The BEST of 2008

As far as racing goes, the best racing is USGP racin and the tops of their events is Louisville. The course is laid out on an old golf course, you got Super Fan, 5 sand pits, jez, I can't wait for next year.

Car. nope. its this thing. The KIA SOUL bon jovi's got two of em ordered already.

Beer, that so easy its... EBB, you'll get it. think hard. Its simple and what you would called honest. The guy builds the bar, oven, brews the beer, throws the dough and brings good fortune to Philly. THANK YOU. The Terra Fume will be missed, as I've heard he is one and done with his brews.

My favorite sculptures. Fills the my eyes and the air, fueling my imagination.

Well it might not be 2008 for all but these are the choices for me. Two movies... Joe Strummer: The Future is Unwrittenand this one snuck up on me but is just as important. Check out "Tom Dowd & the Language of Music"Best Music, well for local in the national Big sounding it would be the Modern Mothers I'm never a look backer, I just need more new music, a couple of things for ya Royal City and I don't know, just listen to it all. Thats it for now, I am POOPED. Here's to 2009, CHEERs! dlowe

Kaboom!

It only goes to show ya that its fun and quality that makes a good product. Take the Tussle at the Trestle. Just enough space to have fun, and just enough fun to make all that frickin' time on the trainer and the SBP and the drives rides worth it all. Its fun to race, and I didn't blow chunks
but after my big breakfast at Mi Lah I was worried. This time of year I've got Udon noddle legs, but a horseradish heart. So I got my ass kicked with a smile, took Warrens Line for a win. Nipped Drew to not be DFL and Won a cap and some chain lube. The cap, let me tell ya, is really nice. I wore it to the airport to pick up my friend George and the cops let me sit in the PU lane and listen to the Eagle's game in peace. I wore it to bed and had the best dreams. Stevie Nicks had soft warm hands and rubbed the knots outta my tired racin' legs. For riding I need the Elmer Fudd version, that has the flaps that come down and cover my jug handle ears. Cheers, dlowe

3/4 backlight

A little cold snap has settled in, and I'm already restless. Got out to Belmont. It was perfect. My ride was very satisfying. Why? It was cold, so I had to dress accordingly. Check. I did. Second. The trails were empty, all my own. Thirdly. I love my bike like John Cougar loves his high school girlfriend that he took to the prom. Fourth. For no good reason, I was riding my bike. Onward. Mt. Airy. Nice nitch. We live in this big city of Philadelphia, and Mt. Airy is the snow ball that we throw at Santa. We might not have class but we've got heart and personality. Its no Manayunk, yeah, its way better. The food is better, the waiters are better and the BEER is the best.

Boulder, its gotten me through a lot. I need the help. I usually learn by breaking things, my bones, bike parts. I don't mind stepping on toes, but I kinda don't hold a grudge, and I'm fair. ..sorta.. because. so for some of you, I know its a little too much, but try to understand. Just put it on your MP3 player and let it play. Ride with it. cheers. dlowe

BEZ

I got a nice 2.5 hr. road ride in today. Chilly 28 degrees. Not to bad. Just listened to music, drank from my slushy water bottle trying to finish it before it froze solid. Mostly I just pedaled and was lucky enough to be able to let my mind go blank. A tough task for me. Tomorrow I hope to get out in the elements on my single speed mountain bike. I plan to go ride the Belmont trails. I like riding in the woods in the winter. I don't mind the cold. I'll stop during the ride just to listen to the wind in the trees. The winter is a good time to ride Belmont, lots of stuff to find, lots of history under the trails. An amusement park, the trolley, a gravity railroad. and the overgrown brush of summer is dead. Once in a while you'll run into a west philly cowboy, a dead body, burned out cars, and a new trail with good flow. Road rides usually start or start at La Columbe, with Belmont I get my coffee fix from the Centennial Cafe, a cool old structure left over from the 1876 centennial fair.

If it rains. I'm loading up my MP3 player with the Happy Mondays and its to the gym.

standing on the center of the teeter totter

Never trust me, this music does not grow. It glows. Its one of my favorite albums, listen and tell me what it says to you. I don't know anything about this band. I love this album.

ASS!

I just got back from a long chilly road ride, lots of wind, some nice tunes to listen to on my MP3 player, and some nice time to think. Some of my teammates are down in Reston racing, for most its their last race of the year. A few are going to nationals to race.

I enjoy racing but its such a small part of why I ride. Maybe racing is just an excuse; that after a long road ride with friends I can sit and bullshit about winning some meaningless sprint. Going to the shop to consider some newer lighter, blinging bike parts. To share beers and stand around like big headed gladiators, after a tough day of racing in the mud. Cross is different than other types of bike racing. There are no freds in cross, no sitting in, no Rock Racin' attitude. Proportionally a "C" rider suffers just as much, or more than the elite "A" racer. There is no hiding from the suffering.
I don't see my season as over, I just love to ride, and racing is just a little aspect of it. I can't stay off my bike, or bikes. I like putting the time in on the trainer, going to the gym, long walks on the beach holding hands.... oops, wrong post. Anyone want to ride? Cheers dlowe

Karma to Burn

Trying a few new things out. Old music goes down on the lower right side of the page. New look for the blog, I'm just going through some changes, hmm I think I found a bit of Travis Bickle in me, maybe I need to be more like the Reverend Jim Ignatowski. oh yeah heres some new music, not great for a sunny morning, but real good for playing after the sun is down and you've turned to the hard stuff. Still working on the mp3 player thing, this one is OK, but clunky, hard to edit, and I can't figure out how to add the album art. Cheers. dl

A New Bean

JK of Revoution Wheel Works gave me some of his fresh roasted coffee beans yesterday. I love coffee. Look for his Revolution Roasted Coffee Beans soon, or pester him with some emails to get yourself some. Its a good strong smooth coffee.

CHEERS! dlowe

The Thanksgiving break

Thanksgiving and cross come together at the perfect time! It's that time of the season where everyone is thinking about the end, that last push towards the off season. We're all tired, motivation might be starting to leave some of us. Teammates who don't race cross are starting to talk next year strategy, "shut up, I just want to sleep in on saturday after a long forgetful friday night." But there's hope! Thanksgiving provides the perfect platform to do the two things cyclists love to do, eat and sleep. Just look at the day. Most of us will be getting up early and meeting friends for some sort of ride which we kick their asses because even though we think life sucks we're still in really awesome shape. Then after the ride we go to someone's house and eat our faces off. The best part is it is totally acceptable to fall asleep because of our tryptophan high. So live up this holiday to it's fullest potential. Mooch off your family and let them do all the work so you can rest and finish out the season on a high note! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

I am what I drink

Chub legs, I had them. They are not good legs for racing. They go right from your hip bones to your toe nails. This weekend I discovered you are what you drink. The best post race recovery beer is PBR light. Simple can, same flavor, lighter taste. Good for getting out of you chamy, and getting your shoes off. Back into your street clothes, and throw a few in you cool cross team jacket and head out to watch the other races. I call PBR lights "racers". If your going to drink while you race, watch out for the officials, you don't want to get DQ'ed, and grab a PBR for your drink of choice. As far as pre-race night drink, by all means always avoid the Golden Monkey. If you do race the next day, take the tires off and just ride on the rims. Well, this past weekend, after the nice drive out to the Hamptons I grabbed myself an Old Chub for my pre-race carbobeer loading. Big Mistake. It really hit the spot. Every muscle fiber in my legs must of had a hangover the next day. Well my head throbbed some and I had to do the 3 cups of coffee and 3 aspirins thing for breakfast. I didn't feel so bad after my dry toast. I was back to myself by race time. I thought. Well, the official blew the whistle and we all pee-weed play housed it and were off to the races. Another good start, but, as much as I tried, little gears, mashing, standing, whatever, no pop, shit... CHUB LEGS. Now I know why the racers in France stay away from the ladies before a race. Listen, and listen good, stick to PBR, Sapporo and noodles, a nice local fresh brew pub beer and flat bread, but by all means Avoid the chub. Unless of course its the night before a holiday ride.

Big Dork

slivovitz

Got out riding in the light snow squalls. I love riding. I went to Belmont and tried to forget about dealing with the Biggest Dork, and a bunch of internal, frustrating, make no sense anger. I saw a big rock, and I thought, that looks like a nice rock. I tried to ride some wheelies. I did some sprints. I still had the Dork on my mind. hmmmm. I going to put a curse on the Dork, something mild, like a bad case of diarrhea. Here's how I'm going to make it work. I got a sugar cube, put a dot of nutella on it, poured a shot of slivovitz, swallowed the cube, hit the shot. The slivovitz attacks the sugar cube, the spirit is let loose and is free-ed with a belch and off on its way to the Dork. also I Emailed the Diarrhea Bear to Dork. cheers to my friends, oh what the hell, here's a shot for you all. dlowe

oubliette

George and the big tooth.


Its the time of year, we are well into cross, and the luster is gone. This weeks USGP in Trenton was a fulcrum. It rained hard, and there was lots of mud, so it meant running. Plodding along, pushing, pedaling so slow, only a few seconds of speed on the bike. Something happened to me. It made me love cross more. Maybe I just felt lucky to be on my bike so soon, seeing that it had been only two weeks since breaking two ribs and puncturing a lung. Maybe it was the mundane, simplistic, dumb way of suffering. At some point during my second day of racing I noticed the footsteps of the rider ahead of me pulling away. Two feet, five, ten, moving away. I had already drifted back some in my placing, I was comfortable in my suffering, but something happened. I guess that's why I love cross. I stared at those feet, I picked up my pace, I caught that rider and battled to the end. I passed him and one more in the finale mud bog, both slid out in the last corner, one to the right and one to the left, with a small 2" gap down the center, and I rode that thin line. Onto the cement and across the line for 11th place. Its absurd, but again I feel the yearning to race. On to the Hamptons I go! The absurdity of it all.

Fall Wind

LAND OF TALK

Todays selection of music carries like the temperature of cool fall wind. Dense and Moody, full of hidden noise, trees bending, guitars and a nice, some how ungentle, voice.

!

Ines Rosale's Sweet Olive Oil tortas

Some things about riding a bike are so obvious, that sometimes you miss 'em. Drink very good coffee. I am lucky enough to have a La Colombe just across the river from me. I go for the Corsica. Dark and mellow, rich, but by no means bitter or sour. Eat NUTELLA on everything. and finally, one that's more of a special treat. Rosale's sweet olive oil tortas. I had my first tortas a few years ago during a trip to Spain. I was hooked after my first bite. I stocked up at the local Spanish market and brought as many as I could back with me. Hording them for special mornings, to have with coffee.

After going through all of them, I hopped on the computer and found a place LA TIENDA I could order them from, and read about their interesting history. There are some shops that sell them in the Philly area, so keep your eyes open for them.

Mmmm. I slather the nutella on my torta, pour a cup of Joe, and enjoy. I look out my front window, its gray, damp and chilly, and frickin' I AM READY TO RIDE! cheers, dlowe

Of Montreal

This album plays like the Saturday mornings I remember as a Kid. Waking up, eating a big bowl of coco-puffs while watching cartoons.

Then disappearing outside all day, having dirt clod fights, riding 3 wheeled wagons over jumps, and catching things on fire. Its theatrical, and sort of disco-ish, and rocks like CopRock did.

Slip, ouch!

Well just got home from a night in the Hospital. What happened? , you ask. Did you trip carrying your large mug of beer? Maybe to much Headbanging to that dumb stoner rock you listen to? No, no. I fell on my bike. Not off my bike, but on to it. On my second lap of the Fairhill race, going over the cement wall, my shoes slipped on the mud covered cement. My feet went out from underneath me and my bike tried to catch me, seeing it does not have arms it didn't do the best job, and I plowed my ribs into the nose of the saddle. UMPH! Knocked the air out of me, but like all good amateur racers with nothing at stake, I hopped back on the bike and finished the race. Still a real fun race. Went out to a fun Halloween party as Gandhi, tried to MTB Sunday morning, did some yard work in the afternoon, and by Monday morning I figured out that maybe something was wrong. Went to the Hospital, two broken ribs and a real small hole in the lung. Spent the night for observations. A few mild painkillers and I'm ready to race. Shit, not quite. maybe next weekend with a note from my bike saying I won't crash. Oh well see you, in 4-5 weeks.
The shop sent out two tough guys to keep an eye on me, and make sure that I stay off of my bike.Cheers, dlowe.

SIGH todays music for you

Moody, fast, chilly breeze of an album. It's time to open the flu and put some logs on the fire. The clocks are getting knocked back, so it means riding in the darkness. I'm locked and loaded, a little lit, and ready for the second half of the cross season.

'tucky blue grass

Two days of USGP in Louisville, Me, Chad and Nick. Day one. I had a big beer, and then I came in 8th. Meet super fan,

who gave me a PBR. Day two, after some discussion, it was agreed that at the start of my race, I was going to move up from my 4th row starting position, and go to the front of the race. The gun went.
By the time we left the pavement onto the cement, I was sitting in 4th, behind a team of three. Two blocking and one slowly pulling away. Then the leader's bike (and him) flipped upside down, and he stock-car-ed it, I went off the front. Yeah, Me! I finished 14th, nuf. Made lots o' ZOOM, PBR shout outs from fans along the course. Later we played some beach volley ball in the sand pit, the Kona team and me kicked, Nick, Chad, Tim Johnson, and J. Powers team's ass. It was really funny when Trebon spiked the ball off of Chad for the match point. Poor Chad has a big contusion on his arm, he should be OK by the Fairhill race.


Nick's & Chad's compiled "Quotes" of the weekend;

"All ghetto crossers in the back." Willy Elliston after realizing him and Steevo were the only racers with clinchers.

"Don't waste the Highlife!" D. Lowe telling Chad that he shouldn't add Highlife to the crap Double I.P.A. they bought from Bluegrass Brewing Company.

"Another sweet tea sir?" our Mexican waiter asking Dave if he wanted another 32oz mug of beer

"God this beer is awful , but it f's your brain up" - In response to a sip of Bluegrass Brewing Homewrecker double IPA

"That is the best Pro team Jerseys out there" - Dude telling me he thought HZ/PBR pro team jersies were the best.

We felt PBR love from everyone! So many locals befriended us just because of PBR. It was great. Can't wait for the next big race weekend!



dlowe, nick and chad.

That is a hematoma (or how many times can you crash in one race?)

That is not my leg.

But I feel like by the time I wake up from last nights ER shift, It might.

Raced whirlybird today. Raced B. Felt like i was having a pretty charmed season so far, and was ready to have another good race.

The start went well, was in the first 1/3, came into the little downhill section before you turned up and into a set of barriers 180 degrees, when I was sliding on my ass downhill. this did not hurt, but I lost a few spots.

Held it on the second lap, then rolling through an innocuous section, I was on my ass again, but slid sideways, right on to my left hip. this hurt. Slowly got back on to bike, wtched 8 people pass me cause it hurt to pedal, then got going again. Was chasing hard to gt back on, carried speed into a fallaway turn when I was down again. Hard. On the hip I just fell on. Got wind knocked out of me. Down. Wasn't moving. Then Thor (Louis S.) found me, grabbed my bike, put the chain back on, yelled "get up you pussy"...so I pedaled off...slowly..

You get the drift. A total disaster. I fell another 3 times, for a total of six crashes. In one race.

I fell on turns

I crashed in the circle of death

I crashed twice on straightaways.

Like Ricky Bobby says, Rubbin' is Racin

Thats the beauty of cross...theres always next week. See ya at fair hill....If I can walk I will ride.

The Pain Face

Some might say, I am a handsome man. Some might even say, I am so pretty its a curse. Trust me they do.

However there is one time when I lose all my prettiness, cyclocross racing. My race face is twisted like a contortionist from Circus du Soleil. I don't do this on purpose. I don't practice making funny faces while riding my bike. It just happens.

Racing this weekend at Granogue and Wissahickon was no exception. 

To the left is a picture of me leaving for my high school prom.  Handsome, I know.

Below is picture of me recovering 3 days after cyclocross racing this weekend.

Music for Now

well I listen to lots of music, so I'll try to get some interesting music up here, on a regular basis, for you to check out. Today's band is Absentee cheers.

dlowe

Erik and Nick rocking the PBR

Wissahickon Rockin'

and a bunch of photos....

Erik Mithcell earned his upgrade points, to full fledge Cylcocross Rock star. Cross is about the fans, the biffs on the barriers, crashing at full speed, being able to run and jump onto your bike, the BEER, and thank god the brief chance to live like a rock star. Earlier in the day today Erik did the B-race, did well, but it was not enough for him. As we sat under the HZ tent, me cracking a PBR, eating a veggie burger, I tried to convince him to join me. He would not! His intentions, to race the elite race.
The elite race soon started, I heard the roar come up towards the tent. A blast of air, dust, and a blur of eyes popping out of their head faces went quickly by. Chad, Nick and Erik were in there, with the fastest cross racers in America. I got my tired ass out of my chair and made it to the barriers run-up, after 5 or 6 laps I knew it was time. I saw Anthony and I knew he had deep pockets, I made my way to him and asked for a PBR, he dug in and pulled out a cold one. I went back to the run-up, and waited for Erik. He rounded the corner and was on his way. I leaned into the course tape, holding the PBR out, his eye caught the can, he shoulder his bike, cleared the barriers, and grabbed the beer.
Holding it high, while running, he took a good belt. Everyone was yelling, he sprayed the air, and dumped it on his head, drank the rest, jumped on his bike and was back off racing. Thus earning him an automatic upgrade to cyclocross rock star. On behalf of the entire HZ/PBR cross team, congratulations Erik.

Granogue, Dali, Wright bros. Cross

During the first lap of the Granogue cyclocross race, as the large pack of CYCLOCROSS RACERS headed around the back of the water tower, dust filled the air. The dry ground created a very fine mist. I took it in. I thought," I really want to remember this sight", these men churning up the soil. Old men racing bicycles. Riding road bikes in dirt with knobby tires. Yeah it all makes perfect sense.

I've spent so many hours riding my bike, working hard, just like all of you. Today made all the hard work worth it. People sometimes ask, if you could meet anybody who would it be? or if you could go back in time what time would you go to? Never had an answer, till today. I would want to meet the Wright brothers, ride one of their beautiful bikes.

and I would of loved to see the expression on his face when he landed the plane.
tomorrow Wissahickon's Ludwig Corner Cross race. cheers. dl