as I slowly become dan chew.

Well this Saturday was the Dirty Dozen. Chew called me daily for the last 3 months hyping the race up and telling me to fear stubna. All of this hype actually made me kind of nervous for a race that isnt really even a race and doesnt really even matter. Needless to say, Friday I did some openers and watched what I ate on thanksgiving day. I put the 1300 gram tubular wheels on and headed to the oval to find 130 other people ready to ride.
For anybody not in Pittsburgh, that is about every cyclist in Pittsburgh.
The race happened and it was hard, and I felt sick and it got harder. I got a flat on my tubular and had to have Cheryl Mayhew give me a lift between 2 hills! CHEATER! There were a lot of strong dudes there, and it got up to 60 degrees. Im proud of Danny for actually providing gatoraid instead of only pop!
I also finally met the Norwegian Teammate who was previously rumored to not exist.
Article in the trib PM

USCF RULE 1M1 states that:

"No heat or race may be started before the time stated in the offical race announcement except with the consent of all registered riders in the heat or race"

This means that they cant start without you unless you arent there on time. Proposed change in wording. "No heat.... .. in the heat or race, unless it is JOHNTURN" because johnturn was sitting in the car avoiding the rain when the gun went off 11 minutes early on sunday.

You think the promoter or somebody would give him his 35 bucks back right?

RULE 1G11
"No rider shall be entitled to an entry fee refund when the organizer has fufilled all the requirements of the agreement as specified in the offical race announcement"
Again... Unless you are JOHNTURN.

Not, never going to walk again.

Feb 05. A great guy that I rode mountain bikes with and who I worked as a messenger with was hit really badly by a car. Long story short, he was really really bad off for a long time. He wasnt supposed to walk again, he had a halo around his hips for months that stopped him from rolling off of his back. A botched surgery severed a nerve that controlled the rotation of his foot. He had to live in an awful nursing home for months and ended up weighing 120lbs when he left (he might be 6'1 or so)... He was in a wheel chair and would maybe never walk again. This was probably 6 months after the accident.

Well today we rode together. Not a cruise around the block, but we rode mountain bikes in Hartwood Acres. He did logpiles and rock gardens. He pedals with one leg and has no range of motion from 10 - 2 o clock in the other. He had to build up a goofy bike with a lot of suspension all over it to accommodate this. He is slow on the hills, and hard on himself for being so.

There was a log pile that I saw and thought "dont do that its too hard" and then larry rode right over it. He also wont sell me his full xtr specialized epic because he said he is going to be able to ride it again. People are amazing.

Euro cross

Well it was kind of euro in that I took the train out to Mt Lebanon to meet up with Mayhew (sandbagger) so I could bum a ride out to Beaver for the race.
Summary: Before leaving I told The Amy that "im going stick to Rugg's wheel even If it makes me not finish the race." Well neither and both kind of happened, I held on for dear life for a half a lap, then the Pfluger came up to us, so I had a half assed attack. Joe rode away from us, and me and Pflug towed eachother around for 5 laps before I managed to get him on the barriers before the sprint for second. I couldnt stay with Ruggs, and I almost quit a few times.

Real Summary: "he rode away from us like girls" to quote a friend about the elite masters race at granouge