The World Lost a True Inspiration ....

Yesterday I opened my e-mail and got a reply concerning some bikes parts I need from a friend at Bontrager. I was excited when I read that the stuff I needed was ordered and will be here soon, blah blah blah... but then the note finished up with some sad news.



Yesterday a local rider that I consider a hero passed away after a long bout with cancer.
Michael Patrick and I were at best, casual friends. We'd run into each other and have pleasant conversations and such about all things bikes and races and how he's been feeling.
It always amazed me how he was able to ride, let alone race with all he's been thru. His treatments for brain cancer were brutal but he always kept a positive attitude and never gave up.
Having gone thru treatments (and nothing anyway near as brutal as what he was going thru), he earned my utmost respect for him and what he did. He's a was a true and courageous fighter.

Because of him and people like him, I feel it's now my obligation to keep the fight alive in me and do all I can to help those who are fighting this crappy disease.

The world was a great place with Micheal and now has taken a step back with out him....
Let's all move forward a few extra steps and live life to the fullest like Michael did....

Ride update

Just thought I'd give an update on the 29er and what it's been up too.
Unfortunately I haven't been able to ride last couple of weeks due to weather, illness and family obligations.
Yesterday's ride was at a place call Tyler Mill which isn't terribly difficult but you're always on the pedals due to the constant acceleration/deceleration of the trail.
I have to say that this bike handled it like a champ. I finally have the handle bar/cockpit issue figured out and this bike rides fantastic!
One of they guys asked if I'd been riding because I was "on" today... I just had to smile and look at the bike. I hadn't realized that an aluminum frame could be so comfortable yet still maintain that racy characteristic that I like.
Couple of quick notes...
- Initially I mentioned that I was pedal striking with the 12" BB height. This has become a non issue now that I've made the adjustment. I appreciate the stability that the design gives the ride.
- This was my first ride on the SPID OEM saddle (what's a SPID?). It was deceptively comfortable. It disappeared under my rear end. Nice choice.
- I'm still having a hard time getting used to the 2x10. Having been on the standard 3x9 system for so long, I'm still trying to figure out shifting patterns. It'll come. I'd love to see some one come out with a slightly smaller big ring (37ish) for the 2x10 crank. That would rock!
Ride was fantastic. Great fall day that started chilly but warmed up nice in the woods. Unfortunately my feet went totally numb (from side effects) at the end of the ride so getting out was a struggle, but wouldn't trade any of it!
Sorry no pics or video. Batteries in my Hero video camera were dead. Still figuring out how to use it...lol

Great job to everyone at Airborne!

Poor attempt at an update....

Well I know you all have been sitting patiently by the computer wondering where all the updates are... Well it's a no news is good news kinda thing...
There really hasn't been anything to report, and I'd hate to bore you all with the day to day monotony.
Here is pic of the new Airborne 29er that I'm lucky enough to ride and share with others. This is absolutely one of the coolest bikes I've been on. Airborne hit the nail on the head with this one. I saw the mock up decals for the productions model (mine is a prototype with non stock parts and decals) and I have to say it is pretty darn pimpin'...

The bad news (bad on a personal level, not business level) is that they decided not to call it the "Big Todd" (although the nickname seems to be sticking in the inter-Flight Crewm communications).
I am a bit disappointed because not everyone has a bike named after them,but I think I new deep down it was a name that just wouldn't work out. I'm really cool with it. It's been a privilege dealing with everyone in getting this bike into production.

So what's the new name you ask? Well here you go, just in time for Halloween... it's going to be called the Goblin... This isn't the logo or anything for it, I just borrowed it off of Google. The name is definately growing on me...


My health is doing pretty well. Still having the regular nerve issues in my feet and such, but I'm learning to live with it in a day to day capacity.
Halloween sucked... I'm really tired of the rudeness and the feeling of "invasion" from the out of towners. It's really over whelming. I'm thinking that Halloween next year will be spent some place else....

I don't get it...

I dealt with six months of cancer and all the crappy side effects of chemo and for all intent and purposes, lead a pretty regular life. But give me a cold, and I'm knocked out for a few days.... go figure.

Anyways, because of the cold, haven't really been on my bike, but here's a pic and a video from a recent ride. I'm really not allowed to give full details yet, like the official name, but it's a great bike from Airborne... They're really up to some cool stuff over in Ohio.


This is my first time posting a video, so I don't have all the bugs worked out yet...


Anyways, just getting ready for Halloween and all the kids driven in from Hartford...
Not much else for now... but I will keep everyone posted on events taking place.

Take care!

Thought I forgot about you guys, huh?

Well I'm still here, just haven't had much to talk about as of late (at least nothing worth posting).
I'm doing pretty well. Physcally I'm finding that I still tire easily. I started working out reasonably hard and consistantly, but I think I was over doing it and was having a hard time recovering. I had to back that off a bit.

Feet numbness is still around and doesn't seem to want to go away anytime soon. By the end of the day, my dogs are barking! This has made it kind of hard to go back to work because I can't be on my feet for more than a few hours at a time. But now that I know what to expect, I'll be back working for the man soon enough.

The kid's soccer season is almost over. I'm one of the coaches on Noah's team so that takes up a few days a week but it's worth it. He really enjoys it and he's taking a liking to goalie and is pretty good at it.
Luke enjoys the practice part of soccer but not the games, go figure that one out.

One exciting thing that happened is I got my new bike! It's a new design from Airborne that I had input in the design of. What's really neat, the name is the Big Todd! How cool is that?
I'll get some pics posted soon!

Talk to you all later and remember, live each day to the fullest!

Glad I didn't know this months ago...

During my fight with cancer, I intentioanlly never really looked at numbers and decided I wouldn't win with numbers. It would take hard work and a positive attitude.

Well as alot of you probably know, this month is Breast Cancer Awareness month (Colon Cancer Awareness month is March) and I was reading an article about the survival rates of the different stages of breast cancer. As I read the article, I decided to look up survival rates of the different stages of colon cancer, Stage 3 in particular (which is where I was classified. One is the lowest, four is the highest).

The results? 40 freaking percent chance of survival! Only 40%? Are you kidding me.
I'm glad I didn't know that at the time, my attitude might have been completely different.

I'm not saying this to brag, but to remind people, these are just numbers. Don't let them effect your fight. You're in control, not a statistic.

How do you "beat" cancer?

Well recently some people I know have been going through some tough times and it makes me look back and wonder how I got through cancer (besides the meds....).
Fighting diseases, inner demons and such isn't a battle, it's a war (I hate to use those terms out of respect for those in the Armed Services, buts it's all I could come up with).

I think two things help. One is surround yourself with friends and family who offer a great support system and lean on them. Don't just hide away and cower! Use them (It took me awhile to ask for help).

Second, every morning get up and look at yourself in the mirror and say "Cancer (or what ever the demon is), I'm going to fight you all day today and do my best to win!"
At the end of the day, look back and yell at the nastiness again. You might not always come out on top, but try as hard as you can. "(Demon), you may have won the battle today, but I fought you hard and I'll fight even harder tomorrow! Too many people are counting on me. This war isn't over!" Every day do that. The mental aspect of winning far outweighs the physical.

I know it sounds corny and simple, but it's the attitude you have to take.
I hope this helps explain things and maybe help others out there who are struggling.