Art O’Connor

This one’s for you Clarkie:

I was planning to race the NMBS (emphasis on the BS part) up at Deer Valley this weekend. I went online to register, $50 seemed pretty steep but I figured what the hell. I click “Register Me” and then I am kicked in the junk with the “service fee” of $4.05. So let me get this staight? Team Big Bear wants me to pay for their decision to hire an online registration company. Shit why stop there? Why not charge me a percentage of the port-a-john bill, a few bucks for advertising and insurance while you are at it. Plus, I know from experience that after I register online and pay the “service fee” I will still have to get to the venue early stand in probably 2 different lines and fill out a half dozen waivers. What exactly is my “service fee” paying for anyway. Race registration is quickly becoming as efficient as a trip to the DMV.

I don’t blame the online registration companies. They are providing a service and should be paid. I blame the promoters. Hiring a registration company is an optional expense that they have chosen to add. Having the fee added on the back end is stupid and insulting to the customer. I don’t need to see an itemized breakdown of all the expenses of putting on a race so why seperate that one and pass it directly to your customer? If they would just raise the entry fee by $5 no one would see it and no ill will would be created. Doesn’t seem like rocket surgery to me.

So rather than get up at 5am to pay for the privledge of riding the absolute worst trails in Park City. I will sleep in and ride something fun with $54.05 in my pocket.

I was gonna write about my little electrical fire that caused me to miss High Uintas but I just heard that Gerpge Carlin died. Shit.

Half way thorugh June and I have only raced my bike twice this season… Anyway I raced the state RR up in Logan on Saturday. Only like 7 guys signed up for the 35+ event so they combined us with another field. They just could not decide which one. First they line us up with the Cat 3 men and 2 miutes before the start change their mind. Now it is the Cat 4 men, we line up and agian they change their mind. Now we are doing one lass lap and racing with the other Masters fields. I was a bit bummed about the shorter race but in hindsight it was probably a good thing. The 3rd (and final time) up the climb I got shelled. Nothing worse then getting dropped on the only part of the course that had spectators. Doh! I chased my ass off and got back on with a K to go which meant my glacier like sprint was now continental drift sprint. The horror. Hats off to Scott Allen for the sweet solo win while wearing the points leader jersey.

Time to make the donuts…..

Last time I raced I wore arm warmers and knee warmers, that was in December. I raced this weekend in the same gear. Crazy. After months of one thing after another keeping me off the bike it felt really good to be out there “turning the pedals in anger” again. I told myself that I would just sit in and try to finish with the group. Yeah right. I just couldn’t help myself and attempted to bridge solo to the break. I dangled for a lap or 2 and almost dropped myself. So much for sitting in. I did manage to stay with the pack and not crash. A pretty good return to racing. GOnna try my hand at the State RR this weekend. Should be fun.

I rode home got a bite and came back to watch the fast guys play. When I got there T-Bird was driving a small break that had a pretty good gap with about an hour to go. 60 minutes later, all the kings horses and all the kings men couldn’t bring T-Bird back to the field again. That is what is called a clinic folks.

the witch is dead!!!!!!