Peak Cycles – BikeParts.com Blog

Charlie, John, Parker, Colin M and I, (also known as Red, The Goat, Greeneck and Chester for those who speak ‘Parkernese’) headed up to Aspen for some killer sking/snowboarding and to check out Pepper at the Belly Up!  It was a good show and a great weekend playing in the mountains!   The only bad thing was Colin M getting kicked off the team for some inappropriate touching… John was seen late in the night taking a long shower in his clothes and crying….  ;) A  big ‘Thanks!” goes to Tyler for showing us some secret spots on Snowmass Mtn!

During the first week of the new year I got an email from USA Cycling tell me about all the great cycling events happening in 2009… AND a friendly reminder to renew my license.  I went to crab my credit card and then I looked at my license fee, its going to be $150!!  Last year, I only used my NORBA license at a handful of events, races like BC Bike Race and the Winter Park races don’t require a NORBA license.  I also don’t know of too many Pros that head out for a full international World Cup circuit.

While pondering this dilemma about renewing my license, I remembered NORBA is implementing a new category system this year….   The new categories makes sense for the Expert, Sport and Beginner racers, the Semi Pros are left in limbo.  They have to make the ‘tough’ choice between racing Cat 1 (Experts) or move on up to Pro.  The Semi-Pros will pony up the $150 with out blinking an eye.  I can’t think of one Semi-Pro who is going to say no to racing Pro verse racing Experts.  I feel letting the Semi-Pros joining the Pro ranks is only going to dilute the Pro race field. The race categories should be like a Bell Curve. There should be should be the largest number of racers in the Expert field, while the Begineer and Pro fields should have the smallest.  By letting the Semi-Pros join the Pros, you are now going to have a huge spread of racer abilities!  Are the race organizers going to be pulling lapped riders?  Are the prizes going to be deeper then top 3?

Then it hit me, I put 2 and 2 together!  The large Pro fields and the high cost of the Pro license is going to be making USA Cyling some big $ this year!  Great for them… but what about the loss of the NORBA backed National Series?  USA Cycling to going to be getting more money then any other year from registered racers while at the same time, NOT putting on a National Series.  This is what makes me frustrated and dissapointed in NORBA! Where is that money going to be used?

It seems to me like NORBA/USA Cycling is more worried making money then promoting the sport…

…was 1/2 a bike!  Congrats little Turner!  Maybe someday we will see a video of you doing some CRAZY unicycle riding like this guy.

2008 was a hard year,  3 friends past away and 6 friends went to the ER.  It seemed like every month I was harshly reminded how precious and fragile life is.  It got me thinking about this sport we love and all the times we actually do make it home safe.  Sometimes the trip home is a little bloody, but we do get back safe to ride another day.  Here is a photo essay with evidence of crashes, diggers, slams, and other weird injuries from biking!  Ride safe in the New Year! – jesse swift

We are going to ride up Lookout Mtn on New Years Day!  Lets meet at Peak Cycle at 10:00am.  The plan is to go up Lookout on the pavement, and then over and down Apex for some sloppy, snowy fun.  We are going to see who can keep up with Parker going down Apex.  Last time we rode it in the winter, Parker DESTROYED all of us and flew past us on the ice!

It is not a race, so feel free to come hung over!  🙂  And feel free to bring friends!

Happy New Year!

– jesse and john

I hope everybody’s holidays are filled with excitement and love! – TBPC

Here is an old photo of the Tylers ripping up the Carbondale skatepark on his hot pink tread.  The first time I saw Tyler go upside down in the inverted bowl, MY stomach flipped!  – swift

Tyler - Carbondale Skatepark

The winter solstice.  It is the time of the year when then sun is at the lowest point in the sky.  This causes the shortest day and longest night.  But it is also a time of rebirth for sun, the days will start grow longer and the sun will rise higher with each new day!  Happy Solstice to all!
– jesse swift

Woodward Copper Mountain.

Woodward at Copper Mountain

Sking, skating, boarding, biking.  This place is going to have it all!

Epic Eric.  You dont get a nickname like that doing your casual, everyday, normal rides.  If you think you have done a big, “epic” ride, mostly like Eric has done 5 times the distance in below zero deg weather at 18,000 feet in another country on 1 clif bar with no map!  No kidding!

Eric in Tibet or Nepal or Mars

I met Eric in college in an engineering class we had together.  We were also riding for  CSU on the cycling team together, so we became roommates.  It was then I could tell he was going to go a different route.  On the weekends I  was heading to CORPS races and he was going to Rocky Mtn National Park for epic mtn climbs.  After college, Eric worked in Denver as a Civil Engineer, but Colorado proved to be too small for him.  He is now up in Alaska making frame packs and other cool things to pack as much as you can on a bike…  

If you are planning a BIG ride soon, shoot Eric an email and he can make you a custom pack for your bike.  And who knows, maybe some day you may earn nickname like Marathon Mike, or Ambitious Aaron!            

From riding the Alaska Pipeline to the desolate deserts of Bolivia, this photo essay is from my collection of Epic Eric photos I have collected over the years.  Keep exploring Eric, you inspire us all!!  Much respect brother, Swift

Here is a classic photo of a Slickrock Sunset  from Team Bikeparts.com rider, Bill Turner.

Did you ever want to ride your bike, but your dad made you mow the lawn?  Here an answer to that dilemma!  🙂

http://www.craigslist.org/about/best/rac/758895089.html

“Looking for a more out of the box way to excersize. Be the coolest guy on your street cutting the lawn with this bad boy. you can save gas and get those rock hard abs you always wanted. This bike will cut your grass to emaculate conditions. It comes stock with this excentric two tone seat. The rust on the mower gives it an antique look that will have the cat lady next door going wild for your loins. For Ten extra dollars i can throw in a basket and headlight. Is your kid bouncing off the walls, ile even throw in some training wheels so you can put that bastard to work. This model is a three speed so you can really tear it up. Do your neighbor kids have an annoying bike ramp in the streets all the time. well snag that sucker and set it up infront of your trees, this bad mother will easily catch 6-7 feet of air allowing you to trim those troubling branches, as well as demolishing the ramp into oblivion so those damn kids wont be gathering infront of your house to practice for the x games. Comes with your choice of 12/40 oz beer holder that doubles as an ash tray.”

On the Line – A new film about Canada’s bad assness!

On The Line

🙂  Here is a flashback photo of Parker Macy attacking Bladwin St in New Zealand in early 2002!  

From ‘El Toro’ in Santa Fe…

“Hey Jesse – I ditched it all dropping into an eroded arroyo last sunday. On the way to ground my upper outer thight landed on the only rock in the creek bed. Check it out!”