by 
Everyone keeps wondering why this seeming flawless cycling site changed so much for the worse. Can you smell the sarcasm already? Good. Me too.
Its like this – I’m not writing about riding my bike around with my dumbass friends because I’m not riding a bike very much these days. I rode a week ago on Monday for about an hour around Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs. Before that, I think I rode my mountain bike a few times. It ain’t looking good on the mileage chart ’round here.
Shit man, I used to actually train. Like ride my bike a up the same hill repeatedly on purpose and not because I was lost. I used to plan out what I was going to ride before I left the house. In fact, when I had a coach, I knew what my rides were going to look like weeks in advance.
Now, I just know what tomorrow will look like: I’ll get up and change/dress/feed my daughter as my wife leaves for work. Then I’ll drop my daughter off at day care and go to work myself. After a few hours, I’ll pretty much reverse the process – pick up my daughter and play/entertain/cook dinner before my wife gets home.
Yeah, her earning potential is a fair bit greater than mine. And that’s cool. I only say it to explain the distribution of family related tasks in an average “big jonny day”. And it ain’t just the workload that keeps me off the bike, it just ain’t that comfortable most of the time. I hope it gets better, and I’ll be striving towards that goal. But that’s not where I am now.
I might ride one of my bikes for an hour on Saturday. By myself because it really sucks to be unable to keep up with any of your friends. And then maybe I’ll write something about it. But it ain’t what it used to be, is it?
At least I’m better off than Ulrich:
German prosecutors revealed that the 1997 Tour de France champion transferred 25,000 euros (about $35,000) to controversial Spanish doctor Eufemiano Fuentes for his services in 2004. They’re also following leads of a similar bank transfer in 2006.
Source: velonews.com
At least I now know it takes 35k a year to get the good stuff. Since my entire yearly earnings will be below that dollar amount, I’ll just stick with the beer and naked women. It got me this far, right?
If it ain’t broke…
Link dump:
[They’ve got a point] talkingpointsmemo.com
[A terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day] news.yahoo.com
[30 pubs, six days] youtube.com
[WTF?] bizarremag.com
[And so it begins…] news.yahoo.com
[They’ve got a point] bloomberg.com
[End of the line] sports.espn.go.com
[Rose Bowl cyclists] latimes.com
And an email announcement from the Mayor of Drunkingham. Not to be confused with the Mayor of Flagstaff, who is a different cat entirely.
From: The Mayor of Drunkingham
Subject: 50 yards of hell, Vegas style.
This is the only information any of you pukes need.That and the fact that youll need to pack your orange jump suits, and a fat wad of singles.
Lets make the Natwick race look like a damn sunday school meeting.
Photo credit to C. PattersonWednesday, September 26
Excel Sports Cross Vegas
7:00 pm – Pro Women
8:00 pm – Industry Cup
9:00 pm – Pro Men
Mandalay Bay Resort
Fuck all, now I gotta find something orange to wear…
by 
Hey Johnny, going to Vegas this year?
george
…them boys ‘n’ girls in orange is seriously twisted & they do love them some cross…
…nothing like a beer bath w/ a bird chaser to make ya all warm ‘n’ cuddly on the wheel…
I hear you jonny. I am in the same rut lately. In fact, I took the front-end of my Karate Monkey apart in anticipation of my new On-One fork. That was just over 2 weeks ago, and the fork isn’t here, and I haven’t bothered to put it together to get a ride in.
I have been doing short fixie runs in the city, but I doubt that impresses anyone but that quad Reeves, and he aint talkin.
whenever it comes, I’ll be writing a review for us. I need a goal, right? There it is. Write a review of a fork. That and go for a ride longer than 20k.
i gots me a big orange jumpsuit…
just no ticket to vegas…
actually i got me two of em…
they are a bit dirty…
but then… some say…
so am i
Jonny, I know what it’s like to be in a cycling rut. I have’nt been motivated for more than 15 years. All it took this year was attaining the status of extreme obesity for a guy that used to be fit, a goal of finishing Pines to the Mines, some new Dura-ace 10 on an old road bike and this shit-talkin website. Cycling is cyclic. Hellbelly
I’ve been good. Riding a lot this year. Until this week.
4 nights of boozing with an out of town buddy killed my riding and pains my liver.
In the big mans honor, I’m going to put on something orange and go sweat out all that booze.
Remember kiddies. If it doesn’t hurt, your not doing it right.
hype town USA.. enjoy the soccer fields. they need some strippers
on the side lines then maybe i’ll go back.. tee hee
I feel your aversion to pain.
how many fucking chances does landis get? one more appeal? and to the swiss? he’ll win for sure, thoese bitches dont fight anyone…
I predict he’s back on protour by ’09
can’t speak for the injury but I know what it’s like to be a new dad, it’s not about the bike (or you, for that matter) anymore. and that is just as it should be. the site still rocks. take care
Shit Jon. Sounds like you’ve got a pretty charmed life going.
yeah, sure a bit more riding and it might feel even better, but that’ll come..
…jeez, jonny, i hate ta hear ya talking about not riding cuz like a few other ‘esteemed’ posters to this site, i’ve been regularly finding reasons to look at the inside of my brain, instead of the road or trail in front of me…
…somebody will haveta start a kinda warped dc riders support group…several times a week, participants will get a nasty motivating wakeup e-mail: “alright you snivelling little bitch, get yer shit together, do yer chores, take care a business & then get out & ride like the pathetic wuss you are.”…sorta, kinda inspirational…
…just suggesting…
Yo Jonny,
Sorry to hear that you haven’t been feeling it on the bike … but man, you went through an incredibly serious accident. It takes a long time to come back from that shit.
And the site … hasn’t suffered at all, imo … if anything, it’s better than ever with multiple posters and all. Anyway, you’ll get your mojo back slowly but surely. Hang in there …
-duder out
Hey don’t sweat the lack of miles. I got two new things in my life this month – a tricked out colnago with Record/Chorus group and a little girl called Anais. Which one do you think has been getting all my attention? There’s a time for the bike, and a time for other things, whether it be fatherhood, recovering from injury or whatever. Cheers.
Hey Johnny
Just on the tail end raising 3 kids. Some years lots of miles, some not. Just don’t be afraid to grab that quick one hour ride when you can. It helps. keep the brain balanced.