Cannondale holds its annual dealer's meeting on local trails

It's been a busy month, but wanted to update you on what's going on. After returning from the BC7 Bike Race in Canada late Saturday night last week, I headed up to Salt Lake City, UT for the annual Cannondale Sales meeting. ParkRecord.com summed it up pretty good. These are always great meetings and we get to see all the latest products. I will try and put together a story later this week and also post the BC7 report.
Ciao,
Tinker

Cannondale holds its annual dealer's meeting on local trails
Jason Strykowski, Of the Record staff
Article Launched: 07/11/2008 04:25:51 PM MDT

After hosting the International Mountain Bicycling Association and the National Mountain Bike Series, Park City continues to cement its reputation as a premier cycling destination with a visit from American bike manufacturer Cannondale which began earlier this week and should wrap this weekend.

Cannondale, a specialty bike builder based in Connecticut, brought virtually its entire workforce as well as 250 bikes to Park City. The company also invited several hundred dealers from throughout the United States. This conference marks Cannondale's largest gathering of the year and its biggest opportunity to demonstrate its newest products.

In many respects, the meeting most resembles an auto show in which manufacturers parade the latest designs in front of an audience of businessmen who make noises of pleasure or displeasure after each spec is mentioned. Bikes are introduced with video preludes and Cannondale personnel even go so far as to analyze the buying trends common to the purchasers of each bike. Some bike buyers are known to be avid drinkers of Diet Coke, for instance, while others repeatedly shave its legs.

Cannondale dealers see these products in continuous sessions that last from around 8 a.m. until the early afternoon. Following theses sessions, both dealers and Cannondale employees hit the trails around Park City. To test, and comment, on the new year's models. For Cannondale employees, this is a unique opportunity to both see the fruits of its labors and to discuss what changes might best fit the bike for next year. Many of the employees look forward to these rides all year.

Many of the decisions that influence which bikes ultimately wind up in stores are made on trail. Virtually every model in Cannondale's production line was on display and loan near Prospector Square for dealers to test ride. Cannondale even hired the services of White Pine Touring to both ferry cyclists and to lead rides on the local trails.

Although Cannondale has held its get-together in other locales, Bill Rudell, director of marketing, said that Park City is probably his favorite venue for the event. Park City, he continued, allows Cannondale clients and personnel to go on trail and road rides difficult enough to really gain an appreciation of its products. He wants people to ride by the Cannondale motto and "feel it" while testing its bikes.

Dealers felt its rides in the mountain trails surrounding the Rail Trail and on a long road loop out of Park City and through Kimball Junction. To promote its road bikes, Cannondale brought in team professional road cyclist Ivan Basso while Tinker Juarez, professional mountain biker, went on the mountain bike trails. Dealers seemed to gravitate toward its personal styles of riding as they took demo bikes onto the roads and trails.

The newest bike that people tested Cannondale's week long foray into Park City was its new commuter model, "the Quick." In response to high gasoline prices, commuter bikes are quickly gaining a larger piece of the bike market. The Quick, which hits bike stores soon, is available in several different models varying in price from around $500 to $1,500. The premium carbon model, in some respects, could be the substitute for an expensive car as it integrates high-end design aspects borrowed from automakers as well as expensive components. This extremely light carbon model is designed specifically to appeal to people who have an established sense of style and income to match. Less expensive versions will not look as sleek, but still perform comfortably as commuter bikes.

Cannondale also introduced a completely new line of full-suspension mountain bikes called "Rize." The full-carbon-framed bike is mostly notable for its front suspension, a "Lefty" fork that integrates a technology called "PBR." Built as a response to other bikes that place suspension control on handlebars, the Push Button Remote fork places a button at the very top of the fork reachable to cyclists while riding. A single push of the button can lock out or release the shock so that a rider can control the amount of travel in its suspension without having to step off the bike.

Doug Dalton, product tester for Cannondale for 11 years and Park City resident for four years, was an instrumental part of bringing both Cannondale and the IMBA to Park City. "The infrastructure is perfect," he said. "Above all else, it's just the trails."

Of course, for more information about Cannondale bikes - VISIT THE WEBSITE OR YOUR LOCAL CANNONDALE DEALER!

BC7 Day 2: Lake Cowichan to Port Alberni

Mitchell and Tinker closed the gap a little and finished the 127km flat course in 4:30:53 in 5th place. The two will continue their mission today in Stage 3 - an 80km course that starts at 8:00AM.

Tinker said,"Mitchell was going strong today. It was a good day for him but I started feeling it a little in the rolling hilly part at the end. We lost a couple of minutes when I made a wrong turn and Mitchell passed me. I think he thought I was still ahead of him and he rolled across the line. I barely made the team cut off time behind him! A seven day stage race is a long race and you never know what can happen. We plan to continue closing the gap."

Tinker said the MonaVieCannondale team camp set up is great and he is enjoying the race.

See team photos on Jason Sager's blog: Click here or www.monaviecannondale.com.

BC7 Day 1

It was a rough day for Tinker and Mitchell today. From the grass getting stuck in the drive train, multiple flats, and bodies revolting, the day can be summed up as one of the worst.

But teammates Jason Sager and Bart Gillespi are wearing the leaders jerseys!

See team photos on Jason Sager's blog: Click here or www.monaviecannondale.com.

Cylingnews.com story here: Mona Vie Cannondale wins opening stage.

Velonews.com story here: Team Mona Vie Cannondale. dubbed Team Daddy, takes the lead in British Columbia.

BC 7 Mountain Bike Stage Race

MonaVieCannondale.com will be posting updates all week long so check it out on the website: www.MonaVieCannondale.com

I will post my journey when I return!

Keep the rubber side down,

Tinker

Gone riding

I will be at the BC 7 all week next week but wanted to post a note that when I come back I hope someone will want to buy my Super 6 posted on my Garage and Swag Shop. Email me at dtinkerj at aol.com if you are seriously interested. I will negotiate the price on this new bike.

Ciao,

Tinker

Shopping Bags Going Green....or pink or black

What a great way to contribute a small part to sustaining our environment and the future of our children. Check out these new bags a friend of ours makes. You can order one too, just check out her webstite. She can design new designs for you, too.

Handmade by Kristen www.cookingwiththefamily.com

These reusable shopping bags are just the right size and hold two gallons of milk. I was a little skeptical at first, especially since Terri sent me to the store with the pink ones, but they are great! And I am OK enough with my manhood that carrying a pink bag is no problem for me!!

24 Hours of Big Bear, WV 2008 - Tinker's Race Experience

Photo credit: Gwadzilla.blogspot.com

There is a lot that goes into getting prepared for a 24 hour race. Of course, there is the training, eating the right foods, getting enough rest, and everything else that adds up to just the right balance of events and preparations for doing well. Add into that, all those things that you don't expect or necessarily want to happen, and sometimes it screws everything up but I think this time that part of it was minimal and I was ready. Minus some rest I think I could have used more of, but it all turned out OK anyway.

Here is an account of my race preparations and race. The blog entry today gave the end of the story away early.

We started packing early in the week. I got my bike ready and it was packed by Tuesday. Traveling with the family is tough and we have done enough of these now that at least if we start packing early, it helps a lot. We headed to the airport early on Thursday morning and planned to spend some time with Terri's mom and her family who live near Pittsburgh. So of course I had to post some family photos for them!!

Joshua chowing down on pre-race watermelon. Yummy!


L to R: Joshua, Lena the Italian cooking machine, and Aunt Pauline enjoying home cooking.


Mom Rachael.

Debbie, Terri and Joshua

Terri and Joshua hung out with her family and arrived at the race on Saturday afternoon. I went to the hotel one night early and got some good quiet sleep in the hotel. Or at least, that was the plan.

East coast time is tough to get used to. You loose 3 hours and hit the sack early only to find yourself staring at the ceiling for hours, and then the screaming alarm wakes you up at what feels like an ungodly hour early. Get there as early as possible and do not ever count in the travel day as a rest day. I know it is really difficult to do add in the extra days, but well worth it if you can.

I picked my 2008 Cannondale Taurine. The bike I want to ride at the 24 Hour Solo World Championship to defend my title. I just got it so I wanted to make sure the bugs were all worked out and I was comfortable with it. Well it worked great, but turned out to be the WRONG bike for the grueling WV terrain. It beat the hell out of me. My a** hurt the most.

I got a great run at the start. I was on the bike I think 3rd into the woods and kept up there with the fast team guys. One thing I kept thinking about was if I was rested enough, and in that heat and that pace, I realized I wasn't but I tried my best to not think about it and instead focused on riding consistently for every lap. Keep riding the best I could since it was such a difficult course and it was tough finding good lines to minimize the energy output. The laps seemed so long. But I guess I was consistent enough. It definitely put pressure on me when I realized that after so many laps, there were 4 of us within minutes apart. And then in the morning Ernesto caught me at the pit. I saw him in the pit and I know this is the most brilliant thing I could think of at the time but the best I could do was utter..."Are you in my race?" Maybe, "Oh, Good Morning! Glad to see you are doing so well!" would have been better, but I was beat!!

During the race, I was most worried about the night since the day hurt so bad, but my Niterider light system lit it all up so good, I did not have a thing to worry about. And the night was short, so before I knew it, the sun was up and I had a breakfast burrito that Steve made for me waiting for me at the pit.

It was so close. There was no time to spend in the pit. There was no putting a gap on them. There was nothing I could do to put some time on them. At one point I had about 20 minutes but then Ernesto put in some amazing lap times - an excellent effort and he should be comended for working so hard.

I was working just as hard.

Now, after so many hours, it was time to find out who had what in their tank left. I tried to put some time on and ended up with a fast lap and built up a little gap. Then the next was a little more. I turned it on and realized, and was relieved, that I had a little more in the tank than he did. That was the turning point and my chance to win the race. There was no way there would be any rest in this race. The top guys - Me, Ernesto, Jesse, Steve, and Jimmy got top 5 in that order. I just want to say these guys kicked it up and it was a lot of fun and an honor to race with them.

Thank God the weather was so nice.

Jesse Jakomait finishing the race.


Robbie Loehr and his Dad Steve Loehr.


Robbie - he did a real professional support for me. Here is my bike after the race ready to pack. Thank you Robbie.


Joshua and me all wiped out after the race at the Awards Ceremony. Notice the big letters on the box behind me. And wouldn't you know I will mail my card this week!


So now the race is over but I am still feeling the effects. There is a certain blanket of relaxation that happens. The recovery ride is the best - just a short easy ride. But I do not know what came over me today and I went for the mountains and rode just over 4 hours.

It burned.

It felt good.

I hope I will be ready for BC7 in just a few short weeks.

Is that it?

The Hot and Muddy 24 Hours of Big Bear, WV

A few photos that tell 1000 words. And a huge THANK YOU to my sponsors - especially Niterider, Cytosport, and CannondaleMonaVie and Robbie and his dad Steve and their friends for race support and all the help and good nutrition. I could not have won this race without you. I am working on the story that I will post later - it always takes me a while before it is readable.

Here is the cyclingnews.com story, brief results, and photos. Yep - it was one of the toughest 24 hour races I can remember. The competition was excellent and that made it a lot of fun. Congratulations to everyone that raced even if they did not finish. It was brutal.

One more thing - my friend, colleage, and competion in this race, Sal Rubial, was out there. Sal is a writer for USA Today and interviewed me for the 1996 and 2000 Olympics - a super nice guy and great writer. He won his age group and finished top 10 over all in the men's solo division. Congratulations Sal!!! I guess that Volvo gear had good karma!! Thank you for years of support.

Cheers,

Tinker

24 Hours of Big Bear News

I think I am flattered!
:-)
Check out the news article on the Granny Gear race this weekend.
What's Old is New: Suzuki 24 Hour Points Series Returns to its Roots
Hope to see you out there!
Tinker

Custom painted MonaVie Cannondale UVEX helmet

I'm no professional photographer so these photos do not do this custom painted helmet the justice it deserves but I wanted to share it with you. This is one of the best helmet painters I have ever met. Check it out - fantastic work on my Uvex.
Tinker



Painting by Nick Tsokalas Designs
Tel: 770-614-0396
This is one of my all time favorite custom helmets I have ever had - even better then the Klein days!

8000 feet of climing at the Traverse

This is one of those races I have been searching for - a local race with tons of climbing.

Perfect to get me ready for Big Bear 24 hours in WV this weekend. OC you did well.

I've been training hard doing a lot of climbing and I wanted to see how my fitness was before the 24 hours at Big Bear WV and what better to do on a Saturday doing tons of climbing in a 40+ mile race. May 17, 2008.

It was hot.
Real hot.
It was dusty.
There was lots of fire road climbing.
There was beautiful scenery.
Perfect.

It gave me a flash of preparing for something like La Ruta - where you just go out and train real hard climbing as much as you think could ever climb for almost 4 hours.

The scenery was so nice - we rode above Lake Elsinore - like 5000 feet above the lake. I would recommend this race to anyone and look forward to going back for a few more. I want to bring the wife and baby so they can get a ride in too. But the race promoter did such a great job with excellent sag stops and a feast afterward. Check out www.warriorsocity.org for more information. They always have a charity to benefit so you feel really good helping someone else that needs it.

And one thing is for sure - MANY THANKS to pontony Rick who could not make it and he gave me his entry for the race that was already full. Oh and I won the race less than 3 minutes from the record (not really sure about this but that is what someone told me.) I'll try to beat it next time.

We are heading to WV on Thursday for my first 24 hours this year. I usually get at least one in by now but it didn't work out this time. I am really looking forward to the race - my first time at this historical race but Cannondale had their sales meeting there last year and when I saw it I knew I wanted to go back. So when I saw this race advertized, I jumped on it. Will post a race report as soon as I can next week. Supposed to be about 50 solo riders and some good competition.

Got to go get my beauty sleep now!

Tinker
:-)

The good old days - Durango, CO NORBA

Someone found this blast from the past. Maybe 1997?



Notice all the spectators. What happened to the press and race coverage since then?

Cruising the Conejo for 100 miles

I don't know what comes over me but every time I get a number put on my bike and no matter where it is or how long the ride but I can't help but race it. This fun ride for charity was no exception! Cannondale helped support the 24th Annual Cruisin the Conjeo 2008 bike festival in Newbury Park, CA on May 10th. We had a demo truck at registration at the Newbury Park Bicycle Shop Friday evening and I brought the family to hang out with me. It was busy!

Saturday morning the ride started early and I rolled out with about 1200 other riders. Some were there for the race like me, some for fun, some for exercise, and some to prove to themselves they could ride 100 miles, or 65 mile, or 21 miles. But everyone was there because they love to ride their bicycle. That is why I love these events! It is so great to see such a passion for cycling in everyone. It makes me proud to be a part of it.

Just want to thank the Boy Scouts of America for providing lunch and the rest of the sponsors for all the goodies. Next year, I highly recommend heading over to this event - it was a beautiful ride with perfect weather.

Peace and out for now,
Tinker

Race Report - Dirt Sweat & Gears May 3, 2008

Racing 12 hours in the hilly Tennessee wilderness was beautiful and tough. I did 11 laps on the 10.5 mile course being chased the whole time by Sobe Cannondale's Brandon Draugelis. I was able to hold him off and won the race but he kept me racing hard the whole time. We both finished with the same number of laps. It was definitely hard work.

I flew in Friday and met up with my grown son David Jr. who arrived late in the evening. It was raining so hard that evening and the forecast called for rain to continue into the morning and that is exactly what happened. We headed to the track too early for a good breakfast and I was tired and anxious about the track conditions. But when the rain stopped and the track dried up a little, it wasn't so bad at all and was fun to race on.

I was tired at the start of the race and I knew when I had a chance to be on the front and I was riding decent, it was my chance to get a gap. It was important to think that the others were having the same issues since the mud was clogging up everything and it was a sloppy mudfest. Chains were breaking, it was sippery, and mud was everywhere. I had my hardtail Cannondale Taurine which I knew would be better in those conditions so it worked out good for me. But, I was nervous since I only had one bike and I had to stop at the pit to de-mud every chance I had. The conditions got better as the race went on and it got easier to keep the Taurine clean and running good.

There was a time when I had a decent gap on Brandon, Josh Tostado and Nat Ross. Josh and Nat beat me last year and I knew if I could get a gap and race consistently, I might have a chance for redemption. Everyone had mechanicals but I got so lucky. Last year I got 2 flats on the first lap. This year I didn't have any mechanicals and the advantage. I didn't feel great but kept consistent. I heard Brandon had made a mistake and the promoter had him correct it so some of the time he had made up, evened us out. I saw where the mistake was and it was understandable and admirable the promoters had him correct it insead of a DQ.

I ended up putting on my Niterider lights a little early and got two good night laps in. The extra weight was not an issue with these lights since they are so light so I did not mind racing 2 laps without needing to have them on. They are the best lightweight batteries and brightest lights I've ever used.

Steve from Dalton Bicycle Works in GA was there again with me this year and did so awesome. He was on top of everything and gave me good updates between laps. Also, he worked on my bike and kept it perfect. Just wanted to THANK YOU Steve for all your awesome help.

Well, the time went by too fast and I didn't get much opportunity to hang out with David Jr. He helped me out and it was great to see him cheering me on from the sideline and hearing him call me dad. I am so proud of him and look forward to his visit to CA soon. We plan to do some riding together.

Just want to thank DS&G once again for one of the most fun races of the season and an awsome venue. This is one of my favorites and I am already looking forward to returning next year to defend my title!

Peace,

Tinker

**************************

MonaVieCannondale.com

Joshua's Sponsors

He does not talk much but he sure has a lot to say and now he has two new sponsors!!!




Joshua would like to sincerely thank iBert and Strider Sports for providing fun new riding equipment!

We want to thank iBert for the kid's bike seat! We are having so much fun with it and now we have the Cannondale set up perfect. We put on a riser bar but couldn't use the Lefty so we tried out another kind. It works great! Joshua sits up front so the ride is much more fun and he gets to watch what Daddy and Mommy see, it is interactive, we can talk and enjoy the whole experience so much more than towing around a trailer. Thank you iBert! (Disclaimer - Mom and Dad NEVER leave the parking lot without a helmet...and neither should you!)

If you want to purchase one of the iBert SafeT seats you can get it on line at On Your Mark Performance: Click Here for iBert

At dinner, we met Ryan McFarland who told us about his new creation - the Strider...which is a small children's bike without pedals called a running bike. It is perfect for leaning to balance, steer, and build confidence and control! Joshua loves it and it matches the Mona Vie paint job on my Cannondale! Check them out at http://www.stridersports.com/ or ryan@stridersports.com and if you want to buy one - tell them you found out about it on my blog. I like to think this blog helps all the sponsors!

Thanks so much,

Tinker, Terri & Joshua

Sea Otter 2008 Wrap Up

I got a couple of great photos at Sea Otter and am finally getting around to posting them. Sorry it took so long. I also wanted to say a little about my incredibly inspirational teamate Jamie Whitmore.



First I just want to say that Jamie is a super human. She was out there in the wind and cold weather with us supporting the team. She did not complain once - and it had only been about 2 weeks since she got out of the hospital from having a tumor removed from her hip. Her plan is to be back on the bike by August and I think she will do it. Here is a great photo of Jamie and her husband at the race. J amie - God Bless and keep up the amazing progress. I look forward to racing with you later this year.


Here am I with my son Joshua after the race. I finished 11th out of about 80...not bad for not planning!

And if I did not already tell you how much fun I am having riding for the MonaVieCannondale.com team - then I don't know what but it is a great season so far. I've got a few more posts to do tonight since I have been taking a break on blogging so I'll make this one short but for sure it is a great team and I am proud to be a part of it.

Peace,

Tinker

Busy weekend for Mona Vie Cannondale Team

Cannondale Global News story on the weekend results from our team! Click HERE.

Also - Check out the story on www.monaviecannondale.com

Busy now...my story later...

Gone riding,

Tinker

Mona Vie Cannondale Team Kick-Off at Sea Otter Classic 2008!!

I headed up to the Sea Otter Classic on Thursday and took the family for a relaxing no-race weekend. See, I just got back from Singapore on Monday last week and that kind of jet lag always takes me at least a week to get over. So we were just planning to have fun! Well - that idea was quickly forgotten about once I got there and everyone was having such a great time and the whole team was getting ready for their races.

So, naturally, I signed up for the X-country race on Sunday!

And we did have fun.

Mona Vie Cannondale was there with Cannondale, Mona Vie, and the Sobe team to kick off the new 2008 race teams. We had a really impressive and really big booth right next to the award stage and Cannondale was there with the best and brightest to help us out and demo the 2008 bikes. It was beautiful!

I like the new team:
Me
Blake Harlan
Thomas Spannring
Bart Gilliespie
Bryan Alders
Jason Sager
Leana Gerrard
Matt Ohran
Jamie Whitmore
Sue Butler
Mitchell Peterson
Bigfoot

Check out the riders and bios on the Mona Vie Cannondale web page.

They are young guns and it is good to be a part of a team again. These are very talented athletes and it is great to be able to see all them do so well. This really was the perfect venue for the team kick-off. I was really impressed that we did so well in semi-pro and pro-XC and all the rest of the stuff going on -- Cannondale had a lot of folks on that podium and in top 10!

Jason Sagar and I are the veterns of the bunch. I have been with a lot of good talent before, and it is really an honor and pleasure to be racing with him and the rest of the team. Being part of it gives me motivation to give it everything I can to do well and bring in the best result for the team. I am proud to be a teammate!

So - the weekend was real windy and cold on Saturday but Sunday turned out sunny and nice. I'm glad since I signed up for this impromptu race - it would have been a real bummer if the weather turned. But it ended up being really nice and a fast course. When I was down at registration I chatted with Dave Wings - he signed up too. Ned Overend said he was racing. Someone said this was a 'return of the legends' race! I was looking forward to racing these guys. It has been a while and that made it all the more fun! It was nice having everyone on the start line like in the past.

I started off feeling a lot better than I thought I would. It was a bit more stressful on the start line - knowing I had not prepared for this race like I normally would have and then knowing who all was there - over 80 racers on the start line. But I handled it and maybe even better than in the past. As I get older, I still feel that pre race feeling but it seemed like I found my position a little easier once we got going and I felt good.

The track wasn't bad - bumpy, sandy, and dusty, but I rode it well. I could have used a Kenda Karma on the back instead of a semi-slick. But a lot of the track was tight fast singletrack and it was tough getting good traction. Anytime I stood up to push power into the ride I noticed some slipping.

It seemed like only a few minutes and I realized the race was almost over - it had been just over 2 hours...a really short one for me! I had been trying to catch a Japanese rider on a 29er for most of the second lap. I whaled up the last climb at the end and closed the gap and tried to pass. It was a sprint to the finish ...er... rather as much of a sprint that I had left! We both finished with the same time - he was less than a bike length over first so I got 11th.

If we were racing at altitude, I know Ned and Dave would have dropped me fast. I don't remember thinking about where they were, but I knew they were there. Guess once you are on the line you don't think about it much - you just do your best. I got a good start and I could see ahead of me and knew it wasn't them. And I felt good and gave it what I had trying to finish top ten.

So later that day someone asked me why I didn't warm up. Well, I never warmed up even back in the '90s. My feeling is what is the difference? What is it going to do for me? If it won't help me finish faster. Maybe it will help my legs feel better at first but that first lap is a hard effort and they are going to feel it anyway. I guess I just don't think it helps me place any better. But that is what I do and I do not recommend this to everyone - you need to figure out what works best for you.

Jason has a few photos on his FREE SAGER photo stream and this computer decided to run a virus scan so I'm over and out for now....

Peace,
Tinker

Bike Asia 2008

Just got back from a really great trip to Singapore for BikeAsia and the 100K MTB race. It was a great experience to meet such nice people - warm and gentle and just my size! I think there is a bright future for the athletes there - and I raced a lot about half my age. It was fun racing and it showed the talent of the folks there. It is so nice to see the upcoming talent. It keeps me motivated and one thing I strive for is to make an impact and hopefully motivate them to keep on trying. I know dreams do come true.

Here is a shot of rolling into the start/finish and a couple action and podium photos from the blogs below. Even though the promoters stopped the race due to lightning was a great race and I won! I was heading into lap #9 of 10 and was told to stop. It was pouring rain and lightning so they made the call for safety reasons.



Oh - it was great to meet Sophia Loren!!! If you don't know who she is - you're either very young or do not have access to technology! She is a mega movie star and is still a jaw dropping beautiful woman at 73. It was an honor and pleasure to hold her hand and talk with her!

I am so flattered by the hospitality and generosity from everyone. I hope my appearance there at the show and the race helped out a lot.

What was so cool about it is that so many of the people - fans - that have followed my career from way back in the BMX days through Volvo and now. They brought me so many perfect shaped articles, jerseys, whatever for me to sign. It was really impressive.

One thing before I close this brief report is that the Cannondale rep and shop owner "Crazy Chris Bray" was a great host. He took really good care of me. Thank you Chris! I can't wait to come back next year.


So now I'm off to Sea Otter Classic in Monterrey, CA this weekend with the family and just for fun. We are kicking off the MonaVieCannondale.com team! Join us for breakfast the Mona Vie Cannondale way on Saturday morning at the Mona Vie booth!

Peace and God Bless,

Tinker

PS -

I got a few emails from some of the people I met and they sent photos but one sent me this note on one of my blog posts and I for sure wanted to share the photos and stories! Check it out:

Hi Tinker,

This is Ling, one of the Dirtfolks from DirTraction whom you met during your trip to Singapore.Thought you'd like to catch a glimpse of some of the photos taken of the race and especially of you on the Tampines track.The links should be up on the DirTraction website shortly ( http://www.dirtraction.com/) but here's a sneak preview from my blog : http://lingthemerciless.blogspot.com/)...Also, Ming (the moustacho guy whom you met on Sunday night) wrote something on his blog as well : http://mingloid.blogspot.com/Hope you enjoyed yourself while you were in Singapore!

Cheers,

Ling

Sophia Lauren & me in the same article!

Wow - I cannot believe I am in an article with Sophia Lauren! I even got a photograph with her!



News about the Singapore bike show and me and Sophia!

2008 Sponsors

I am one of the luckiest people on the planet.

As I prepared to write up a short announcement of my 2008 sponsors, I sat back in my chair for a minute to think. I was pondering the last 35 seasons of racing bikes and wondering if it has really been that many years, or am I hallucinating, or did I dream it all?? Then I get up and go into the room where I have the pool table and some of the awards, momentos, photos, trophys, and magazines I've kept over the years and I remember---oh yeah! I did do that and I am still doing it!!!!

It has been a fantastic dream come true.

And one thing is for certain. I could not have accomplished so much without the support from all the sponosors. From the very deepest part of my heart, I want to thank them all. I want to thank every single company that believed in me and sponsored me and continue to sponsor me. I also want to thank them for giving me a lifetime of memories. I hope I did my part to make it worth it for you.

I am very happy to announce the following 2008 Sponsors:

Cannondale
Mona Vie
Diadora
Kenda
Exustar
ODI
iBert
Kocina Welding

Crankbrothers
Fizik
Magura
Niterider
Reynolds
Solo Tequila
Stan's
Team Bigfoot
Tifosi Optics
Tuhle
Uvex
Sram
USE

Thank you.

Tinker

NMBS Fountain Hills Marathon 2008 Race Coverage

Crampfest in the Desert
That is no joke.
It was nice in the morning but it got hot and I did not drink enough water. Nat went through 13 bottles! And I was wishing I could have his backwash.


Here is the story on Cyclingnews.com: Crampfest in the Desert

Team MonaVieCannondale.com 2008 Roster Announced

It is going to be a great year.

I'm proud to announce the 2008 MonaVieCannondale.com Mountain Bike Team!! Check out the release and 2008 roster on the bikeradar.com website: Team MonaVieCannondale.com 2008 Roster Annnounced.

We have a great new slogan "Epic racing around the world" and that pretty much sums up what we do - and do well. The team will hold the official media presentation and announcement at the Sea Otter Classic in Monterrey, CA April 17-20, 2008.

I'm proud to be a part of a team full of talented and super nice people.

Cheers for a great year!!

Tinker....and Tinker!

Kenda's Signature Tinker Dred Tred Tire Review

Nice!

Check it out ==> MTBR.com Dred Tred Review

Tinker's Training Camp 2008

A couple of days ago, I finally got back on line with a high speed connection. I have to admit I am really spoiled now and even though I did dial in a couple of times to check email, I just can't wait to download photos or wait for applications to down load or anything! So, I'm back in the blogging business now and ready to fire down some good news and have fun with the internet again!

12 Hours of Temecula

So, I called this entry "Tinker's Training Camp" because I wanted to summarize a bit about what I've been up to for the last three months. I've been training a lot, mostly in the San Gabrial Mountains both on the mountain bike and road bike. I've taken the family over to our new favorite camp ground - East Shore RV Park at the Bonelli Park in San Dimas. We love it there!

We like to get the spots with the view of lake Puddingstone and the San Gabrial Mountains and with all the snow up on Mount Baldy, it has been super special... spring time in California has been different than it has been in a long time. We had a lot of rain and now we probably have the best spring wildflower season in many years. It is really beautiful - and overgrown! The singletrack and local trails are tough to ride and I feel like I'm in a jungle out there! I saw a few rattle snakes lately, too. So I'm posting a couple of what I am calling my "training camp" - photos - not much with the riding but what we have with the family.

And, after spending so much time at San Dimas, we are thinking we would like to have a 12 or 24 hour MTB races there some time soon. I'd really like to start doing a couple of events here in SoCal. It is nice doing local races and not having to travel across the country or across the planet. I love it but boy it is a lot more convenient to race locally! And I need to start some where so might as well be close to home sweet home!

What else happened? Oh - I turned 47 in March and I don't feel any older than I did in February, but it is weird saying that I am 47! F-O-U-R-T-Y S-E-V-E-N. Damn. That feels good to say and I am ready for a great season! Does not feel much different than 27 except I am not so cute any more! :-D But at least my wife loves me just the way I am.

I am getting ready for a ride and photo shoot tomorrow morning with the Cannondale crew that includes Bill Rudell and Matt Orhan. We're going to get some photos with the new Mona Vie team apparal and riding gear. We will kick off the new Mona Vie team at Sea Otter so this is some prep for that event. I have been waiting anxiously for 5 months for this and am so happy to FINALLY get the season started!! The new team is full of talented athletes and I am proud to be a part of them. I'll save all the details for the team on another entry and hopefully I can post some photos then, too.

OK - so what else have I been up to for the last few months....

Besides spending tons of quality time with the family, I've been training really hard. After Australia, I came back home and tried to focus on what was ahead of me for the 2008 season. I was really disappointed about my finish there so I've been putting in a lot of miles - on and off road and trying to get my head on for this season which will be tough. I've focused more on spending time on the mountain bike climbing like a goat and putting in a lot of hours and miles. I've even been taking the family to the local hills and I pull Joshua in the bike trailer - don't need rocks in a back pack when you have a 30 pound child in a 60 pound trailer! I feel that this has been a big help and I hope to see improvement in my climbing and results.

Last year I had so much going on, the move, all the races, all the traveling, the baby, and settling in, it was a lot going on and distracted me. I poured over all this during all the miles lately and really want to have a great season this year. With a postive outlook on what is going on personally, Cannondale's new owners, and excellent sponsors again this year, it helps me feel extra focused on having a great season!

Next week, I'm heading to Singapore for Bike Asia - a marathon race - and the bike show. I will try and post my Australia race report this week and some photos from tomorrow. I will also have Matt work on my website and post the new schedule and sponsor list. I've missed blogging so much and I'm really sorry for not keeping up with it. But for now, here are a few recent random photos and a thanks to everyone for stopping by my blog.

Cheers,

Tinker and the Juarez family

Internet problems

Dangnabbit....can't get anything done since I've been having internet problems. Promise to get it fixed soon and start posting again.

Tinker

PS - Australia was great! But I got a stick thru my tire in the last bit of the race. More on that soon...

Change in Schedule

Wow - can't believe it's already the middle of February and the 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo is this weekend. So, here was the situation. When the race organizers in Australia contacted me to come race at the Otway Odessey next weekend, I said GREAT! Count me in! So we made plans, they booked the flight, and when i realized I had to be on a plane on Monday - the day after the OP race, I had to make a decision. Unfortunately, I decided it would be way too much to try and race 24 hours and drive home on Sunday after the race - an 8 hour drive from OP. I'm sorry to say I'll have to pass on it this year and it really bums me out, since I love that race so much. It's a fantastic venue, great prize money, awesome turn out and overall one of the best 24 hour races I've been to. For those folks attending - have fun!!!
See you next year at the 10 year anniversary
Tinker

12 Hours of Temecula Quick Race Report

Just a quick note to say thanks to the 12 Hours of Temecula race promoter, the volunteers, the athletes and spectators, and my crew that came out to what turned out to be a perfect day for a race. The track was super fast and fun and the weather held out. It was great! I found out in the morning that I won! After I finished I went to rest before the award ceremony and ended up falling asleep fast. I didn't know I was that tired...sorry about that.

I got to race my new 2008 Cannondal Carbon Scapel and all I got to say about that is it was so awesome! What a beautiful bike. So smooth and fast. Perfect for a fast trail like Temecula.

Also thanks very much to Niterider! They were there with their truck and lighting up the night for me and a bunch of other folks! I tried out the new TriNewt and it was super bright and very light.

Photos taken by my friend Vic Armijo.

Peace,
Tinker