Hi, I’m Joe V. The V is for Vadeboncoeur, but no one ever really calls me that (except my business card). That card also calls me the Global Director of Product Development, Marketing and Creative Design for Trek Bicycle. Yep, I am sometimes not really sure what all that means either. I do know that I dig bikes, oatmeal, motorcycles, burritos, the weird things I see along the way, my family and my job. I get to travel the world helping make great bikes, so it’s a pretty great gig.
The question is not how many burritos a person should have, but rather a question of if this is Cleveland or not.
I know that is stupid, but please people...asking how many burritos a person should have in a week is also just plain stupid. Most common answer to that question is "Oodles" (a number bigger than 6). If you do not believe me, check it for yourself here and here. It is said that Americans eat 386 million burrito's per month. Hey, I'm just doing my part.
My personal favorite is a chicken burrito with a medium salsa and a bit of pinto beans and cheese. But, I have been known to have a carnitas burrito also. It all depends on when it has rained last. I am pretty proud of the rate so far. If we are 4 weeks in and I have had 15, then that is 1 burrito every 1.8 or so days. At this rate, I will finish the year with a completely satisfying 200+ burritos for this year. That will rank right up there with a guy who in 1976 had 200+ in a year.
Last year I flew over 200,000 miles on airplanes. That is a sad number, but the most sad thing about it is that they did not serve a burrito on any of those flights.
I come from the school of a day on a 2wheeler = having a burrto that day. Doesn't really matter, bicycle or motorcycle. It is indiscrimant. If you have been on a 2 wheeler or plan to be on a 2 wheeler, you should have a burrito. It's a religion, and in some places it's a law. Our religion is a growing clan that really doesn't want to be bothered, just wants to have a burrito.
IT, is being out of Wisco when it is cold there and snowing.
Guilt. Guilt is a funny thing. Generally, I think guilt is for left handed people. A G is a letter that looks ok when written by a left handed person. Not sure why that it is, but I kinda like it that way. Any way, as I said - no guilt over the whole thing here.
It finally turned to winter at home. I saw it coming, so I got the hell out of there. Cannot really say I have anything good to say about winter thes days. Everyone out there should realize that snow and ice are actually water in a few of its various frozen states. I don't want to go all science on everyone, but in order for water to get into that state the temperature has to be below freezing. WTH? Wake up everyone, cold is not comfortable. I am not making this stuff up either, right here on the Smithsonian Web Site it agrees with me. When water freezes, it is cold out!
We are going to dominate this trail.
So Arizona it was. Pretty much certain that it wasn't going to freezing water and slapping that stuff down on me there. Loaded up the family, mountain bike stuff and supercross watching paraphernalia and headed to the frequent flyer website. Cashed it all in and beat it to AZ.
Before you go all J. Alfred Prufrock on me, just remember...it's cold in Wisconsin. Damn cold. Freeze your boogers cold. Humans just were not meant for that kind of cold. If we were, we would have a lot more hair. And don't start with the "where's your hair dude jokes". If I could grow a mullet again I would. Dang that was a hairstyle for the ages. In fact, I saw a chick with the most spectacular mullet, maybe ever, just yesterday. Yep, kinda makes you want to go and listen to some Journey or old Metallica right now. (not that newer shaved head Metallica either). Go down the stairway at my house, and you will see a picture of me with a mullet. I wasn't even trying back then, and I had one. If I could grow one now... Because, a BB gun is a good gift, a football is not.
So, Arizona. Sunshine, cactus, girls with less clothes on, MTB riding, burritos, more riding, sunshine and burritos. Yes, I did put up burritos twice. I just put it up twice, because putting it up 5 times would be really redundant.
We really didn't have a huge plan when we left, but we did have MTB shoes , sunscreen and a credit card along for the ride. So here is the summary of the days. Wednesday - MTB ride, Mexican food Thursday- MTB ride, Mexican food Friday - MTB ride, Mexican food (I think it is a law or something there) Saturday - MTB ride, Mexican food, Supercross race. It was nearly the perfect few days. There was more that went on, but if you want to bail out now - you pretty much have it from there.
I am a simple person. Give me a 2 wheeler, some sun, some Mexican lunch everyday - and I am pretty much pink. Throw in my family and friends to do it with, and I am all topped.
I think it is a law there or something.
We rode a few different rides. (Even though I can eat the same burrito over and over for lunch, I do like some variety in my riding.)
South Mountain! I hear pointing is the way forward.
South Mountain. I have been there a few other times over the years. We use those trails for testing in the winter all the time. I remember riding there back in the day, when Gary and I were working on Genesis Geometry. (That is showing my age again.) But, I got to show it all to Liz and the girls, so I got to be the one that knew all the routes. I kinda like being mister know it all, in case you hadn't caught on to that yet. Liz and I found a trail I had not ridden on the 3rd day, and for good reason. Turned out to be an hour long hike a bike. Ah, the joys of a new trail. Regardless, it was super fun. Did I mention how much I like the Remedy I was on? Geez.
Black Canyon trail. I cannot say enough about how much fun it is.
Black Canyon trail. Wow. What a difference. Where South Mountain is rocky and technical, Black Canyon was super flowy and huge amounts of fun. We rode a loop called Little Pan Loop. It was beyond cool. If you go, bring the Remedy and do it counter clockwise. There is a super payout in the second half of the ride with 30 minutes of flowing downhill. Brilliant.
Looking forward to doing it again.
Now off to Brussels Belgium for work for the week. No riding, but it will be nice and cold and rainy. Can you say "I wish I was still in Arizona riding my MTB", of course you can - you just did to yourself.
I've got heroes. You wouldn't necessarily know it by looking at me. You might find yourself saying "wow, a good looking guy with your hairline has heroes?" Oh yeah, is what I can say. I mean, if I had invented something really cool like that stuff that makes the water run right off your windshield of if I could find a way to make the perfect oatmeal in half the time - and patent it - then I would be a hero also. Maybe I would not even feel the need to continually read cheap novels on airplanes.
If you think about it the perfect oatmeal is out there somewhere. Sometimes you are not even thinking about it and you combine just the right amount of oats, water, almonds, walnuts, berries, peaches, organic yogurt...gets me excited just writing that all out like that. Lately, I have been combining the oats with an egg and Cinnamon. You just drop the egg in when the water is pretty much gone, and then a grop of Cinnamon and there you have it. Near perfection.... I just wonder though, what if you put the peanut butter right in there also? hmm...
But, I digress. It is so easy to get carried away. When is that National Oatmeal Day again?
Oh yeah, heroes. Not that goofy show either. Although, there was a girl on there that could throw herself out of a window and get just horribly mangled on the ground. Arm bent around her back the wrong way, collarbone pushed out there her skin, neck broken and head pointing in the wrong direction, leg twisted around backwards etc... Really gruesome looking. But, she would just straighten herself out and be right as rain. Kind of Oracle like. It was pretty cool. Almost made the show worth watching, but it went downhill from there.
I do have a serious list of heroes though, and even some brushes with greatness on my part.
Here is my version of all of that.
1. Eddy Merckx. That is easy to say, I know. "I like that guy from Belgium who won alot. You know, the guy with the slobber coming out of his face while he annihilated his competition. You know, the guy with his name on the bike". Anybody of my age in cycling will say Eddy Merckx and then kinda look up at the sky and go all dreamy about cold Belgium training days and attacking over and over at the Giro. Eddy would tell you he was going to win that day, and then go crush his competition flat, twice - just to make his point.
2. Roger De Coster. "The Man" If you are only into cycling and reading this, you might not know who Roger De Coster is. But, Roger is affectionately known as "The Man" in the motocross world. You see, I grew up with anything 2 wheels. I raced motocross as a kid, and bicycles all through my college years. Roger was the stuff of legends. He won at a time when the sport was a European only sport, but then also won when it was becoming an american sport. He still is known as The Man.
I have my own story about those 2. I was a kid in high school, living in Belgium. I was just off a few years of racing motorcycles and just getting into bicycle racing. It was 1978. I was playing tennis in a tournament in Belgium (that is a story in an of itself), I was playing on one court, and on the court right next to me was Eddy Merckx playing a match with Roger De Coster! Holy crap. 2 of my lifelong heroes right there next to me. It was the greatest moment of my life (give me a break, I was like 17).
Fastforward about 25 years. Trek and Eddy Merckx are trying to put together a deal. I flew over to visit Eddy at his place in Belgium, then he and I hopped a plane to Italy to visit his suppliers. I WENT TO ITALY WITH EDDY MERCKX! I mean pinch me - jesus. I was riding along in a car with Eddy Merckx - in Italy! If I would have died right then, it would have been on a huge huge high. But wait, it get's even better. (Bring it around Joe).
Eddy drives about 120 mph everywhere he goes, to top that off he has like 3 cell phones going all the time. He can rapid fire switch between English, French, Flemish and Italian. We stayed at a little hotel in northern Italy that they knew him when he walked in. We had dinner at a restaurant, where they knew him when he walked in the door. He is Eddy Merckx after all. On the 2nd day, I told him about playing tennis next to him on the court in Brussels in 1978. He got a kick out of that. He got such a kick out of it, he dialed up Roger De Coster on the phone and we spoke to him while bombing around in northern Italy. Ok, that is just too cool for words. I have a huge smile on my face, just writing all that.
But wait, it get's even better. Sometime later, I was at an Annaheim Supercross race and my friend Zapata introduced me to Roger De Coster. Holy looping of my life in circles batman. I am so going to play that Kevin Bacon game this weekend. Just a couple of Andy Warhol moments.
I have more heroes, but it all kinda pales from here.
3. Rain Man. You know, because he was right. Those places do suck.
4. Anyone that can ride a wheelie or a manual. Yep, if you can - you're my hero. I am convinced that it is genetic. You are either born with the wheelie gene or not. You will see a person that can ride a wheelie and they can be about 10. They are just able to do it. One handed, seated, standing, talking etc... I always wanted to be able to ride a wheelie. I still cannot. I should have chosen my parents better.
5. Fulton beer company. I really dig the IPA. Just thought I would throw in some random commercialism. I did just enjoy one though.
The girl at the pub in Minneapolis airport that sold me this called it an "Indian" beer.
6. That kid that can play the guitar like Jack Johnson. Surely you have seen that. There is only one thing that I wish that could have done in my life almost as much as a professional cyclist or professional offroad motorcycle racer (ya, there is a 2 wheel theme there). I wish I could play the guitar. I would so like to rock a bunch of slits in my jeans and a Slash top hat. Plus, I could play guitar with Fergie singing with me. Duh.
7. The guy that made the video "Marcel The Shell With Shoes On". It is pretty much the coolest most pointless video of all time. It makes you think.
8. Mr. YouTube. Oh how much entertainment and enlightenment can be provided.
9. Gary Fisher. Thank god for all his whackiness. I don't really know if he invented the mountain bike or if some random dude in Germany did. Whoever did thank you, but we should all thank Gary for inventing the mountain bike business. Without him, we would all be playing golf or something like that.
10. Honey Badger.
11. Mr. Peet. Without him, mornings would be alot less amped up. I travel. Traveling has it's ups, it's downs and it's just plain old is. There are lots of downs, like no Oatmeal and no bicycles. But, think of how you feel when you see the Peet's coffee sign. You can find a Starbucks just about anywhere. But, Starbucks is not special. Mr. Peet provides the special all that for us.
