Myeh I've reached the point with polls and studies that unless I can read the primary material I don't trust the findings. Anyways I'm actually posting about a slightly different topic.

I know that all of us here on the TOfixed thread ride for a lot of different reasons. Pleasure, commuting, necessity whatever. I've decided that I want to race this summer and therefore need to train. I find that training is much easier with company so I'm wondering if anyone wants to join me. I'm going to start with doing sprint repeats at the CNE loop as soon as the weather gets nice enough to not freeze on the third loop. I'm also going to be doing hill repeats and other such torture. Its going to be pretty boring no doubt but if a few of us do it together we might help each other stay motivated.

SO if anyone is interested either post here or PM me an email address so we can start an email list or something as opposed to adding to the chaos of the tread.

Oh and a question, for the poker ride would the community get pissed if a bunch of longboarders come out to ride in solidarity? A lot of those kids would be totally down to do the ride 'cause its a good cause but I don't want to post it unless I know it won't 'cause drama...

Sure. If you are a fat white guy, your ideal weight is probably going to be lower than your current weight. :D

the poker run is intended to raise funds for a rider in need. i'm sure you could even wear roller blades *shudder* and still get away with it.

I figured as much but no harm in asking before I spread the word.

I highly doubt anyone would mind.....it is a fundraiser after all and the more folks that join in the better.
So you want to race huh. Road I assume. Come over to the dark side....get a mtn bike and come out with Bradyn, Wes and me. Not only are there way more cute girls but the attitude is way better also.

Plus I need to get a 24hr team together since Keith (and potentially Bradyn) are already committed to a team. :) I think I've got 3 people including myself right now.

I would race mtn if I had the bike! Probably next season if money works out and I don't end up in Tokyo. Right now I just want to get better on the bike and they always say practice makes perfect.

How *serious* does your team take it? Are you Sub 1hour serious, or do you alternate between laps and beers?

I do have the loaner rig if you want to come out on a non-race day for some dirt fun. That bike is gonna get HAMMERED this year. Leave yer bike in the shop for 10 months and this is what you get. :D

I think T.J. is interested as well.

Thanks for the wheel, Cavit8!

I love the world.

Hi everybody!

Ok racing sounds like fun, entry level mtb = $?

P.S I posted this before but BF kept crapping out.

24hour team?

I'm in!

i'm down for some mtn. biking this summer. i rock this (i would definitely consider it entry level):
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/148/4...f6d31203_b.jpg
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/162/4...ce0abb38_b.jpg

I have my 47 pound SS kona smoke. That thing just FLIES!

Shiznaz is a weight weenie.

yeah come to think of it, I could stand to lose a few pounds of body mass as well. Water diet here I come!

well you could pull me around in a bike trailer. that would lose ya alot of weight

heh.. so I guess putting together a half-assed team might not be a huge problem. The only issue I foresee with alls yalls racing 24-hr is lighting systems for night laps. What say you, Keith? How do folks normally deal with that? I actually don't have a lighting system for myself yet anyway, so that's something I'd like some advice about for myself at some point.

Offhoff: do it! Road racing is the ****! F*ck MTB (sorry guys). I regularly do the CNE, even now, and you'll find guys there most evenings after dark once the weather gets a touch better. Otherwise, there's a quality fast-paced ride every Thursday leaving from high Park, and of course the infamous donut ride. You can find me at any of these rides on a regular basis. Also, I should give a plug to my club, who does a learn-to-race weekly program (check out midweekclub.ca for more info). Aside from being affiliated with them, it is an excellent program (I can say so b/c I did it myself)

OK, PM me if you want to ride sometime.

Rofl, pot has been stirred!

oh, oops, was that a declaration of war?

So tovi, what's the deal with the "learn to race" program. Is it worth it if I don't actually intend to race? I wouldn't mind doing some group riding etc. It's pretty much on my commute home so it sounds interesting.

your underweight dilema is nothing a few fried peanut butter sandwiches couldn't cure. may i suggest you reference our discussion a while back on items suitable for deep frying?

racing sounds like fun but it's the training i'm not interested in.

iBrad: I think it's a very good graduated program geared to give you the confidence and skills to race, but given that many local unsanctioned group rides morph into defacto races, there's something you could still get out of the Monday night events. From week to week there's different lessons, eg. cornering, drafting, paceline (and paceline ettiquette), braking, sprinting, etc. The speed is controlled during the lessons and there are coaches there to teach you and ride with the group. All the riders who show up are broken up into smaller groups so we can keep the ratio of coach:rider down. After the lesson portion (about 45-60min), you guys all reassemble and do your own race for 1/2hr or so. Everyone has someone of similar ability to ride with, and nobody gets dropped/neglected. You'll find that after a couple weeks that you feel more confident in your skills, and your feel more comfortable at speed, so you'll bump up into the next category. Between the Monday and Teusday night events, there's four categories: two on Monday (least experienced and some experience) and two on Teusday (intermediate and elite). The whole idea is that there's a place for everybody and it's broken up enough that you can notice your improvements as you go.

You're welcome Dom. Sorry I had to rush off. I really liked your hat.

My shop is putting a team together too. Hope to see you guys there!

Recently been freshening up my ride too. All XTR except my XT crank and SRAM brake calipers. Snap!

i was just at the xtr website. how do they make the derailleur shoot lightining? that's frickin' awesome!