Big Bikes

Quick Report from Trek World (While I procrastinate and try to figure out how not to sound like a total dick while writing my next race report).

2009 Trek Top Fuel 9.9 SSL

This is the bike that I didn't think I'd like for it's non-big wheeliness and it's full suspensioniness. Quite the contrary, this is the bike I had dreams about the night after the demo day. No, I didn't ride the weight weenie version pictured, but the stock bike comes in around 20 lbs., which is still plenty sick. As I took off down the hill from the parking lot the thing felt like a road bike, there wasn't a big enough gear on it. Then I turned off onto the trails. Jim's trails, right across the road from the Trek factory are absolutely amazing by the way. A fun mix of buff singletrack interspersed with optional stunts and bridges.
I ran into IBC's inside Rep Mark while riding, he asked "Hey, is that thing fun?". "Fun's not the word...fast and efficient, but not fun really" (as I rode it over a teeter-totter). A few moments later I was looking down on Mark and his crew while I was railing up a small, switchback climb and shouted "Oh wait, I take that back - it's fun when things start going up!". I started to wonder what the little ring was for. The bike only comes with a double, due to the custom FSA cranks which boast a road type Q-Factor, something I could definitely feel right off the bat.

Custom Trek Trike with Wheelie Bar

Not quite as fast and agile as the 9.9, but much more stable when traveling in reverse after several Margaritas.

Free Tattoo, Haircut, and straight razor shave stand at the Trek Factory. The line was too long and the mosquitoes were just too tenacious. I was driven away and spared the horror of awakening the next day with a lower back tattoo of a Trek Y bike being ridden by Brett Favre.

I really felt most comfortable doing this type of stuff on the Superfly.

Wow, what a great action shot of one of the crazy BMX kids jumping the Ice Cream Trike. He cased it, but didn't quite die.

View from the Hotel Edgewater, looking out at Lake Mendota. I almost went swimming in it but the combination of recent rain, agricultural run off, and the perpetually open wounds on my legs precluded me from doing so.

Superfly. Had to get familiar with it...oh yes, you will be mine.

An alternate version of the Trek District. Swap the bars and throw the brake on the front and you got yourself one SWEET FIXIE! Seriously, it's a real pretty bike.

By my third morning in Madison the kids at Starbucks on the way to The Menona Center knew me. "Wow! You look exhausted - how many shots in your ice coffee today?". "Uh, three". "Four is just easy!". "Make it four then".

The Fish hopped on the Cycleops Blender bike to mix the kids up some Margaritas.
Jon Lewis keeps the lid on things.

Greg Lemond said that there was more to Gary's blender bike performance than steak dinners. That's why Lemond is out of a job and Gary has a new line of road bikes. At least that's Trek's official statement on the matter.