OT: Congrats Christian!

[JAGI410]

Christian was co-driving for Travis Pastrana this weekend and won the 100 Acre Wood Rally in Missouri. Congrats on the first place finish!

[adhumston]

Christian was co-driving for Travis Pastrana this weekend and won the 100 Acre Wood Rally in Missouri. Congrats on the first place finish!

Impressive! IMO it would take ba!!s to be in anything driven by Pastrana... dude's insane with some crazy skills!

[happycampyer]

One of these days I will see christian dart into a back alley or a phone booth to change into his flame-retardant driving suit.

[MattTuck]

congrats Christian!

Though, I seem to have a memory of reading some post in which he said something like, "that is when I realized I was not going to race cars anymore."

Am I dreaming?

[Ken Robb]

I quit smoking, I thought about quitting drinking several times--usually on a Saturday morning, I think I have given up instructing drivers on racetracks but-----------we all know that sometimes opportunities come along that are hard to ignore. :beer:

[happycampyer]

I quit smoking, I thought about quitting drinking several times--usually on a Saturday morning, I think I have given up instructing drivers on racetracks but-----------we all know that sometimes opportunities come along that are hard to ignore. :beer:

Travis: "Hey, christian, what are you doing this weekend?"
christian: "Uh, not much. Making breakfast for the kids, fixing things around the house ... what's up?"
Travis: "Want to go for a spin on Saturday?"

[Ken Robb]

OK, high performance drivers never say "want to go for a spin"!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[gasman]

Congratulations Christian !

I saw the two of them at one of the Oregon Trails rally years ago. Great fun to watch the racing and meeting the two of them. My son still mentions it years later.

[christian]

Thanks guys. It was more like Happycampyer imagines than you might suspect. Travis's regular co-driver had a conflict and since I'd done the job before, I got the call.

Hadn't been in a rally car for five years, but it turns out it's pretty much like riding a bike. Well, in the metaphorical sense at least. My kids seemed to think it was neat that daddy raced cars on the weekend. And I got a fancy new driving suit to show for the effort!

[ofcounsel]

Super awesome!! Congrats!

[happycampyer]

I love how calm, cool and collected you are in this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vtKvPaEhSA

christian: "Caution: Left five-minus over crest into right four-plus. Say again: left five-minus into right four-plus."

Travis: Urggghh!!!

Travis: "Are you alive?!? Are you alive?"
christian: "I'm fine. How are you?"
Travis: "That was a hell of a ride! WAHOOO!! Are you alive? Really?"
christian: "I'm fine, yes."
Travis: "Sorry 'bout that."
christian: "Alright, get out and get a triangle out..."

Double U Tee Eff. Get a triangle out? Who are you kidding? No one is going to go anywhere near that car.


I bet the photographer in the hi-vis vest in the field needed to change his pants.

[bobswire]

Is this cool or what! Congrats! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENiz3U7Lb-M

[gasman]

That sums up Christian and Travis's personalities in that one video. I've watched it many times. It's amazing how well the car handles the crash !

[beeatnik]

Christian, I like your Good Night, and Good Luck quiet American style.

[Louis]

Congratulations, Christian :)

But I am sort of bummed - the route is really not that far away from me, and had I known I would have at least considered going...

[maxn]

Cool!

[carpediemracing]

I love how calm, cool and collected you are in this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vtKvPaEhSA

christian: "Caution: Left five-minus over crest into right four-plus. Say again: left five-minus into right four-plus."

Travis: Urggghh!!!

Travis: "Are you alive?!? Are you alive?"
christian: "I'm fine. How are you?"
Travis: "That was a hell of a ride! WAHOOO!! Are you alive? Really?"
christian: "I'm fine, yes."
Travis: "Sorry 'bout that."
christian: "Alright, get out and get a triangle out..."

Double U Tee Eff. Get a triangle out? Who are you kidding? No one is going to go anywhere near that car.


I bet the photographer in the hi-vis vest in the field needed to change his pants.

holy

Thanks guys. It was more like Happycampyer imagines than you might suspect. Travis's regular co-driver had a conflict and since I'd done the job before, I got the call.

Hadn't been in a rally car for five years, but it turns out it's pretty much like riding a bike. Well, in the metaphorical sense at least. My kids seemed to think it was neat that daddy raced cars on the weekend. And I got a fancy new driving suit to show for the effort!

I can't imagine how intense the experience must be, I'm sure it's magnitudes beyond what I can imagine. Congrats!

[verticaldoug]

Christian, Next you will be moonlighting as the Stig.

[PaMtbRider]

Congratulations on the weekend win. You are one cool, calm guy. I would be ·····ting my pants just riding in a rally car, let alone wrecking and rolling like you did in that video.

[malcolm]

First off Christian congrats.

Now a favor, when you get a chance please post a couple links to your favorite rally vids. I'm sure many here would love a vicarious few minutes of your experience. I know I would. Thanks for spending some time here and sharing your knowledge.

[texbike]

Is this cool or what! Congrats! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENiz3U7Lb-M

Fantastic! Congrats Christian!!! What a great return to the sport!

Texbike

[DRZRM]

Awesome work Christian! Congrats!

[eBAUMANN]

"Im fine, how are you?"

hahahahahaha, thanks for posting that vid.

congrats christian!

:beer:

[binxnyrwarrsoul]

Congrats, C.

[tuscanyswe]

No wonder you looked so good on that new mtb of yours. You obviously have no fear when face to face with danger.

Those rolls look terrifying. Is it common to just walk out of such a nasty tumble and be okay or were you guys really lucky? Would imagine you'd get concussion or something at the very least?

[54ny77]

pretty darned cool.

can i carpool with you on the cross bronx on a friday during rush hour?

:beer:

[wooly]

Stud!

[carpediemracing]

first off christian congrats.

Now a favor, when you get a chance please post a couple links to your favorite rally vids. I'm sure many here would love a vicarious few minutes of your experience. I know i would. Thanks for spending some time here and sharing your knowledge.

+1

[Plum Hill]

Last time I checked the entry list TP wasn't listed.
Crap.

[likebikes]

can i carpool with you on the cross bronx on a friday during rush hour?

i think he drives a toyota siena now.

[54ny77]

i'd venture a guess he could deflate a few sports car-driving egos while in a toyota siena, given the right circumstances.


i think he drives a toyota siena now.

[shinomaster]

That's awesome, congrats amigo!

[alexstar]

Congratulations Christian, very cool comeback story! :beer:

[laupsi]

That's very impressive! :beer:

[William]

https://media.giphy.com/media/10xZU9b7JBx14s/giphy.gif



:hello:
William

[merlinmurph]

Wow, that's fantastic - congrats, Christian.

Now, I have to know something.
I followed the YouTube link to the crash video - amazing crash, and composure.
So, I'm looking at the list of related videos on the right hand side of the page, and the second one down is titled "Olivia Munn Talks About Blow Jobs".
Uhhhh, can you explain? ;-)

[slidey]

Cool! Chapeau, Christian!

[54ny77]

That would be a video choice that shows up based on your search history, i.e. Google's cookies. ;)


Now, I have to know something.
I followed the YouTube link to the crash video - amazing crash, and composure.
So, I'm looking at the list of related videos on the right hand side of the page, and the second one down is titled "Olivia Munn Talks About Blow Jobs".
Uhhhh, can you explain? ;-)

[pdmtong]

CE is the man.

And since we are time warping his moments of fame...

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/27/nyregion/commuting-40-miles-to-work-on-a-bike-with-thermals-and-fleece.html?_r=0

[stephenmarklay]

Cool we have a celeb. Man that is one job I could NEVER do. How in the world do you keep your cookies down?

[Ken Robb]

When people are learning to drive on a track they are repeatedly told how important it is for them to "hit the apex". Too bad this apex was on the side of a hill. :-)

[soulspinner]

Congrads! You were the backup and won??!!

[moose8]

That's really cool. Congrats!

[happycampyer]

Wow, that's fantastic - congrats, Christian.

Now, I have to know something.
I followed the YouTube link to the crash video - amazing crash, and composure.
So, I'm looking at the list of related videos on the right hand side of the page, and the second one down is titled "Olivia Munn Talks About Blow Jobs".
Uhhhh, can you explain? ;-)
I think YouTube recommends videos based on your search history...

[happycampyer]

Congrads! You were the backup and won??!!"I wonder how they got Christian to fit into Chrissy's suit."

Did anyone else notice that, for someone who has taken five years off, christian was pretty familiar to everyone? Our own international man of mystery.

[christian]

Thanks everyone for the kind words. Obviously, all credit go to Travis, who is an amazing driver - can go quick in everything with just a few minutes practice - and the Subaru, which was a bare shell on March 1 and which ran absolutely flawlessly all weekend, despite us pushing it extremely hard. It was really fun to be in the car again.Though, I seem to have a memory of reading some post in which he said something like, "that is when I realized I was not going to race cars anymore."I don't think I've ever said that! I've certainly said that I won't race cars for money. Doing that makes it a job.Those rolls look terrifying. Is it common to just walk out of such a nasty tumble and be okay or were you guys really lucky? Long rolls like that are actually quite safe - the kinetic energy dissipates over a long period of time and the safety systems (cage, seat mounts, seats, harnesses) aren't stressed very highly. The thing you want to avoid is a fast stop from high speed, like 160 km/h to 0 km/h in 2 meters.i think he drives a toyota siena now.For the record, I drive a Honda Odyssey. It's awesome and filled with mountain bike dirt at all times.Now a favor, when you get a chance please post a couple links to your favorite rally vids.I'll add a couple vids to a subsequent post.

[zap]

Congratulations. :hello:

Happycamper...heard that too....say what????:eek:

[CampyorBust]

Amazing! You must have nerves of steel, everyday life-slooooowww moootion? Props!

[christian]

malcolm asked for some "favorite" rally videos. I guess my favorites are "Vatanen at Pikes Peak (ok not a rally) and the Petter Solberg in car from Ouninpohja stage in Rally Finland:

Vatanen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKgeCQGu_ug
Solberg: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpDSPhECTSA

As far as videos from us, I don't really have any favorites. Last event of the 2007 season where we overcame a clutch problem to win the rally and the championship is the only thing I really will always remember. But here's a couple decent vids:

Everyone has seen the Colorado crash video, but it's a memorable one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Js_BYaU80w

The single-stage Mt. Washington Rd. climb video where Travis set the record has some good in-car, good note calling. It's not me - Marshall Clarke was sitting in, because the hillclimb was the day my daughter was born. A great video with good production:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BZh-7hkNe4
(Go to 5:40 video time; 5:15 stage time to listen to Marshall call a "Left 2 don't cut." and then see if Travis listens... and the consequences)

This is some in-car from our 2010 run at 100AW.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qb4SQ9kpYbY&index=2&list=FL9zFlYFNV1INVO9D3BiYt3A
(This is a good overview of how it works, but the note calling in this one is poor - I am not sure what happened; not my finest work...)

And this one has unlistenable music, but has footage from our dinky little roll in Washington State in 2007 and a surprising off in Colorado 2007 which Travis managed to save.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Obou0qT0n6w

We should have some great footage from 100AW - we ran 2 in-car cameras and a 4-pack of Go-Pros on the roof. I'll post some bits of that when I can.

Also, this thread should be marked OT.

[christian]

"I wonder how they got Christian to fit into Chrissy's suit."

Did anyone else notice that, for someone who has taken five years off, christian was pretty familiar to everyone?Ha, funny. Yeah, I've known the announcer for at least 10 years. She's an accomplished driver/co-driver herself.

Happycamper...heard that too....say what????:eek:Yes, ok, for the record, it was a new suit, made for me. They don't make us share suits. (They might make us share helmets, as those things cost $3,500 now!!!) I will say that these ones were a quick job to make up and the suits we plan to debut in Oregon will be entirely unique and reflect Travis's personality more than one might even prefer.

[tumbler]

Wow, congrats! I can barely avoid car sickness while my wife drives the SUV around. Serious skills!

[gasman]

I will say that these ones were a quick job to make up and the suits we plan to debut in Oregon will be entirely unique and reflect Travis's personality more than one might even prefer.


So it sounds like you're going to continue to co-drive. Too bad I'm out of town when the Oregon Trail occurs and won't be able to watch.

Best of luck !

[alembical]

..... I will say that these ones were a quick job to make up and the suits we plan to debut in Oregon will be entirely unique and reflect Travis's personality more than one might even prefer.

When are you back in Oregon?

[gasman]

When are you back in Oregon?

It runs April 22-24.

[CromoSapien]

Cut to home turf. In the minivan.
Scene 2.

Christian’s wife: Honey, you are such a backseat driver!

:) Haha! Busted.

[merlinmurph]

That would be a video choice that shows up based on your search history, i.e. Google's cookies. ;)

I think YouTube recommends videos based on your search history...

FWIW, I can safely say that it has nothing to do with my search history unless their algorithms somehow derive sexual connotations when searching "Campy 10-speed shifter overhaul".

Anyways, I had never heard of Travis Pastrana before, but wow, he's a pretty amazing driver.

[54ny77]

That's ok, your secret is safe with....the internet.

:D

FWIW, I can safely that it has nothing to do with my search history unless their algorithms somehow derive sexual connotations when searching "Campy 10-speed shifter overhaul".

Anyways, I had never heard of Travis Pastrana before, but wow, he's a pretty amazing driver.

[malcolm]

thanks christian that should keep my productivity down at work today

[azrider]

Completely.....totally....utterly...badazz

My father always wanted to ride co-pilot in an f18 launching off the Nimitz. When asked if i had a choice of something similar I said quote "i'd love to ride co-pilot in a rally car"

So very very cool. Thank you for sharing your insights.

Will you be out here in the desert this May ?

[christian]

"i'd love to ride co-pilot in a rally car"I can make this happen... And no, I am not going to the GRC events - those are on a track, so no co-driver needed.

[AngryScientist]

I can say with pretty good certainty that i would be an awful co-driver. good on ya Christian. very impressive.

so did you do anything in prep for the return to the co-pilot seat, or did it just come back to you, besides the course specific prep i assume is necessary. ?

[moose8]

What were you thinking in that video someone posted when the car rolled? Or is it so quick you don't really get to think? I think I would have felt extremely scared.

[christian]

Here's a couple photo dumps for the three people still interested:

Testing and glamour shots:
http://christianedstrom.com/vsalon/iPhone/Camera_Roll/2016%20Rally%20-%20100AW/IMG_3780.JPG
http://christianedstrom.com/vsalon/iPhone/Camera_Roll/2016%20Rally%20-%20100AW/IMG_3781.JPG
http://christianedstrom.com/vsalon/iPhone/Camera_Roll/2016%20Rally%20-%20100AW/IMG_3783.JPG
http://christianedstrom.com/vsalon/iPhone/Camera_Roll/2016%20Rally%20-%20100AW/IMG_3784.JPG
http://christianedstrom.com/vsalon/iPhone/Camera_Roll/2016%20Rally%20-%20100AW/IMG_3785.JPG
http://christianedstrom.com/vsalon/iPhone/Camera_Roll/2016%20Rally%20-%20100AW/IMG_3786.JPG
http://christianedstrom.com/vsalon/iPhone/Camera_Roll/2016%20Rally%20-%20100AW/IMG_3787.JPG
http://christianedstrom.com/vsalon/iPhone/Camera_Roll/2016%20Rally%20-%20100AW/IMG_3788.JPG
http://christianedstrom.com/vsalon/iPhone/Camera_Roll/2016%20Rally%20-%20100AW/IMG_3782.JPG

[christian]

Day one:

http://christianedstrom.com/vsalon/iPhone/Camera_Roll/2016%20Rally%20-%20100AW/IMG_3791.JPG
http://christianedstrom.com/vsalon/iPhone/Camera_Roll/2016%20Rally%20-%20100AW/IMG_3793.JPG
http://christianedstrom.com/vsalon/iPhone/Camera_Roll/2016%20Rally%20-%20100AW/IMG_3794.JPG
http://christianedstrom.com/vsalon/iPhone/Camera_Roll/2016%20Rally%20-%20100AW/IMG_3795.JPG
http://christianedstrom.com/vsalon/iPhone/Camera_Roll/2016%20Rally%20-%20100AW/IMG_3796.JPG
http://christianedstrom.com/vsalon/iPhone/Camera_Roll/2016%20Rally%20-%20100AW/IMG_3797.JPG
http://christianedstrom.com/vsalon/iPhone/Camera_Roll/2016%20Rally%20-%20100AW/IMG_3798.JPG

[christian]

http://christianedstrom.com/vsalon/iPhone/Camera_Roll/2016%20Rally%20-%20100AW/IMG_3803.JPG
http://christianedstrom.com/vsalon/iPhone/Camera_Roll/2016%20Rally%20-%20100AW/IMG_3800.JPG
http://christianedstrom.com/vsalon/iPhone/Camera_Roll/2016%20Rally%20-%20100AW/IMG_3801.JPG
http://christianedstrom.com/vsalon/iPhone/Camera_Roll/2016%20Rally%20-%20100AW/IMG_3804.JPG
http://christianedstrom.com/vsalon/iPhone/Camera_Roll/2016%20Rally%20-%20100AW/IMG_3806.JPG
http://christianedstrom.com/vsalon/iPhone/Camera_Roll/2016%20Rally%20-%20100AW/IMG_3807.JPG
http://christianedstrom.com/vsalon/iPhone/Camera_Roll/2016%20Rally%20-%20100AW/IMG_3805.JPG

[christian]

Some other ones.

http://christianedstrom.com/vsalon/iPhone/Camera_Roll/2016%20Rally%20-%20100AW/IMG_3777.JPG
http://christianedstrom.com/vsalon/iPhone/Camera_Roll/2016%20Rally%20-%20100AW/IMG_3808.JPG
http://christianedstrom.com/vsalon/iPhone/Camera_Roll/2016%20Rally%20-%20100AW/IMG_3809.JPG

Hey, thanks if you made it this far. You should buy a Subaru! :)

[William]

Day one:

http://christianedstrom.com/vsalon/iPhone/Camera_Roll/2016%20Rally%20-%20100AW/IMG_3791.JPG
http://christianedstrom.com/vsalon/iPhone/Camera_Roll/2016%20Rally%20-%20100AW/IMG_3793.JPG
http://christianedstrom.com/vsalon/iPhone/Camera_Roll/2016%20Rally%20-%20100AW/IMG_3794.JPG
http://christianedstrom.com/vsalon/iPhone/Camera_Roll/2016%20Rally%20-%20100AW/IMG_3795.JPG
http://christianedstrom.com/vsalon/iPhone/Camera_Roll/2016%20Rally%20-%20100AW/IMG_3796.JPG
http://christianedstrom.com/vsalon/iPhone/Camera_Roll/2016%20Rally%20-%20100AW/IMG_3797.JPG
http://christianedstrom.com/vsalon/iPhone/Camera_Roll/2016%20Rally%20-%20100AW/IMG_3798.JPG

Very cool, thanks for posting Christian!

Will this race be shown on Subaru's Launch Control?





William

[azrider]

Häftigt!!!

[christian]

Will this race be shown on Subaru's Launch Control?
Yes, you'll even get to hear interviews with me! Next time, you will totally be getting a shout out!

[donevwil]

http://christianedstrom.com/vsalon/iPhone/Camera_Roll/2016%20Rally%20-%20100AW/IMG_3808.JPG

What did the landing feel like ? I have to hold my breath just to look at the pic.

[christian]

so did you do anything in prep for the return to the co-pilot seat, or did it just come back to you, besides the course specific prep i assume is necessary. ?Not really. I bought some expensive co-driver specific notebooks from Europe. I stocked up on 2mm pencil lead in various hardnesses (we use 2mm drafting leadholders because other pencils just break). I got the notes from Chrissie (who co-drove for him last year). Other than that, there's really not much you can do to prepare. But at the end of the day, it's sitting in a car, reading a book. It's not rocket science.

What were you thinking in that video someone posted when the car rolled? Or is it so quick you don't really get to think? I think I would have felt extremely scared.Well, the very first thing I thought was "Uh oh." The first thing I explicitly thought during the accident was, "Grab the belts!" That was when we'd rolled about 3/4 of a roll. You do that so your hands don't get hurt on something. The second thing I thought, somewhere around rotation 2 or 3 was, "This is going to be a big one." The third thing I thought, during rotation 4 or 5, was, "So this is what a cat in a washing machine feels like." The fourth thing I thought was "Oh, can this please be over soon." The fifth thing I thought was, "Ok, it's over, we have to get a triangle out so that the car behind us (our team mates Ken and Alex) know we are ok and don't have to slow down."

But yes the accident was long enough to get scared. And about 10 minutes afterward, when the adrenalin subsides, you definitely turn to jelly. I had some trouble sleeping afterwards, but I was ok after about a week.

The only real outcome of that accident is that I drive a lot more slowly on the road these days. That accident gave me a visceral respect for the amount of kinetic energy that a car has to shed in a high-speed accident. I don't ever want anyone in my family to experience that in a road car. So I drive like an absolute grandmother.

[William]

Yes, you'll even get to hear interviews with me! Next time, you will totally be getting a shout out!

Awesome!:cool:

I'll be watching for when they air it!






William

[moose8]

Not really. I bought some expensive co-driver specific notebooks from Europe. I stocked up on 2mm pencil lead in various hardnesses (we use 2mm drafting leadholders because other pencils just break). I got the notes from Chrissie (who co-drove for him last year). Other than that, there's really not much you can do to prepare. But at the end of the day, it's sitting in a car, reading a book. It's not rocket science.

Well, the very first thing I thought was "Uh oh." The first thing I explicitly thought during the accident was, "Grab the belts!" That was when we'd rolled about 3/4 of a roll. You do that so your hands don't get hurt on something. The second thing I thought, somewhere around rotation 2 or 3 was, "This is going to be a big one." The third thing I thought, during rotation 4 or 5, was, "So this is what a cat in a washing machine feels like." The fourth thing I thought was "Oh, can this please be over soon." The fifth thing I thought was, "Ok, it's over, we have to get a triangle out so that the car behind us (our team mates Ken and Alex) know we are ok and don't have to slow down."

But yes the accident was long enough to get scared. And about 10 minutes afterward, when the adrenalin subsides, you definitely turn to jelly. I had some trouble sleeping afterwards, but I was ok after about a week.

The only real outcome of that accident is that I drive a lot more slowly on the road these days. That accident gave me a visceral respect for the amount of kinetic energy that a car has to shed in a high-speed accident. I don't ever want anyone in my family to experience that in a road car. So I drive like an absolute grandmother.

Thanks for the response - I find it fascinating. Sounds like there was plenty of time to be scared. I got a little scared just watching it so can't imagine what it was like.

[christian]

What did the landing feel like ? I have to hold my breath just to look at the pic.Not bad. Your head snaps forward a little bit, and you have to be mindful of not having your tongue stuck out. It's maybe like jumping off a 4 or 5-foot retaining wall onto grass or something? Or jumping your mountain bike off a low loading dock to flat? It's not bad by any means.

[sparky33]

Cut to home turf. In the minivan.
Scene 2.

Christian’s wife: Honey, you are such a backseat driver!

:) Haha! Busted.

The scene in my head has the kids in the back of the minivan...oblivious... ipad'ing, poking each other, maybe a baby gurgling... wife is driving and Christian is calling rally notes while they all zoom to a soccer game or something at hyperspeed.... drifting through corners, getting air and still coordinating perfectly with traffic lights and cross walkers.

and the Mt Washington clip is insane. serious trust there.

[gasman]

Thanks for posting the links. Great videos there.

New beard for you and new paint scheme for the car. No wonder your team won.:p:hello:

[merlinmurph]

Awesome stuff.

I actually watched the Mt Wash hillclimb over the weekend, casting it to the TV. Very cool way to watch these videos. There's always consequences when a mistake is made, and I'm guessing a course like Mt Wash makes the driver think a bit more.

VT plates?

[christian]

VT plates?Yeah, the rally team is headquartered outside of Burlington. They have been running Subaru's rally program here in the States since 2004.

[cegerer]

I thought you might include this one from Sno*Drift '08 ;) As I recall, this was the last stage and you were leading. Assuming you were looking down at the notes and heard it before you saw it. But Travis had it coming right at him on the left peripheral :eek::eek: I was in the Med-Sweep car that year I think.

https://youtu.be/IdgZjX_sLmY

And congrats on the come-back win. Looking at the stage times, that looked like one heck of a battle!

[rounder]

Awesome stuff! Thanks Christian.

[weaponsgrade]

Congrats and thanks for the pics. That's an interesting comment you made about driving like a grannie because you know what an impact feels like. Never thought of it like that.

[christian]

I was in the Med-Sweep car that year I think.Curt! I never realized you were a bike nerd like me! Did you manage to save the little guy in Med Sweep? LOL. And for the record, the horrible shriek is me, not Travis. Though I've let people believe it was him because well everyone like the idea that Travis once got scared.

[texbike]

Fantastic pictures, great stories, cool beard! :)

Texbike

[alembical]

Christian,

Just curious about your level of expertise in car repairs and what is expected from you in that department. It seems like when something breaks, the drivers do an amazing job of getting the car back to runable shape. As someone who knows very little about this, I am just curious how much of that falls on the two of your shoulders. I know there are obviously a host of great mechanics once the car is back, but on the road, I know nothing.

p.s. - if you are making it to Portland and interested in some good riding, let me know. The weekend before is the Ronde de Pdx http://www.rondepdx.com/ Years ago, can't even remember when, you came to town and borrowed a Serotta Csi of mine. I am not sure if you travel with a bike, but if not, I still have it in the rotation, but with Ultegra rather than campy and I seem to remember it fitting you well