Tinker's Cycling and News Blog

You're Invited! Bike & SUP Lifestyle Camp at Hotel Cinco February 23-27, 2012

2012-01-17T15:21:00.001-08:00

Please join me!!!

I'm working with the Hotel Cinco in beautiful Punta Mita, Mexico for what I hope is the first of many lifestyle camps.

Totally Tinker Juarez Bike Lifestyle Camp - Feb 23-27, 2012

There will be lots of organic healthy food, stand up paddle (SUP) activities, mountain biking, and hanging out to enjoy all that Hotel Cinco has to offer. Click the link for the camp schedule and more info. Call Hotel Cinco to make a reservation. There are only 12 spots, and we think it will fill up fast.

To reserve, contact Hotel Cinco:

Toll-Free US and Canada: 866-628-2693
In Mexico: 01-329-291-6857
Reservations email: reservations@cincopuntamita.com

http://cincopuntamita.com/2012/01/totally-tinker-juarez-bike-lifestyle-camp-feb-23-27-2012/

2011-12-25T20:29:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all! We put together a few photos to share of just a few highlights of the year. Enjoy!
Peace and blessings from the Juarez Family
Tinker, Joshua, and Terri

Create a free slideshow design

preview of 2012 race/event schedule

2011-12-21T19:37:00.000-08:00

I've been working on a schedule for next year. and got through September so far. It's filling up already and looks good. I want to focus on the NUE series, Leadville 100, and World and National Solo 24 hr races. Let me know if I missed anything.... I just wish I could fit in all of things I want to do.

Tinker

January 2012:

Jan. 21, Sat. 12 hours of Temecula,
Jan. 28, Sat. Sycamore Canyon Racer/Chaser San Diego

February 2012:

Feb. 23 to 26, San Sabastien Mexico training Camp at http://cincopuntamita.com/

March 2012:

Mar. 1, Triple crown # 1, XC Temecula
Mar. 10, US triple crown # 2, XC Bonelli Park
Mar. 24, Sat. Tripe crown series # 3, Fontana
Mar. 31-1 April 24 th Annual Keyesville Classic stage Races

April 2012:

April 7, Vision Quest
April 14, Julian Death March ultra endurance
April 21-22, Sea Otter Classic
April 28, NUE Cohutta 100 Tennessee or Whiskey off-road 50 miler AZ

May 2012:

May 19, NUE Syllamos Revenge Arkansas

June 2012:

June 2, 12 hours of Temecula
June 9-10 Hammerstein 24 hours jimmyboy Laguna Seca
June 16, NUE Lumberjack 100 Michigan or California State XC Champion Big Bear

July 2012:

July 14, Crusher in Tushar, Utah
July 21, NUE High Cascades Oregon
July 28, Butte 100 Montana

August 2012:

Aug. 4, NUE Pierre's hole 100 Wyoming
Aug. 11, Leadville 100 MTB Colorado
Aug. 19, NUE New Hampshire 100
Aug. 25, Kirkwood Lake Tahoe

September 2012:

Sept. 1, NUE point to point Park City
Sept. 15-16, World 24 Hour Solo Championship Canmore Alberta Canada
Sept. 19-21, Interbike
Sept 29-30, National 24 hours Colorado Spring.

Hey SoCal! Have fun in Temecula this weekend!!!

2011-11-10T22:35:00.000-08:00

:-) Sorry but I can't make it...I'll be in Chile this weekend. Bet Jason has some moola for you anyway!
Have fun!

Greeting Chile!

2011-11-08T19:45:00.000-08:00

Machines for the 24 Hours of Fury this weeknd

2011-11-03T19:37:00.000-07:00

It's been more than a year since I raced my last 24 hour race and since I had to miss the Nats, I've got to get it out of my system. So, I'll be heading to Phoenix this weekend with Ed Kocina to support me along with Grimey and the gang from The Bicycle Ranch. I'll be bringing my Cannondale Scalpel and the Flash for the event. I've got the whole new set up from Niterider to keep me lit up like a football field all night long. I am also racing on my new prototype 24SEVEN Kenda tires, which should be perfect for the AZ trails. I'm packed and ready! Time to get some sleep tonight.
See you there.
Tinker

Fix Uptown Now! Octoberfest Fundraiser TODAY in Uptown

2011-10-09T08:32:00.001-07:00

See you there!

This Sunday, October 9TH FIX UPTOWN NOW will be hosting a FUNdraiser at Fenix 5-4 on Greenleaf (next to Starbucks). A $20.00 donation to FUN will gain you entrance, a plate of German food and a pint of German beer. There will be plenty of live entertainment and the doors will be open from 12 noon to 12 midnight!

You can give us your donation at the door or through Paypal which is available on our website: fixuptownnow.com

Oktoberfest-FUN.jpg

SoCal 50 race coverages by Jens Raz on MTBracenews.com

2011-10-07T08:32:00.001-07:00

Good grief. No wonder so many people had a tough time with the heat. Triple digits?? That is why I went through so many bottles!! I concur with the mandatory snow cones plead!!

Thanks Jens for the awesome coverage!!

Tinker

SoCal Fat Tire Epic 50 Miler - Vail Lake, California

West Coast Marathon Championships

Written by: Jens Raz

Temecula is locally known for its wineries, churches and lifted trucks. One has quite a range of options when visiting here. As of the last couple of years mountain biking has been a premier reason to come to this north San Diego County city. The first weekend of October 2011 showcased some of its finest riding. Saturday the "SOCAL FAT TIRE EPIC 50 - WEST COAST MARATHON CHAMPIONSHIP" was put on by Jason and Heather Ranoa, while Sunday the Specialized Invitational US Cup and Team Big Bear XC California State Championships were being held at the Vail Lake trails.

The course consisted of 2 laps of 24 miles each with about 2,600' of climbing per lap. The first "Damn" climb was the longest by roughly 1.5 miles. The rest was littered with shorter and punchier ones. Temperatures were another challenge altogether, reaching 108 degrees by mid morning.

If the course doesn't seem tough, the competition sure was. Tinker Juarez (Cannondale), the juggernaut who is known for his ability to race in the heat was one of the leading candidates for victory. Nate Whitman (Herbalife24) coming of a strong showing at last months Leadville with a time of 7hrs and 6minutes and his team mate Gerry Cody (Herbalife24) who stomped Leadville in 10th place with 6hrs and 51 minutes besting the likes of Tinker and Carl Decker came for one purpose only. The "Rat Pack" challenging for the win were future Pro mountain biker Joel Titius (Corona Composite Cycling Team), John Hornbeck(Simple Green /Bike Religion), Allan LaFromboise (Don's Bicycles) and Daniel Munoz (Cyclery USA) who all rounded out the contending youths.

Could the Herbalife24 duo beat Tinker?

Nate's perspective went as follows:

"At the start, the group rolled out at a fairly controlled pace, with Gerry Cody and Tinker dictating the pace. I took a few turns at the front to stretch it out slightly so that there would be less chance of a pile-up at the first hard uphand left turn. about 8-10 riders were able to hold the pace initially, but as soon as we hit the base of the first real climb on course, it separated out pretty quickly. Tinker and Cody were obviously the strongest. I was able to just hang on to their wheel through the entire first big climbing section. Behind me, John Hornbeck and Joel Titius were wavering but almost hanging on, about 10 to 20 seconds back.

When we started into the first twisting singletrack section, it looked like we might have a group of 3 with Tinker and Gerry and myself. But my lack of course knowledge caused me to pop off those two. they both know the course really well and are great bike handlers. I had not raced at Vail Lake in over 5 years. A few untimely bobbles and I was riding by myself 1 minute back.

From that point, a small wash out on my part and two forks in the course with no sign markings allowed Hornbeck and Titius to come back to me. From there, we rode together for a sizable chunk of the first lap. I was very impressed with Titus. He is a high school senior and was state champ in the NICA league. This was his first pro race. He knew the course really well and helped us keep a good pace through the singletrack. Up ahead, I could see Gerry leading Tinker on some of the switchbacks where the course doubled over itself, and I knew they would go head to head for the win, unless something weird happened. We were not going to catch them.

Chasing behind, the three of us traded places leading and following several times. Hornbeck misjudged a roller and jammed his chain shifting. He disappeared at that point. Titius and I decided to work together for a while, with him leading on the descents and me taking bigger pulls on the flats and longer uphill drags. We rode in tandem the rest of the entire first 24-mile lap and made time. At this point, the temperature was really skyrocketing. We later heard it was 107 degrees in some places on course. Those that managed the heat and hydrated properly got some big gaps on that didn't.

With nobody in sight behind, Titius and I rolled through the start finish to start the second lap. I think the heat and early effort got to Joel in his first big race. I never attacked hard, but after getting fresh bottles, I felt a second wave of energy and picked up my effort. He slowly drifted off my wheel, and I rode the remainder of the second lap completely solo. I was able to avoid losing more time on the leaders, and stretch my gap to those behind. After having seen the course on round 1, I handled some of the technical sections more smoothly.

I continued to see the dual between Cody and Tinker up the trail ahead in the fingers section of the lap. However, at one point, I saw that Tinker had created a gap and they were now separated with about 7 miles to go. I rode on to get 3rd, with teammate Gerry Cody taking 2nd behind Tinker for the win. I was very happy with the result, to get on the podium with my teammate and training partner, just a step or two below the legend Tinker. Overall it was a great race and a good day."

The #1 challenger to Tinker, Gerry Cody (Herbalife25) had this to share of his battle with the Cannondale Predator:

The race began and the lead group found itself dicing it pretty quickly as we headed out of the park, and onto the dry dusty fire road. We hit "The Damn Climb" and as I suspected, Tinker went to the front and pressed the pace. I did my best to hang with him, and not long after we started climbing we were both left with our respective teammates just behind us 30 yards or so. I knew from previous experiences that Tinker is a beast both climbing and descending, so my plan was to ride and pace with him for as long as possible. It's nice knowing that the kind hearted warrior will still talk to you in the middle of a race. We took turns at the front, and made our way through the roller coaster single track. The temperatures climbed. In fact, a friend told me that temperatures on the back stretch were in the triple digits. The water in my bottles became hot. Countless squirts, and water dunks seemed useless. While climbing up one of the steep shoots, I missed a shift and threw my chain. Tinker cleared the climb, and I scrambled up the hill on foot. He looked back one last time, and that's when it was over. There was no chance of me catching him. I was cooked. He put it down, like the great cyclist he is, hard! I came in about 4 or 5 minutes after he did and went straight to the cold shower. I sat under the nozzle, still wearing my helmet, gloves, and even glasses. Sitting there, slowly cooling myself back to life,,,,with a big smile on my face! (Side note, Snow cones should be a must at any mountain bike race!)"

Results - Pro Men

1	Tinker	Jaurez	3:24:16.9
2	Gerry	Cody	3:29:46.2
3	Nate	Whitman	3:38:57.3
4	Allan	LaFromboise	3:45:33.5
5	Joel	Titius	3:53:16.3
6	R	Forem	3:59:49.8
7	Eric	Bierman	4:06:10.9
8	Jon	Hornbeck	4:08:04.5
9	Daniel	Munoz	4:08:06.1
10	Paul	Romero	4:16:15.1

The women's Pro race was won in a tight fight by pro triathlete and coach Lesley Patterson (Trek) over her prodigy Jessica Noyola (Focus Bicycles). Patterson took the glory by just over 2 seconds.

1	Leslie	Patterson	4:14:29.7
2	Jessica	Noyola	4:14:31.9
3	Karen	Lundgren	4:48:19.2

Racing aside, the benefits of racing at Vail Lake are the amenities. 2 pools, outside showers, warm food, snow cones multiple mechanical support (Bike Bling), the Racers and Chasers support tent and other family friendly activities to keep the better half and offspring happy for the 3.5-5 hours of suffering.

What is next? Check out www.12hrsofTemecula.com for the next weekends Singlespeed "Monster Mash", Super D and "Krosstober-fest" CX racing and more at Vail Lake!

Tour de Timor and the peace that begins with me

2011-10-07T06:50:00.000-07:00

Cannondale Scalpel 29er Full Suspension MTB

2011-10-05T09:59:00.001-07:00

Cannondale Scalpel 29er Full Suspension MTB

Ohhhh you gotta check this out.

Tour de Timor 2011 = An adventure of peace

2011-10-04T22:47:00.000-07:00

When I received the invitation to participate in a mountain bike stage race in the Indonesian country of Timor-Lest last year, they offered the most generous prize amount I have seen in my whole career. It was difficult to believe that anyone would offer $100,000 in prize money to come to Timor and race for peace and to promote good will in the country. Yeah, right, I thought. That was way too good to be true, and I didn't go but it was mostly because I also had other commitments here in the US and I soon forgot about it. Then this year, the promoter contacted me again, urging me to attend this amazing event, and showed me the press and publicity from the 2010 race and proof of the payout...of course this tantalizing hunk of change was appealing!! So I decided to do a good deed and not so much altruistically, headed to Timor for almost 3 weeks to visit with the President of Timor, participate in the country's peace ride, and race my mountain bike from September 11 to 16 on the roads exploring the entire country for 6 days, and roughed it in tents for four of them. I had to forego the National Marathon XC race and as it turned out, the much anticipated 24 Hour solo National race less than 2 weeks after I returned.

I contacted my good friend Chris Bray of Cannondale Cannasia, who was very excited about the opportunity to travel to the remote location to participate and support me and the race. Chris was nice enough to pack up tents, sleeping bags, mosquito nets, a battery powered fan, an extra Cannondale Scalpel, flashlights, and other assorted camping essentials. I couldn't have asked for a better team partner for the event and he spoiled me rotten. Neither one of us knew what we were up against, which turned out to be six days of brutal racing against some of the strongest mountain bikers and road cyclists from Australia and a handful of other athletes who didn't have to travel 23 hours. We had a great time and had one hell of an experience!

Entering the finish after stage 2

There is more to just racing than riding your bike as fast as you can. We learned a lot about the culture, the reasons the President of Timor put the event together, and witnessed the most spectacular support of mostly children cheering us on along the roads and especially when we entered the remote towns. We learned that there were so many children and elderly folks but not that many parents around because of the decades long independence struggle to separate from Indonesia which damaged infrastructure and displaced tens of thousands of citizens and tore apart families.

From Wikipedia: The President, José Manuel Ramos-Horta is the President of East Timor, the second since independence from Indonesia, taking office on 20 May 2007. He is a co-recipient of the 1996 Nobel Peace Prize and a former Prime Minister, having served from 2006 until his inauguration as President after winning the 2007 East Timorese presidential election.^[1] President Ramos-Horta suffered critical injuries in an assassination attempt in 2008. He has been instrumental in building the government infrastructure and peace within the new country. I thought he was such a great person and a role-model President. He was so happy to have us there and treated us like royalty in his simple Presidential home, which was sensible and comfortable.

He spends a lot of time building schools, churches, and communities to foster the peace and security for the people of Timor-Leste. He is definitely a special person and it was an honor to be invited to the the event, to be able to spend so much time with him, and to be a part of his peace mission. I will forever be grateful for this lifetime experience.

The race was amazing and very difficult. There were views of the volcanic mountain terrain, beautiful remote beaches, lush green tropical forest areas, and it was quite different than any other place I've been. The ocean and beaches were spectacular but we were warned about the saltwater crocodiles. The entire race was on the roads of Timor-Lest but we had to ride the mountain bikes because these were not paved and they were full of ruts and potholes. They were primitive and functioned mostly to serve as thoroughfares for travel but there were very few vehicles.

My bike was a stark contrast to the primitive surroundings. I raced my Carbon Cannondale Flash 26 with my new prototype 24SEVEN Kenda signature tires which was a perfect choice (they weigh only about 450g). There was no way a road bike or cyclocross bike would be useful in the duration of the race and we didn't need the extra bike Chris brought.

I had tough competition and managed to hold on to the King of the Mountain jersey for the first 3 days and finished in the top 5 for all the days except the last day when the leaders kept their overall finishes. By the way, I really really enjoyed racing with the Australians. They were such a nice group of people and we had great time. My overall finish was first place for my age group, second place for team, and fourth place overall. But the experience gained by participating and therefore helping the people of Timor was far more important than the awards. It was an amazing adventure.

Chris Bray of Cannasia

A monument outside the President's palace memorializing the assassination attempt

Children's Peace ride in Dilli on Saturday before the race

Chris Bray, President José Ramos-Horta , and me

A handshake with Mark Berrends the Race Director

Amazing Timorese rider who completed the entire event

Top leader group

And THANK YOU Timor-Leste for an amazing lifetime experience!

The green and orange stuff on my gloves

2011-10-02T21:27:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately, I had to make a really tough decision to miss the 24 hours of Colorado Springs National Solo MTB Championship this past weekend. I had the flu since I returned from the Tour de Timor two weeks ago, which was an amazing 6 day stage race in Indonesia (I'm almost finished with that epic story...more on that later). But I was still coughing up nasty stuff on Wednesday night before I had to leave for Colorado so I cancelled the trip.

I just could not sit idly by knowing there were two other local important events to attend....so I packed up the family in the camper and headed to Temecula for a nice relaxing weekend of camping. Oh, and when I woke up on Saturday I decided to race the SoCal Marathon Championship race. It went well. Real well.... except for the green and orange stuff caked on my gloves and shorts...but at least I feel good and I got some special lovin in with my new hardtail carbon Cannondale Flash 29er. She was SUPER SWEET to me! I definitely knew that I made a good decision by not trying to race a National 24 hour race. I gave it all I had but was in no shape to race again at the Kenda Cup today. Now time for sleep.

Check out the way cool coverage from the new web based cyling TV news - www.uridetv.com. I'll work on a race story to post for this race, too.

Rat was out there filming. What a great event! And THANK YOU URIDE!!

Peace and health,

Tinker

Park City Point 2 Point video

2011-09-25T11:33:00.000-07:00

What a great race this was!! I'm still recovering from so much travel and sick with a bad cold...will work on the stories hope soon!

Check out the PCP2P video!

Tour de Timor video stream and update after Stage 5

2011-09-15T06:34:00.000-07:00

Tinker checked in after stage 5 and he had a good day but the connection was bad and we got cut off before he could say how he finished. Will have to wait for the results to be posted!!
Check out cyclingnews.com for results, videos, photos, and updates: cyclingnews

Here is a video updated through stage 5 ~ good stuff!!

Should be live feed at race start time

MulloLive

Video streaming by Ustream

Tour de Timor 2011 Update - after stage 3

2011-09-13T11:22:00.001-07:00

We have not been able to talk with Tinker since the day before the Tour de Timor began in Dili, Timor-Lest in Indonesia but we have been able to keep track on the race website: www.tourdetimor.com, where they've been posting daily race reports.

Tinker earned the King of the Mountain jersey (and $1,000 USD) and 4th place during the first stage from Dili to Laclubar, with 6:42 behind the winner Adrian Jackson. Tinker had a strong third place finish on Day 2 with third overall; and another strong 4th place finish on Day 3, with 4th overall.

The field of racers is very impressive, and the $100,450 USD prize purse has attracted strong racers from 12 countries. The majority are top road, cyclocross, and mtb competitors from Australia, including U23 World Champion and Australian National Champion Paul van der Ploeg along with teammate and U23 National Champion Luke Fetch. Also from Australia, the top finishers included World MTB Orienteering Champion Adrian Jackson, National Marathon Champion Ben Mather, and veteran Australian National MTB Chamion Rohin Adams, among many other notable athletes.

So that purse is not coming easy to any of the racers, who are spending at least 4 nights of the 6 stage race in tents along the route. It looks like the entire country of Timor-Lest is cheering them on, and enjoying the festivities of the annual visit from the racers.

Results after Stage 3:

Stage 3	13/9/2011	7	Paul van der Ploeg	Overall	1	02:33:34	2:33:34	00:00:00
Stage 3	13/9/2011	19	Luke Fetch	Overall	2	02:33:35	2:33:35	00:00:01	0:01
Stage 3	13/9/2011	1	Adrian Jackson	Overall	3	02:35:02	2:35:02	00:01:28	1:28
Stage 3	13/9/2011	4	Tinker Juarez	Overall	4	02:36:28	2:36:28	00:02:54	2:54
Stage 3	13/9/2011	13	Ben Mather	Overall	5	02:36:44	2:36:44	00:03:10	3:10
Stage 3	13/9/2011	124	Rohin Adams	Overall	6	02:40:20	2:40:20	00:06:46	6:46
Stage 3	13/9/2011	6	Scott Liston	Overall	7	02:41:17	2:41:17	00:07:43	7:43
Stage 3	13/9/2011	246	Christopher Hanson	Overall	8	02:42:59	2:42:59	00:09:25	9:25
Stage 3	13/9/2011	169	Alex Denham	Overall	9	02:43:02	2:43:02	00:09:28	9:28
Stage 3	13/9/2011	338	Matt King	Overall	10	02:43:08	2:43:08	00:09:34	9:34
Stage 3	13/9/2011	278	Kel Boers	Overall	11	02:43:21	2:43:21	00:09:47	9:47

Paul van der Ploeg chats with Tinker Juarez after stage 2.

Tinker is currently in 4th place overall.

Check out the Race Route:

Famed for its smooth seaside rides, gruelling climbs, spectacular mountain views and unprecedented crowd support, riders will be treated to a rare and special insight into Timor's unique geography, environment, people and culture.

View

2011 Tour de Timor in a larger map

Stages for this year's Tour de Timor will range between 60km and 136km per day.

Stage 1	Sun 11 Sep	Dili to Laclubar	111kms	View Stage 1 map
Stage 2	Mon 12 Sep	Laclubar to Beacu	121.9kms	View Stage 2 map
Stage 3	Tue 13 Sep	Beacu to Illiamar	69kms	View Stage 3 map
Stage 4	Wed 14 Sep	Illiamar to Com	79kms	View Stage 4 map
Stage 5	Thu 15 Sep	Com to Manatuto	141.5kms	View Stage 5 map
Stage 6	Fri 16 Sep	Manatuto to Dili	85kms	View Stage 6 map
		Total	607.4kms

Course Profile

View the combined Course Profile for all sixstages.

2011 TdT Course Profile

Or click here for pdf version.

Good luck for the rest of the journey Tinker!

Photo and info credits to Tour de Timor

Event website: tourdetimor.com

Tour de Timor Day 3 - Beacu to Lliomar

2011-09-13T09:14:00.001-07:00

Tour de Timor Day 3 - Beacu to Iliomar

Results and photos here: http://www.tourdetimor.com/?page_id=1776

Tour de Timor Stage 1 - Dili to Laclubar

2011-09-12T10:50:00.001-07:00

Tour de Timor Stage 1

Dili to Laclubar

Story & photos here: http://www.tourdetimor.com/?page_id=1660

Tour de Timor Stage 2 Laclubar to Beacu

2011-09-12T10:38:00.000-07:00

Tour de Timor Stage 2

Laclubar to Beacu

Story & photos here: http://www.tourdetimor.com/?page_id=1778

ParkRecord.com story on the Park City Point 2 Point: Cannondale CFR goes 1-2!!!

2011-09-07T09:31:00.000-07:00

Just a quick and sincere congratulations to teammate Alex Grant for a great race!

Grant completes three-peat at 2011 Point 2 Point race - Christopher Kamrani, The Park Record

Alex Grant recalls the days where he would feel nauseous after every endurance race. "I'd have to lie on the ground for an hour after," he said. View Full Story

Ode to Sidi Shoes

2011-08-31T20:16:00.000-07:00

Ergo 2 Limited Edition Bronze & Silver
(makes your feet feel soooo happy!)

Dragon 2 Limited Edition Sidi in Bronze & Black
(ohh la la!!! xoxoxo)

Oh Sidi I missed you so
My feet were born to fit with you
On the road and on the trails.
And you were gone such a long long time
You welcome me back
And I want to say
I am so thankful to have you on my shoe rack.
You've always been my favorite
And now I know
What makes me go fast
With the right looks that are real nice
You fit me perfectly so.
Thank you Sidi
I love you.

Cool casual shoes

2011-08-31T19:23:00.000-07:00

Check out my new cool casual shoes by Vasque:

So cool and comfortable I might hit the hiking trail tonight!!

:-)

The Butte 100

2011-08-01T22:42:00.000-07:00

My attitude about this event was that I picked this as my favorite race. I wanted to race hard and win if possible. It was an opportunity to test my climbing skills and improve from my 3rd place result from last year. My intention was to finish the best I could.

Photo by Jon Wick (http://www.flickr.com/photos/jonwick/sets/72157627268159234/)

I got there really really late on Thursday, so I only had Friday to get the bike set up and prepare for the race. I also had to get my race package and attend the riders meeting, and somehow fit in a decent dinner. This is part of being who I am, and it's not easy going to sleep at 2 AM when you're used to 10 PM, eating a semi-ok dinner late, and not sleeping well when you're alone in a hotel somewhere. It's been this way a long time and I still don't like doing it. But that is the way it goes, and you have to adjust, acclimate, and make the best of it no matter what.

So before I get into the race story, I just want to thank the race promotion crew, and especially Gina Evan the race director, who picked me up at midnight, got me to the Day's Inn (owned by the Leipheimer family & was so comfortable!!), shuttled me around, and everything went the best it could possibly be thanks to them. If it weren't for their generous hospitality and giving me free time on Friday to prepare for the race on Saturday, I could not have done it without them.

On Saturday morning, I woke up really really really early. The race stared at 6 AM but I had to get up at 4:30 (3:30 CA time), and I had 30 minutes to get cleaned up, eat, and be ready for 5 AM pick up, with the race start at 6 AM. But with all this, I was grateful for the super early start and did okay anyway. I managed to eat what the race offered: bowl of rasin bran, coffee, OJ, and some organic fruit blended thing in a jelly bag. They were great and I had two. It wasn't much but I packed my jersey and bags with plenty of Hammer bars, gels, chews, drinks (water and Heed), and supplements to keep me alive for the 10 hour journey. I ate and drank a lot...probably more than I usually do, which proved to be a major advantage because I felt good and didn't bonk.

The race was everything I anticipated it to be and more. It was perfect weather, and maybe a little too hot for a while, but an afternoon shower cooled it off and it was beautiful. The race promoters had every detail ironed out too. We had timing chips, so by the end of the race we had the results within 30 minutes. There were so many volunteers at the aid stations, so when I was desperate for water, they were right there. It is such a long race, so when you're out there for hours and hours, it really helps give you motivation to have a smiling face wanting to help.

The course was marked really well and the miles and miles of single track were beautiful. The amazing course had the most perfect combination of descents and climbs all the while with the breathtaking backdrop of beautiful mountains, streams, forest, desert, and meadows. The Butte 100 is a mountain bike race make for mountain bikers. There was over 16,000 feet of elevation in the midst of the continental divide.

There were also so many reasons why anyone would want to quit, but you don't. If you finish, it's a major accomplishment. When you're out there racing, the only thing you think of is that you want to finish and it's not about the guy you're beating. It's more about the personal conquest and mountains you're conquering. Like many races, I kept myself motivated by asking myself questions like, 'what will i do all the rest of the day?'; or when I got lost off the course: 'Is there a chance I can pull out of this hole now?'. I watch, wait, hurt, and wonder what advantages I might have. During a 10+ hour 100 mile race, the ground is leveled by the challenge of the race course and weather conditions. The physical challenges, terrain, bicycle, gears, etc., give you advantages...or not. Certainly, every other person out there is hurting too, it just boils down to who has the most advantages and who is able to use them best.

Photo by Jon Wick (http://www.flickr.com/photos/jonwick/sets/72157627268159234/)

During this race, I was doing great. But, at about 30 miles into the race I ended up at a closed gate without any marking that I went through, but I didn't see any markings on the trails so I turned around. When I met up with the second place person, he confirmed it was the right way so we rode together a while. I was riding my own pace, but worked on about a 10 minute lead at about half way through. By the second half of the race, I was getting a little tired and trying so hard to make sure I didn't have mistakes. Then, even though the was marked well, I thought I got lost again because there were no markings in a section that really didn't need to be marked, but I'm paranoid about getting lost now. Anyway, I spent at least 30 minutes getting back on track and someone told me I was now in second place. I had lost about 15 more minutes but I focused and was determined to catch the guy that managed to pass me. It was so long before I caught him, but when I did, we rode together a while before he started cramping. It seemed like forever to get to the end after he pulled off and I finished first place in 9 hrs 36 min.

Photo by Jon Wick (http://www.flickr.com/photos/jonwick/sets/72157627268159234/)

In an average week, I'm lucky to get in 16,000 feet of elevation, so this particular race is without a doubt (to me), the most difficult race that I'm more than pleased to participate in. This was also one of the events I could see what my fitness is like. This race is totally different from Leadville 100. It takes about half the time to ride 100 miles in Leadville as it does in Butte. But, it is perfect for guaging how the body is working and to mentally prepare for the brutally fast 100 miles in Leadville.

Of all the years I've been doing this, I've noticed that the smaller the town is, the nicer the people are. The bike shop donated a bike to a raffle only for the volunteers, who did such a fantastic job. I thought that was really nice of the Leipheimer family to take care of them so well and the volunteers were really happy. I guess I like this race so much because of the town, the race promoter, the mountains and beautiful, amazing, brutal climbing, and because of the wonderful people in the town.

I am so lucky to be able to race mountain bikes. Some people can live their entire lives and never see what we get to see in a race like this. I get to explore so much and witness this amazing world. 100 miles is a lot of territory and not easy to get around, but on a bike, it's the most rewarding experience anyone could dream possible.

Gosh, I love this job.

Tinker

PS - If anyone has any photos I can post with this story please email to me - dtinkerj at aol.com -- thank you!

The Crusher was a crusher!!

2011-07-24T22:30:00.000-07:00

Well, when I was on the line getting ready for the race start, I looked around at all the cyclocross bikes and a couple of the road bikes lining up with me and my Cannondale Flash. Hummmmm.... I thought, maybe I was at the wrong race?? Or maybe I missed the memo about the preferred gear for the day?? Huh?!

But, I was warned that this was half road and half mtb race and it would be a very fast off-road mtb venue. What I didn't know was that, literally, the locals picked cyclocross bikes because they knew that there was more paved road than offroad, and the offroad was almost like it was paved. In hindsight, it was the smoothest off-road trail I've ever ridden!

As I looked around, I didn't recognize very many of the guys lining up with me. The guys mostly had high end cyclocross bikes, and here I am ready to go, feeling less confident with each cross bike lining up with me, but I made the best of the day and had a blast on the fast fun course. It was also a very painful day.

I'm proud of myself for fininshing 9th overall and did the best I could to survive the event. It was at high altitude and I had my mtb gears set up with a 42, compared to the 50's on the cross bikes, and I also had knobby tires. I was spinning my a** off!!

When I was hurting the most was when the guys were catching up and passing me on the climbs. But I was able to make some time up on the descents, even though I'm fairly cautious on the descents, but my Flash was like a rocket down the hills and during that part, I had the better equipment. I knew it was the only way I had any chance to keep the loss as minimal as I could, so I did the best I could to gain a little just to loose it again when they caught me on the road. Unfortunately, there were not enough descents to hold them off very long and so I just kept saying to myself...'here they come again', and kept spinning as fast as I could. I think there were more climbs than descents.

Just wanted to say it was GREAT to be able to race with my teammate Tim Johnson, who also rides for Cannondle Factory Racing. I've known him for a long time but he's a cyclocross racer, and I had not previously raced him before. It was great to line up with him. He was looking strong and riding fast, but got a flat early in the race. It was a long while until he caught me, but when he did, he was strong as ever. It was an honor to ride with my teammate, and we finished together with him in 8th place.

So, did this prepare me for Leadville? Well, you won't see many or any cyclocross bikes at the Leadville 100, so it was a super different race. Like Leadville, the race was at 10,000+ ft, which reminded me that there is no way for me, who lives and trains at sea level, to show up a couple of days early and expect to do well. I have to make sure to either show up the day before the race or acclimate for at least 7 to 10 days before the race. The second or third day at altitude is always the worst for me, and it always gets me bad, so I know I will prepare by acclimating before Leadville. It also reminded me about the road team tactics used at both races, and how I'll have to work to make sure and take advantage of that. I also need to remember to eat and drink enough, because when I'm on my own like I was at the Crusher, I don't always fulfill the plans...but I'll have the Cannondale team support at Leadville, which is always a lifesaver. So the bottom line is, that any good quality, fast, hard race at altitude is excellent to help prepare for something like Leadville, so yes, I hope it helped.

I just want to thank Burke Swindlehardt, the promoter for having me there and for putting together a fantastic event on a fast course. It was fun and I learned a couple of new things! I better do my homework a lot more and read up on what the locals have to say about the race. I'm not much of a web lurker and I had no idea what to expect. It was a last minute decision to participate, and as far as I knew, it was a mtb race, so I brought my mountain bike! Ha! But this was a first time race, and I did not tap into the local knowlege as I should have. Thank you to all the excellent volunteers, race sponsors, and staff. It was a great race and I do hope you can do this again next year. I'd love to see what I can do on a cyclocross bike!

Peace,

Tinker

Crusher in the Tushar

2011-07-16T12:42:00.000-07:00

Twitpic - Share photos and videos on Twitter

Owie....

Triple Crankset press on the Crusher in the Tushar race this weekend

2011-07-13T15:57:00.001-07:00

Wow - maybe I'll bring my booties! Hope to see y'all out there!

Dangerous Snowfall Accumulation Forces Race Re-Route; Another Marquee Rider Signs on for "Crusher in the Tushar"

Posted by Lenny B • July 7, 2011

Salt Lake City — An unusually large amount of snow has forced a decision to re-route the "Crusher in the Tushar," race course, while two-time Olympic mountain bike racer Tinker Juarez is the latest renowned rider to sign up for the half dirt, half road race on July 16 in Southern Utah.

Race promoter Burke Swindlehurst said there was a "1 in 100 snow year" in the area, with roughly a 300 percent increase in total accumulation. The United States Forest Service made the final decision that a re-route was necessary due to the snowfall.

"Trust me, there's nobody who is more disappointed about the need to re-route the course, but Mother Nature has taken it out of my hands," Swindlehurst said. "I received word from the U.S. Forest Service yesterday that it would not allow the event to go over Big John's Flat Road until they had cleaned the debris from a large avalanche on the backside of the course. Unfortunately, that's not something that can be done before the race."

Still, Swindlehurst believes participants in the first-time event will be satisfied with the adjusted route.

"The alternate route I have is actually the first version of the race I drafted up," Swindlehurst said. "It also maintains all the attributes that make this event a 'Crusher.' It is 69 miles and has more than 10,000 feet of climbing. I rode it last weekend and it nearly broke me."

Juarez joins an already diverse group of marquee riders that includes Canadian Olympic cyclist and speedskater Clara Hughes, two-time U.S. national cyclocross champion Tim Johnson and domestic road professionals Tyler Wren and Nick Frey (both of Jamis/Sutter Home) and Paul Mach (BISSELL Pro Cycling).

Juarez is a fan favorite whose 35-year professional cycling career includes Olympic appearances in 1996 and 2000, three cross-country national championships, a Pan American gold medal, and a Masters world championship in 2010. He said he signed up to race the course that fits his racing style and schedule perfectly.

"A friend recently called and asked if I'd heard about this crazy new race that Burke was putting on, so I checked out the website and and saw quickly that it was the perfect prep for Leadville," Juarez said. "It looks like it has a ton of climbing at high elevations and it's exactly a month out from Leadville. The photos of the mountains look amazing and I can't wait to explore a beautiful new place on my bike."

Wren said he also knew immediately he wanted to be a part of the first edition of the event.

"Burke and I have many similar tastes," the Salt Lake City resident said. "Namely, we both love the Utah landscape, all kinds of bikes, and to suffer mightily on those bikes."

Swindlehurst said Johnson, who raced 11 years professional on the road in addition to cyclocross, was the first big name to sign up. Swindlehurst, who is the BISSELL Pro Cycling assistant director sportif in addition to the Crusher race promoter, knows both Johnson and professional racing well.

"I'm so stoked to have him at the event," Swindlehurst said. "We've known each other for quite a while, having raced against one another on the domestic circuit for so many years."

For more information on the race re-route, the latest confirmed riders, how to register, or other topics involving the Crusher, visit www.tusharcrusher.com.

July 2011 Race Season Update

2011-07-10T23:00:00.000-07:00

Wow, what a busy year it's been so far...and it really did just get started. Below is a little update in pictures and videos of some of the events I haven't had time to cover in the first half of 2011. Also, here is my race schedule through September. Yep, it's a big year! I will try my best to keep up on the blog stories. (and if anyone has photos I can share, please send them to me!!)
I hope to see you on the trails.
Tinker

July 14-17 Beaver, UT Crusher in the Tusher
July 28-31 Butte, MTL: Butte 100
August 3-10 Big Bear, CA: altitude acclimation to prepare for Leadville 100
August 11 - 15, Leadville, CO: Leadville 100
August 18-22, New Hampshire: Mt. Washington Hill Climb and New Hampshire 100
August 27, Fontana, CA: US Cup 6 hour mtb
September 7-19, Timor, Indonesia: Tour de Timor
September 29-October 3, Colorado Springs, CO: 24 Hour National Championship
October 5-9, Roc d'Azure: France

April 2011 Lexus of Valencia Bike Skills Camp with me and Aaron Chase

June 2011: 12 Hours of Temecula

Joshua taking the win in Temecula...now that's my boy!

June 2011: Kenda Cup West Finals at Big Bear

This is me coming in for the win

I love sharing the podium with Joshua! He always asks me to win a medal so he can come up too.

Joshua, me, and Tom Spiegle of Team Big Bear

June 2011: Racers and Chasers at Sycamore Canyon. I ended up winning the race and it was a ton of fun!

MTB Action Top 25 Most Influential People in Mountain Biking!

2011-07-07T17:48:00.000-07:00

I am humbled. Check out who made the MTB Action mag Top 25 Most Influential People in Mountain Biking!
Cool!
Thanks MTB Action!

Custom Helmet Painting by Nick Tsokalas

2011-06-20T19:52:00.000-07:00

Hey ~ if you ever want anyone to paint team helmets or want a personal a custom design, here is your guy: http://www.nicktsokalasdesigns.com/
He's been painting my Uvex helmets for 5 years now and I cannot gush enough over how awesome they all have been. Nick Tsokalas created this special one for 2011 with a theme for the 'golden' year (because I turned 50 this year) and my winning the master world champion title.
Nick is awesome.

San Carlos Mexico: A great place to escape and have a 12 hour bike race!

2011-06-16T21:46:00.000-07:00

Once every now and then, a good friend asks you to come along to an adventure trip and a chance to also do a fun race with a good cause to support. This year, my long time friend, Carlos Willis from Mexico, invited me to go to San Carlos, Sonora Mexico and race a 12 hour event in support of a local organization that helps disabled children. Of course, a good cause and a chance to see a friend are always an excellent excuse to rearrange my agenda. And of course, knowing Carlos, there were many other fun activities he for sure would arrange. So I agreed to do the trip.

Press conference before the race

The Adventour bikeshop & Water Sports of San Carlos, owned and managed by Jesus Frias, was in charge of organizing the event, along with Manuel Espriu and Eric Fairfield. They were sponsored by the hotel www.marinaterra.com , the local Tourism Office of Sonora, and many other local and State businesses always eager to support good causes. I arrived in Hermosillo, Sonora directly from LAX and Carlos and Jesus were there to pick me up. We then drove 1.5 hours to the magnificent beach town of San Carlos. San Carlos is a true “Diamond in rough” in the middle of the Sea of Cortez. There is a population of about 3,000, most of them retirees from the US and Canada, and a good size group of adventurous souls that truly make this place an Outdoor Activity Heaven. The biggest activity here is Sea Fishing, where you can find all kinds of trophies such as Swordfish, Sailfish, Marlin, and the very wild Dorado, or as we call it Mahi-Mahi. Fishing is so big here, that they have 3 live Marinas and many dry ones. I think there are more boats here than people! Who knows, but the next morning Eduardo Lemmenmeyer and Mauricio Monrreal, owner and manager of the Marina Terra Hotel where I stayed, put us early in the morning on Don Julio, a beautiful 41 foot Yacht captained by two experienced seamen. This Yacht had all the amenities one could need, including all the professional fishing gear and snacks necessary to make my fishing experience one to always remember. Of course it is always good to get a good relaxing day of fishing in before a hard race!

Me, Captain Jack, and Jesus and his big ass Mahi

The big catch

me and Jesus

Carlos, Jesus and I were there to have a wonderful 5 hours fishing trip that ended with 5 beautiful Dorados, one of them being a 28 lb monster that fed 10 of us later that night. We also got to see many dolphins, Sailfish and sea turtles. Later when we arrived at the San Carlos Marina, the fish were cleaned and turned to the hotel´s restaurant to be cooked for supper and the rest were vacuumed packed. Nice package for any outsider with fishing in mind. The fish were cooked in five or six different ways and it was delicious. It was great to have the race organizers there at supper, especially after the cool margaritas that cheered the group.

Race day came along and I took it easy during the morning and after lunch I assembled my 26” wheel Cannondale Flash and all the gear ready for this especial 12 hour race, where my Nite-Rider lights, that were fully charged, made me confident about my performance. This race has been around for 7 years and has always started at 5 PM, ending at 5 AM the next morning. So close to 10 hours were at night, so having reliable lighting equipment is crucial. Of course, what better than my Nite-Rider lights to do the job. And well they did!!

The race had about 140 participants mostly from the Northern States of Mexico and some real good riders from Arizona and New Mexico. It started with a 200 yard dash and off we went on a 6 mile course filled with tricky sand traps, sharp turns and loose gravel. Overall the course was fast and fun. I felt good since the beginning and was able to do 29 laps in 11 hours. Got first place, and I was satisfied with my performance. But I was more satisfied with all the people cheering throughout the night and all over the course. I was also surprised that many riders came to me after the race for autographs and to take pictures with me. There were even some that had pictures of them and me, from a visit I did to Hermosillo several years back, to have them signed. What a good feeling!!

San Carlos 12 hour Endurance Mountain Bike Race from Vince Radice on Vimeo.

Oops, I've got to figure out how to get the Vimeo video on here. Check out the link - but just one correction - the narrator misunderstood me...I said I am NOT retiring any time soon! I'll keep racing as long as my body and brains can handle it! Since the brain department is low on cells, I might be doing this forever!

I'd like to thank Carlos Willis and Jesus Frias and all the people involved in having me there at this well organized event. It is always fun to go to places where people greet you with sincerity and enthusiasm, you get to see old friends, fish big game, enjoy the stay, and win the race!! But there was something missing….. My biggest group of fans: Terri, Joshua and Rose. But I will return here someday soon, with them!!

Carlos at sunset after the big race. What a great weekend!

Thank you for everything everyone! I had a blast.

Tinker

June 2011 Mountain Bike Action birthday coverage!!

2011-06-12T12:14:00.000-07:00

John Ker wrote an awesome story in the June issue of MTB Action about my birthday party. Thanks so much John!
Peace,
Tinker

June 2011 Article by John Ker

John Ker cruising along Cow Trail in Turnbull Canyon. John is a legendary photographer for MTB Action and was inducted into the MTB Hall of fame in 2010
(John totally rocks!)

Terri made this design the theme of the party and made awesome T-shirts. Let me know if you want to buy one and we can get enough pre-orders to place an order. Email me dtinkerj at aol.com with a number and sizes!

Knobby Time MTB Race at Bonelli Park Thursdays! June 16, 23, & 30

2011-06-09T08:30:00.001-07:00

Knobby Time MTB Race at Bonelli Park Thursdays! June 16, 23, & 30

Hey LA and OC MTBers! Check out this way cool and local brand new 3-race MTB fun series!

See you there.

Contact Info:

Cycle Events Company
6745 Washington Ave. #117
Whittier, Ca. 90601
http://cycleeventscompany.com/default.html
411.CEC@gmail.com

Venue and Start Time

Location:

Bonelli Park in San Dimas

Parking is $10.00

Race Start Time:

(6:00 pm)

Classes will go off in 1 min. waves starting with Pro/Expert

Off the 57 Fwy, Via Verde Exit

4 hours of Temecula

2011-06-06T22:25:00.000-07:00

What happened??? I have beaten another lesson-learned into my thick skull. Yep - it takes me multiple times to figure stuff out sometimes.

June 2011 Singletrack at 12 Hours of Temecula

My five races at the 12-Hours of Temecula winning streak went back to 2008 and I blew it this past weekend because I was definitely not on my game. Sometimes you got days when something gets out of wack, and that is just the way racing goes. I guess you can say that about just about everything. I learned (again) that everyone is human and we all have limits. My limits were the 12 hour race in Sonora Mexico just the weekend before (that I won), a couple days during the week where I went training a bit too hard, and hanging out and having too much fun and staying up way too late on the Friday night before the race.

Desert quail checking me out!

So, I am really grateful for the terrific weather, beautiful scenery in Temecula wine country, and awesome fast course that Jason and the crew worked on for weeks before the race. Jason and Heather Ranoa and their crew did another great job, with a record number of people participating in the event. Everyone keeps on coming back, and bringing friends because of the great work they do! These two are wonderful people and they really have their act together - the races are always so much fun and everyone out there (over 700 riders, plus spectators, vendors, volunteers, etc.) was having a great time.

700 racers at 12 Hours of Temecula

Joshua participated in the kids race and came in a tie for the win in his age group after a sprint to the finish! There were at least 40 kids! Awesome!

Joshua with his winning prize

I headed out to the lake to fish and wallow in my sorrows early on Sunday morning with Ed and Scott. We got a couple of good hits, but no fish for breakfast! We just relaxed and kicked back. Now I've got to spend some time recovering - which I should have done before Temecula...

Scott, Ed, and me after fishing Sunday morning

Congrats to all that finished and I'll see you again in November.

Peace,

Tinker

SoCal Endurance news and race updates 5-30-2011

2011-05-31T08:09:00.000-07:00

Just had to share! See you in Temecula!!

www.socalendurance.com

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2011 SoCal Endurance jerseys
Our new Jerseys will be on sale at the June 4th Race. There are limited quantities available. So get them while they last!

B&B Appliance

One of our newest sponsors and our really great friends are the folks at B&B Appliance in Escondido CA. If you are in need of any appliances, this is the place to go. The people rock and prices cant be beat! Besides that they are mountain bikers and we always support our own!
www.bandbappliance.net

SoCal Endurance Clothing

Dont forget we'll have our first run of the SoCal Endurance clothing at the June 4th race. There are limited quantities. Get em quick!!!!!!

Cycopath Bike Shop

For all your cycling needs, Cycopath bike Shop is having a pre race sale to help you perform at your best. If you need lights, tires, or anything bike related head into Cycopath! Tell them we sent you and get a special racer discount!

Store Hours: M-F 10-7, Sat 9-5, Sun 10-5

30570 Rancho California Rd, Suite 111A
Temecula, CA 92591
Phone: 951.695.4823
Fax: 951.695.2833

The Tinker Challenge

Once again we are adding the Tinker challenge to the June 4th "12 Hours Of Temecula"! Tinker has won every "12 Hours Of Temecula" race that he has entered. We love Tinker and what he has done for our sport and our events, but that doesn't mean we aren't looking for some hotshot endurance guru to come and knock him off his throne! So we here at SoCal Endurance are offering a $400 cash prize for the top solo finisher in the June 4th event. The soloist can be any age or gender! Tinker will be out with us contending for the top slot. If you think you have what it takes, come on out and give it a shot. There can be only ONE! HAHA

The Phoenix Patriot Foundation

Raising our heroes
from the ashes

Phoenix Patriot Foundation's mission is to provide direct support to severely wounded veterans enabling them to fully recover, reintegrate and remain engaged in serving America.

The PPF is an organization that is near and dear to our hearts. SoCal Endurance is proud to partner with the PPF and lend a hand wherever possible. The US Navy Seals will be on hand with us to race and raise awareness for our wounded veterans.
www.phoenixpatriotfoundation.org

Homebrewed Components

Once again Homebrewed Components has created some unique chainrings for the mens and womens solo singlespeed categories. Super Sweet but you gotta suffer to get em'!

KHS Bicycles

We are so pleased with the relationship we have with one of the largest bike manufacturer's in the world. KHS will be on site with the latest and greatest in their bike lineup. I have been riding one of the new KHS Carbon Team bikes for the last 6 months. The bike is awesome! Stiff as a board and handles the downhills with confidence. Pro racer and endurance specialist, Heather Ranoa has already put more miles than most bikes should endure. With several 24 hour races and many Epics she has truly put the KHS Carbon Team bike to the test and it has performed amazingly!
See and demo the bikes at the "12 Hours Of Temecula" on June 4th

Canari Cyclewear

A big thanks to our partners at Canari! As always the jerseys look great! You all did a great job. For those of you looking to get custom kits for your team, look no further. Canari is the best in the business. They are made right here in sunny SoCal with the highest quality materials. Check out the latest and greatest!
www.canari.com

New Ultimate Pit Bag

How about a new bag for all yor pit area needs! Available at the June 4th race!

"12 HOURS OF TEMECULA #2"

JUNE 4TH 2011 - 9AM-9PM

WWW.SOCALENDURANCE.COM

DROP A GEAR & DISAPPEAR

You are not too late to register. Register online before Thursday the 2nd of June! If not you can register on site either Friday June 3rd at 4:30 to 6:30 in the evening or Race day from 6am to 7:30am.

All racers and teams need to be at packet pickup and check in on Friday or saturday morning to collect number plates and packets. All teammates must be on hand to recieve packets. Please go to the race website www.socalendurance.com and check on the bottom of the 12 Hour page. Have all team members print out and sign the waiver. It will really help speed along check in!

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Pesca del día,con "Tinker" Juarez campeon del MTB... on Twitpic

2011-05-29T22:25:00.000-07:00

Pesca del día,con "Tinker" Juarez campeon del MTB... on Twitpic

Cross training for the 12 Horas salvando Vidas 2011 MTB

2011-05-28T09:58:00.000-07:00

Got a good workout yesterday....getting ready for the 12 Horas Silvando Vidas 2011 MTB Race!
:-)

Buns of steel & the Crankbrothers Iodine Saddle - it's THE ONE

2011-05-11T17:43:00.000-07:00

Well, maybe not so much buns of steel because the buns need more cushion than a typical light weight race saddle can offer, but not a saddle that is too heavy. So the story is that I've been racing sans the shammy for my whole career. It's a real pain in the rear (pun intended) for clothing, because the shorts always come with pads, so I painstakingly beg my mom or wife to take them out for me. Sometimes I do cut them out too, but I always end up with holes in my shorts!

Cannondale now makes my kits special for me without pads, which I will forever be grateful for.

I started racing bikes so long ago when saddles were real heavy and soft, before pads were comfortable, and I was always real comfortable without the pad so I never really could get used to the pad thing. Then pads evolved and the saddles became thinner and lighter, some with cutouts or grooves down the middle, but my rear end didn't like any of them too much. I have been riding the Fizik Dolomiti for at least 8 years but Fizik stopped making them five years ago. Since then, Fizik has offered all their models, but not one of them worked for me. The Fizik saddles are super light weight and comfortable but as with all other race saddles made these days, they just didn't feel right. Either they were too wide, too long, didn't feel comfortable in the soft spot (you know what I mean), or whatever.... just not THE ONE.

When I spotted the new line of Iodione saddles that Crank Brothers designed and was displaying at Sea Otter last month, I asked them to sent me one to try out. It looked perfect...perfectly light weight, just the right amount of pad, the right length, width, and fit and it looked BEAUTIFUL. One of the things I thought about this saddle is that the white version looked perfect on my 2011 Scalpel and 29er Flash Cannondale race bikes. It doesn't look like a boring saddle, either. It's race ready with extra features to prevent sliding, and best of all, Crank Brothers is a sister company of Fizik, so we are keeping it in the family.

Then I rode it. That morning I rode 4 hours on the mountain bike in the hills. I didn't have to make too many adjustments, and got it positioned just right. I was so happy about how it felt that about an hour into my ride, I texted my wife and told her that it would work for me. Three hours later I practically kissed my new Crankbrothers Iodine - I was so happy! YAHOO!! I've got to let everyone know that the new Crank Brothers Iodine saddles are definitely worth testing and especially for the long hard endurance rides and races. That is what they are made for... and also for my buns of steel.

Tinker

$234

2011-04-06T10:21:00.000-07:00

What can you buy for $234?

You can even save it and after 20 years at 3% interest and it will magically turn into $426.05.

Today I wrote a check to the West Covina Courthouse for $234 to pay for a ticket I got for running a stop sign on my bike.

That sucks

What a waste of $234

But I won't be running stop signs on my bike any more.

Vision Quest 2011

2011-04-03T10:27:00.000-07:00

"Think not forever of yourselves, O Chiefs, nor of your own Generation. Think of continuing generations of our families, think of our grandchildren and of those not yet unborn, whose faces are coming from beneath the ground"

Words spoken by the peacemaker, American Indian prophet and founder of the Iroquois Confederacy Circa 1000 AD

This is the foundation by which the Warrior Society bases their principals, as they strive to maintain and improve the trails in the Cleveland National Forest. Their club is based on the American Indian Traditions of the Warrior's Society. The Warrior's Societies of the Plains Indians were made up of the braves chosen to be the protectors of the tribe and their land.

I was proud to be a part of the Society yesterday at the Vision Quest and grateful to be able to race in those beautiful mountains. The Vision Quest is their annual long distance event. It consists of 52.5 +- miles of riding with 11,000 +- feet of total elevation gain and 2+- miles of hike-a-bike.

Photo credit: http://www.ericfoltz.photoreflect.com/

The Warrior Society did a great job with the event and getting the trails in top condition for the ride. These are some of the best trails in southern California. It is amazing to be able to get the continued support of the locals and to get the okay to be able to get a select number of riders out there to race in a regularly scheduled event. It is apparent that the Society works hard to share the trails to maintain them and every single person was participating in some way. This was apparent during the race, as all the racers & riders were really cautious out there - acknowledging approaches and being polite as possible to share the trails. As a result, the riding was spectacular. You could not have asked for better trails and conditions, especially considering how much rain we've had. I pre-rode part of the course last weekend after it had rained buckets on Friday. It was super muddy with lots of ruts up on Blackstar Canyon Trail. All the creeks were full and the single track was rutted with exposed rock so you couldn't even ride it.  This week, the trails were mostly dry but you could tell they came through and cleaned up the single track and smoothed it out quite a bit. It was AMAZING what they did in one week to get them ready for the event. WOW. And THANK YOU.

I started the day at 3 AM to get there in time for the 5:30 start. Last year, it did not occur to me to bring lights, so I wound up borrowing a hand held flash light for the first hour while chasing Manny and Bishop around because they had lights. This year, I remembered my Niterider light! I had no excuses last year...

Two of my good friends came along to support me: Ed and Scott. The race took off at a good fast pace. I was right behind Manny just getting a good feel for the race. Ben Bostrom from ShoAir was hanging behind us, along with a few of the other ShoAir guys. Ben took off and pushed a good pace but no one else chased him so I did. Ben set up a good tempo for the first 40 minutes and Manny was about 10 seconds behind us. At one point up a climb I realized Ben was pushing a single speed, and I made my move. So now, it was my turn to keep a good steady pace and little by little I was pulling away from Ben. I had over a minute lead and kept looking back and didn't see anyone. About 12 miles in at Silverado Trail Motorway downhill singletrack section, I was descending and I know from the last weekend that it was rocky and technical so I was being really careful, but was not so lucky. I flatted about a mile down and instinctively, got into the flat fixing mode, but I forgot to pack the quickfill adapter. So I had to wait and Manny was the first to pass me. He asked if I was okay and I was so he took off. Then when the 3rd place guy was coming I heard him crash. It was Ben who crashed with a front flat. He walked down to where I was and was injured and bleeding badly on his knee. So otherwise he was okay but he didn't have the right adapter. I wasted 2 quickfills of the 3 I packed. So he tried to use it on his own tube and it didn't work either. We had a long walk down the mountain where Ed and Scott were waiting at Maple Springs - at least 3 miles - and we both figured our race was over. We started to run down with our bikes, then a guy Ben knew came by and had an adapter that worked so I used up my last quickfill. Ben wished me well but he was out for the race due to the injury and had sliced his tire, too, so he wasn't able to fix his tire.

At that point, Manny had at least 7 minutes on me, and there were at least 3 other guys in front of me. I still had a lot of technical stuff to get through, and I was worried.... Eventually, I caught 3nd place and I kept on climbing away but I was feeling good and in general, in good spirits. Then, almost at the top of Santiago Peak before we descended the Holy Jim trail, I caught Dana Weber (Trek) in 2nd place. Then I saw Manny and he was fixing a flat, but he was okay so I passed him. Now I was in the lead and pushing it on the fire road toward the single track, where I never rode before. I almost crashed on the downhill so I slowed down hoping not to be too aggressive because I knew I didn't have anything to fix any more flats.  Dana place passed me on the singletrack at Trabuco Canyon Trail and then it went to a fireroad that turned into a single track again but he dropped me and I couldn't see him in front of me any more. I realized I should have seen him going up the fire road so I turned around and went back down. A volunteer was now at the intersection and directed me to go the way I was supposed to be going.  It seemed like Dana knew the trail really well and was over 3 minutes ahead of me by now. Meanwhile, I was trying to focus on not flatting and staying on the right trails (by the way - the trails were very well marked, so I must have missed the flag at the turn).

There was still one more long single track with hike a bike sections because it's so steep you can't climb it.  Dana still had at least 3 minutes lead so I just kept climbing the long steep grade and I thought this might be my only chance to catch him. I hoped if I had a chance I could push it hard enough and near the top you get onto some fire road before the next single track descent. I caught him at the top, just before the fire road at the hardest part of the climb. He was right behind me entering the fast fire road all the way to the finish line. I looked back and saw him but I think he ended up getting a flat which would explain why I didn't see him again. I had a slow leak in the front going for a while, so I had to ride smart and best I could to keep from crashing, and since I didn't know he flatted, I just kept pushing.

When I got to the stream near the finish, instead of riding on the trail up to the road, they had us riding through the creek, and then we got on the road and finished in the campground. This I think was better and safer than the road because the cars come down the hill out of a hairpin turn right before the creek, but it left me wondering...why not finish on the road? But better safe than sorry!

So, I won with a time of 5:10:42. With that flat and waiting, which was about 10 minutes, I was very very happy with this finish!!! I felt really good on the climbing and felt strong - one of the best races I had in a while, especially considering the tough competition.

Here are the top 10 from MTB racing news:
Vision Quest Results Top-10

1, Tinker Juarez (Cannondale Factory Racing) 5.10.42
2, Dana Weber (Trek) 5.13.32
3, Manny Prado (Sho-Air) 5.18.50
4, Doug Andrews 5.24.56
5, Nate Whitman 5.37.52
6, Oliver Hutchinson 5.41.04
7, Tim Zandbegan 5.41.20
8, Guy Sutton (Cal Coast) 5.49.48
9, Pua Mata (Sho-Air) 5.53.18
10, Jason Rusnak 5.54.12

Judging all the happy faces finishing the race, everyone had a great ride. There were lots and lots of flats, broken chains, bumps, bruises, and some stitches to be had, but in the end, the Warrior Society had a great event with perfect weather, perfect conditions, and great volunteers.

Before I finish, I want to mention my new nutrition sponsor that fueled my ride and thank Hammer for taking such good care of me. It was amazing how good I felt out there, and I was entirely fueled by mango Hammer Heed, raspberry Hammer Gel, and the cashew coconut chocolate chip Hammer Bar. For the past month I have been using the Hammer Endurance Amino and Tissue Rejuvenator to prepare for and participate in the race. I definitely felt good and strong, so if anyone is wondering how I can keep this up, it is with great products like this, proper training, and lots of rest prior to the event. A special 'Thank you Hammer' is definitely warranted for this win!

Thank you everyone - My friends Ed and Scott, the race sponsors, volunteers, and organizers, but especially THANK YOU Warrior Society, for a great event!

Peace,

Tinker

Keyesville Classic race coverage on MTBR

2011-03-29T11:30:00.001-07:00

Derek posted a great summary about the race last weekend on reviews.mtbr.com. I've been trying to get back into the blogging mode, and hope to write up my story later today. Enjoy this for now!

Keyesville Classic 2011 – Fresh Singletrack, Legends, Airborn EZ-ups & Teletubbies
Thursday March 24th, 2011 at 12:33 PM

Posted by: Derek

The 23^rd Annual Keyesville Classic was a Huge Success: More Racers, Great New Staging Area, New Single Track and a Shuttled DH Course

Keyesville, California – March 20, 2011 – Despite surly weather forecasts and conditions, this year’s Keyesville Classic was an astounding success. Top pro’s, a beautiful new staging area, over 2 miles of new single track, a challenging and fast downhill, beer can jousting, dirt jumping teletubbies and free beer from the Kern River Brewing Company created the best vibe this event has seen in years.

The turnout for this year’s event was well up over last year, thanks to all the dedicated racers, volunteers and vendors who braved the weather. Friday rain made for a fast and tacky XC course, but the rain held off for Saturday’s XC race. Sunday saw some drizzle and showers, but not enough to dampen anyone’s spirits. At one point a powerful wind gust sent vendor EZ-up tents flying across the short track race course.

Two note-worthy Pro’s this year were Adam Craig and Tinker Juarez who took 2^nd and 3^rd in the Bionicon All Mountain Stage Race behind Champion Jim Heweit. Graeme Pitts, rockin’ his USA skin suit put in an outstanding race run to win the Pro DH just 1.5 seconds ahead of Adam Craig. Vincent Lombardi took the Cross Country, and Tinker hammered to a convincing win in the Short Track. All made for a great showing of professional talent.

The new, more open staging area allowed for more vendors than previous years, and gave the 23^rd Keyesville Classic a much more festive feel. Along with the new staging area, over 2 miles of fresh new singletrack was added to the XC course, eliminating the dreaded Pearl Harbor road climb. While the new singletrack was still pretty raw, racers reception to it was overwhelmingly positive.

“I had a great time at this event and in the surroundings around Lake Isabella, with the Kern River, snow topped mountains and a hundred trails as far as the eye could see,” said Tinker Juarez about his first time in Keyesville. “I’ll come back again no problem,” he continued.

This year’s DH course was fast and furious, with shuttle access, newly built berms, singletrack and a new center of attention, the Slab. DH racers launched off a granite slab into a maze of padded trees, looking for the fastest line. This was all possible with the support of our local BLM office who are willing to help us make Keyesville a major mountain biking destination. We are continuing to work with the BLM to make the new singletrack a permanent addition to the trail system. Plans are also in the works for more single track on the XC course next year, and a new DH race trail and Super D course for the future.

The future and growth of the Keyesville Classic and the Kern River Valley are looking bright thanks to all of the hard working and hard racing people who are making it happen. Check out the Keyesville Classic Facebook page and website for pictures, videos and comments on CBO’s Beer Can Joust, the dirt jumping teletubbies and all the awesome race action.

See you at the 24^th Annual Keyesville Classic Mountain Bike Stage Race. It will be even better!!

- end –

SOURCE:
Paul Ferguson
Bionicon Bicycles

This entry was posted on Thursday, March 24th, 2011 at 12:24 pm and is filed under Press and News, Race Coverage. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

Check It: Bike Doctor of Waldorf Special Guest Event

2011-03-19T09:51:00.000-07:00

Got some press for the Bike Doctor event next weekend - come and hang out for a while!!
CU
TJ

2010 Leadville 100 (Rare Footage)

2011-03-14T06:15:00.000-07:00

"A little older, a little wiser."

2010 Leadville 100 - Cannondle footage

2011-03-14T06:12:00.001-07:00

"A little older....a little wiser"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sf2Lj3zW3yU

2010 Leadville 100

Helmet cam footage from the front of the race courtesy of Alex Grant.
Footage from various points on the course by Doug Dalton and his motorcycle.
Additional footage from before the race, during the race in the feedzones, and after the race by Matt Ohran.

Tinker's Golden 50th Birthday

2011-03-07T22:43:00.001-08:00

Hey All,

We want to thank everyone for the happy birthday wishes from across the globe and for the folks that could join us for the party - you all rock! Thank you for sharing the day with us - and for all the old fart stuff and all the wine! Also a special thanks to Tony and Paul of the band The Federales for rocking us! You guys were great!

Here is a collection of photos we want to share with you.

Thank you!

Tinker & Terri

Free photo slideshow created with Smilebox

2011-03-04T16:42:00.000-08:00

Hey all you Maryland folks!!! Come join me and the Chain Gang at the Bike Dr of Warldorf on March 11th!!! After the big birthday this weekend I am really looking forward to kicking it back and doing some cool rides. There will be plenty of stuff to see and people to meet. Come on out!!

3200 Leonardtown Rd

Waldorf, MD 20601
301.932.9980

The event kicks off March 11th at Bike Dr Waldorf with autographs at 6:00 and an unforgettable evening of video's, swag, and a raffle to support Wheels 4 Life starting at 8:00. We encourage you to join the boys at a location near you for a great riding experience, autographs, and endless Red Bulls.

First race in 2011 was a fun and fast 12 Hours in Temecula

2011-01-26T21:08:00.000-08:00

Single track ridges

Well the first of three 12 Hours in Temecula races for 2011 happened this past weekend. It was a very good start for the new year. A 12 hour race is always really tough but I could not have asked for better weather, better conditions, better support, or a better race. Everything went just about perfect. Jason and Heather Ranoa put on a great race and the volunteers and everyone else out there were greatly appreciated. Those folks are super nice and very good at what they do. Niterider, which is one of my personal sponsors, was out there offering lights from a brand new rig for a light charging station, and I just want to send out an extra 'THANK YOU TOMMY!' for all your support from Niterider!

Joshua got a good finish in the kids race.

My fitness felt very good, despite all the holiday goodies and the long break. But here in Southern California, at least I get to ride even in the cold. At least we don't get the blizzards or constant rain. I also had jury duty the first week in January (my first time ever), which set me back a whole week, but I felt great and needed to race.

The course that Jason laid out was just over 9 miles with sweet switchback single track, super fun roller coaster ridges, a few challenging sandy areas, and was overall a very fun and fast course. It was really fun at night! There was over 1000 feet of climbing per lap with a perfect mixture of single and double track. The only thing I missed was a view of Vail Lake, but you can't have both the view and no dam climb at the same time... oh well, it was worth it! There will be two more 12 hour races this year plus the marathon, so maybe we'll get a chance for the lake view later in the year....

I rode my Cannondale Flash this time, but I plan to try out the 29er very soon. I hope to bring that out at the next race. I ended up finishing 15 laps in 12 hours which was about 17,000 feet of climbing and 140 miles.

Coming in for a landing

Joshua with his game face on

Congratulations to all the other racers out there, especially all the folks racing for the very first time. I especially was happy to see the young fast juniors out there. I just hope I can do my little part to help give them motivation to keep it up and hope for a successful potential career. I am there to try and win races for my sponsors (and because I love it), but I hope I can show the new young men and women that they can do this too. It is a lifetime of health and fitness and a lot of fun riding bikes! Congrats everyone!

Someone sent me the Mountain Bike Race news (www.mtbracenews.com) story below that covers everything really well and much better than me....enjoy!

Peace,

Tinker

Tinker Takes Another Win At Vail Lake
written by: Jens Raz

Talking about the weather in California these days tends not to get boring. Guest riders were likely in love with the conditions, warm, dry and welcoming. Even though Saturday started in the 30s, the temps rose to the mid 70s quickly and topped out at a sunny 80 degrees.

Considering we have had a few months of consistent rain and cold conditions the promoters Heather and Jason Ranoa took advantage of the malleable ground and put some serious and "very” notable hours into making this one of the smoothest and fastest Temecula courses since the races inception about 5 years ago.

The course, being consistent with about 1100-1200 feet of climbing in just over 9 miles, was wickedly fast. In fact the fastest lap was only 37 minutes. Each steep but manageable leg-breaking climb was followed by a fast and exhilarating descent, giving meaning to the phrase "more gain with a little pain!”

What felt like an eternal or at least on going quest to break Tinker Juarez’s(Cannondale Factory Racing) stranglehold on the 12 hours of T-Town was tested for the first time in 2011 by a cast of veteran endurance racers and one newcomer. Greg Gibson(TruckerCo.com), who hails from Provo, Utah, had the most experience and real shot at breaking the Legend. He must have been excited to see some nice weather because he brought his A game.

A new and unknown challenger from San Diego, Bryan Taylor, brought not only his wife and child but also his Golden Retriever for support. The more the merrier during 12 hours!

TJ’s usual fast start broke open the field. Out of 7 pros, only Greg could stay close to Tinker. Staying within 10 minutes meant hard work ahead. Riding close to Tinker on his Cannondale for 12 hours in the end was too much even for the Highlander. Before dark fell upon Vail Lake, Tinker clawed out a lap over the challenger Gibson. Greg still having to defend second place to Bryan realized the race was far from over.

As Bryan put it "Greg started quicker than I did, I thought it better not to try to keep up as I expected I would pay for it later. My wife thought I was about 12 or 13 minutes behind him after 7 or so hours. I tried to speed up to see if I could close the gap. I think I made up some ground but then I struggled after it got dark. I was having a really hard time focusing; I was losing time on the descents. I kept adjusting my lights. I’ll know next time to change them after 8 or 9 hours. By the last few laps I’d given up trying to catch Greg, and rode to make sure I didn’t land in any bushes”.

Impressively enough this was 3rd place finisher, Bryan’s, first twelve hour race.

There was not much competition for the women’s Pro rider Amber Monforte. Taking first with a comfortable 6 laps on second place!

The newest and very popular 6-hour category had some of the closest racing of the day. A stunning 39 people gave it their best. None could muster the strength of Robert Herber though. The race promoter of the local Racers and Chasers XC series out foxed the rest of the field with 8 laps. The women’s title with 6 laps went to a dominant Rebecca Tomaszewski (Niner/Ergon).

Team Cytomax/KHS racks up the most laps with 17 total circuits. All the Cytomax riders were running 650b equipped KHS machines.

Pro/Expert Men Solo
1, Tinker Juarez (CFR) 15 laps
2, Greg Gibson (TruckerCo.com) 14 laps
3, Bryan Taylor 14 laps
4, Salter Fletcher 13 laps
5, Mike Castaldo 12 laps
6, Kevin Spaeht 11 laps
7, Bryan VanVleet 10 laps

Pro/Expert Women Solo
1, Amber Monforte 11 laps
2, Kim Bear 5 laps
3, Timari Prius 2 laps

Men Singlespeed Solo
1, David Gonzales 12 laps
2, Paul Adams 11 laps
3, Sage Bassett 11 laps
4, Alan Jacoby 10 laps
5, Andrew Dickinson 7 laps
6, Eric Parks 6 laps
7, Jeff Sigu 6 laps

Women Singlespeed Solo
1, Kathryn LaPointe 7 laps
2, Lisa Doud 6 laps

4-Person Open
1, Cytomax/KHS 17 laps
2, Rat Cheeks 16 laps
3, Topanga Creek Bicycles 14 laps
4, Team Incoherent 14 laps
5, Troupe Racing Comp 13 laps
6, GAHWESE 13 laps
7, Mudfoot 13 laps

8, Sour Krauts 12 laps

9, Conejo MB 12 laps
10, Team Hechan 11 laps
11, Conejo MB2 10 laps

Daddio and Joshua on the start line

2011 Race Schedule

2011-01-24T06:04:00.000-08:00

Here is a final draft of my 2011 race calendar. It always stays in draft form because it tends to change frequently, but this one will keep me real busy and hopefully help me pull off some good finishes this year. I'm hoping to make it a great season at the tender age of 50! Ha! So, the big plan is to compete in as many of the Kenda Cup series XC races as I can, which will get me ready for the 2011 Master World Championship race in Brazil in July. There are a few 100 mile and 12 and 24 hour races in there to get me ready for the National Marathon Championship race in September in Oregon and the National 24 Hour Championship in October in Colorado Springs. I also plan to compete in as many of the Tuesday night Over the Hump XC training races at Irvine Lake in Orange County. I will be out there with the Cannondale crew to support their local shops and help them demo the bikes they will have available.

See you on the trails!

Tinker

(January)
Jan 22, 12 hours of Temecula # 1 Vail Lake

(February)
Feb 26, XC, Kenda Cup West # 1 Sagebrush Safari, Lake Morena OHV park

(March)
Mar 4, The Big Five "O" brithday!
Mar 12, XC, US Cup Triple crown Bonelli Park # 1 (tentative)
Mar 26, XC, US Cup Triple crown Fontana # 2

(April)
April 2, Vision Quest, Orange County CA
April 14-17 XC, Sea Ottter Classic Monterey CA
April 30 Whisky Off-Road marathon 50 mi Prescott AZ

(May)
May 7, L'E Tape Du Road Races 100 mi, same course as Tour Of California
May 14, The Traverse Marathon Orange County
May 21, XC, Kenda Cup West # 5 Big Bear shoutout # 1

(June)
June 4, 12 Hours of Temecula # 2 Vail Lake
June 18, XC, Kenda Cup West series # 7 Finals Big Bear CA

(July)
July 23, XC, Master World Championship Brazil
July 30, Butte Montana 100 miler

(August)
Aug 13, Leadville 100 mi races or Forest hill Tahoe NUE 100 miles
Aug 20, Mt Washington Hillclimb road bike

(September)
Sept 3, SoCal Desert Classic XC Temecula
Sept 14-16, Interbike Las Vegas
Sept 17, USA Marathon National Championship Bend Oregon

(October)
Oct 1, Colorado Springs, 24 hours National Championship
Oct 8?, Chupacabras 100 km MTB, Juarez, Mexico
Oct 15, TBF 50 miles MTB Challenge Granite Bay CA.

(November)
Nov 5, XC In the Dirt Temecula
Nov 12, 12 Hours of Temecula # 3

Omni Motion 24 Hour MTB Race -

2011-01-10T20:26:00.000-08:00

Now that the busy holiday is in the books, I'm trying to catch up on my stories, get my 2011 race schedule together, and finish updating my new website (www.tinkerjuarez.com). But first, I absolutely had to post the journey with my friend Roger to the race. The rest is coming soon.

The last race of 2010 was an epic journey to a land far far away to race in the Bicycling 24-Hour by Omni-Motion on Dec. 4-5 at the Rietvlei Farm and Lifestyle Centre in South Africa. My friend Roger was up for the challenge and we ventured off together. Roger picked this as a vacation for his first trip overseas since he left a commitment to our country about 20 years ago. It was a big deal for both of us and it was a lot of fun. It would have been real tough without him there and it was so nice to have a friend along.

Wendell Bole and I met in Brazil at the Master's World Championship race in September. We got talking and he invited me to come to the race - a project he's been working on for the past several years, when he's not helping to "feed his people", who live in the squatter camps near by.  Wendell helps collect clothing and gifts for the squatter camp. The camp has three villages with a total of 534 families and they started with one village and 130 families. There are 61 children and 15 pensioners in this village, and each received a present for Christmas. They managed small food parcels as well. Since we left, the headman, Sam, was very excited with the prospect of growing vegetables and potatoes and to find a way to reduce or get rid of the rat population. We got a chance to visit the village and meet the people. Wendell continues to collect aid for the villagers so if you are looking for a wonderful cause, contact him. They are now finding ways to grow and sell the potatoes. wendell "at" circleoffaith.co.za What an incredible experience that was...

Wendell is a man of Faith, and one other purposes in his life is to help prepare the race track at the farm. The course was marked to perfection and so smooth and clean I felt like I was on a BMX course. It was fast and a great course that kept you awake and alert but so much fun! Wendell also owns a bike shop called the Cycle Hub, where they sell Cannondale bikes, parts, and do repairs.   The bike shop is on the farm where the race was staged, which was really nice. What a nice guy! We stayed with Wendell and his wife, who spoiled us with wonderful food, rooms, and a comfortable place to relax and prepare for the race. We even got to fish on the farm, but we didn't catch anything even though we could practically see them laughing at us. It didn't matter, it was all great fun!

The best part of the journey (besides getting to hang out with Roger and Wendell and fishing, and the race), was that the Johannesburg cycling channel interviewed me and broadcast it that same evening. The local newspapers and magazines interviewed me, too, so there were stories on TV, print, and on the internet about the race, me, and Cannondale. It was excellent coverage and I was happy they got some good advertizement for the event.

We had a meet and greet barbque the night before the race and we got to meet the riders from the teams. It was a nice get together. We met Coert, who like Roger, is an amputee. They had a lot to talk about about and I could tell they will be friends forever.

Wendell, his wife Maya, Anton, Renee and Mattie supported me through the race. What a great team!!  I got a lot of good advice. Roger and Maya worked together to feed me and every lap I came around I felt like I was at a buffet in Vegas. So much awesome stuff to pick from!

I'm sorry I didn't get to post this sooner. There are photos and stories on the FAcebook page. I especially liked the blog story from the guy with the 5339.co.uk tatood to his rear. I can't remember his name but did want to shake his hand and thank him for riding so well but was so beat I didn't get to see anyone after the race. Cheers to all for coming out and racing hard!

Many thanks to Thanks to Wendell, Dimitri, to all medics, time keeps & marshalls that were on route all day & night.

Here are some photos of the journey...

Tinker

Wendell Bole

Bag of Worms

Roger and the pit crew

me and Roger

Holiday Greetings 2011

2010-12-22T20:28:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

We hope this message finds you happy and well and brings you a splendid 2011!

Peace and happiness,

Tinker, Terri, & Joshua Juarez

Click on the Smilebox photo below for the e-card!

This free greeting made with Smilebox

New Website Launch

2010-11-25T06:49:00.001-08:00

My new website was launched yesterday! It's got a whole new look but still needs work so please be patient with me. It's a work in progress.... Still working on the sponsor and about me page.

http://tinkerjuarez.com/

Evenutally, we plan to include the Tinker's Garage and Swag Shop as a real place to by stuff like my new ODI signature grips coming out in spring 2011!

Check out my new logo - we plan to make hats, mugs, and tshirts with part of the benefits going to the SoCal High School Cycling League.

I'll be working on a few race stories this weekend before I leave for South Africa.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Enjoy!

Tinker

Bicycling 24-Hour by Omni-Motion Dec. 4-5, 2010

2010-11-22T19:15:00.000-08:00

My last race of the season is coming up the weekend after Thanksgiving and it's going to be a big one in a far-away land so I'm getting ready now and will be heading out really early to get acclimated and rest before the race. The race is the Bicycling 24-Hour by Omni-Motion on Dec. 4-5 at the Rietvlei Farm and Lifestyle Centre in South Africa. I plan to take my Canondale Carbon Flash but it was a hard decision between the Scalpel and the Flash. The course is a bit over 11km and the conditions could be wet so I think to get through the mud, the Flash will be better....we shall see.

My support will be great, with my good friend Roger Carlson traveling with me and a long-time Cannondale rep/race promoter will have support all day and all night. It looks like the cards are all lines up for the event. I love South Africa and can't wait! I will also bring my fishing pole...just in case I get a few minutes to try and catch a few.

Whenever you travel overseas it's a big deal. When you're heading over for a big race like this, it's even a bigger deal. I haven't had any 24 hour races yet this year, so I think this one will be tough on a few levels. But I'm going to do my best, have fun, and try and be safe.

I got a new helmet cam from Epic Action Video, a new sponsor for 2011, and it will be my first experience using it so this should be really cool. I'll send out an end of year race report and post some video. I'm hoping we get something we can use on my new website, which should also be posted by the end of the year.

Well, happy trails, and keep the rubber sideways.

Tinker

12 Hours of Temecula good story!

2010-11-18T21:12:00.000-08:00

Jens Rans wrote a great story and put some pics in mtbracenews.com. I can't write this well and am very grateful for the kind words in the story. Hope you like it too:

http://www.mtbracenews.com/view_article.jsp?id=205

written by: Jens Raz

The final 12 Hours of Temecula of 2010 was on the horizon in Southern California. With beautiful weather on tap, hero dirt galore, a great 10 mile loop of singletrack was waiting for one large crowd of racers in Temecula. With temperatures ranging from the high 40s to the low 80s the competitors not only had to deal with the heat and cold, but also with the physiological demands of the desert race.

The usual protagonists were Tinker Juarez and Mr. Geoladders, himself Doug Andrews. However a dark horse was present to challenge Tinker’s dominance. The hopeful recipient of the "Tinker Challenge” of cold hard cash was to be rewarded for the fastest solo. Ant (Anthony) White the English long distance specialist and recent winner of the 2010 24hrs in the Old Pueblo solo category came out to prove himself and give Tinker a run for that money!

The gauntlet was thrown with Tinker taking the first lap and never relinquishing the lead. He finished with 1 lap over second and third place and racing until 6 minutes to go. Not only taking the "King of the Mountain” prize but also the fastest lap of the day with 40 minutes and 53 seconds. He would end the day with 130 dirt miles! Take that you Century riders!

The real battle was brewing between southern California endurance brawler Doug Andrews and the Englishman, Ant.

Anything can happen over 12 hours, and positions will change. A notoriously conservative starter, Ant followed Doug around Vail Lake for the first half of the day. As the day wore on and the temperatures dropped, consistency won over the early speedster. Taking 2nd place by less than a minute, which the Englishman, Ant White, accomplished, is nothing less than astounding. His second place memoirs follow;

"The ever growing 12 Hours of Temecula is one of my favorite races. I’ve done it 4 times now. The course is rewarding, the hard bits are followed by serious swoopy fun. The weather always seems to be as clement and the vibe positive. I was back over in the US seeing my girlfriend in Nevada and thought it would be rude not to get some Californian "base” miles in at 12 Hours of Temecula.

My race plan was to go off reasonably steady and push hard towards the end … hopefully when others were weakening. This was actually the only way I could play it as a 4 hour training ride earlier in the week went a bit wrong and turned into an 8 hour out and back as I missed my lift home … so my legs lack a little zip needed for a full-on early race effort.

There was a $400 dollar "prize fighting” purse up for anyone who could win solo at Temecula and beat Tinker Juarez. This certainly looked a tall order as Tinker seems to glide up the infamous "Damn Hill” at the start and opened up a big gap on the entire field. I had to dig in limit my losses.

The course actually was a little less grueling than some of the previous Temecula races. Only the really long initial climb was painful. Some "grindy techy” sections were side-stepped. For me that was probably a good thing, as I started to suffer in the heat. For the middle third of the race I tried to keep hydrated but lacked leg power. This changed when the sun went down at about 4 o clock. I felt refreshed.

I had resisted hassling my trusty pit princess Steph to give me lap splits, but sometime in the dark I was told I was in 3rd. This was half an hour down on Tinker and 15 minutes down on second. I did feel strong at this stage and pushed on quite hard, really enjoying the descents and attacking the climbs in much bigger gears than earlier in the day. My Exposure lights provided some serious firepower and my legs came to life probably because of the lower temperatures … although the use of compression leggings and Q rings probably have helped as well. Somewhere, somehow, I managed to overtake 2nd … I didn’t actually realize this until the prize ceremony!

Forever the bridesmaid I only snatched 2nd (3 times now), from Doug Andrews, by a minute in 11 hours 6 mins. Tinker showed his class by getting another lap in before the 12 hour cut off. Top marks to Jason [Ranoa], the race organizer, who carried off the longest prize giving ceremony/raffle in Christendom with aplomb. I hope to be passing through in January to stretch the legs and lungs once more.”

Pro Solo Men

1, Tinker Juarez (CFR) 13 laps
2, Ant White 12 laps
3, Doug Andrews (Geoladders) 12 laps
4, Bode Barreth 10 laps
5, Dez Wilder 7 laps
6, Joe Dupree 5 laps

Pro Solo Women

1, Timari Pruis
2, Joy Martin

Expert Solo Men

1, Jonathon Davis 11 laps
2, Henry Valenzuela III 9 laps
3, Dan Santos 9 laps
4, Scott Holland 8 laps
5, Sean Robman 7 laps
6, Juan Diaz 7 laps

Sport Solo Men

1, Aaron Campbell 11 laps
2, John Dang 11 laps
3, Aaron Johnson 10 laps
4, Mykyta Yurtyn 10 laps
5, Chris Branson 9 laps
6 Solovann Sim 9 laps

Clydesdale Solo Men
1, Mark Delaney 9 laps
2, Brandon Turley 7 laps
3, Thom Porterfield 6 laps
4, Damon Mann 6 laps
5, Jeremy Williams 5 laps

2010 12 Hours of Temecula Finals

2010-11-17T08:03:00.001-08:00

"12 Hours Of Temecula"
2010
Southern California's Premier Mountain Bike Experience
2010 12 Hours Of Temecula series closes with a bang!

2010 Has been an amazing year for SoCal Mountain Biking. The 12 Hour final is the culmination of hard work and dedication from racers and the biking industry!

Saturday Nov 13th started with sunny skies and temps hovering around 50 degrees in the early morning. 6:00 am rolled around quickly and racers were pouring in to Vail Lake Resort from all over the US. We even had a few teams from overseas joining us for the challenge of the day! Onsite registration was buzzing and pits were being setup all over the venue. The mandatory 8 am racer meeting came and went with out a hitch and racers lined up for the 9am start! The 10 second count was heard over the PA system and soon the race was under way. Right off the bat Tinker Juarez ( The legend ) was blazing the notorious DAMN Climb! Tinker won the King of the Mountain prize and went on to claim the fastest lap of the day ( 40:53 ). Today was Tinker's day and he was feeling good! The rest of the racers were rolling up the DAMN Climb and blasting the rollercoaster ridgelines with the thoughts of champions jerseys on their minds. The Pro men had Ant White and Doug Andrews chasing Tinker all day long trying to capture the $400 reward for beating Tinker in laps on the final day. In the End Tinker rocked 13 laps with Ant White close behind and Doug Andrews a minute later rounding out the top 3. Tinker crushed this years pro category to take the overall championship and the coveted SoCal Jersey! In the elite ladies category Timari Pruis led Joy Martin to take the win and the overall victory for 2010. There were so many great battles taking place throughout the day as teams were within minutes of each other going in to the last few hours. This was by far the most exciting year we've had at the 12 Hour series.

Full Results attached to this email and posted on Site:
www.socalendurance.com

" DROP A GEAR & DISAPPEAR "
by SOCAL ENDURANCE, 38328 BACK NINE CT, MURRIETA, CA 92563

Supporting the SoCal High School League this Friday at the 2010 SoCal Cycle Fest

2010-11-16T13:41:00.000-08:00

Want to contribute to our children and future cyclists?

Check out the SoCal CycleFest gala this Saturday evening event in support of the SoCal High School Cycling League. 100% of the proceeds will go to the expansion and sustainability of the best youth cycling program in SoCal as they prepare for the spring 2011 racing series. What a great cause!

Saturday November 20th, 2010
CycleFest Gala Dinner and Auction aboard the Queen Mary in Long Beach, CA

More Info: SoCal High School Cycling League Gala

Chupracabras 100km 2010 and Mom Rose's Birthday!

2010-11-06T22:13:00.000-07:00

Last couple of years I had schedule conflicts and then the year before that (2007) I didn't do as well as I had hoped so this year I was determined to head down to Juarez Mexico for the annual Chupacabras 100km, no matter what. Mom's birthday was that Sunday, so I got her a ticket and we went together. It was a nice trip for Mom’s birthday. Since I got married and since Joshua came into our lives, a lot has changed! It used to be that Mom would come with me to many (most) of my races but now she gets a break and Terri and Joshua can come along. This time it was a sort of special trip because it was her birthday and also it was a chance to visit with some of the nicest people you'd ever meet and also attend and participate in such an awesome event that brings all levels from first timer to pro level bike riders come out to race.

We went there wondering what to expect since Juarez has had such a bad time with the crime in recent years. But we went with no fear, felt really safe when we arrived, and we knew what was going on but felt really safe the whole time. We were not worried or scared and were happy to have an opportunity to see first-hand what was going on. It is sad to see that this is happening to such a wonderful people and that it did impact the race because there were less people there, but every person around there was happy, polite, generous, and comfortable. It didn’t feel like anything was happening. That's enough about that, except all I have to say is anything can happen anywhere you go, so just be smart about things not matter where you're at.

There was a nice get together on Friday night at a local club for a rider’s meeting and I was invited with my Mom of course. I got to talk with some locals, the media, and relax with Mom. It was a great meet & greet and a perfect dinner to finish the night.

There a race course for everybody and everyone has their favorite but that desert is one of the hardest for me. I wish I could say that I won the race which I did not, but I am very happy to finish 4th place - that is just part of racing! I tried hard and I felt like I did much better than the past so I’m getting better but still need to improve my result. The course was awesome this time because there was much more and better single track. The hardest part of the race was the beginning were there was about 24 miles of flat alongside the boarder and it took a lot out of me. It was kind of eerie with boarder patrol every about half mile along the entire out and back.

The number one reason I love this event so much is because I love Juarez Mexico but most of all, it is because of the people. They are so very nice. Also, the race is a classic event and even though attendance was down a little this year, it's been growing for the last 14 yr. I plan to return again next year and every yr after that and hope to win some day! I already have the date on my calendar for next year.

Just a quick THANK YOU to Carlos, his family, and all the rest of the race organizers, volunteers, the city, and everyone that came to race and cheer. What a good people and great time! Thank you Juarez!

And the best part of the whole trip was..... the CAKE!

Happy Birthday Mom!

Tinker's Titan's

2010-11-06T20:39:00.000-07:00

Cannondale Europe made a really great video of the team they put together for us at the Nissan Titan Desert MTB race across the Sahara Desert earlier this year. It was great fun and a really great team!

2010 West Coast Marathon Championship News from SoCalendurance

2010-10-12T08:21:00.001-07:00


	SoCal Fat Tire Epic 50 " West Coast Marathon Championships "

" Tinker " Juarez defends his title in the 2010 West Coast Marathon Championships

With the rains coming earlier in the week, the 24 mile Epic course had some of the best conditions Vail Lake has ever seen! The challenging 2 lap race was running fast and furious. Racers came from all over the West Coast to compete for the coveted Champions Jersey's.
The Mens Pro Category was full of potential winners. From early on in the race Tinker took the lead. Followed closely by John Nobil, Gerry Cody, and Vincent Lombardie. All the Pro men came in way below the 2 hour lap mark. With Tinker having the fastest lap in 1:36. The second lap proved to be the deciding factor for many of the days racers. Out on course you could see the grit and determination being set forth by all the days racers!
In the end Tinker took the win in convincing fashion with Jiohn Nobil in second and Gerry Cody close behind for third.
With a smokin fast time our Womens Pro category winner was SoCal Endurance's own Shalyn Gates. Shalyn was having a great day on the bike, smiling and jokin as she sped by at the aid stations.
Also a noteable ride was done by Superbike star Ben Bostrum in the Singlespeed open category. Ben turned a 3:28 which would have been good for a 4th place in the Pro Open category. Great job Ben!

Top finishers for the day:
1st Expert Men - Oliver Hutchinson
1st Expert Women - Heidi Slominski
1st Sport Men - Scott Holland
1st Sport Women - Wilhelmina Zuckerman
1st Beg Men - Bret Escoubas
1st Beg 1 lap - Zack Hay
1st JR Cat - Jarred Jordan
1st 40-49 Men - Mike Hileman
1st 40-49 Women - Tracey Delaney
1st 50-59 Men - Randy Leichty
1st 60+ Men - Stan Ford
1st 2 pers team Open - Skuld Racing

That concludes the 2010 SoCal Fat Tire Epic 50 - West Coast Marathon Cahmpionships!
We appreciate all the racers support and we look forward to 2011! See ya in the dirt!!!
For complete results go to:
http://socalendurance.com/SOCALFATTIREEPIC.html

Please join us for the upcoming "12 Hours Of Temecula #3" Championship round on November 13th.
Click Here for more Info
12 Hours Of Temecula

www.socalendurance.com

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Largada e chegada 45-49 anos XCO MASTERS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS BRASIL 2010

2010-09-18T15:29:00.000-07:00

Youtube is awesome...check out a great video of the WC race:

The 2010 UCI Mountain Bike World Championship Race in Balneario Camboriu

2010-09-16T22:06:00.000-07:00

What can I say? It seems like the last time I sat down and was able to talk about the World Championship races was such a long time long ago...but it was a long time ago. I was 33 and I was a young guy! I had no idea it would take so long to get here. Your body changes, hair falls out, weight changes. I now have a new life - a new wife, son, house, everything is so much different now.

It was a BIG deal then and it was a bigger deal now.

So where to begin....every single thing was perfect about the trip and it all fell into place just right.

Beto Franco, Leones Pereira, and Vanessa Pereira

It started at the airport in Sao Paolo. I was sitting there waiting for my flight. I don't know what I was doing, could have been scratching my ass or whatever... but to much relief, a guy came up and asked me if I was 'Tinker' and I said yes. He spoke good English and we chatted a while. It turned out that he was also on his way to Balneario Cambrio for the UCI Mountain Bike Master World Championships with a friend and his friend's wife. So we traveled on the same flight, took the same ferry, and as it turned out, they even had a reservation at the same hotel. They say there are angels all around you all the time. Beto, Leones, and Vanessa are three angels for sure!

View of Santa Caterina Brazil on the way from the race to the ferry

Pirate still hang out off the coast in Brazil

Not much was very exiting in the two days leading up to the race. I got to rest as much as possible. Rest is always the secret after a big exhausting trip with a time change. The only little complaint I had was even on the seventh floor, the traffic outsite was crazy late into the night. It was a fun little nice town with a lot of little stores, malls, beautiful beach, great fishing, excellent restaurants, and it was very convenient to the Parque Unipraias track, where they had the Pan Am games and World Cup races in 2005 and 2006. But I was not there to have fun. I was there to bring home a gold medal.

Can't resist....

The night before the race I was nervous like normal....it didn't matter who could have been on the start line. I was nervous about not knowing who was going to be there, if it would rain, and just the fact this was the World Championship race I've been working toward for the past 16 years.... yep I was a nervous wreck. But the race went off well. I took the lead after we started the first climb. I was careful on the technical descent, which could have been very slippery if it had rained. It turned out that we had some nice cloudcover but it didn't rain and weather was good, the track was really nice, and it flowed just right.

Cannondale Support!!

I had great support from one of the local Cannondale dealers, who was there for me for anything I needed. Unfortunately, I did not get a card and my CRS brain can't remember his name right now.... but for sure I want to extend my very sincere thanks to him and Cannondale and Cyclingsportsgroup for the opportunity to be able to work with him and for all his time. That means so much when we are out there traveling alone to get this kind of excellent support! Thank you.

After the race started, I began to relax in the saddle a little and managed to gain over a minute. The second lap was a little more focused, but no one could give me split times because they didn't speak English, but I knew I had a comfortable lead so I knew I had to continue on the same pace and keep focused and careful. I was also worried if something mechanical could happen, and I wanted to keep something in the tank for the last lap.

Bento Franco at the World Champ Finish!

45-49 class with all the country leaders in the front

Bento was there racing in my class with me. His goal was to finish well and he was excited to be a part of all of it. He did great too! I wish I could have cheered him on and handed him bottles or whatever because he and Leones and Vanessa were all really great to me the entire trip. Leones passed bottles for me and Vanessa took photos. When I said they were angels I really mean it! I am so grateful to them!

Half way through the race I knew I had to be extra careful and not do anything stupid and ride the course smooth and easy. The fifth and final lap was still overcast and warm, and I realized I had not drank enough. I was riding on adrenaline by then I knew I should have drank more but I didn't. I began to panic when the cramps hit me. I think I had a cow and paniced a lot more with every painful crank up the climbs. I definitely was not going as fast as the first four laps. But I kept my head up and tried like hell to focus to finish. With the comfortable lead I had, I knew I just had to finish so I set my mind to it. My new old motto is 'Never ever give up'.

There was a little jump at the end of the lap and one excellent photographer grabbed a great shot of the cross-up I pulled off at the finish! And then I got to cross the finish line for the first time as a World Champion.

It sunk in when I got home and I got a chance to really think about it...while I was at my favorite local fishing spot today...

A few tears of joy at the interview

Three World Champions

I'm the one in the middle

Joshua eyeing the celebration cake

happy guy

Let's celebrate!

Before I close, I just want to mention how friendly the people were there! It didn't matter if I didn't speak the language - we definitely communicated. People took photos three days straight with I think I got a shot with every single person at the event but every one was so nice. It was awsome to be able to make friends without saying a word. That blows my mind - and always has. What a great sport to be in!

World MTB News

2010-09-11T18:47:00.000-07:00

Campeonato Mundial MTB Master - Tinker Juarez é campeão na 45-49

Portuguese to English translation (google.tranlate)

MTB Masters World Championships - Champion Tinker Juarez Winner of 45-49

Athletes in the 45-49 years age group dropped to 10.30 and made one of the most anticipated contests, which included the presence of strong paulistanos Eduardo Ramires (Pan American champions) and Oswaldo José dos Santos, Oswaldão.

But all eyes were on the American David Tinker Juarez. With 36-year career in various ways practiced with bicycle, Tinker as is known, is a living legend in this sport and it was besieged by fans before and after the race.

And Tinker Juarez did not disappoint the fans. The Californian 49 years took the edge off the start and even set the track record so far, with incredible 17min48s recorded in the first round and secured his first gold medal in the world. In 1994, Tinker was silver in the Elite, the World Cup played in the U.S. but still lacked a gold medal in the World Cup in the curriculum of the athlete.

In the end, Tinker Juarez applause of the audience with a jump a few meters from the finish line and ended the five laps in 1h42min14s.

"It's incredible, but even after all this time I still get nervous on the eve of the race. I thank God for that title. I dropped in front and tried to keep the lead because I was worried about the rain, because with the wet track I'm not so much technical and things could get complicated, "said the American, who is visiting Brazil for the fifth time.

Frenchman Jean-Paul Stephan, 47, kept in second place regularly throughout the race and secured the silver with a time of 1h45min27s. Jean-Paul, a physical education teacher who lives in the city of Champagne, is four times European champion and seven times French champions. Last year he also took silver in the world, played in his country.

"Racing against Tinker Juarez is a great pleasure indeed. When I saw his name on the list knew that my race would be tough. During the race he was just better, "he acknowledged.

The bronze went to Colombian Joseline Saavedra, who had a consistent race and finished in third place in 1h50min32s.

The best Brazilian was Oswaldão, which remained in fifth place from the beginning to the end.

:: Sunday Schedule

The finals of the downhill start on the afternoon of Saturday, with disputes between 14h and 17h30, with the final award of the sport from DHI 18 hours.

On Sunday only come into play in cross country athletes. The first category to drop will be the athletes of the age group 40-44 years. At 11 hours trot riders of 35-39 years.

After a brief lunch break, the competitions to resume 14 hours with the 30-34 category, the fastest mode of cross country and promises and bitter disputes in the fight for the last three medals in dispute.

The final award of the cross country will be from 16 o'clock.

:: Results Category 45-49 - 5 LAPS

GOLD - David Tinker Juarez - USA - 1h42min14s
SILVER - Jean-Paul Stephan - France - 1h45min27s
BRONZE - Joseline Saavedra - Colombia - 1h50min32s

Tinker Won the 2010 Master MTB World Championship!

2010-09-11T10:03:00.000-07:00

Rose, Joshua, and I were not able to travel with Tinker to Brazil for the MTB World Master Championship race today but we felt like we were there as we huddled around the computer watching the live webcam this morning. We logged on just in time for the awards ceremony. We haven't been able to talk with Tinker today so we did not know how the race went. As we watched with much anticipation (emphasis on the anticipation part here), the third and second place guys entered the stage and climbed on top of the podium. For what seemed like two minutes, Tinker strolled onto the stage and took his place on top of the number 1 position! Rose, Joshua and I were screaming so loud and jumping we scared Joshua! When he realized what we were so excited about he joined us!

Tinker Juarez - the 2010 Master MTB World Champion

After we were able to contain ourselves, we sat there glued to the monitor to watch the media take photos and interviews.

Awesome!

CONGRATULATIONS TINKER!!! We know how hard you worked your whole life to earn those rainbow stripes. We are soooooo proud!!!!!

We love you so much.

Terri, Joshua, Rose, & Victor

PS - Does this mean I should expect to see you wearing that jersey 24 hours a day for the next month? ;-)

Kirkwood Nine to Five & Team Bigfoot Blog

2010-08-29T10:47:00.000-07:00

The Kirkwood Nine to Five is in the books and Tinker won with 11 laps on the 6.5 mile course, consisting of mostly beautiful singletrack and a little over 1,000 feet of climbing. Tinker said he was "taking it easy" in anticipation for the World Master Championship race in Brazil in a couple of weeks. Yeah, right.....

Check out Vic's daily blog on the Kirkwood Mountain Bike Festival - a real must for a summer mtb family week full of fun!

2010 Mount Washinton Auto Road Hill Climb article in Velonews.com

2010-08-23T08:35:00.001-07:00

Story tomorrow... great write-up on velonews.com today....

Veterans Toutenhoofd, Juarez, Shea, battle youngsters at Mount Washington Hillclimb

By John Stifler • Updated: Aug 22nd 2010 6:33 PM EDT • Race Results

Above treeline, Toutenhoofd was all alone.

Youth and confidence were no match for age and experience at this year's Mt. Washington Auto Road Bicycle Hillclimb.

Nico Toutenhoofd (Hotel San Jose/Mellow Johnny's), 42, and veteran mountain biker Tinker Juarez (Cannondale Factory Racing), 49, blew away everyone else, including two 22-year-olds from Garmin-Transitions, the same team that includes the Auto Road's course record-holder, Tom Danielson.

In the women's race Marti Shea (Destination Cycling), 47, won by almost three minutes in another vet-stacked field: there was no rider under 30 in the top ten.

Toutenhoofd ignores early surge

In this 7.6-mile grind up the highest peak in the Northeast, Toutenhoofd rode the first two miles hidden behind 30 other cyclists, including Garmin's Peter Salon and Walker Savidge, who seemed poised to prove their climbing ability here as Danielson had done before.

Using standard road gearing, however, and not having seen the course beforehand, Salon and Savidge realized by the second mile that this was going to hurt. The road's average grade is 12 percent; its steepest extended section is 18 percent, and the finish is 70 meters of a kick-in-the-face 22 percent. "Anything over a 13 percent grade, I felt like I was going backward," Savidge said later.

Meanwhile, Toutenhoofd, who had placed second in the hillclimb in 2008 and fourth last year, was watching his power meter. Cranking at a steady 350 watts, he moved into the lead in the third mile and maintained more than a 30-second gap over Juarez and Timothy Ahearn, 35, of Woodstock, Conn. Toutenhoofd's time to the 6,288-foot summit, 57:26, was well off Danielson's record 49:24, but that wasn't the point.

"I really wanted to win," said Toutenhoofd. "Of course it depends on who else shows up, but my goal was to get from the bottom to the top as fast as possible and ignore everyone else."

With decades of mountain experience, Juarez was the only rider to start out with the lead pack and then not blow up, despite being new to this course. Sun-tanned, wind-wrinkled, and sporting a mass of curls and dreads under his helmet, the former national mountain biking champion pedaled side by side with Ahearn, then pulled away after the five-mile point to take second in 58:08, with Ahearn third in 58:22.

Shea wins women's race

The strongest woman was another veteran, Marti Shea, 47, of Marblehead, Mass. A four-time winner of Newton's Revenge race, the other bike race held on the same course each summer, Shea benefited from perfect weather to ride her best time ever on the Auto Road, 1:05:42.

"I was hurting at the finish," said Shea, a former all-American runner, "but I felt strong the whole way. My training peaked at just the right time this year."

Second woman was Kristen Gohr, 39, of Reading, Mass. "I wanted to stay with Marti a little longer," said Gohr, "but she's a machine." Gohr finished in 1:08:23, followed at a respectful distance by Selene Yeager, 41, of Emmaus, Pennsylvania, in 1:17:36.

Salon finished tenth in 1:01:16, while Savidge was 13^th in 1:02:11.

Fourth-place finisher Jake Hollenbach of Winooski, Vermont, offered a parting perspective on the way the young pros lost to the geezers. "Those kids were riding it like Mt. Evans," said Hollenbach. The Colorado hillclimb is higher and longer; Mt. Washington is just steeper than some people still want to believe.

Complete results

Brief results:
Men

1. Nico Toutenhoofd, 42, Boulder CO, Hotel San Jose/Mellow Johnny's, 57:26,
2. Tinker Juarez, 49, Whittier CA, Cannondale Factory Racing, 58:08
3. Timothy Ahearn, 35, Woodstock CT, 58:22
4. Jake Hollenbach, 29, Winooski VT, AXA Equitable, 59:31
5. Timothy Tapply, 35, Sherborn MA, QT2 Systems, 59:57
6. John Bayley, 41, Watertown MA, 1:00:07
7. Paul Runyon, 20, Philadelphia PA, Tri-State Velo, 1:00:41
8. Randall Jacobs, 27, Waltham MA, Wheelworks, 1:00:50
9. Chris Yura, 31, Philadelphia PA, 1:01:15
10. Peter Salon, 22, Boulder CO, Garmin-Transitions/Felt-Holowesko, 1:01:16

Women

1. Marti Shea, 47, Marblehead MA, Destination Cycling, 1:05:42
2. Kristen Gohr, 39, Reading MA, Stage 5 Cycling, 1:08:23
3. Selene Yeager, 41, Emmaus PA, Team CF, 1:17:36
4. Carol Meader, 44, Raymond ME, Portland Velo Club, 1:18:32
5. Dominique Coderre, 51, Montreal QC, 1:18:49
6. Nicole Marcoe, 35, White River Junction VT, Strava, 1:20:04
7. Martha Robertson, 52, Peru VT, 1:20:36
8. Kelley Wulfkuhle, 33, Essex Junction VT, Green Mountain Bicycle Club, 1:21:00
9. Elizabeth West, 44, Westport CT, Home, 1:22:32
10. Margaret Thompson, 56, Clinton NY, Team Hammer Nutrition/Terry Precision Bicycles, 1:23:27

: 2010 Mt. Washington Hillclimb

: 2010 Mt. Washington Hillclimb

: 2010 Mt. Washington Hillclimb

: 2010 Mt. Washington Hillclimb

: 2010 Mt. Washington Hillclimb

The "Brutal" Butte 100

2010-08-18T18:03:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the delayed story - but we did finally get the Internet (and phones) working properly at home just a couple of days ago.... so now it's time to get back in the routine!

I absolutely HAD to send this story out about the Butte 100 race. First of all, I want to thank the race promoter Bob Waggoner for the invite to one of hardest 100 mile races I've ever done (including Leadville 100 - I'll elaborate on that later...but this is for sure the hardest 100 mile races, in terms of toughness I've ever done.). It was mostly single and double track with less than 10 miles of paved road. The trails were very narrow and tight singletrack with more climbing than descending during the race. It was over 16,000 feet accumulated elevation - and I think it might have been up to 22,000 feet of climbing according to another racer. It was really brutal. Bob worked with Levi's Leiphimer's older brother, Rob, who owns the Outdoorsman bike shop in Butte and got a room for me at their hotel. I got to work on my bike at their shop and meet the whole family. They were super nice and I even got to ride with some of the locals. It was a great time! Thank you Alex, Bob, Rob, and everyone else for all your hospitality!!!

Also, the day before the race, I got to go visit Missoula Bicycle Works, a new local Cannondale dealer shop in Missoula, MT. It was a great meet and greet at the shop on Thursday night and we had a nice dinner together. Getting to meet everyone and hanging out is one of my favorite parts of my job! It was a cool experience.

Unfortunately, I didn't get any photos from the race but I will remember this always. It was green and beautiful and a perfect day for a race. The course was one big loop and I felt really good through the whole thing. But my luck is bad when it comes to picking from a "Y" in the trail and on one unmarked spot, I screwed up. The entire race course was perfectly marked except this one little spot... And of course I went the wrong way picking the uphill direction and climbed and climbed and climbed. So, I went from the leader with over 30 minutes lead at about 65 miles into the race. Then I guess I went about 10 miles finding my way back. After I found the course I hammered to make up time. I asked the course Marshall who told me about 8 guys went by and I had about 30 miles left. I worked my way all the way up to 3rd place but it took a while to get my focus back. It's hard to regroup your head once you get turned around, but I managed and did a good job with a great finish for a brutal day in the saddle.

Just want to thank all the race volunteers and organizers and Rob and his family, and Alex and the Missoula Bicycle Works family for everything. I hope I can go back again soon!

Cheers,

Tinker

Leadville 100 Race across the sky 2010

2010-08-16T13:29:00.000-07:00

Tinker finished 16th with a time of 7:30:47. Photo by Rob O'Dea

Read more: Singletrack.com

Life Time Fitness Press Release: Leadville Trail 100 Brings Biggest Names in Mountain Biking to Colorado

2010-08-10T10:56:00.001-07:00

I'm on the way to Leadville this AM & looking forward to a great race. Check out the recent press release...

I can't wait 'till Saturday to race with my team! I'm lookin' to get one of those buckles this time - maybe I'll have to go buy a belt.

Leadville Trail 100 Brings Biggest Names in Mountain Biking to Colorado

Renowned event attracts biggest names in sport in addition to more than 1,500 riders from 48 states and 21 countries
The United States’ top World Cup athletes and former Olympians poised to challenge course records of 6:28:50 (men) and 7:58:52 (women) on August 14
Life Time Fitness Leadville Trail 100 out-and-back course covers 104 miles, 11,600 feet of climbing, and peak elevation of 12,600 feet at Columbine Mine

August 10, 2010 10:30 AM Eastern Daylight Time

LEADVILLE, Colo.--(EON: Enhanced Online News)--Life Time Fitness, Inc. (NYSE: LTM), today announced that the greatest names in U.S. mountain biking—including 10 current and past National Champions, six U.S. Olympians, and four Mountain Bike Hall of Famers—will compete in the Life Time Fitness Leadville Trail 100 Race Across the Sky August 14. The renowned event is the original ultra-distance mountain bike event, beginning and ending in the heart of Leadville, Colorado, located 100 miles west of Denver.

Led by major stars of the sport, this year’s field is poised to break the Leadville Trail 100 course record of 6:28:50, set in 2009 by seven-time Tour de France Champion, Lance Armstrong. Challenging Armstrong’s bid to repeat as Champion will be six-time Leadville Champion Dave Wiens, who bested Armstrong in 2008. Together, the two remain the only riders to ever finish the course in less than seven hours.

Joining Wiens will be top Tour de France performer and Team RadioShack rider, Levi Leipheimer and Matt Shriver, last year’s third-place finisher. Making their first appearance at Leadville will be a trio of the nation’s top mountain biking professionals, including: Jeremy Horgen-Kobelski, Todd Wells, and Jeremiah Bishop. These highly-decorated cyclists have won multiple national championships and are looking to set a pace unlike anything previously seen during the Leadville Trail 100.

On the women’s side of the race, defending Champion and three-time 24-hour Solo World Champion Rebecca Rusch is back to defend her title and will aim to beat the women’s course record of 7:58:52, which was set by Laurie Brandt in 1997. A strong field of contenders will challenge Rusch, most notably last year’s runner-up Amanda Riley Carey.

Top athletes scheduled to appear include:

Women

Ligia Madrigal (CR)
Gretchen Reeves (CO)
Amanda Riley Carey (ID)
Rebecca Rusch (ID)

Men

Jeremiah Bishop (VA)
Alex Grant (UT)
Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (CO)
David ‘Tinker’ Juaraz (CA)
Alban Lakata (Austria)
Levi Leipheimer (CA)
Ned Overend (CO)
Manuel Prado (CA)
Chris Sheppard (OR)
Matt Shriver (CO)
Max Taam (CO)
Dave Weins (CO)
Todd Wells (CO)
Len Zanni (CO)

Since 1994, the Leadville Trail 100 has been attracting thousands of racers to the Colorado community. This year, 1,500 participants from 48 states and 21 countries will race on single- and double-track dirt roads on the 104-mile out-and-back course, featuring 11,600 feet of climbing and peak elevation of 12,600 feet at Columbine Mine. Based on past course results, approximately 65% of riders are expected to finish within the event’s 12-hour time limit and receive the coveted Leadville Trail 100 silver and gold belt buckle.

About the Life Time Fitness Leadville Trail 100 Race Across the Sky
Since being founded in 1983 by Ken Chlouber, the Leadville Trail 100 has been known as the best ultra-distance event in mountain biking. Starting and finishing in the historic downtown area of Leadville, Colorado, a boom and bust mining town in the heart of the Rockies, the race takes place over an approximate 50 mile out-and-back course within high altitude mountains and valleys. Each year, thousands of participants compete in a series of “Race Across the Sky” events presented under the Leadville Trail 100 Series banner. For more information, visit leadvilletrail100.com.

About Life Time Fitness, Inc.
Life Time Fitness, Inc. (NYSE: LTM) is a healthy way of life company based in Chanhassen, Minnesota. The Company is dedicated to providing programs and services that help its members connect and engage with their areas of interest, and achieve success with their health and fitness goals. Life Time Fitness designs and operates distinctive, multi-use sports, professional fitness, family recreation and spa/resort centers that help members lead healthy and active lives. As of August 9, 2010, the Company operated 89 centers in 19 states and 24 markets. Additional information about Life Time Fitness centers, programs and services is available at lifetimefitness.com.

Incycle visit to get ready for Mt. Washington Hill Climb

2010-07-27T21:51:00.000-07:00

Posting, emailing, browsing, anything on the internet has been such a pain since we moved here. Even with this mobile internet thing it's worse than dial up...

Anyway, sorry for not being a good blogger lately but we will try our best to make time and keep up with the busy next two months of racing. July was mostly intense training and getting ready for the Butte 100 this weekend, Leadville 100 in August, and the Mount Washington Hill Climb, a mountain climb on the road bike in New Hampshire on August 21...then I'll wrap up a busy month with a nice trip to Kirkwood to do the 9 to 5 with my very good friend Vic Armijo of Team Bigfoot.

Meanwhile, Incycle has done a great job with my road bike to get ready for Mt. Washington. They worked on my bikes for all my other events, too, and keep me race ready all the time. Sram sent me some great components and the best hill climbing gears I could ask for so I think I've got everything I could possibly need for the event. Here is the bike I'll ride but I'll train on my other Cannondale Supersix. Just want to say how much I appreciate Sram and Incycle for all the support lately. And a HUGE thank you to Cannondale and the team for such awesome support.

Happy trails....

Tinker

The Endless Trail?

2010-07-03T08:17:00.000-07:00

When I turned 49 in March this year, I can't say I felt any different than any other birthday. Physically, I feel great! What has changed lately is the level of confidence I have with my home, family, training, and all the personal things in my life. There is a lot less stress and the environment is better for relaxing and mentally recovering each day. The new home is in the right location near the trails and all I have to do now is jump on my mountain bike and hit the trails and hills, which I do at least once a week. Then when Terri gets home from work we do a family ride together and either I tow Joshua in the trailer up Turnbull Canyon or we cruise around town and then head home for sunset and dinner. I have not done this kind of training before. I can get 6000 ft of climbing in less than 4 hours and go two blocks to get to the trailhead. The house in Downey was right next to the bike path, but that was flat and took over an hour to get to the mountains. So I have always focused my training with the road bike and got a couple of moutain bike rides in a month - other than racing. I guess I am physically getting different type of training and more on my mountain bike than I have in the past, which is what I need to do. I used to just train more on the road and I'd drive to get to the mountains to get that workout. The extra days of mountain biking and hill climbing looks like it's been important.

Another thing is having confidence with the sponsors. It helps so much more when you're not worried if this will be the last year. There is nothing better than being confident about your bike, sponsors, of course the paycheck and other support from your sponsors. It gives me more confidence to work harder - just like any other person who reports to work each day and gets paid. I love working hard because I get the paycheck and want to give them everything I have and earn it for them. I want to make it worth it for them - whatever it takes.
I should also mention that I am having so much fun watching Joshua get excited about his bikes. He has been riding the Strider - which is a pedaless glider bike and he got really good at it. He developed balance and coordination that he couldn't have gotten on any pedal bike with training wheels. This past week, I lowered the saddle on his 16 inch bike so he could get on it easier and took off the trianing wheels. He was cruising around and made a seamless transition to riding a pedal bike in less than an hour! Awesome for a 3 year old! I got some video I'll post another time, but you can imagine how proud I am about this!

So, as I am preparing for the rest of the season, I have this looming decision to make. A few years ago someone asked me when I would retire and I said 'What about 50?' It's a good round number, sounds pretty old, and I figured by then I would be sick of racing and training so hard to try and be competitive. But right now I don't feel like the geezer I tought I would and I'm having a good year so far. So, I think I'd like to keep it up for a while. What do you think? Post a comment and participate in the poll. We'll wrap it up at the end of September and let you know what happens.

Thank you for reading.....

Tinker

The June Turkey!

2010-06-22T09:15:00.000-07:00

I'm having continued trouble with my internet connection at home so wife and I are heading to Verizon to get a satellite USB card today. Meanwhile, a very quick update on the last few weeks of races...and to mention that I managed to win all three! Here are the tree podium pics and a photo of my weapon of choice - the 2010 Cannondale Flash set up with the new XX components. This bike is so much fun to ride and super light. I am loving it!

June 5 - Had a blast at the US Cup #5 race in Santa Barbara at Eling's Park and won the XC national race

June 12 - It was perfect weather and trail conditions in Temecula at the 12 Hours of Temecula. I finished 15 laps and climbed over 17,000 feet!

June 19 - I found out that I was in third place overall for the US Cup series, tied with fourth place, so I packed up the family and headed to Big Bear for the final US Cup race. The course was fast and really fun. It was perfect and I mainly battled it out with Vince Lombardi, who was in 2nd place for the series. I watched him race and he was so smooth - what a great rider! There were two right hand turns at the end and I came out of the corner before he did and finished about a bike length ahead. It was a great race with super tough competition. I don't have a photo of that finish but it was a surprise to me.

Next up - Some serious altitude and climbing training in July to get ready for the Butte 100 in Montana on July 31 which will be a prelude to the Leadville 100 - I plan to finish what I started last year. Then, the Mt. Washington Hill Climb in CT, and will round off August with the Kirwood Festival and 9 to 5 race in norCal. These races should be perfect preparation for the Master World Championship XC races in Brazil in September. For my whole career I have always wanted to earn those rainbow stripes. This may be the year....

See you on the trails!

Tinker

Couple more photos of the Titan Desert race and the Cannondale Good Fighters

2010-05-15T20:35:00.000-07:00

It was great meeting everyone on the Tinker Titans Team. Each day everyone helped everyone else and me. I hope they had as much fun as I did and I really hope we can do an event again another time. Maybe next year we can get the team together for a 24 hour team event or something fun like that. Just wanted to say good luck in your races and keep me in the loop. Just give me a shout!

Thank you Cannondale for putting such a great team together and thank you team for being the best!

Cheers,

Tinker

Nissan Titan Desert Race 2010 Wrap Up

2010-05-14T22:20:00.000-07:00

It's taken a few days to recover from the race and even today, Friday, my legs are tired and I'm still jet lagged and getting used to the time change. Getting up at 2 AM and not being able to sleep for the last few days has been tough. It's been a while since I traveled overseas a lot and I forgot how tough it can be.

I've got a few things to tell but first the Cannondale Good Fighters team. They were super nice guys and the trip was so much better than I thought it could be because these guys were really great. It was fun to hang out and ride together in the middle of nowhere! What a surreal experience. I just have a few photos below and this video showing the Nissan trucks along the route but it also shows a good bit of the terrain and what we saw during the race - camels, black and white sheep, and everything. It was weird - you would be riding along on a long empty desert and see a single person so far away from anything just walking along. And then the towns were so empty mostly. Maybe the sun keeps them in and maybe keeps those robes on, but it was real different. The buildings were made of mud bricks even with some grass coming out. I can't imagine plucking your house. So different there - my first time.

The best part was how great the Spaniards took care of me. They knew I don't speak Spanish, but I still felt right at home and didn't miss much. There is such a history of cycling in Spain and it was like we knew each other for many years. I can't remember as much as they did from the year and the event and even the finish. It is so impressive how much they know about cycling and it was a real pleasure to be there with them. Awesome.

So, this mountain bike race went for 5 days in the Moroccan desert. But after the first day it was not really technical - real good for a person with lots of road experience. But it was incredibly difficult because of how fast the race went on. There weren't many hills to slow it up - just miles and miles of desert and fast hard pace. You needed to stay with a fast group and get the group working together - on your own is not the way to win and I ended up on my own a couple of time.

The competition was INCREDIBLE. There were lots of famous Spanish road cyclists toughing it out. The winner, Roberto Heras was there, he has won it before, and he knew exactly what he needed to do to win this one. I ended up first in the Master class overall and who would have known I could have done what I did, but Laurent Jalabert finished seconded. If I had skinny tires on my bike and it was a real road race he would have made me a real fool. It was such an honor to race with these guys and I can't even say enough what a great experience it was. I remember years ago I went to Spain for an event - can't remember which one but I do have a 2nd place cup somewhere around here from the win - maybe Conserjeria de Cultura y Deporte. Anyway, Abraham Olano Manzano was at that event and he had just retired. I clearly remember all the people in line to get his autograph - I've never seen that before and it was awesome. And that is exactly how it felt to be racing in the desert with them.

This is after stage 4 - the longest stage (130km) with the hardest climbs. I had two flats in this stage. The first one I fixed and after I flatted the second time I realized my bag was opened. All I had was a partial Innovation quickfill and no pump. I panicked - I had no air. The next rider stopped and let me use his pump and saved the race. He even stayed and helped me - I just want to say how thankful I was for being there.

This is our group on our way home after the race. I don't have all the guys in one photo that were in our group but the Good Fighters were there in full force!

The Cannondale Good Fighters at the Nissan Titan Desert Race:

David Juarez (me)

Marko Muller

Henri Lesewitz

Philippe Palleron

Pierpaolo Macconi

Lazet Wouter

Oscar Castro Requena

Overall Master Winners: Me, Laurent Jalabert, and Javier Salamero Subias

I am so sorry but I did not get this guy's name. He is an above the knee amputee and raced the entire race, easily made cut-off times, without his prosthetic.

Camp every night. We had a hotel the first and last night - when I saw the hotel on the last day it was like a mirage! These are the magic carpet rows....

There is a whole lot more to tell about the race. I've got some notes about day 4 I'll work on next week when we're on vacation in Florida.

The guy in the middle is the one who pulled all this together for us. Thank you Ignacio (and the race promoters) for a wonderful experience!

Peace all!

I got this weird urge to walk like a camel.....

The Nisan Titan Desert Race in the Morrocan Desert - A Magic Carpet Ride

2010-05-10T20:48:00.000-07:00

I'm too tired to write up the race story right now but wanted to tell everyone what a great trip it was. I was fortunate enough to only get delayed 4 hours on the return flight from the volcano ash in Iceland but it's been a long 2 days traveling and time for rest now. A huge thank you to the Cannondale Sports Group for putting together the Tinker Titan's team and all my teammates. What a great time! Thank you everyone.

More on the magic carpet ride later.....

Photo by Jb.

Nissan Titan Desert Race 2010

2010-05-04T05:26:00.000-07:00

What makes you go?

That question has been asked in many different ways through the years. In cycling, the short answer has everything to do with the war between man and the bike and the trail of the day.

My friend Roger is at war with a tiny vicious invader. The Nissan Titan Desert MTB race is for him....and in no way is this war anywhere near as tough as the one he is fighting.

Good luck Roger....

http://tn.nova.cz/magazin/hobby/volnycas/blaznivi-bikeri-vyrazili-na-tydenni-zavod-pousti.html

Just one minute

2010-04-25T21:27:00.000-07:00

Every now and then you realize how important just one minute is. Whether it's fate, chance, luck, or in this case dumb luck, just one minute is everything, especially when it comes to racing anything.

This past Saturday I had the pleasure of joining over 1,000 other folks in Prescott, Arizona for the annual Whisky Off-Road 50-proof mountain bike race. Todd Sadow and his gang and their usual fanfare had the whole town involved. It was awesome! I loaded the truck up and trekked over with Mom Rose and Victor. Terri had to work so she and Joshua didn't come. It was great to have mom along and we had a nice trip. It was a nice hotel, great room, and good food. We were beat after the long drive, though, and while the late evening rider's meeting was going on, we were already sleeping. That was probably the fatal flaw...

I had a lot of hours to think about what went wrong and how it all happened. So here's how it went...

The morning was exciting. Just after the sun came up, we got to the start line. Then a handfull of authentic looking cowboys started a gunfight shooting up the town and each other till they keeled over dead! Whoa!! Then the countdown began. We started right in town and were escorted by a truck with cameras and we headed to the trails. I didn't realize the altitude would have gotten to me but it did a little and my legs felt really heavy for a while. No one tried to attack at first so we all settled in and pushed a good pace. When we dropped into the single track I was in second place behind Andy Schultz.

The trail was perfect - good conditions - and the Cannondale Flash was handling everything absolutely perfect. All I thought about was how sweet that bike was riding - no wasted energy - just waiting to make my move. So I set in and knew Andy had not raced the course before either. We pushed each other but took trades pulling at a fast pace. Just after the half-way point there was a big climb and we dropped everyone else that had been hanging on. As we got closer to the top I realized there wasn't much fire road left to the top but I didn't have the legs to go harder and knew I needed to save something in the tank to get a good finish. I passed him and then after a few minutes he was not there. I figured he'd catch up but didn't see him. Once I got to the top, the fire road turned into single track and then I started hearing the cheers for him. It took a while to hear that so I knew I had a decent gap now. I knew he was still trying to catch me and I knew I had to ride smart and steady down the fast single track.

After I got onto the pavement, I started getting worried about being on the right course. On the streets, I wasn't sure where to turn and I watched for the cones. So I followed the cones but I had no idea how far I was from the finish line - probably about 1-2 miles. So when I got to an intersection with a signal I was not sure exactly where to go so I turned right and I saw more cones and followed them. I went a while and the cones ended and I kept going....straight ahead.

Apparently, there was supposed to be someone there to direct us to turn left. But my time had beat the course record and they didn't expect anyone so quickly. So I figure the traffic director arrived about a minuted after I passed the intersection.

I kept going up the street, but there were no more cones. I saw arrows but I didn't know they were the ones marking the first part of the race. I probably went about 3 more miles and then I saw the riders entering the single track and that was the start of the race. I knew I was already lost and at 53 miles. I tried to be polite, but realized my mistake and tried to find the finish line.

Andy didn't even know he won.

So the best part about the race besides having fun riding with Andy, the excellent weather, perfect trails, perfect bike, was I had a helmet cam on the whole time. It was my first time using a helmet cam. I knew I had to be on my best behavior!! I tried my best to talk about the experience, and worked on my next career as a professional camera guy and narrator. It was cool! I flew along and tried to stay smooth and have fun with it and can't wait to see what they do with it. Next year they plan a very big purse for the event and will use the footage for marketing. I was happy to help...and next time I'll know the course....

Just wanted to thank Todd for another excellent race and a good time.

See you next year everyone!

Peace,

Tinker

Tinker's Cycling and News Blog

You're Invited! Bike & SUP Lifestyle Camp at Hotel Cinco February 23-27, 2012

preview of 2012 race/event schedule

Hey SoCal! Have fun in Temecula this weekend!!!

Greeting Chile!

Machines for the 24 Hours of Fury this weeknd

Fix Uptown Now! Octoberfest Fundraiser TODAY in Uptown

SoCal 50 race coverages by Jens Raz on MTBracenews.com

Tour de Timor and the peace that begins with me

Cannondale Scalpel 29er Full Suspension MTB

Cannondale Scalpel 29er Full Suspension MTB

Tour de Timor 2011 = An adventure of peace

The green and orange stuff on my gloves

Park City Point 2 Point video

Tour de Timor video stream and update after Stage 5

Tour de Timor 2011 Update - after stage 3

Check out the Race Route:

Course Profile

Tour de Timor Day 3 - Beacu to Lliomar

Tour de Timor Stage 1 - Dili to Laclubar

Tour de Timor Stage 2 Laclubar to Beacu

ParkRecord.com story on the Park City Point 2 Point: Cannondale CFR goes 1-2!!!

Ode to Sidi Shoes

Cool casual shoes

The Butte 100

The Crusher was a crusher!!

Crusher in the Tushar

Triple Crankset press on the Crusher in the Tushar race this weekend

July 2011 Race Season Update

MTB Action Top 25 Most Influential People in Mountain Biking!

Custom Helmet Painting by Nick Tsokalas

San Carlos Mexico: A great place to escape and have a 12 hour bike race!

June 2011 Mountain Bike Action birthday coverage!!

Knobby Time MTB Race at Bonelli Park Thursdays! June 16, 23, & 30

4 hours of Temecula

SoCal Endurance news and race updates 5-30-2011

2011 SoCal Endurance jerseysOur new Jerseys will be on sale at the June 4th Race. There are limited quantities available. So get them while they last!

B&B Appliance

SoCal Endurance Clothing

Cycopath Bike Shop

The Tinker Challenge

The Phoenix Patriot Foundation

Raising our heroesfrom the ashes

Phoenix Patriot Foundation's mission is to provide direct support to severely wounded veterans enabling them to fully recover, reintegrate and remain engaged in serving America.

Homebrewed Components

KHS Bicycles

Canari Cyclewear

New Ultimate Pit Bag

"12 HOURS OF TEMECULA #2"

JUNE 4TH 2011 - 9AM-9PM

WWW.SOCALENDURANCE.COM

DROP A GEAR & DISAPPEAR

Pesca del día,con "Tinker" Juarez campeon del MTB... on Twitpic

Cross training for the 12 Horas salvando Vidas 2011 MTB

Buns of steel & the Crankbrothers Iodine Saddle - it's THE ONE

$234

Vision Quest 2011

Keyesville Classic race coverage on MTBR

Keyesville Classic 2011 – Fresh Singletrack, Legends, Airborn EZ-ups & Teletubbies Thursday March 24th, 2011 at 12:33 PM

Check It: Bike Doctor of Waldorf Special Guest Event

2010 Leadville 100 (Rare Footage)

2010 Leadville 100 - Cannondle footage

Tinker's Golden 50th Birthday

First race in 2011 was a fun and fast 12 Hours in Temecula

2011 Race Schedule

Omni Motion 24 Hour MTB Race -

Holiday Greetings 2011

New Website Launch

Bicycling 24-Hour by Omni-Motion Dec. 4-5, 2010

12 Hours of Temecula good story!

2010 12 Hours of Temecula Finals

Supporting the SoCal High School League this Friday at the 2010 SoCal Cycle Fest

Chupracabras 100km 2010 and Mom Rose's Birthday!

Tinker's Titan's

2010 West Coast Marathon Championship News from SoCalendurance

Largada e chegada 45-49 anos XCO MASTERS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS BRASIL 2010

The 2010 UCI Mountain Bike World Championship Race in Balneario Camboriu

World MTB News

Tinker Won the 2010 Master MTB World Championship!

Kirkwood Nine to Five & Team Bigfoot Blog

2011 SoCal Endurance jerseys
Our new Jerseys will be on sale at the June 4th Race. There are limited quantities available. So get them while they last!

Raising our heroes
from the ashes

Keyesville Classic 2011 – Fresh Singletrack, Legends, Airborn EZ-ups & Teletubbies
Thursday March 24th, 2011 at 12:33 PM