Sea Otter Wrap Up

Wow! What a week. I have had a blast, but I am ready to get back home and get into the swing of things with my family, riding, and new challenges. Lots of product to talk about and experiences to share.

First off, if you want to snag some huge cans of inspiration for your next endurance outing, check into getting the DVD of this. Savor the pain, baby! This flick is a must see for you endurance freaks.

I know a lot of you will be shocked, but I actually rode a 69er while I was at Santa Cruz for the Trek/Fisher product launch. It's a bike that I've slagged here before, but I am always trying to keep the door open for discussion and though it'd be nice to take it for a spin. To be honest, I think Travis Brown, (who was there) wouldn't have had it any other way!

I thought it was great that he wanted me to test ride that rig. I did do a First Impressions on it for Twenty Nine Inches I'll have even more to say about that bike, Travis Brown, and the whole upcoming 69er thing in an upcoming post there.

And that's not all, I even rode a full suspension Hi Fi 26"er carbon rig too! What's this world coming to! I wanted to rest ride more, but between tracking down things, interviewing, and hob-nobbing between the downpours, I didn't get to. Oh well. At least Tim got a lot of quality chamois time!

Socially the trip was a blast. Did I mention the best Mexican food ever is in Watsonville, California at a tiny Mexican place where the food is guaranteed or they take your order back and give you something different?

Did I mention that the Raleigh crew is stellar at the art of conversation? Did I mention that I met and hung out with Shiggy of the famous MTB Review forums? Did I mention that I drank adult beverages with Michael Brown, now of Trek, but the former editor of Dirt Rag? Did I mention that Jeff Kerkove is a routinely recognized person at Sea Otter because of his blog? Did I mention that Mike, Chuck, and Katie at the Salsa tent were chillin' like villians? Did I mention that the Tifosi squadra was so sweet? I could go on, but I won't!


Am I name dropping? Uh Huh! You bet! All these cool people and more were at Sea Otter and super accessible to fans. It's an incredible venue and would make a super fun vacation for anybody that likes mountain bikes, road bikes, or just riding in general.

I am so glad I got to go, but now I wish I was home. Stuck in an airport in northern Kentucky all Sunday afternoon makes one homesick.


And write waaaaay too much!