Brendan: Moving Up in the World
After being car-less for over a year and a half, Brendan finally broke down and purchased a beautiful four-wheeled motorized vehicle. He only wanted to buy something that reflected his inner spirit and had real character and until now he just couldn’t find that perfect ride.
He’s found the rig he’s been dreaming of all this time…a 1978 Mercedes Benz 300 Diesel. Recently equipped with 6 bike racks, this rig is the primary shuttle for the Montana crew to get to and from races safely and reliably…most of the time. Hopefully Brendan Halpin will bring this ride down to The Cycling House for the Winter cycling season in Tucson, AZ.
Montana Cyclocross
Fall racing brings out Sam and Brendan’s stylish side. The Rolling Thunder cyclocross race is the pinnacle of cross racing in Montana and brings in riders from all over the Northwest. Two of those riders attending were our very own Sam Schultz and Brendan Halpin. Sam skipped out of school early on Friday and cruised from Colorado Springs, CO to Missoula, MT in record time to compete in one of the Northwest’s favorite cross races. Brendan rocked the big blue Benz with pride from Whitefish to Missoula and met up with Sam at the race venue. This race eventually morphs into a huge party with the finest Montana micro-brews flowing like the mighty rivers that run through the Big Sky Country. It’s a win-win for everybody. Sam and Brendan made sure to thoroughly take part in both events.
Here’s Sam flying high with his sporty flower skirt
Brendan dressed a little more conservatively and stuck with the flannel (Photo: Tom Robertson photography)
Final Destination: The Cycling House by Owen Gue
My schedule has been a little hectic for well over a month now. First I went to Las Vegas for Interbike which is always an awesome event. Interbike is a gigantic expo that has all of the world’s cycling companies, teams, and organizations congregating under one roof to promote their new product lines for 2009. The whole TCH staff (except for Elisabeth, she was out trying to harvest an elk) attended and it was the first time we’ve had the whole crew together since TCH closed in April.
After Las Vegas I turned around and flew to Kona, HI to help out Hammer Nutrition at the Ironman World Championships. This was my first time watching the race and I was in awe of the whole event. So many great athletes in one tiny little town put out an electrifying vibe that permeated the whole island.
From Kona I swam over to Maui for some more surfing and to help out Donnie at Go Cycling Maui. Five years ago, when I was 18, I went to Maui to train for the upcoming race season (and to try to talk to girls on the beach and learn how to surf). Donnie was brave enough to hire on a pasty white Montanan as a cycling tour guide and over time I tanned up, learned the routes, and eventually I think folks may have actually enjoyed riding with me! Just like the first time I went to Maui, it was a great experience. Big surf+great riding+good people=happy Owen.
I’m currently in Montana finishing up the last of my responsibilities here and within a week I’ll be in Tucson to open up TCH. I hope to see you all down there at some point this winter.