i typed for miles

writing about cycling is tough. first, you need to write about training, finding the perfect balance between bragging about how hard your workouts are (providing a metric of your awesomeness) and also how you haven't had time to really train enough (providing a pre-excuse for sucking). then, you need to write about rides that turned "epic", by playing up the incredible sequence of events and intense conditions that you were able to overcome while downplaying the lack of foresight and planning that probably got you in such a stupid situation in the first place. next, write some shit about your equipment and how it's awesomer in awesomer ways that other bikes and that you don't care if people thing your bar tape is starting to unravel. then, you can write about that race where things were going sweet until those other dudes did some "negative racing" and that one guy did something squirrely and you missed the break and there went your chances for certain victory.

okay, so writing about cycling is very easy. however, following my patented formula becomes substantially more difficult when you don't actually ride a bike anymore.

it's been sad, watching the dust collect on my (obviously awesome) bikes and the air slowly leak out of the tires. it's been sad reading through the results from local races and see the guys i should totally be able to beat if the course just suited me better and not being able to write about how i should totally been able to beat them if the course just suited me better. i drank a glass of cytomax the other day, just to see if i remembered how.

but i still feel hope. my injury is temporary and i will ride again. friends are out getting rad, consistently and thoroughly. new bike shops are opening up all over town. cycles marguerite is totally happening, and happening right.

although it's been frustrating, i think this time off the bike will prove to be a valuable experience. once i can figure out precisely how it's a valuable experience, i'll write all about it.

Dirk Hofmann

Get familiar!

BMC Development Squad

Check out this article on the new BMC Development Squad: HERE See if you can pick out the former NCCX CAT 4 winner of a few years ago....

bone machine

i've got some sweet new gear to test out:

this baby is the 4000+, so you know it's dope.

okay so the backstory:
collarbone is still not healed. the x-ray looks like it did one month ago, which looked like it did two months ago. the doc squinted his eyes and said that he could see some healing, which may be true since i'm not an expert. on the other hand, if you look at a piece of toast long enough, you may be able to convince yourself that you can see the image of jesus

so 10 weeks in, and i'm still not fixed. and although this is slow, it's supposedly not alarmingly slow. however, it did mean that they decided to give (sell) me an ultrasound bone stimulator. this, of course, is a cue to all our friends in new jersey to exclaim heartily "hey! i got yer bone stimulator RIGHT HERE!!!" thanks guys.

either way, still not real cycling for me. in the meantime, i'll be cranking out mad ultrasonic power and give you a full product review soon(er or later). if it works, i may try it on my brain to get smarter and my muscles to get faster and...well, let's see if it works, first. until then:


(does anyone else think that Andrea from Trips For Kids kinda looks like Kim Deal?)