It wasn’t as epic as I thought it would be 

 

Let’s start calling it for what is….The Maybee TT…

Maybe you will go fast, or maybe you will get heckled by all the Trumpys…

 

 

 The worst thing about Morrissey is that he gets it

 

 

I’m liking everything about this photo…despite that rotten kid looking overly aggressive 

that number 60….has me thinking mullet bike OG

 

Sitting in for 52 miles and then jumping the 8 dudes you were following 100 meters from the line 

Claiming your PR for 232 place

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tomorrow is Monday 

 

Half Wheelers…

 

 

I’d bet my new limited edition Gravel Kings this dude played football before falling in love with gravel riding 

Ain’t gonna tell you

 

 

 Alex Zanardi has sadly passed away at the age of 59. The Italian raced at the Adelaide Grand Prix for Jordan in 1991 and Team Lotus in 1994. A two-time CART champion in North America, Zanardi lost both legs in a horrific accident in 2001. He went on to become a multiple Paralympic Games gold medallist and para-cycling world champion, in addition to a race winner in the World Touring Car Championship. 

 

 

 

Sharon Tate on the set of her last film "12 + 1" in London. (1969)

 

 

“And they say this sport is elite”: hardtails are amazing, but they've got no place at a World Cup DH

 

They say you should never forget your roots, and for many of us, hardtails are the gateway into mountain biking that got us hooked.

However, there are some riders who continue to push their rigid frames to the limit.

Enter Marcin Matuszny, who tried to qualify for this weekend’s World Cup Downhill season-opener in South Korea on a custom Dartmoor hardtail.

The Polish rider, who has picked up the simple nickname 'Hardtail Man', has been racing his Dartmoor Hornet Pro fitted with RockShox’s latest Boxxer fork for a short while now and has collected enough points to race the UCI-sanctioned event this weekend.

However, as you might imagine, he struggled with qualifying, crashing three times in Q1 and didn’t make it up the hill for Q2, meaning we won’t see him in the start hut for race day.

It was surely still a dream come true for Matuszny, who managed to win the hearts of hardtail lovers with his underdog aims, but it hasn’t been all cheers.

A clip from a spectator shows Asa Vermette having to squeeze past the Pole on a loose section of track in his qualification run, surely causing a hindrance to the American, who still managed to qualify first in Q1.

While Matuszny’s attempt was admirable, you have to question his hardtail’s suitability for World Cup Downhill, and the issues it caused for other riders.

Over the past few years, the UCI has been trying to make downhill racing more professional, with regulations coming into place last year changing how riders initially qualify for the event and for race day.

These new regulations were supposed to maintain a higher level of competition at World Series events, but there are still some countries where it's easier to collect points as domestic competition is lower.

Over the past few years, the UCI has been trying to make downhill racing more professional, with regulations coming into place last year changing how riders initially qualify for the event and for race day.

These new regulations were supposed to maintain a higher level of competition at World Series events, but there are still some countries where it's easier to collect points as domestic competition is lower.

There was a backlash from some riders under the clip of Vermette passing Matuszny on Instagram, with Red Bull-sponsored rider Brook Macdonald saying, “And they say the sport is elite”.

Canadian rider Remi Gauvin added: “A few riders had to pass him in their Quali run including the fastest of the session. This guy riding a hardtail for the views is not it.

“I have no doubt he is a passionate and talented rider and the world is better for having him spread that passion. But this is the world cup.”

It’s easy to see where these riders are coming from. If Vermette had caught Matuszny at a narrower section, he could have ended up losing significant time, which could have potentially seen the American fail to qualify for race day.

While I admire Hardtail Man’s daredevil nature and fun-loving vibes, there really isn’t a place for hardtails at World Cup Downhill races.

That’s not to say there isn’t a place for downhill or enduro hardtail racing in general; if you aren’t fast enough to finish on the podium in the main category, you’ve got to find your niche.

And for beginner riders, they’re often a no-brainer. 

But at the top end of the sport, this one can probably be filed into the amusing but inappropriate folder.

 

1. I have this huge empty spot in my stomach 

2. Maybe it’s because 

3. I’ve never tried sushi 

4. I don’t like the Dave Mathew’s band

5. Barry Roubiax is over and gravel peaked for the season 

6. I missed the first Waterford summer race 

7. Not going to go the final AAVC race

8. I never feel guilty for stealing photos 

9. See below 

10. Rob never takes any pictures of me.

11. I haven’t bought a new bike in 3 seasons 

12. I don’t own a helmet with a visor 

13. I don’t own Rapha apparel 

14, I couldn’t make my monthly payment on my 500 dollar Oakleys

15. I usually pee on the toilet paper every time I stop at a gas station to tinkle 

16. All my bikes are mechanical 

17. I never get a chance to high five and slap asses with anyone 

18. I don’t like Star Wars

19. I don’t care about Pro cycling all that much, unless it Cyclocross..

20.  I have never been to the Mad Track arena 

21. I refuse to take back returnable cans

22. I gained weight 

23. I’ve never eaten at the Waffle House 

24. I don’t remember who won ICEMAN 

25.  I rarely have anything to talk about anymore 

 

Northland Center in Southfield in 1979

 

 

Lisa Bonet, 1988