BIKEMONKEY

Local cyclists and SSU students Devin Masterson and Alex Brookhouse have collaborated to bring collegiate cycling to Sonoma State University beginning in the fall. Team Sonoma Cycling will compete in mountain biking and road racing. The team is offering their kits for sale as a fundraiser. You too can pre-order a kit made by Hincapie in either men or women’s sizes. Email them at teamsonoma@gmail.com and check out their blog teamsonoma.blogspot.com/

In 1977, Randy Rhoads, who would later go on to guitar hero status playing for Ozzy Osbourne, helped start the original Ouiet Riot band which had a song called “Demolition Derby” on their first album. Usually  presented at county fairs or festivals, Demolition derbys are a “motor” sport that has hulking masses of twisted metal ram into other contestants while frantic fans of all ages scream for their favorite drivers. Originating in the 1950s, and possibly as far back as the 1930s(utilizing the abundant supply of worn our Ford Model Ts),  demolition derbys  quickly spread from the United States to other western nations.  I recently witnessed this  mashing of metal that resembled  a mechanized version of Roman Empire  gladiators inside the coliseum having vicious

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Race Day 1 and yet another ferry ride. Dropped off the camper with my son, Carson at the finish line. Carson is a volunteer and his job today is helping pitch a couple hundred tents. Chamoised up then got a ride over to the start line with Ruedi’s friend, Glenn. Got in a good warm up and some good advice from Sned and Ruedi about being up front before the course bottlenecks into the first singletrack. I was lined up at the start next to cycling legend Andreas Hestler who was using a 5-inch travel bike with a gravity dropper seatpost and very large tires. He gave me some useful advice to drop my seatpost once I got to the top of the last climb, and before descending the PIPELINE. “It will be worth the time you take to do it.” I rode this the day before and it scared the crap out of me so I made this my go-to plan. (more…)