Here's part two of choices. I made the right one. Michelin muds. Carded my first win of the year and in quite awhile. Good choice.

Now I've gone and added another arrow to the quiver. Clemeet PDX. These have a high volume and a pretty open tread. So I headed out to warm up with Glenn. The rear was a bit squishy. So I added air.bled air,rode deemed it okay to race.

Toed the line knowing Drumroll likes the holeshot as much as I do. Go I'm in the barriers first. The long legs are quick and a gap forms. Through the start finish and someone yells. "Karl you've got a gap". I punch it up the road. One match burned,but it started the selection fire. Out comes Faso first,then the train. Glenn, Ad, Drumroll, Bill and Tom. I hop in the middle. Breathe. Then we hit the rooty part. Bike is all over the place tire is way soft.Scary soft but I tip toe and hang. Wasted energy. Lap two and I hit the road in a huge flat track side. Glenn calls scary. I stand to sprint and it's all slides. Bad move. I pit on the next lap and rather than get my other bike I pump up the tire. Mills tells me I'm now 14th when I come around. he's baffled by the drop. So the goal is now get back where I was. First in the Kross is the threesome of Tim Leonard. Who says " What were you napping?". he pulls hard, I roll past he says " You owe me one." Sure, get on the diesel. He surprises me with an inside move. But I hit it on the field. Next is Brian and Bill. Bill fights and trades punches we move forward. I tuck in thinking it's two to go. We hit the road again. Someone yells it over. What? Bill thought one to go? Me two to go? Bad move. But showed I could come back. Overall eighth. I was OK with that that. Glenn won.

Jeremy's Krew had beer,brats,bagels,apples and coffee for all. Bench raced and saw some faces from the past. Dan Timmerman and Scott Hannon. Two Ithaca regulars. Jeffina was there too. First time I've seen them all season. It was fun making Katina laugh. She won and gave us her gift certificate for Bandwagon Brewing. We headed there after the race. They weren't open till five. But gave us a beer for coming in. Nice.
Over to Viva Taqueria for Mex.Good food with good people. I wonder if Jake will remember what his Dad said ten years from now?

So it's the big Omme weekend this weekend. The plan is working. Drive up to Omme,heckle, drink some beer.
Enjoy life,Drink good beer,eat good food and ride Kross. OGQ

  It's time to return the Kingdom. One of the originals has started a race called the Kirkland Kross. Margaret has been to all my races. Now she is returning the favor and running her own. The Kingdom grows.

  Lets look at this picture. When I race my SS 29'er or any MTB. I find a tire that works for me and stick with it. Maybe I'll change if it's really muddy. But I'm pretty much a one tire guy. Until Kross that is.
I used to run Tioga Greyhounds. One of the best. Then they quit making them. I snatched up what Nash bar has left and made a good run of them.
So from left to right we have a tubular TUFO, overrated and not all that versatile. Then a Geax MUD, OK on the rear, scary on the front even if it's directional. Next a Michelin Mud. This is my go to tire. Maybe a bit of overkill at times. But it flat out works all the time. Predictable. Next a Ritchey Speedmax. Very narrow, can be worth one gear up, oddly works well in mud too,on the rear. Then we have a big fat Challenge Fango. These puppies are still up in the air. If run at low pressures they slip in off cambers and are squirmy. Maybe the Euros like them that way. Not me. Next we have a new contestant the Duro Ellie Mae. So far so fast. Pretty compliant,unproven in the wet. These tires descriptions sound like Craigslist adds.
Fat 35mm seeks other for an hour of fun. New and unblemished. Are you the one?
  To go along with this. Here is where I'm going to being planting my ass for Kross. Will I have the dreaded Waffle ass? not so far. But it works great needed a few mods. But modification is the key to customization.

  How'd we get here? Well I'll be fussing over my tire choices Sunday. It's always wet with morning dew there. Making the grass slippery on the off cambers. The usual choice is the Michelins. I want to see how Ellie Mae would perform in those conditions.
  So in an effort to shed a few pounds. Drinking has ceased,even though I have a case and a half of just purchased of Flying Dog Raging' Bitch along with lots of Omme and other IPA's. This was a summer of beer. Good beers,no regrets.
  The food edits will also slow way down. The "Road goes on forever and the party never ends" ended at Labor day.

Here I have two nice things to share. First is  what I think is one of the best pics I've taken in along time.

Next we have a motorcycle I'd love to own. The KTM Supermoto 990. They made a deal. But not good enough to lure me off the Strom.

I think once the team sees this jacket they'll want one.

Enjoy life. Love the one you're with. Ride Kross. OGQ