We finally arrive in Arizona. They say that Scottsdale is the home of the rich and retired, but somebody forgot to tell the prostitutes and street people that were living in front of our little desert palace. This place was a little spooky. Our fearless team leader showed up at the airport on Friday a little more rested and a lot smarter to have skipped the drive.

Race day has arrived and beautiful sunny Arizona is now a wet and chilling mud hill. Not being around the wet clay much, we were a little out of our element to say the least. It's not a good thing to mix slick red clay with cactus. [Editors Note: At least you can't tell if a rider is mortally bleeding after a fall. Just put them back on their bike and tell them to ride!] The race officials had no clue. We were told the Sport Class was racing 21 miles, but later that was changed to 15, THANK GOD! The course was flat with a few slick downhills and couple short climbs. But tight single track is no place for three hundred riders and a bunch of cactus. We survived with a not so impressive but respective finish. So we licked our wounds all the way to Vegas where we stopped for a couple of hours to make a donation. Then it was back in the vehicle to complete the final stage of a five-day 3000 mile road trip. The Kennewick Schwinn MTB Team is now booking for next year's race. Does anyone have any frequent flyers miles for sale?

On March 1st we had our first group ride of the season in Kennewick at the State Patrol Mountain Biking Mecca. We had fifteen riders in our group in spite of the threatening black clouds. Thank you to our hosts from the Finley Flyers, they served as our tour guides and kept us from getting lost in the maze trails. The trails were a little muddy but basically were in good shape. We rode some fun winding trails and down "Slime" which went along the bottom of a narrow canyon. We had so much fun we want to go back so, if you missed it you might get a second chance soon. Thank you to our first ride leader, great job Jeremy. Riders were Jeremy Freisz, Jamie Palmer, Phil Champoux, Steve Kienzle, Marian and Bob Johnson, Robby Johnson, Lynda Huck, Bryce Huck, Donna Smith, Katie Smith, Jane Kirk, Karen Orr, Jeri Reid, Doug Sabari, and Marty, who was on her first trail ride. Good job Marty!

I was one of the four riders from the Flyers that were pleased to serve as trail guides for the Greatful Tread Cycling Club contingent from Yakima. Like Karen said, the day didn't start off too promising and I was sorta afraid that nobody would show. Was I ever wrong! We rode around State Patrol for about an hour or so and had a blast doing it. Hopefully we'll be able to hook up with the Greatful Tread this summer for some riding on their home turf. Thankx to Craig Fortner, Dan Tolley and John Snell for helping to guide the GT around.

"You're out there with your pals on the weekend ride and suddenly someone decides to separate themselves from their respective ride and choose air travel instead. Is there a standardized rating system for the ensuing biffs which obviously occur? Are there difficulty ratings for those who choose to implement twists and somersaults during their impending collision with the earth instead of the standard stop and tip or superman over the handlebars? Is injury a plus or minus or is the blood factor an inherent part of the rating system? Damage to your ride must be a few tenths off. Also, has instant replay been implemented for this season?"

Spud - after much careful scrutiny of the official rulebook and attendance at the internationally recognized B³ (Big Bad Biff) Seminar, the only such sanctioned biff judging seminar recognized by the BVD (Biff Velocity Deccelerator) Organization, I'm pleased to say that, "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus".Wait, sorry, wrong flashback. Yes, there is a standardized biff rating system.

Biff Points System Reprinted from the cluttered mind of the GrrRiz with permission

Base Points
Standard "Stop & Tip":  0.25 pts
Standard "Superman":  0.75 pts

Mid-Air Flight (2 types max)
Standard Auger (head-first only):  2 pts Full 360° Rotation (laid-out position and must land flat on back):  4 pts
"Pete Rose":  -2 pts Twist:  2 pts
"Dog Paddle":  -1 pt Good Elevation Above Ground:  1.5 pts

Style Points
Damage to your ride is generally looked upon as being in poor taste. However, skillful use of the bicycle in the mid-air flight can be rewarded by the judges. (Maximum 2 pts)

Tepid in Tampico writes:

"Swami, I've been jonesing for some more speed on my bike but other than a stiff cuppa Joe I can't seem to come up with anything. What would you suggest?"

Yo, Tepid:
From my experience I can recommend two things that will dramatically increase your speed. First, remove the little dust cups that protect your wheel bearings, during competition you can ill afford the extra weight and friction. The second is to saturate your brake pads with a good silicone lubricant. This will make the brakes as smooth as glass. Imagine a brake that won't shudder or shake your bike while trying to negotiate a turn on your favorite white knuckle downhill. That's right, full control and full speed ... I guarantee it.

Sincerely,
Rooster