It’s Been WAY Too Long…
I’ve taken a long hiatus from blogging, due to school, church, and other commitments. Yes, they’re excuses, but I had to prioritize and get all my ducks in a row. I’m going to try to type a little more coming very soon. Thanks for being patient with my typing.
-Josh
p.s. – I’ve got a 4.0 average since I started back to school. So there.
Getting Sis in on the Social Media Thing
I’m showing my sister how to do social media… linking a blog with Twitter/Facebook/Etc.
Just a test post… don’t get too excited.
URGENT – FAMILY IN CRISIS NEEDS YOUR HELP!
My buddy Swift Johnson, lead singer for Hope’s Anchor, lost his sister this weekend to an act of senseless violence. She was murdered by her estranged husband, then he turned the gun on himself, attempting to take his own life. By doing so, he left FOUR kids between the ages of 12 and 17 with no mother and no way to support themselves. The news story can be found HERE.
Lots of folks from my church, Revolution Church (Canton, GA), are putting the word out to help these kids get some of the essentials during this Holiday season. They need clothes, food, and basics for living during this time. They have, literally, nothing to give thanks for this Thanksgiving. Help me change that. The kids need the following:
Dionna/17, med shirt, 9 girls juniors pants, 7/8 women’s under garments, 9 womens shoes
Josiah/14, med shirt, 18 pants, 7 men’s shoes, socks/boxers (small), socks
Trey/12, shirts small mens, pants 16/18, shoes 6 1/2, boxers/socks
Derrick/15, mens x-large shirt, size 36 pants, mens large boxers,socks, size 12 shoe.
I don’t have a lot to give them, personally, but I’m going to make a sacrifice somewhere in order to do so. If you read this, I’d like to ask that you chip in a little bit, as well. If you’d like to make a gift card donation, please send it to:
Revolution Church, 155 P.Rickman Industrial, Canton, GA, 30115
If you’d like to donate via PayPal, you can send it to my PayPal address. I’ll get the donation where it needs to go. The Paypal address is:
If you have any further questions regarding donations or would like to help out more, please let me know by contacting me at probikewrench@gmail.com. Thank you for making a difference to kids who need a little bit of hope right now.
If you’re reading this blog post, please forward it on to anyone you think might be able to help. Thank you for your help.
Taking a Break
It’s pretty obvious that I haven’t been on track with posting/updating PROBIKEWRENCH.COM lately. I’ve had a lot going on, and will continue to over the next few months.
I’m in the process of moving to a new house in the same town. We’re going to be saving a good bit more money by making that move, which will put us in a much better position for future endeavors, cycling and otherwise.
Another big thing in my life that’s kind of crept back into the picture is COLLEGE. I never finished a degree back when I was first enrolled. Some of my focus during the first go-round was taken away by short periods of active duty training with the Marines. It split up my school years and I never really could get back in the right rhythm to complete my degree. Starting in January, I’ll be trying to tackle online courses with Liberty University Online, majoring in Religion, another passion of mine.
I may still continue to be a part of the VeloReviews Podcast… I’ll just have to see how much time I have once the schoolwork comes, and see if I can balance it. My PROBIKEWRENCH branded coffee (which people CONSTANTLY ask about) will probably be on the back burner for a while, too.
Bottom line is, for a while, posting will be sporadic. I’ll post as I see fit, but don’t hold your breath for any new material. I’ve got a lot of other things that now take precedence over blogging and the PROBIKEWRENCH brand (that I’ve been working on for the last 5 years). I’ll still be around… just not nearly as frequently.
Thanks for reading and understanding.
USPRO Time Trial Photo Gallery
USPRO Time Trial Start List
Looks like there’s only 15 starters for the USPRO Time Trial Championships tomorrow. Notable names included in the bunch include Phinney, Leipheimer, Zwizanski, and Mumford. This is Phinney’s first Elite TT Nationals, and he is an AMAZING time trialist, so plan on a podium from him. Supposedly, he was seen recon riding the course yesterday, so he should be well prepared.
Looking at the start sheet, I noticed there were NO BMC RIDERS RACING THE TIME TRIAL. Stand by for a full frontal assault by BMC in support of Greenville local, George Hincapie, at the Road Race on Sunday.
I think I’ve got a ride in a team car figured out for tomorrow, so stay tuned for updates on Twitter at @VeloReviewsTech and @probikewrench.
Order Start Last Name First Name Team
1 11:30 JONES Carter Jelly Belly p/b Kenda
2 11:33 KING Benjamin Trek Livestrong U23
3 11:36 WILLIAMS David Bissell Pro Cycling Team
4 11:39 FREY Nicholas Jamis-Sutter Home
5 11:42 STETINA Peter Garmin-Transitions
6 11:45 MACH Paul Bissell Pro Cycling Team
7 11:48 POWERS Jeremy Jelly Belly p/b Kenda
8 11:51 TIETZEL Scott Mountain Khakis/Jittery Joes
9 11:54 HEGYVARY Adrian UnitedHealthCare p/b Maxxis
10 11:57 BUSCHE Matthew Team RadioShack
11 12:00 MUMFORD Jonathan Kelly Benefit Strategies
12 12:03 VANULDEN Bernard Jelly Belly p/b Kenda
13 12:06 ZWIZANSKI Scott Kelly Benefit Strategies
14 12:09 PHINNEY Taylor Trek Livestrong U23
15 12:12 LEIPHEIMER Levi Team RadioShack
USPRO Kickoff Press Conference
The 2010 Greenville Hospital System USPRO National Championship weekend kicked off today with a press conference, featuring past champions, ProTour riders, and Elite level up-and-comers, all with an eye on the Stars and Stripes jersey after the racing concludes.
Representatives from the City of Greenville, The Greenville Hospital System and Medalist Sports began the conference with a series of comments that reinforced how great the partnership with the USA Cycling Professional Cycling Championships is, and how well the City’s emphasis on health and wellness aligns perfectly with the atmosphere and environment that the race weekend has encompassed for the past four years.
The profile athlete introductions and question and answer period started with Oz Sanchez, current World Handcycling Road Race and Time Trial Champion. Speaking on behalf of the US Handcycling Association, Sanchez expressed the excitement of combining the USPRO National Cycling Events with the National Handcycling Criterium Championships, saying that the collaboration takes handcycling to a whole new level.
Road cyclists that attended the press conference included Scott Stewart (Team Type 1), Ted King (Cervelo Test Team), 2010 Tour of Utah and 2010 Leadville Trail 100 Champion Levi Leipheimer (RadioShack), 3-Time USPRO Champion and Greenville resident George Hincapie (BMC), and one of the brightest up-and-comers on the professional racing scene, Taylor Phinney (Trek Livestrong U23), racing in his first Elite Road National Championship events.
The USPRO Time Trial Championships, being held Saturday at Clemson University’s ICAR (International Center for Automotive Research) Facility, is usually very lightly contested due to the road race’s precedence the following day. It is also affected this year by the participation of some high-profile US ProTour riders in the Vuelta A Espana (Tour of Spain), finishing this weekend. Reigning USPRO Champion, Dave Zabriskie (Garmin-Transitions) will not be defending his three consecutive titles because of his inclusion in the Vuelta.
Two of the riders being favored for the victory at the Time Trial were Phinney and Leipheimer. The two joked about the “young dude vs. the old guy” comparison and Leipheimer was ribbed about not wearing a proper skinsuit in the Tour of Utah Time Trial (which Phinney won), but both were very humble, and being the consummate professionals that they are, stated that “anyone could win.”
Of the riders attending the press conference, Hincapie was, without question, the rider that any smart cycling fan would put their money on for the race on Sunday. “Big George” said that the Paris Mountain climb was “his climb,” and that he rides it daily while training on the roads of Greenville County.
This year, unlike years past, Hincapie has a big team to support his quest for a fourth USPRO title. The most team help that Hincapie has had in the past has been one or two team riders and maybe a ProTour alliance with some other lone riders. Having won the race in Greenville on two previous occasions with the cards stacked against him, it’s safe to say that the odds are in George’s favor, and the sparks will definitely fly this weekend in Greenville.
Here’s the link to the recorded footage of the LIVE broadcast from the USPRO Kickoff Press Conference this afternoon:
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/9635207
*Cross-posted at http://www.veloreviews.com
Clemson Car
This isn’t cycling-related, but seeing as how I’m a huge Clemson fan, this excites me. If I only had the cash…
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Random Photos/Video – Cycling in September
Here’s an assortment of pictures/video from my Labor Day visit to the new Taylor Randahl Memorial Trails at Rope Mill Park (Woodstock, GA), the Out Spokin’ Bicycles setup at the Woodstock Farmer’s Market, and racing at the Dick Lane Velodrome (Sept. 11th).
Next up is the USPRO Cycling Championships. I’m not working as a mechanic this year, but I will be reporting with live Twitter updates throughout the weekend’s event, including photos, and possibly rider interviews. You can follow the updates by following @VeloReviewsTech on Twitter.
