Mountain Bike Life Racing

New Title Sequence

2012-01-14T15:29:00.001-05:00

With the start of our 9th season together as MTB-Life comes a new little title sequence I put together. We're excited for the weather to warm up in the midwest and the racing season to begin. Until then, enjoy.

For more information about the team, visit www.mtb-life.com

Photos by: Don Hudson

Music from: Velobeats.com

Christmas time

2012-01-14T15:23:00.004-05:00

Hope everyone had a happy holiday and is enjoying the winter months. We've had unseasonably warm weather this year that has actually been good for some riding. It still isn't the summer though.

Nathan got a new GoPro HeroHD 2 for Christmas and put this together for fun. Enjoy.

A Couple More Races

2011-09-12T18:11:00.000-04:00

The team has been out and about a lot over this past summer. In the last few weeks we have done two races and a large group ride with more to come in September.

Back in August Nate, Andy, Eddie, and Rob hit the Maybury Time Trial. This was a great event. Well run, and the course was really in great shape. Andy hit two different classes, showing what a versatile beast he is on a bike, while the rest of the team competed in just one class each. The results are as follows:

Andy - 10 Elite
Nate - 9 SS Open
Andy - 11 SS Open
Rob - 10 Beg Clydesdale
Eddie - 16 Expert

The team followed that up with a big group ride down in Mohican, Ohio for the "close of summer" Labor Day Weekend. A lot of riding was done and a lot of fun was had. Nate, Andy, Eddie, and Zandra had a blast hitting nearly every section of singletrack there. Rob, on the other hand, hit some local trails and decided to sample some soil. No problem, though. Enough steri-strips, and band-aids, and he will be back on a bike soon.

This past weekend Nate, Andy, Eddie, and Zandra also got together to hit the Addison Oaks Fall Classic. They all had a great time and rode well. The results are as follows:

Andy - 7th
Zandra - 2nd
Nate - 12th
Eddie - 18th

Thanks again to all of our sponsors. We appreciate all of your support.

6-12 Hours of Ithaca

2011-08-06T12:09:00.000-04:00

Almost the entire team came out to endure the hot sun and have fun racing together this year for the 6-12 Hours of Ithaca. A total of six of our eight riders raced, with one handling pictures and pit crew duties. With that setup, we decided to race three 2-person teams. Nate and Eddie raced in elite, while Andy and Zandra teamed up to race coed in the sport category. Jordan, freshly out of a cast on his wrist teamed up with his dad, Rob to race as father/son in the sport category as well. Nathan and Don helped in the pits and got some amazing shots.

In the end, the team had a blast and we all placed pretty well.
Nate/Eddie 3rd
Andy/Zandra 2nd
Rob/Jordan 6th

Thanks to Soul Cycles, Honest Johns, and all of our sponsors for the support.

Andy Brown - Mohican/Lumberjack Update

2011-07-22T22:15:00.000-04:00

The Official Andy B update:

The first race of the season! Mohican 100K, 62 miles of great riding in the middle east of Ohio. This was my second time at this race, last year it was a 100K of muddy hell, this year the weather was looking better, much, much, better, 84 and dry. My goal was to crack the top 20... At the start of the race I made the selection and was sitting in the top 50 overall going into the single track, and for what it's worth, this race is worth going to just for the single track... Anyway, I was feeling good and stayed with the lead group for a little over an hour, then something started to go wrong. It started small at first, my rear wheel wouldn't engage as soon as it normally would. I push on, it got worse. I pulled off at the second aid station to try to get some lube inside of the free hub body, I jump back on my bike and away I go.. the harder I push the worse my rear wheel gets. As I enter the single track before aid station 3, my rear wheel is toast, I limp my way through the single track, walking most of it and coast down the last hill and roll in the aid station. I'm done, I check out of the race, 16 miles shy of the finish. My first DNF ever at a mountain bike race, not the best way to start the 2011 season. Oh, and thanks to Michelle Simonster for the lift back to town!

Lumber Jack 100

The Big One, the one that sold out in under 15 minutes. Me, I was in a meeting when it went on sale. I missed it. 350 people gobbled them up like they were going out of style.... I had all but written The Lumbar Jack off for 2011, until two weeks before. I secured a second hand entry. Had I trained for the race? Nope. No worries, it's only 100 miles of prime buff Michigan single track and about 9000 feet of elevation gain. Well the alarm goes off at 5:30am, the race starts at 7:00am, I woof down some food and roll to start. 7am sharp and neutral roll out is headed to the single track in a hurry, 27mph as we round the last right hander before the woods. I am waaaaaaay back, I missed the selection, heck I didn't even try to get in to the selection... my only real goal was for a sub 8:30 finish. I rocked out the first lap in 2:45, I was feeling good, I was in a good group of riders, we were all working to together. I was in the middle of the group when some trail furniture decided to take up residence in my rear hang down, out of the group I go. About 40 min later I pulled off the trail for a second time to remove some more trail furniture, this time from my cassette. I roll in around 3 hours, I sit down for a minute at the end of my 2nd lap and get my game plan together for the third lap. All I knew is I had to put in a serious effort to make the 8:30 mark. Mile 80 miles. Heat Stroke! It took everything I had left to make the aid station... it was bad. I sat there for a good bit and got my crap together, and set out to finish the race in under 10 hours. I was in really, really bad shape when I crossed the finish line a little over 9 and a half hours after I set out that morning. Special thanks to my Mom, Sue and my Sister, Heather for manning the pits all day.

Racing Season Begins for Justin Andre..

2011-06-06T15:42:00.004-04:00

Member Justin Andre raced the Fun Promotions Hanson Hills Challenge Mt. Bike Race on June 4^th. Andre participated in the 22 mile race and placed 10^th in his respected Division.

Here's what Justin had to say about the race:

"I felt great on Lap 1, held solid position and found myself in 3rd place starting lap 2, however the 80+ degree weather and lack of hours on the bike came into play, mainly on the tougher uphill climbs..."

"Although I ended the race in 10th, I am pleased to be back in the Soul Cycle Jersey and back on the trail..."

"Life has been pretty crazy lately with work, family and training for 120 Mile Canoe Race, juggling time has its challenges.. but now the dust is off the bike and this race will be used as my "KICKSTART" to the 2011 season.."

Welcome Zandra Hudson!

2011-04-14T07:45:00.002-04:00

The Soul Cycles MTB-Life Racing team is proud to welcome Zandra Hudson to the crew! Zandra is an accomplished adventure racer, runner, and endurance racer. In her first season racing solo endurance she dominated the competition.

In addition to her skills and tenacity on the course Zandra brings a very positive vibe. Whether she is one or 100 miles into her day Zandra will be smiling.

Zandra will be putting together a mixed season of adventure, running, endurance, and cross country racing. She has set no limits for herself, and we are looking forward to her accomplishments!

A new team banner

2011-04-06T11:35:00.002-04:00

Worked on some updates to the team banner that you will see on the tent this year. More tie-in with the team kit colors and new sponsors added.

Let us know what you think!

New Sponsors Added

2011-04-04T09:03:00.006-04:00

This year, people have really stepped up in support of the team for the 2011 season.

New sponsors are:
The Fitness Chick (aka, Julia@Ypsi Studio)

Honest John's Bar in Detroit

We also have returning support from Soul Cycles, Synergy Broadband, Outdoor Action Company, and WTB.

New G4 Dillinger

2010-12-22T11:58:00.002-05:00

From the Soul Cycles website:
The new Dillinger G4 is now in stock. The frames are available in the old finishes (pearl white, pearl root beer brown, and brushed with clear) as well as a new pearl blue. The frames are identical to the G3 with the exception of new set CNC machined set screw housing. Unfortunately we have early requests for approximately 80 more frames than we have on hand. If you are on the early frame notification list we will be emailing you in the upcoming week and you will have first priority. We also have a new batch already going into production.

Season Wrapup Race: Peak 2 Peak

2010-10-24T20:53:00.003-04:00

MTB-Life/Soul Cycles team riders Andy Brown and Nate Bush competed in the 2010 Peak 2 Peak race at Crystal Mountain Resort in northern Michigan on October 16th. It was a beautiful day and a great race. Andy finished 10th and Nate finished 21st in the competitive Expert 30-39 field. Results

This marks the final race for the team's 2010 MTB season. Planning is already underway for next year.

The team would like to thank Chad at Soul Cycles for providing great bikes and equipment year after year. Also, WTB, the Outdoor Action Company, and Synergy Broadband all make it happen for the team. Thank you!

Hit and Run info- Jason Lummis

2010-08-26T18:17:00.002-04:00

Jason, Pictured above (Center) was hit at around 9pm (8/25)

A hit-and-run driver injured mountain biker Jason Lumis near Dexter Wed night. Police are looking for a white F-250/350/Excursion w/ a broken pass side mirror. Anyone with information about the crash or the driver of the vehicle that stuck Lummis should call the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Department tip line at 734-973-7711
If you live in the area please keep your eyes open.

Latest Results

2010-08-23T21:31:00.006-04:00

It's been a busy couple of weeks for the MTB-Life/Soul Cycle racing team with some results that have not found their way on to the page.

July 24th - Team Treefarm Relay - 2nd place Advanced men (Nate, Eddie, Tom Payne, Nick Rizzo). Another good showing for the team. We always seem to have a great time and place pretty well at this race. This year was no exception with the help from a couple of friends as subs for an injured Andy and the others who couldn't make it. Results

August 7th - Sweat Shaker XC - Nate placed 2nd in the Expert 31-45 class. A nice redemption after his DNF on this course in the spring. Results Photos:

Sweat Shaker 2010 Photo Slideshow from Internet Technologies Group on Vimeo.

August 21st and 22nd - Maybury and Fort Custer TT. Andy had a time trial weekend with two races. He finished in 6th place racing the single speed at Maybury and made it on the podium at Fort Custer in 3rd. All of this after a 7 week recovery from stitches in his knee from an earlier injury.

More racing results from the fall coming soon.

Ithaca Video

2010-07-22T16:41:00.004-04:00

Here is a short video from the action at the 6hrs of Ithaca. Be sure to watch it full screen to enjoy the HD.

VIDEO LINK

6 Hours of Ithaca

2010-07-19T10:12:00.005-04:00

For Immediate Release:

The Soul Cycles/MTB-Life racing team was well represented as the entire team came out to Ithaca Michigan for the 6&12 Hours of Ithaca presented by Fun Promotions.

It was a hot day with bright sun and temps in the upper 80‘s the entire day. Everyone competed in the 6 hour edition in various classes.

Nate and Eddie partnered up in the 2 person Advanced category. They finished 2nd overall with 16 laps through the 5.5 mile course.

Competing solo, Justin completed 12 laps coming in 5th and Rob completed 9 laps finishing 8th in the mens Solo 30-39 class.

Rob’s kids, Nathan and Jordan competed in the 2 person Open Sport team category and finished a respectable 3rd with consistent laps.

It was another great race. Thanks to our sponsors who help to make it happen. Soul Cycles, WTB, Synergy Broadband and Outdoor Action Company.

Official Race photos by Jack Kunnen.

Next race is July 24th. The Novi Treefarm Relay.

Ithaca here we come

2010-07-16T22:47:00.001-04:00

Packed up and ready to head up to Ithaca tomorrow.

Nate/Eddie are racing 6 hr 2 person.
Justin and Rob are running 6 hr solo efforts.
Rob's kids are also running 6 hr 2 person.

Update, Andy cut his knee doing housework and received stitches to close it up this afternoon. He will be off the bike for the next 10 days or so. Novi may be off. We will let you know in later updates.

Lumberjack 100 Video

2010-07-12T13:13:00.003-04:00

A quick video and a couple stills from the Lumberjack 100 race.

Music:
Move Along
All American Rejects

Video:
N. Bush

http://vimeo.com/13273558

Racing in July

2010-07-09T17:17:00.004-04:00

No I'm not talking about the Tour de France, I'm talking about our July racing efforts.

The MTB-Life team will be representing in multiple categories of the 6/12 hours of Ithaca in Ithaca, MI on The 17th and has committed to the Novi Treefarm relay the following weekend.

Come on out and cheer on the team!

Andy takes 75th @ Lumberjack 100 miler

2010-07-09T17:10:00.003-04:00

With over 200 in the men's open class, the weather held off for a beautiful day around the three laps of the 33 mile course.

With the fabulous support of his teammate Nate Bush and his family, Andy picked off over 10 people in a strong 3rd lap to finish 75th in the Lumberjack 100.

Results here: http://www.raceservices.com/10/lj100/061910_all.txt

Andy takes 23rd @Mohican 100k

2010-07-09T16:46:00.002-04:00

Andy Brown traveled to Loudenville, Ohio to compete in the Mohican 100K. The race provided challenging conditions with over 3 inches of rain falling the night before and almost 2 inches falling during the race.

Andy fought through the mud and grime to finish in an impressive 23rd out of over 200 in the class.

http://cyclingteamorrville.shutterfly.com/3752

Here are the GPS tracks from Andy GPS unit,

2010-05-24T19:06:00.003-04:00

XC - 4 laps at 8 miles each

STXC 7 laps, 4.8 miles total
TT 1 Lap, 6.5 miles

Brighton Stage Race Day 2

2010-05-19T21:27:00.007-04:00

Official results from the XC race on Sunday:

Andy = 7th Expert
Nate = 12th Expert

Overall results from Tailwind:

Andy = 7th Expert
Nate = 12th Expert

Some great photos from Ten Mile Media. Check them out!

Brighton Stage Race Day 1

2010-05-15T20:28:00.002-04:00

Saturday, May 15th

Time Trial Results:
Andy - 2nd Expert
Nate - 14th Expert

Torn Shirt trail is a tough course to race on. Andy was flying.

Short Track Results:
Andy - 2nd Expert (when they sort out the timing)
Nate - 11th Expert

A fun grass course with a couple climbs thrown in for good measure. 25 minutes at full gas.
Tomorrow is a 4 lap (28 mile) XC race at 10am. Come on out and support the team. (We need someone to hand off bottles!)

2010 Dillinger Build

2010-03-29T21:06:00.007-04:00

After months of planning, ordering, shipping, and visioning . . . it's nice to see this year's bike come together.

Soul Cycles Dillinger
29" = 23 lbs

WTB Tires and Saddles

3T Cockpit

New EBB design for 2010

Time to get out and RIDE!

New DH frame from Soul Cycles

2010-02-20T13:41:00.003-05:00

The fourth generation of the Soul Cycle DH frame has been drafted and is getting ready to go to prototyping. You can expect to see the prototypes out for testing some time in early summer.

With any luck, Eddie will eventually be ripping on one of these!

A cool video

2010-02-11T12:51:00.004-05:00

As many of you know, MTB-Life member Nate Bush is a high school video and photography teacher in his "first-life". One of his students put together this video for their school news show called SHS TODAY. Enjoy!

MMBA Expo visit

2010-02-01T20:50:00.004-05:00

Last Sunday my neighbor and I made the hour drive up to Lansing to attend the Michigan Mountain Bike Association annual expo. There were plenty of vendors and familiar faces from the Michigan biking scene (including Frankie Andreau). It was nice to attend a bike event in the dead of winter, when you think you will never be allowed to go back on a bike outside without freezing to death. It reminds you that the other half of the Michigan year is typically NICE!

"the Expo floor"

Dave Wiens was the "Keynote" speaker. He had some interesting stories to tell from his twenty-some years as one of the top US mountain bike pros. And a funny photo of Lance Armstrong after some tequila shots at the Mellow Johnny classic last summer.

Wishing you a . . .

2009-12-20T15:29:00.001-05:00

New "eccentrics" from Soul

2009-11-16T21:11:00.003-05:00

From the Soul Cycles Blog:

To go along with the new generation of Hooligan and Dillinger frames we created some new custom eccentric bottom brackets. These will be stock on the frame, but will also be available separately and will fit any 54.5 inner diameter shell.

http://blog.ridesoul.com/

From the Soul Cycle Blog:

2009-11-09T21:14:00.003-05:00

NEW HOOLIGAN/DILLINGER/HERO FRAMES WILL BE AVAILABLE IN NOVEMBER

A fresh batch Hooligan (generation 4), Dillinger (generation 3), and Hero (generation 1) frames will be available later this month. If you would like to be notified when they hit the warehouse fire an email to web@ridesoul.com . Typically the frames are available for a few weeks before they formally hit the site. As always we will offer discounts through the newsletter for the first 30 days to get some product out there.

The season comes to an end

2009-10-11T08:47:00.001-04:00

2009 Michigan Endurance Cup Series elite team CHAMPIONS!

3rd consecutive.

Rob's photos from the Addison race.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rcelliott/sets/72157622562679610/

Off to the races

2009-10-10T08:02:00.000-04:00

The last race of the 2009 season is today at Addison oaks in Leonard MI. Andy, Eddie, Rob and Nate will be trying to finish off the points series to take their third consecutive Michigan Endurance Cup championship.

2nd at 24 Hours of Hanson Hills

2009-09-15T22:54:00.006-04:00

September 12th, the team competed at the 24 hours of Hanson Hills in Grayling Michigan. They finished 2nd in the Elite category after a LONG day of racing.

The team got behind the 8-ball early in the race, but with some clever teamwork tactics, were able to put down some decent laps through the night to finish with a very respectable finish against some fast competition.

Thanks to all our sponsors: Soul Cycles, WTB, Race Face, Cane Creek, Trails Edge, and Synergy Broadband for the support and EXCELLENT products. Our bikes were once again flawless. A nice thing to have at 3am in the middle of the woods!

Bush - 8th at Maybury TT

2009-08-23T21:03:00.005-04:00

Last minute decision to race this weekend (Saturday) and the previously planned 5k with my wife today (Sunday), I'm tired.

Rider - Nate Bush
Race - Maybury Time Trial
Location - Northville, MI
Date - August 22, 2009
Class - Expert 30-39
Place - 8th

Link to results .pdf here.

I also took my neighbor (Matt) out for his first race. He raced Beginner 15-18 and took 3rd place out of 5 in his class. He had a great time and wants to do it again! Nice job.

Soul Blog

2009-08-07T11:48:00.001-04:00

Chad has a new blog going over at Soul Cycles.

http://blog.ridesoul.com/

Lots of updates on the new stuff coming out.

We are looking forward to the next generation of products.

12 Hours of Stoney

2009-07-31T15:27:00.008-04:00

Brent at Fun Promotions tried something new this year. A 12 hour "daytime" race at Stoney Creek from 8am to 8pm. No lights required.

Justin, Andy, Eddie and Nate raced the 4 person Elite. We won our class and came in 4th overall.

Rob raced solo (6 hrs) but hurt his knee in the second lap.

Nathan and Jordan did another 2 person 6 hour.

Results here.

Photos from the event can be found here . . .

Novi Tree Farm Relay - 1st Place

2009-07-26T22:26:00.007-04:00

Eddie, Nate and Andy were joined by guest racer Ben Bradford to win the 2009 Novi Tree Farm Relay.

Andy had a flat on the first lap which put us a couple minutes behind, but left his lungs out on the second lap to catch back up and pass every advanced rider in the field except one. Ben put in one of the fastest laps of the day and the rest as they say . . . is history.

It was a great day of racing even though Nate crashed hard on his first lap and got poured on in his second :) Oh well, that's racing!

Photos can be found HERE

2nd Place at Ithaca 12 hrs.

2009-07-22T22:14:00.008-04:00

It was a pretty good showing for the team at the 12 Hours of Ithaca. We took 2nd in the Elite category.

Rob put in a bunch of laps and it was good to have him out helping the team.

Eddie did the entire race with a broken wrist! Ouch :(

Andy was his usual fast self, and I rode pretty consistently all day.

Rob's kids (Nathan and Jordan [team captain]) raced in the 2 person 6 hr. class. They took 3rd place in the "advanced" division and also had a great rides. They have been flying the Soul Cycles/MTB-Life banner all year for us and doing a great job.

Next race is the Tree Farm Relay. See this post for details.

Photos of the race can be found here (thanks Rob).

You are invited . . .

2009-07-22T22:01:00.004-04:00

to this weekend's race in NOVI. The Team Tree Farm Relay.

We will be racing in the Advanced Men's category so each of us will complete 2 laps (20 miles). The race starts at 9 am and should go until around 3 pm.

This is probably one of the most local (SE Michigan) races we do in the season so it would be great to have all of our "fans" come out and support us.

The race is at Lake Shore Park in Novi Michigan. The park has a lot to offer (other than a cool bike race going on). There are play grounds, a beach, and really nice picnic areas. It is a very nice park.

More details can be found here: Team Treefarm Relay Information Site

A map to the park can be seen here:

View Larger Map

Eddie Takes 3rd

2009-07-12T21:35:00.008-04:00

at the Boyne Fun Promotions "Grass Dual Slalom" race Sunday, July 12th, at Boyne Mountain resort in Boyne Michigan.

After an unfortunate trip over the bars in the semi-finals, Eddie ended up battling it out and easily taking 3rd place.

Eddie was the fastest man on the course all day and was riding the SOUL CYCLES Roscoe sporting WTB Rajin tires.

On Saturday, July 11th, Eddie finished 8th in the Downhill event on the always solid Matador.

Next race is July 18th. Ithaca 6/12 hour. Andy, Nate and Eddie will be doing solo efforts on the day. Stay tuned for results and photos as Cooper gets daddy's bike ready.

Some Team Bike Porn

2009-07-02T20:26:00.007-04:00

To pass the time . . .

Justin's Dillinger 29'er

Nate's Hooligan 26'er

8 Hours of Cannonsburg

2009-06-16T07:40:00.002-04:00

8Hrs of Canonsburg 165a, originally uploaded by rcelliott.

Well, the 2009 Michigan Endurance Racing season has had a bumpy start. First, Addison Oaks, which is the season opener, was rained out. It was rained out not once, but twice! Then came the 12/24 hours of Boyne. We couldn't make that race.

Finally a race came that we could make. It was 6-13-09 at the 8 Hours of Cannonsburg, in Grand Rapids. Nathan, Jordan, and I packed up the car and drove out early in the morning, despite the lack of sleep from the Detroit Redwings debacle the night before. We unpacked with our team members Nate, Andy, and Justin. But, in the clouds, was it... Yes it was. It was raining.

Fortunately the rain didn't last very long and before we knew it we were riding in prime conditions. The course was nice and had some great, flowing singletrack coupled with some long climbs. There was a great fast descent that led into the start/finish area.

We all had a great time. The boys finished third in their class, and we finished second overall in the elite class.

Pictures can be found HERE http://www.flickr.com/photos/rcelliott/sets/72157619751746204/

Hanson Hills XC race

2009-06-12T20:49:00.003-04:00

On Sunday, June 7th, Justin participated in the expert cross country race. Unfortunately, being the trail coordinator(and a good person) caused Justin to assist an injured racer on the first lap with a broken collar bone. The DNF sucks, but it was the right thing to do for a fellow racer in need.

Next race is 8 hours of Cannonsburg in Grand Rapids MI.

DH Race - Milkjug racing promotions

2009-06-11T17:37:00.006-04:00

Well, I dusted off the ol’ Soul Cycles Matador and did a downhill race on it last weekend. All in all it went very well. There were some pretty fast kids out there…yes I said kids (lol). The older I get it seems like the younger and faster the racers get. But no matter, I’ll still bang bars with anyone who chooses to race against me.

It was best out of 2 runs on a short explosive course. The first part had you zigzag through a series of trees, that if you weren’t careful your bars could clip very easily. Once through this section it dumped you out into a hard right onto the fire road. This is where you could open it up but you needed to be very careful because it basically ended into a hard 90 degree left turn into the woods.

From there it was a matter of making sure you had good cornering skills because the course basically had you go through a series of turns. The key here was to dive into a turn and exploding out of it with everything you had and making sure you didn’t blow the turn (which I actually did both times).

About half way in there was a small double that landed you into a couple bermed turns. From there was a double rock drop leading to a very tricky right 180 degree turn down a 3 foot drop then again a 2 ft drop which was off camber. This was definitely the trickiest part of the course. Quite a few racers mis-judged that turned and it bit them in the ass. The key here was to go at it real slow. This is where you truly make up the time. Then from there it was an off camber rocky straight towards the end of the course that had 2 jumps at the end.

I definitely tested the limits of my new WTB tires. My tire choice for this race was a WTB Prowler MX 2.5 for the front and a WTB Prowler SS 2.3 for the rear. What a great combination that was. The tires were very predictable and I knew how far to push them.

So back to the race…my first run was okay. I felt fast but definitely not as fast as I should’ve been. Maybe had to do with lack of sleep, lack of food in my stomach, or maybe the fact that my drive-train wasn’t working at all (which was my fault). My chain guide was not working as it should which resulted in an extreme rubbing, so much so that you couldn’t turn them freely without putting a ton of pressure on them. A hammer and some spacers were in order to get the thing to operate enough to do my race.

My second run was better than the first. I was able to knock off 3 to 4 seconds off my run. Top 5 in the Elite-A category wasn’t too bad I figure. I was only 3 to 4 seconds off of first place. I felt good about that.

So with that, I will definitely be ready for the next race with bells on (and with a working chain guide). I do have a couple pics from it that I will upload soon.

Addison Postponed

2009-05-18T21:40:00.004-04:00

Well, the 2009 season has been weird so far. The 12 hours of Addison Oaks, our first official race of the season, was rained out . . . TWICE!

We woke up Saturday (again), started heading to the trail and got the call that the rains had forced Brent Walk and Fun Promotions to cancel the race. It is in the best interest of the trail as Addison has a tough time when it's muddy. From what I've heard, the makeup race will be held in the fall.

So instead of racing, we went out to Stoney Creek and did a team photo session. Rob and Andy brought out their photo gear and we had a blast getting the bikes together for the first time. Some new trail has been cut at Stoney and we found a great little berm to play on. Andy's fisheye lens only added to the fun.

Here are some pics of the day.

2009 Build-up

2009-05-08T15:06:00.003-04:00

Lots of new parts ready for our first race of the season, Addison Oaks 12 Hour May 9th. Special thanks to Race Face, Cane Creek, WTB, and of course . . . SOUL CYCLES for making this all possible.

Parts reviews and better photos coming soon.

A couple photos:

First Dirt 09

2009-04-11T16:33:00.003-04:00

So, the kids went to Grandma's to die Easter eggs, and Andrea had to wok for the Detroit Partnership. We toyed with the idea of putting in a gravel patio, but It would take longer than a day, so we passed on that. I thought about going on the roof to fix the leak, but my neck and shoulders are really hurting for some reason, so I didn't want to risk it. Andrea always gets crabby when she has something to do and I don't so she made me go biking.

I was a little afraid to go biking today because my neck and shoulders hurt so bad, but you never argue with an Italian. I don't have an xc bike set up right now, but you never argue with an Italian. My favorite riding shorts are in the wash, but you never argue with an Italian. So... A few minutes later, and Big Brown, my Enduro, along with my gear was in the van and I was on my way to Stony Creek to ride the pump track and see if I could get my upper back moving again.

After going through all of the construction I arrived at my destination. It appeared that the skills park held up great over the winter. I unloaded my bike and started rolling. Nothing too hard. Just rolling. One thing I can say is my Enduro is a fun bike to ride.

I must have done about 30 laps on the pump track, and about 25 on the jump line by the time I had left. I lost count at 20 of each, so I might have done more on the jump line. I had a total blast. I got to help some young new riders and teach them how to maneuver through the pump track without pedaling. I also helped them on their jumping.

I considered going over to the trail, but after two or so solid hours of pumping and jumping, my neck was feeling pretty rough so I just called it a day.

Here is what I have to say. All that time on the trainer has been good to me, but nothing beats actually riding. Also, no matter how much time you put on the trainer, you can't get ready for pumping. My upper body burns and my neck and shoulders are totally in pain, but I am glad I listened to my wife. Sometimes it really pays not to argue with an Italian!

Rob

Tent Banner Design

2009-04-07T14:52:00.004-04:00

This year we will be sporting a new look in the pits. We will have access to two Soul Cycles printed "easy up" tents.

One of these banners will be added to the side. Which one do you like?

Number 1?
Or number 2?

Please comment your vote so I can send the winning design off to the printer.

Thanks!

Uvex

2009-03-02T21:48:00.005-05:00

I came home today to find a large box on the doorstep.
Special thanks goes out to Uvex for the new helmets.

Opener Video

2009-02-16T12:48:00.004-05:00

Just playing around with Motion. Created a simple "opener". More videos to come . . . enjoy.

Photo: R. Elliott
Edited: N. Bush

2008 Photo Galleries

2009-02-11T21:28:00.001-05:00

24 Hour Nationals

12 hrs Ithaca

8 hrs Cannonsburg

12 hrs Addison Oaks

The new season is upon us!

2009-01-19T11:04:00.002-05:00

The 2009 season is shaping up nicely for the team. We are in the process of securing new sponsors and establishing our team calendar for the year.

We are excited to once again be riding bikes from SOUL CYCLES. Chad has really stepped up his support this year and we will be showing off the latest Soul frames (Hooligan, Dillinger, and the new Vegas FS) at all of this year's events including new team tents and jerseys. We will be flying the black Soul XC jerseys this year for the "stealth" look.

We will be outfitting the bikes with RACE FACE components. Handlebars, stems and cranks will round out a lightweight build package with the addition of Rock Shox SID forks, X9 drivetrain and SDG saddles.

CANE CREEK has committed to the team with their awesome new headset, the 110. It is their flagship headset with TONS of new technology to keep it smooth and clean in the toughest conditions. We think we'll be putting a pretty good test to them this year in some of the stuff we race in. More reports to come after we put some miles on them.

WTB has again stepped up big in 09 with tires. These tires provide some of the best traction we've ever experienced in all the years of racing we have done. We can't wait to get some of their latest tread designs on the bikes again this year.

UVEX helmets will be keeping us safe as well this year!

Thanks and check back often for more season updates!

Ithaca 12 Hours

2008-07-17T16:14:00.000-04:00

Team MTB-LIFE heads to Ithaca this weekend... 12hrs of pure fun!!

2008-07-07T19:56:00.001-04:00

June Racing Update:

The MTB-Life racing team competed in three different events over the month of June.

Justin Andre finished 6th in the Expert 29 & under class at the Hanson Hills XC race June 1st. He had a great ride competing in the class on his SINGLE SPEED!

Andy Brown competed in an off-road Triathlon relay with his sister Heather and her husband Trevor called the Stony Creek X-Tri. The trio competed in the open division racing against several other teams of all men. The trio finished in the top 10 over all and took 2nd in the open division.

The final race of the month was the 8 hours of Cannonsburg on June 21st. The team of Justin Andre, Andy Brown, Nathan Bush, and Eddie Dimaguila won the 4 person open class putting in another consistent day of riding. The team is currently in 1st place of the Michigan Endurance Cup series.

Photos from Cannonsburg are in the PHOTOS section.

Next racing action is the 12 hours of Ithaca on July 19th