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Thread started by Dick Neptune at 05.19.07 - 4:22 pm
Is it just me, or are people ignoring the fact that Chet Bearclaw and his amzing team won the 2 races they showed up to? I see few photos and very little mention of what happened. Are we ignoring these amazing events?
That and I think that a large number of people here view the races as somethign fun, a bit of a challenge, but not something to get all worked up about.
Of course the races should be viewed as something fun, but I saw a lot of people with the eye of the tiger. In my experience, when there is any kind of money on the line, people are'nt just having fun anymore. People want money. I saw one guy litterally dive off his bike and throw his backpack to his teammate. Pretty intense.
We had a great time at the race, and everyone we met seemed really cool and friendly. We're just checking to make sure we aren't being discriminated for wearing the stretchy pants and not blending in. We are all bikers.
I'm actually building up a fixie now that I see how fun it looks. I've been inspired!
it's really not about money in this scene. otherwise no one would have shown up and given it their all at the Drag Race.... there was no cash prize for that. this really is about friendly competition. and if you've ever ridden a skateboard, you know that people throw themselves at shit for a whole lot less glory than a hundred bucks. lol..
also you guys have to cut some slack... there is no press corp or magazine staff covering this. all this stuff is amature street level riding... and the media that goes up is basically when someone snaps a photo or cuts something together after work (like I did!) I think you are used to all the sanctioned racing events which have major sponsors and websites run by people for which it is their job to update and not just a "for the hell of it operation" like this site is....
you guys just need to come out on non competition rides and get cozy with everyone that's all. show us that you are in it for the same reasons we are. not just to dominate a bunch of amature riders... not that I would be very excited to see CAT ranked racer types start dominating our messneger/commuter cyclist races every time. what's the joy in that? it would be like the Lakers showing up to play street ball at venice beach and wondering why none of the players were all excited to lose day in and day out. hahah
RB, you edit like a skate video master. Damn. I just played that film, like, 5 times in a row.
"for the money, for the glory" - did I say that?!
About Team Bear Claw - what can we do? I have been thinking about upping my game, but it would take a real interest in competitive riding to train enough to compete on their level. I suppose eventually, our events will be no-pro things?
In surf and skate competitions, they have a pro division to let the pikers like me have a chance at some glory. All I care about is beating Trenway, anyway.
Right on. Team Bearclaw will skip their testosterone shots for a while and focus on making friends. Once we have made friends, we will race them and destroy them!!! (just kidding (sort of))
Team Bearclaw will give this "fun" thing a try. But we will also race anyone and their grandma if we need to.
Impegno e passione al ciclismo!
Once again, Team Bearclaw are building themselves some fixies. I just need some wheels for mine and I'm ready to roll. BE READY!!!
Going along with what roadblock said, the races are just one part of the whole deal. Jack was consistently winning every event for awhile -- alleycats, street races, all that shit -- but I don't think you'll find any threads dedicated to praising those efforts. And Josh's victory in the track bike division was fucking stellar (he blasted some bad ass competition in sneakers, toeclips, and jeans.) When I saw him at wolfpack the next monday I gave him mad props, but yeah, most of the talk on here is more about the community. For the most part, the people volunteering a shit ton of time and resources to making this stuff happen aren't the ones winning any races. So it's all about spreadin out the love.
But FWIW I don't think anyone hates on the bearclaw posse at all.. in fact everyone was asking "who IS that guy?!" when Chet beat Jack. I thought you guys brought a lot of positive energy to the races.
team bearclaw kicked my ass on my ass on my way to work!i was on my way to work and i decided to stay on this guys wheel for a while .me and black betty were just having fun , but once he got a a glimpse of my ride i think he got insulted.he shifted gears and took off.i laughed and giggled.3 days later hes lined up next to me at the relay race.we make awkward eye contact and look away.i was 3rd leg he was 4th.never saw him again.mass respect though.that was a lactic acid beat down they handed out.the gap has been narrowed between the socials and the roadies.one bike one love!
As team bearclaws style/image manager, I do not blame you for not running any photos of Team Bearclaw.
Aside from Doyle Diamond, who is sponsored by Subaru/Gary Fisher, I saw none of the riders wearing their team kits. Major style point deductions.
But, on a more serious note (not that anything I have ever said wasn't serious) Team Bearclaw has been very inspired after attending two of these rides (Midnight Drag Race II and Cash Race III) and all of the members are now building fixies. Although I have been unavailable to oversee the build process and ensure that all of the bikes are stylish and sexy, I am giving the team members the benefit of the doubt.
Lets all hope that Team Bearclaw is able to adapt to the lack of a casette and the lack of brakes and that none of the members die on their new bikes.
Enzo Gucci has ridden the Velodrome many times, but he is unsure that his style will carry over to the streets.
Sorry for three replies in a row (just kidding, Enzo doesn't really usualy apologize) but Team Bearclaw isn't showing up to these races to dominate amateur riders.
Truth is (part of the reason) Team Bearclaw started showing up was to make Jack step up his game a bit. There was a murmur going around in the cycling world that he was dominating all of the races. We're hoping that Jack is going to assemble a team of Monsters and create some epic races that will dominate any races that have happened before (and by anything, I mean The Tour, El Giro & La Vuelta)
Thats right. Our real goal is to overshadow the Tour De France.
I recall the Black Betty incident. That was glorious. You followed me up Verdugo to Montrose. I recall going fast enough that no one riding a beach cruiser should still be behind me 10 minutes later. I didn't even know you were still back there until we were a few blocks from Honolulu. I turned my head and the following thought came to mind... "holy pigeon licking ass plungers, that crazy son of a bitch is still behind me". Respecting the sweet effort you must have put in the "bearclaw" in me made the decision to go faster to see if you were the next beach cruiser racing pheeenom. Allthough you fell back a bit....you still may be the fastest black betty around. High five.
By the way. As much as I don't mind thy "roadie" tag. I got into cycling as a mountain biker and my glorious expertise is cyclocross. I do race road bikes, but cyclocross is where the bitches are. I'm in it for the bitches.
Anywho.
I hope to make it out to some of thy group rides soon.
Just read this entire thread.
wow. There's like a whole back-story going behind these recent races.
It appears a strange meeting of worlds:
* Team Bearclaw look like professionally sponsored cyclist; which I was just hearing as "Bearclaw" and actually thought it was a dude's name.
* WolfpackHustle, Cubpack, etc., are fast street shredderz.
* Messengers
* And then the commuter/enthusiast/activist/art/punk/drinker/hipster/etc. (I think I fall in here somewhere).
I'm generalizing of course.
At any rate, I think one thing can be said about Ridazz, Wolves, etc., - it's mostly a street-roots movement. If Pro riders or even quasi-pro riders brought in their world - it'd probably just be might met with confusion and disinterest.
That said, Team BC seem to come w/ good intentions. Hopefully it all doesn't develop into another element of tension which I already feel periodically from some messengers (whole other topic).
Bearclaw,
Here is some insight on why it might seem that y'all are being ignored. Just before y'all came into the scene there was another CAT 2 racer that allegedly won the first cash race. Jack won the race but this CAT 2 racer filed a protest. The exchange between the two in this forum and other forums just got ridiculous. There was a lot of chest pounding that sorta rub people the wrong way, after all we are a community of cyclists not necssarily racers.
Then you guys came along, while we welcome the challenge and the crossover, the chest pounding is reminiscent of the CAT 2 racer. I guess the timing was not good. Any other time your rhetoric will be taken as humor the way you meant it. I hope this helps.
One big difference between you and the other CAT 2 racer is that you really won the races.
Bearclaw is the team founders last name. His full name is Chet Bearclaw.
His middle name varies, but right now, it's "F*ckin'"
Chet F*ckin' Bearclaw.
We have no bad intentions, and we love all cyclists (female ones, too). We love women in general.
One team member, Dick Neptune, loves Asian women almost more than he loves bikes. But that is a different story.
We also have no bad intentions, at all. We are just happy to find people who love riding their bikes, and we think the movement you've created is positive in every aspect. It's good to see a trend where people are gravitating to cycling... rather than something like driving*
No bad vibes on our end. We respect anyone who loves riding their bike. Especialy you bike messengers. You guys are crazy SOBs.
We will try to make it on a Monday soon enough. We hear it's good times. Maybe someday you'll do a route that comes through Pasadena. You're all welcome to make a pit stop at my place.
Ciao,
Enzo Gucci
*Driving a Ferrari or any Italian sports car is an exception to this rule due to it's extreme style.
Welcome to the crazy world of Midnight Ridazz!
If you havent already, please join us on one of the many fun rides that get promoted here.
Most especially, the mothly Bicycle Freak Summit that is the Midnight Ridazz (2nd Friday). This is the 1 night of the month that Hipsters, Messengers, Roadies, Crusiers, BMXers all put down their keyboad pen-swords and pick up their Tacates and ride in chaotic harmony.
Show your faces around enough your metoric rise to internet bicycle sub-culture fame will be inevitable.
I was jealous of his incredibly ability of attracting every female there(not that Enzo Gucci has any problems with attracting women, it just seemed like it took less effort for Toby)
Chet and I were forged by the fiery hands of Mountain Biking and Cyclocross...
Dick Neptune has been known go on rides for several months at a time, not stopping for food, water or sleep... sometimes he will take the time to pleasure a sexy woman if she is really begging for it and he is already off his bike changing tires or something.
He is our Ultra-Super-Fantastic-Endurance Champion... at everything. Everything.
You may see him on one of his recovery rides, many of them have names, such as: Furnace Creek 508 and RAAM
Chengemelion is a mystery to everyone, even his teamates. I'm not even sure if that's how to spell his name.
Enzo Gucci was born Italian (no further explaination required).
Right now we onle have Team Bearclaw dog poo available for purchase. We hope this can tide our millions of fans over until our hand-crafted t-shirts arrive from Italy.
OOH! I want to have a bearclaw cycling short. You guys are famous. You guys are faster than other catamagorized riders for sure. I am a devotee of the wheelless bike. I would like the Bear Claw Clan to consider our ways. Please drop by my mall cart at the Beverly Center to pick up information. And, many blessings upon you.
I just gotta say - props to LA for handling this thread with style and grace. It coulda gone a few ways and I'm happy to see it going the way of inclusion, with the respect that we all deserve.
I suggest all "men" try shaving their legs. The ladies love the sexy smoothness when you are making sweet love down by the fire. And, the spandex leaves little to the imagination - it's like a preview of what the ladies might get to experience up close and personal if they play their cards right.
If you are a man homosexual, just replace the word "ladies" with "big studs" in the above paragraph. If you are a lady homosexual, you do not need to make any changes.
Dick Neptune is waiting for his new rims and hubs to come. He shall then enter the world of fixie'ness.
It is now time for me to watch season two (the best season) of Walker Texas Ranger while doing 500 one-armed push-ups.
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Ridazz Roulette!
are these the guys you are talking about? I have a few photos of them, will post when I post the relay race. hopefully soon.
There is a sneak peak of some of the frames that may or may not being built into fixies.
Another one. Note Italian Wine Bar in background (in case some of you thought Enzo Gucci was some sort of fraud)
Bearclaws? I prefer apple fritters, myself.
bearclaw? denied!