Paul's Cycling Team - 2007

Lou Swing - Cat4, Sport, C

A little custom fender work on the fixie. 10/27/07

I've always been into cycling, one of those things in life that are great. The real biking started about 15 years ago with my first mtb, the Trek 8000. That bike got me lots of miles on the power line trails of South Eugene, Ridgeline to LCC (remember when there was a trail there?), and many a gravel road and pavement ride around Corvallis.

Next up was the Cannondale T1000 touring bike which I mananged to take around most of the lower Willamette Valley on camping/touring trips. My big ride was from Roseburg to Northern California, then back up the coast to Eugene. I got back December 12th:)

For years I just commuted around town getting the occasional ride in. About three years ago I really got back into MTB'ing with my classic San Andreas, and our local club known as the Disciples of Dirt. Lot's of riding with this crew ensued and I was damn hooked on MTB'ing. The next logical thing to follow was racing. We would do it for fun on rides, see who can be the fastest to the top or the bottom, but it's always fun to test your strength against others, and compete in an organized environment.

Joining the Paul's team has been excellent, as we've really got a good group of riders here. People to train with, race with, and drink some beers with while talking about riding and racing. Got my first road racing bike early this year, the Orbea Mitis. Learned to ride in a pack and stay on that wheel so as to not face the punishment of being in the wind alone. A few times this year I got dropped and it turns into one painful TT the rest of the way. Sometimes you find some company out there:)

So these locals have this race they like to do, the Cascade Cream Puff 100. Last year I watched and could not believe how and why they did it. This year I participated and realized why they did it, but not how I did! Actually, it was one of the most brutal day long rides I've ever done, 14+ hours of MTB'ing! An epic experience I'll never forget as many a friend finished the race or cheered on from the side.

The road racing's been fun, crits have been great, and I'm looking forward to another fun year on the bike. Nothing beats riding through the great trails of the WNF, or the rolling hills around Loraine. The racing around here is damn good too. I'll seeya on the bikes and at the finish line!