Messing Up Clean

Alright boys and girls, Dave wants to teach you all a valuable lesson on what not to do with a sidewalk.

Rule number one, when trying to exfoliate your skin don't use cement as your medium

Rule number two, don't do it because "so and so" told you to do it

Rule number three, make sure your spotter is one step closer to being sobber then yourself

And rule number four, always take your glasses off first

Shifting Gears

"By your stumbling, the world is perfected". ~Sri Aurobindo.



Since leaving Wisconsin, my mind has left its traditional structured cycling thought process and has reverted to hanging out somewhere in right field. All work and no play is no fun at all. I once heard Ned say that his secret was "knowing to be disciplined enough not to be disciplined."



I have been pondering upon things like Bob Roll's jeans.....



And wondering what Jeff is up to right now....



I have to give my boy Tyrone a big "you da man" for pulling in the first top 10 finish for an American at the World Championships in 11 years. It is a perfect example of cashing in on hard work. Killing it....

Don't Die Wondering

By now most of you are probobly thinking that I signed some big single digit contract that has me surfing cloud nine.... As excited as I am for the details of next season to unfold, I have even more exciting news to report but first I recommend you brace yourself in your office chair.....



Bikes weren't the only thing Ross and I were checking out in Madison. Last Friday night I saw the woman of my dreams from across the room and at that moment I fell in love. Sounds like a story book I know, but this is the real deal. Three days later I was down on one knee asking Tracy to marry me.... she said yes!



I have to thank Fisher's own hipster, Jesse LaLonde for making the introductions.... Crazy how life unfolds sometimes but one thing is for sure, I won't die wondering what life could have been like if I had asked that amazing woman from across the room to spend the rest of her life with me.... at another loss for words!

Podium Nectar

For years cheap champagne has been the nectar of the sport's elite, as they celebrate their day's triumphs. In honor of this week's World Championships, I am proposing a change effective immediately: Mentos and Diet Coke.



Don't believe me, check this out. When combined effectively the "ahhh" factor is off the charts. The times they are a changing folks and as our bikes evolve so should the juice we celebrate with.



However be warned, despite the lack of warning labels on the packaging, combining Mentos and Diet Coke for breakfast could start your day off on the wrong foot. That is unless if Home Depot is having another blowout sale on new stomachs (no pun intended).

Smell The Dairy Air

For some reason Da Blog's "check engine soon" light has come on and is currently unable to upload fotos so please bear with me as I bring to you some plain old fashion text until I can work out the kinks.

Just two days after the NORBA circuit came to a close, Rad Ross and I found ourselves aboard a plane to Wisco to visit the fine folks at Trek who make our bikes and lifestyles possible.



Words cannot fully explain the feeling you get when you visit a factory like Trek and meet the people that pour their energy into a product that they are so passionate about. This passion is evident in how the entire company is organized and in the products they produce.

No Zap isn't paying me to say this, nor is it because their name is all over my chest and car...The killer food and wine that filled our bellies all week has nothing to do with it either, it is straight up the real deal and I am blessed just to be associated with it in some way.

I have like a million things to get up and share with you all. Everything from our day in the testing lab breaking wheels to some huge personal news that has left me on cloud nine.... More to follow.

Back By Popular Demand

It's amazing the amount of photos that flood my inbox after each race! Thanks to each and every Graham Watson out there that has my back. You guys know who you are... And you rock. This post is for ya'll, from ya'll.



There are only two places that matter in the mix of the pro field, whether you are in front of "Timeless" Ned or behind Ned.

The XC came down to me trying to hold off "The Lung" Overend. Talk about scary....



The last 5 minutes I dug deeper than I can ever remember and was actually on the verge of passing out as I crossed the line. That is the look of a face that only a mother could love.



Back by popular demand, and this time from a different angle. Here is another look at Rad Ross's mad skillz.

I had someone come up to me today and say, "Without sounding weird I have to admit, I am Ross super-fan.... He is bringing an element of entertainment back into the sport I love "

"Rad" Ross... Do I Say More?

"Rad" Ross is quickly becoming a house hold name on the NORBA circuit. With the lungs of a top XC contender, the handling skills of a BMX grommet and the courage of a DH freak, Ross is making a campaign for Velo New's
"Hot List".




Normally the words "Going Big" and "Catching Air" have no place on the cross country scene. "Rad" Ross stole the show in yesterday's STXC finals with his BMX skills and facial hair, showing that style and grace can come together in an XC world.

I am once again at another loss for words....

The Future Is Open Wide

A little place I like to call, Aspen. Where the beer flows like wine and the women instinctively flock like the salmon of Capistrano.



It was another glorious weekend for the Trek/VW squad with a flat lander from Virginia taking the dubs in the XC. Somehow the season managed to pass by just as quickly as it came. As I finished out the last lap in today's STXC, I was already thinking about next year.... But for now I think it is time to relax and crack open a cold one.



Our massage therapist had a close call this weekend while preriding the course. Despite hitting a tree head on at 30 mph and a quick trip to Aspen's ER, Andrew is still all smiles. Once again a reminder of the "temporary" times we can't take for granted.



I think Ranno died from starvation in a past life. Don't mess with this cat when feeding time rolls around, he will eat your hand clear off.

Well folks... There is a Rock Shox end of the season party that is calling my name..... I'm out like a phat kid in dodgeball.

The Ever Changing Road

Alright bike dorks, scope this. On the way back through Grand Junction we made a special pit stop at Mike "Big Wheel" Curiak's casa. Not only is Curiak running a custom wheel building business out of his pimp garage but he is also continuing to push the limits in adventure bike builds.





His latest creation is a custom Moots snow bike, designed to push the elements by filling the fork and down tubes with white gas. Talk about trick, now Curiak doen't have to carry gas canisters into the wilderness on his multi week treks. Genius.



If you build it..... Rad Ross will wheelie it! Ross wanted to steal the beast to race for the Short Track Finals in Aspen but Curiak wasn't havin it!



I have to give a shout out to my teammate and friend Brian Smith for being the only American in two years to win an Xterra National Championship event. Word is that Brian redefined the expression "give it 110%" by ralphing just as he crossed the line!

When In Doubt, Go Higher

This past January, as I sat down to write down my season’s goals, I scribbled out “Top 10 at a NORBA National” and thought to myself... come on now, let’s be realistic: “Top 15 at a NORBA National”. Game on.



This past weekend in Brianhead UT, I completly surpassed my expectations, as I out sprinted Canadian National Champion Ricky Federau to break into the top 10, taking 9th place. Now if this was a spelling bee 9th wouldn’t be that great, but hey, this is the big show folks.



As we were nearing the top of the first climb I found myself at the front, pulling the world’s best and thinking to myself....”This is a really bad idea Nick, but you know what, I don’t care because that’s Fred Dreier of Velo News and he has a camera” (Thanks for the photo Fred)!



Our whole squad had reason to celebrate, winning 5 of the 8 events. The husband and wife duo of HI and JHK cleaned up the rest , showing once again that they are the world’s fastest couple. I’ll raise my bottle to that....



Hidden just beyond the painfully boring plains of western Utah lies some of the best singletrack and views I have ever seen. These moments remind me that no matter what result I walk away with from the weekend, it’s the act of packing up the car and exploring new limits that makes this culture on two wheels legit.

Lay Your Armor Down

I will jump right to the point... Safety first kids. Never underestimate the power in safety whether its in your helmet, seat belt or goggles. For some reason the world seems to be blowing up all around me at times...



I decided to dust off the road bike after some coaxing from the crew over at Velo News. Two flats, a broken chain and one police report later I was questioning my judgment.



An RV decided to pull out in front of our group as we were ripping down a mountain decent, sending Ryan "The Grinch" Lynch skidding into the ditch... He managed to control the damage pretty well considering, but the driver of the RV decided to bolt. That is until a bunch of lycra super heroes chased him down. (There were no serious injury's to report but some mental images that will keep me riding the brakes)

Give me the trails, the trees and the birds.... Their turn signals seem to work.

My boy Whitey has been on the other side of this story too many times. In doing so, he is passing his lessons of hard knocks on to the public through his new Crash And Burn Kit. A must for those of us who choose the outdoors as our playground.