late update

Sorry this update is stupid late, but I'm stupid busy.

Only about a week of classes left through, so regular posting will resume in the near term.

The ECCC road season ended this weekend at Penn State, but like I said in the last post, UMBRC was not representing, as we couldn't get vans, so to cover what happened a week before at MIT's race.

It was in Westminster, which is near Jeremy's house in Fitchburg, so that's where we stayed. It was fun to see his hometown, which is very hilly, and has a mall.

Because we keep getting the same van with the same broken tape deck, I brought along my magic speaker, which we rocked out to all weekend. Especially to Tone-Loc.

We went to the pizza place that is a pre-race tradition for the Jeremy, Brad, and Jeff L. and it was pretty tasty.

The next morning, Jeremy went to race at Turtle Pond, and took the van keys with him. He was long gone by the time we got up to do our race, so we were at his house with a van we couldn't use.

Jeff Cronin's parents very graciously offered to drive us to the race, thanks again to them for that. The Ford Freestyle (like a tall Taurus wagon), feels a lot bigger when it doesn't have 5 people and three bikes in it, but we made it there just in time.

It was insanely hot, but I felt better than I expected to. It was a hilly race, but I stayed around the pack for most of it. Unfortunately, there was the kind of slow-motion crash that's all too common in C-races on the steepest part of the climb, I got caught up in it, dropped my chain, and had to hoof it up to the top, costing any chance of regaining pack contact. For the second week in a row, I basically TTed to the end.

Looking at the results, it's clear that the heat made this race something of a war of attrition, with 19 dnfs of 75 riders. I got 29th place, which again, is better than I expected. Tom unfortunately broke his chain, but we've not heard the last from him...

In the D race, Josh got 2nd and Jeff got 5th. Nice job you sandbaggers.

The next day's crit was just as hot, if not hotter, but unlike the day before, I did not feel very good at all. I stayed with the pack for 3 or 4 laps, but I just wasn't feeling it at all, and I dropped out. Certainly that's not how I wanted to finish my last collegiate race ever, but what are you gonna do. Tom avenged me by winning in spectacular fashion, breaking away with 3 laps to go, and holding off everyone else enough to sit up, zip up his jersey, and raise his arms across the line. Good show.

In the D crit Jeff and Josh got 11th and 9th respectively, so a mixed but overall good weekend for UMBRC.

Like I told Joe Kopena, I think collegiate cycling the best part of being at school, and I'm sad to see it end.

In a final bit of racing news, this weekend is the ORCHARD ASSAULT MOUNTAIN BIKE RACE! It will be super fun, and everyone should come do it. Even world famous big wheel bicycle racer man Thom Parsons will be there! Sadly Bryan has to work, so he won't be there.

Even if you've never raced a bike, try it here! After-party at the crapshack too, so fun will be had by all.

A few unrelated notes:


I am trying to avoid UP news and clips as much as I can, so the element of surprise is there when I see it, but based everything I have seen, it will be another Pixar masterpiece. I have similarly high hopes for the attached short "Partly Cloudy" directed by Peter Sohn (voice of Emile too).

I'm also psyched about a bunch of stuff happening in business news.

Fiat is taking over Chrysler (in a very favorable deal for Fiat), and if their acquisition of GM Europe (or at least Opel/Vauxhall) is completed, it could bode very well for the US automotive landscape.

Imagine being able to get Fiat Bravos and Grande Puntos, not to mention Alfas and Opel Insignias, in the US. It would make traffic so much prettier. They'll also get rid of the awful current Chryslers, which is good.

Another cool event of the last two weeks is the agreement met between Disney and Hulu, which is a significant step forward in the seismic paradigm shift that is Hulu. One of the only biggies still holding out from a unified big media internet video channel is CBS, but it's ok, because CBS is for old people anyways. HULU TEH FUTURE!

For this week's video, we keep the '80s love going and watch an ad from 1985 that either explains why Chrysler's bankrupt, or would be a step in the right direction. You decide.



Hope to see everyone at the Orchard Assault.