I got a nice shot of you at the Washington County Fairgrounds race.

http://tinyurl.com/6angam

I resent your remark in regards to my team that I work so hard to make a success, and let me tell you why.

Firstly, I can see Molly’s initial point and I agree with it. But as you put our name in what you see as wrong, well, I can’t NOT address it.

At Ironclad, we view cross as a reward for our road season. A few of us go hard in the B’s, but most of us are there to goof off for ourselves. We look like we’re having fun because we ARE having fun, and it’s hardly formulated. Whether or not you approve is not anywhere near close to being our concern. I would think it normal if a thousand people congregate, not all will have the same idea as to what “fun” is. As you put it “our” scene had roughly 10,000 people interact with it this Crusade.

And if having fun at cross, as a team of friends that so happens to be visible since we number near 30, then so be it. Turn away if it so repulses you.

Our website is highly trafficked – 4 to 6 thousand a month read our stuff. Our ghastly Flickr page has over 200k image views. We sponsor numerous teams with product, sponsor race series within the community with product and money, and as a developmental team provide a place for people brand new to the sport to come and race road, cx, or mtb. We race very hard, have excellent results for a small team, and have a lot of fun doing it.

And if my riders want to cut loose in a discipline of the sport born from beer, fries, and cigarettes, then by all means I allow them to get as crazy as they want. While again I agree with Molly and see that obviously what’s fun for us might not be fun for all – that’s not the point. What’s fun for us as a team is the point. We’re not hurting anyone, stealing anything, littering, or causing problems during races for anyone. We also field an average of 15 racers per cx race.

And looking at it in that light, I hardly see anything wrong with it. I’d hope you agree.

I took note then that my fun is not always other peoples fun.

Wow the dialers… Hadn’t thought about those for years, and the infamous Kinkos scams… Fortunately I eventually got an “in”…

Dunno? The introverted aspect of cycling appeals? I guess they all come together in some fashion, just a slightly different mix per individual, no revelation there… It takes a certain type of commitment to wear lycra in public… Or bikinis in cool fall weather, whilst consuming frothy malted bevvy… The atmosphere seems similar in ways, a common passion bringing together otherwise disparate people?

SotS = dry. Like you pointed out, take some away, but you do wish for some (or hey all) of that time back… Academic analysis/deconstruction is kinda like watching paint dry: you know the result, do you need the process?

Stakes… Nice, just add customized tape and all of the sudden it’s a different ballgame… Or just “CAUTION”, it works too… I half-wanted some “CRIME SCENE” just for fun, but it might just be the introvert/geek/weird humor coming through…

Red Bull? I dunno, maybe more MONSTER at the cross races? We can get all Sam Hill on those barriers…

Now, you go to more parties where folks are ACTING like they’re having fun/doing crazy stuff while their buddy takes a picture to put up on flickr/blog/crazy party picture site or whatever.

So are we HAVING a good time, or are we PRETENDING to have a good time so we can show those who weren’t there what a good time we were having.