sarge's blog

Well I'm finally up and around again after a really nice crash last month. I seperated my left shoulder and got a minor concussion. I would have been in worse condition if it wasn't for my helmet. I know most YOURMTB subscibers use their helmet, but sometimes it's good to share the stories to keep reminding everyone how important the helmet is.

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Ok, it's official. I have paid the entry fee for a triathlon in August and there is no turning back now. This will be my first and I'm nervous already.

I consider myself in pretty good shape. I run about 30 miles a week and try to get a mountain bike ride in at least once a week. But now, it's go time. I have to turn up the biking notch and get serious on my runs. Now, I ride my patrol bike on the pavement most of the time but there is alot of stopping, watching, going, sprinting, sneaking, in a shift. I'm not used to going full on for 2 hrs on the pavement.

I don't have the funds for a road or triathlon bike so I have converted my 2004 Trek Fuel 98. I have a triathlon seat, 1.5 road tires, and bar end and that is about it. I got the suspension a hard as it will go and my fingers crossed.

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A great story about how mountain bikes can change a person's lifestyle and influence thier lives!

Story by kcra.com

A new biking program hopes to provide students in Sacramento with an alternative to drugs and gangs.

Wednesday afternoon, officers rolled out mountain bikes, helmets and knee pads for the after school program at Goethe Middle School in Sacramento.

School Resource Officer George Martinez came up with the idea for the program to give students structure outside of class.

The Sacramento Police Department made it a part of the Gang Resistance Education and Training, or GREAT program.

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Our department is so dedicated the mountain bike patrol program, we were given our own room now. It holds our (6) patrol bikes, bike repair stand, bike lockers behind the door for helmets, coats, training equipment, and a tool bench with all needed bike tools, grease, lube, etc. The department paid my way to United Bicycle Institute so I can now repair the fleet of bikes. It is amazing when I look at were we are now, compared to when we started about 4 years ago.

I started with my own personal bike. The more the community saw that the bike officers were out, the more they wanted. Fast forward to today, we are adding (2) bike officers and (2), brand new Trek Police Bikes. We have the entire month of May booked to be involved with parades, bike safety fairs, extra patrol targeted areas, and elementary school functions. In April, Corporal Fulmer, aka: Corporal Punishment, and I are going to the International Police Mountain Bike Association yearly conference in Baton Rouge LA, thanks to Steve Outing for a few extra stickers that I plan on handing out at the conference to advertise YOURMTB.COM. There will be Mountain Bike Patrol Officers from all over the world there. I will come back with full details.

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Have you ever ridden so hard that you start to hallucinate, see weird stuff, or become delirious?

During a bike training class, we were at the end of a 40 mile fitness ride, and the last 5 miles was steep climbing in 90 degree temperature. When we got to the top, we all were feeling a little queasy, light headed, and rubber legged. One of the riders said that he pushed so hard that he became light headed while making the climb, he imagined that a Leprechaun was sitting on his handlebars and making fun of him. He told us that the Leprechaun was teasing him in a little Leprechaun voice, and saying "COME ON, KEEP PUMPING THOSE LEGS". The rider then puked and turned pure white. Yeah, pretty weird.

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My 12-year-old daughter wanted to get into mt biking, of course I was very happy to hear this. So I bought her a Trek, WSD 4300.

She immediately got into it, showing no signs of slowing down when it came to climbing and she had natural skills that amazed me. She is very athletic, but I had no idea how quickly she would catch on.

After a few small rides, I decided to take her to a local riding area for some single track fun. I was nervous as I rode behind her and could see a small embankment to her right. My daughter kept riding faster and faster and showed no signs of fear as she came upon obstacles that I thought she would dismount and walk her bike around. Although it wasn't pretty, she made it. When we came to a down hill with some sharp turns. I told her to go ahead of me, look through the corners, take her time, and keep her but over the rear tire.

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As you can tell from some of the photos I have posted, I am a Police Sergeant assigned to a mountain bike patrol unit. I work for the City of Central Point in Southern Oregon, about 24 miles north of the California border on I-5. I have been assigned to the bike patrol team for 4 years now, 2 as a supervisor. I am also a certified Law Enforcement Bicycle Association, (LEBA) instructor. I train other bike patrol officers in slow and high speed handling drills, mounting and dismounting the bike quickly, nutrition and fitness, bike fit, firearms, basic maintenance and other topics. The course is 40 hours long. (more information is available at www.leba.org)

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Our local bike shop has had a Santa Cruz Nomad, built with top components for sale in the front window for the last 6 months. Every time I went in the shop I sat on it and dreamed. I just couldn't come up with the $4400.00 they were asking for it.

Since about Thanksgiving, the bike shop announced that they were sadly going out of business. The owner told me that all the bikes were on sale at 40% off. Making my dream Nomad $2700.00. I begged my wife to find some way to purchase the bike, after all, a brand new Nomad for $2700.00 is a steal. My wife said that she was sorry but it was still to much money. The next day, I went into the Bike Shop and noticed that the Nomad was gone and so was my dream.

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