# Lance Wins @ Rocky Hill Ranch



## HellMuttCracker (Jan 13, 2004)

Lance Armstrong showed up today and won the PSE race.
Click Here for the Results on USACycling

here are some of the pics I took


----------



## dmccune (May 2, 2004)

I know Trek and Gary Fisher are all one big happy family but it is still a little shocking to see Lance on the GF bike. All the GF riders I know ride LeMond road bikes, somehow I can be confident Lance won't be riding one of those in the near future.

Also is that a 29er he is on?


----------



## HellMuttCracker (Jan 13, 2004)

Its 29er


----------



## big_slacker (Feb 16, 2004)

Hardtail! Next he'll be riding an SS.


----------



## retro-newb (Aug 20, 2008)

heh awesome to see him slinging dirt.... 

wonder if he will do more mtb racin' he already did the 100 this summer in durango if i remeber correctly. ran second place in that one


----------



## Judd97 (Jun 6, 2005)

If I was planning on competing in that race and actually had a relatively good chance of winning, I'd be so intimidated upon seeing Lance show up. Imagine if you were able to actually beat him, that'd be something to brag about for years to come!


----------



## big_slacker (Feb 16, 2004)

I would think the opposite. I'd be very challenged and motivated if he showed up. No presure either, if you lose you lost to lance.



Judd97 said:


> If I was planning on competing in that race and actually had a relatively good chance of winning, I'd be so intimidated upon seeing Lance show up. Imagine if you were able to actually beat him, that'd be something to brag about for years to come!


----------



## HellMuttCracker (Jan 13, 2004)

I heard several people cat'd up to race against him, it was a pretty big group,

here's a better pic of the group about 1/2 a mile from the start.

</


----------



## Judd97 (Jun 6, 2005)

big_slacker said:


> I would think the opposite. I'd be very challenged and motivated if he showed up. No presure either, if you lose you lost to lance.


Oh, I'd definitely feel challenged, no doubting that! It'd be motivating, too, to be able to race alongside (or behind lol) a cycling legend like that.


----------



## HotBlack (Feb 9, 2008)

movin it, doin it, like a sex machine, man...


----------



## Timo (Jan 13, 2004)

He only won because he rode 29" wheels. That and he lopped off a ball to save weight. Oh yeah he's also a bad ass. Ok thats why he won.


----------



## HandyMan (Feb 25, 2008)

That's awesome! I must say, its good advertising too. I can't help but think 'if lance rides it, it MUST be good!' lol


----------



## pspwesty (Feb 27, 2006)

dmccune said:


> I know Trek and Gary Fisher are all one big happy family but it is still a little shocking to see Lance on the GF bike. All the GF riders I know ride LeMond road bikes, somehow I can be confident Lance won't be riding one of those in the near future.
> 
> Also is that a 29er he is on?


What I took notice to is that even after the investment in SRAM and switching to SRAM road components, his mtb is still equipped with a Shimano rear derailleur.


----------



## scorpionwoman (Jul 7, 2006)

HandyMan said:


> That's awesome! I must say, its good advertising too. I can't help but think 'if lance rides it, it MUST be good!' lol


It is not uncommon for him to pop in on local mountain bike races, as well as other local events. I raced locally from 1997 to 2002, and at least once a year he'd show up. And if I remember correctly, he didn't always win. (Anyone? Didn't Jason Sager used to beat him?)

It's pretty cool, I must say.


----------



## mtbscott (May 11, 2005)

I am the race director for Rocky Hill and it was great having Lance out yesterday. I got a call from his bike handler on Thursday asking about the details of the race, and Friday morning he came out to pre-ride at the ranch which is about 45 minutes from Austin. He started out on a Trek Fuel but came limping back with something amiss with the rear suspension, he then changed over to the GF 29'er and did two more full laps of the 9 mile course, trading wheels/tires after the first one. He and his assistant were very cordial and friendly to the other folks out pre-riding that morning. When they left, they asked the details about registration, within a few hours it was on a couple of forums that he had been there, and I got a call from CyclingNews Saturday morning asking what was up. Like clockwork he showed up about 10:00 o'clock for the the 11:00 start. We gave him the courtesy of having an official go to him to register so he could warm up fairly incognito. He rolled to the pre-grid with two minutes to spare and was called to the front row as a former World Champion to a plethora of clicking cameras. On the start he didn't get clipped in very quickly and so was about 10th going into the first climb out of a field of 26. By the end of the first lap, he was inbetween Bryan Fawley and Scott Henry, with Mitch Comardo a few seconds behind them. He admitted to losing some ground in the technical twisty parts, but Mitch said he opened "the most violent attack" he'd ever seen on a bike on the downhill jeep road ending the second lap, probably hitting 30-35 mph. As they came across the s/f line to start the last lap, Lance was about 30 seconds ahead of Henry, and the other two were similarly spaced behind. The race ended with Lance about a minute ahead of Henry with the others about the same gap. He left pretty quickly after the race, but did take the time to sign autographs for a swarm of kids and was very gracious. His assistant came up to me before they left and said Lance said to give his prize money back so we just paid 2nd place the 1st place money and so on. I did give him Lance's award, a really cool handmade ceramic mug that my co-director for the race, a fulltime artist, had made. All in all, his presence was a cool sideshow for our series' season finale. On a side note, Lance raced TMBRA's Comfort marathon race last January. His last previous TMBRA XC race was at Ft Hood in 1999 so it had been a longtime since he did one of the local short races.


----------



## PscyclePath (Aug 29, 2007)

That's a Superfly in the pictures, isn't it?

Not a HiFi, since the chainstays are symmetrical...


----------



## lyndonchen (Nov 8, 2007)

mtbscott said:


> I am the race director for Rocky Hill and it was great having Lance out yesterday. I got a call from his bike handler on Thursday asking about the details of the race, and Friday morning he came out to pre-ride at the ranch which is about 45 minutes from Austin. He started out on a Trek Fuel but came limping back with something amiss with the rear suspension, he then changed over to the GF 29'er and did two more full laps of the 9 mile course, trading wheels/tires after the first one. He and his assistant were very cordial and friendly to the other folks out pre-riding that morning. When they left, they asked the details about registration, within a few hours it was on a couple of forums that he had been there, and I got a call from CyclingNews Saturday morning asking what was up. Like clockwork he showed up about 10:00 o'clock for the the 11:00 start. We gave him the courtesy of having an official go to him to register so he could warm up fairly incognito. He rolled to the pre-grid with two minutes to spare and was called to the front row as a former World Champion to a plethora of clicking cameras. On the start he didn't get clipped in very quickly and so was about 10th going into the first climb out of a field of 26. By the end of the first lap, he was inbetween Bryan Fawley and Scott Henry, with Mitch Comardo a few seconds behind them. He admitted to losing some ground in the technical twisty parts, but Mitch said he opened "the most violent attack" he'd ever seen on a bike on the downhill jeep road ending the second lap, probably hitting 30-35 mph. As they came across the s/f line to start the last lap, Lance was about 30 seconds ahead of Henry, and the other two were similarly spaced behind. The race ended with Lance about a minute ahead of Henry with the others about the same gap. He left pretty quickly after the race, but did take the time to sign autographs for a swarm of kids and was very gracious. His assistant came up to me before they left and said Lance said to give his prize money back so we just paid 2nd place the 1st place money and so on. I did give him Lance's award, a really cool handmade ceramic mug that my co-director for the race, a fulltime artist, had made. All in all, his presence was a cool sideshow for our series' season finale. On a side note, Lance raced TMBRA's Comfort marathon race last January. His last previous TMBRA XC race was at Ft Hood in 1999 so it had been a longtime since he did one of the local short races.


Awesome play-by-play. Thanks.


----------



## Mrwhlr (Sep 16, 2006)

*Rocky Hill?*

So, where are these rocks?


----------



## Mtnbkgrl (Nov 10, 2008)

Retro-Newb....
Just a note...I think the 100 miler Lance did recently was Leadville...not the Durango 100..????

and there are plenty of rocks at at Rocky Hill...namely a mile+- climb named Fat Chuck's Revenge...although it hasn't been included in as many of the RHR races lately..it used to be a killer in the 24 hour races...


----------



## RacerX.29 (May 14, 2007)

Mtnbkgrl said:


> and there are plenty of rocks at at Rocky Hill...namely a mile+- climb named Fat Chuck's Revenge...although it hasn't been included in as many of the RHR races lately..it used to be a killer in the 24 hour races...


Fat Chuck's was included this time, but not everyone rode it...

https://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f1/torteeya/DSC00346.jpg


----------



## jonny427 (Aug 29, 2008)

Wow I wish I had known, I would have driven out to get a picture with the guy.


----------



## Mrwhlr (Sep 16, 2006)

RacerX.29 said:


> Fat Chuck's was included this time, but not everyone rode it...
> 
> https://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f1/torteeya/DSC00346.jpg


Oh boy, now I'm really confused.....a bike pushing race? He looks really good at it!

:thumbsup:


----------



## weldo (Jul 21, 2008)

awesome..i remember a warda race in the early 90's when Lance was there, before all his awesomeness....really cool that he showed up..right on Lance


----------



## nico2me (Feb 9, 2007)

Those who raced yesterday felt good just for racing the same event Lance did. Even though we're not even close in class.

Those who didn't only wished they did. Overall, a great and fun race. Great job, Paul, Scott and everyone else who organized the season finale !


----------



## texacajun (Jan 20, 2004)

dmccune said:


> I know Trek and Gary Fisher are all one big happy family but it is still a little shocking to see Lance on the GF bike. All the GF riders I know ride LeMond road bikes, somehow I can be confident Lance won't be riding one of those in the near future.
> 
> Also is that a 29er he is on?


A better explanation on the Trek / Gary Fisher Q could be in the team kit he's wearing, Mellow Johnnie's Bike Shop in downtown Austin. Well...Lance is Mellow Johnny (a play on Maillet Jaunne) and is the owner of shop. Mellow Johnnie's is a Trek & Gary Fisher dealer, as well as a bunch of other labels. He has a plethora of fine steeds in his shop inventory. I was just drooling over a few of them Saturday morning.


----------



## knives out (Nov 23, 2007)

big_slacker said:


> Hardtail! Next he'll be riding an SS.


F that.. I'll be impressed when he wins a race on one of these:








:cornut:


----------



## ArmySlowRdr (Dec 19, 2003)

good report mr shaffer-- i was stationed at Hood for the 99 race and was supposed to volunteer for Joey but got caled out of town on emergency leave. During the height of all his olympic glory he came to rocky hill and raced the dirty duo--the run part saved his day and he wond--but i his biking wasnt too good that day the stories say--floyd and big george hincapie were also there that day--somewhere i have a bunch of photos of that and his hand written autograph on a rocky hill ranch trail map from the salloon. that day was uite a thrill.



mtbscott said:


> I am the race director for Rocky Hill and it was great having Lance out yesterday. I got a call from his bike handler on Thursday asking about the details of the race, and Friday morning he came out to pre-ride at the ranch which is about 45 minutes from Austin. He started out on a Trek Fuel but came limping back with something amiss with the rear suspension, he then changed over to the GF 29'er and did two more full laps of the 9 mile course, trading wheels/tires after the first one. He and his assistant were very cordial and friendly to the other folks out pre-riding that morning. When they left, they asked the details about registration, within a few hours it was on a couple of forums that he had been there, and I got a call from CyclingNews Saturday morning asking what was up. Like clockwork he showed up about 10:00 o'clock for the the 11:00 start. We gave him the courtesy of having an official go to him to register so he could warm up fairly incognito. He rolled to the pre-grid with two minutes to spare and was called to the front row as a former World Champion to a plethora of clicking cameras. On the start he didn't get clipped in very quickly and so was about 10th going into the first climb out of a field of 26. By the end of the first lap, he was inbetween Bryan Fawley and Scott Henry, with Mitch Comardo a few seconds behind them. He admitted to losing some ground in the technical twisty parts, but Mitch said he opened "the most violent attack" he'd ever seen on a bike on the downhill jeep road ending the second lap, probably hitting 30-35 mph. As they came across the s/f line to start the last lap, Lance was about 30 seconds ahead of Henry, and the other two were similarly spaced behind. The race ended with Lance about a minute ahead of Henry with the others about the same gap. He left pretty quickly after the race, but did take the time to sign autographs for a swarm of kids and was very gracious. His assistant came up to me before they left and said Lance said to give his prize money back so we just paid 2nd place the 1st place money and so on. I did give him Lance's award, a really cool handmade ceramic mug that my co-director for the race, a fulltime artist, had made. All in all, his presence was a cool sideshow for our series' season finale. On a side note, Lance raced TMBRA's Comfort marathon race last January. His last previous TMBRA XC race was at Ft Hood in 1999 so it had been a longtime since he did one of the local short races.


----------



## ArmySlowRdr (Dec 19, 2003)

Mrwhlr said:


> So, where are these rocks?


fat chucks demise is a series of long hills right after the race's start. rocky hill ranch is one of the premiere race venues in Texas--located 45 minutes or so outside of Austin. Lots of peoples favorite trail system in Texas. Has many miles of flow---


----------



## mountainbiker2911 (Jul 8, 2008)

I thought Lance rode for Trek? I didn't know he rides for Fisher for MTB?


----------



## HandyMan (Feb 25, 2008)

he does ride for Trek. GF is a Trek brand.


----------



## tigerwah (Jul 5, 2007)

Great pictures thanks for posting them! Notice his ZTR 29er Race Wheelset. Damn I just had a custom 355 wheelset built I should have waited. He may blow the 29er scene wide open once more people get word of this.


----------



## bubbad3 (Jan 11, 2008)

Congrats to Lance!
I know it's not the same thing, but I can't wait til Feb when he races the Tour of Cali !!!!!


----------



## mtbscott (May 11, 2005)

Here's another picture I found today on the web of the PSE class on the first lap going up Fat Chuck's Demise. As noted before, it's a series of four hills on a gravel jeeproad that gains about 100 feet or so of elevation in just an 1/8th mile or so. It's rideable most of the time, but conditions were extremely dry this weekend so it was very loose. The picture is of the first and hardest/longest climb, once they crested that one on foot, I'm sure they were able to ride the other three.


----------



## HellMuttCracker (Jan 13, 2004)

here's a link to one of the pro-photographers smugmug site.
Click Here for more pics


----------



## ArmySlowRdr (Dec 19, 2003)

God I just noticed he's walking his bike on the DRIVE TRAIN side up Fat Chuck's. Dang roadies--haha.

I found this was a bad bad thing to do at Snoshoe once whilst walking down some slippery root muck infested trail. I slipped landing my arm on the front rings and came very close to slashing some veins in my arm--would not have been good if the punctures were a quarter inch over.


----------



## rkj__ (Feb 29, 2004)

I too think it is cool that Lance takes time to play in the dirt.


----------



## bcd (Jan 27, 2004)

mtbscott said:


> Here's another picture I found today on the web of the PSE class on the first lap going up Fat Chuck's Demise. As noted before, it's a series of four hills on a gravel jeeproad that gains about 100 feet or so of elevation in just an 1/8th mile or so. It's rideable most of the time, but conditions were extremely dry this weekend so it was very loose. The picture is of the first and hardest/longest climb, once they crested that one on foot, I'm sure they were able to ride the other three.


am three riders behind lance in the light blue! hahaha that was the last time i saw him.

i road it pre-lap, but CX first lap, then road the around way. it was actually faster i think.

ÆX


----------



## Gatorback (Oct 9, 2007)

Man, when you start riding the dirt you are gonna get hooked. His roadie team better get him off the mountain bike pretty quick or he's going to end up pursuing a career on the mountain biking scene. Forget that Giro stuff. Go race something with a name like Blood, Sweat, and Gears or the Bump and Grind or The Most Horrible Thing Ever.

I dusted off the road bike this weekend to test it out before an organized century ride this weekend, and one hour riding on the pavement with skinny tires reminded me why I love to mountain bike.


----------



## MtnBikeNC (May 22, 2008)

My first thought when reading the race dir's report was that something was wrong with his trusty full-squish 26" bike and that's why he pulled out the hardtail? Maybe I read it wrong but it didn't sound like the 29er was his first choice. That superfly is hot either way..


----------



## vortrex (Mar 3, 2005)

big_slacker said:


> Hardtail! Next he'll be riding an SS.


lance looks pretty fast on a single speed! (click on the austin video)

http://www.mashsf.com/videos.php


----------



## ArmySlowRdr (Dec 19, 2003)

vortrex said:


> lance looks pretty fast on a single speed! (click on the austin video)
> 
> http://www.mashsf.com/videos.php


they appear in the vid to think they're really d ****---wht i thnk is they're a bunch of effin jackasses that give cyclists a bad name---i don't care which shop was "involved".


----------



## zrm (Oct 11, 2006)

Mtnbkgrl said:


> Retro-Newb....
> Just a note...I think the 100 miler Lance did recently was Leadville...not the Durango 100..????
> .


Yes, it was Leadville. He was second to Dave Weins. A lot has been written about it. Stirring duel and all that. LA says it was that race that re-lit the fire and motivated him to commit to coming back to the pro peloton.


----------



## brewdog (Jan 6, 2004)

It's nice to see even the big kids had to walk that part!

As for the FS bike issue, they guy owns a shop full of bikes. Don't you think he could have come up with another FS bike if he REALLY needed the cush?


----------



## weldo (Jul 21, 2008)

maybe its the fact that you don't need a fs bike at rhr..


----------



## scorpionwoman (Jul 7, 2006)

brewdog said:


> It's nice to see even the big kids had to walk that part!


If someone in front of you dismounts, you really have no choice but to do the same. There is just the one halfway-worn-in path; getting off of that puts you into fairly large, loose, round rocks.

And it's not necessarily someone from your class that ends up blocking the path.

Anyway, just wanted to point out that walking that climb should not be taken as an indicator of bike-handling skills. It's a race. You have to work around other riders.


----------



## Loki (Oct 15, 2004)

*Was looking at the smugmug site*



bcd said:


> am three riders behind lance in the light blue! hahaha that was the last time i saw him.
> 
> i road it pre-lap, but CX first lap, then road the around way. it was actually faster i think.
> 
> ÆX


What bike are you riding? Did you build the frame? And those wheels! The front end seems so light you have a hard time keeping it on the ground.  Do tell more.


----------



## brewdog (Jan 6, 2004)

I am very familiar with that section.

There wasn't anyone in front of Fawley, but he's walking/running.


----------



## Bizarro (Apr 20, 2006)

ArmySlowRdr said:


> fat chucks demise is a series of long hills right after the race's start. rocky hill ranch is one of the premiere race venues in Texas--located 45 minutes or so outside of Austin. *Lots of peoples favorite trail system in Texas*. Has many miles of flow---


I don't know about that...

speak for yourself.


----------



## HellMuttCracker (Jan 13, 2004)

Bizarro said:


> I don't know about that...
> 
> speak for yourself.


utohhh, 
we got a cool guy in effect


----------



## weldo (Jul 21, 2008)

*Lots of peoples favorite trail system in Texas*



Bizarro said:


> I don't know about that...
> 
> speak for yourself.


Its a good place to ride , and it ain't the best by any means...still a great place for a race...wish it was like the old days out there................

I think that we ate a bizarro roll at the sushi place for lunch today.....


----------



## teoteoteo (Jan 12, 2007)

MtnBikeNC said:


> My first thought when reading the race dir's report was that something was wrong with his trusty full-squish 26" bike and that's why he pulled out the hardtail? Maybe I read it wrong but it didn't sound like the 29er was his first choice. That superfly is hot either way..


The 29'er has been in his stable since at least May and is a bike that right until Leadville was his weapon of choice. At Leadville he tested with both bikes and ended up riding the new rig over the Superfly.


----------



## zrm (Oct 11, 2006)

Gatorback said:


> Man, when you start riding the dirt you are gonna get hooked. His roadie team better get him off the mountain bike pretty quick or he's going to end up pursuing a career on the mountain biking scene. Forget that Giro stuff. Go race something with a name like Blood, Sweat, and Gears or the Bump and Grind or The Most Horrible Thing Ever.
> 
> I dusted off the road bike this weekend to test it out before an organized century ride this weekend, and one hour riding on the pavement with skinny tires reminded me why I love to mountain bike.


He wants to race against the best in the world on the worlds grandest stages and take the worlds toughest tests and believe me, the euro grand tours offer that in spades over anything the mountain bike scene currently offers.


----------



## Bizarro (Apr 20, 2006)

weldo said:


> *Lots of peoples favorite trail system in Texas*
> 
> Its a good place to ride , and it ain't the best by any means...still a great place for a race...wish it was like the old days out there................
> 
> I think that we ate a bizarro roll at the sushi place for lunch today.....


Your right about that. And I agree with the "old days comment." Something about that place way back when felt great. It just somewhat lost its appeal...that's what I think.
And Bizarro rolls are good. I have them everyday weldo. You should see my bizarro socks.:eekster: I think that what makes me a "cool guy in effect." -- I'll take it.


----------



## Bends But Doesn't Break (Jun 23, 2008)

He's getting that really cut-in-the-face look again.


----------



## ArmySlowRdr (Dec 19, 2003)

well I agree that the WHOLE experience isn't quite the same as the heyday when Diane was operating things.... but the trails are still the same if not better. I still say I like it and Tyler the best but both are hunded(s) of miles from me.



Bizarro said:


> Your right about that. And I agree with the "old days comment." Something about that place way back when felt great. It just somewhat lost its appeal...that's what I think.
> And Bizarro rolls are good. I have them everyday weldo. You should see my bizarro socks.:eekster: I think that what makes me a "cool guy in effect." -- I'll take it.


----------



## knives out (Nov 23, 2007)

ArmySlowRdr said:


> they appear in the vid to think they're really d ****---wht i thnk is they're a bunch of effin jackasses that give cyclists a bad name---i don't care which shop was "involved".


damn kids and yer fxiity bikes!! :incazzato:


----------



## Mrwhlr (Sep 16, 2006)

zrm said:


> He wants to race against the best in the world on the worlds grandest stages and take the worlds toughest tests and believe me, the euro grand tours offer that in spades over anything the mountain bike scene currently offers.


If it's simply a contest of fitness, why not settle this question with an array of stationary bikes?

In terms of mtb handling skills, I don't see what all the excitement is about, because Lance doesn't have much going on there.

World's toughest tests? Let him fight a couple hungry baboons.


----------



## weldo (Jul 21, 2008)

Lance dosen't have mtb handling skills?? - right, sure , whatever...have you ever seen him race? on dirt? - he might not have what say, Tomac has on dirt, but he is darn good ...


----------



## eggraid101 (Mar 13, 2006)

Mrwhlr said:


> World's toughest tests? Let him fight a couple hungry baboons.


I vote for the baboon test!


----------



## zrm (Oct 11, 2006)

Mrwhlr said:


> If it's simply a contest of fitness, why not settle this question with an array of stationary bikes?
> 
> In terms of mtb handling skills, I don't see what all the excitement is about, because Lance doesn't have much going on there.
> 
> World's toughest tests? Let him fight a couple hungry baboons.


I suggest you follow or watch a pro tour race, lot more than just fitness - although an incredible level of fitness is required - going on there.


----------



## Bikinfoolferlife (Feb 3, 2004)

Mrwhlr said:


> If it's simply a contest of fitness, why not settle this question with an array of stationary bikes?
> 
> In terms of mtb handling skills, I don't see what all the excitement is about, because Lance doesn't have much going on there.
> 
> World's toughest tests? Let him fight a couple hungry baboons.


Yup, I want to see Lance race something more technical before giving him kudos for his mountain bike racing skills. Most of the mountain bike race courses just aren't very challenging technical terrain. The Downieville Classic would be a good one. I remember years ago he entered a mountain bike race in Colorado (don't remember the name) where he was 1-2 with another racer all the way up the dirt road climb and once on the singletrack crashed a couple times pretty quick and quit (I'm sure he's improved since then, though). I'd like that memory to be superseded by him taking on a technical section and crushing it!

ps That baboon thing sounds pretty interesting, though....


----------



## ilostmypassword (Dec 9, 2006)

Chuck Norris wears Lance Armstrong Pajamas. That is all.


----------



## Ranger275 (Jan 23, 2008)

Bikinfoolferlife said:


> Yup, I want to see Lance race something more technical before giving him kudos for his mountain bike racing skills. .


amazing to me that the keyboard quarterbacks can fault the guy for winning 2nd in the leadville 100 (where he was behind the winner by ~1.5min and the winner trimmed 13 minutes off the previous record), and now winning this race.

Every race is different. Every racer is different. TMHTE (and other suffer-fests like it) may not even appeal to the guy. Do you guys also fault him because he's a roadie?


----------



## Evil Patrick (Sep 13, 2004)

bcd said:


> in the light blue!


A brother in arms. I too roll the light blue. And orange.

Cycle Progression.

http://www.cycleprogression.com/

No, I don't race. Well, some would dispute that. OK. I don't attend organized races.



Anyway, it was *GREAT* to see so many of the CP riders kicking ass out there!

5th place expert, Brandon, is one of the 4 or 5 other guys I ride with just about every 
weekend. BTW - Brandon doesn't race. I was really surprised to hear he'd raced, but not
too surprised that in his first race he did so well.


----------



## Bizarro (Apr 20, 2006)

Evil Patrick said:


> A brother in arms. I too roll the light blue. And orange.
> 
> Cycle Progression.
> 
> ...


Very kool...didn't know that. The Guy is an animal way to go! Animal like yer self tough guy


----------



## Bikinfoolferlife (Feb 3, 2004)

Ranger275 said:


> amazing to me that the keyboard quarterbacks can fault the guy for winning 2nd in the leadville 100 (where he was behind the winner by ~1.5min and the winner trimmed 13 minutes off the previous record), and now winning this race.
> 
> Every race is different. Every racer is different. TMHTE (and other suffer-fests like it) may not even appeal to the guy. Do you guys also fault him because he's a roadie?


All I'm saying is that his RHR win just isn't much to get passionate about in a mountain biking board. How about the winner of Leadville, now that you bring that up (and personally I doubt even Lance considers 2nd "winning"), how much praise does he get in Passion on MTBR? Dave Lopes? Tinker Juarez? Cadel Evans for his doing well in road cycling? When it comes to Lance people just get silly. He's a great cyclist, don't get me wrong. I can even look the other way even though nearly every major teammate on his TDF winning teams has been busted for illegal substances (but WWLD? Look the other way apparently...). I just want to see him crush some technical singletrack rather than my last image of some fairly tame singletrack crushing him! That too much to post about?

PS I'm really a keyboard quarterback? What are you?


----------



## Evil Patrick (Sep 13, 2004)

weldo said:


> Lance dosen't have mtb handling skills?? - right, sure , whatever...have you ever seen him race? on dirt? - he might not have what say, Tomac has on dirt, but he is darn good ...


Lance doesn't have mtb handling skills.

There. I said it and I'll stand behind it.

Now, let me explain why.

He doesn't, and never has practiced a routine of riding extremely technical trails in a
training regiment that consumes most weekdays and weekends.

Why?

First, it's not his forte. His focus is, and always has been [email protected]

Second, he can't afford to get sidelined with a significant injury, such as a broken bone, 
so he won't take the chances and risks that are needed to test and expand his technical
limits.

And speaking from personal experience, the desire to always push the limits of risk
requires one to be addicted to the rush of recklessness.

Now, I...LEFT...36...TRAP...BREAK!


----------



## HellMuttCracker (Jan 13, 2004)

sorry, but in order to win any mtb race, you have to have decent mtb skills. 

its weird to me that some people think they can talk bad about others mtb handling skills, without ever really riding with that person. If lance can win a pse race at the speed that he rides then he has good mtb handling skills. 

first you need to get as fast as him.
then you can talk shiet

and I would bet that his mtb skills are better than most since he can win pse races.


----------



## ArmySlowRdr (Dec 19, 2003)

I totally 1000% agree. I hate to say it but i thnk Monogod needs to come to this thread and punch holes in some of the arguments in this thread--He would have a doozy with how some of the thoughts contained herein are worded. One doesnt need to consume most parts of every day and every weekend to have decent mountain biking skills. And lance laid it on the line quite a bit on some of the trails around here in the height of his 7 year "run".



HellMuttCracker said:


> sorry, but in order to win any mtb race, you have to have decent mtb skills.
> 
> its weird to me that some people think they can talk bad about others mtb handling skills, without ever really riding with that person. If lance can win a pse race at the speed that he rides then he has good mtb handling skills.
> 
> ...


----------



## Evil Patrick (Sep 13, 2004)

HellMuttCracker said:


> sorry, but in order to win any mtb race, you have to have decent mtb skills.


OK. You want to tame it down with the phrase, "decent handling skills".

This differs from my idea of "decent handling skills". "Decent", to me, means God-like.

My bad. I should have said "exceptional".

And there are NO race courses that demand exceptional handling skills. Heck, when the
course gets even slightly "tech", the racers jump off and portage through.

[edit: crap. I used the word "slightly" - which will certainly vary from your idea of what is
"slightly" tech]

Personally, I think it should all be Scott Trials. You dab, you get points off your score.


----------



## Evil Patrick (Sep 13, 2004)

ArmySlowRdr said:


> One doesnt need to consume most parts of every day and every weekend to have decent mountain biking skills.


Yes. My bad. See my other response. The difference is in the concept of what constitutes
"decent". I should have said "exceptional".


----------



## HellMuttCracker (Jan 13, 2004)

Lance probably doens't have god-like mtbr.com forum skills like you.
but the dude can ride a bike

and just because you have mainly seen footage of him in the TDF doesnt mean you know the guy


----------



## Evil Patrick (Sep 13, 2004)

HellMuttCracker said:


> Lance probably doens't have god-like mtbr.com forum skills like you.
> but the dude can ride a bike
> 
> and just because you have mainly seen footage of him in the TDF doesnt mean you know the guy


OK. Screw it. I didn't want to pull this card, but here it is. I've ridden with him. On the trail.


----------



## HellMuttCracker (Jan 13, 2004)

but you arent a better cyclist than him

so where is your logic?


----------



## Evil Patrick (Sep 13, 2004)

HellMuttCracker said:


> but you arent a better cyclist than him
> 
> so where is your logic?


Logic? You move from a specific term "decent" with regards to "handling skills" to the broad
stroke "cyclist" with respect to capabilities?

weak


----------



## Mrwhlr (Sep 16, 2006)

Evil Patrick said:


> Personally, I think it should all be Scott Trials. You dab, you get points off your score.


F-that!

I think anyone gaining ground carrying a bike, in a bike race, should be DQ'd.

BTW - Did you notice I'm not wasting much time trying to get these people up off their knees?


----------



## yater (Nov 3, 2006)

Evil Patrick said:


> Lance doesn't have mtb handling skills.
> 
> There. I said it and I'll stand behind it.
> 
> ...


Doesn't Fawley race super D and downhill? I believe he finished 4th at nationals this year. That would make him a decent bike handler. He's also a p/1/2 roadie and has won the xc series several consecutive years. Lance beat him by 1+ minutes.


----------



## Evil Patrick (Sep 13, 2004)

yater said:


> Doesn't Fawley race super D and downhill? I believe he finished 4th at nationals this year. That would make him a decent bike handler. He's also a p/1/2 roadie and has won the xc series several consecutive years. Lance beat him by 1+ minutes.


Brian is a great rider. He rode with my clique about 3 weeks ago. I couldn't stay up with him. 
No way. Brandon McDowell sure put up a good effort. (see 5th place expert 30 to 39). BTW -
Brandon racing was a total surprise to me. We've been riding together most every weekend
for the last year and I didn't know he was even considering racing.

Fawley went 97.72% of the pace that Lance did. Amazing performance.

Yes. Decent bike handlers.

Well, with the exception of Brandon. Brandon is an amazing bike handler.


----------



## zrm (Oct 11, 2006)

Evil Patrick said:


> OK. You want to tame it down with the phrase, "decent handling skills".
> 
> This differs from my idea of "decent handling skills". "Decent", to me, means God-like.
> 
> ...


That's because very often jumping off and portaging is faster and we are after all talking about a bike _race_ and not the Red Bull Rampage.

IMO the whole super tech thing is way overrated. All Mountain Dew and stunts, what does that have to do with being a cyclist? I've been mountain bikeing 23 years and been there done that and have the scars to prove it. Big deal. Anyway, FS bikes, especially "AM" (whatever that means) have taken a great deal of the skill set it used to take to ride technical terrain. We (me included) used to have to pick a line and manuver, now you just blow over the top of everything.


----------



## Evil Patrick (Sep 13, 2004)

zrm said:


> That's because very often jumping off and portaging is faster and we are after all talking about *a bike race* and not the Red Bull Rampage.


Yes, a bike race and not a run, jog or walk while carrying or pushing a bike.


----------



## zrm (Oct 11, 2006)

Evil Patrick said:


> Yes, a bike race and not a run, jog or walk while carrying or pushing a bike.


So if a race has an uphill section that requires pushing does that make it not a *bike race*?


----------



## yater (Nov 3, 2006)

I usually ride chuck's revenge after the 1st lap....but there's nothing you can do if you get stuck behind a group at the start and one guy dabs.


----------



## yater (Nov 3, 2006)

zrm said:


> So if a race has an uphill section that requires pushing does that make it not a *bike race*?


I guess that excludes La Ruta, Leadville, and any race with a waist deep stream crossing.


----------



## Evil Patrick (Sep 13, 2004)

zrm said:


> So if a race has an uphill section that requires pushing does that make it not a *bike race*?


Welcome to the world of Scott Trials. One point off for every step to the ground. It's still a
bike race, but if you dab, you pay.

Strong technical riders will be rewarded for exceptional handling skills

:cornut:

while those with mere "decent" skills will pay.

:cryin:


----------



## Evil Patrick (Sep 13, 2004)

yater said:


> I usually ride chuck's revenge after the 1st lap....but there's nothing you can do if you get stuck behind a group at the start and one guy dabs.


In Scott Trials, the riders go out one at a time and are separated with a delay. Sometimes
it's one every minute.

This means that even in a bad spot where one bobbles, there isn't a General Admission Who
Concert scene.


----------



## yater (Nov 3, 2006)

Evil Patrick said:


> In Scott Trials, the riders go out one at a time and are separated with a delay. Sometimes
> it's one every minute.
> 
> This means that even in a bad spot where one bobbles, there isn't a General Admission Who
> Concert scene.


Meh....I'd rather race bar-to-bar. We're talking ~10 seconds of running over a 2 hour race.


----------



## Evil Patrick (Sep 13, 2004)

yater said:
 

> Meh....I'd rather race bar-to-bar. We're talking ~10 seconds of running over a 2 hour race.


To each his own. I'd rather ride the things others either dab on or have to walk.


----------



## dburatti (Feb 14, 2004)

Evil Patrick said:


> To each his own. I'd rather ride the things others either dab on or have to walk.


I'm with Patrick on this one. Skills are what separates mountain biking from r**d riding. I'd rather try to clean something three times instead of carrying my bike over it. The Scott Trials format would be awesome in mountain bike racing.

D


----------



## yater (Nov 3, 2006)

dburatti said:


> I'm with Patrick on this one. Skills are what separates mountain biking from r**d riding. I'd rather try to clean something three times instead of carrying my bike over it.
> 
> D


That would be a great way to win races. "Hold up guys, I'm gonna take a mulligan on this one". The funny thing is, all of the guys in the front (in the pics) are fast as hell and very smooth. They're better bike handlers than any of the guys I know who claim to be "technical riders". It's usually the slow guys who are too lazy to train who claim to be "technical riders".


----------



## tigerwah (Jul 5, 2007)

> It's usually the slow guys who are too lazy to train who claim to be "technical riders"


So true. I'm not sure why there is a debate here. If you've never ridden or raced with Lance how can you claim he's not a good rider. My bet he's a great rider in just about any discipline. I've raced plenty of "roadies" that suck on a mountain bike and I kill but would kill me on the road. If Lance is racing professional mountain bikers and winning there is no doubt in my mind that he kicks butt on the dirt.


----------



## sean salach (Sep 15, 2007)

dburatti said:


> I'm with Patrick on this one. Skills are what separates mountain biking from r**d riding. I'd rather try to clean something three times instead of carrying my bike over it. The Scott Trials format would be awesome in mountain bike racing.
> 
> D


just how many people do you think would volunteer to check the course? or maybe we could rig up video camera's with wide-angle lenses under the seat, focussed on the feet. but that would require hundreds of hours of review....


----------



## zrm (Oct 11, 2006)

Evil Patrick said:


> Welcome to the world of Scott Trials. One point off for every step to the ground. It's still a
> bike race, but if you dab, you pay.
> 
> Strong technical riders will be rewarded for exceptional handling skills
> ...


Sounds like something to give the fat, slow, guys with baggie pants and goatees an extra chance. :lol:


----------



## Bizarro (Apr 20, 2006)

zrm said:


> Sounds like something to give the fat, slow, guys with baggie pants and goatees an extra chance. :lol:


whatcha tryin' to say...I wear baggies..and maybe weigh a ton or two but I can push my bike around town....hummmmmm


----------



## BC (Jan 11, 2006)

[QUOTE=". It's usually the slow guys who are too lazy to train who claim to be "technical riders".[/QUOTE]

It takes a lot more effort to clean a series of ledges when your actually on your bike.

I don't think there is any argument that lance is a superior athlete. It's not his fault the race courses are smooth.


----------



## Bikinfoolferlife (Feb 3, 2004)

In Lance's own words per the race director's report: _ He admitted to losing some ground in the technical twisty parts_.


----------



## Ranger275 (Jan 23, 2008)

Bikinfoolferlife said:


> PS I'm really a keyboard quarterback? What are you?











enjoying my popcorn....



Bikinfoolferlife said:


> In Lance's own words per the race director's report: _ He admitted to losing some ground in the technical twisty parts_.


again, it's all relative. the winner is still the guy who crosses the line first. It's not always the guy with the strongest technical skills.


----------



## tozovr (Jul 26, 2006)

Bikinfoolferlife said:


> Yup, I want to see Lance race something more technical before giving him kudos for his mountain bike racing skills. Most of the mountain bike race courses just aren't very challenging technical terrain. The Downieville Classic would be a good one. I remember years ago he entered a mountain bike race in Colorado (don't remember the name) where he was 1-2 with another racer all the way up the dirt road climb and once on the singletrack crashed a couple times pretty quick and quit (I'm sure he's improved since then, though). I'd like that memory to be superseded by him taking on a technical section and crushing it!
> 
> ps That baboon thing sounds pretty interesting, though....


It's all riding a freakin bike. you have good days and you have bad days.

Lance is a fantastic rider. Period.


----------



## Mrwhlr (Sep 16, 2006)

yater said:


> Doesn't Fawley race super D and downhill? I believe he finished 4th at nationals this year. That would make him a decent bike handler. He's also a p/1/2 roadie and has won the xc series several consecutive years. Lance beat him by 1+ minutes.


Thanks for making EP's point....lance can lap faster than superior riders on easy terrain. The current race courses are easy - more time spent preparing on pavement than dirt. So they are simple contests of fitness, not mountain biking prowess.


----------



## rearviewmirror (Jun 14, 2006)

Evil Patrick said:


> OK. You want to tame it down with the phrase, "decent handling skills".
> 
> This differs from my idea of "decent handling skills". "Decent", to me, means God-like.
> 
> ...


I disagree, you do need exceptional handling skills to win races, especially in the PSE class. What you do NOT need is exceptional technical skills.


----------



## Bikinfoolferlife (Feb 3, 2004)

rearviewmirror said:


> I disagree, you do need exceptional handling skills to win races, especially in the PSE class. What you do NOT need is exceptional technical skills.


Porn Star Experience?


----------



## rideit (Jan 22, 2004)

So, is the Saloon still shuttered at RHR?
I think I had possibly one of the best burgers of my life there.

Hey, all you Austin wankers...whassup!


----------



## m0ngy (Dec 22, 2005)

I read years ago that Lance raced MTB during his recovery for testicular cancer. During this period he was trying to regain his fitness and strength by sitting and spinning at very high revs in low gears, maintaing maximum tempo for extended periods. This is, of course, somewhat contrary to the general preference for racers to get up and out of the saddle and hack when faced with a hill climb. He successfully adapted this technique throughout his Tour de France career. In so doing he changed cycling methodology forever. 

Apparently, Lance said of his early MTB experience, "Road racing is a slow death, MTB is a fast one."

Simply put, the man is a legend. :thumbsup:


----------



## Bikinfoolferlife (Feb 3, 2004)

m0ngy said:


> I read years ago that Lance raced MTB during his recovery for testicular cancer. During this period he was trying to regain his fitness and strength by sitting and spinning at very high revs in low gears, maintaing maximum tempo for extended periods. This is, of course, somewhat contrary to the general preference for racers to get up and out of the saddle and hack when faced with a hill climb. He successfully adapted this technique throughout his Tour de France career. In so doing he changed cycling methodology forever.
> 
> Apparently, Lance said of his early MTB experience, "Road racing is a slow death, MTB is a fast one."
> 
> Simply put, the man is a legend. :thumbsup:


WWLD? Do something noone else had ever done! Wow!


----------



## Crusty3764 (Jan 16, 2007)

I'm one of the really old guys who was out there racing on Sunday. 
I was finishing my 2nd lap at Rocky Hill when Lance lapped me finishing his 3rd lap.
Shortly after Lance went by, a second Pro/Cat 1 rider passed me. Lance was faster & more in control than the second rider. Lance was accelerating hard (and smoothly) when the next guy was just accelerating smoothly. If Lance was slower in the more technical areas, he demonstrated the power even at the end of the race to offset any lost time earlier.
IMO Rocky Hill can get technical when you're going at that speed.


----------



## abegold (Jan 30, 2004)

retro-newb said:


> heh awesome to see him slinging dirt....
> 
> wonder if he will do more mtb racin' he already did the 100 this summer in durango if i remeber correctly. ran second place in that one


Sorry, not Durango, Leadville 100, CO. Higher than Durango, Leadville is over 10,000' at the start.


----------

