RAPTURE IN MISERY

Submitted by Chris Pinkham:

It seems like there's a fair amount of new blood on the list, so I'm going to wax a little about this weekends RIM.

For me, RIM is the premier race of the year, and the ultra yearly mt biking get together. Endurance races, 6/12 or 12/24, aren't like the usual mt bike races. Here, with the exception of the solo racers, you get to hang out with ALL the people there. Often, people with no hope of winning, still form teams of three or 5 people for the 12 hour race, just so they can be a part of it, and ride what will no doubt be a "most excellent" Landahl race course. If you formed a 5 person/12 hour team, you'd only end up riding 2 or 3 laps at most, and spend the other 3-4/5ths of the time chilling back at the ranch, with everybody else. I've spoken to several people who said they'd probably race, but don't want to do the solo class. I wish they could get together.

People are cooking and your peeps are drinking and lounging around in the shade and fixing their bikes and rooting each other on. It's easy to move from pit area to pit area to catch up and mingle with people you might not have seen since the last RIM. It isn't unusual to come upon people who aren't on the course, but because of their masochistic tendencies, ride a stationary bike next to their pit area, so they can share the pain of their teammate, out on the course.

On top of that, it can be pretty exciting as darkness falls and the classes begin to sort themselves out. You begin to compare the members of the different (competitive) teams, and watch to see if your preconceived notions about them bear out on the course.

I hope to see as many of you as possible out at Landahl Sat. They're having a race, while we're having a great time...mmmmmmmm, mt biking..........mmmmmmm, Landahl.

Been riding at Taco Tuesday lately? Well you should be 'cause we've got a weekly raffle! More of a drawing really, because there is no cost to enter. Just show up to ride with us and then come hang out at the Sand Trap afterwards. Max Mason put this gig together and with the help of Summit Bikes and the Sand Trap, we now have a really cool prize to give away each week. Last week was a really nice helmet! If things go right, we plan to have the drawing each week at least through the end of the summer.

More info on Taco Tuesday...

Jeff Hale recently had a wrestling match with his chain ring at the Lawrence River Trail. Can you guess who won? Check out the new submission on ER at the ER, complete with gory pictures - http://www.earthriders.com/er/story.php?file=leg0sprocket1.xml

Held Wednesday, July 19th, 6:00pm
Location - Blue River Parkway

We had 30 people show up to this month's meeting despite the 100+ degree heat. For most people, the ride was a short one, but everyone had a good time hanging under the pavillion and socializing. A few of us did manage to throw the frisbee around for a while in a game of friz.

There wasn't a whole lot of new or old business to discuss but we did get some