Sunday, December 26, 2010
Ass Kick Revisited
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Dallas Eakins
Two decades of involvement with professional hockey never tested Dallas Eakins quite like this.
Caked in salt, his body overheating and his legs throbbing, Eakins had to dig awfully deep to continue pedalling his bike up one Colorado mountain pass after another.
Several hundred well-trained athletes were unable to finish Saturday's famous Leadville 100 race, but the coach of the AHL's Toronto Marlies made sure he wasn't one of them. Eakins spent 11 hours 15 minutes traversing the punishing 160-kilometre course -- having to dismount and push his bike during "multiple" steep, rocky climbs -- before eventually reaching the finish line.
It was harder than anything he could have imagined.
"I trained very hard and long and did it the right way going into this race," Eakins said Monday. "But when you've never raced it before, or when the only kind of background you have on the race is what you've seen on YouTube, I think it's easy to underestimate the race.
"And I did."
The 43-year-old stopped playing pro hockey in 2004, but has maintained his commitment to personal fitness. He worked with elite coach Dean Golic during eight intense months of training for Leadville and found himself doing seven-hour bike rides in the leadup to the event.
The training schedule also had Eakins arriving at the arena as early as 5 a.m. during the season. It was one of the best times to get in a workout before overseeing a Marlies practice.
All of the work paid off in the most challenging moments of Saturday's race, which Eakins described as a "roller-coaster" that pushed him harder than anything ever had.
"It's the first time in my life that I literally had nothing left in me when I got off the bike," he said. "My coach and my wife Ingrid were there (at the finish) and I just had to go sit in the grass and then basically just lay back. I had nothing left, I was totally spent.
"There was nothing physically left for me to give."
Eakins was one of just 1,022 people to finish the race, which featured climbs of 4,267 metres at elevations ranging from over 2,700 to 3,810 metres.
American cyclist Levi Leipheimer won with a record time of 6:16:37. He completed the Tour de France in July and labelled the race in Leadville as one of his toughest days ever on a bike.
"It's hard to describe the pain and torture that you go through on a ride like that," said Leipheimer. "It's not what I'm used to. It's like a six-hour time trial. There's no sitting in. There's no draft. ... I just couldn't wait for it to be over."
Eakins could certainly identify. He says there were several moments where he was "dying for someone to just take me off that bike."
His race experience was captured by a TSN camera and will air as a feature at some point during the upcoming NHL season.
The most memorable part of the weekend for Eakins was spending time with people in Leadville, a small mining town that relies heavily on various endurance races to keep the local economy going. Many of the locals embrace fitness and the outdoors -- creating an infectious, positive atmosphere.
"There is so much love in this community for the athletes that come in, whether you're Levi Leipheimer or Joe Blow who's come in to see if they can finish the race," said Eakins. "Everyone is equal. The great thing in this race was nobody was racing against each other, everybody was racing with each other.
"It was an awesome experience -- more of a life experience than anything."
Eakins hopes to inspire others to participate in the event, even if it's just as a volunteer. He and wife Ingrid have already discussed returning next summer to help out with a 100-mile endurance run.
In the exhausted moments that came after he crossed the finish line on Saturday night, Eakins never dreamed he'd want to enter the Leadville 100 again. But only 48 hours later he was starting to change his mind on that subject.
Now he's looking forward to the next challenge.
"I think you always need to be testing yourself in some way or another -- just to constantly be finding out who you are and where you can go," said Eakins. "The whole mantra for this race is very simple and it's so true: `You're better than you think you are and you can do more than you think you can.' It's so simple and it might even sound corny to some people, but it is truly the truth.
"I just think we all put such limitations on ourselves. ... We just limit ourselves all the time and I think it's great to go fully test yourself and push
Caked in salt, his body overheating and his legs throbbing, Eakins had to dig awfully deep to continue pedalling his bike up one Colorado mountain pass after another.
Several hundred well-trained athletes were unable to finish Saturday's famous Leadville 100 race, but the coach of the AHL's Toronto Marlies made sure he wasn't one of them. Eakins spent 11 hours 15 minutes traversing the punishing 160-kilometre course -- having to dismount and push his bike during "multiple" steep, rocky climbs -- before eventually reaching the finish line.
It was harder than anything he could have imagined.
"I trained very hard and long and did it the right way going into this race," Eakins said Monday. "But when you've never raced it before, or when the only kind of background you have on the race is what you've seen on YouTube, I think it's easy to underestimate the race.
"And I did."
The 43-year-old stopped playing pro hockey in 2004, but has maintained his commitment to personal fitness. He worked with elite coach Dean Golic during eight intense months of training for Leadville and found himself doing seven-hour bike rides in the leadup to the event.
The training schedule also had Eakins arriving at the arena as early as 5 a.m. during the season. It was one of the best times to get in a workout before overseeing a Marlies practice.
All of the work paid off in the most challenging moments of Saturday's race, which Eakins described as a "roller-coaster" that pushed him harder than anything ever had.
"It's the first time in my life that I literally had nothing left in me when I got off the bike," he said. "My coach and my wife Ingrid were there (at the finish) and I just had to go sit in the grass and then basically just lay back. I had nothing left, I was totally spent.
"There was nothing physically left for me to give."
Eakins was one of just 1,022 people to finish the race, which featured climbs of 4,267 metres at elevations ranging from over 2,700 to 3,810 metres.
American cyclist Levi Leipheimer won with a record time of 6:16:37. He completed the Tour de France in July and labelled the race in Leadville as one of his toughest days ever on a bike.
"It's hard to describe the pain and torture that you go through on a ride like that," said Leipheimer. "It's not what I'm used to. It's like a six-hour time trial. There's no sitting in. There's no draft. ... I just couldn't wait for it to be over."
Eakins could certainly identify. He says there were several moments where he was "dying for someone to just take me off that bike."
His race experience was captured by a TSN camera and will air as a feature at some point during the upcoming NHL season.
The most memorable part of the weekend for Eakins was spending time with people in Leadville, a small mining town that relies heavily on various endurance races to keep the local economy going. Many of the locals embrace fitness and the outdoors -- creating an infectious, positive atmosphere.
"There is so much love in this community for the athletes that come in, whether you're Levi Leipheimer or Joe Blow who's come in to see if they can finish the race," said Eakins. "Everyone is equal. The great thing in this race was nobody was racing against each other, everybody was racing with each other.
"It was an awesome experience -- more of a life experience than anything."
Eakins hopes to inspire others to participate in the event, even if it's just as a volunteer. He and wife Ingrid have already discussed returning next summer to help out with a 100-mile endurance run.
In the exhausted moments that came after he crossed the finish line on Saturday night, Eakins never dreamed he'd want to enter the Leadville 100 again. But only 48 hours later he was starting to change his mind on that subject.
Now he's looking forward to the next challenge.
"I think you always need to be testing yourself in some way or another -- just to constantly be finding out who you are and where you can go," said Eakins. "The whole mantra for this race is very simple and it's so true: `You're better than you think you are and you can do more than you think you can.' It's so simple and it might even sound corny to some people, but it is truly the truth.
"I just think we all put such limitations on ourselves. ... We just limit ourselves all the time and I think it's great to go fully test yourself and push
Friday, November 26, 2010
Ever wonder what i do for a living? (check out this story i was in)
Current Issue
Improve your Storage Improve your Storage Facility
Recommendations and tips from the pros.
For whatever reason—expense, simplicity, space, time constraints—growers may consider upgrading storage facilities over building new. Several experts offered Spud Smart suggestions on improving existing structurally sound facilities for successful potato storage.
Insulation
Storage facilities that are properly insulated and well sealed will keep temperature and humidity at the desired levels and prevent problems in storage from condensation, such as disease. “Dealing with your building envelope is really important,” says Doug Small of DGH Engineering in Winnipeg. “If you don’t have a good envelope with a high R-value, you are going to get condensation and dripping and that’s going to cause problems with storage.”
Todd Forbush, an engineer with Techmark Inc. located in Lansing, Mich., recommends insulating to a value of R-35. This is equivalent to 250 millimetres (10 inches) of fibreglass or 150 mm (6 inches) of polyurethane insulation. Closed-cell foam insulation board or highdensity, spray-in-place urethane insulation are the most commonly used materials for upgrading storage insulation, says Forbush. “Good insulation is critical to proper storage performance,” he says.
Ventilation
Proper ventilation is crucial to maintaining the correct temperature, relative humidity and air quality in storage, and for managing problem lots and the build-up of carbon dioxide, all of which affect tuber quality. Ventilation systems usually consist of intake doors, fans, air plenums, ducts, exhaust louvers and a control system.
“Over the past 30 years the required air flow rates for potato storage have doubled,” says Small. “If you have high-quality, healthy potatoes you don’t need a lot of air flow—the older rates were fine—but you need the higher air flow rates if you have some problems in the bin,” he says. “The two typical issues are disease or frozen potatoes in the fall. Either way you will need more air flow because in each condition the potatoes are under stress and giving off heat and you have to remove that or the whole pile will heat up and at some point you could lose the whole thing.”
Plains Potato Ltd., a cooperative that stores potatoes for its grower members located at Portage la Prairie, Man., recently completed an upgrade to its storage facility, which included the installation of a new ventilation system designed to double its air flow rate.
The new installation meant incorporating bigger fan housings into the building itself—but according to Cory Smith, manager of Plains Potato, the renovation was worth it. The new system gives Smith more flexibility by allowing him to increase the number of climate zones in the building from four to six. “We now have 21 separate bins across six zones, each with 15,000 bags apiece. Each bin has sensors inside to monitor the heat and relative humidity, so it’s a lot easier to control the conditions in each individual bin,” says Smith.
Poor ventilation and air distribution, caused by incorrect sizing of fans, ducts, air inlets or distribution slots, will lead to inconsistent potato quality and/or potato rot. “As you put more air flow through, if you have an older shed that has an under-designed ventilation system, your ducts are going to be too small and so it is a challenge to get the extra capacity in your air plenums and ducts,” says Small.
And if the potato bin walls also form a part of the actual air ducts in the building structure, replacing those ducts can be extremely problematic. In that case, Small recommends the average grower should consult a specialist.
Power consumption of the main ventilation fan is also crucial in storage upgrades. A variable frequency drive can control the speed of the fan motor, allowing the volume of air moved by the fan to match the needs of the potatoes, saving energy and money.
“It’s important to take the total ventilation system into account when utilizing a VFD,” says Forbush. “Slowing the fan speed can save energy, but may cost quality in the long run if the system is not designed to operate with lower fan speeds.” Although the variable speed fan can reduce energy consumption, it must have a good control system to monitor the need for ventilation, especially when fans are operating at lower speeds.
Smith went with VFD fans, but because the upgrade was just completed this year, he knows it will take a while for those savings to start showing a positive impact on his bottom line. “I know I have saved some money on hydro already,” he says, “The drive can slow down the air flow and the control panel monitors it continuously and adjusts it automatically according to conditions in the bins.”
A qualified ventilation contractor can perform a storage ventilation analysis for a grower in order to determine what is needed to improve the air distribution within a structure.
Controls
There are many different types of controls available, from a straightforward single insulated damper that controls the blend of fresh and returning air, to systems that also combine carbon dioxide sensors with humidistats.
Forbush recommends a system that integrates control of fans, air inlet, humidification, refrigeration, heating and air exhaust fans or louvers. This will maximize storage energy usage, while controlling temperature, relative humidity and carbon dioxide in the storage facility. “A storage control review will help the storage manager determine if the existing equipment is sufficient, or if there are benefits that can be obtained using new storage control technology,” he says.
Smith’s state-of-the-art system is a microprocessor-controlled unit called the Agri-Star, made by the Gellert Company in the United States. It monitors and controls the entire environment inside the storage facility through the use of sensors, and adjusts temperature and air flow as needed to maintain temperature and relative humidity, which must be kept above 95 per cent.
Smith is impressed with the features and the capabilities of the system, which comes with easy to use, proprietary software. “The panel itself has a full-size, colour, touch screen display, with on-screen graphing, multi-modes, a carbon dioxide control—and it basically gives plug and play internet ready communications,” he says. “It gives a lot more flexibility and I can monitor everything from my computer. It has really fine-tuned the control system. The older system had a lot of fluctuation and it wasn’t as responsive. You can keep the temperatures exactly where you want them.”
Upgrading an existing storage facility is not cheap: the cost to upgrade its storage cost Plains Potato approximately $700,000. Now, the facility houses 325,000 bags of potatoes. But, at the end of the day, keeping customers happy was a factor in making the decision to upgrade the facility. “One of the big reasons for upgrading was to keep the processors happy,” says Smith. “It’s security for them to see that you are willing to invest in the upgrades so you can do a good job of supplying them with what they need.” Angela Lovell
Improve your Storage Improve your Storage Facility
Recommendations and tips from the pros.
For whatever reason—expense, simplicity, space, time constraints—growers may consider upgrading storage facilities over building new. Several experts offered Spud Smart suggestions on improving existing structurally sound facilities for successful potato storage.
Insulation
Storage facilities that are properly insulated and well sealed will keep temperature and humidity at the desired levels and prevent problems in storage from condensation, such as disease. “Dealing with your building envelope is really important,” says Doug Small of DGH Engineering in Winnipeg. “If you don’t have a good envelope with a high R-value, you are going to get condensation and dripping and that’s going to cause problems with storage.”
Todd Forbush, an engineer with Techmark Inc. located in Lansing, Mich., recommends insulating to a value of R-35. This is equivalent to 250 millimetres (10 inches) of fibreglass or 150 mm (6 inches) of polyurethane insulation. Closed-cell foam insulation board or highdensity, spray-in-place urethane insulation are the most commonly used materials for upgrading storage insulation, says Forbush. “Good insulation is critical to proper storage performance,” he says.
Ventilation
Proper ventilation is crucial to maintaining the correct temperature, relative humidity and air quality in storage, and for managing problem lots and the build-up of carbon dioxide, all of which affect tuber quality. Ventilation systems usually consist of intake doors, fans, air plenums, ducts, exhaust louvers and a control system.
“Over the past 30 years the required air flow rates for potato storage have doubled,” says Small. “If you have high-quality, healthy potatoes you don’t need a lot of air flow—the older rates were fine—but you need the higher air flow rates if you have some problems in the bin,” he says. “The two typical issues are disease or frozen potatoes in the fall. Either way you will need more air flow because in each condition the potatoes are under stress and giving off heat and you have to remove that or the whole pile will heat up and at some point you could lose the whole thing.”
Plains Potato Ltd., a cooperative that stores potatoes for its grower members located at Portage la Prairie, Man., recently completed an upgrade to its storage facility, which included the installation of a new ventilation system designed to double its air flow rate.
The new installation meant incorporating bigger fan housings into the building itself—but according to Cory Smith, manager of Plains Potato, the renovation was worth it. The new system gives Smith more flexibility by allowing him to increase the number of climate zones in the building from four to six. “We now have 21 separate bins across six zones, each with 15,000 bags apiece. Each bin has sensors inside to monitor the heat and relative humidity, so it’s a lot easier to control the conditions in each individual bin,” says Smith.
Poor ventilation and air distribution, caused by incorrect sizing of fans, ducts, air inlets or distribution slots, will lead to inconsistent potato quality and/or potato rot. “As you put more air flow through, if you have an older shed that has an under-designed ventilation system, your ducts are going to be too small and so it is a challenge to get the extra capacity in your air plenums and ducts,” says Small.
And if the potato bin walls also form a part of the actual air ducts in the building structure, replacing those ducts can be extremely problematic. In that case, Small recommends the average grower should consult a specialist.
Power consumption of the main ventilation fan is also crucial in storage upgrades. A variable frequency drive can control the speed of the fan motor, allowing the volume of air moved by the fan to match the needs of the potatoes, saving energy and money.
“It’s important to take the total ventilation system into account when utilizing a VFD,” says Forbush. “Slowing the fan speed can save energy, but may cost quality in the long run if the system is not designed to operate with lower fan speeds.” Although the variable speed fan can reduce energy consumption, it must have a good control system to monitor the need for ventilation, especially when fans are operating at lower speeds.
Smith went with VFD fans, but because the upgrade was just completed this year, he knows it will take a while for those savings to start showing a positive impact on his bottom line. “I know I have saved some money on hydro already,” he says, “The drive can slow down the air flow and the control panel monitors it continuously and adjusts it automatically according to conditions in the bins.”
A qualified ventilation contractor can perform a storage ventilation analysis for a grower in order to determine what is needed to improve the air distribution within a structure.
Controls
There are many different types of controls available, from a straightforward single insulated damper that controls the blend of fresh and returning air, to systems that also combine carbon dioxide sensors with humidistats.
Forbush recommends a system that integrates control of fans, air inlet, humidification, refrigeration, heating and air exhaust fans or louvers. This will maximize storage energy usage, while controlling temperature, relative humidity and carbon dioxide in the storage facility. “A storage control review will help the storage manager determine if the existing equipment is sufficient, or if there are benefits that can be obtained using new storage control technology,” he says.
Smith’s state-of-the-art system is a microprocessor-controlled unit called the Agri-Star, made by the Gellert Company in the United States. It monitors and controls the entire environment inside the storage facility through the use of sensors, and adjusts temperature and air flow as needed to maintain temperature and relative humidity, which must be kept above 95 per cent.
Smith is impressed with the features and the capabilities of the system, which comes with easy to use, proprietary software. “The panel itself has a full-size, colour, touch screen display, with on-screen graphing, multi-modes, a carbon dioxide control—and it basically gives plug and play internet ready communications,” he says. “It gives a lot more flexibility and I can monitor everything from my computer. It has really fine-tuned the control system. The older system had a lot of fluctuation and it wasn’t as responsive. You can keep the temperatures exactly where you want them.”
Upgrading an existing storage facility is not cheap: the cost to upgrade its storage cost Plains Potato approximately $700,000. Now, the facility houses 325,000 bags of potatoes. But, at the end of the day, keeping customers happy was a factor in making the decision to upgrade the facility. “One of the big reasons for upgrading was to keep the processors happy,” says Smith. “It’s security for them to see that you are willing to invest in the upgrades so you can do a good job of supplying them with what they need.” Angela Lovell
Monday, October 4, 2010
Friday, October 1, 2010
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Friday, September 3, 2010
WIMP!!!
By The Associated Press, cbc.ca, Updated: September 3, 2010 8:44 AM
Tour de France champ not racing at worlds
Tour de France champion Alberto Contador will not race for Spain at the upcoming world championships.
Spain coach Jose Luis de Santos says the three-time Tour champion will not be at the worlds in Australia since "Alberto told me he prefers not to stretch out the season any more and will rest ahead of next season."
Contador also injured his right knee after crashing during training on Tuesday. The injury is not expected to affect his upcoming campaign.
Spain will instead count on three-time world champion Oscar Freire and Olympic champion Samuel Sanchez among its cyclists for the Sept. 29 to Oct. 3 event in Melbourne and nearby Geelong.
Tour de France champ not racing at worlds
Tour de France champion Alberto Contador will not race for Spain at the upcoming world championships.
Spain coach Jose Luis de Santos says the three-time Tour champion will not be at the worlds in Australia since "Alberto told me he prefers not to stretch out the season any more and will rest ahead of next season."
Contador also injured his right knee after crashing during training on Tuesday. The injury is not expected to affect his upcoming campaign.
Spain will instead count on three-time world champion Oscar Freire and Olympic champion Samuel Sanchez among its cyclists for the Sept. 29 to Oct. 3 event in Melbourne and nearby Geelong.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Leadville modivational music
YouTube - Primus - Wynona's Big Brown Beaver Some people ask me - Cory, what kind of music do you listen to when you do those long races to keep you going.So i said behold, here is a sample.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Leadville race week report
So me and my wife left for Leadville on Monday night with the trailer in tow and drove 3hrs to stay at Turtle River State Park in ND USA.It was nice with a bike trail close by ( which i rode Tuesday morning ). On day 2 we drove on to Ponca State Recreation Area (7hrs) in Nebraska which had just had a storm so there were many downed tree's.From there on day 3 we drove to Windmill State Recreation Area ( 4hrs ) which was nice and quiet and was close to the interstate.On day four we had a 10hr drive with stops to get to our final camping spot in Buena Vista CO USA which is 30 miles south of Leadville and is at 8000ft.We then settled in and went to bed.Day 5 i headed up to Leadville at 10000ft with Brandy to check in and get my race bag.There was also a rider's briefing later on in the morning.Man there were alot of people and the weather was great.I got all my stuff looked around talked to lots of nice people and then went to local bike shop for some supplies while Brandy got us a seat for lunch.Holy smackers the lunch was good i couldn't even finish the hole thing.Then we headed back to the camper at 8000ft to get my shit together.Soon it was bed time and because they started staging at 5 am i had to get up at 3:30 am plus we had a 30 min drive to get there.When i arrived at 5:45am i was almost last in a line up of over 1000 people so i had to weasel my way up to around the middle.The start was controlled with all the pro's at the front.I wanted to get past as many people as i could before we reached the first climb but there were just to many and there wasn't much opportunity to pass so i just went with the flow.There was lots of climbing and lots of rocky fast descents which i made sure to take my time on.I saw one guy that had gone down hard and had to be choppered out with head trauma.I never saw so much liter on the trails though.There were bottle's, gels,number plates,food and clothes.It was the worst i have ever seen.The last climb on the outbound at 13000ft is what made me suffer bad.I honestly though if i pushed any harder i was going to pass out.They say you need 3weeks to a month to get used to the altitude and i had 2 days.Every time i would talk to people they would say how they were here for a month or were sleeping in oxygen tents at 13000 ft and then they would ask me where i was from and after i told them they would say good luck with that but i can say now after looking at the results that i beat alot of those people.I guess i can suffer more.The return 50 miles was a death march.I saw so many mech's like chain's,pedal's,rear dropouts and ton's of tire's.I was glad to see the finish line because i was cooked.It was for sure my hardest race ever a true ultra endurance race.I also forgot to mention there were alot of single speeders and tandem bikes.Every one was friendly and the volunteers were super.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
?????
The bicycle had two flat tires, but Greg Estes figured the $5 asking price still made it a great bargain at a yard sale. Little did he know just how great.
Estes checked on the bike's origin after buying it in Owenton this month. He was shocked to learn it may be worth as much as $8,000 and was custom built for cycling star Floyd Landis, who used it in the 2007 Leadville 100, a mountain bike race in Colorado.
Landis crashed but finished second in that race, which was shortly after his victory in the 2006 Tour de France, a win since vacated due to doping charges.
"It's a Cadillac of bicycles, that's for sure," said Estes, 38, of Owenton. "It's just unreal how good it rides."
A sticker on the bike told him it was custom built by Cyco-Path Bicycles out of Temecula, Calif., near San Diego. Store manager Loren Foley said he was stunned when Estes started describing the parts, knowing the company had made only one such model and they remembered it well considering Landis' celebrity at the time.
Foley dug up photographs of the Colorado race to be sure and recognized Landis' crashed bicycle as identical to the model Estes was describing.
"It's even got the same under-the-seat gear bag, the same tires," Foley said. "It's definitely the same bike."
As for value, Foley said Estes could expect to collect $5,500 to $6,000 for it on the open market – maybe quite a bit more if he gets actual value or a premium because it once belonged to a celebrity.
For fun, Estes put the bike in his own yard sale, replacing the $5 price tag with a $6,000 one. He got no takers, but a lot of perplexed looks.
Story continues below
He says he planned to resell it ever since he bought it, and certainly does now.
"I was planning on making a couple hundred dollars off it," Estes said. "Never dreamed it would come out to be an $8,000 bicycle. Kind of just blows your mind, something like that."
Estes says he understands how the bike got discounted. Besides the flat tires, it had pedals that the yard sale owner thought were broken but actually are the smaller, clip-in pedals used by serious riders.
The bigger mystery, however, is how it got to the yard sale at all. The seller told Estes her family found it on the side of an interstate highway in Kentucky.
Landis did not immediately respond to an e-mail from The Associated Press seeking comment. He recently returned to the spotlight when he sent e-mails to cycling officials that accused ex-teammate Armstrong, along with his longtime doctor and trainer, and numerous other U.S. cyclists, of running an organized doping program earlier this decade. Armstrong has strongly denied the allegations.
Estes says he offered the previous yard sale owner part of the profits if he resells, but her response was finders, keepers.
"If someone lost it or had it stolen and wants it back, they can have it back, but it's going to take some serious documentation," Estes said. "They're going to have to show some big-time proof."
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Estes checked on the bike's origin after buying it in Owenton this month. He was shocked to learn it may be worth as much as $8,000 and was custom built for cycling star Floyd Landis, who used it in the 2007 Leadville 100, a mountain bike race in Colorado.
Landis crashed but finished second in that race, which was shortly after his victory in the 2006 Tour de France, a win since vacated due to doping charges.
"It's a Cadillac of bicycles, that's for sure," said Estes, 38, of Owenton. "It's just unreal how good it rides."
A sticker on the bike told him it was custom built by Cyco-Path Bicycles out of Temecula, Calif., near San Diego. Store manager Loren Foley said he was stunned when Estes started describing the parts, knowing the company had made only one such model and they remembered it well considering Landis' celebrity at the time.
Foley dug up photographs of the Colorado race to be sure and recognized Landis' crashed bicycle as identical to the model Estes was describing.
"It's even got the same under-the-seat gear bag, the same tires," Foley said. "It's definitely the same bike."
As for value, Foley said Estes could expect to collect $5,500 to $6,000 for it on the open market – maybe quite a bit more if he gets actual value or a premium because it once belonged to a celebrity.
For fun, Estes put the bike in his own yard sale, replacing the $5 price tag with a $6,000 one. He got no takers, but a lot of perplexed looks.
Story continues below
He says he planned to resell it ever since he bought it, and certainly does now.
"I was planning on making a couple hundred dollars off it," Estes said. "Never dreamed it would come out to be an $8,000 bicycle. Kind of just blows your mind, something like that."
Estes says he understands how the bike got discounted. Besides the flat tires, it had pedals that the yard sale owner thought were broken but actually are the smaller, clip-in pedals used by serious riders.
The bigger mystery, however, is how it got to the yard sale at all. The seller told Estes her family found it on the side of an interstate highway in Kentucky.
Landis did not immediately respond to an e-mail from The Associated Press seeking comment. He recently returned to the spotlight when he sent e-mails to cycling officials that accused ex-teammate Armstrong, along with his longtime doctor and trainer, and numerous other U.S. cyclists, of running an organized doping program earlier this decade. Armstrong has strongly denied the allegations.
Estes says he offered the previous yard sale owner part of the profits if he resells, but her response was finders, keepers.
"If someone lost it or had it stolen and wants it back, they can have it back, but it's going to take some serious documentation," Estes said. "They're going to have to show some big-time proof."
Get HuffPost Denver On Twitter, Facebook, and Google Buzz!
Know something we don't? E-mail us at denver@huffingtonpost.com
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Screw Milk!!! Got Oxygen???
Well i made home alive.This race was the hardest thing i have ever done.It's my new #1 suffer fest.This is the first time i thought my health was in jeopardy.I started to feel ill and entered a dark place as i reached the top of Columbine at 13,000ft and then suffered all the way back home.I had to dig deep to finish on time and fight off nausea and dizzyness.There is no recovery over 10,000ft and i was just wrecked as i crossed the finish line.I have never felt this way after any race i have done but felt better the next day.I will do a race report with pics as soon as i can,stay tuned.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Times's top 10 endurance events
This year's 24 Hours of Le Mans saw automaker Audi finish in first, second, and third place. TIME looks at other notable tests of human stamina.
Full ListIs It Over Yet?
24 Hours of Le Mans
Tour de France
Dakar Rally
Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race
Cannonball Run
4 Deserts
Tevis Cup
Marathon des Sables
La Ruta de los Conquistadores
Vendee Globe
Read more: http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/completelist/0,29569,1869820,00.html#ixzz0vYDuemVi
Full ListIs It Over Yet?
24 Hours of Le Mans
Tour de France
Dakar Rally
Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race
Cannonball Run
4 Deserts
Tevis Cup
Marathon des Sables
La Ruta de los Conquistadores
Vendee Globe
Read more: http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/completelist/0,29569,1869820,00.html#ixzz0vYDuemVi
Monday, July 26, 2010
Falcon race report
I just want to start off saying the people that put on this race are A one in my books.The race was so much fun.I just about didn't come because of my busy schedule but when Hal mentioned team of 2 i figured it would be a great way to go and ride without having to drive home looking like a zombie.The course was fun,rocky,fast and had some muddy sections that sucked the life from your legs.Me and Hal decided that we would try to get in the most laps.So we started off doing one lap a piece,trying to maintain 30min lap times and keep doing this until 8:00pm.Once 8 came around we were looking good,we were in the lead so we started doing 2 laps a piece.This is when the troubles started for Hal.He started having tire troubles and went down hard on his wrist and at around 1 in the morning he could not hold on to the handle bars anymore so he was out for the night.I then went out for another lap and when i got back it was around 1:30.I looked at the teams and saw we had a big lead on the other teams of 2 and there was no way i was going to stay ahead of the team of 4 by myself so i went back to the camper to lay down.We woke to sunshine and hot temps i cooked us breakfast had a coffee and then at 10:00 went out and did 3 more laps.Hal rode strong and i had a blast doing the team of 2 thing.In the end we did 28 laps in 16 hrs and won the team of 2 division.I just have to say again how great the race was.They had a camp fire going and even brought a generator out to light up part of the course.I feel sorry for the people that stayed home trying to figure out where to ride.Sorry i didn't take any pic'.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Bike show coming to Leadville!
June 7th, 2010 Filed Under press releases
Planning on 100 miles of high altitude double track this summer, or just want to head out to Leadville, Colorado, to enjoy the epic show as a spectator? Either way, now there will be some cycling eye candy to serve as a further incentive for you to make the trip this August.
Festival Moves to Leadville during Trail 100 Weekend
The 2010 Rocky Mountain Bicycle Festival shifts gears with a move to Leadville, CO, on Friday and Saturday, August 13th and 14th, running at the same time and independent of the Leadville Trail 100 MTB race. The event features a Custom Framebuilder’s Gallery; an outdoor demo with members of the local Cloud City Wheelers available to guide test riders on the road or dirt; the latest gear from industry upstarts and stalwarts; bicycle non-profits; and outstanding local food with plenty of Colorado craft-brewed beer.
The move to Leadville was assisted by the City of Leadville and Lake County to provide additional attractions for the 25,000 people who come to Leadville for the race each year and to relieve some of the pressure on the town from those massive crowds. “We’re thrilled to have the Rocky Mountain Bike Festival in Leadville during the Trail 100 weekend. There is a huge audience for something like this. We hope to see it back here year after year,” said Leadville Mayor Bud Elliot.
“With the incredible new demo capabilities that we have with the Lake County Pump Track, the Mineral Belt Trail (and dozens of other off-road trails), and the miles of breath-taking roads around Leadville, we are concentrating on reaching out to companies with Demo Fleets right now,” said event director Carol Johnson of Miles Ahead Events, Inc. “At the same time, we have always had a strong relationship with custom framebuilders around the country, and each year we’re excited to see this feature of the festival grow.”
The Festival will be open 9.00am – 5:00pm on Friday, and Saturday right after the racers have headed out on course until 6:00pm. The RMBFestival is located on the race course, 300m from the start/finish – at 6th and Leiter.
For more information on the Rocky Mountain Bicycle Festival or to register to exhibit please visit
Planning on 100 miles of high altitude double track this summer, or just want to head out to Leadville, Colorado, to enjoy the epic show as a spectator? Either way, now there will be some cycling eye candy to serve as a further incentive for you to make the trip this August.
Festival Moves to Leadville during Trail 100 Weekend
The 2010 Rocky Mountain Bicycle Festival shifts gears with a move to Leadville, CO, on Friday and Saturday, August 13th and 14th, running at the same time and independent of the Leadville Trail 100 MTB race. The event features a Custom Framebuilder’s Gallery; an outdoor demo with members of the local Cloud City Wheelers available to guide test riders on the road or dirt; the latest gear from industry upstarts and stalwarts; bicycle non-profits; and outstanding local food with plenty of Colorado craft-brewed beer.
The move to Leadville was assisted by the City of Leadville and Lake County to provide additional attractions for the 25,000 people who come to Leadville for the race each year and to relieve some of the pressure on the town from those massive crowds. “We’re thrilled to have the Rocky Mountain Bike Festival in Leadville during the Trail 100 weekend. There is a huge audience for something like this. We hope to see it back here year after year,” said Leadville Mayor Bud Elliot.
“With the incredible new demo capabilities that we have with the Lake County Pump Track, the Mineral Belt Trail (and dozens of other off-road trails), and the miles of breath-taking roads around Leadville, we are concentrating on reaching out to companies with Demo Fleets right now,” said event director Carol Johnson of Miles Ahead Events, Inc. “At the same time, we have always had a strong relationship with custom framebuilders around the country, and each year we’re excited to see this feature of the festival grow.”
The Festival will be open 9.00am – 5:00pm on Friday, and Saturday right after the racers have headed out on course until 6:00pm. The RMBFestival is located on the race course, 300m from the start/finish – at 6th and Leiter.
For more information on the Rocky Mountain Bicycle Festival or to register to exhibit please visit
Monday, July 12, 2010
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Back 40 reveiw
What a great race again!!Everything ran so smooth and started on time.Course was perfect and so much fun except for the 4th lap when your body starts to seize up.My race went pretty good.I didn't get the hole shot but in a race like this it doesn't matter.Rode the most with JP and the rest of the time alone.It was hot but there was a nice wind to cool you off when you hit the first road section.Rode my Marin hard tail and everything worked great but i was prepared for anything.I wore a camelbak with tools,chain link and tire inflatetor.Now we all have to start the long wait for next year's race ( i think i am going to cry )
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Morden back 80 theme song and BAF report
Next up Morden!!!!!80km. It's going to be hard so get used to it.
(BAF REPORT) Well i had bad luck on my side once again.It all started well,it was warm (i like)it was dry(i like)there was lots of climbing(i like)but my race didn't last long.It started with almost a hour delay which sucks because you get warmed up and ready for 12:00 and then have to wait around to start.It also rained which made everything greasy. My race started good.I was riding my single speed 38/19 and was the first guy on top of the feed zone climb.I was passed on the first switchbacks by the elite's and then came to the top of the camel with Rob B. I then got on his wheel and followed him down the wrong trail.We ended up going down to the bottom, i then saw another sign and yelled at Rob( i think we have to turn here ).The rest is history,i ended up doing part of another course and then got back on course thinking i was on course the hole time( WRONG ).So i ended up doing pretty much the hole first lap until Paul and Tristan caught me and gave the bad news.Highlight's of the race were being in first after the first climb and taking a shit in the washrooms i built.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Monday, June 14, 2010
Falcon Race Report
Got out of bed and saw the Sun shining,smiled WTF!
As i got close to Falcon saw the Sun disappear,cried WTF!
Pre rode the course, holy WTF!
Brought my single speed full rigid,stupid WTF!
Did more running and swimming than biking,? WTF!
Finished the race without breaking my bike or getting any flats,lucky WTF!
Sun came out as soon as i finished the race ,what ever WTF!
As i got close to Falcon saw the Sun disappear,cried WTF!
Pre rode the course, holy WTF!
Brought my single speed full rigid,stupid WTF!
Did more running and swimming than biking,? WTF!
Finished the race without breaking my bike or getting any flats,lucky WTF!
Sun came out as soon as i finished the race ,what ever WTF!
Friday, May 28, 2010
Friday, May 14, 2010
This would be handy for racing?
Check out this song, it's f**ked up!Just don't listen to it right before bed or else you'll hum it all night in your sleep like i did. King Missile - Detachable Penis
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Grand Beach Race Report
>Got wet
>Got cold
>Felt good
>Got flat
>Walked for an hour
>Drove home
>The end
Thanks and good night!
>Got cold
>Felt good
>Got flat
>Walked for an hour
>Drove home
>The end
Thanks and good night!
Monday, April 26, 2010
Spring Classic
What a great day for a race.Bruxelle rocks!Olympia put on a great race and the weather was perfect.I did the mountain bike cat on my single speed 38/16 should have had a 40 or 42 in the front but it was great practice spinning.I would of loved to try a cross bike on that loop if i had one.The main race went well but got spread out right away with Daniel N taking it.For me it was like doing a time trial i road alone and tried to climb fast to make time because i didn't have road gears.I didn't here about to many crashes except for Greg S but he got back on fast and kept going.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Birch Washrooms...... Done!
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Washrooms For Birch
I got the building ready except for some more staining and painting on the inside.There are 2 men's on one side and 2 women's on the other.Friday night i want to load it on the trailer and head down Sat morning to Birch to install it.I am going to take a front end loader with forks and a bucket to do some digging.I have a list of all the tools and supply's i am going to need.I will also need a generator to power some of my tools.I have a feeling i will be down there most of the day so if you come to Birch to ride bring me a cold one.Thanks....... Cory
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Bruxelles
Had a great ride today at Bruxelles . There is a race there on the 25th here is the linkOlympia Cycling Club.There was a great bunch of guys,close to 15 i think and it was a cool sunny day.The loop was very scenic and had some short climbs. We pretty much hammered everyone of them.We rode a good pace at times but always waited for everyone to catch up.I was the only one with a single mtb i rode 38/16 and had to really spin on the flats and down hills.Don and one of our friends(John Allan)also had mtb's with gears and full suspension.The rest were road and cross bikes with some guys using road racing slicks.What a great village there was even a lady serving us coffee and she also had cookies and cina buns.We did one lap and everyone had to boggie.Good times!!!
Thursday, April 8, 2010
YouTube - Pink Floyd - Echoes Live at Pompeii Part 1
YouTube - Pink Floyd - Echoes Live at Pompeii Part 1 Where did all the good bands go?
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Anyone need to go potty?
I decided that because i ride at Birch so much i wanted to give back,but i also wanted to help the riders and bike clubs as well.So i went and talked to Doug Keith at Birch a few weeks ago.I offered to install some washrooms at the bottom of the hill in the parking area at no cost to him or any clubs.I heard that it was on some of the clubs wish list's from Mike Caslor.So i returned last night with a proposal and he excepted.So what is going to happen is that i will be installing a 4 stall bathroom 2 women and 2 men.There won't be sinks or running water though just 4 potty's and it will be fixed ( non moveable ).The waste will still need to be pumped out but the holding tanks will hold alot.We could get years before we would need a pump out.I will also be installing vents and adding chemical to control odors.I will build the structure and then haul it down to Birch from Portage on a trailer.I will also have to take a small backhoe down to dig in the holding tanks.My goal is to have it done in 3 weeks.This should save Doug and any bike club who wants to hold an event down at Birch money and the hassel of renting portapotty's.I will see if i can install internet and air conditioning but don't bet on it.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
XC8
Well i signed up for XC8 again today.This will be my third time.I am hoping to get threw it without any mech's.The first time i got a flat and had to run half a lap and then when i finally got in and changed my tire it blew before i got it on the bike so i had to change it again. Last year my rear wheel hub packed it in so i again had to run and then had to borrow a wheel from Shawn Z so i could keep riding.The good thing was that Scot at Olympia sent my wheel in and Mavic replaced the hole hub on warranty.One of the wings inside the hub had broke right off and got jammed so that is why my hub would not free wheel.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
New Colors
No i didn't join the Hell's Angel's but i will be riding for Olympia this year.I have been shopping there ever since i started racing and Scot and the rest of the guys have always been good to me.They really helped out with getting me ready for La Ruta last year and i am very thankful for that.
See yah at the races!!
See yah at the races!!
Friday, March 26, 2010
Anyone remember this one
Rad Movie - Part 4 All we did back then was watch this movie and ride our bmx's.Oh yah i just about forgot ( busted some heads on the half pipe )Believe it or not we had about 3 or 4 in town back then and nobody wore any kind of helmet.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Monday, March 22, 2010
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Feed Back
These were the cracks i noticed on my carbon jamis frame when i returned from XC8.Would you have taken this frame to do the toughest mountain bike race on the planet( La Ruta)?Or do you think this is normal?Be honest!!I decided it wasn't a good idea and passed.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Truck for sale
2007 
52000km, loaded,4x4,black interior,heated leather seats, warranty until May 15 2010,well kept.25000.00 I will truly miss my truck.
52000km, loaded,4x4,black interior,heated leather seats, warranty until May 15 2010,well kept.25000.00 I will truly miss my truck.Friday, March 5, 2010
Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man
This is one of my favorite movie's Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Monday, March 1, 2010
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
I am soooo in!!!!!!!
Friday, February 5, 2010
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Frost Bite River Run
Here's soom pics from a great morning race on the river.Temp between -20 and -25.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Movie Nite
Leadville movie tonite(polar park) , be there!Then we can all scrap in parking lot afterwards.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Friday, January 8, 2010
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