a hundred miler... single speed.

so, getting ready for another 100 miles in the desert... it seems easier with time, and i find myself doing all the arrangments without any added pressure. two 29 inch tubes- check, multi tool- check, enough food- check... and so on.

i know the course by heart, so i'm not taking any GPS or maps. i'll wing it.

my fitness is on a down curve, since i stopped "training" after the 400 km race, so i'm not in the greatest shape, but i think i'll do just fine.

at least the bike is all ready for the job at hand. its a beautiful machine, the superfly, and being a single-speed only makes it look sexier...

see ya' on the other side. here comes the pain !!!

weekend's here...

every friday morning i have a women's team that i coach. every friday in a different place, different weather, different scenery. today we went riding around yokne'am, and the trails over there are so beatiful now. the girls kick ass, riding up and down the hills like pro's.

anyway, this was a slow week, riding wise, as the rain did not stop... but family wise it was great, because moran's sister- gilat, had her first baby born !!! her name is Amit, and she's healthy and beatiful.

tomorrow its a road ride with the CCC squad. its been a long time since i rode with the team. sure missed everybody.

next weekend- a century race (160 km) on my singlespeed superfly. i'll have to convert it into a siglespeed on sunday, i guess. i think i'll put an 18 cog in the back. or maybe 17? we'll see...

back from the dead.......................sea.

well... the Veolia Desert Challenge was one of the best bike events i've ever attended, and i've been around. the vibe, the scene, the people, the biking. i actually feel proud of the israeli biking scene, and of the people who create it. i'm also proud of the fact that i've been around long enough to see it grow and blossom, and being there when it all happened.

Geva alon is an israeli folk-rock artist, and he performed the night before the race... the guy can sing, and write. you have to check him out. (he sings in english...).

my parents are on their way to new-zealand for a month. lucky them. love you mom and dad, and have a good trip.

i'm drooling here...!

this is my dream car. oh my god, its a beauty... the combination of the most beautiful car ever built, the citroen ds, and an off-road monster. the thing does it all...

anyway, i'm heading to the dead sea in order to participate in the couple's race over there, and write about it for the magazine. see you on sunday.

out and about...

a 69er kind of shade.
i went to my parents house yesterday, and used the opprrtunity for a 2 hour ride on my old home turf- Horshim. the place is in the best shape now, and the ride is technical and agressive, just the way i like it. i miss that place...

in the past few weeks Erez and i were thinking of taking a serious commitment. somthing of the epic kind. a race with lots of miles and lots of climbing. as the 400 km came to a halt, we had to find somthing longer...

having no other choice (...) we had to sign up for the TransAlp stage race. this july wer'e heading for the ride of our lives, crossing the german, austrian and italian alps, in an 8 day blast through the mountains. yes, life is hard.

meanwhile, i'm getting ready for a few weekends of biking, with a mini DH race next saturday (a 29er? maybe...), and a 160 km off road race in 3 weeks time. singlespeed style...

family guy, the desert ride edition.

riding 360 kilometers with my family was a true adventure that proved a few things:
1. my family rocks.
2. riding a bike for such a long distance is a true mind test, and has less to do with your actual phisical ability.
3. the hardest thing about riding a bike, especially for new riders, is sitting on their butts on the thinly padded seat.
4. biking runs deep in our family's blood line.

Dor, my 11.5 year old nephew rode the whole thing...! 360 km of riding, 4 days straight. the guy kicks ass !!!

and this is the place to thank all the participants in this family adventure: Amiri, Hana, Avraham (daddy), Hen, Keren, Dor (king of the mountains...), Raz, Tamar, Tzachi,Shaked, Shahaf and last but not least, my love- Moran.

it was a truely epic ride, which got all our family closer, in a way that only bike riding can...

here's for the next trips.

out of reach...

sorry for not updating, its just that my internet is down.
back from the family road ride to eilat, and it was epic. pictures will come tomorrow...

and now, for somthing completely different...

Erez was kind enough to loan me his singlespeed 69er, with the prospect of me buying it. two rides were enough to understand that this is the snappiest, most unpredictable bike i have ever ridden. i want it.

its like trying to tame a wild horse... you move too fast, and it jumps to the side. its as stiff as hell, its raw. you move your weight to the back, and the front lifts off the ground. you turn and lean on the front, and the rear end slides...

its a new feeling, that i've never in my life felt on a bike. oh, and it is soooooo sooooo cool.

its exactly like Travis Brown described it: its the reverse mullet, a party at the front, all business in the back. perfect.

and she's free.... free falling.

jumping out of an aeroplane seems like an un-natural thing to do- being a human, having no wings and all... so sitting on the ledge of an aircraft, looking down at 4 km of air between you and the solid hard ground, is a strange experience. i mean, do you really have to jump?

and then you do it, and you're hanging in mid-air, falling like a brick at 200 km an hour, screaming your head off- and loving every minute of it. jumping out of an aeroplane is awesome... who would have thunk?

on wednesday wer'e starting our ride from tel aviv to eilat. its a family adventure. the weather does not seem to mind our plans, and it'll be windy and wet. now we'll see just how strong minded my family is. i think i'll be pleased.

out and about...

the weather is awesome these days, with sunny skies and semi-cold air. the late morning is the best time to ride, and so i do. my new superfly is a hoot, changing direction without the usual hesitation one might relate to a 29 inch bike. its also mighty rigid, and super light. 10 kg light...

tomorrow moran and i are going sky diving !!! we've never done this before, and are very excited. actually, my only concern is the shity aeroplane in which we are taken up up up, all the way to 12,000 feet. it has propellers, for crying out loud.

and next week most of my family and i are riding our bikes from Tel aviv to Eilat, on the road. its a 4 day adventure for all of us, following the tire marks left by my uncle Chanoch, who rode the same roads as we're about to ride- 51 years ago. Chanoch did it single speed...

i wonder where he got that idea from...

back to the real world...

the days after the non-400 km race felt empty. it was a real anti-climax. so getting back on track seems like the best thing to do. hence- i went riding...

the last rains did good for the shrubbery, that seems like it had been waiting for ages for the water to pour down on it. its beautiful.

the shap likes it green. yes, he likes it really green.

it's so sad, that it's funny...

without getting into details... we were fast, felt great, and were stopped after 150 km because it is not allowed to ride in those areas at night.
i'll say it once, i'll say it loud: FUCK.
sorry for the bad language...

choose your weapon.

so... 2 days to D-day, and i'm feeling it. the tension is in the air, no doubt, but i know that once i embark on the 400 km journey, it will all fade away. it will only be the desert, the bike, my body.

it will be the place i love the most, the machine on which i spend my days, and the machine that i am. actually, its rather simple, isn't it?

Erez is most definitely ready. lets hit the road !!

i can see clearly now...

the rain has gone. it was one hell of a rain period. but, being israel- its already hot these days. moran and i are heading for the Kineret (the sea of galilee) for the annual "ride around the Kineret" event. its a 65 km ride, with thousends of participants.

a re-production...

today is exactly one year since i first met moran. i knew right away she would be my wife. here's for the years to come. love you babe.

anyway, this is the last week before the 400 km race- the biggest and most grueling bike event (or endurance event, for that matter) to have ever been done in israel.

and- i actually have a racing partner. its the man and the legend- Erez Haiun, my old 100 mile race partner. he's fit, he's hungry, he's fast. my 24 hours estimated riding time seems a little conservative right about now... how about 20 hours? hmmm.

its raining, man!!

the rain does not seem to stop. the 100 km race was cancelled due to the weather, but i managed to find a 5 hour gap to squeeze a 5 hour ride through... i'm not in the shape i really wanted to be before the 400 km race, but that's life, isn't it?

today i went on an easy ride with my singlespeed. the bike was a mud fest, but it got as clean as a whistle when the hard rain started to pour from the sky. my god, its like buckets of water thrown right at my face...

i want some sun. that's it.

sceptic israeli.

now, being an israeli, and knowing the israeli weather, allow me to be VERY sceptic when it comes to the weather forecast. they said it would rain. alot. which means...

... it will not rain. at all. and if it does rain, it would only get the edges of the trees, the roofs and the very top layer of the ground a little wet. and being an israeli, it also means i'm never wrong. ever.

so now our yard is a big swimming pool, mud is all over the place, and we can't get out of the house without getting soaked... good thing wer'e going down south.

thing is, i forgot that the weatherman is also an israeli guy. which means he's never, ever wrong. hmmm...

going bi-color...

it's been a while since i really "trained" on my bike, so going out and logging the hours in the saddle was hard at first. but in the last two weeks i gave it a boost, and now i actually feel rather fast. two weeks ago, just finishing a 5 hour ride was hard, and left me tired and frustrated. in the last 3 days i rode 18 hours total- and i feel great. good.

this weekend wer'e going down south for the "sde boker 100". i'll ride my 9.9 singlespeed, and i think i'll do good. i'll ride a steady pace, and try to go faster every lap.

and finally, the rain is here. its not cold, by any means, but the single tracks have been crying for some water streaming down them.

here's for some cloudy days.

mt. Hermon singlespeed climb...

friday, 6am. a silent group of mountainbikes starts the long climb up the highest mountain in israel. the bikes are silent, alright, but the riders are anything but... this group is an amazing gathering of people of all ages, and all parts of society. they are really the best of the best.

the climb itself seems easier and easier each time i do it. i'm there for the vibe. for the guys (and girl...), for the experience.

the single speed commune has become the most vibrant and lively group of riders in the israeli biking scene, and it all started with one guy- Ilan Carmel. the man celebrated his birthday on friday, by climbing up the Hermon on his SS, with the group he had gathered up. respect.

and mazal tov, Ilan.

this week will be about more riding hours, and a 100 km race on saturday, which i'll ride aboard my Singlespeed. maybe i'll wipe the dust off my 9.9 racebike.

maybe.

fall events.

the next weekends are packed full of events and rides. this weekend is the Hermon singlespeed climb, and a night with my babe on the Kineret's beach. next weekend is the Sde Boker 100- a weekend for the soul...

Moran and i will go down to sde boker, and spend the night in a tent over there. in the morning we will ride our separate ways- moran heading for a ride through the scenic roads of the area, and i will race the 100km race on my singlespeed. awesome.

and the weekend after that is the Ride Around The (what used to be) Galilee sea. ofcourse we can't miss that, right? see you down the trails, i guess.

new bike day..!

oh, the joy of the new bike day... just got my new ride- a 2009 gary fisher superfly. its sweeeet.
ofcourse i put it right away on a little diet. i switced the seatpost, handle bars, cassette, cranks, seat and tires. now it weighs a respectable- 10.17 kg. again- sweeeeeeeeeeeet.

so next week is a big one, with lots of riding. this saturday will see me riding a 7 hour pre\race\post race ride, and on tuesday- a 5 hour desert ride. on the weekend i will (maybe) climb up the Hermon mt. with the singlespeed gang, and ride back home the day after the climb. here comes the pain.

and moran and i managed to squeeze awesome trip up north on tuesday.

life is good. yeah. good.

well, back to reality...

so. here i am, a full month before the longest ride of my life, and i feel a little out of shape. the wedding preparations and all, you know...

so i built myself a little training plan. a two week ride-your-bike-as-much-as-you-can, and go to sleep early kind of plan. its working. i do go to sleep early.

and i am hungry all the time, so it must say something about my riding. it also might just say that i'm about to get fat.

here comes the bride...

okay, so that's it... wer'e married. now i can tell that we gave away 150 bike bells, so that the guests would use them as we went down the aisle... except i did not walk... i rode my trek 9800 down the aisle, to the sounds of Queen's song- bicycle race. it was awesome.

moran walked down the aisle, looking like the princess that she is. this is a picture i took, standing under the chupa, waiting to kiss my wife.

the braking of the glass symbolises that, still, not everything is perfect in the world. it also symbolises the end of an era, and the beginning of a new one.

and this is where i stand. where we stand...

welcome to the new world.

even a 1000 mile trip...

that's it. its the end of an era for me, and the beginning of a new chapter. i never thought that closing the lid on my single life would look and feel so right and easy, but it is...

next ride will be a married man's ride.

its the same ride, only different.

5 days to go...

so... its five days to D day. i'm not that excited just yet, but i know i will be. seeing moran wearing her wedding dress and all... my best friend, lior, is flying in from LA, in order to be my best man at the wedding.

yom kipur went well, and we managed to squeeze a few rides. we even rode all the way to Haifa, and moran went up to the city through the Freud climb. the girl got strong legs and will....

so, the yesterday i embarked on an epic road ride, which i had wanted to last around 8 hours. i rode up beit oren, down nesher, through tivon, ramat ishai, and through afula. i rode down to the jordan valley, and than up the gilboa mountains. came back through afula and ended up cramping like hell in yokne'am. moran had to pick me up. still, i managed around 170 km. got to buy some isotonic drinks... i was out of salt in my body. well...

random thoughts...

as this is yom kipur evening, i thought it would be best to ask for the forgiveness of every person whom might have been offended by me. sorry, it was not intentional...

Uri and Michal got married on friday, and their wedding was one of the best i've ever attended. music, friends, food... it had it all.

on saturday morning i raced a mini down-hill race in ben shemen. the course was rather tricky, with lots of technical elements in its first half, and lots of pedalling in its second... i did not have any full suspension rig on test for the mag, so i chose the superfly 29er... it proved to be pretty fast, and i finished 6th overall, 4.5 seconds off the winner's time.

i love riding bikes, and love the idea of blasting a 2 minute race, as much as i like riding 400 km
in the desert. bikes is god's gift to man-kind.

fall.

the days of scorhing heat are over. fall is here.

one can actually wake up at 9 AM and ride till noon. which exactly what i plan on doing in the next 2 months. a 400 km race means more than 20 hours of riding, and being able to sit on the thinly padded seat is a built in requirement.

i'm about to get my new bike... an 09' gary fisher superfly. i think i'm about to put it through my regular "pimp my ride" treatment, though, as i find it a little heavier than i want.

tantan is in his regular mode. sound asleep.

back to business...

coming back from vacation is proving harder than i thought, but there's no escape from the daily grind. so here i am, writing bike tests for the mag, getting ready for the afternoon ride...

and speaking of rides, i must put on some more hours. last week i rode 3 hours all in all... on the other hand, i got married, and had a wonderful vacation with my babe. you gotta live a little, don't you?

hummer sucks.

wedding bells...

that's it. wer'e married !!! ofcourse its official now, but it will be even more official after the wedding in israel, infront of all our friends and family. still, putting the ring on moran's finger was a very exciting moment.

we spent the remaining days on the island traveling around in the mountains, exploring the beaches and resting. it was an awesome vacation.

knowing that moran is my wife, and that she's the woman i'm going to spend my life with makes me the happiest man on earth. this girl makes me smile.

i mean, look at her...

the clock is ticking. . . . . . . .

moran and i are packed, and on tuesday morning wer'e off to Cyprus to get married, and have a little vacation while wer'e there. this is all so exciting. i'll be a married man in two day's time !!!

yes. next post will be a married man's post. hmmm.

woooooohooooooooooo!!!!!!

racing time...

i have not raced in a while, and as a part of preparing for the 400 km race, i want to log on some hard long hours in tha saddle. so i'm using my gary fisher rig, 29er singlespeed as the race bike for tomorrow's 60 km marathon race. i'll ride back home from the race in order to complete at least 100 km...

anyway, moran and i are getting all our errands done, so we'll have the time to really get excited before the big day, without all the running around. i think we work extremely well together. good, since wer'e about to get married, you know.i thought this was funny...

that's all folks.

the journey continues...

the preparations for the 400 km race started this saturday, with a 165 km ride aboard the gary fisher superfly i have as a test bike for the mag. it was an awesome ride, which started at 05:30 in the morning, and ended at 13:30 in the afternoon.

i think it was about 20 km too long... i finished it riding on fumes. the summer heat is killing me.

'decided to ride 2 long rides every week- saturday and tuesday, and in between- easy rides, with some intervals. you know, whatever the road brings.

i love riding bikes for a living.

summer in the city...

moran and i did some wedding shopping in tel aviv. together with my sister, maya, we hit the designer shops, and tried out some clothing for the groom, yours truly. needless to say, it was a tiring experience.

this is a red haired girl trying to convince me to buy a full suit. the whole shabbang. it was an unfruitful attempt. eventually, i did find the perfect wedding clothing. so no worries- i'll be dressed.

this is how most tel avivians look. they walk around with their helmets on, with no bike nor motorbike in sight. they're weird.

the 400 km race training is not working according to plan (if there ever was one...), but i truly think that a 20 hour race is mostly in your head, rather than in your legs. so, my legs are not there, but my mind is healty. or sick- depending on your point of view.

boys will be boys...

friday morning, 04:30 AM, and i'm on my way up north. 06:45, and we're on our way, climbing mt.hermon. we were riding rather easily, so the 100 km ride went very smooth... the weather was alright in the early morning, but got worse by noon time, when we rode down the mountain, greeting us with 35 degrees in the valley. all in all- a great ride, with great people.

and then- it was bachelor party time. Itay is getting married in two weeks, so all of our friends (male friends, of course...) gathered up north, slept on a river bank, ate meat like there was no tomorrow (and there was), and then, the next morning we ate some more.

oh, and we drank. and farted. yep, a hard weekend for my stomach.

one week at a time.

this whole weekly method of counting the days is very confusing. riding your bike for a living won't leave you time for real vacations, so the weekend is actually a work day. yet, it doesn't ever feel like a job. cool, eh?

this weekend i'm off to my friend's Itay bachelor party, up north. so, i'm taking my road bike with me, and i intend to climb the Hermon mountain. if i feel right, i might even climb it twice. who knows?

this is a pic from the last time i was there... that time i was with the singlespeed gang. it was the day after i met moran for the first time...

clear blue skies- november 7th. israeli winter.

a new interest...

i think i really like cooking. ever since i moved in with moran, i've been working on my cooking skills. its all still very simple, ofcourse, but i think moran sees my inner chef... that's why she bought me this David's cooking apron. i use it all the time.

the 400 km race date was published yesterday. november 13. its a friday. which makes it friday the 13th... spookey.

and... i got a new bike for a magazine test. its a gary fisher superfly. and it does just that... it flies.

back on track...

these past two weeks were spent on the single speed. every ride i did was aboard my gary fisher rig 29er single speed, and i love this bike. you know, i think 29ers are about to take over the biking world, regardless of how tall (or short...) you are.

yesterday i had a blast, riding with Keren, after a long long time. the girl kicks ass.

this weekend is a big question mark, biking wise. team CCC is heading up north for a big road ride... but i'm all into my singlespeed offroad adventures. what will it be?

stay tuned for scenes from our next episode.

i'm back !

my past few days were spent out of the house, in a kids training camp, while moran was sick at home. with all the media talking about the crazy flu going around, maybe it was for the best, being out of the house... at least moran is feeling better now.

the viscious israeli sun is hitting hard this summer, and no rider can escape the aweful consequences of being bi-coloured. my legs are especially heinous these days. no, really, kids are pointing at me and cry whenever i go to the beach. i think i will never ever be able to get the colours right again. a small price to pay, i say, in order to keep doing what i like best. yep.

just in time...

the weekend couldn't come sooner. it's been a crazy week, ranging from personal rides to training rides to wedding plans and meetings and magazine work. being an adult is hard. night time sleep is for the weak.

every friday morning moran and i leave the house at sunrise, and go ride with the women's group that i coach. these girls kick ass !!

this sunday i'm off to a kids training camp in Neve Shalom. its a three day fun ride, and the kids love being away from home, living, talking and breathing mountain bikes.

its the greatest sport ever.

a better place...

the news is all about the awful things that happen around us, that its sometimes hard to see the beautiful world we live in. moran and i do not have a TV in our house. that makes it so much easier noticing the good things...

and there are so many...

post number 500 !!!

this is the 500th post... how time flies. what started out as a road trip blog for my last US racing season, has now transformed into a real life blog. you are following not only my riding adventures, but also my ups and downs, my thoughts and love life... its all here.

and being that this is post number 500, i am really excited. some times i find myself looking at the world through a blogger's eye, thinking "is this blog meterial?". well, most of the time it is- and you get it all right here.

i want to thank all of my readers, and there are more than i ever dreamed of. thanx for taking a look at my life. our life...

here's to the next 500.

blogging blockage.

somtimes i find it hard to write a post in the blog. its not that there's nothing going on in my life, its just that its not always in me, writing about it in the blog. thing is, i feel obliged to do so, mostly because i have alot of readers, just like you...

the other day i saw a "kermit" on the road, just like mine. i wonder if his A\C isn't working well, just like mine, and the electric windows refuse to work- just like mine, and if the gearbox stick falls apart right out of its place- just like mine does. i love this car.

a soldier in the army of singletrack builders, ofcourse.

life. work. wedding. biking.

in between rides, work and writing, moran and i actually find the time to work on our wedding. you know what? there's alot to do, but it is much simpler than i thought it would be...

racing those short XC races is not as fun as it used to be for me. i enjoy the looooooooong races so much better. under five hours? huh!

yes, i would like one of those, please. to go.

i sense a trend...

just got a new awesome bike for a magazine test. it has almost all the things i like in a bike, folded into a package. its a chromoly frame, a 29er and it has no suspension. the only downside is that it has 27 gears. 26 too many...
its a GT peace, btw.

went to the "knights of the big wheel" event, and it was one for the books. alot of true bike lovers. we were riding in groups, in some of the best trails in israel, looking like the 29er gang.

then we had water melons and beer, and then it was food time. and beer. then everyone gathered for a 29 inch Q&A, and i took a (small) part in answering the burning questions.

i think i'm the only one with a regular headset top. that makes me very special...

back to business...

i'm riding again, but with this heat, i actually wish i couldn't... maybe its just me, or the fact that i'm getting older, but i feel like this summer is hotter than ever.

it might be the fact that i've spent the last 4 summers in colorado, or in canada. israeli summer sucks.

this thursday i'm about to attend a super cool event, called "the knights of the big wheel", and its all about 29 inch bikes. we will ride, eat, and as a dedicated 29 rider, i will be a part of a panel that answers questions about the benefits of the big wheels. the benefits? both the US marathon nationals, AND the XC nationals this year were won aboard a 29 inched wheeled bike.

would YOU like to convert?

if life gives you lemons...

just make a lemonade. which i did. not being able to ride for a few days has its benefits. moran and i went for a trip up north, that did not involve any bike related activities. it was rather refreshing...

even though its mighty hot outside, the water in the streams is cold and wet. wetter then regular water. or not.

the contrast between the dry and deserty(ish) Golan heights, and the green and lush valley below is striking. anyway, it was awesome sleeping out of the house, and in a tent, on a river bank. we should do it more often...

tomorrow is the israeli mtb nationals, in which i do not take part. i'll go watch, though, and see them suffer in the scorching heat, dirty from the dust, fighting for a better position. i wish i were there...

i'm okay, but it hurts...

well, nothing's broken, as the good doctor said, but i'm out for a while... no riding for me. or moving fast, for that matter. i hope to be back on a road bike soon enough.

meanwhile we are working on the wedding plans, as i try not to breath too much. breathing hurts.

so... no israeli championship for me. the next big race, as far as i'm concerned, is the 400 km, un-assisted desert race in november. i will have to log alot of road hours, so messing up my chest bones was not that bad, afterall...

another long weekend.

no pictures yet, but if i did have my USB cable, you would see me sitting on the sofa, breathing slowly, as one of left ribs is a little cracked. a long story, which has nothing to do with bikes.
i went go carting. someone bumped into me. hard.
i won, though...
was it worth it? hmm... i was sure of it last night. but now? not so much.

sorry...

sorry for not updating that much these days. its just that i'm rather busy. AND my camera USB cable went M.I.A... anyway, i've been around. i even got to ride in the desert a yesterday, riding the climb from the bottom of the Ramon crater to the city of Mitzpe ramon. three times. hmm...

on saturday morning i'm racing again. XC, sweat and gears.

a happy family...

the summer is here, in all its glory, and tantan spends most of his days outside, sleeping in the sun. then he comes in, eats, sleeps a little in the house, and goes out again to sleep outside. moran says he's a nocturnal animal, but he and I both know he sleeps through the night, too. nonstop. bastard.

its a big bottle. really. and moran was thirsty. really.

anyway, i'm tired after the hard weekend, having ridden not only the race on friday, but a hard off-road 4 hour ride on my single speed on saturday morning. rigid. my body aches.

but i'm happy.

another weekend...

racing is hard !!! the race went well, considering... i finished sixth, but actually felt quite slow. i had fun being back in the game, though...anyway, this one is in the books. next.

next weekend there's another XC race, while all our israeli racing heroes are abroad for the european championship. the shap will be there, too, and this is the place to wish him good luck- kick some euro butts.

this blog is reaching 5000 readers world wide, and counting. check out the map on the upper right screen (click on it...), and you'll see what i mean.

i wish i spoke more languages other than hebrew and english. deutsch would be cool. and yaman.

anyway...

tomorrow will see me getting up early, heading for the race, and race on the wicked championship cours... it's not the real thing just yet, but it will be in two weeks time. this is the last chance to have a go on the fast lap, and see how i feel about the coming race.

meanwhile, moran and i went to the food festival, and i ate like there is no tomorrow... indian, french, italian, anything goes. mmm...

well. yes.

getting closer...

i think my fitness is gradually climbing back to where i want it to be. i mean, i'm not about to win the championship, but i think i might be pretty fast. meanwhile, kermit (my green beauty) was at the shop again. they finally fixed my a\c so i can close the windows and enjoy the cool air from the vents.

yeah, right.

ofcourse...

road racing? surely not...

moran got my bottles ready for the race, by making the H that was written on them, into an H&M with little hearts...

since i almost never race on the road, i only got my '09 number plates this morning. well, the race was interesting, and i felt pretty good, but having no experience in road racing got me caught up in the back of the field towards the end of the race. also, i was fricking scared of all the movement within the peloton. its like a giant beast that moves all over the road. i was holding my heandlebars like it was glued to my hands.

and here he is- your '09 U23 israeli national champion- the Shap.

good job, kid.

finding the drive...

i find it very hard to have the inner drive to go out and train hard. its a thing i used to do each and every morning for years, but now it seems so hard just to get out of bed. i mean, i do ride, but i train other people, and let myself cut the corners...

this weekend is the israeli road national championship, and i'm participating in order to help the team, and as a part of my training plan for the mountainbike championship, which is 3 weeks away. i will race every weekend 'till then. i hope it works.

deja vu...

ah... there's nothing like training hard in the confines of your living room. the air-conditioning is on, a fan is circulating the room's sweaty air. your legs burn from lactic-acid, and your jaw hurts from pushing yourself to the limit. i've been here many times before, but have not done it in a long while. i'm not sure i've missed it, though...

updating again...

sorry for not updating that much lately... you see, i'm a working man. and when your work is biking all the time, that means you are also rather tired most of the time, which i am. but hey, i'm here, and your'e here- just keep on reading. BTW, this is me during last week's rigid-downhill-race eexperience. wicked.

anyway, in order to take care of my dwindeling racing fitness, i actually asked for a 4 week training program. it's meant to make a whole lot faster, comes championship day, in (drum roll...............)- 4 weeks. so- its training season. this means powermeter training, uphill intervals, early morning feasts and a sore bum. bring-it-on.

look 'ma, its a jelly-fish-chasing-yeti.

its okay, its a catch and release fishing site. huh!

dream theater !!!

the best show on earth... these guys are amazing. each and every one of them is a master of his profession, and together they create the ultimate progressive rock super group.

fuck yeah!!

it was the day everyone pulled out their black T-shirts. i've never seen that so many black T's...

i think the band was surprised by the amount of people showing up. i think there were like gazilionkajilion people. rock.

and then...

on friday afternoon, as the alcohol defused out of my body, and my knees stopped aching from dancing in the wedding, i had an XC race in horshim forest. i rode so slowly!!! i was pretty fast in the first two laps, but the heat killed me. i finished 2nd. needless to say- there were only two of us...

i felt so tired after the race, but because i wanted to race the downhill race on saturday, i had to live like a real downhiller, and went out to party in tel aviv 'till 3 AM. i even ate at 2 in the morning. party, downhill style...

and then i woke up and raced my 29 inch, single speed rigid bike on the downhill course. it was w-i-c-k-e-d. i didn't finish last! i'll find some pictures from the race and will post them later on.

MAZAL TOV!!!

Ofri and Dror are married... its the first wedding in a summer full of weddings. i think we'll handle them all...

dror was excited as i had never seen before. good.

i love weddings.

wer'e getting ready for our own...

a busy weekend...

after kermit has amazingly passed its annual test, we can start the crazy weekend. its Dror and Ofri's wedding tonight, and we formed a wedding band for the occasion. it'll be funny as hell...
so tonight wer'e going to dance like the drunk people we will probably be.

tomorrow i'm racing an xc race in Horshim forest. its my first geared race in a long while, and i'll be riding it with a hangover. it'll be interesting.

and on saturday there's a mini DH race, again, in Horshim. i'm going to race that one, too, but with a little twist. i'm racing my 29 inch, rigid singlespeed.

'nuff said.

the heat is on...

i have to admit it- i'm a sweater. i sweat all the time, and when i ride, drops of sweat pour down from the top of my head into my eyes. when i put some pressure on the helmet, buckets of sweat leave my head and fall straight on the ground. i s-w-e-a-t.

so, its no surprise that this heat and humidity wave are killing me. biking clothes are wet to the core, and riding gloves are washed after every ride.
i need to live in colorado. moran would approve.

a new week.

so, another week has passed, with lots of riding, on and off road. i even put in three (!!) hard workouts of my own, so maybe i'll get in shape sometime soon. i do ride very fast on technical downhills...

'took Moran, my sister Keren and her friend, Hen, on a singletrack ride. it was hot as hell, but they really seemed to enjoy the trails. it was Hen's first ride in the singletracks, and i quote: "i think i'm inlove"...

anyway, 'been thinking alot about the 400 km race i'm about to do in november. i'm sooo excited to do it. i'm considering building a light 29 singlespeed for the event. maybe a "superfly" gary fisher. maybe.

training time. or not.

this weekend, the israeli single speed gang is climbing mt.hermon for the third time... (or is it the fourth?). i can't really ride with them, 'cause i don't want to overload my knee...

so i'm riding a little more on my road bike. a few days ago i went on a ride with Asaf, moran's brother in law. the guy used to be on the israeli national team, about 14 years ago. his bike is from the same era. i love it.

so i'm actually finding the time to train a little, in between coaching. good. the israeli national championships (road and off road) are approaching, and i don't want to ride like a snale. which i do at the moment.

bachelor party #1

this weekend was spent upnorth, chillin' on a river bank with some good friends, celebrating dror's bachelor party. it was a happy happy party, with lots of drinks, and a freezing cold water stream.

being that we have quite a few weddings this summer, this will be the first bachelor party post. there will be others,you can be rest assured...

tal is showing off some lifting techniqes he learned, living in be'er sheva. 65 kilograms of biking bones, fat and muscles were lifted easily. the guy is seriously buffed.

so...

my knee is a little out of order, but its not that bad. i can even ride the yeti 575 i got for a month's test for the magazine. i won't race this weekend, though...

the weather has been pretty nice, and riding in the mornings or in the afternoons feels great. the winds are a little high, and under a tree's shade it might feel like an autumn day.

got my ear pierced. yes.

biking's in the blood.

riding your bike has no age. people who love biking will ride whatever, where ever... just give them a road, provide them the right bike- and they're off.

thats why so many riders came to the wheels of hope ride on saturday. they share a passion, a simple one.

and that's why Efraim, the coolest 82 year old person i've ever met, was there. he rides non stop. 6 years ago he rode the "cross israel road ride"- a three day, north to south event. awesome. ofcourse, he was so young back then...

mmm, mmm, mmm....

on friday afternoon i got a new angle of my girl, watching her working as a rock climbing guide...
hot, hot, hot.

and then she showed me how to climb... i love this girl.

and saturday morning saw us riding with another 10,000 (!!!) riders, on the wheels of hope ride. i've never ridden with so many people, and the waves of riders were truly and utterly amazing.

another weekend is in the books. or blog...

weekend warriors...

it's been another weekend of cycling, but with a twist. it started out on friday morning, with a single speed ride of the wicked singletracks of the area.

all the usual suspects of the israeli single speed community were there in full strength. the vibe was as good as the singletracks. good.

tantan likes it fresh.

out and about...

i've been working non stop, coaching, training and such... but i managed to find the time and put some workouts for my self.

i even think i'm about to get in shape...

eat that, cute, fat cow!!

wheels of hope.

this saturday wer'e attending a benefit ride called "wheels of hope", which raises money for a non profit organization called "challanges".

"challenges" aim is to help children and people with special needs, take a part in extreme sports, such as diving, riding, rock climbing etc. and be an active part of society.

my father has been volunteering for "challenges" in the past few years, and moran works there for a few years now. so, this saturday my brother and his kid, my sister and her kid, my father, nephew, and moran and i are joining the ride.

i'm getting my 9800 ready and clean for the occasion...

spirit of ecstasy...

this heat wave is killing me, and having no gas in my car's (kermit) aircon makes me sweat like a pig. i had to do somthing about it.

so i went to fill some gas in the thing, and i happened to park aside a rare 57' silver shadow rolls royce. the contrast between my green ugly kermit and this beauty was staggering, to say the least. it had no aircon, though.... ha ha.

meanwhile, i've been working on making my muscles look bigger. this is not my leg, because its not working for me... also, my leg is mighty hairy these days, so i'll spare you the picture.

mmmmmm..... falafel.

style.

my favourite band is coming to israel in a month, and i'm soooo excited. on june 16th, i'll wear some kind of a black shirt (maybe my "one is all you need" singlespeed shirt), and go loose my voice.

meanwhile, wedding season is officially here, and our friends are starting to get married one by one (or two by two, for that matter). its also a good opportunity for us to pick and choose some wedding looks of our own.

mawhawk style is back, people. sid vicious would no doubt approve.

path finding...

i've been trying to find the balance between riding as a trainer\coach and as a pro rider. it's proving to be harder than i thought... i'm tired from spending alot of hours in the saddle as a trainer, and its hard to push my own hard workouts in between. damn.

i reckon two\three short and intense workouts a week will do, but its a challenge finding the time to squeeze it in.

anyway, we are starting to get the hang of preparing a wedding, and this is the time to thank all the blog commenters for their kind words. thank you all...

out and about.

sorry for not updating that much, i'm rather busy, you see... i'm riding alot. 2 hours of riding in the morning (training people) and another two in the evening... talk about hours in the saddle.

anyway, i've started doing some hard workouts and

a. i'm out of shape.

b. its fricking hard.

c. it hurts.

d. i'm out of shape.

give me three weeks of this, and i'll race ya'.

maybe i'm inlove or somthing, but things that come in pairs look like they were meant to be together...

party time.

today we had loads of friends in our back yard, celebrating our new house and our engagement. i woke up early in the morning, and went riding in the hills.

special occasions call for special means, so i took out my vintage 9800 beauty for a ride. it was the first time i rode it in the singletracks. a-w-e-s-o-m-e !!! i don't really like the fact that it gets dirty, though...

last week i had lots of riding hours, but no hard workouts. next week i have to put in some intense intervals, otherwise, i think i'll watch my physical fitness going down the hill, literally...

LOVE IS ALL U NEED.

it's been exactly 6 months to the day, since i met moran. this is the first ever picture i've taken of her. i knew right away...

alot has happened since. we have been abroad, we have moved in together, we became best friends. we're inlove...

and this is us now. a couple. tell you what- i'm the happiest man alive.

tell you somthing else- we're getting married !!!

woooooohooooooo!!

more than 3000 readers- bring on the comments...

how time flies...

this weekend, a year ago, i was riding in moab, utah. how things have changed since then. i mean, the riding continues, but i have to admit- the scenery isn't quite the same...

i know i'll ride there again some day soon, but meanwhile, i will have to settle for some israeli singletracks. i do miss the "porcupine rim" trail, though.

the shity weather (sand storms, heat wave and gusty winds) makes me miss the muddy winter days. anyway- i've been riding more and more, and there are some more races coming. i'm way out of shape, but i'm not in a hurry. time is on my hand. or leg...

singlespeed race sum.

http://http://www.sport5.co.il/articles.aspx?FolderID=966&docID=58239&lang=HE
the guys from channel 5 were there, making a short video of the race. check it out :)

hmmm...

to the victor go the spoils...

as good as it gets.

the race was awesome, and the start line was filled with hungry (and half drunk) singlespeeders. the race course was brutal, with lots of climbs, and loads of singletracks. just as it should be. 88 riders raced, and the vibe was somthing that only singlespeeders can create.

the meat was served at 8 in the morning, and beer was passed around at 7 am. time and time again these people show me how love for biking can create a community. how the search for a new challange attracts even more people. biking at its essence.

the shap and i won the race by an "acceptable" margin, and splashed beer all over the place.

the fricking sports channel was there !! comes to show you where the real interest lives...

bike's ready.

it took some work, but the 9.9 is ready. i love this bike. anyway, my whole body is sore from playing frisbee on the beach with moran yesterday. flying discs are awesome. its like magic, i'm telling you.

the shap is having some problems with the army, and i hope he'll get it sorted before the race, otherwise i won't be able to race.

on saturday i have some more recordigs with the band in tel aviv. i'll try to squeeze a few hour's ride before playing the drums.

race time. or not.

moving around.

i've been driving alot in the last few days, so its a good thing my car has been running trouble free. well, except for the air conditioning. its dead.

i've also been running around, trying to gather some stuff in order to get my 9.9 singlespeed ready in time for friday's "dead cow challange". a new set of tires, a new chain tensioner and such. it'll be ready.

and oogie just finished building his dream house. a spacious one bedroom house in the suburbs, with a big front yard and some flowers. the dog's living the dream...

life is all around us.

my week has been trouble free, knee wise, and i've been logging on the hours. i think i even ride fairly fast. not shap fast, but fast nontheless. a few more weeks of some long hours, and i'm back, baby!

meanwhile, moran and i are enjoying life, working around the house, and going really late to bed. thank god for afternoon power naps.

and this beautiful belly gave birth to my new niece three days ago. congrats to tami, chen and the kids for their newest edition to the family. we love you, and wish you the very best.

full speed ahead...

my knee is totally fine, and i'm back on track. next weekend- the dead cow challange in horshim forest. a couple's singlespeed race. the course is awesome and technical...

and it makes me very happy indeed. the shap will be my racing partner. hope he's up to it. ha!

and moran and i stumbled upon this little guy. nature is so weird.

riding time.

so... i rode my road bike for the first time in a long while. climbed the beit oren climb, and what do you know, i feel great. i even ride pretty fast.

after 2 hours of road riding i thought, "enough is enough", and hopped on my mountain bike for some real riding. it was awesome. there is nothing like mountain biking. its the real thing.

tantan is all over the place these days, sleeping in every conceivable area of the hose. 16 hours a day. like a pro athlete...

i'm still here...

got on my bike for the first time today. what a joy ! after my butt stopped aching, i could actually enjoy the scenery. in just a few days, everything turned from bright green into bright yellow.

riding the service roads around here, you can see the fields almost ready to be reaped. its a wonderful thing... it also signals that the summer is really here. shit.

and our house feels like home. every little corner has somthing hanging off of it, every wall has a different color to it and we enjoy sitting in the afternoons, watching tantan ignoring all the cats in the neighborhood.

tomorrow- a road ride. 3 hours will do.

where i've been...

being that i can't really ride these days, i went watching the haifa international race. it was a beautiful day today, and alot of riders attended the event. it wasn't the shap's greatest race though...

he was up there in third, 'till a stupid crash took him down and made him eat some dirt... still- i'd rather race and crash, than not racing at all.

well, i'll go write somthing. i can't ride anyway.

rrrrrrrrr.....

deja vu...

fuck.
i managed to bump my right knee into the stem screws. exactly at the same place my last injury was... its ice intervals all over again. no race, of course...
now i have time to translate for the magazine.
fuck.

trip.

wer'e going out for an over night trip, with all the camp fire, guitar, dirt and camping. havn't done that in a while, so i'm a little excited.

of course i know it will make me tired, with the coming race and all, but my race abilities are a little low anyway these days... i'll wing it.

holiday time...

i've spent the last few days eating meat. really. i think i ate like 3 kilograms...

the weather is getting hotter and hotter, and riding time has to be in the early morning or late afternoon. but who am i to complain, huh? i am thankful for being able to ride at all.

tantan likes tomatoes. nuff' said.

anyway, i have an xc race this weekend- the first Haifa international mtb race. it will take place on the course of next year's european mtb championship. i'm going to take it easy, as i'm getting back into shape, so i do not have any high expectations.

here comes the pain... (#435)

and....... i'm spent.

maybe riding the whole week on my mountain bike was a mistake. i am soooooo tired. it doesn't help that yesterday i fell hard on my ass's left cheek, and my body is all stiff like a corps.

AND i broke my right side egg beater 4ti pedal(on an uphill !!). it has a rider's weight limit of 85 kilograms. i weigh 65 on a heavy day... conclusion- i am way too strong.

today our families were here in our house, for a house warming, BBQ and some beer. the weather was awesome, and the meat was juicy. the yard was a great playground for the kids... here's amit, taking spiderman aviv for a ride.

riding the wave...

okay, so i'm back on the bike, and riding every day. my road bike has no use, as i ride my mountainbikes all the time. i'm still taking it easy- single speed wise- so i ride my geared bike.

come to think of it, i do not have enough geared bikes. my vintage 9800 does not like dust, so my 8500 is ridden daily. anyway, the passover eve was great, and we ate like pigs. kosher pigs.

the gate to carbon heaven...

tomorrow- a 4 hours ride. wooohooo...

honey... i'm home!!

i'm back from the training camp, and happy to say that my knee is back in the game!! so now, i'm racking up the hours again. some hard training will do wonders for my soul...

this is Elmo's friend, whom i caught reading an EVO car magazine, while one hand was not to be seen... i think his face says it all.

its passover tomorrow eve, and this is the place to wish everybody a happy and kosher (?!) holiday. happy trails...

chasing time...

after moran and i spent the weekend up north (which was awesome...), i'm packing my stuff and heading down south, for a team training camp. this time- as a coach. its a kids training camp, and its great for me, as i need alot of easy hours on the bike. next post- kids on bikes.

baby steps...

well, i'm back. after three weeks of deteriorating fitness, i took my bike for a first ride. it did not hurt at all, and i'm starting to put some hours on. next week- 20 hours, the week after- a little more...

i missed riding so much... my legs felt a little slow, and my heart rate was through the roof, but hey- who am i to complain?

by the way, the only continent in which i don't have any readers is africa. so if someone you know is going over there for a visit, give him my blog adress- then i will have world domination.

use the force.

this is my knee over there, hiding under some wired electrodes. i actually think it helps.

and all the while, my readers count is growing and growing. 1796 readers in a little under 2 months. its amazing in my eyes, as i don't really promote it out of israel. how you guys reach my blog, is beyond me.

feeling heavy...

being in top form, and then not riding for three weeks feels like a full bath, drained of its water: unusable, sad and empty. it will take a while to get back to form, but then again, time is all i have.

its a shame, as i really wanted to race some upcoming events. meanwhile, i'm trying to get my knee better, by cooling it, heating it, electrocuting it and talking to it.

it doesn't efect my drumming abilities, so the show went great, without any big misshaps... it was even pretty crowded.

full stop.

that's it. i am taking a whole week off the bike. this damn knee thing does not want to go away, so i'm planning on locking the bikes garage door, and giving moran the keys. otherwise, i'm afraid i won't be able to control my bike craving...

cry baby...

i know i sound like a cry baby, but my knee is doing pretty bad, thank you. trying to ride doesn't seem to work, so i rest. i don't like resting.

went to my friend's dan back yard, for an awesome jam. it was like dreadlock heaven over there... this is dreadlock mountain. its just outside hippie town.

and to finish off our house's look, moran and i went to ikea. its jenius, but somehow it bugs me that every living room or kitchen, look like there is someone really living there, and every part of their house has a price ticket on it... capitalism at its worst.

back in the saddle?

moran and i went for an easy ride today, as the sun came out from behind those nasty rain clouds. i wanted to show moran the shortest way to the beach, 'cause, you know, the summer is coming...

my knee felt a little better, i guess, but i need to push a little harder in order to see if there's real progress. tomorrow, maybe.

my show will take place on sunday, the 29th, in a place called "sublime", on salame st. (number 53) in tel aviv. the show starts at 20:30.

be there, or be... somwhere else, i guess.

if you can't ride...

at least look like your'e able to. these are pictures for next month's magazine, and the bike i'm riding is a ventana el ray 29. being that i have not ridden in the past 10 days, i think i look rather fit...

it is killing me, not riding.

anyway, i have a show with my band, this sunday eve, in tel aviv. at least i can do SOMTHING right now. i've also been working around the house, fabricating some stairs and putting some shelves on the walls.

i want to ride my bicycle.

damn knee!!!

that damn right knee. it hurts. it sneaks up on me... it doesn't hurt for the first 25 minutes, and then it hurts all of a sudden. thats it, i'm taking some pills. not riding for a week makes me anxious... riding my bike is like breathing. its like eating, and going to the toilet. its a necessity. you all know what i mean, right? c'mon, say it with me...
biking is natural... there is nothing to be ashamed of.

animal planet...

while taking some time off the bike, i'm getting familiar with some wild life. this parrot acts like a cat!! he likes it when you pet him on his head, and poops all over the place...

meanwhile, Tantan is finding out that life in the country can be very tiring. i mean, cats are just ridiculous, sleeping 16 hours a day. well, i'm jealous.

and this is Tantan's arch rival- moosi the mouse.

anyway, i'm off for a ride, maybe my knee is back in the game... fingers crossed.

rest days...

this is my leg over there, hiding under a bag of frozen green beans. 15 minutes intervals of cold weather for my knee. i think i'll start taking some medicine on sunday. i have no time for this crap!

found this elmo in a kids shop. he sure looks like my Elmo. might be his rebel younger brother. rock on.

and Tantan is showing off his flexability. makes me envy.

too much spare time on my hand, i know. i'll be back in the saddle soon, and then it'll be all bikes again. good.

standing still...

my knee is still out of order. i went for a longer ride today, and on top of breaking one of my egg beater pedals, my knee started hurting again. i think i'll take another day off. damn!

oh... my kingdom for a chipotle wrap. mmmmmm....

the journey continues...

i am back on the bike. went for an easy 1 hour spin, to see if my knees still hurt. they do, but in a sufferable way. so i ride... anyway, i got these new shoes from my sponsor- bontrager RXL. this thing is written within the shoe!!

you know you have to go fast when your shoe tells you to. and its white. roadies style. hmmm...

i've also started testing this GIANT Anthem X1 for the magazine. it works great. i think i like it.

me, me, me...

you know i do not tend to be shown that much on my blog, but these pictures, taken at last week's international race in misgav are really good.

they were taken by nadav rotem, a pro photographer, and they represent the nature of a cross country race...

btw, my knee is getting better. fingers crossed, i'll be riding my bike in a few days time.

how it unfolded...

it started out with the biggest pasta feast ever conceived by man. then it was bed time. well, i could not sleep. i was too excited. we started at 04:15 in the morning, with light systems. it was beautiful. 2 minutes into the race i went for it, and never looked back... almost. i had a flat 10 minutes after the start.

i installed an inner tube, and went catching the guys that passed me. after that, i was on my own for the next 11 and a half hours. i opened an hour and a half by the 130 km mark, and finished almost three hours infront of the pair riding behind me. i was the only one to finish in day light. i was also the only rider to ride the whole race by himself...

it was not all roses though... i harmed my right knee pretty badly, and i think i will need some serious recovery time. i hope to be back in the saddle as soon as possible.

the riders who finished this race are true pioneers, taking a part in the longest race to ever be conducted in israel. they lead the new wave of ultra endurance bike races.

these guys (and girl) are my heroes.

active recovery...

i'm back. the race was a true adventure, and, strangely, it was easier than i thought it would be. i will put some pictures in the next post. some stats: 226 km, 11:55 total time, 20.5 average speed.
one gear, first place- one happy soul.

wish me luck...

Tantan, our cat, is much like the french animated character- an explorer. he's finding his way around the new house, looking for new hiding places, trying to find his favorite spot of the house.

meanwhile, i got my 9.9 singlespeed ready for action. i went for bi-color on my sid worldcup.

and i fabricated a new chain guard, to prevent the chain from slipping, out of an old XTR 44 chainring. its ugly, but it works. anyway, i'm off to the desert. wish me luck.

here comes the pain.

getting ready..

the "fact sale" race- a desert, unassisted, 230 km race is 3 days away, and i have loads of stuff to take care of. so, in order to get familiar with the course, i sleep and stretch over the maps. notice the fact that it takes 4 (!!) maps to cover the whole course...

meanwhile, oogie is a little sick, so i had to take him to the doctor. other than the fact that he really has somthing wrong with his leg, the doc told us we had to do somthing about his weight...

i mean, 50 kg is not fat!! he could be a world class road bike climber.

Race Face.

the misgav international race went great, and i performed better than i thought i would. i mean, i did not know what to expect, so i kept my aspirations pretty low. i aimed for top ten, and finished 7th overall, 5th among the israelis. good.

it was sure strange to wait on the line with all those racers, oh so serious... everybody's looking for that extra edge that will make them faster. well, i found mine: having fun. i enjoyed and suffered every minute of it.

i even won 50 euros! anyway, this race is in the books, and i'm back on the single speed this weekend. an epic point to point, 230 km (145 miles or so), unassisted desert race. i'm the only one who chose a single speed for the mission. maybe the other guys know somthing i don't?
hmmm.

its a jungle out there.

this is the logo of a new initiative by a couple of guys, who like bikes. they have this moving bike shop, and they go around the Carmel best biking spots, and provide information, food, bike fixes and shuttle services. it seems like a great idea... i hope it works. look it up: www.wildwheels.co.il

meanwhile, moran and i are trying to find our way through the mess in the house. it is sort of, well, sorted, but the bedroom is full of boxes, still. its hard work, this moving thing.

and all the while, back in my parents' house, oogie is sound asleep. the bastard !!

getting ready.

the Misgav international race will be my first geared race since last year's Sea Otter Classic...

so i have no expectations what so ever, and i'm free of pressure. it feels awesome. the bike's almost ready. i don't have the will to put new cables and housings... i'll wing it!

the race course is wicked, with lots of technical singletracks, and hard uphills. just like the doctor ordered... this is the Shap's ass your looking at.

SORRY...

i'm sorry for not updating the blog... it's been a few hectic days, with Moran moving in and all... 

meanwhile i'm getting ready for saturday's international mtb race in misgav, this time with a geared bike. i'll put some pics of the wicked course today. stay tuned for scenes from our next episode...

range extended...

living in a new place is such an adventure... every ride becomes an exploration. i took my rigid bike and went searching for new roads.

we live smack in the middle of the stretch that runs from the carmel mountains to the sea. its a few minutes' ride to the beach, where the huge waves of the last storm still hit the shoreline with a vicious roar.

and its a few minutes' ride to the best singletracks that israel has to offer. its awesome!

i stopped by the house and ate somthing, before changing the scenery from ocean drive, to single track heaven.

we couldn't pick a better place to live in. perfect.

even the mud is tasty. mmmm..... mud.

flavours of life...

this weekend was about getting the bike garage (or "hall of bikes") relocated to our new house. my father came and helped building the whole construction once again. they were all there:

the 9.9 singlespeed and the 8500 race bike.

the madone road bike and the gary fisher rig singlespeed.

and the vintage 9800, do not forget. Moran's 4500 wsd and my redline monocog 29 singlespeed also attended... i think i almost got it all covered. almost. there is yet another 29er on the horizon. a carbon one... yummm.

off the grid...

the little episode i had on tuesday reminded me of how fragile our body is. somtimes its hard for me, as an athlete, to listen to my body, and just let go. you know, the training plan, the racing calendar and such...

so i decided to let go a little, and listen to my body... i will lay low for a while. a few easy days will just do good for my body and mind.

we'll work on the house this weekend, and enjoy the wintery (is that a word?) weather.

next week- back with vengeance!

meanwhile...

yesterday, after a hard workout (2x25 minutes climbs), i felt bad. real bad. my head was aching like never before. i felt like i was about to faint or somthing... i had to lay down and let it go away. my babe came to the rescue. i feel great now, but it was frighetning, really.

Elmo moved to the new house, too. this is him laughing, as we busted our asses carrying stuff into the house. bastard.

and of course- big kudos to Itay, for finally popping the question. Adi said yes. wooohooo.

Adi, by the way, is not in the picture. Itay is the guy with the NOSE, obviously...

sun's out again.

its that in between time. you know what i'm talking about- the rain has stopped, the sun's out, and the trails are just dry enough to be ridden again. perfect.

so the kids i train were out there, climbing the dry rocks with their moisty and muddy tires. slippery stuff.

and after days of cloudy skies, you can actually see the sunset at 17:40 or so...

i hear its about to rain again this weekend. racing in the rain is always a treat. a dog's treat.

road mud.

on friday, the Shap and i went on an epic 5 hour road ride, climbing to the highest part of the carmel mountains, from 3 different roads. the weather was great, but some early morning rain left the roads in muddy conditions.

it was awesome, going on a road ride like this, starting right at the doorstep of our new house...

meanwhile, this week will be mostly house organizing, and on friday- the first cross country race of the season- single speed style!! woohooo.

dust to dust?

yesterday was the most polluted day ever! a wall of dust came from the african deserts, and filled the israeli air with dust particles from hell. there is nothing like a hard workout, while breathing sand into your lungs. phew...

everything about last night was symbolic. the village in which i've lived since the day i was born, was left behind. the house in which i've lived. my family. my parents. oogie, the fat bastard.

its a new chapter in my life. into the future i go. and i must say- it looks bright and shiney.

Have you seen this bike?

# its sentimental value is very high.
# it was stolen in a despicable and insulting manner.

# the decent finder will be rewarded.

if you've seen this bike- please contact:

00-512-2368820

ask for lance...

keep on moving...

went for an easy spin, after yesterday's 3X20 minutes of hard workout. the legs are a little spent, but the wet double tracks, and the beatiful skies make up for the sore muscles.

today i'm moving some stuff out of this house, and it is the end of a (short) era. i moved here exactly 6 months ago, and i've loved every minute of this house. it will truly be missed.

meanwhile, the reader radar is getting filled. sorry for posting about it so much, but knowing that people from all over read what i write, and look at my pictures is very exciting and fulfilling.

i want to be big in japan!

a key element.

this is a key. it seems like an ordinary key, and it works like one, too... but it is not just any ol' key. its the key to our new house. its a key to the future, and it is so exciting...
tomorrow i will start moving some stuff from my house to our new one.
meanwhile i went for neither of my aforementioned proposals, and i'm going to train on my own today. hmm.

in wine we trust!

i think my alcohol absorbency has sky rocketed or somthing of that sort, otherwise i can't explain how drinking alot does not effect me one bit. or maybe i'm too wasted to see just how drunk i am..?

its raining again, and i ponder the possibility of going down south for tomorrow's training session. be'eri seems like a great idea...

although i did promise the Shap i would train with him tomorrow... oh, the choices i have to make are killing me!

the daily grind..?

riding bikes and writing about bike related issues never really feel like a JOB, so the fact that every day of the week feels like the weekend, is a virtue i need to appreciate and savour...

the racing season is about to start, and i need to pick and choose my races. there will be some very long single speed races, some short xc races i will race with my ss, and a few geared xc races. if i'm fast enough, i might even make it to the national team again...

meanwhile, my readers from around the globe are emerging. this counter counts different IP's, so each and every reader is a new one. good. we'll see how far the things i write here actually reach. it made it all the way to thailand !!

out and about.

Moran and I went to a good friend's wedding last night. it was like a fricking reunion, with loads of people whom i hadn't seen in years. i ate so much meat...

so today, in order to burn all those nasty calories, we went riding in Horshim. the weather is great, and the trees are in bloom. in this case they grew a couple of trek bikes. an 8500 and a new 4500 WomenSpesificDesign bike...

It was just the right size for my baby ! so we picked it right from the tree, and went riding.

new bike. a great start for the weekend.

nature rules !

we can all be sarcastic and laugh at those toyota prius smug drivers, but truth is, its getting harder and harder to find true, open, natural spaces. the little we have is replaced by buildings and noisy roads...

the places we ride in, are the last open spaces in israel, and riding is by far the best way to explore each and every remote area of the country.

this flower (i'm really really bad with flower names, please help) grows in our new house's front yard. nice, eh?

election day.

somthing is definitely wrong with the israeli election process. i mean, how many parties does a country need? there is no way a government can actually rule and navigate when it needs to satisfy so many small groups.

so i voted. it was hard choosing the right card, and i got really confused. so i took all of them, and stuffed everything in the envelope. someone won.

and this is what my friend, Ben, thinks of the election process. yeah, i know he's hairy, but i forgot my camera at his place, and this was on it when i got it back. hairy bastard.

mud fest 09'

the weather in israel right now is not far off the political climate... its changing constantly. the heat and dust storms of the past few days, have been replaced by a nasty hail storm and very high winds.

time to go ride, then! it was awesome. the hail hit so hard, i had to hide under a tree, and the mud was so deep, that i actually waited for the sky to start pouring the rain.

i was singing out-loud between the drops. really. huh!

whats this?

i got my trek 8500 racing bike out of its winter sleep, and worked on it so it'll be ready for some racing. i love this bike's geometry and quick handling, and the color scheme is so "working class hero"...

but wait !! what are these little thingys hanging on the handlebars? they're so ugly looking... what are they for?

and there seem to be an awful lot of cogs in the back !! do you really need that many?

i only use one all the time... technology will kill us all some day, i tell ya'.

feel the heat.

i think its the hottest winter we have ever had in israel. the deserts are expanding, and the little green we have left, is about to be gone. the rain days are scattered, and water is running out. its like a bad action movie, without a good ending.
global warming sucks.

different views...

i finally got a visitor counter for my weblog. i've wanted one since day one, but my computer skills are extremely basic. so from now on you can all look at the right side of the blog, and see where my readers are from... there is at least one from hungary (!!?) how cool is that?

this week was all about mountain bikes. almost no road bikes in sight. it is very tiring, but its so much more rewarding than road biking, plus, it never feels like "training". its just riding really hard on your mt.bike.

my Hbar cow has the best seat in the house, no doubt, but its not honking as it used to, 'cause i crashed on it... cows, go figure...

trip retrospect.

i've been dreaming of my trips through the states, and there are a few things i miss the most. first of all- my moving house. its a state of the art "feel good" home. i must have spent more than a year of my life living in it.

second, the people i met, especially Ann and Jeff. some people just make you feel right at home. i met so many wonderful people throughout these trips, its amazing.

and the views... from the blistering heat of the deserts in nevada and utah, to the frezzing cold mountains of colorado and canada. i've loved them all.

bikes for all...

yesterday i went out and helped building BMX bikes for kids with special needs. its a great initiative by the israeli bicycle union, and building bikes is somthing i love doing...

i am not really sure about the small BMX's, though... it seems that the smaller and simpler the bike is, the harder it is to build it. and the back pain from crouching all the time is still there. at least its for a good cause.

door to door.

took my road bike yesterday, and rode to sign the lease for our new house in Zrufa. as you see, this is a bike's view of the enterance to Zrufa. very royal... or maybe very LA?

its not even that far from where i live today!! i thought it would be a 3 hour ride, but it turned out to be a 2 hour easy spin... 62 kilometers door to door.

they always seem to be working on route 4, and the road is narrow and scarified. its sort of a nice feeling, this scarified road thingy... its like a thai massage to your hands, legs and balls. yep, i like that alot.

four hundred and one...

this is post number 401, and i am a little excited. i never thought that this blog would really mean that much to me, but scrolling back through those 400 posts, i actually see my life in retrospect...

knowing that alot of people share this life with me, is a little overwhelming, but strangely makes me want to write another post every day. this is a THANK YOU post to all of you...

meanwhile, the rain has come and gone again, and left me with muddy bikes, and wet shoes. this is the best use for our newspapers, and they work like a charm.

401 and counting...

strange days...

one never knows what might happen to him while riding his bike. mostly he can fall hard on his face, riding a singletrack, or get hit by a passing car. he might even hug a tree...

well, an airplane crashed on me yesterday... true story. i was riding my bike, when an aerobatic plane hit the ground just 5 meters away from me. it was surreal. i pulled the pilot out of the wreckage...

he's OK, thank god (he was religious...hmmm). i was a little shaken, but it was the weirdest thing ever. whats next? an alien story? any thoughts?

single speed video...

http://www.flix.co.il/tapuz/showVideo.asp?m=3056548

this is the ss race video from last weekend.
cheers!!

house hunting...