Happy New Year...go ride Bristol!

So as of January 1st bikes are permitted in the new Bristol Skatepark 3 days a week. I'm not sure what the exact weekdays are but I know Saturdays all day are fair game. I'm heading over to Bristol on Saturday to ride with hopes of meeting up with Schmidt, Tiny TYRANT, and dragging Arnwine out to shred. Come ride!

REMEMBER: NO PEGS, unless they are plastic and STAY OUT OF THE BOWL!

Another New Skatepark in CT!!!

So Killingly, CT has built a new free-form cement skatepark that looks rad as all hell! Check out this quick video I stole from the Trails Rule Blog. I'm pretty sure that is Daily Grind Chuck in those photos?

NOTE: This is Killingly out near Norwich, not Killingworth right near us!

Back to the Grind

Sadly, I'm back in the states and back to work after an amazing trip to Ireland. I shot hundreds of photos which you can check out HERE. I brought back a harsh cold...what a great souvenir! No riding for me this week, resting up and getting well!

Apparently the Bristol Skatepark meeting held last Tuesday was somewhat successful. Word on the street is that bikes are going to be permitted into the street section of the park 3 days a week, but no metal pegs are allowed. I would of liked to see bikes be allowed everyday, but at this point anything is better than nothing. Read the Bristol Press article HERE for all the details. Remember kiddies, no bikes in the bowl and get some plastic pegs!!!

Headed Over the Pond

T and I are off to Ireland! I'm not sure if I will have internet access at all overseas so this may be the last post for a few weeks. I'll be stopping in a few local bike shops dropping off some stickers and swag hoping to spread some TYRANT love over the pond. I'm psyched to check out the scene in Dublin and the few local parks they have!

In other news...
Jake Lineberry messaged me to let me know that MSX is still alive and well, but heavily covered in leaves. Winter is almost upon us!

Snow Cross

Wow, I was complaining about being cold watching the cross races Saturday, check this out! Near blizzard conditions in Belgium and the race still goes on. Look at all those lunatic spectators! Kick a$$!

Superprestige Cyclo-cross Hamme-Zogge - C1. Hamme-Zogge, Belgium, November 23, 2008

Jonathan Page on the run-up

Photo ©: Roberto Bettini/www.bettiniphoto.net

Arctic Cross

Yesterday was the CT Cyclocross State Championships and I'm still thawing out from an insanely cold day! Lolli gave 'em hell in the Cat. 4 race, milkshake costume and all. Doug J. gave cyclocross a whirl for the first time racing the Cat. 3/4 race on his singlespeed 29er. All in all it was a fun day of cross action...but it would of been so much better if I could actual feel my hands a shoot more film! The few photos I did shoot are posted, CLICK HERE.

Riders Unite!

Great to see so many riders show their faces at the Bristol Skatepark meeting last night...too bad the town blew smoke up our a$$ and prolonged any action until December 2nd. The positive part of last night was the fact that the riders are being listened to, the town is giving them a chance to be heard, and is taking the riders needs into consideration...in a week and a half! I was also stoked that the Bristol Press and Channel 3 News reported on the issue in favor of the riders! Both news outlets recognize that the riders are being discriminated against and a change needs to be made.

READ THE ARTICLE HERE

The next week and a half is going to be huge for the BMX riders in Bristol. This is your time to shine, your time to show utmost respect and build your strength in numbers. Keep clear of the park until the December 2nd meeting! If respect is shown now, respect will be earned in the long run! I realize it is far to easy to get into a shouting match when you have dozens of uninformed skaters shooting off at the mouth, but walk away and save your aggression for the December 2nd meeting!

December 2nd @ 5pm @ Bristol City Hall

Sadly, I am going to be in Ireland when this meeting takes place, but I'll be doing my part in the meantime.

Bittersweet

So today was bittersweet, some good and some bad. I found out today that I have a pulled quandricep and IT Band Syndrome, which will be ending my 2008 cyclocross racing. I'm going to be going to physical therapy a few times before I leave to Ireland in hopes that some ultrasound and massage eliminate my limp. I'm so bummed! Honestly, I could of cried when I was told to stay off the bike and not race the Connecticut State Cyclocross Championships this weekend. I'm passionate about my riding and my competitive spirit is second to none. Sitting on the sidelines sucks! Guess I'll have to resort to my alternate outlet Saturday, my camera.

OK, that was my rant of bad news, now the good stuff. T and I headed down to Haven tonight to meet up with Schmidty and Jay. I was supposed to be riding the park tonight, but instead I gimped around and shot some film. It was a chill, low-key session. About a dozen riders going off and having fun! T brought her bike and rode a bit, her first time on the steed in 4 months or so. Stopping by Haven for a few hours helped ease me up.

Check out the photos I shot by CLICKING HERE.

Schmidt taking a spin on the curved wall

EARS ARE OPEN!!!

We've got their attention and the newspaper has recognized our cry for action!

READ HERE!

The City of Bristol in willing to "consider" options for bicycles at the new skatepark or potentially a new area. It isn't what we want, but that fact that ears are open and willing to hear us out is a start!

TOMORROW NIGHT IS HUGE! PLEASE SHOW UP!

LET THE BIKES IN!

The City of Bristol has been saying for years that bikes would be permitted in their new skatepark. The time has come, the grand opening has taken place, and bikes are banned! Cops were at the park writing tickets all weekend and threatening to arrest riders at the grand opening yesterday. Show your support, bikes belong! Come out the skatepark meeting Wednesday and voice your opinion against the close minded officials holding riders down!

When: Wednesday, November 19th (2 days from now!)
Where: Bristol Town Hall - 1st Floor Meeting Room
When: 6:00 PM SHARP!
Why: Cause riders shouldn't be shut out!

Letters have already been written to the Mayor and Parks & Rec. The Park & Recreation Director was confronted on the matter and he walked away like a coward. He knows he screwed up not informing the pubic that a last minute decision was made to ban bikes! It isn't fair, it isn't right, and riders aren't going to stand for it! Riders have worked toward getting a park in Bristol for 6 years, and now the door is being slammed closed in their face!

E-mail the Bristol Park & Rec. via the link below and tell them how you feel. Let them know that bikes belong!

BRISTOL PARKS & REC.

PLEASE NOTE: If we want respect we have to show respect. Refrain from using profanity in any message sent or at the meeting! Keep your cool! Knowledge is power! If we slap them in the face with cold hard facts...they have to listen!

Mike Aitken Jam @ Haven

WOW, the Mike Aitken Jam was amazing! Literally hundreds of riders from the East Coast showed up to show their support for Mike and shred Haven. There were thousands of dollars in prizes and lots of free swag given out. Check out the photos I shot, CLICK HERE.

Evan Huggerd invert!

NEW SHIRTS ARE MINT!

I received my first shirt today that I ordered off the TYRANT Store and it is dope! The direct printing method is so clean and the detail is precise! I'm so psyched and I'm sure "Tiny TYRANT" will be when I'm wearing him around tomorrow at the Aitken Jam. HA HA! Support TYRANT, click that store link and order some merch. Plenty for the dudes and a few for the ladies!

Aitken Benefit

I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU HAVE PLANNED SATURDAY AFTERNOON/EVENING....CANCEL IT! Everybody should be at Haven at the Mike Aitken Benefit...show your love for BMX and support for a fellow rider!

Blast from the past!

A blast from the past, the TYRANT Truckers hats are back! The last run of these was the camouflage ones back in 2004...and Schmidt stills rocks his! I'm going back to the roots here, back to the original TYRANT Trucker hat originally printed in 2002. Rock out this plain and simple old school hat with the original TYRANT logo circa 2002. Rumor has it mesh trucker hats are no longer cool! All the more reason to wear 'em! It's hip to be square!

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE

"Smile and enjoy the ride!"

Taj has a really well written post up on his Transworld blog. The end of the post really hit home for me, especially since I've been hesitant to get back on the BMX bike after my August crash. Take a moment out of your day and go read the whole post. Afterward, take a moment to reflect on how fortunate you are to be able to ride and how fun riding truly is!

"The beautiful thing about BMX, Freestyle, Stunt Riding or whatever you call it is that it’s yours to do what you want with. There is no definition. Don’t loose the magic of riding for the sake of a fad, a trend or a pay check. If Aitken, LeVan, Steven, Jeff Crawn or countless others can get hurt so badly, then any of us can. So, run a few checks on your conscience and make sure you are ok with what you are doing and why since you just never know what’s around the corner. And then, with that out of the way, smile and enjoy the ride!"

I'm sitting here with a toothless ear to ear grin thinking about the end of the work day and the opportunity to ride...and how fun it is going to be! Love life, love your bike, love to ride!

Trails Progress

I started making a lot of progress on my trails late Spring/early Summer this year, but a busy schedule and my crash in August put a halt to that. I spent the whole day Sunday clearing the East Haddam property of leaves and cutting up 2 huge trees that fell across the trails area. I'm so psyched for Spring and its still 4 months away! I'm keeping the trails clean and clear of leaves in hopes that the winter cold, snow, and rain will have direct access to the soft forest floor helping it pack down and toughen up. I'll be back at the house this coming Sunday finishing up the leaf removal, cutting up some more trees and obstacles in the way, and raking rocks and roots from a new 100 yard section of trail that I cut yesterday. Come Spring, I should have a BMX, MTB, and cyclocross friendly trail system on the property with a jumps section, a few wooden bridges, some freeride drops, and a 3/4 mile hiking/riding trail around the property. Should be fun, but its going to take time and hard work to get there.

Girls! Girls! Girls!

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Web Store Q & A

I received several e-mails yesterday with questions about the new TYRANT Online Store that I set up. This post is going to serve as a "How To" and hopefully make things run smoother.

If you'd like to order some TYRANT merch click on the link above. Browse through the various items available, click on an item to view it larger or view the logo larger, then select the item you'd like to buy, select a size, and order away.

Now to field questions:
1. Sizing charts are typically offered when you click on an item. Look up in the right next to the price and quantity field. Some shirts are tighter, trendier fits than others. I wear a size large in most of the stuff and I'm 6' 3" and 185lbs.

2. Yes, some items are available in multiple colors, look for the "MORE COLORS AVAILABLE" line below the item photo.

3. Yes, CafePress does accept all major credit cards and they do offer returns. See their site for details.

4. Some tee shirts are more expensive than others because they have printing on the front and back. Double sided printing is more expensive and like I said, CafePress has some steep fees!..but is very convenient and has fast turnaround times!!!

5. Sorry, bulk discounts are not available through me. Contact CafePress, I have no say.

Thanks a ton for all your interest and support! I'm hoping to post a new shirt design each week and check back for guest artist works from Shawn Hebrank, T. McCurdy, Jason Patrician, Ryan Schmidt, and "Tiny TYRANT" Brandon B.

Trendy New Tee

As our MySpace page says, "trying not to get caught up in any trends, not trying to set any either"...well I've succumbed to the pressure! Today I released the "tiny tyrant" Trendy Tee which is available via our ONLINE STORE. The graphic features "tiny tyrant" Brandon Begin tweaking a table on his backyard ramp its printed on a US made skinny fit tee. This is the perfect compliment to those skin tight jeans all the kiddies are wearing now days. Rock out and get yourself a shirt today! Make "tiny" proud!

Selling out until further notice!

My schedule has been nuts trying to balance work, riding, racing, and living a "normal" life. I have put very little time and effort into TYRANT over the past months, cause I've had little free time to dedicate. Instead of letting TYRANT die out, I sold out and opened up a CafePress account. For the next few months you can order tons of clothing and accessories online and I don't have to worry about scrambling to get them done for you. The prices are inflated, only because the printer charges a steep fee and takes a HUGE CUT for their quick turnaround! All the shirts are printed with Direct Printing. CafePress prints direct-to-fabric with no transfers. The result is a matte image that moves with the garment because the ink is actually embedded in the fabric for ultimate wearable comfort. That means greater image staying power. The few bucks I make off of each shirt goes directly into the sticker fund to get more vinyl made up and stuck up all over the East Coast. I'm sure there are a few peeps out there who are going to b!tch at me cause I'm taking away the "home job" aspect of TYRANT, but I promise you its only temporary! I'll still be making the bleached out shirts when people order them and as 2009 and Winter roll in things should slow down a bit allowing me time to get some screens going at home. Thanks for understanding and as always thanks for the support!

TYRANT's NEW STORE - CLICK HERE TO SHOP!

Sprague Skatepark

So I caught wind of this new free form cement park that opened in the Village of Baltic in Sprague, Connecticut. Villages in towns? WTF? Anwway, I've never heard of the village or town before, but CT shredder Frank K. told me its a few minutes outside of Norwich. Anyway, the park looks pretty rad and I'm always down to check out new places to ride!

Photo stolen from this website.

Charles River Skatepark

I'm not sure if they are ever going to build the Charles River Skatepark up in Boston, they have been talking about it since 2002!!! Anyway, this is the latest design as of this month. I'm kinda bummed, no more full pipe like in the old layout. Check out the brick bank to chunks, the old medical center set up being brought back to life...pretty cool Boston street tribute right there!

Highland Again!

So we're headed back to Highland on Saturday, November 15th. It is the last day the park is open for the 2008 season and should be out of control! Food, music, and lots of riding! I'm psyched!

Crank Collective

I received a message from John the Editor of CrankCollective.com. The site is a social network for mountain bikers which allows users to post info on trails, submit photos, and discuss topics on a forum. I've been hitting up a lot of local trails lately on the cross bike to get some tech training in, so I'll be adding some of my favorite local riders to the site. Steve B., "Tiny TYRANTs" Dad, has been doing a lot of mountain biking and I'm looking to get out on the trails with him before Winter strikes. Take a moment to check out the site, it could use some Connecticut love!

Craig's Not Dead!

I received an e-mail from Craig Samuels to reassure me that he is still riding BMX, not just fixed gear these days. As posted a few weeks ago, Craig is working on a fixed gear film...and I just caught word that Shawn Hebrank will be making a guest appearance in the video on his Mary Poppins 3 speed bike that he pedals around MinneCRAPolis. Woo hoo!

Highland!

WOW, yesterday was so much fun! Headed up to Highland Mountain Bike Park to shoot photos & video of a crew of guys bombing down the mountain and throwing down some insane tricks. Mike Stock was the only casualty of the day with a blown up ankle. Thanks to Mike for driving and all the guys for going fast, big, and just having fun riding bikes! Can't wait to go again!

100+ photos, check 'em out CLICK HERE.

Blachura going big!

News and stuff!

So this past weekend was pretty rad! Finished 4th at Mansfield Hollow Cross on a super gnarly course and did a bunch of hiking with T on Sunday. Gotta' love nature! especially during peak foliage.

Saturday I'm headed up to Highland Mountain Bike Park in New Hampshire with Stock, Blachura, and a Chevy Suburban full of maniacs. I'm not riding, just going to check the place out and shoot mass amounts of photos and video. It should be a good time, I'm really psyched! Sunday is supposed to rail like hell, but Opa Opa Cross is going on rain or shine. I will admit, if its cold and pouring out I am going to wuss out and stay home. It's too early in the season to get sick or hurt racing a rinky dink race with only beer as prizes. We'll see how things pan out.

I've had a few MySpace messages come through asking about my crash and my BMX riding situation. I still haven't ridden my BMX bike yet, it's been over 2 months now. I've had the doctors OK to ride for almost 3 weeks, but I've been training my a$$ for cross and racing every weekend...haven't had the time. The chin and skull are healed, but I'm still missing a tooth and have some chipped teeth which will be getting fixed soon. I still have to get my hands on a full face helmet and my dentist is making me a custom mouth guard. Better safe then sorry from this point on boys and girls, I've had too many horrific crashes in the past 5 years!

With that said, nothing new on the TYRANT front either. Still screening custom ordered shirts here and there, but no major plans for any new hotness till 2009. The beanies will happen this year, possibly around Christmas! Check here for details.

Hope everyone is well and riding lots!

Mansfield Cross

So I'm racing on home turf this weekend, come check it out! Mansfield Cross goes off at 9am at Mansfield Hollow Park in Mansfield, CT...right down the street from UCONN. This is one of the gnarliest courses of the season and it sure to be a kick a$$ race to watch. There are some crazy fast riders pre-registered so its going to be a blistering pace! Hope to see some peeps out on Saturday morning.

San Fran. Clan

As promised a few weeks ago, a little fixed gear footy from Craig Samuels and his San Fran Clan. I'm currently in the process of working on a crafty new TYRANT creation for Craig and his cronies which will be unveiled sometime before 2009? Until then watch this video over and over and drool, cause this spot looks dope!


Treasure Island Riding 10/12/08 from bikehitscar on Vimeo.

Marking Our Turf!

So T and I finally got the boundaries of the East Haddam property staked out. We were having some issues finding the lower 2 pins of the property, so T called in a professional to take care of the task...for FREE no less! Now that I know exactly what acreage I have to play with the trail building will begin. I am totally altering my plans from early Summer, mainly due to my crash in August. No more huge gap jumps like I envisioned...I can't afford to get hurt again! I'm keeping it simple and realistic...a line of medium sized tables, a pump track, a small six pack, and a 3/4 mile cyclocross/MTB friendly trail...barriers and all! This idea is just coming to life and probably won't be done till late Spring/early Summer 2009, but one can dream in the meantime. I'll be in the woods with the chainsaw and leaf blower this Sunday if anybody wants to come help!

Gloucester was rad!

I'll keep it short and sweet, racing the Grand Prix of Gloucester was rad! The course was fast, the run-up on day 2 was gnarly, and I did well...enough said. T went to town with my Digital Rebel and shot a 100 or so photos, check them out via the links below.

Day 1 photos
Day 2 photos

Gloucester Recap...

Great weekend of racing at a great venue on a super fun course! Managed to place 15th out of 110 riders Saturday and 16th out of 122 riders Sunday. T was running around the course like a maniac cheering me on and shooting lots of photos. Check out the links below to view some race photos.

Day 1 Race Photos
Day 2 Race Photos

WEAR YOUR HELMETS!!!

I'm sure most of you have heard about the horrible crash Mike Aitken took earlier this week that has left him in a coma and in intensive care. It is horrible to see another amazing rider go down, especially in such a traumatic way! Head over to MikeAitken.com for the latest updates on Mike's condition and to donate some $$$ to Mike's fund. The dude has no health insurance and is in a world of hurt right now!!! I'm not going to preach cause its not my style, but this should be an eye opener to everyone out there...wear a helmet at the trails! I've heard it time after time, "It's dirt, its soft!"...BS dudes, dirt will kill your dome just like pavement will!!! Chances are things would have been a lot different if Aitken had a helmet on. Get well!

Kids complain about wearing helmets cause they don't look cool, they're big and bulky, they're hot! Personally I think a feeding tube is a lot less cool than a helmet! Smarten up kiddies, it could mean your life!

Aitken killing Haven on the FIT Tour

Yeah Dog!

So check out Shamira, Shawn Hebrank's dog, rocking a TYRANT Dog Sweater....tricycle logo and all! Yeah dog! This is a special order item, so if you want to keep your pooch warm and styling in the trails this Winter contact me! HA HA HA!

Gloucester Weekend

So T and I will be spending the weekend up in Mass. for the Grand Prix of Gloucester 2 day cyclocross event. Gloucester has one of the gnarliest sand pits in New England, a whole 150 yards of sandy hell, which should also wreak havoc on the 125 rider field. All in all it should be a fun weekend. T is trying to recruit some of her relatives who live in the greater Boston area to come out and check out the event, so I might have a fan club in attendance? Lolli is also making his way up to peddle Ghosthip merch and hopefully race...he's on the "stand by" list because the race is sold out both days. I'm psyched that cross season is finally here!

Update: Tuesday Evening - So we won't be spending the weekend in Mass., we no longer have a place to stay! I love when things fall through the cracks. I'm thinking I'm just going to race Saturday and blow off Sunday's race. We'll see how things pan out. Wow, what a total drag!!!

Stolen from Flickr.com

Sunday Soaker...kinda

So Mother Nature rained out our Sunday Session at "Tiny TYRANT's" backyard ramp. T and I still took a ride out to the Begin's house to drop off the swag I got Brandon at Interbike. Man its tough standing in their kitchen looking at a wet ramp knowing you should of been riding. Oh well, soon enough! Yesterday would have been my first time on the BMX bike since my crash nearly 2 months ago. I'm really looking forward to getting back on the bike, it's been way too long...although I do have some butterflies in my stomach! Hopefully we'll get in a night time street session this week, cause I'm jonesing to ride!

Sunday late afternoon turned out pretty nice! I was sunken into my couch watching the Giant's football game when I noticed the sun was finally breaking through the clouds. So I got up, got suited up, and headed out for a road ride. The roads were pretty much dry, it was a little brisk, but all in all it was a great ride. Gotta' keep working on my cardio and fitness, lots of cross racing ahead.

NEW Cromwell Skatepark

So Cromwell, CT now has a skatepark. Its an ARC park, slick metal ramps and all, but its better than nothing. The sign says wood-pushers and fruit-booters only, but I've heard from a bunch of guys that they have been riding there and not getting hassled. Check out some photos of the park HERE.

Not a bad hip-to-wedge

Some more fixed...

A short web vid. consisting of some clips recorded Tuesday night. Good times, good friends!

Bummer!!!

Man, I am so bummed! Bill Allen, aka "Cru Jones" from RAD was signing autographs at Interbike and I had no idea...and didn't get an autograph or photo with him. You can laugh your a$$ off, but RAD is the greatest movie ever and I've been stoked on it since I was a little kid. Damn, maybe next year!

"Hulk Hogan, eat your heart out!"

Fixed Gear Fun

So Tuesday night Lolli, Schmidt, Larry, and I went out and rode around M-Town. Those 3 guys rode their fixed gears and I rolled along on my old school road bike. Fixed gears are all the rage now, they were all over Interbike. It's pretty rad to see the boundaries being pushed on narrow 27" wheels...bar spins, wallrides, etc. You won't catch me on a fixed any time soon, but its rad to tag along and watch. Shot a few wacky photos with my point and shoot which can be viewed HERE.

On the same note, Craig Samuels just sent me a heads up that he is producing a fixed flick out in San Fran. and should be sending some clips my way to post. Keep your eyes peeled.

Also, check out the photo below that was posted on FBMbmx.com of Jason P. and myself talking about FBM's Sword frame with Big Dave at Interbike. Santa may be bringing me a Sword...to run single-speed of course...no fixed for me!

Schmidt in the shadows getting rad


Talking Sword's at Interbike
Photo by Steve Crandall. Stolen off of FBMbmx.com

Cross Madness

So the results have been posted for CrossVegas and I'm slotted as 8th overall. Wow, something was definitely messed up at the scorers table that night. There are missing names all over the results sheet and I'm pretty sure I wasn't 8th. Oh well, here is the podium photo shot by Mia Sullivan Watts, the race promoters wife. Pretty rad!

Another Interbike in the bag!

Another year, another Interbike gone by.
Vegas is fun, Interbike is fun, but man I am glad to be home!

Tony's Photos
Friend's Photos

Vegas is Vegas....CRAZY!

WOW, another year at Interbike and another 7 days of madness. D.Whip and Digger Davis are out of control...the definition of "loose cannons". Luckily, we haven't gotten the "1 call" yet from the drunk tank. Ghostship Matt and I raced CrossVegas last night and it was pure punishment. Lolli rode a great race and had about 200 yards on me with 3 or so miles to go. Sadly, Matt took a digger on a paved corner and crashed pretty. Matt is a little road rashed and his bike was pretty tweaked, but he finished strong. I ended up ahead of Matt as a result of his crash and to all of our surprise I was the "#1 bike shop employee finisher" in the race winning me the "Retailers" bracket. Man, what a crazy mess of feelings...I felt so bad that Matt took a digger, my whole body hurt from racing, but the fact that I won the bracket got the adrenaline pumping. I ended up getting called up to the podium, got a rad cow bell engraved with "CrossVegas Winner", and had tons of photos taken on me with the winners of the other brackets. Such a great experience on a gnarly grass course. After our race we hung out and watched the mens race which was insane. Lance Armstrong showed up to give cyclocross a go and got shelled...despite a solid effort. All in all Vegas is Vegas...CRAZY!

I have to give a shout out to the guys at Swiftwick Socks for flowing me those rad calf height socks for the race! A shout out to Lolli for hooking me up with the new Ghostship shirt to rock at the awards ceremony. Also, a shout out to Ashley at Outlaw Earth for all the shirt hookups!

Here is a taste of what Jason shot...

Tony TYRANT


Matt Lolli


Lance Armstrong


Tony at the podium

Busted Begin

So I got a call from "Tiny TYRANT" yesterday to inform me that his younger brother Nathan took a nasty digger on the backyard ramp. Apparently Nathan was attempting to jump the chunk in the center of the ramp and bailed out, somehow catching his hand on his pedal. The pedal pins did a number on Nathan's finger resulting in a gash that needed 4 stitches to close it. According to Mrs. B you could see the tendon in the cut and the doc said surgery would be required if the tendon was cut...OUCH! Can you say LUCKY! Heal up dude, I'll send a care package to the Begin Compound from Interbike on Thursday.

CrossVegas....its on!

So the start list for next weeks CrossVegas "Wheelers & Dealers" race was posted today and its a gnarly field. Pro's like Mark McCormack are racing in the "Wheelers" race...WTF? Anyway, the 100 rider race will be scored at the finish based on 4 categories. I'll be scored as a "Retailer" since Pedal Power got me into the race, and there are only 28 other riders in that bracket...including Lolli. Looks like I have to kick 27 people off their bikes in 30 minutes to take the win cause there is no way this beat up body of mine is getting me there! HA HA HA! In addition to a ton of riders they are expecting 5,000+ spectators to attend the race...that's nuts!

UPDATE: 9/18: LANCE?
Rumor has it Lance Armstrong will be racing in the "Wheelers & Dealers" race. Holy sh!t, I'm going to get run over!

Burn Baby Burn!

WOW, I checked out the forecast for Las Vegas for next week. It is going to be a scorcher! The day of the CrossVegas race is supposed to be sunny and 95 degrees and there is no shade to be found anywhere on that race course. Sounds like I'm in for 40 minutes of roasting! Woo Hoo!...or not!

Treeless barren wasteland = CrossVegas Course

Vegas=1 week. Me=Weak!

Yeah, so after 4 days back on the bike I'm not too psyched! My fitness heading into the CrossVegas race next week is questionable and I need to shake the cobwebs outta' my head! Vegas should be a hoot, but it hasn't sunk in yet...I'm stuck in the blur of my everyday life and the 9-5 and its sh!tting on my riding psyche. Blah!

Dead Sexy!...literally.

So Hebrank has taken his obsession with dead birds to a new level. Check out the latest limited edition hotness below. We'll be up in Boston this weekend at the Boston Center for the Arts hanging out with Hebrank and raising sober, vegan hell in Beantown. Woo Hoo!

Clear for takeoff!

We're clear for take off...I'll be racing in Las Vegas after all. After 3+ weeks off the bike as a result of a mid-august crash I got the doctors OK to get riding again. That gives me 2 weeks to get my a$$ back into some sort of racing shape so I can hold my own at CrossVegas. I'm so psyched!!!

In other news...

TYRANT will be headed to Dun Laoghaire, Ireland for a week in December for a wedding. You can bet there will be some madness going on...the city park in Dun Laoghaire has a BMX track! not to mention the Guiness and Jameson factories are just 7 miles up the coast in Dublin.

Word on the street is that Lance Armstrong is coming out of retirement next year to race 6 major events including the Tour de France. Insane! He just tore people's legs off at the Leadville 100 mile mountain bike event...the dude is super human!

Begin's Backyard

So I went to check out "Tiny TYRANT's" backyard ramp today after hearing it had been re-designed and re-layered. Wow, what a rad set-up! 6 foot quarter, mellow box jump in the center, to 5 foot quarter...super fun! Brandon is fresh off a week at Woodward and riding super smooth and boosting his ramp super high! When I was 14 I was happy with a 1 foot bunnyhop. I certainly wasn't airing ramps out 6 feet! I took a bunch of photos of Brandon, check them out by CLICKING HERE...they are worth a look!

"Tiny TYRANT"...big tuck no-hander!

"The Lot" again...

More photos from "The Lot". Check them out:CLICK HERE!

Arnwine deciding to fuf the kicker instead of jump it

"The Lot"

So I finally made it out to "The Lot" tonight, the place where Arnwine and Blachura have been riding a often. The place is huge and has a ton of potential!!! Right now there is a few dirt hits and a monster wooden kicker to lander. As usual Blachura was hucking himself 10-12' off the 6' lip throwing down backflips, lofty 360's, and no footed tricks with ease. I was pretty impressed with Arnwine, the street shredder can jump now! Bry was corking out some pretty 360 flatties and coming so, so close to landing tailwhips. I'm talking 8 foot boost, to whip, to 1 foot on the frame. He'll have them dialed in a week or two...I'm willing to bet on it! Thanks to Steve, who's family owns "The Lot", for letting me come out to shoot some film and check out the area. Goodtimes, can't wait to go back...especially to help dig and stack some rad new lines! Lots of photos as usual, CLICK HERE.

Blachura bomb drop can-can at dusk

Camo Bandannas Are Back!!!

After 2 months of being on back order, the TYRANT camo bandannas are back in stock. These are new "military quality" bandannas that are slightly larger and more durable. Whether its sweat, snot, rain, snow...these things can take the punishment! Grab one, only $5.00

Another Man Down

So I'm not the only local off the bike for some time. Jake Lineberry took a digger trying a decade over the box at Skater's Edge yesterday and severely sprained his ankle. Jake is in an air cast and will be nursing the ankle for a few weeks. No fun! Get well dude!

When Jake's not hurt he's hucking himself...

Driveway Jam

So I have been off the bike for 2 weeks now and I'm totally going through withdrawals!!! I picked Arnwine up today to head down to the Driveway Jam in Higganum at Manther's place. If I can't ride, I'd at least like to be shooting film and immersed in the BMX atmosphere...which I was today. Good times! Check out the few photos by CLICKING HERE.

Schmidt table

Doping in BMX?

No lie, a BMX racer has been caught for doping. Check out the article HERE.
Has anybody tested Kevin Robinson for roids? The dudes a monster!

With all that said, check out DEATH2DOPERS.COM, and anti-doping campaign I started last year. Shirts are available, $10 each.

Out of Comission

So I took a digger at the East Hampton Skatepark Funraiser on Saturday and knocked my self out of commission for 3-5 weeks with some stitches, a fracture, some road rash, and a seriously bruised ego! Why is it that the stupid little crashes always results in the worst injuries. With that said, I'll be doing a lot of self reflection, photo shooting, and artwork over the course of the next month I'll be off the bike. I can't begin to tell you how much this hurts. No, not the physical hurt...the mental hurt. I've been training my a$$ for cross season and CrossVegas and now there is a chance I may not be racing at all out at Interbike. This coming Sunday's first cross race of the season is surely a no go for me, but I'm going hitch a ride with Lolli and be sag support, fan club, photojournalist. All wounds heal in due time, but I have no patience!!! :(

6 stitches needed to close the crater

Where you at?!?!

No I haven't been at the skatepark lately, I'm becoming good friends with Mother Nature. Cross season starts next weekend, gotta get it done!

2 Day Jam!!!

The East Hampton Skatepark Committee is putting on their 2nd Annual Fundraising Jam and its bound to be off the hook! Those of you who came last year know it was a great success and riders were going off! I will only be able to attend on Saturday from 10-2ish, but the jam will be going on Saturday and Sunday most of the day. TYRANT will be kicking in some shirts and other merch. as prizes, so come shred! Check out the flyer below for details...

(click to enlarge)

Some News...

So here is the latest...

I haven't ridden my BMX bike in almost 2 weeks...been hammering out the miles on the cross & road bikes getting ready for CrossVegas next month. I think I'm going to ride Haven tomorrow night, anybody in?

"Tiny TYRANT" Brandon Begin is at Woodward this week. I'm scared to see what wacky tricks the kid is going to come home with this year.

Jason Patrician will be joining us for 4 days out at Interbike. Jason is coming out to check out the CrossVegas race, shoot some film, check out Interbike, and raise hell on the Vegas strip with the rest of us!

How many days in a row can we have "scatered thunderstorms". Mother Nature is being a bitch this Summer and its starting to put a damper on my riding schedule!

That's it...go ride!

Busted!

So apparently some kids got nabbed riding at Wesleyan a few days ago and took some serious heat from public safety and the Middletown PD. Rumor has it the kids narc'd on everyone that rides at Wesleyan and apparently I am one of those people. HA HA HA, I'm not that dumb my friends, I haven't ridden up there since I moved out of Middletown years ago! I'm told the kid was blabbing about TYRANT a bunch and all the "TYRANT riders" that ride at Wesleyan. WTF? Get your facts straight kiddies, or keep your mouths shut! You can talk about TYRANT all you want if your spitting the truth...if you're throwing us into the fire for no reason we're going to have issues! Take a look at all the street riding photos and videos I've posted from Middletown over the years, you only see a single clip from Wesleyan and that was the night we got spoken to back in 2006! Haven't ridden there since! I can take a hint. It's trespassing, and I don't need the headaches!

Cross Vegas!

It's official, Lolli and I are registered for the Cross Vegas 2008 "Wheelers & Dealers" Race. We'll both be repping Pedal Power, in what looks to be one hell of a 100 rider cross race!. With D. Whip wrenching on our bikes, Digger Davis as our 1 man fan club, a rental van, and Dale's Pale Ale sponsoring the event it's going to be insane! I am so psyched!!!

West Siiiiiide!

Congrats to Craig Samels and his San Fran. fixed crew for winning a video contest put on by Chrome. I posted the video on here a few months back when Craig sent it my way and now its getting crazy views. Note the beginning of the video, a headless rider chilling on his bike for a few seconds, that's Lolli when he was in San Fran. earlier this year. Click on the click on the link and check out the video. Supa' fly!

Track Mayhem!

Check out the link below, what a crazy crash! The 4th guy goes down in style...gap off the downed bikes rear wheel to attempted wallride...check it out! Bonkers!

CRAZY CRASH! Click Here then click on the "Video" icon

Go By Bike!

Pledge to Go By Bike! In addition to the 175-200 miles per week I've been riding, I'm commuting to work on my cross bike 23 miles round trip on Fridays.

Totally Crossed Out!

Man, I've been a riding fool the past few weeks! I've been putting in solid miles in the woods, on the road, and on the hills getting ready for cross. Exactly 1 month till the first race of the New England Cyclocross Season and I am so psyched! I found a few hidden gems cutting through the wilderness not too far from my house and have been honing in my singletrack skills. I feel like I'm in solid shape, but the true test will be at next months race. I love BMX, road is fun, but oh man...there is something about cross that gets my blood pumping. So rad, I'm so ready!

Don't know a thing about cyclocross? Chech this out!

Want to come watch cross, come to these races!
October 10-11:
Gran Prix of Gloucester – “The New England Worlds”
Stage Fort Park, Gloucester Massachusetts (C2/C2)


The final run-up @ the 2007 Palmer Cross. Photo by T.

TYRANT Gear Bag

TYRANT Gear Bags are in stock, order one today over at our MySpace page. Haul you tools, pads, spare parts, clothing, etc.

Brinkley belongs to Mike @ eli's. Photo by Mike.

Jam Chowder #3

So the 3rd round and final round of the New England Jam Chowder Competition is this coming Sunday, the 27th. There will be the usual Park Competition for Am's and Experts and a "Best Wallride Trick" Competition. Head down to Haven and get buck wild!

I will be out of town next weekend, so I won't be in attendance...thus no photos...sorry! I will however be sponsoring the comp. like usual so expect some rad TYRANT merch being given out and more rad plaque's and bling-bling for the winners courtesy of TYRANT.

K-Rob's got nothing on this!

Sorry, I support BMX to the fullest, but Kevin Robinsons' so called "World Record Air" (which WAS NOT higher than Hoffman, I don't care what they say!) is no where near as burly as this! This is just plain kooked out!

Shaved Legs & Lycra

So I've been hearing about more and more BMXers getting into road riding. I was talking to 2 guys Sunday at the Haven competition that have been putting in some solid miles on the roads. Nothing like the rush of going 50 mph on a bike! Can't wait, the 2008 Cyclocross season is just around the corner! Nothing but mud, blood, and pure guts racing! For those of you who don't know, I ride for the CCNS/Pedal Power Cycling Team. Despite being a newer team on the scene, we've have a pretty strong squad of guys. So what I'm getting at is explore all sides of cycling, don't just lock yourself down on BMX...you might surprise yourself!

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