If the A Team can do it, so can I!
by Yuri Hauswald
23 Jan 10 05 01
AUTHOR
When I heard that the A Team was being made into a movie, due out in theaters in July of this year, it got me thinking about how popular tv show series, especially those that run for many years, are, in a bizarre, parallel way, similar to the annual action that takes place on West County roads during the Grasshopper Adventure Series. In its 12th season, the Grasshopper has grown in stature and popularity, all the while maintaining many of the same solid cycling characters who act out similar plot lines each year that never seem to get boring. Some characters fade, never to be seen again. Others resurface, thought to have been “written off” or killed in some strange accident, stronger than in years past. Iconic TV shows like Hogan’s Heroes, MASH, Dukes of Hazard, Cheers,The Jeffersons, The Odd Couple ran for years, only getting better with time. The cycling drama that has unfolded on West County roads for the past eleven years has also only gotten better with time even though the basic scripts have remained the same, as well as many of the major actors. To honor these shows and the practice of remakes, for better or for worse, I decided to republish a personal piece about the Cazadero Grasshopper that was in our second issue of Bike Monkey. My hope is that it might, with a few new photos thrown in, get people excited for the Grasshopper’s twelfth season.
If the Rolf ten series I experienced last year were a service at a gas station, it would be the equivalent of a major engine overhaul with some chassis and wheel alignment thrown in for good measure. Our bodies, like a car’s need for regular oil changes or fluid checks to make sure that everything is working well, will need tune ups from time to time, which is exactly why I returned to Quinn, a certified Rolfer, for the first of three follow up sessions that will compliment the structural adjustments he did over six months ago.
I tell my students not to always believe what they see on television, so I try to adhere to the same principle when it comes to reading road signs.
In 1776 the Spanish Catholics of the Franciscan Order built the Mission of San Juan Capistrano, most famously known for the cliff swallows that leave their winter homes in Goya, Argentina, and make the 6, 000 mile trip to Orange County, CA to nest and spend the summer. This migratory pattern has been happening for centuries. The mission also holds the distinction for housing the oldest continually used building, a chapel that was built in 1782. It could be said that a migratory movement of a new kind, one founded by monks of a different order, is quickly approaching its yearly arrival as it has for over a decade.
That’s NOAA’s weather prediction for Saturday’s 35+ cx national championship race, held in frigid Bend, OR. I guess that’s a little bit better than the prediction for my single speed race on Friday, which calls for a chance of snow and a high of 33 degrees?! I have faced similar conditions, but in a much more removed part of the sierras, where pulling out after a lap and getting into a warm car, was definitely not an option. I have a feeling that both races in Bend will sort out into a frigid sufferfest between those who can master the tricky course conditions, keep it up right, and , somehow, survive the energy sapping cold. There’s video of the course posted at http://cxmagazine.com/
I was reminded of how fast and frenetic our society has become while riding over the D St. bridge today when, who should I see sailing up the Petaluma River, minus his faithful reindeer, Santa, of course?! There were hundreds of people scambling to stake out spots so they could wave to Santa as he drifted by, officially kicking off a new holiday season which, in my opinion, tends to put too much emphasis on the buying of trivial “things” that people think they need. As I pedaled home I reflected on the ways that our society has become faster and hyper focused on convenience, which doesn’t necessarily equal better. There’s drive thru coffee, express lanes at the super market,20 minute oil changes, and fast food to name a few. But the one that got me the most was how easily our society jumps from one holiday to the next, in a Hallmark holiday frenzy that sees people ditching cornucopias and turkeys for christmas trees and reindeer. I realized that I wasn’t ready to move onto Christmas,just yet, because I hadn’t had enough time during Thanksgiving to acknowledge the friends, family and experiences I am fortunate to have in my life and am thankful for.
In 1982, while attending middle school in Marin, where I was apt to wear a collared Izod, I was a wannabe rocker. I owned a Def Leppard Union Jack tank top, which I thought was badass, and a handful of Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, and Black Sabbath concert shirts (although I hadn’t attended any of their concerts). To further hide my lily white un-rockerness, I had a diverse collection of heavy metal vinyl I was quite proud of. My rite of rocker passage, my badge of heavy metal honor, came when two buddies and I timidly attended the Scorpions “Black Out” show at the Cow Palace, where we smoked clove cigarettes because we thought it made us look tough. Returning back to the Palace this weekend brought back many memories, and created a few more, too.
I know I missed the deadline on this event months ago, and we all know that Ross Schnell and Heather Irmiger have ink in new places, but I was recently sent some photos which inspired me to share a snapshot of my SSWC ‘09 experience. It was my longtime friend, and founder of Launch clothing (an edgy cycling line that melded function with fashion way before any other brands), Daniel Jaber who reminded me I should share my perspective on this two-wheeled bacchanalian circus.
Phil Liggett-probably the world’s most renowned cycling commentator who has reported on 37 Tours de France-has been known to say that the yellow jersey gives a rider, particularly one who is not a race favorite and may have snagged the yellow tunic in a cagey first week break, wings or that little bit of extra strength to fight to hold onto the maillot jaune as long as possible. Being that I will never ride in the Tour, I don’t have to worry about yellow jersey motivation or fighting to stay in the lead of a three week stage race. However, last week during our recent move, I did discover a very special white jersey that I had squirreled away and basically forgotten about.
I have to say, session 10 with Quinn was bitter sweet. On one hand, it was the final step in the Rolfing 10 Series adventure that I began three months ago, the icing on the cake, if you will. (The final session’s goal was to smooth out the cumulative structural integration and manipulation Quinn had done the past 12 weeks. ) On the other, it meant that I would miss out on Quinn’s intuitive and thoughtful input on training and life, as well as the benefits that his body work had on my riding efficiency.
Mighty Mobile Bike Repair, the brain child of Gregg Stone, has been servicing bikes in the Truckee and North Lake Tahoe area for the past two years. Stone, a long time Tahoe resident who has over 20 years experience in the outdoor and bike industry, likes to say he’s been around so long he still remembers working on index shifting. Because 99% of his clients are locals, his daily service stops in his fully decked out mobile repair van are house or work site calls. He specializes in tune ups, wheel builds, and suspension service, all done at comparable prices with the local shops.
