Thursday, August 22, 2013
Monday, June 17, 2013
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Monday, October 22, 2012
It is over.
Local legends, visiting dignitaries, friends and noveau friends converged on an old road to ride some singletrack.
Individually setting off, up a hill, riders faced technical single track under leaf cover for a prize of a bottle of wine.
Some came in lycra, others in the more unconventional flannel.
And what ever personal performance they may have conjured up on this very day, it was their best performance, when many said no.
For the record- fastest ride was on a 26.
Here are the results:
1. Bean 54.57
2. Lorenzo 55.13
3. GT Luke 59.18
4. Mitchell 59.28
5. Marc 59.43
6. Art 59.48
7. Roger 59.49
8. Tom 1.00.16
9. Matt NY 1.00.38
10. Jeffro 1.03.01
11. JDog 1.06.21
12. Kevin 1.07.30
13. Gary 1.10.32
14. Chris 1.11.03
15. Ellen 1.12.52
16. Radio Voice 1.13.30
17. Noah 1.18.26
18. Massimo 1.29.30
19. Nate 1.31
Thank you all for coming- I look forward to this all year.
Individually setting off, up a hill, riders faced technical single track under leaf cover for a prize of a bottle of wine.
Some came in lycra, others in the more unconventional flannel.
And what ever personal performance they may have conjured up on this very day, it was their best performance, when many said no.
For the record- fastest ride was on a 26.Here are the results:
1. Bean 54.57
2. Lorenzo 55.13
3. GT Luke 59.18
4. Mitchell 59.28
5. Marc 59.43
6. Art 59.48
7. Roger 59.49
8. Tom 1.00.16
9. Matt NY 1.00.38
10. Jeffro 1.03.01
11. JDog 1.06.21
12. Kevin 1.07.30
13. Gary 1.10.32
14. Chris 1.11.03
15. Ellen 1.12.52
16. Radio Voice 1.13.30
17. Noah 1.18.26
18. Massimo 1.29.30
19. Nate 1.31
Thank you all for coming- I look forward to this all year.
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Sunday right around the corner.
I like them.
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
New date.
NEW DATE:
October 21- Sunday.
As always, spacing is limited and the fun is limitless.
Heavy worship to the weather and bike gods in the hopes of safe and bountiful ride.
Emails will be sent tonight to all registered riders- new spots to open based on head count.
Shoot me an email if you have any questions- thebottleride@gmail.com
Thank you again for your interest in the ride.
Friday, September 28, 2012
LATE NEWS BREAKING! THIS JUST IN!
It is with a heavy heart that I have to make this announcement, as we at bottle ride HQ look forward to this day all year:
This years bottle ride is cancelled due to conditions and safety.
With the recent rain, it became apparent this afternoon while marking the course that conditions would only worsen tonight, making le grand bleu more treacherous than it is already- even dry it is bare knuckle boxing. I would rather see my friends safe and with all of their teeth.
We also had some concerns about the impact it would have had on the wet soil- 40+ riders would have left more than a mark. And since I regularly ridicule trail trashers, it is only appropriate I take my own medicine and stay off the wet trails.
We hope you understand.
We are working on another date for the ride- Details forthcoming.
Thank you for all of your interest and support- It means so much to hear that people enjoy the ride, that they may have actually trained for the ride...and most importantly seeing everyone at the ride mingling and socializing- this is the heart of the ride: bringing people together. When I first thought of the bottle ride it was about who was the quickest on that day, but after the first one it became clear that the real purpose of the bottle ride is bringing the people together.
Thank you again.
TBR.
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Friday, September 14, 2012
Monday, August 27, 2012
Third annual Bottle Ride: details and other stuff.
For the first two years, much effort was spent on getting riders to show to up for a ride in the woods. Evidently with time, comes word of mouth and it seems like I am filled to the brim with interest for this years ride.
Event date: 9/29 @ le grand bleu.
Event date: 9/29 @ le grand bleu.
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
It is on.
For the third time, I present The Bottle Ride- A gathering of like minded people.It is on.
Date finalized- late September.
Plates in process.
What will make this years bottle ride different?
Friday, June 15, 2012
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Eddy.
I have been focusing on a theme in my art recently- This is the first of the larger "prints" on a canvas (it is not really canvas- paper) that is done in the a la Frank style. A la Frank style is a weave.
I will have a couple of more in the next week or so as I am just starting to get my technique down.
Thursday, February 16, 2012
The Gonz.
The Gonz was/is one of my most favorite artist/skateboarder. He is a true renaissance man. I think that is is Hosoi in the background.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Open letter to the riders and results:
First a few words of appreciation to the sponsors and to the people who made this event happen- You.
Thank you for coming to the event- it is not lost on me that the event would be nothing with out those who dared to come to give their best, and to show and test themselves. The event is an homage to you, the people who came for the ride- I hope the words on the back of your number plate resonated. Thank you.
I would also like to thank those who were behind and in front of the scenes and whose help was invaluable:
-My girl, the wonder woman who is Reba Racer, who served as a sounding board for some of the more kookier ideas I had, who managed details and was the receptionist at check in- without her help the event would not have been as smooth, nor as fun. To highlight her importance I give you example A- I had been given one job by the manager of the event: hand out the twist ties to attach the number plates to the bikes. Having been struck by awe at the arrival of peopel I admire on and off the bike I stood there like a jack ass. Without her prompting- "hey, hand out the twist ties"- we may have had the event with riders riding with plates clenched between their teeth. Grazie girl for making sure I had it under control.
-The trail sommelier whose name has been withheld in order to protect the innocent: while rails on his saddle may have broken during the event, the event may have been derailed without his help on the course set up the night before.
-The builders of the trails: we are blessed with some of the best single track this side of the moon. Without their work and vision we would not have these golden trails.
-The photographers who captured it.
-The locals who gave me crucial updates on the conditions in order to make sure that this event was in compliance.
Thank you.
Like Jimmy Cliff said, "Give the people what they want"- Race results and other non sense.
Yesterday all of you showed up to some place in the woods to attempt to have your best performance on a technical and fitness testing course.
Participants came from all directions, all skill levels and many age ranges.
What was very much apparent to me, was that there was certainly some serious talent from Westchester at the event: it could have been dubbed the "Westchester Worlds" as regular XC racers mixed it up with some of the local world class level super honches who do not regularly pin the number on Sunday. It was great to see this kind of talent- although slightly disappointing was the number of DNF's by the local honches. One in particular I am sure would have been top 5 had he had not flatted- he was lucky enough to get a tube from a passing racer and still managed to finish in the top 20.
Some came in lycra. Some came in flannel. Some came with fancy carbon bikes. Others brought what they brought and did just fine. Some came with fancy hydration packs. Some just stuffed a plastic bottle of water in the back of their dickies. It highlighted that it takes all sorts to make it happen.
The experience was setup with a test down the "Monster" trail, up "Ned's", across the road to "My Favorite trail" and finishing up on the great "Rambler" trail. It was the true bare knuckle boxing that is bleu- this years course created havoc with roughly a 10% attrition rate. Not to mention that my number plates in several instances came back to me bearing battle scars from what looks like multiple crashes- [i]how do you pierce through what is the thickest plastic readily available to man for laminating?[/i]
Format: Riders set off at 30 second intervals.
With a few hitches in registration- I can only say that it was like herding cats through a revolving door as responsibilities caused cancellations, but with almost every person who cancelled a new person would throw their hat in the ring- I was unable to get the full compliment of 40. Nor was I able to fill crucial classes that make the event the event. We moved forward regardless, creating a new class, as I was unable to get 5 single speeders: The half octogenarian class that is the 40 and up. In the next couple of years I will be there with you guys- just not as fast.
One thing is for sure, winners were worthy and best efforts by all were given.
Thank you participants for your time and energy: The process, the effort and idea were all vindicated by you- I had hoped for this, a gathering of like minded people for an event in the woods.
New friends made: Check!
Old friends seen again: Check!
A few laughs: Check!
Need to create art: Check!
Fulfill the need to create bike gathering: Check!
Gracias people.
On a personal level, it was one of the best days of my life- connections made, enjoyment seen and general enthusiasm by all. I normally do not smile much, but by the end of the day my face hurt from showing my teeth in glee.
Now back to our regular scheduled programing.
-TBR.
Results:
1. Lorenzo 45.15
2. AJ 45.57
3. Lou 49.09
4. Bean 49.40
5. Pete S 50.08
6. Alex R 50.17
7. Alex P 51.36
8. Jamie 51.55
9. Phil 53.51
10. Adam 53.58
11.Roger the Racer 54.02
12. Roger 54.12
13. Ariv 54.50
14. Matt 55.00
15. Tom W 55.31
16. Double D 58.49
17. JP 59.46
18. SPP 61.39
19. P. Deak 63.17
20. Jeffro 63.09
21. Robert 64.33
22. Mike 64.34
23. Chrissy 69.52
24. Keade 70.29
25. Eric 71.42
26. Tony D 73.35
27. Massimo 80.43
28. Soundz 83.25
29. Bruise Magnet 92.13
30. CJ 114.20
First a few words of appreciation to the sponsors and to the people who made this event happen- You.
Thank you for coming to the event- it is not lost on me that the event would be nothing with out those who dared to come to give their best, and to show and test themselves. The event is an homage to you, the people who came for the ride- I hope the words on the back of your number plate resonated. Thank you.
I would also like to thank those who were behind and in front of the scenes and whose help was invaluable:
-My girl, the wonder woman who is Reba Racer, who served as a sounding board for some of the more kookier ideas I had, who managed details and was the receptionist at check in- without her help the event would not have been as smooth, nor as fun. To highlight her importance I give you example A- I had been given one job by the manager of the event: hand out the twist ties to attach the number plates to the bikes. Having been struck by awe at the arrival of peopel I admire on and off the bike I stood there like a jack ass. Without her prompting- "hey, hand out the twist ties"- we may have had the event with riders riding with plates clenched between their teeth. Grazie girl for making sure I had it under control.
-The trail sommelier whose name has been withheld in order to protect the innocent: while rails on his saddle may have broken during the event, the event may have been derailed without his help on the course set up the night before.
-The builders of the trails: we are blessed with some of the best single track this side of the moon. Without their work and vision we would not have these golden trails.
-The photographers who captured it.
-The locals who gave me crucial updates on the conditions in order to make sure that this event was in compliance.
Thank you.
Like Jimmy Cliff said, "Give the people what they want"- Race results and other non sense.
Yesterday all of you showed up to some place in the woods to attempt to have your best performance on a technical and fitness testing course.
Participants came from all directions, all skill levels and many age ranges.
What was very much apparent to me, was that there was certainly some serious talent from Westchester at the event: it could have been dubbed the "Westchester Worlds" as regular XC racers mixed it up with some of the local world class level super honches who do not regularly pin the number on Sunday. It was great to see this kind of talent- although slightly disappointing was the number of DNF's by the local honches. One in particular I am sure would have been top 5 had he had not flatted- he was lucky enough to get a tube from a passing racer and still managed to finish in the top 20.
Some came in lycra. Some came in flannel. Some came with fancy carbon bikes. Others brought what they brought and did just fine. Some came with fancy hydration packs. Some just stuffed a plastic bottle of water in the back of their dickies. It highlighted that it takes all sorts to make it happen.
The experience was setup with a test down the "Monster" trail, up "Ned's", across the road to "My Favorite trail" and finishing up on the great "Rambler" trail. It was the true bare knuckle boxing that is bleu- this years course created havoc with roughly a 10% attrition rate. Not to mention that my number plates in several instances came back to me bearing battle scars from what looks like multiple crashes- [i]how do you pierce through what is the thickest plastic readily available to man for laminating?[/i]
Format: Riders set off at 30 second intervals.
With a few hitches in registration- I can only say that it was like herding cats through a revolving door as responsibilities caused cancellations, but with almost every person who cancelled a new person would throw their hat in the ring- I was unable to get the full compliment of 40. Nor was I able to fill crucial classes that make the event the event. We moved forward regardless, creating a new class, as I was unable to get 5 single speeders: The half octogenarian class that is the 40 and up. In the next couple of years I will be there with you guys- just not as fast.
One thing is for sure, winners were worthy and best efforts by all were given.
Thank you participants for your time and energy: The process, the effort and idea were all vindicated by you- I had hoped for this, a gathering of like minded people for an event in the woods.
New friends made: Check!
Old friends seen again: Check!
A few laughs: Check!
Need to create art: Check!
Fulfill the need to create bike gathering: Check!
Gracias people.
On a personal level, it was one of the best days of my life- connections made, enjoyment seen and general enthusiasm by all. I normally do not smile much, but by the end of the day my face hurt from showing my teeth in glee.
Now back to our regular scheduled programing.
-TBR.
Results:
1. Lorenzo 45.15
2. AJ 45.57
3. Lou 49.09
4. Bean 49.40
5. Pete S 50.08
6. Alex R 50.17
7. Alex P 51.36
8. Jamie 51.55
9. Phil 53.51
10. Adam 53.58
11.Roger the Racer 54.02
12. Roger 54.12
13. Ariv 54.50
14. Matt 55.00
15. Tom W 55.31
16. Double D 58.49
17. JP 59.46
18. SPP 61.39
19. P. Deak 63.17
20. Jeffro 63.09
21. Robert 64.33
22. Mike 64.34
23. Chrissy 69.52
24. Keade 70.29
25. Eric 71.42
26. Tony D 73.35
27. Massimo 80.43
28. Soundz 83.25
29. Bruise Magnet 92.13
30. CJ 114.20
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
With Saturday fast approaching, activity at TBR HQ has kicked into high gear:
Lists are being checked: (check)
-Plates done. (check)
-Excellent wine selection done. (check)
-Winners plaque done. (check)
-Most excellent cast of characters showing up. (check)
-Weather and conditions are abiding to the rules of the play ground. (check)
While nothing is ever in stone, and while I might be tempting fate, it does look like the heavy worship at the alter of the round wheel and the ritualistic head gear I have been donning at night has worked- skies for the next couple of days look clear just enough for trails to dry out.
Regardless of event, I sense the collective sigh of local riders who have been jonesing for mountain bike time after what has been a period of rain that was starting to test the mental fortitude of even the strongest- in some ways it served as a reminder how crucial the trails are to all of us.
Amen:
The trails are looking to be dry for all- TBR riders and all mountain bikers alike- as that season, which shall not be named, that covers the sweet single track making it passable sur le Velo impossible is not far off and we all of the truly devote need these final moments of communion.
So whether or not you show up for my home made labor of love, I hope you are all getting out there- time is certainly finite and it needs to be filled with action.
For riders of TBR- refer to the ride guide I have emailed you.
Questions? Shoot them my way to thebottleride@gmail.com
To all riders- have a great weekend while the getting is good.
I hope to see you out there.
Lists are being checked: (check)
-Plates done. (check)
-Excellent wine selection done. (check)
-Winners plaque done. (check)
-Most excellent cast of characters showing up. (check)
-Weather and conditions are abiding to the rules of the play ground. (check)
While nothing is ever in stone, and while I might be tempting fate, it does look like the heavy worship at the alter of the round wheel and the ritualistic head gear I have been donning at night has worked- skies for the next couple of days look clear just enough for trails to dry out.
Regardless of event, I sense the collective sigh of local riders who have been jonesing for mountain bike time after what has been a period of rain that was starting to test the mental fortitude of even the strongest- in some ways it served as a reminder how crucial the trails are to all of us.
Amen:
The trails are looking to be dry for all- TBR riders and all mountain bikers alike- as that season, which shall not be named, that covers the sweet single track making it passable sur le Velo impossible is not far off and we all of the truly devote need these final moments of communion.
So whether or not you show up for my home made labor of love, I hope you are all getting out there- time is certainly finite and it needs to be filled with action.
For riders of TBR- refer to the ride guide I have emailed you.
Questions? Shoot them my way to thebottleride@gmail.com
To all riders- have a great weekend while the getting is good.
I hope to see you out there.
Saturday, October 1, 2011
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