My fave bike race of the year, Ronde van Vlaanderen, is sunday! But before that bit of awesomeness, there's a little ride I organize called the Ronde van Whatcom. I try to emulate the real deal. Plenty of short, steep climbs, and some unpaved sections. Not quite the same as Belgium's premium cobblestone roads, and the ride isn't as long. This year the planned route is about 92 mi. And we're supposed to have some not so nice weather for it. That's how it's been the last 2 years for this ride. The ride starts and finishes at H.Q. With breakfast at the Mount Bakery, mmm waffles.

Here are some pics of Chelsea's touring bike that we showed at the Swift Industries both. Custom frame, fork, stem, and racks.

The Seattle Bike Expo was pretty much the same as usual. Hang out with friends I don't see often enough, talk bikes with lots of people, and ride around the city in bad weather. It was cool checking out the vintage bike display. Beautiful machines. Coming up the first friday of April is the Art Walk. Kelly Hoekema will be showing her creations here at donkelope HQ. I know we're not downtown, but head on over and say hello.

It's been a wild winter. Not much riding, but lots of bike work. The last couple of months were a bit stressful. My super, awesome lady, Kelly, was diagnosed with melanoma. After two surgeries, and some treatment, she has been cleared! Massive relief. Life is fairly fragile, so try and live it up. Thanks to everyone who gave support. The Seattle Bike Expo is just around the corner. I won't have a booth this year, but will have 2 bikes in the Swift Ind booth, to show off there sweet bags. The classics season is starting to ramp up. This year's Ronde van Whatcom will be on saturday march 31. Send an email or give a call for more info. I'll try and post a flyer soon. Also coming in april is Pedalers Fair. A new event to celebrate handmade bikey goods in WA.

This is just an extension of the last post. Happy Birthday Rastus!!!

Ahh, cx season is finally over for me. It was a good one. I'll try and catch up since last posting. Thriller Cross was awesome! Lots of people dressed up for the occasion. There were 2 shortcuts. One was a beer/push-up, and the next was a skinny. Both provided plenty of entertainment, as well as shaved significant time from the lap. Then a party at donkelope world hq followed that night. A fire, winter brew, brats, and The Cup was put to good use that evening! Speaking of cups, there was a little friendly competition at the MFG and SCX series between single speed teams this year. The teams were HODALA!(the team I'm on), Alki-Rubicon, and Stanley. The "prize" was the losing team had to wash the winning team's bikes. In bikinis. The other losing team had to serve us beers. It was great. Next up was the last race in the Cascade Cross series, and everyone's fave, Chiller Cross! This year, two of us B'ham crossers had an idea. Tim(BFF Cycling) and I thought a flyover would be awesome. A couple more beers and slices of pizza, and we were motivated. Plus Ryan said he would help pay for a hefty portion of it. We had bigger plans on how it was going to look, but time was an issue. Even with transporting issues, we managed to get it finished. Just in time. Riding it was rad! A big thanks to Tim, Ryan, and everyone who helped set that beast up. I'd like to end this post with a huge birthday wish to my sidekick and best buddy ever, Rastus. Love you Bubba.

It's been cx mania! The SCX finale in Monroe was super good, and muddy. One of the few muddy races this season(check pic). Then we had WA State CX Champs in Arlington. I was a bit skeptical at first considering how flat it is by the airport. But the crew built an awesome course that was challenging. HODALA! took the whole SS podium! Next up was the USGP in Bend. The SS race started way too early, it was damn chilly. Even though it was dry, it was a fun course. Good times in Oregon. Tomorrow is Thriller Cross, a Cascade Series Race. Ryan has put a lot of effort into this race. It's going to be sweet. So head over to Civic Field, and cheer on your favorite zombie, I mean racer!