Updates from Darren

Sea Otter 2010 here I come. Got approval from my ...

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 09:10:18 GMT

Sea Otter 2010 here I come. Got approval from my CFO (wife) and booked and registered so no backing out now. I have been wanted to attend this racing event for several years now. I will be racing in a new event (for me) Super D, this should be interesting. The scary part for me is the Le-Mans style start (running to your bike which is in a huge group of other bikes). I figure if I can make the start clean I am good, but if i where to get hurt it would be the start..

Think about it.....Does fuzzy logi tickle?

Well this past Saturday was the second race of the...

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:40:03 GMT

Well this past Saturday was the second race of the Dust Devil Series out at Estrella. My race as going good until I entered the parking lot to begin my second lap. First I had a rear flat, changed the tube. Then to add insult to injury my rear shock blew, it spewed oil all over my legs. So needless to say that ended my race. The positives are I did my second best lap ever at the Estrella course and this was only my first DNF (racing for 3yrs). All in all it was a good day, out riding my bike with friends sporting my E-wear. Next race is Nov 21st at White Tanks mt. hopefully I get my bike back before then.

Think About it.... Why do people say they "slept like a baby", when babies normally wake up every two hours?

Well the Oompa Loompa sized Bigfoot (Manu) is doin...

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 08:27:13 GMT

Well the Oompa Loompa sized Bigfoot (Manu) is doing well after his rattlesnake bit. Unforntunatly this was only his second time Mt Biking with me (the first time ended with a couple of broken fingers). So not sure if he will go biking with me again.
Things are going well, the temps are cooling off so I am able to ride more. The Dust Devil series is almost upon us, because of a volunteer commitment I will have to miss the first DD race at McDowell. But I will be at the other 2 (Estrella & White Tanks). If you are in the Phoenix area this Saturday make sure you head down to Tempe Town Lake for the annual Tour de Fat New Belgium festival. This is a great festival/party, all proceeds go to MBAA and TBAG. Hope to see you there.

What a crazy week it was last week. I met a frien...

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 12:24:40 GMT

What a crazy week it was last week. I met a friend from Canada in Las Vegas to do a ride before he had to work. Well we did a couple of the trails out at Bootleg Canyon. All was going well until Manu decided to ride in front of me and stop to take some pictures. When he did, he was bitten by a rattlesnake, thanks to the snake we lost our pictures. (Camera went flying and smashed into a LOT of pieces and the memory card was lost). So that kind of ended our good time. and because of that we missed time going to Inter Bike. Manu is doing well, thanks to his hairy legs the snake bit wasn't to deep.

Other than this hairraising adventure not much else going on. Since the temps are cooling down here in AZ, I have been putting in more miles.

Think about it:
If you are a vegetarian, can you still eat animal cookies?

No more Glitz and Glam

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 15:53:54 GMT

Well if you are not already aware the Kenda Cup race that was scheduled for Las Vegas has been cancelled. Those close to the source say it was because the Interbike group didn't want to share the spotlight at the Boot when they were having the demo day. Either way this SUCKS!!!!

Well Since it is summer here in Hell (or Arizona) I have only been about to get out a couple of times in the wee hours of the morning when it was only 90degreees (at 5am). So I have about 30miles on my new I9 wheelset and already I am in love with there performance. These things kick ass.... And the look of them are bad ass as well.... So now that I dress like a rockstar with the awesome closing line from Evomo. I have sweet wheels. Man this might mean next year people are going to think I can ride..... :-) Guess I better train a bit harder in the off season so i don't get the "poser" tagged on me..

Think About it.....
Do Roman paramedics refer to IV's as "4's"?
Enjoying a spot of Captain in Mexico with some friends.. Oui it was a Gggrrreat time...... Plenty of Pirate jokes and captain went around.

Vegas Babe.......

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 09:14:42 GMT

Well it is official I will be going up to the Kenda Cup finals in Las Vegas at the end of Sept. I will be driving up a few days before with some friends. We will be checking out all of cool products at Interbike and pre-riding the Bootleg Canyon race loop. Hopefully some of my online friends can make it to Vegas, if so. Hit me up and we can see about meeting up. Check back for updates on my training and other fun facts prior to this National race.

Think about it....
How would we measure hail without golf balls?

Bling Bling

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 11:18:13 GMT

Well I am the luckiest guy around, my wife was proud of me for my accomplishments this season (and doing my husband duties very well) she went to Focus Cyclerly and hooked me up with a spankin' new Industry9 Wheelset. Dropped my bike off today at Focus to get the installed, along with a new set of Kenda tires, some of the best tires around especially for desert riding.

Other than the new bling, I have just been taking it easy and doing a lot of camping with the family. Training begins next week (7/13). Bought a spin bike for the house so i can still get some miles in and work on my cardio. My goal is to make it up to the Las Vegas Kenda Cup National race at the end of Sept. And not only make it but be competitive.

Think about it...
When day breaks who fixes it?

Spring Season is Over

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 13:05:50 GMT

Well another end to a long spring race season here in the valley. The temperature is rising well above the 100 mark so time to take a break from the bike for a bit. This year’s season has had some ups and downs. One of my major accomplishments was being part of the Evomo Factory Team. This has been a great experience and a great team to ride with.

Here is a summary of my season:

- 2 personal bests set (McDowell Meltdown and Hedgehog Hustle)

- 3 Flats in 1 race

- 4^th place Podium

The last race of the season was this past weekend. Due to some unforeseen business and personal travel I wasn’t able to put in the amount of training I should have the past month. So this last race was a little brutal, 25miles with the first 7miles straight up. We might have well have rode up the side of the Washington monument. And the ride down was very interesting to say the least. Let’s just say I should have worn my hiking boots for this bike race. I placed 8^th (out of 9) so not the best placing but I finished without any technical issues.

Thank you to all of my sponsors for the excellent support you have provided to me this season. Without you this season wouldn’t have been. I look forward to racing for your company next season.

2009 Sponsors
Evomo
Titec
Kenda
Intense
Crankskins.com

Next steps will be to take a break for a couple of months and begin training the end of August beginning of September. I will be racing in the Winter Dust Devil series.

Think about it:

Isn’t every room always room temperature?

Camo Crankin'

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 13:42:43 GMT

Thanks to my new sponsor Crankskins.com I have pimped out my bike with thier Urban Camo crank and fork wraps. Now the competition won't see me coming.. These are great, not only can you get them in almost every imaginable style and color but the fit is like it came from the factory. They are super easy to install and they look great. Check them out when you have time.

Summer is here in AZ, which means that the Spring racing season is almost over. And the temps are starting to get above 100 degrees. We have 1 final race for the MBAA series, this race is in Flagstaff on June 13th. I am currently in 4th place within my division. Hopefully with a good race on Saturday I will be able to move up to 3rd in my Division.

Think About it:
Why do they call it an asteroid when it's outside the hemisphere, but call it a hemorrhoid when it's in your ass?

New Sponsor

Wed, 13 May 2009 13:08:14 GMT

I want to welcome and thank my new sponsor CrankSkins (http://www.crankskins.com/). They have some amazing products that allow you to personalize/customize your ride along with pertect it from the wear and tear of the trail. Check them out you will be amazed at the designs for your Crank, don't forget to wrap your Fork as well.

Think about it....
Why do we wait until a pig is dead to "cure" it?

The Good, the Bad and the Muddy

Wed, 06 May 2009 07:26:11 GMT

This past weekend we had the 6th MBAA race in Payson. Which for those of you that do not know Arizona, the Flatland (Phoenix) is at 1,100 elevation and Payson/Mogollon Rim is at 8,000,000 (ok added a couple extra zeros but it might as well be that high, oxygen please.....).

This is the first race this year my wife and I decided to camp at. So we went up Friday night found a great camp site. During the wee hours of the morning our dogs decided to wake us up because a herd of Elk came through our camp site (this area is a very remote/unimproved camping area). Oh well up and out of bed and time to get ready for the day’s race.

Got to the registration area early and handed out the rest of the Evomo stickers and post cards. Talking to all about the great casual wear that Evomo designs, sporting all of my E-ware (Hat, Shirt, Sherpa). Once all of the stickers and cards were gone I went back to the truck and caught up with my racing buddies. I was telling them about the sweet Titec equipment I pimped my ride out with. Along with the very comfortable Ergon grips, have really improved my handling of the bike over all kind of terrain.

On to the race the weather was cold (about 57 at race time) and windy (us flatlanders have been riding in 80+ weather now for at least the last 3 months so this 57 is REALLY cold). We had to complete 2 long and 1 short lap approx 26miles. Because of work I wasn't able to pre-ride the course, in talking with my buddies there are some large mud areas and a couple of water crossings to go through. At the start of the race I got off to a bad start, I had
a rock stuck on my cleat so I couldn’t clip in right away. Got going finally and I am in 8^th
pot in my group. Had a tough time getting heat into my legs so for most of the race it was like pushing large tree stumps. Made a couple of good passes and went through a couple of huge mud bogs. Coming up on a ridge and getting ready to make another pass and I got a flat. After the repair I was back in 8^th spot, not back to grinding the gears again. Things were going good; I have gotten back to 6^th position. On the last lap, which was a short lap got another flat right at the beginning of the lap. Got it fixed (luckily I always carry 2 tubes with me). Up and going again, then with about 4 miles left in the race going down a hill into a mud bog, I heard a shot gun sound. It was my rear tire that blew out (big hole in the side wall) and I came to a rolling stop in a mud bog. Luckily I was able to unclip before I fell into the mud. However at this point I was already so muddy I don’t think it would have matter much. Good thing this happened on the last lap so I can at least finish the race. So I hiked-a-bike to the finish line, one of the other guys in my group had technical difficulties after the first lap so the didn’t finish so that put me into 7^th place. After the race I weight my bike, typically it weighs 28.5 (after installing the light Titec equipment). But with all of the mud on the bike it weighted just over 36 pounds, I looked like the monster from the deep.

Well even though I had a rough race with several technical difficulties, I forged through and finished the race.

Think about it:

If Wile E. Coyote had enough money to buy all that Acme crap, why didn’t he just buy dinner?

Excuse me but is that Titec in your Pocket????

Thu, 23 Apr 2009 17:01:05 GMT

Got a sweet hookup from one of the best team sponsors Titec (visit them at www.titec.com). Anxiously awaiting the delivering of my new equipment ready to pimp my bike out. When the box arrived, I was like a little boy on christmas day. ripping into the box pulling all the cool stuff out. a Flat TI handlebar, Carbon Seat Post and Stem along with a sweet Pluto Seat.

I quickly rushed to the garage to pimp my bike, boy does this equipment look sweet on my bike. This is some of the best components I have ever used. Now the big question what to do with the old stuff. Well since my old handlebars are carbon and they float, i guess I could use them as a fetching stick for my dogs. Or perhaps a doorstop. Props to Gary Gnuu for the Titec for the hookup and supporting the Evomo team.

Think About it.....
If you ate pasta and antipasto, would you still be hungry?

Still Here

Wed, 08 Apr 2009 07:51:36 GMT

Wow March blew by so quickly and here it is already April. Well the last race I completed in was on March 14th (Foray at the Fort, for more detailed information check out my blog at: http://evomo.com/blog/2009/03/18/racin-rooster-report-march-09/#more-2075

I was a good dad and took my 11yr old daughter on a cruise for her spring break so I missed the last race (April 4th). My next scheduled race is May 2nd at a new course so that should be fun to check out something new. Only three more races left of this Winter/Spring season.

Since I love riding my bike so much I thought I would do something nice for it and "bling" it out this year. With the help of our team sponsor TITEC. My bike has been pimp'ed out. from a Ti handle bar to carbon stem, it is really lookin' sweet. and is very comfortable to ride as well. So if you are looking for some product to really look good and be very functional check out TITEC at: http://www.titec.com/

Until next blog..... BRING THE RUKUS..........

Think About it....
Why do we say something is out of whack? What is a whack?

Still Egg Fryin'

Mon, 16 Feb 2009 08:34:47 GMT

After a long and tiring process of trying to move the family up to Spokane WA to be closer to my daughter. The world of Finance wasn't having it. So the Rooster is staying in Phoenix. While it is a bit sad that we can't be closer to my daughter, it is kind of a relieve. Because the Rooster doesn't do well in the cold (anything below 60 degrees I am freezin). So have no fear the Rooster is here, so watch out on the local trails (no seriously I can't stop....).

I pre-rode Estrella on Saturday (2/14) felt pretty good, I set a time of 2:24 (2 long laps). I was able to ride all hills (First time ever) so I will be ready for the race on Saturday (2/21). Just need to keep up with my training during the week.

Think About it....
If man evolved from monkeys and apes, why do we still have monkeys and apes?

Evomo vs. Man & Dog

Mon, 09 Feb 2009 13:52:32 GMT

It was a great day for a race here is sunny Phoenix AZ. Temp was about 68ish. This would be my last race in Phoenix. I started out strong on the first lap, got hung up with some lapped riders but still in the middle of the pack. At the start of the Technical section for my second lap. Something to know of this race track there at the beginning to the technical loop there are two big drop ins. Made the first one no problem, coming up to the second one there they were the crowd. As they quickly parted there was only…… man and dog left. Man and dog meet Mt Bike, superman and there I was on my back dog caught up in my bike and the owner stuck in a cactus. Needless to say I lost a bit of time cleaning up this mess and getting going again. Made up a bit of time but it really killed my chances for a podium. But even with the crash I improved my time by 15mins, so over all a pretty good performance.

As far as it being my last race in Phoenix, due to some family changes my wife and I are relocated to Spokane WA to be closer to my daughter. So now Mt Biking will be a seasonal sport not something I can do year around. I am trying to get the skinny on the local racing seen, sounds like only a few races. But either way I will be wearing my E-ware proud and talking to every Mt Biker/Shop I see. How can you go wrong with “Bring the Rukus”.

Think About it…

If a sea gull flies over the bay, is it called a bagel?

1-14-09

Wed, 14 Jan 2009 11:11:29 GMT

Quote the “Al”

Late last year I received a blow to the “dad” ego. My daughter lives in another state for most of the year. So to keep in touch we communicate through email sending pictures back and forth and talk on the phone a couple of times per week. She has been very supportive of my Mt Biking. She was very happy when I got my first sponsorship (Evomo). She wore one of my E ware shirts to one of my races (it was more like a dress on her but she wore it with pride). For the summertime she wanted to experience Dad’s Mt Biking world. So on our annual summer camping trip we went to the Mongollon Rim (outside of Payson AZ for the out-of-towners). Our first night we saw a black bear about 100 feet from our campsite. The next morning we went on our adventure, we rode approx 15 miles on some easy trails. She was a pro (in that she didn’t complain) we finished our adventure and had a big dinner (bear not included).

Fast forward to Christmas time, for xmas I sent her the following picture.

(notice the E ware shirt...)

Excerpts from her response were: “Dad, you are so White & Nerdy. Make sure you don’t Eat It again on the trail. We don’t want you getting hurt or seeing you on the Headline News .”

And included with her email was the URL to the Weird Al song “White & Nerdy”. Pretty bad when your own daughter burns ya….. Because of the explicit context of my reply back to her I am unable to post my response……. j/k like all dads you just have to laugh it off. Thought everyone would get a kick out of this, since my wife can’t stop reminding me about it. Oh well.

Think About it:

Why did kamikaze pilots wear helmets?

Bringin on the New Year

Tue, 06 Jan 2009 06:43:55 GMT

Well the new year is here and I was able to start with a ride. It’s starting out great already. I was riding at South Mt. (SoMo), my wife who was walking the Dogs caught this photo of me. It was a beautiful 70 degree day, gotta love Phoenix.

This year I was able to secure a new sponsor, Kenda tires. They will be my official tire for the 2009 season. Like most avid Mt Bikers I buy things on sale, so I have ran many tires on my bikes. At last years National event I won a new Kenda Small Block 8 29er. So I thought I would give it a go, and I forked out to buy another one for the front. Boy was I amazed at the performance difference over the other tires I have ran. The responsiveness, quickness and all other ness this tire was awesome. So I am very happy to be a spokes person for Kenda Tires.

Also new this year Evomo has asked me to be on their Factory Team. And naturally I jumped at the chance. When you wear Evomo gear it is like you are a rock star. And it is by far the best racing jersey out there. So this year Rockin with Evomo, Kenda and Intense. Cann’t say enough good things about my sponsors.

Now on to my goals for 2009:

§ Participate in at least 7 of the 8 races in the MBAA series

§ Participate in 3 races in the Dust Devil series

§ Achieve at least 3 Top 5’s and a total of 7 Top 10’s

§ Improve personal times set at each course

§ Ride clean and no mechanicals

2009 Tentative Race Schedule:

Date	Event	Class	Results
1/17/2009	MBAA-White Tanks Whirlwind	Cat 2-Rock Crusher
2/7/2009	MBAA-McDowell Meltdown	Cat 2-Rock Crusher
2/21/2009	MBAA-Estrella Hedgehog Hustle	Cat 2-Rock Crusher
3/14/2009	MBAA-Gardner Grind	Cat 2-Rock Crusher
4/4/2009	MBAA-Prescott Punisher	Cat 2-Rock Crusher
5/2/2009	MBAA-Mogollon Masher	Cat 2-Rock Crusher
5/17/2009	MBAA-Flagstaff Frenzy	Cat 2-Rock Crusher
6/6/2009	MBAA-Flagstaff Finale	Cat 2-Rock Crusher
10/10/2009	Dust Devil-Estrella	Cat 2-Rock Crusher
10/31/2009	Dust Devil-McDowell	Cat 2-Rock Crusher
11/21/2009	Dust Devil-White Tank	Cat 2-Rock Crusher

Currently I am in training, riding about 3 to 4 times per week and hitting the weights as well. This year I will be working more on my core strength instead of typical weight workouts. That is all I have for now, until next time……

Things that make you go Hhmm:

What happens to an 18 hour bra after 18 hours?

End of 2008

Mon, 29 Dec 2008 06:19:40 GMT

The 2008 Mt Bike racing season has ended her in sunny Phoenix Arizona. This was a great year for me, here are some of my accomplishments for 2008:

     - Improved upon each person track times
     - Built a race specific Mt Bike (Intense Spider 29er)
     - Placed in the top 5 in 3 events (one being the NMBS)
     - Had a great time competing against fellow Mt Bikers

I wanted to send a BIG thanks out to my sponsors. Without them I wouldn't be able to make it through the season:

Evomo www.evomo.com

Intense Cycles www.intensecycles.com

Sock Guy www.sockguy.com

Thanks again for the great support in 2008. I am looking forward your sponsorship for 2009.

Thank you,

Rooster.......

10-13-2008

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 08:45:39 GMT

Man how time flies when you are ridin the time. Road Red Mt as a tune-up to the race on Saturday. Had one major blow out on the Saguaro loop. Luckily I didn't have to much speed and was able to stop without to much issue.

Well just raced in the first fall Dust Devil event. Didn’t do too bad, ended up 6^th out of 8^th. Improved my time on the course over last year by 6mins. Not too bad, considering it is a very technical course with lots of hills. Figure I improved my time, had a clean ride (no mechanicals/flats), and rode the switch back climb. So I met my goals for my race. Wore my Evomo jersey, everyone acted like I was a rock star (no complaints here), so that was cool. My friend Craig got some good pics of me so I will be uploading those today. Next race is Nov 1^st at McDowell which is one of my favorite courses in town.

Well not much else going on, the entire house is decorated for Halloween (which is the best holiday of the year in my opinion). Candy is stocked up, got my costume to scare the kids…. And the best part Saw V is going out on Oct 24^th….. Gotta love the slasher movies…..

Something to ponder:

What do you do when you see an endangered animal eating an endangered plant?

Later….

9-18-2008

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 13:34:03 GMT

Hey all just 4 weeks out until the first Dust Devil race of the fall series. My training is going good; my wife has even roped me into practicing yoga. So watch out might have to show my warrior cobra on you… Just read the articles about the new categorization that the US Cycling Association/NORBA is going with this year. I myself not to happy with it because that will require me to move up to the CAT2 30-39, well I guess I can always hung the starting line and just roll over the small guys… But it should make the groups larger and more competitive, which is a good thing.

Buy a couple of new albums the past couple of weeks, Metallica’s Death Magnetic and Austrian Death Machine Brutal Metal. Both are pretty good, especially the ADM, all of their songs are based upon an Arnold S. movie title/line. Like such great ones as: Get to the Choppa, Come with me if you want to live and many others… Great music for ridin the trails.

Just found out the other day that our friends from Canada are coming down in Nov and we are going to Vegas, yeah baby…. Gotta love Vegas always a good time. Well before I depart here are some words of wisdom:

“I am” is reportedly the shortest sentence in the English language. Could it be that “I do” is the longest sentence?

9-4-2008

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 09:53:58 GMT

Hey all, I am in week 3 of training and things are going very well. I have been averaging approx 50-60 miles per week on the trails. Also completing about 3hrs of spinning, core strengthen and weights at the gym. At this pace I will be ready for the first fall race on Oct 11^th at Estrella Mt Park. This is a very challenging course and has a lot of tech parts. I am really look forward to the fall series (Dust Devil) this year.

Just purchased some new tires the other day, Kenda small block eights. I have worn out my WTB Nano Raptors, I think these are a pretty decent all around tire. I got the Kenda’s because they were a good buy and of the brand, haven’t ridden Kenda’s before. I will be putting them on the week before my first race. We’ll see if the hookup or not.

Something to ponder:

How is it possible to have a civil war?

Later

8-19-008

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 13:01:07 GMT

Whatz up.... Hope this blog finds you all well. Picked up the bike at the shop late last week and because the family had a camping trip already planned I didn’t get to ride it until this past Monday. The PUSH’ed shock is great, much better performance than stock. I also had the chain and rear cassette replaced as well. So now the bike rides better than I do. I really feel that I haven’t been riding in a while (about 2 months). So now it is time to get back into the saddle and put some miles on the bike. My current training schedule is to trail ride Monday, Wednesday and Friday (mornings until the weather cools off a bit), and then spin class & weight training on Tuesday & Thursday. Saturday hiking with the family (wife and three dogs). That should help where I felt I needed to improve upon last years season. We’ll soon find out.

I picked up some new music from itunes that really gets your heart and body moving. I find it great motivation while riding to listen to heavy metal.

Something to ponder:

If lawyers are disbarred and clergymen defrocked, doesn’t it follow that electricians can be delighted, musicians denoted, cowboys deranged, models deposed, tree surgeons debarked and dry cleaners depressed?

crankin the miles on both my Mt bike and spin bike...

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 20:13:25 GMT

crankin the miles on both my Mt bike and spin bike.

8-6-2008

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 10:19:35 GMT

Good day all, did you catch the X-Games. How cool where they, i like the Big Air and the Skate Park. Well bike is still in the shop, some parts from intense were back ordered so I am without a ride. Should get it back next week (I hope), then time to hit the trails. I have been chomping at the bit to get back out on the trails and ride. need to relieve some work stress.

This year I signed up to be on the MBAA Committee, so I am hoping to meet some new people and riding buddies. Got bored and registered for the Oct 11th Dust Devil race (held in Estrella), I know, I know kinda early. Other than that not much going on in the rooster coop these days.

Something to Ponder: Why is brassiere singular and panties plural?

7-22-2008

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 13:01:44 GMT

Dropped the iron stead off at my LBS. figured it was time to get the annual tune-up done on my ride. Before I begin training for the Dust Devil series. I have decided to get my rear shock pimped out so my LBS is sending it to PUSH. Can’t wait to get it back, I have heard many good things when you get your shock “pushed”. Got helmet 2.0, installed the hawk and can’t wait to rock the local trails. I am going stir crazy at the gym.

Got my Evomo sponsor/sticker pack the other day with my t-shirts I ordered. Man talk about a great company not only do their shirts rock but they send their sponsor riders some cool stickers and cards. So if you see me on the trail feel free to stop me and ask for some, I will be carrying them in my pack. (except for at the races, when you can stop by my ride for some stickers). Can’t say enough cool things about this company, they are a company created by Mt Bikers for Mt Bikers. Rock on….

Picked up a new sponsor the other day Xcel Nutrition, I have tasted their product and it is a nice change from Gatorade/PowerAde. Give it a try

Think about This:

When cheese gets it’s picture taken, what does it say?