THANKS

I just want to say a BIG THANK YOU to my fellow Goatheads. This may have been my "brainchild" (quoting Lumpy), but without the help of all of you guys it would have stayed in my brain. Thanks for making it happen fellas. To the eleven other riders that I met this weekend, I had a blast getting to know you. See all of you next year (or sooner).

Lumpy already said this, but also a big THANK YOU to Jose and Aaron for serving the food. Phil B. thanks for driving the support vehicle.

Success!!!

3 trails, 2 states, 1 great morning of riding. Plus, we raised a few hundred dollars for the Omaha Street School.
I had a blast riding and chatting with everyone. What a great group of guys! Goathead nation just tripled in size. My favorite part of the day was stopping traffic while we all rode across the South Omaha bridge. I was afraid drivers would try to pass us, but they all waited patiently until we got to the other side. Big thanks to our sponsors, Hy-Vee, VIP Limo, Janine McClintock Photography, and Mckenna's BBQ. We hope to do it again next year, so spread the word.

Success!

Stryper Bike

Lately, I've really enjoyed reading a blog called "Bike Snob NYC". The author pokes fun at bike culture and trends. Especially some of the silly things people do to their bikes. In one of his more humorous posts, he showed pictures of bikes and then shows what their counter part in the non-bike world would be. Check out an example of what I'm talking about here, here, and here.




Which got me thinking, what would be the real-world counterpart to my bike?......





I think you'll agree, there is only one obvious choice.




Now for news regarding the 3-2-1 Cycling Challenge. If you're asking one of the following questions, here are some answers.

Q: How far are we actually riding?
A: We are estimating the total at about 45 miles. 30 on pavement, and about 15 on dirt.
Here is a link to the route we will be taking

Q: What if it rains?
A: It looks like it could rain on Friday but Saturday should be dry. In that case, we will still do the ride, but if the dirt trails are too muddy, we will cut them out. If it's raining on Saturday, we will play it by ear. Jon gets the final say, but my vote would be to ride as long as there is no lightning

Q: I haven't registered, can I just show up?
A: Sure, but those that preregistered have guaranteed seats on the limo bus leaving Swanson at 7:50 and a t-shirt when they return at the end of the ride...... Unless you are a small or a medium, we are running low on shirts. If a large group shows up to register the morning of, we could possibly order a new batch of shirts. If that's your plan, could you please drop Jon an email at jnshood@netzero.net

Q:So, we're raising money for the Omaha Street School, can you tell me more about that?
A: Not really, but John Parsons can. He's the Executive Director and he'll be at the picnic to hang out and chat.

Q:My wife is pregnant and could deliver at any moment now, do you think I should ride?
A:Really, you too? Let me know what you decide.

Can I kick it?

Registrations for the 321 Cycling Challenge continue to come in. Thanks to everyone for supporting this endeavor. We're all looking forward to this weekend.
There have been a few questions regarding transportation. All you need to do is show up at Swanson park in Bellevue at 7:30 am
V.I.P Limousine will transport all riders and bikes to Dodge park for the start of the ride. We hope to be on the trail by 8:00. The ride will finish back at Swanson where your car will be waiting for you.
If we get to Manawa and things are still on schedule, a few of the Goatheads have offered to give a mini clinic on some of the technical trail features. As you can see from the video, the art of riding logs has been completely mastered. (sorry it's a little dark, we practiced long into the night in order to be ready for Saturday)

The Deadline is Approaching

The deadline for registration for the 3-2-1 Cycling Challenge is almost here. We would like to have all registrations in by the 22nd so that we can order t-shirts and food. If you would like to join us but you know your registration won't get to us in time, go to 321cycling.com and use the contact form to let Jon know that you're planning on being there. Remember, $25 gets you an epic ride with friends, a t-shirt and a lunch. But the best part is the great cause we're supporting. Read more about that here.

If you would like to be part of the fun, but you're not sure you'll be able to complete the whole route, we'd still love to have you for part of it. Here are some estimated arrival times for the three parks we'll be hitting.
Lewis and Clark E.T.A = 8:45 am
Manawa E.T.A = 10:45
Swanson E.T.A = 12:30

If you would just like to support a good cause and enjoy a fun picnic lunch with smelly bikers, you can pay the $25 registration fee and then just meet us at Swanson for some family fun.

There have been a few people that have asked about the pace. Well, we envisioned it as a leisurely group ride, but we know everybody has their own pace they like. Fast riders can blow through the route and help fire up the grills at Swanson so that the smell of BBQ can guide us in. Slow riders can hang with Austin (aka the A-Train). He's volunteered to bring up the rear. He actually challenged me to find someone slower than him. Don't let me down people, I know you're out there.

I think that's all....... There's nothing left to do except make you watch these ninjas performing an algorithm march (wait for the ninjas, they don't come in until the half way point).

Peel back the layers

So I've been into biking now for about six years. When I first started, I was confused/intimidated by bike culture. A lot of it seemed like snobbery and elitism, and while that can still sometimes be the case, I've grown to understand and appreciate it much more. After all, every sub-sect of society develops their own social norms. It's a way of identifying each other as part of the culture and it's a way of setting yourself apart from others that aren't part of your culture. My experience has been that when you peel back the layers of that seemingly elitist sub-culture, bikers are incredibly nice and genuine people. The Omaha bike community is a very close knit group of people that look out for each other and are quick to welcome outsiders into the fold. So in other words, I'm starting to get it (bike culture that is)............And then you peel back the layers a little further and you find this. Apparently the social norms of bike culture vary a bit from community to community.

This and That

On Friday, theprofessor, j-mac, and I conducted some reconnaissance for the 3-2-1 Cycling Challenge. We rode part of the course to determine if it was the best route. We all agreed, it's as perfect as it can get. Bottom-line, Lewis and Clark to Manawa to Swanson will make for an epic morning of riding. Registrations are starting to trickle in. If the numbers continue to grow, we may need to look into a police escort across the South Omaha bridge. Get your registrations in, I'd hate for something bad to happen to you if you don't.



This afternoon I took my buddy Dave to Manawa for his first MTB experience. He loved it, but what else did you expect. Manawa is just a big playground for bikes. I don't think there's a healthy, red-blooded American alive that could leave that place without a smile on his/her face........ Dave threw down big time and absolutely destroyed the course. Look for Dave at a bike shop near you, making a significant purchase.



And lastly, check out this Star Wars bike helmet. Read about it here.

2007 Video Teaser

In an attempt to built on the momentum created by the release of the critically acclaimed 2006 Movie: Year of the Goat, Team Goathead would like to debut a little teaser from their 2007 offering, which is still in production. You'll notice that we've decided to take our art in a different direction with this year's movie. It's a little more abstract, but like my dad always said, "abstract art is for those that lack real talent". (The Professor looks pretty good in a wig.)

This makes me feel old.

Meet Spencer Elden, who just turned 16 last month. He was the baby model who appeared on Nirvana’s album Nevermind.


Don't forget to visit 321cycling.com to get your registration for the 3-2-1 Cycling Challenge. The registration deadline is July 22nd.

Who turned out the lights

Our evening ride at Lewis and Clark quickly turned into a night ride. It gets real dark real fast in the trees. Aside from th humidity, the trail conditions were perfect.

What's your Math Emergency?

3-2-1 Cycling Challenge

J.C., thanks for taking/posting pictures of the race. And a big thanks to everybody that put on the event. The demo day was a blast and the race was well organized and well worth the $10 registration.

About a week ago I teased an announcement that we were going to make here at mtbgoatheads.....well, the time has finally come to unveil the First Annual, "321 Cycling Challenge." (If you say the word "Challenge" with a French accent, it makes it sound like it's kind of a big deal)

Before I give you the details, let me give you all a little background. This whole thing is the brain child of my good friend, The Professor, (aka, Jon Hood). Jon has had two passions over the last few years, mountain biking and at-risk-kids. Jon was looking for a way to combine the two, I suggested strapping the at-risk-kids to bikes and sending them down the chute at Lewis and Clark and then taking bets on how many would make it to the bottom in one piece, Jon came up with a better idea........

On the morning of July 28th, the Goatheads will be sponsoring a charity ride that will help raise money for youth in Omaha, Nebraska and in San Salvador, El Salvador. The Goatheads are partnering with Christ Community Church and their global/local initiative called "Year of the Child". CCC is trying to raise money for six different youth related projects. The money we are raising will go towards a youth center in El Salvador and to the Omaha Street School, right here in our fine city.

The 3-2-1 Cycling Challenge will give you the opportunity to ride 3 trails in 2 states, while benefiting 1 Great Cause!!! The cost to ride is $25. Every participant will receive a t-shirt and a free BBQ lunch upon completion.

Here's a quick run down of the ride: One lap at Lewis and Clark. Next, ride the River Front trail to the Lake Manawa mountain bike trail for a lap. Next, we will ride over the South Omaha bridge and onto Swanson Park in Bellevue for a spin around the trail and family picnic in the park.

Visit 321Cycling.com for more details and to print off a registration form. If you have any questions about the event, email Jon at jnshood@netzero.net

Swanson - 7/1/2007

Lumpy and The Professor throw down at the Swanson race today. (Photos in reverse order cause Blogger is reverse-headed and I'm lazy)