JB's Adventure Blog: June 2005

Erin and I are almost ready for our house guests, Hunter is starting to throw me some tough workouts and the trails are reaching perfect conditions.

The Chainswas are a buzz with exitement, there are some super swank secret underground routes lined up for the 10 smack down in the Burg. The letters of intent are pretty funny, you can see them on the Shenandoah mtb clubs website.

Here she comes ready or not. 30hrs of incredible adventures close to 30,000ft of climbing and endless suffering.
It should be fun showing Chris Bekus Native of the Baltic republic..... I mean Uh Baltimore the home training grounds!

Gorgiouse trails await.

Choi Bella:
Jeremiah

posted by Jeremiah Bishop # 7:15 AM 0 comments

World Cup Wonder.

Wow. a place on the podium there would be nice some day, I guess I will have to wait for the next chance.

I was having a stellar ride at Mt Saint Anne on Saturday untill half way through the race when I punctured, I was in FOURTH PLACE!!!!!!!!!!!! . Everything seemed to be going like clock work, I was fighting for position with the top riders in the World. I snuck past Roule Pauleson at the top of the highest point on rooted slick, techi course he cursed me for slipping past but I meant no harm I was just in the zone. I sliped past liam and started to put a small gap on the trio that included Jeff Kabush. I was now only 30 seconds back from Sauser Kassekoff and Craig, just a lap ago I was 1:10 back, amazing!

PSSSSSSSSSSSSS. Oh no . I had a flat. I reached for the big air and all I grabed was big air. It fell off of my seat post some how! Luckily I was riding right past pitt area full of parts and wheels, surely someone would help me, I was in real podium contention! Nothing, nope, nada... I felt like a beginner racer at Mc Eldon again with a broken bike. Humbling to think how fragil the perfect race can be, the wining result is more elusive than you can imagine.

I allmost cried as I counted the places pass me. I ran the up hills and squirmed the down hills to the main feedzone and pitt.
There I begged for help. The crowd would only lend me strange looks. I asked if someone would at least let me use a floor pump. In the past 3k I was only passed by 10 racers.
I felt like I was getting heat stroke as I pumped the tire with a loose floor pump in the sun. It was so hot. I got back on and some how chased back on to 18th only to flat again. I put in another tube and got back on the horse. Wells was having a bad day and so was Kashi Leuchs. I passed both of them and rode with a charging Sam Chultz to finish 28th some how.

I guess the bright side is my previous best finish at Mt Saint Anne is like 26th so I have broked through to a new level, one where finishing on the podium at a World Cup on a good day is really possible.

Thanks to Steve Hoover for keeping me thinking about the positives on the drive home, John Rourke, Elka and the mechanics of Subaru Gary Fisher for their hospitality, Rock Shox John Dawson for putting me on a Reba for the race (It was wicked fast on this course) And Hunter for putting my metal to the pedal!

See at TOUR DE BURG!

Jeremiah Bishop

(for more info on the 10th Year of magic and mayhem at le Tour check out mtntouring.com)

posted by Jeremiah Bishop # 8:47 AM 2 comments

6th place again!

YEAH, I rode well this weekend but I knew I have the fittness for a podium in one of the weekends events.

I was telling my buddy from france Sim; One of the toughest things to do in cycling is putting together your away game. He felt like crap racing here at the tour of Shenandoah and just this weekend saw the Tiaa Creff boys suffering at a race in France that he expected they would control, so I guess what I am saying is I have it but I didn't deliver it, It is an art for sure.

I had a decent attempt at it here in Deer valley UT finishing 6th in the stage race and tie for my best short track at 7th. So not bad all in all. I am excited to get another crack at it next weekend at MT. Saint Anne. Here comes the World Cup.

Peace fool.

JB

posted by Jeremiah Bishop # 10:26 PM 0 comments

Kashi comes home.

I wasn't too surprised that Kashi Leuchs came out on top today, it was here that he broke onto the scene with his 1st big win 5 years ago. JHK had a good run but came up just short to finish 2nd. Big Bird was 3rd Kabush sporting his new maple leaf kit was 4th and Craig finished just ahead of me.

I ended up 6th in the xc. If it wasn't for some wicked cramps I would shurly have been podium. Rats. Racing here at 7000+ feet can be strange. You feel like it's a brisk but tolerable pace and some time the reality comes crashing in on you. Hydration is also a big key to sustaining up here, I shure could have done better with that part. Oh yeah, I crashed in the uphill bobsled hill climb on my super modified 13lbs funny bike. Apparently you should allways use a non ramped single speed cog. According to Elke Brutsaert it was a great crash, she has seen alot of them so it must have been good. I definitly won the big air comp for the hill climb. Oh well. 33rd would have to do. John, you will be glad to know your bike wasn't injured in this incident.

Sue pushed out a solid 3rd to keep the lead going in the series. Good stuff.

Eatough toughed out a solid 11th at the marathon World Cup in Quebec. Liam won.

Props and congratulations to Dylan and Jill Johnson, happy wedding day! I wish I could have been there, Erin said it was a good time.

Better luck tomorrow I hope. I really would love to get on that short track podium.

See ya.

Jeremiah

posted by Jeremiah Bishop # 9:36 PM 2 comments

Parked in Park city

A long travel day.

Travel day all day. I missed my flight and then got routed thru LAX as punishment!. A little streching but other than that just a brisk 10 walk of the terminals and some dynamic flexibility and yoga. A little streching makes a big difference on the fly days, it's definitly worth the strange looks you get from by standards.. . Bryan Fawley and I talked about the race and kept each other company in travel.

By 11:30 I was finaly parked, thankfully.

Yesterday Tristin and I (he races for trek/vw mid west) pre rode the course after I got done working to build the world's lightest mountain bike. The course is really fun.. despite a few rock pits it is fairly smooth single track and has got some good flow. I would like to win it. Man it feels cool just to say that with the possability it can happen.
SWEET>

I have to call Greg Stephan he lives in salt lake. He's pretty cool for a lawyer.

Tonight is the bobsled hill climb. That is why I build the Black Stag. I show it too you soon. It's like 14 lbs! Bryan picked up and said "That is the coolest thing I'v ever seen in my life." I may not winn but the reactions alone are worth all the work its been!

Lata

JB

posted by Jeremiah Bishop # 9:29 AM 0 comments

Mohican 100. Oh ..........115

Worked, smoked, hammered, steamed, fried, baked, shelled. We cyclist have alot of ways to describe how we feel after a trying race but as I stared at my front hub I was at a loss for what words would describe the feeling. Due to a misdirection during the race I ended up logging a few extra miles, for my all time longest distance mtb race and ride! Sweet! I think. ..At the time it sucked royal rotten eggs.

My friend and partner for the drive Bryan Fawley was second so as brother Kyle Dixon would say we brought home the groceries!

A great challenge I will be reflecting on for weeks.

Tell ya more about it tomorrow. ..I am tired...

Later dudes: Jeremiah

posted by Jeremiah Bishop # 11:48 AM 0 comments

MOHICAN 100. Ohio

I am getting ready for my first 100 Miles of Mountain Bike Maddness.
I usually do the Shenandoah 100 in Sept. but with Worlds being the same day it's not looking good.

So here goes.

I will keep you posted I will have a GPS onboard and you can follow my progress as I race around the map page on this website!!

April fools . That would be sweet ehhh?

Later man.

Jeremiah.

posted by Jeremiah Bishop # 7:26 AM 0 comments

Excitment at the Teva games but no mtb race??

Hey peeps.
After yesterdays snow caused the cancelation of our cross country mountain bike race the promoters decided to give us something to do so they added a mtb class to the vail pass hill climb. Martini got schooled by 40 year old dude with knobbie tires. I won and Brian Smith got 2nd so not bad.

Other goings on included;
The Trek VW "we wish we where mtn biking" trainer jamm session.
I found out Nat Ross stole a steam roller when he was a kid and went on a rampage.
The rocky mountain mechanic got arrested for nudity at the a Everest awards.
Jonathan Mobily from VW gave rap ledgend hump de hump a ride home while he was making out with a roller durby harlet.
Hung with Fred from Velo news a little, he raced the kill climb and he told me that Vannilla Gurrilla was on Mike Closers winning adventure race team. WoW what a nick name. Dave Wiens is who he was refering to.

Here is Martini (Nick Martin, Trek/VW rocky mtn team) for a few words about the odd weekend:

Well the homme that took me to school was supposedly on a mtb w/ knobs... I mean come on.... I guess physics don't count here at altitude in Vail. I am hoping that it was a mistake in timing/results but if it is true I would personally like to meet this mystery man from Breckenridge and shake his hand. Oh yeah, and I am going on a diet. What does a brother have to do, I quit my job, sleep like a bear, eat power gel and pb sandwitches, take my vitamins, buy that stupid ti bolt kit, and get taken to school by some "old man power", boy I feel great about myself!

Alright my selfless plug, I am starting a mtb lifestlye diary page about what it like to be at the back of a pro field as a struggling pro, surfing couches, working your way up, and loving the singletrack lifestyle. It isn't up yet but check it out in a month for my daily stories at www.ridewithnickmartin.com. I am taking my camera and computer to the back of the pack and let you know what JB's backside looks like as he is dropping my skinny white tan-lined booty. Apparantly after this weekend I have my work cut out for me. Best of Rides.
JB sums up the weekend with these final words, "There was a lot of stuff that went down this weekend.... just no mountain biking. Hmmm weird". Oh yeah and by the way the Rocky Mtn Team is taking donations to get their Mechanic out of Jail in Vail, bond is $600 and anything is appreciated! Shep's Mom misses him!

Reporting from the Teva Mtn Games Vail CO. Where the beer flows like wine.

Jeremiah and Company.

posted by Jeremiah Bishop # 6:48 PM 0 comments

The 10th TOUR DE BURG, here she comes!