I may be dead by the time you read this. No joking. I saw the opportunity while at Nationals to capture Maureen Bruno-Roy's bike in the wild and I just kind of went for it. I am a journalist after all (or like to pretend I am one) and when I saw this rare creature in the wild, I could not resist.You see. This bike has never been in public like this before. At least not without a rider. Think endangered species. Why? Well for one because it is a custom Seven Cycles Cross (check out their employee commuters) bike that was built just for Mo. Her geometry was taken into account in every way shape and form to get this bike to be suited to her particular needs. Only that is not why this bike, or my life is endangered. Dirty. My life is in question here because this bike is dirty. (I can hear about twenty or thirty people I know going "Oooh, shit, Matt is going to kill youuuu.")
It felt almost a little wrong when I was shooting the bike like this. Maybe Mo noticed it as well? Me looking over my shoulder to the mechanics area of the Cannondale tent every two or three seconds. "Don't worry about it, a Cross bike is supposed to be dirty." She might have accented the 'supposed' to make me feel better, or maybe as a nod to here diligent husband mechanic whom I was sure was sending laser eye beams at me from somewhere.Indeed. Dirty.
Matt is pretty awesome though. He has been putting cute stickers on Mo's stem and handlebars as long as I can remember. Last year it was tiny photos of their cats Pippin and Merry (Mary?) but this year I can only guess that this angry looking cupcake is supposed to draw out Mo's Meaner side (doubt its going to work). Or, possibly it is an homage to the Vegan cupcakes that Mo seems to bring with her every where she goes? How one finds time to have a career, nay, two careers (one racing bikes, one as a masseuse) and still bake goodies is beyond me.
Seriously. These pesky XTR's are everywhere...You people are straight up dildos, that is what I say. Dildo's and Ding-Dongs. And I mean that the best way possible, so do not try to misconstrue what I am saying.
In any case, Mo has gotten to where she is by being extremely hard working and an incredibly nice person. If you choose to stay closer to home to...well, be closer to home (especially with the sneaking suspicion that K. Compton might win - no offense) then I would also call that a strategy. And strategies people are what win wars. And lets get beyond the bullshit here and just say it. Cyclocross is war.
Whew. Glad that is out of the way. Now you are free to peruse these dirty photos.
Editors Note: One final note here. I am going to publish this post because I think that this bike is really fucking cool and I think that Mo and Matt are also really fucking cool. I do feel this little pang of regret for putting it up there when it is not all bright and shiny, because that is how it is the majority of the time.
