Awesome! The pic, not the cs fluid....that's superbad news! Strange they let him leave the hospital later that day. Anyway, I love commenting on situations when I wasn't there. Just like how I give people parenting advice while not having children.

Since this discussion has gone off on a tangent (isn't that what the forum vs. yahoo email thread was for?!), those tools you firefighters use to cut people out of cars are f'n cool. Not just the jaws, but all those other big hydraulic saws and stuff. Not sure what they all are, but watching them pry open metal while we would lean into the automobiles to treat patients was rad. They'd give us these big fireproof blanket things to lay over the jagged spots and glass while we worked on trapped people. That's when it's handy to have 275 lb ex-linemen firefighters around too! Ah, the good ole days...

what a smile!

http://rob.nu/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Get_to_tha_Choppa_by_linkzone.jpg

@ William - ROFL!
@ Jeff - yeah; those tools always scared the shit out of me - insane power. There was one special torch (it's been 10+ years so forgive my memor) that was absurd; it was basically a solid fuel lance that you could ignite and burn through cement with... So if a slab of highway fell on you they could burn through it... Except it was so hot you basically had to erect a giant shield, and god help any human tissue it touched... It would be sublimated

Ah, good times...

While looking for Granogue photos from this weekend I came across this gem from 2009:

http://www.joemallis.com/Sports/Bicycle-Racing-Cyclocross-2009/Granogue-Cyclocross/9999000_rRdDW4#743385575_fJbjc-X2-LB

Granogue!!

Gem indeed!

Not sure which thread this belongs in....

http://paulchan.tumblr.com/post/11513104330/hardcore-biking

Got a free helicopter trip five years ago from the Col de la Cayolle to Nice after encountering some oil left on the road in the Alps, but Jeff is right. Don't fly in these if you can avoid it. They do crash harder than bikes.

back to granogue...

results are up on crossresults.com

Turns out I got 41st on Sunday. Not bad.

Granogue Day 1

Joined Whitey & Derek outside our hotel and after a bit of “valve core” panic we cruised to the local diner for a pancake & waffle breakfast.
From there we rode off in the pre-dawn light and promptly got lost like three times in row. The landscape we were riding through was so beautiful though, we didn’t really care. Low 50’s temperature, being lost, mildly anxious… none of us cared. The crisp air, spectacular fall colors and postcard perfect views had us all wishing we were on a four or five hour “long ride” instead of heading to a cross race.

We got our numbers, and applied our embrocation with a mixture of trepidation and enthusiasm. By the time we were done with all that we only had time for one pre-ride before the call up.

Whitey & I were about 7 rows back which put us about 40 people from the front. Jeff’s advice was great, “Attack up the left on the grass at the start”.

Attack I did and amazingly I found myself in the top 10 or 15 guys! I was super excited – I’m in it! About halfway through the first lap I made a small bobble on the second set of tree roots (if you raced day 1 you know the one I mean) and was more or less instantly clobbered by somebody from behind.

I managed to extract myself from under him and his bike and we both began running, while looking for a place to remount. This comedy went on for way too long (50m?) before someone heckled, “It’s a bike race guys!” and we both remounted. I figure 20 people easily had passed us, and I was absolutely shaking with all the adrenaline.

The next couple of laps were really hard; I was all out of breath from the crash-excitement and I botched a remount in front of my darling wife & kids who were camped with stroller & cowbells shouting “go daddy go!”. In fact I hit my Achilles with my own pedal so hard I briefly considered pulling out and claiming injury… things got better though – I was crushing guys on the flats and I eventually caught up with Rich on the final grassy stretch before the straightaway.

I had some guy on my tail by then and even though Rich was shouting things like “Go past! You deserve it!” I was having fun egging him on (you can always go faster when someone is screaming at you, right?) and besides, I wasn’t confident enough in my ability to pass without also letting my chaser through.

Rich hit the last barrier with his “Kung Fu Dismount” and somehow in the scuffle the guy behind me got between me & Rich and started hitting me with his chainring trying to make a hole.

“Words” were exchanged and as he shot through ahead of me and I actually (ashamed to say) swung my entire bike like a cudgel at him. This put me on the “back foot” as they say but I had plenty enough rage to chase.

Rich (perhaps because of his awesome Kung Fu skillz) was was way ahead of us both – but the jerk” was about 20m ahead of me as we hit the final paved strip. In full raging form I chased him down and passed him by several bike lengths – finishing 21st.

As we decelerated we had some more “words”. I believe he said something like “Learn to transition” to which I replied “Learn to pedal harder”

The story would end there except for the Crash later on in Eric’s field that ended his race; there was a big pileup at the start and one guy was knocked out cold. Lisa (an ER doctor) ran to assist and eventually the guy was evacuated by helicopter. When we finally put 2 & 2 together it turned out that the “race doctor” Lisa had been helping was none other than…. You guessed it, the chainring swinging jerk.

We're famous!

http://nyvelocity.com/gallery/image/6511?page=32

Granogue Day 2

Back to our “local” diner for breakfast where our waitress wore a t-shirt that read across the back “I’ll be with you in a minute sweetheart”

We had another spectacular ride through the fall colors & crisp air back to the Dupont estate where we pinned our new numbers and applied embrocation. Derek showed his “hazmat” skills by deftly wrapping one glove inside the other to avoid getting any embro on his hands, whereas Whitey declared with panic, “I’ve breached containment!” as he removed both gloves and discovered a dollop of embrocation on his palm. We all had a good laugh until he declared, “Oh Sweet Jesus, I’ve got an order of operations problem…” We looked on in amazement as he brandished his chamois cream, indicating he forgot to apply it. (Note to self: ask Jeffif racing with embro in his pants is as effective as racing with anger in his belly)

I made a quick detour to the port-a-let where I discovered that Bobke-style Jeff had pinned my skinsuit to my thermal undershirt – I had to do some impressive multi-dimensional yoga to get the job done.

As we waited for the call-up some poor kid flopped over sideways and smashed his break lever – a collective groan came from the crowd; DNF’d before he’d even started. Poor guy.

We started about the same distance from the front (40th?) but this time around I wasn’t as strong on the initial attack up the side. Day two was a different course – much less technical and much more suited to a strong rider – lots of Big Power sections and long straightaways. There were two big pileups in the first ½ mile – both on the left –
I did some fancy bike handling and made it by both of them.

I was extra cautious on the first lap; my goal was a clean, hard race. I lost a ton of places at the 180 degree turn after the run-up (If you raced it, you know which one) but soon after that was the roadway section and I was crushing guys – passing them like they were standing still.

I somehow thought that it would be – like Saturday – a 4 lap race so on lap 3 I really caned it only to hear to my distress “two more laps!”

I caught up with Patrick on the third lap and when we hit the roadway I shouted “get on!” as I passed him and we ROARED up the straightaway passing guys left & right.
On the fourth lap I hit the straightaway like a madman and some guy got on my wheel which was just the motivation I needed; I jumped out of the saddle and gapped him as hard as I could, then swung over to detach him from whatever draft might be left; he cracked and was never seen from again.

Last lap is pretty fuzzy; I played cat & mouse with 2 other guys, got taken to school with one other guy in the final turn and hit the final straightaway neck & neck with one guy. We drag raced for the line & he won by half a wheel.

15th Place

Pictures:

http://nyvelocity.com/gallery/image/6507?page=8
http://nyvelocity.com/gallery/image/6507?page=12
http://nyvelocity.com/gallery/image/6511?page=8
http://nyvelocity.com/gallery/image/6511?page=12
http://nyvelocity.com/gallery/image/6511?page=13
http://nyvelocity.com/gallery/image/6511?page=32

here are some pics of me from Granogue, Stoke and Strika from Town Hall, and some hecklers.

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/sredir?uname=bkim24&target=ALBUM&id=5664981722133236241&authkey=Gv1sRgCLSfp4Sln6rcfQ&feat=email

mp: you are looking extremely buff and studly. carry on, good sir!

ds: how can i be as slim as you when i'm your age? my dad is quite fat. please inform. - mystified in manhattan

Great report, Jules! Fond memories from last year, sorry I missed it.

This race doctor was a pediatrician? I think your ER doc wife trumps him....just like you did!

Eloy still rocking the glasses. Nice.

@ JO; many thanks - was a metric ton of fun.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4qG_zbLw-o&feature=youtube_gdata_player

For those who want to re-live Saturdays excitement...

Group shot from Whirly Bird:

On the extremely remote chance that any other Kissena members were intending to race this Friday's "Darkness at 909" Night Mountain Bike Time trial, I thought Id mention that I'll be heading up there at about 1:00 PM this Friday (leaving from my work around Union Square in Manhattan) and returning to Brooklyn that night after the race (probably about 10:00 PM). I have room in my car for two riders and their bikes. Please contact me directly at neilxross@yahoo.com or at 917-579-6580 if you need a ride.

not going, but that's an awesome spot

greg donovan and i went squirrel hunting there recently

seriously . . .

stop laughing

have fun, neil!

Still laughing

Due to the overwhelming response I should clarify that the race is actuually Saturday night not Friday. Duh.

As for you, WDC, in the words of Granny Clampett from the Beverly Hillbillies: "How do you like yer possum, fallin' off the bones tender or with a little fight left in it?"
See, for example, the following at 3:17: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31IL-5ZMjjQ

Nosson - do you mean Ronde Van Mullica on Sunday April 1st ?
https://www.bikereg.com/Net/15652

I am not going - but just wanted to confirm for the rest of the club.

I'm up for going to the 1/2/3 race

How erly are u going to get there I need a ride?

My race starts at 755

prob at 9

anyone planing on racing the 4s?