As you may have read over at Skip’s, it’s Rapha Continental season, and two of their Continental Calling 2009 rides are being hosted by Nebraska residents: Today’s M22 ride in Michigan led by the EnduroSnob himself and a the Lincoln Continental (Lincoln to Ponca) hosted by Wills and myself.
The route to Ponca is a familiar one for a pretty big group of local gravelers, but when the call came and the ride was tapped as one of the springtime epics to be added to Rapha’s list of rides, it was accompanied by the question: “It can be done on road bikes, right? That’s kind of our deal.”
“I guess.” Was my answer.
So the past few months have been … I don’t want to say an experiment, but more like a good excuse to explore the limits of slickys on gravel roads. Turns out, the limits are zero-to-none. In fact, as Woodman, Wills, Pool, and others will attest, riding road bikes on hilly country gravel and dirty minimum maintainence roads has much to offer in terms of low traffic, scenery, steep grades, and the occasional slippery turn.
“So what.” You’re saying.
So next week, Wills and I are hosting these dudes we don't know — who in one form or another have done something like 30 big rides in 40 days — on a weirdly clandestine version of our annual Ponca Ride. Yeah, the one where we leave at like dark o'clock in the morning. Yeah, the one that’s like twelve hours of ride time. Yeah, the one that’s usually done on MTBs.
Rapha Riders' longest stretch of gravel so far? Seven miles.
Lincoln Continental's longest stretch of pavement? Seven miles.
We should be fine (he he).
I guess.
P.S. Don't forget the real run-what-you-brung Ponca Ride on June 19th.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Lincoln Continental
Thursday, September 11, 2008
'09 Salsa of the Week: The Pistola...
Monday, May 26, 2008
going to a show
Last week Phil B. and myself were pedaling past the capital when we rode up on these. The car had out of state plates. We assumed that whoever owned these had to be going to a show. Full-on restoration job. Kick ass.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Pull the gun barrel out of your mouth Monday
And hit the streets with your crew.
For as long and crappy as the winter was here, the weather as of late has been perhaps a little too promotional of late night bike rides and several cool ones.
Attack from the back streets.
—Johnny
Monday, February 11, 2008
Friday, January 11, 2008
Made In China
On top of his Adidas Skateboarding team managing duties and shooting all the photos for the China article that's running in issue #50 of The Skateboard Mag, Bryce Kanights also took it upon himself to obsessively chase down and shoot snapshots of every bicyclist he saw on our trip to Eastern Asia.
Click here for a sample of what he collected.
Friday, December 21, 2007
It's Tomorrow Over There
Hello, I missed you.
Got home a couple days ago from a trip to China (Hong Hong, Shenzhen, and Shanghai) with Adidas Skateboarding.
There will be a feature in issue #50 of The Skateboard Mag, but until then feel free to browse my ever expanding blog over at The Mag's website.
Xié xié.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Feast Week
Got home last night from a week or so on Flip's Feast Tour.
There are a few tasty nuggets up and viewable thanks to buddy Bratrud and (humbly) my own damn self.
Saturday, October 13, 2007
it still rips
Again with the coffee.
Made it to the premiere of Nike SB's video Nothing But The Truth. They held it at the Kodak theater in Hollywood.
Yeah, the place where the Academy Awards are every year. 
Very big deal.
Lots of popcorn, too.
They replaced the movie star portraits with shots of the NIke SB skaters. Here's Skateboard Mag photog and Sacto's own Jeff Landi pointing at another of Sacto's own ... Stefan Janoski.
They'll make fun of each other about this later.
The place was like a very big church, and the crowd assembled was as respectful as if they were at a wedding.
It was strange. 
Usually these premiers are screaming and yelling matches and the place gets torn apart. Not this time, though. I think everyone was all freaked out.
Nothing But The Truth is amazing, though.
Very different, very out there, and one step of many that skateboarding should continue taking in order to keep ahead of the bean counters and demographers.
Let the haters hate.
Skateboarding needs to stay weird.
Friday, October 12, 2007
It Rips
Drinking coffee.
That's what I'm doing right now.
It rips.
Went and saw stuff and did stuff last week.
More ripping.
Had a Macrobiotic lunch with friends.
Then an impromtu visit with my favorite skater/
filmmakers Charno and Buddy. They've got a new sopt and a new name — Six Stair. That's Noah in the middle. 
Then down the block to Canter's with Pat and Adeline for some pickles and fries.
Monday, July 16, 2007
My Hump
Reason #1 for the Portland visit was to attend my friend Jon's wedding.
It was so kick ass I can't even explain it to you.
Portland rips and the ceremony was right in the center of downtown at the Chinese Garden. That also rips. 
And I got to take my sister Annie as my date. More ripping!
Anyway, congrats, Jon and Cel! May you have more happy days together than you know what to do with. 
El Norte (west)
Went to stay with Annie in Portland and randomly called up Slaven a day ahead of time.
He magically located a sweet ride for the entirity of my visit (one of his work buddy's Trek Pilot—a relaxed northwest-specific trainer w/clearance for fenders) for my visit and then dragged me around the area hills for two days. 
Matt's doing great and sends his hellos and howyadoins back to all the Lincoln folks.
He's working for Portland's Bike Gallery managing all the inventory between their seven locations and racing a ton. I guess you can race 7 days a week in and around Portland if you feel like it. Makes everyone out there pretty fast—Slaven included.
Thanks again, Matt. Awesome town goin' down.
