This was not an isolated occasion, this happened at least 6 times at different restaurants.
It was so refreshing being around people that weren't worried getting sued or whatever.
Another plus for Italy!!!
I can't wait to go back.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Where did my baby go???
While in Italy we happened across something very cool. It all started out the first morning. We sat down for breakfast and ordered our cappuccinos, when they arrived the woman running the restaurant asked if she could hold Ian. We thought, sure, she would hold him for a minute then give him back. But no, she took him for about twenty minutes.
This was not an isolated occasion, this happened at least 6 times at different restaurants.
It was so refreshing being around people that weren't worried getting sued or whatever.
Another plus for Italy!!!
I can't wait to go back.
This was not an isolated occasion, this happened at least 6 times at different restaurants.
It was so refreshing being around people that weren't worried getting sued or whatever.
Another plus for Italy!!!
I can't wait to go back.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
More about the race (part 2.1)
So I told you about the race, now a little about the event...
The 24 hours of Finale is the Intergalactic championship. This is where the team NASA came from. last year there was an unofficial team(team NASA) that was out in for for 5-6 laps before the were abducted and disappeared. They returned as four singlespeeders from the USA.
It is the largest Mountain bike event in Italy, so I hear. The venue sits atop a hill 450 meters above the sea, it is so steep it feels as if you could throw a rock in to the water. The first thing you notice when you enter the venue is the huge transition tent, then the large stage for entertainment, and the ramp up to the stage and the tunnel out the back of the stage. The ramp and tunnel are part of the course. During the night you come raging out of the transition in front of the crowd and ride through the band, it's a pretty cool feeling.
Like all the other great endurance events (Dirt, Sweat and Gears) I have been to, there was the trials show and a great expo area and a (metric) ton of great people.
Expect to see some great photos from this event, the organizers said the photographers took over 20,000 images. plus all the magazines and website that were there... I will post a bunch when we get back to the states.
The 24 hours of Finale is the Intergalactic championship. This is where the team NASA came from. last year there was an unofficial team(team NASA) that was out in for for 5-6 laps before the were abducted and disappeared. They returned as four singlespeeders from the USA.
It is the largest Mountain bike event in Italy, so I hear. The venue sits atop a hill 450 meters above the sea, it is so steep it feels as if you could throw a rock in to the water. The first thing you notice when you enter the venue is the huge transition tent, then the large stage for entertainment, and the ramp up to the stage and the tunnel out the back of the stage. The ramp and tunnel are part of the course. During the night you come raging out of the transition in front of the crowd and ride through the band, it's a pretty cool feeling.
Like all the other great endurance events (Dirt, Sweat and Gears) I have been to, there was the trials show and a great expo area and a (metric) ton of great people.
Expect to see some great photos from this event, the organizers said the photographers took over 20,000 images. plus all the magazines and website that were there... I will post a bunch when we get back to the states.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
The race I'll never forget (part 2)
The 24 hours of Finale
Friday, the day before the race, 24 hour town exploded to a tent village for about 2000 people. All of our bikes we assembled and a little preriding of the course was necessary.
The Course: Approximately 4 miles with 700' -800' of climbing. Out moderate pace for the preride we rounded the course in about 24 minutes. This was a little slower than our average time for the 24 hours. So the bikes (all Niner One 9, Tang) were great! Super smooth on this Rocky and 6" deep braking bump covered trail.
So after the preride, the crowd of athletes and photographers was unrelenting. Whatever we were doing there was someone talking to us or taking our picture. We felt like celebrities, in a way I guess we were.
So for the race, most of the time we did two laps at a time until the morning when we did one at a time. I was elected to do the run and the first lap. The run was crazy, I almost thought we were in Spain and there were a bunch of bulls chasing us. The area the run went through was only about 2 meters wide or on narrow single track, people were throwing elbows and pushing, if not the running of the bulls it was football (American) training camp.
When I got to the bike I was in about 30th place but by the end of the first lap I was up to about 5th. After a couple laps we were up to third and never looked back. A couple times we thought were in second but the standings were a little hard to decipher, so who knows.
The more laps we did the more people were coming to our camp and asking us questions, looking at our bikes. The language barrier was a little tough sometime but I could tell they were impressed and amazed at what we were doing on singlespeeds.
At the end of the race awards came quickly!!! The there was a huge crowd at least 1000 people.
The first thing they did was the General classification (the overall). After calling up the Italian national development team (1st, 8 people), then the second place team (also 8 person), the called team Nasal (that's us, more on that later), the crowd went crazy! Everyone’s eyes and cameras were on us, almost completely ignoring the two other teams.
Over all a great race and awesome people all around wonderful event! Thanks Mauro, Silvio, Lorenzo, Enrico and everyone else involved with race and getting our intergalactic team to Italy.
Pictures to come soon.
More posts to come...
Who took my baby?
Are we really in Italy doing a mountain bike photo/video shoot?
I haven't forgotten about Dirt (mud), Sweat and Gears.
Friday, the day before the race, 24 hour town exploded to a tent village for about 2000 people. All of our bikes we assembled and a little preriding of the course was necessary.
The Course: Approximately 4 miles with 700' -800' of climbing. Out moderate pace for the preride we rounded the course in about 24 minutes. This was a little slower than our average time for the 24 hours. So the bikes (all Niner One 9, Tang) were great! Super smooth on this Rocky and 6" deep braking bump covered trail.
So after the preride, the crowd of athletes and photographers was unrelenting. Whatever we were doing there was someone talking to us or taking our picture. We felt like celebrities, in a way I guess we were.
So for the race, most of the time we did two laps at a time until the morning when we did one at a time. I was elected to do the run and the first lap. The run was crazy, I almost thought we were in Spain and there were a bunch of bulls chasing us. The area the run went through was only about 2 meters wide or on narrow single track, people were throwing elbows and pushing, if not the running of the bulls it was football (American) training camp.
When I got to the bike I was in about 30th place but by the end of the first lap I was up to about 5th. After a couple laps we were up to third and never looked back. A couple times we thought were in second but the standings were a little hard to decipher, so who knows.
The more laps we did the more people were coming to our camp and asking us questions, looking at our bikes. The language barrier was a little tough sometime but I could tell they were impressed and amazed at what we were doing on singlespeeds.
At the end of the race awards came quickly!!! The there was a huge crowd at least 1000 people.
The first thing they did was the General classification (the overall). After calling up the Italian national development team (1st, 8 people), then the second place team (also 8 person), the called team Nasal (that's us, more on that later), the crowd went crazy! Everyone’s eyes and cameras were on us, almost completely ignoring the two other teams.
Over all a great race and awesome people all around wonderful event! Thanks Mauro, Silvio, Lorenzo, Enrico and everyone else involved with race and getting our intergalactic team to Italy.
Pictures to come soon.
More posts to come...
Who took my baby?
Are we really in Italy doing a mountain bike photo/video shoot?
I haven't forgotten about Dirt (mud), Sweat and Gears.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
One I'll never forget. (part 1)
Ariving in Italy, last Wednesday, we had no idea what to expect, and I don't think we could have ever imagined the experience we have had.
Da one picked up from the airport, with wine and fresh bread waiting in the car. and stopping(at a gas station) for some of the best cappuccino I have ever had. The drive from Nice, France was along the coast passing through tunnels,on cliffs highabove the Meditarian Sea and weaving through the deep canyons that drop to the sea. Then to the Italian bike hotel(hotel Florenz) to get some rest.
The next couple days we spent relaxing and exploring the town of Finale and the race venue/course. we walked the beach ate Gilatto, built our matching Tang Niner One 9's and did a lap or two of the course. the whole time there was someone waiting on us bringing us water, cheese, holding Ian for a half hour while Kristina and I ate, and the list goes on and on...
most of the gang on part of the race course.
The race was Saturday and Sunday 2:00p.m. to 2:00p.m.
24 hours
4 guys
4 bikes(singlespeeds)
60 laps (we got a little dizzy)
Come back later for more on the race, It's time I go get another cappuccino.
Fuzzy
Da one picked up from the airport, with wine and fresh bread waiting in the car. and stopping(at a gas station) for some of the best cappuccino I have ever had. The drive from Nice, France was along the coast passing through tunnels,on cliffs highabove the Meditarian Sea and weaving through the deep canyons that drop to the sea. Then to the Italian bike hotel(hotel Florenz) to get some rest.
The next couple days we spent relaxing and exploring the town of Finale and the race venue/course. we walked the beach ate Gilatto, built our matching Tang Niner One 9's and did a lap or two of the course. the whole time there was someone waiting on us bringing us water, cheese, holding Ian for a half hour while Kristina and I ate, and the list goes on and on...
most of the gang on part of the race course.The race was Saturday and Sunday 2:00p.m. to 2:00p.m.
24 hours
4 guys
4 bikes(singlespeeds)
60 laps (we got a little dizzy)
Come back later for more on the race, It's time I go get another cappuccino.
Fuzzy
Saturday, May 10, 2008
24 hours of Finale
The race starts today....
Things are crazy..
20 minutes lap times in warm up and a real fun course.
they are writing about us on the race website. look for team NASA in the News section.
http://24h.next.sm/eng/index.php (can not make it a link sorry)
More tomorrow....
Things are crazy..
20 minutes lap times in warm up and a real fun course.
they are writing about us on the race website. look for team NASA in the News section.
http://24h.next.sm/eng/index.php (can not make it a link sorry)
More tomorrow....
Thursday, May 08, 2008
Well I hope to do a lot of posts in the next few days....
So here is the quick story.....
SSUSA (singlespeed USA) I wore a skirt and had fun...
Dirt Sweat and Gears 12 hour, No skirt, lots of mud had fun and made some money....
took a quick flight to Italy... rode some sweet singletrack...
Getting ready for the 24 hours of Finale.
www.24hfinale.com
So here is the quick story.....
SSUSA (singlespeed USA) I wore a skirt and had fun...
Dirt Sweat and Gears 12 hour, No skirt, lots of mud had fun and made some money....
took a quick flight to Italy... rode some sweet singletrack...
Getting ready for the 24 hours of Finale.
www.24hfinale.com
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