Ask Ping!
Friday, July 6, 2012 | 10:30 AM
ODI dates back to the 1980’s as the leader in grip manufacturing. Focusing primarily on the bmx and mountain bike industries through the 90’s and early 2000’s, ODI re-entered the motocross scene when they developed the patented lock-on grip system that eliminates wire and glue. Continuing to advance the way riders hold on to their bikes, ODI has worked closely with the teams they support such as Troy Lee Designs to create the product that is now being used by some of the top teams in the industry.
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PrintHi Ping,
I have noticed that you look a little bit like Lars Ulrich. Are you two secretly brothers, but you changed your last name because Lars was so insanely cool and awesome and a rock star and got all the chicks and traveled the world and made killer music and was in one of the best bands ever and was a little better looking than you and your parents thought he was more successful because he made more money and people mobbed him where ever he went and your parents were really proud of him, but you tried to win a Supercross Regional championship but didn't quite get it done?
Just a simple question, bro.
My long-lost, drunken brother from another mother?
It was a simple question. It was also one of the longest questions I’ve ever received so, you know, good job on that. Lars and I are, in fact, not related. I know that may be hard to believe since you found a photo of me from the early 1990’s that bears an eerie resemblance. But while that guy was busy drumming and doing drugs and banging out groupies and drinking and talking in that weird little accent and drinking and doing drugs and considering rehab and then doing drugs I was busting my ass trying to make a living in the sport that I love and getting married and starting a family and managing a race team and then paying my own way through paramedic school and getting my firefighting certificates so I can start a career in public service helping people. I think my parents are probably fine with what I’ve done.
PING
Ping,
Lots of guys are using road bicycles to train for racing. It seems like just about every rider uses them as part of their fitness regiment. Almost every guy I know who rides regularly have been in some kind of accident… has that happened to any racers? It surprises me that I’ve never heard anything about riders crashing on their bicycles.
RT
Aaaaannnnnnd... ouch
I would say almost every rider at the pro level bicycles as part of their program. And cycling isn’t very dangerous by itself but when you add in the unimaginable stupidity of drivers around you it becomes almost death defying. I live on the outskirts of town and I still have moments on every ride where I’m cussing out some turd who couldn’t move over and give me a couple feet as he passed by even though there was no car coming the other direction. My middle finger gets a better workout than my hamstrings most days.
Thankfully I haven’t heard of many guys getting hurt badly in a training crash. I know Johnny Omara had a big one several years back and at least three or four other riders have been hit by cars at slow speeds over the years. One thing is for sure: A skintight jersey, a pair of rubber shorts and a janky foam helmet are going to do very little to protect you if you do hit the deck hard. Let’s all keep it on two wheels, I guess.
PING
Ping,
Please continue to tell it like it is… such a refreshing change. I’ve always been impressed that you don’t fall in line with regards to political correctness. I don’t know if you ever take heat for that from your readers or supervisors but I hope it never changes. Thanks for the entertainment!
Peter Walsh
[Caption]
Thanks, Pete. That is one thing that absolutely drives me nuts. I saw it summed up best by a student at Texas A&M who was asked to come up with an appropriate definition for a contemporary term. He choose political correctness and this was his definition: “Political correctness is a doctrine, fostered by a delusional, illogical minority, and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end.”
Our country is in a sad state largely because of the folks who shove political correctness down our throats. Don’t worry… I’ll keep calling it like I see it.
PING
Have a question for Ping? Send him an email at [email protected]
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Wait....a turd has a clean end???
Factory rider Gassin' Gaylon Mosier collided with a truck while riding a bicycle and was killed, 27 days before his 27th birthday, on 9/30/80. Mosier was preparing for a Trans-USA race at Unadilla in the days prior to the event when the collision occurred in nearby Bergen, NY.
It's great exercise, but as Ping said, the "unimaginable stupidity of drivers around you" makes it riskier than it should be.
Could Mr-MX toot that horn of his any louder?
The guy with the first question.... I have one for you. Can you give us a list of what you have accomplished in life so far??
"Our country is in a sad state largely because of the folks who shove political correctness down our throats"
.You got that right!! That and a few other things are killing this country.
@ BillC, Handlebardrager,CZMark and the rest of us old farts. Go read my comments on the article about the mud races. I put an old time race story there also. In the mid 70's I was the king of mud! lol Ya I can tell you about that someother time.
Now gotta read Ping Anyhoooooooo.
Hey Ping, Good Answers to the above questions. I like your answer to the first one most! You did what you loved , Ya you made it pretty good but(?) to the standards of racing you did not that was hard to say. (I tried also never made it)
I am proud of you for doing what you want to do! Also I told one of my friends who is a retired Battalion Chief for one of the suberbs around Dallas about you and he said that an ex Motocrosser would be one of the best! So be Proud!
@ Self154, Yes I remember that and it was a very bad day fo the MX community.Gaylon could push thatr W/W Maico as hard as anyone! Another great legend lost.
I hope to start riding bycicles again to get myself back from some problems and hip replaicement, WE have bycycle trails here in Plano so Im a gonna stay on those! No cars.
The 3rd Comment Hey I llike to play BillC here also (no Offence BillC) The heck with political corctness! Ashley and I are deaf, Midgets are migets ,blind people are blind, fat people are fat, James is black I am a white boy, or what everya wanna call me Idont care, Unless you are trying to be derogatory.
GOD Bless America! Hope you all had a good 4th of July! I did!
For GOD and Country.
@ Mr MX I wont revieal your cover, WE had breakfast at the Houston airport onetime. I was flyinng out to race at Burleson, you were on your way to a marathon running race I think.
Welker glad to here your on the mend. I too gave up the road bycycle after I got winged two days in a row commuting to work now I just mtb. The last time I checked the trees are not out to get us.
Yup, got run off the road a couple of times while out pumping the peddles, and another time had a neighbor back right out into my line. That little helmet did its' job that day.
Ping: Thanks for including how to submit a question to you.
Ping. Your response to the first letter was spot on. Just what I would expect from you.And, I must agree with BillC on this one. And, what parent wouldn't be proud to know that there are a lot of people out there waiting every week to read thier childs column? Come home for lunch most every Friday, and Racer X is where I go while I do lunch, and I always visit Ask Ping-FIRST. Partly cuz I know BillC, Welker, MrMX, and a bunch of other good people Like BD25 or Ripdown may have commented here. But that is my point. Lotsa fans for a retired, scratch that, semi-retired racer. One that is still involved in the sport. And for that, I thank you. Your stuff is always interesting and I have been following since the Electronic Ping days. So, go out and break another bike in two, an acomplishment not many have achieved. Especially on that new of a bike!
Ping, I don't like what is going on with the forced evacuations in the wild fire areas. There needs to be a more combined effort with the residents to deal with the problem. Public service becomes suspicious when things become mandatory. Let's focus on helping those that want help, and that doesn't include complaining about others.
I am totally against environmental extremists with an agenda to close recreational trails but with the out of control wildfires and increasing temperature patterns it seems to me we are taking to much crap out of the ground and putting to much crap in the air.
Ping is such a dipshit. He thinks he is a hero for getting a America killing union job, were everyone is Over-paid and Under-worked. Hey Ping would you get a job "helping" people if you didn't have Nepotism on your side to get you in? Loser
I purposely give bikers zero room waiting for the finger. I would stop my truck and stomp your man-child ass...what are you 4'8"?
Liberals are killing this country....We need one law in this country to change many things. LAW: If you receive Gov't assistance you are not allowed to vote in elections. If you cannot handle your own life you do not have the right to vote pandering Liberal politicians into office on the promise to give more free shit.
Oh wait I forgot Ping.....You live in the California, you probably are the toughest while riding around your housing development of Mexican stucco crap houses.
pizzacorner..I definitely don't favor liberal viewpoints, but you sure give the "conservatives" the gun totin' redneck stereotype
Dave, can't you address pizzacorner with some words from firetruck university?
Ping you rock, l aways have another reason to look forward to fridays.
Not so long ago, around the year 2001 I believe, Jeff Stanton and another industry person were cycling on a frontage road, when some deranged, out-of-control biotch coming down an exit ramp slammed into them. Stanton had multiple broken bones. At the time, it sounded like he would end up maimed for life, but he seems to have recovered.
Another possible Ping response to the first question:
"I don't know where you get off talking crap like that. Another keyboard commando, I guess. Did you ever win an SX title? An outdoor title? I bet not. Well, I didn't either, but that's beside the point! If you haven't won a pro race, then you ain't entitled to an opinion, son!
Only the elite that have made it to the top levels of racing like myself are allowed to speak on matters of moto. And kinetic energy. Even though I squandered my chance at multiple titles with a top team due to a self-confessed bad attitude, just the fact that I was talented enough to get to a spot worth squandering is proof that I am better than all of you nerds that hide behind your computer screens."