Tidewater Mountain Bike Challenge 2008

So it was a typically wacky TMBC. Rob Tripp & I dressed up as "Team Zissou."

{Dang it, if you haven't heard of "The Life Aquatic, just Google it.}

Granted, we weren't as obviously recognizable as "Gene & Ace:"



Nor did we have the sexual allure of "The Flying Nun" meeting up with Reno 911's finest.

I'm sure I'll be hearing jokes from Liz to no end, but I broke another bike frame. Cracked the seat tube clear around at the bottom bracket weld. I was about half a mile into the first lap when I finally figured out that it wasn't a stiff chain leaking creaking and popping, but rather my frame. In hindsight, it probably would have been smarter to have just forfeited the lap & headed back to the Enduro pit. But in honor of Rob's busted pinky finger last year, I pushed my bike the rest of the 3.5 miles, wearing a blister on my heel in the process- Rocket 7 shoes are not made for walking.

With a roll of bargain bin duct tape I wrapped up my bottom bracket, figuring, what's the worst that can happen? My frame's already broken! Surprisingly enough, it lasted for an entire lap. Which was, of course, when one of my Crank Brothers Candy pedal broke- it's now the 4th time in 15 months that I've snapped the retention spring on the Candies. No problems with the same shoes on Crank Bros. Quattro pedals- just the Candies...

Like a good endorphin junkie, I circled the parking lot on my bike, looking to score a pair of used Crank Bros. pedals- Quattros, Eggbeaters, Acids, Candies, it didn't matter, 'cause man, the endorphin crash was comin' on hard, and I had just started to get a good buzz goin',

I scored a pedal and rode a couple more laps.

And I did it all for Estaban.