i met tinker last summer... but didn't ride with him! (not that i could have kept up!) the "guys" were doing their weekly sunday ride... but hubby and i didn't go to where they started.. but started from our house instead (opposite end) and rode to where there were going.... (didn't know tinker was with them... just thought it was "the guys") hubby stopped to talk.. i kept going and did meet up with them, including tinker all at the bottom of the hill circling, waiting for everyone to regroup! at that time i didn't even know who tinker was! go figure! but liked his dreadlocks! he was just introduced to me along with the other guys i hadn't met yet! (they are the some of the guys who are going to be on his RAAM crew!) i waited and talked to them til hubby caught up) since then i've ridden with "the guys" a lot (most of my mtb rides have been with "the guys" but i guess when tinker is in town they do road rides)

he was in the area last winter to talk about raam and they talked about getting a ride together... but it turned crummy and i think he wanted to go visit his mom/family...... so no ride... i was all jazzed about getting to actually "ride" with tinker and said i WOULD get a pic of us!.... lol! so i was really really bummed when the ride didn't happen... awwww well... i'm sure there will be future time (where i can ride "with" him while watching his butt disappear up ahead!)

he was VERY nice (erik is very nice too!)

i'm reclimbing the hill today but taking it easier... since we are totally UNSURE of what this weekend's ride is going to bring.... i don't want to burn up/out! it's called the savage hill climb... we THOUGHT it was oak glen.. which we are familiar with...(and what we thought was part of the old "tour of the canyons" inconjunction with the redlands races) but looking at their route slip.. it does not go up oak glen.. but they are advertising 22% grades!!!! uhm... ok.... sure! i hope they mean like 2 pedal strokes of 22% then back to something more manageable!

we get a "i survived the savage hill climb" t-shirt if we make it! hope i get one!