Not sure how I missed this the first time around but Buzz showed this clown a thing or two. 72 years old and he still packs a good punch. Seriously, this Sibrel character is a very strong candidate for DME’s first annual Douche Bag of the Year award. The fact that this happened in 2002 is irrelevant as Sibrel is worthy of the award any year.
Just got back from a 10 day trip to Japan, to visit my in-laws. What better way to cure jet lag, than to ride some lift access DH at the “health resort” Fujimi Panorama, Nagano prefecture.
For 150000 yen ($150 USD) was able to rent a Giant Faith 2 FR/DH bike, full pads, full day lift, foot bath, and lunch.
The lifts were practically empty. Probably saw about 15 riders the whole day. There are basically three trails A (World Cup run), B intermediate, and C beginner.
So I take B for the warm up and end up crashing three times on the wet roots and slick soil. Note: It probably didn’t help that the brake levers in Japan are reversed, as the right lever controls the the front disc brake, and the left lever controls the rear disc brake. 
More pics and report after the jump.
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Wow … I read about this the first time around but this is unreal. An LA doctor intentionally stopped short in front of a couple roadies on a fast descent to “teach them a lesson” as he put it. One guy had a 3rd degree separated shoulder and the other nearly lost his nose as a result. I hope this guy goes to jail for a long time and loses his medical license. Fuck him.
Colonnade … some pretty sweet riding here … check the rock garden at the 2:10 mark … considering how much video tends to flatten rock gardens, this one looks gnarly.
Well, the year’s first fall rains have come in NorCal. Should be epic riding conditions the next few days. Hoping to fit in a trip of some sort this weekend–maybe Downieville or Tahoe. Last year’s Downieville run was so sweet this time of year–unbelievably tacky and no one was really there. Epic conditions.
NorthStar is hosting the Collegiate Nationals this weekend … the mountain is still open to the public … also looks like a good time … Check out the DH course:
Oh man, this one is tough to take … a couple riding a tandem were struck from behind by an F150 and killed on a road in Texas. Same family had been hit head on in a car vs car accident several years ago. Their 7 year old daughter was in the car with them at the time. Sounds like they had brought themselves back from the dead to run marathons, triathlons, etc. This time their daughter was spared … but just look at her … man, what a sad scene. More here.
The driver is not facing charges. Unreal. Don’t mess with Texas? Texas’s governor recently vetoed a law that would mandate a safe passing distance for cyclists, saying it was unnecessary.
Edit: Wrong link regarding the governor … meant this link.
Did the usual pre-ride wrench routine on the Intense M6 till 2am the night before… installed the Maxxis Minion UST 2.5s fr and rr, and re-installed the Magura Louise carbon brake in the rear. Seems like the Louise’s that came new with the 6.6 are in need of a bleed after only one year…
So woke up at 6AM Sat. morning, Miso and Oscar in the car, brewed a couple cups of Keurig, and hit the road for Northstar at 6:45. Smooth ride up, made it to N* parking lot just before 10AM. When I got there it seemed like a youth soccer tournament. No wonder, the 3rd Annual Livewire DH Classic was being held. Moms were driving their kids up there…it was like a family event. It crossed my mind for a minute to enter the race, but I decided maybe I should check out Livewire first.
So my first run was down Livewire. Really groomed trail, perfect to practice catching air over tabletops. Lots of traffic though, since the DH racers were getting their practice runs in.
Then I took three runs down Gypsy. The entry into the trail was initially pretty intimidating. You have to ride over some two foot boulders to start the trail. Gypsy is quite rocky, a few small drops thrown in, and a few I nice doubles thrown in. I took a nice over-the-bar spill on Gypsy after taking a drop, and carrying too much speed for the upcoming lefthand sweeper. Luckily I was fully armored, as I took a pretty good hit on the right shoulder and hip.
My final run of the day was down Boondocks, which is a double black diamond trail. I was talking to a local rider on the lift who was telling me about a perfect 8 foot drop off of Boondocks. Nice run-out and transition. Once on the trail, I took a quick peek from the top of the drop and thought to myself, “maybe next time”. But that Fat Tire I just had must have given me some liquid courage, so I hit the drop, and landed it! Great way to end the day. Northstar is a sweet place to ride, especially with the Intense M6 underneath you.
