it and will never do it again.

Here are some pictures from Agra and the Taj and of course a roadblock that kept our bus from moving for awhile.

I’ve been holed up in my apartment fighting a cold, and have been watching any Netflix movie that has anything to do with the Baja 1000. If you want to experience the race from your armchair, here are some good selections. Dust to Glory is probably the seminal piece on this subject. It gives a great overview of the race, following a number of teams as they battle to win, or just complete the race. Baja Diaries follows one team so it gives more perspective on an individual effort. The others are historical films – show what the race was like without GPS or corporate sponsors.

Dust To Glory

“This action-packed documentary chronicles the infamously treacherous Tecate SCORE Baja 100 road race across Mexico’s Baja Peninsula. In order to capture the race’s true power and the majestic beauty of the desert, 55 cameras and four helicopters were used during filming. Join famous racing names such as Robby Gordon, Mario Andretti, Jimmy Vasser and Mike “Mouse” McCoy for an unforgettable look at one of racing’s most thrilling events.”

Netflix | Amazon

Travis Pastrana: Baja Diaries

“Join 11-time X Games gold medalist Travis Pastrana and his crew as they brave harsh conditions and fierce competitors while they race across 1,000 miles of unforgiving desert in this sports video. Pastrana and Team Nitro — motocross legends Rick Johnson, Andy Grider, Neil Grider and Gregg Godfrey, maverick CEO Gabrielle Mazarollo and truck racer Wade Kelson — take on the famous Mexican off-road race, the Baja 1000, by bike, truck and foot.”

Netflix | Amazon

Baja 1000 Classic

“Wes Brown (grandson of Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Bruce Brown) and his partner, T.J. Barrack, go to the family vault once again and come back with another winner, capturing the second running of one of the most famous off-road races in the world: the Baja 1000. Covering more than 1,000 miles, a cadre of racers — including Larry Berquist and Parnelli Jones — speed across the grueling, unforgivable terrain of the Baja peninsula.”

Netflix | Amazon

On Any Sunday

“Without a doubt the quintessential motorcycle film, acclaimed filmmaker Bruce Brown explores this dizzying and intoxicating world of rugged road riders where cycles hit incredible speeds. Segueing into the grueling excitement of a muddy and murderous motocross race, we then move on to the tortuous mayhem of the Mexican 1000 off-track trial race down the Baja peninsula. It’s an exhilarating experience that puts you in the driver’s seat.”

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If you have any other suggestions, please leave a comment…

Heeding my own advice, I went out to Santa Monica, CA for a little business and pleasure, and tried to squeeze in a nice run in between. Setting out on Saturday afternoon, I walked down to the Santa Monica Pier and just started heading north. Even through there are crowds and rollerbladers, it is still a great place for a run.

Running along the beach towards Pacific Palisades and Will Rogers Park, in the late afternoon is just something amazing. The crowds thin out, the sun starts setting over the Pacific and you can just flat out run till you drop. It is so nice out there, you do not care about mileage or time, you just want to be out there. This is actually my favorite time of running, just going out and doing runs for the hell of it. Not caring about what mileage Pete Pfitzinger says I need to do that day (still love his book and training) or if I need to stay under a certain heartrate, just going out there.

On that sappy note, I went out for too long (12 miles), did not have enough water and was sore for the next two days. Still worth it.

Some California Dreamin for you

I have to have at least one sunset photo in the mix, it is only fair

Harley Davidson Dyna-Wide Glide on Going-to-the-Sun Road

Yamaha FJR1300 somewhere in Utah

Before the race, SCORE distributes the GPS waypoints to all contestants. These waypoints are essentially pins that mark the course on a map, each pin stuck in every 5 miles or so. These are the waypoints for the 2007 Baja 1000.

We will pre-run the course to become familiar with it, but you can always get turned around, especially at night and in fog. Trust the GPS – it will bring you home. We will add waypoints for the JCR Honda pits as well as any hazards we discover during pre-run. The GPS also serves other functions – it can tell you fuel consumption and your speed.

Speed is important because there are short sections of the race that occur on pavement. If you exceed 60mph, you get a time penalty.

One last thing which is superfluous, but fun is that you can customize the start-up screen. I added the Dukes of Flatbush logo to ours.

And to echo the last post, we’d certainly appreciate a back-up for the pre-run bike. Garmin?

The only issue that you can have with Bocas del Toro is the rain. When we first arrived it poured for about 30 hours straight and the people on the islands told us it had been like this for 4 days straight. But for those with patience, a nice day in Bocas is unbeatable (see pics below). The beaches are beautiful, empty and between the reef and the beach, some of the biggest waves and best surf around.

Special thanks to our hosts at Hotel Tierra Verde (Cookie and Ivan) on the island of Carenero who were incredibly nice and helpful and to the people at Al Natural where we spent one of the best New Years eve’s and had a night that cannot be repeated online.

I want to give a special thanks to our guardian angel in Panama, Mandy. She made everything happen for us and our whole trip would not have been the same without her. Also, if you go to Panama City I recommend the Canal House in Casco Antiguo. It is a new hotel and staying there feels like staying at the home of your extremely rich uncle, and his staff listens to your every word.

Here are some pics from Panama City, hope you enjoy

Bocas del Toro is a a province on Panama’s Caribbean side, near the Costa Rica border. It includes a forested inland area, a lengthy strip of coastline, and the Bocas del Toro archipelago, with Isla Colon and its capital city, Bocas Town, at the helm.

The plan at the moment is to spend a few days in Panama City and then head over to Bocas for Christmas through New Years Eve to surf, scuba dive, snorkel and relaxinate.

Look for details on the trip this week on Bocas del Toro and expect many pictures upon our return. Here are some teaser shots of where we are heading.