Big news for all of us XC Racers!!!!

2009 Mountain Bike Category Changes FAQ



Why are the mountain bike ability categories changing in 2009?

In an effort to create a more competitive atmosphere for mountain biking, USA Cycling and the NORBA Board of Trustees (BOT) have developed a new categorization system for mountain biking which will be introduced in the 2009 season.



This change is the result of over two years of thought, analysis, and discussion by the NORBA BOT, USAC staff, and many people connected with the sport. The goals of the new categorization system are to strengthen the pro ranks and increase the competitiveness of the amateur categories.



The new categories will be Pro, 1, 2, and 3. Classes (age groups) will be included within all of the categories except Pro.



Revised USA Cycling Mountain Bike Categories (being introduced in 2009)



Pro: The highest ability category for both men and women in mountain bike racing. All mountain bike professional racers must meet the upgrading requirements, as outlined in the USA Cycling Rulebook.



Cat 1 (current Expert and Semi-pro): Racing skills, strength, race experience, and stamina have reached an exceptional level; racing is very competitive. Riders must have a racing age of at least 15 to race as a Category 1 in the endurance disciplines.



Cat 2 (current Sport): Racing reflects improved skills, strength, race experience, and stamina. A rider must advance to Cat 1 after placing in the top five in five races.



Cat 3 (current Beginner): Racing is for the entry-level rider. Racers have limited racing experience and have a lower fitness and skill level than in Category 2. After placing in the top five in five races, a Cat 3 racer must advance to Cat 2.



How will riders be converted from their current ability category to the numerical category?

Semi-pro Riders currently categorized as Semi-pro may choose Category 1 or Pro during the 2009 season. Semi-pro riders will be offered the automatic upgrade to Pro during the 2009 licensing period December 1, 2008 to November 30, 2009. An annual license (domestic if Category 1 or international if Pro) must be purchased during this time period. If an annual license is not purchased in 2009 and the Semi-pro rider does not choose Category 1 or Pro, they will automatically default to Category 1 beginning December 1, 2010 and will need to go through the regular upgrading procedures for Pro categorization.



Expert Riders currently categorized as Expert will automatically be converted to a Category 1.



Sport Riders currently categorized as Sport will automatically be converted to a Category 2.



Beginner Riders currently categorized as Beginner will automatically be converted to a Category 3.



2009 Mountain Bike Category Changes FAQ


When will the new categories be displayed in my USA Cycling online account and on my license?

The new categories will be converted on December 1, 2008, the first day of 2009 annual license renewals. If a rider wishes to downgrade or upgrade, they may do so through their USA Cycling online membership account. The numerical categories will be listed on a rider’s license when it’s renewed.



What about the licensing?

Pro riders = international (UCI) Category 1 = domestic (USAC-MTB) or international (UCI) if competing overseas Licensing for the Category 2 and 3 riders will be announced once they are finalized.



Will the numerical categories be combined (i.e. Cat 1/2/3) like Road, without age-groups?

Age-groups will be offered within each category, based on the number of riders at an event. Promoters do have the option of combining categories, if fewer than five riders register for a category within the same age class.



As outlined in the 2008 USA Cycling Mountain Bike Rulebook, under the "Mixing of Classes in MTB Races": 1C4 (a): If fewer than five riders register for a category within the same age class, they may be required to race with the next highest category within the same age class. USA Cycling encourages promoters to make their best effort to split out awards and prizes for combined categories. For example, if fewer than five Master Category 2 riders register, they may be combined with the Master Category 1 riders, but they should still be awarded prizes for their category.



What about the USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Championships?

The 2009 USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Championship disciplines, categories, and age-groups have been revised with the new category system.



The 2009 qualification period started August 1, 2008 and will end July 13, 2009. Riders qualifying between August 1, 2008 and November 30, 2008 will be qualified based on the conversions (i.e. if a rider qualifies in Expert, then they would be qualified to compete in Category 1 for the 2009 USAC-MTB National Championships). If a rider upgrades during the season (i.e. a rider qualifies as Sport/Category 2, then upgrades to Expert/Category 1, they would compete in Category 1).

Equality!!

This just in.... By popular vote of the the people, all bald people or mostly bald people of wich will be determined by none bald people will now have restrictions to when they can be scene in public. The vote was close, 52% to 48%, the people have spoken!

Bald people may only be allowed to shop for food, clothes, house hold supplies and anything else that me be acquired by the rest of us between specially selected hours of the nite. These hours will be from 10pm to 2am. The baldies will not be able to shop at the same places as the rest of the superior people with the ability to grow hair. People who can grow hair care not to be associated with the lesser kind. It's not that they don't like the smoothies, they just don't want to have to be around them or allow them to shop a the same places. They are afraid to have to tell their kids of baldness and how even tho it's natural and just how these people are, it's viewed as wrong!

For years bald people have tried to hide their lack of hair with wigs, hair growth drugs and comb overs. Often times even with all the attempts to cover their baldness they have been passed by for promotions or employment in the work place. It has become one of those things that have been out in the open but not ever really excepted. The general population seams like they accept it but behind closed doors they make fun of or talk crap about the baldies.

In an attempt to suppress them but in a way that looks fair, A.K.A a vote of the people, it has been passed for the betterment of the majority to hide the follicly challenged. Now "normal" folks can go on in their day without the uncomfortable feeling of being around people who don't look just like them.

This is not abuse of democracy but a shining example of how it can rid the nation of those we don't like or understand. It makes it easy for the rest of us to live comfortably with blinders. We're so excited to see what comes next! Restrictions on height, ratio of males to females in a city, race mixing, who can attend what sporting events ect..... What a great time we live in where we can take rights away and be discriminating to others just by voting on it!

72 hours,many wordrobe changes and pictures that one day will cost me an election

This last weekend went by so fast it felt like 30 seconds instead of three days. I have said things and written things in my life that have offended, disappointed, angered, shocked, amazed, and sometimes left my self thinking, why did I just put my foot in my mouth again? None of witch was ever done to purposely hurt anybodies feelings. This last weekend I kept all my words in check and nothing but joy spilled out of my mouth. I was the Best man in my brothers Ryan and Luis's wedding. I had no idea what I was going to say but I had to make sure it wasn't going to be one of those foot in my mouth experiences! The big day was on Nov. 1st so naturally the rehearsal dinner was the night before, Halloween.... It was freaking great! A huge dinner prepared by a hired chef and one hell of a costume party afterwards just for the wedding party.

The place, approx 4,000 square foot single story mansion in Palm Springs. Bright white walls with great artwork were all around us and during the day nothing but natural lighting from the floor to selling windows and the Japanese rock garden in the center of the house. I would never want a place this huge but it sure was a great party pad. 6 bedrooms and bathrooms and a ketchen that I could spend a week in cooking all my favorite foods in. The livingroom alone was larger than my first appartment.

The costume party lasted till the wee hours of the morning and I hadn't consumed that much alcohole in quite some time. Surprisingly enough I didn't even have the slightest hangover the next morning. I think this is actually a bad thing cause it shows my recent drinking habbits have built up quite the resistance to the ill effects of C2H5OH wich of course as we all know it is alcohol.

The next morning we had a huge breakfast and then had turn the Holloween party pad into the wedding party pad. This was quite a bit of work but it was rewarded by a plung in the pool under the 90* Plam Springs sun. I ate all day and could feel any chance of doing well in the up comming 12 HOurs of Temecula slipping away. Just this thought alone had me a little freaked so I hit the brakes for a little while. Um, yeh, right... no really, I did.... nope....

As I was getting ready for the eavning hoopla A.K.A the wedding, I was thinking of what it was I was going to say. I not only had to make it sound worthy of holding the title Best Man, it had to be from the heart. A few of you my remember my nerve racking public speaking blunder that I was tricked into taking part in during a Loma Linda city councle meeting. I don't think they ever got the stink out of that place cause I bombed it pretty bad. So I was thinking of making it heart filled and sappy, then I was handed a shot of Patron. I really admire both of these guys and what ever I said I wanted them to remember it forever, then I was hand another shot of Patron. Dam it man, that stuff was on fire but at the same time it left you wanting more!

I was ready and all suited up before anybody else and I was walking around talking to my self. It went kind of like this.

I have known Ryan for 10 years and Luis for almost 4 and, I drank a glass of Merlot...

These two men have influenced me in ways that they are not even aware of, another glass gone...

This it truly an amazing day and an amazing time in all of our lives, what,,, oh you don't want to have a shot of Patron by your self, come here, i'm your man

Dang it, where was I? Screw it, I'll shoot from the hip.

I looked down the hallway and noticed that almost all of the guest were here and I needed to start mingling with them. I knew most of them so blending in wasn't really all that hard. I usually have trouble with large unfamiliar crowds, I'm a shy one you know.

The moment was finally here and the wedding party was on the move. It was truly an amazing moment in my life to be part of this occasion and to see my brothers have that look of happiness in there faces is something I will take with me everywhere I go for the rest of my life. Surprisingly I didn't skip a beat and I pulled my part off rather well.

An hour after the ceremony I had to pull the head cocktail lady to the side and let her know that if she didn't start handing out the special wine for my big speech in the next 5 min's I was going to loose my ability to connect sentences. Shortly after my request everybody had a glass of hand made Honey Meed wine from our Aunt Marys bee farm in northern California. Ahhh, what have I done? Every body's eyes were on me and it was go time. I was great! I spoke from the heart and it flowed flawlessly. I wish I remember everything I said but all I know was that for the next half hour teary eyed people were coming up to me telling me what a good job I did. Now, it was party time! And I must also mention that there was the craziest Monkey in a party dress and silver furr coat making it's way around the crowed.

It's hot is Palm Springs and I was in a freaking suit! I hate to wear pants with a passion let alone a freaking tie and jacket. I had made this comment to my cousin Jason and he suggested we needed to go swimming. Now at the time I thought it was the best idea I had ever heard in my life, it just made total sense. The next thing I knew we were in a few pairs of trunks and making our way down the hallway threw the crowed of cocktail dresses and black ties. Wait, let me hit the glass of wine real quick.... Splash! It was quite the site i'm sure. So much that Bobby, our friendly ink artist stripped down to his boxers and ripped off a huge cannon ball.

Now i'm not one for dancing but for some reason when your soaking wet in your swim trunks a t a black tie affair you can really get your grove on! I'm going to sign up for the show So You Think You can Dance after I finish this post.

There was no way I was getting back into that freaking suit so a good old pair of shorts and a T-Shirt were going to have to do. Another thing happened that was a bit surprising too. I found out how totally comfortable a large shag bathroom rug could be when your wrapped up in it passed out at the foot of the master bathroom sink! Many other things happened that nite including, um, no never mind. You will have to ask me in person if you ever see me again. I have already printed too much.

Ya know were all just lines laying on the universe of plad. Some of us are the thick bold lines and some of us are the tiny thin type. No matter what, were all cut from the same cloth and shoud treat each other as such....

For as long as people were able to communicate they have been trying to get each others attention. We are always seeing advertisements or articles that make us laugh or sometimes just think, who came up with this crap? Here are a few of those adds. The first one starts in our own 909. I mean really, has Golf become such a hard game you need a GPS to get around the course?

Highs and Lows

It has occurred to me that when you don't pay as much attention to your dog as it's used to getting it tells you. He doesn't do this verbally, he eats your lawn and covers him self in mud. Well his little outburst was noted and extra playtime has been able to correct this outlandish behavior. I really had the last laugh tho when I tossed his butt into the tub for deep cleaning. Now why dogs can't be as independant as cats, I will never know.

Lazy Alexander.....and sock monkey

C.J. and C.J.

This week I was able to log in 11 hours and 39 min's on the bike. Most of this was on the road on my trusty old Lemond Zurich but the fun stuff was on my Superfly. Friday morning I started at the Ranger Station on Bryant and hwy 38 in our local San Bernardino mountains. From there I headed up the hwy to Loch Leven, the Santa Anna river trail for some great singletrack, to middle control fire road, to Seven Oaks, up Glass Raod, back to Hwy 38, to Southfork camp ground, back on the Santa Anna river trail, back over Glass Road, more of the Santa Anna river trail, back and to and up Middle Control fire road to hwy 38, back to Loch Leven and finally, back to my car at the Ranger Station. The whole rid took me 5 hours and 39 min's. It's amazing how almost six hours in the woods alone can jack around with your head. I stopped a few times to refuel and talk to a few otter riders I met on the trail but other than that I was pedaling away.

Check out the colors in Loch Leven, amazing!

The views heading back from Southfork seamed to last forever!

I dang near hit this fallen tree coming around a corner.

The Bark Betal really sucks ass. There are trees like this all over our mountains..
















The rides over and I had nothing but food on the brain at this point.








It was truly a great week for riding. The weather was great, the air didn't hurt your lungs, too much and the dirt was like glue threw ever corner.


After my ride it was time go shopping cause quite frankly, the cupboards at my house were bare. Fresh and Easy is where we landed and for the most part it was pretty awesome. Most of the food is organic and stocked daily and the prices were not all that bad. A pretty good alliterative to the big chain stores or heading into Redlands to Trader Joe's. I will admit tho, if a Trader Joe's were closer to us we would do most of our shopping there. I didn't like bagging my own food at Fresh and easy, I guess I'm a snob that way.


One thing I did find at Fresh and Easy that was an eye Popper was a huge, just made Chicken burrito. It looked like it was going to taste like a million bucks! This morning I packed it for lunch and all I could think about was shoving that thing in my mouth. I never leave my lunch in the brake room frig at work because it just gets smashed around. But today, I place my beloved chicken burrito in the employee buffet box because I was concerned that the preservative free ingredients would go bad with out keeping cool. I left it there at 4:40am and at 9:50am when I went to retrieve it, IT WAS GONE!!!!! Some bastard stole my burrito! Ugh, I was and still am so pissed off! What kind of Jerk does it take to go out of their way and steal somebodies lunch, at work for that matter? I looked into the trash and there it was. The thin cardboard that once held my burrito in place in it's recycled plastic wrap. It still had rice and small chunks of my chicken on it.


So above the trash can on the bulletin board in the brake room I made this little flyer. People are already starting to talk about it and I hope that before too long the evil doer will be reviled.



I will end this post with a possitive note. When I cam into work today I was amazed to see the price of gas in my station. When I left work on Thursday afternoon it was $3:05 and now it was $2:75. All day long I was hearing members say, is this the right price or is it just listed wrong?

I came accross this list today and it was like somebody pulled all these thoughts and questions out of my head!

Only in America ......do drugstores make the sick walk all the way tothe back of the store to get their prescriptions while healthy peoplecan buy cigarettes at the front.

Only in America.....do people order double cheeseburgers, largefries, and a diet coke.

Only in America.....do banks leave both doors open and then chain thepens to the counters.

Only in America.....do we leave cars worth thousands of dollars inthe driveway and put our useless junk in the garage.

Only in America......do we buy hot do gs in packages of ten and bunsin packages of eight.

Only in America.....do they have drive-up ATM machines with Braillelettering.

EVER WONDER ...
Why the sun lightens our hair, but darkens our skin?

Why women can't put on mascara with their mouth closed?

Why don't you ever see the headline 'Psychic Wins Lottery'?

Why is 'abbreviated' such a long word?

Why is it that doctors call what they do 'practice'?

Why is lemon juice made with artificial flavor, and dishwashingliquid made with real lemons?

Why is the man who invests all your money called a broker?

Why is the time of day with the slowest traffic called rush hour?

Why isn't there mouse-flavored cat food?

Why didn't Noah swat those two mosquitoes?

Why do they sterilize the needle for lethal injections?

You know that indestructible black box that is used on airplanes? Whydon't they make the whole plane out of that stuff?!

Why don't sheep shrink when it rains?

Why are they called apartments when they are all stuck together?

If con is the opposite of pro, is Congress the opposite of progress?

If flying is so safe, why do they call the airport the terminal?

Every so often I see something or meet someone who inspires me to be better or do better. Today while I waited for my brakes to be installed on the Super Honda, I asked myself, what do those people or things do that draw my attention to them in such admiration?


Overcoming great odds and making a difference in other peoples lives are things done by those who inspire me. World changing events that better the way people live and except each other in everyday life get my blood pumping and wanting to be part of the movement. Positive thinkers and true good doers that help without excepting any kind of payback give me a sense of hope, knowing that there are people out there that really care. Solid listeners that even tho they may not understand completely what your talking about, give you the attention you need to get threw it.

Little kids that no matter how many times they get it wrong, they do it over and over again. They keep going because of true character and spirit, they haven't learned the words can't, no and give up yet. And of course the ones who keep those thoughts far away from their minds.

I'm a horrible student in all respects, but teachers inspire me. They put in countless hours for little pay and in some cases little respect. Often times buying classroom supplies with there own money and working off the clock at home to get lesson plans together for the coming week. All of this to teach our kids the skills they need to be successful. Selfless and giving.

Anybody that has a disability and doesn't skip a beat! I have meet many people in my lifetime with what society labels as, having a disability. I have been out run by a kid with no legs, out swam by a guy with one arm and out cycled up and over the local hills by a guy with his arm strapped to his chest! I have met people who live their lives in wheelchairs and can hardly use there arms and legs who have become community leaders and positive role models for people of all abilities. Inspiring, yeh I think so.

Do you remember your first time?

I was on my rode bike today and as I passed all the people sitting in their cars I noticed something. Just about none of the people I saw seamed to be having as much fun as I was. I had my tunes and as long as I kept my speed at a moderate pace I had air conditioning. It wasn't costing me much at all to pedal, just what it cost to fill my bottles and I also had plenty of snacks.

I wonder how many people out there have forgotten the feeling a bicycle can give them?. People grow up and start doing different things and gain new interest forgeting of the times when all they needed was a bike to make them happy. I can remember waking up in the morning and only wanting a day to go by where my friends and I could ride all day and not get a flat. I rode my bike to school and checked on it between every class. During the summer months I would leave the house and not come back till dark, on my bike the whole time. When I would break a part and have to resort to getting around on my feet I would go nuts! I can remember sitting on a curb watching the neighborhood kids ride by when I had a flat tire. My dad would make me try and patch my old tubes, instilling a work ethic he would say. They were the kind of patches you would have to burn on the glue, do you remember those. So many times I would stick my fingers to a still damaged tube. Finaly after lots of begging I would get a few dollars tossed my way and off to TG&Y I would go to buy a tube. Damn it if the screw drivers I used to install the tube would puncture the new tube!!!!! I started to steal them. I know this was bad but I had to ride my bike!!!!

I tought my self how to ride a bike. After countless hours of my dad yelling at me as he let go of the rear of the seat and I would take a face plant to the street, every time!! The Huffy Pro Lightning, as seen in this picture, was my first bike. One day while my dad was sitting in front of the T.V. I snuck my bike out of the garrage and walked it down the street. The corner house had a short but steep driveway with a chain link fence at the top. I walked the bike to the top, got on holding the fence, looked for cars and I let go! I did this several times crashing at the end of the driveway! Then it happened, I stayed up! As I started to slow down I remembered I needed to pedal to keep things going. I couldn't believe it. I rode circles in front of the house yelling for my dad to come out nad see me in action. Finally after what seamed like hours my dad came to the door. I remember it like it was yesterday, he said, " that's great Adam, go up the street and get your brother". For a second my feelings were hurt cause he didn't see the greatness that I have learned on my own. But who cares, I was riding a bike, I was riding a Pro Lightning!!!!

My brother was up a the top of Leroy street in San bernardino. He was 6 blocks up at the BMX track with his friends. I was so egar to have him see what I could do. When I finally got to the top of the long hill known as Leroy street, I waited for him at the starting gates of the track. He rolled up and asked if I had pushed my bike all the way up the hill. Dang it man, can I ever get some respect!!!! I told him that I rode all the way up and he didn't even believe I could ride my bike. What happened next I will never forget. He told me that if I could really ride my bike then I had to do a lap on the track. YOU GOT IT BIG BROTHER WHO I SO DESPERATELY WANTED TO IMPRESS!!! The starting line of the track dropped straight into a steep decent and right into a set of double jumps. I wasn't scared a all because I had just seen the movie RAD and I knew how to ride because of it. Can you say OUCH!! I flew out of the gate and down the hill, whoosh! I came to the bottom of the first jump and zipped off the top. I thought, I really can see my house from here! The flight felt like it lasted forever. I had the bike leaned on it's side in a table top fashion and I was looking pretty bitchen. Now one thing I didn't learn from the movie was how to land. Sure fear came over me as I realized this and then SMACK! I landed on the edge of the next jump on my hip still in the table top position. I never felt pain like this before and I thought I was going to die. As I came to from being knocked out I remember hearing my brother screaming to me, " that was great till you EFFED it up dork". I crawled off to the side of the track and layed there curled up next to my bike and the other kids ride by like I wasn't even there. From that day on I was hooked!

Today I still crash quite a bit and I learn a little more every time. I blame getting my first car on my lack of riding skills today. I didn't touch a bike for a little over 6 years and my bike just hug there in my room on a rack. No it wasn't my Huffy, it was an all steel Trek 560 with a white and yellow fade paint job. Later on I would sell my Trek to fund a Nitrous System for my car, Damn it where was the guidance in my house?