Where can you even start? Last couple of weeks have had so many strange and wondrous things to rant about in the cycling world, I don't even know where to start, but I'll try.
Number one for entertainment value is the ongoing circus that is City of Boulder Open Space. Now, mind you, ANYTHING the leaders of the bubble get into is good for lots of reliable laughs, or in the least some amazement, but the ongoing battle in Boulder over the management of the area under the flatirons is funny even by Boulder standards. It's ALL here....
Conspiracy Theories!
(Now, why would County open space staff "find" the Angry Ranger trail on the 16th, then wait till the 28th, 2 DAYS before the meeting where MTB access would be decided on to "report" it to the world. And really, hauling reporters up to show it off??? come on..... when was the last time an unapproved social trail got front page news?)
First, do I think Boulder mountian bikers deserve a couple of connector trails out in the flatlands? Yes. Am I impressed by a great, mature, reasonable fight BMA put up in the face of a highly prejudiced process and long-entrenched core of NIMBY "everything that's not like me" haters. Hell Yes. Is the spectacle incredibly amusing? Yes again.
All the letter to the editor nastygrams, and better yet, the online comments have been the source of much amusement for months now. Seeing any idea of compromise slapped down in a hail of bigoted verbal artillery fire can be entertaining. Best comment so far was "Only in Boulder could a mountain biker be considered ANTI environmental", and it is so true. Strange that two pillars of "liberal-ness" can be SO exclusionary when it's not "people like us". Boulder & the Bay Area might someday be able to share their open space amicably amongst themselves, and maybe learn from some more of them backwards-ass places like Larimer & Jefferson counties. (sorry Boulder, That must sting......)
When you've gotten your fill of NIMBY Boulder whining, you can always count on the protectors of competitive cycling, the guardians of all that is good on 2 wheels, the all-knowing oracles from the UCI to rush in & find a way to promote their own self interest..... err, oops, I mean CYCLINGS best interests. All you can say about THIS NONSENSE is WTF? Are you for real?
It's amazing how 3rd rate executives of 3rd rate organizations of 3rd rate sports seem to always devolve to this point. Inflating self-interest in an attempt to make themselves more important that they are. We've even seen that in the not too distant past in Colorado cycling. Now the UCI wants to extort money from bike manufacturers to insure they are "safe". $10K to get a carbon frame approved. Wow. Thanks UCI, frames are FAR too cheap now. At least the fake stickers are already available. (Not that I'll ever have to worry about a UCI race.......)
And, if shaking down the small time manufacturers in your 3rd rate sport to inflate your sense of power might have made the knower of all that is good for cycling, Pat McQuaid, even the smallest bit fatigued, you wuld not know it as he sprang to rescue cycling in the USA from a terrible plot (Boulder Parks & Open Space people??) to destroy it by letting pro road racers use radios. For one, I am very glad Mr. McQuaid and his UCI justice league is out to save us from radios, 34mm cross tires, and faulty plastic bicycles. Oh, the Horror!
NO Radios dammit, this means you, you silly americans !!!
Well, what a fun filled couple of weeks. What will the arrival of spring bring for entertainment? Maybe we can get the UCI & the Bubble people together to fix even more of our problems. I can't wait, Stay tuned.....
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