Two Short Track races down and still not much going on. Was talking with the MASS’ter about the state of STXC in the MASS…and… Gotta be part of an established event. Since the 1’st 2 have been sorely attended I wonder weather a stand alone event is just a mistake for the promoter…Congrat’s to the ones that are taking it on though.

Example: You live 1 1/2 hr’s away….for a 1/2 hr $25 ride…. = poor attendance. (So a nice way to rack up some Ind’y and team points… Hey, if you’re in the game. Play it, Yo).

So as part of a multi-race event, it works, right? You’re already there. OK, so if we are going to do good STXC’n then somehow, add it in. It aint’a work’n as a stand alone.

Not a gripe…just sayin………………….

See Blue Diamond STXC photos at a web site near you: www.dennisbike.com

2 races 2 seconds…1good one,well played and deserved. The other one not so well deserved, but fought for it just the same. Wish I felt better about that one,under attended,sat in and played the strategy game,made my move to win and blew it. Had I won, would have felt the same though.

Short Track is just a crit on fat tires…..many MTB’rs don’t really have crits in their resume. I did the crit game a long time before quitting bike. Took a long time after my 1 1/2 yr. absence to find a need for racing again and that has turned to on ‘dirt’ rather then macadam. I understand Critirium and I understand Short Track in much the same way. Your views may differ.

Need a new bike for STX. Make do with what I have. Would like: 29er with gears around 24 pounds.

Pictures of bike races can be found at www.pbase.com/denS . Think a Photo Book is in the future…Local riders over the last 7 yr’s. Have some older stuff from film, that goes way back to scan in….May be some dialogue. Still thinking about it………….

11 days 9 rydes, 5 good group for some efforts and the rest solo for some rehab. Coming around, beginning to feel like maybe I can do something….I dunno like maybe challenge some in a race…more work and less weight first though.

Sitting and watching the World Cross Women Championships. The WCSN network…I love verizon FIOS. The same race we tried to watch at Jan’s between internets buffering.

Bike Line at Fair Hill race coming up. Will be the first test….11 more follow…then Cross :)…

I listen to about 20 Podcasts a day/or two…Much useless interesting info, some news, comedy, tech, music……I’ll report some at you to mix up the blog some. Try NPR “All Songs Considered, The Onion, anything Leo Laporte for Tech…TWIP for ya Photog stuff.

Biking. It’s getting good……………………………………………..

d

Had a good MTB Ride today…in a place I’ve never ridden,but have raced once…Knew what to expect from hearing about it…French Creek. A group of people I Know, a few I never ride with, but see at races…and take pictures of…Good riders all. My response was to step up to the plate and “swing well”. Been riding into shape,not really riding with anyone…So needed this…Feeling like I had a good ride and still need to do more…but feeling good about todays ride just the same…

d

Yea, well I don’t write that often. I don’t even have much to say just now. But, I think I’d like to write more….

The 2008 MAC Calendar is finished and for sale. I have to say this years effort is my favorite to date. I had some grand ideas, lots of collages and photo mash-ups. As I was working it though it seemed to evolve into a community of familiar faces. I started seeing my friends as they are not as I wanted to see them. It would have been easy to make the calendar into last years. But, the images wouldn’t let that happen. I had two pages that were complete, nice flow with full page backgrounds. A lot of action shots but, the faces kept looking back at me, the action shots were feeling less important to me.

I worried that in the end the pages I had completed would look boring. Each showed one prime action image usually surrounded by “Head-shots”, other smaller action images completed the pages. It was done. Not as I had it originally planned. As it wanted to be….A community of people brought together because that is how it is.

Not all the pictures I take in a season are able to be posted or printed. Most are dead out throw aways. The ones that make a Calendar are the best, by all means not all the best…there aren’t enough months, but the best at the moment and the ones that work on a page. I could make another two calendars….I don’t want to. It is what it is.

dennis

The dennisbike galleries, my photos at PBase.com, have reached a milestone.

2,000,000+ hits…. ‘Two million’

Can I get a penny each please ?

Now that’s not unique hits, just hits. So every time, in theory, an image is viewed, I get a record of that.

Here’s the stat’s: (copied from profile page)

You have 442 galleries and 15574 images online.
These pages have been viewed a total of 2016333 times.
View Usage and Payment History : Your photos are using 1892 Megabytes of storage space.
On average, your photos use 124 KB each.

Look at the total image #’s…that’s a lot of you guys…minus some pro races…..

Keep looking…and enjoy,

d

Since the last writing… Granogue (MAC) was a success. Wissahickon(MAC) the next dry was as well.

Both sunny, dry and pleasant. Received a late season sun tan over the weekend for my photo taking endeavours.

Then came the race at TTown (PAXC#3 at the Trexlertown Track. A beautiful rain soaked day made just for Cyclocross joy. Big ups to the promoters for not canceling…But, glad I’m not involved in the clean-up and repair…ouch. Heard some talking (no where near official) about…” being glad to have done the one and only Cross race to ever be held at TTown”.

Some pic’s from all 3 races.

Next race, back to the MABRA Series, Fairhill.

Enjoy.

d

…is the one that no mater what, you have to shoot. Every Cross race has the straight-on barrier image that gets a look every time. Crit races have the coming through the corner, in tight shooting up into the riders face. Mountain biking has the set-up just under the drop off as the bike comes over the edge…You have to get these shots or you’re not in the game.

The Tower shows in so many shots throughout the days racing at Granogue Cross that after one or two…”Ooo! That’s a cool shot”…It fades into the sub-conscious. The shot here is always my favorite to get…Pre-race…pre-setup…pre-rode in. It leads my mind to visions of racers traversing the face of the hill, yet is oh, so serene.

I’ll be getting the barrier and run-ups, the Pit exchanges and the finish line shots. But, this one I have to get out there before it gets lost in the sub-conscious.

…thank these guys race day…they may be busy but will appreciate it.

d

My Gal Lin’y was on the ball with the camera at LilyPons…..Ohhh ‘Jan’…Marc

I’ve been waiting as I’m sure you have. Let’s get this thing going………….