mo-Hab boyz

Nothing makes or breaks a trip like your riding companions. Sharing a hotel room with 3 mtn biking dudes - personalities, riding styles, riding goals amongst different people can be a recipe for great fun or great disaster.

Here's a pic of me and my cohorts at breakfast at Smitty's Golden Steak(stake) cafe. The place with cinnamon rolls as big as your head.(dana remember this place?)

From left to right - Mike, me, Mark, Pat.

Mike
Mike is something else for sure. 6'2" tall, very muscular and a "man's man" type. I swear this guy just LOOKS like he should be a fireman. He said he passed the physical test to be a fireman but decided it wasn't the career for him.

Even with all his macho attitude/ideas - he's a great guy. I know it sounds cliche but I think he's one those old school macho men with a heart of gold. I betcha as a friend - he is fiercely loyal.

Mike is a force to be reckoned with...an early riser (the rest of us weren't) that pushed us to get up and get riding a little quicker than we wanted. But since the rest of us are so easy going it worked out alright. Mike definitely added some energy to this trip.

Saturday night is was great watching him in action talking up all the ladies. Every time I think about it - I just smile and shake my head.

He gave me a big hug good-bye and lifted me in air as he did it. It's an interesting feeling to be engulfed by so much massive muscle. I felt teeny-tiny and as light as a feather when he did that.

To my single girlfriends out there - if you like tall, muscular and handsome - he's available. ;)

Mark
I met Mark last August via motionbased.com. He had downloaded some data that I wanted so i emailed him asking for more info. Turns out he's as much as a data geek as I am. I saw him at the races a couple of times in August and we might have spoken 6 words to each other. Then I invited him to GITA - surprisingly he went on that trip and we've been fast friends ever since.

Mark is great to ride with - as an expert racer that easily places in the top 5 - he can put the hurt on anyone on the climbs. But when it's a casual or training ride he's totally happy riding as easy pace and doesn't have to prove anything. I never feel I have to kill myself to keep up and he never pushes me to ride something over my head.

Due to the GITA trip and after riding with great riders that ride for the fun of it and take lots of pictures. It reawakened his interest in photography and he decided to not race this season and do epic rides and take lots of pics.

Mark had 2 cameras this trip and was constantly taking pics. Sometimes I felt like a celebrity and the paparazzi was following as I'd hear the whirl of the camera shooting as I rode by.

Mark is a super sweetie for sure - but sorry girls - he has a steady girlfriend and is not available.

Pat
Oh man! This guy is hoot! He was the comedian of the group. Always making light of things, singing and dancing around. He had me laughing so much. I'm hoping to get that snippet of Pat dancing at the Amasa Back parking lot from Mark as seeing him is action is so much better than words.

Pat is currently working full time and hitting it hard on his master's degree. So I don't know if he is always like this (it was the 1st time I met him) or was just really blowing off some steam.

At breakfast on Sunday as the bus boy was clearing the table - there was 1 lonely plate left on the table. The bus boy looked at Mark and didn't say anything but just pointed at the last plate indicating for Mark to hand it to him. Pat then shakily pointed his finger at the table and said "ET says PLAAAATTE". Oh my - I laughed so hard. it probably falls in the "you had to be there" but gosh that was *funny*!

On Sunday's ride said he thought of some lyrics to a song for me.

she's 4'10"
she likes to grin
she's full of sin,
she likes to be thin
she'll kick ya in the shin
she likes to win
her name is cyn.

Like i said - funny stuff. Sorry girls - he's been happily married for 15years and they are going strong. ;)