MBHOF…

That’s the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame and they’ve just announced their inductees for 2008. There are a few names that make you go “huh?” and a name that should have been inducted long ago.

So, what’s the process for being inducted into the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame? Anyone can nominate someone involved in mountain bikes (for at least 10 years, the nomination information section says). All it takes is a 250 word essay on the person nominated. That means that my mom could nominate me (don’t do it). Then, members of the MBHOF vote. Simple as that. There are several categories in which to nominate someone: Advocacy, Industry, Journalism, Pioneers, Promotion, Racing History.

This years inductees are: John Finley Scott (pioneer), Brian Lopes (racing history), Nat Ross (racing history), Steve Blick (promotion), Philip Keyes (advocacy), and Bob Girvin (industry). I’m sorry, but there are a few names there that I bet even they are scratching their heads wondering how in the heck they made it into the MBHOF.

There is one inclusion that was long overdue and almost seems too late considering the fact he should have been inducted long ago while he was still alive. John Finley Scott was originally nominated by Charlie Kelley (inducted in the first year of the MBHOF) in 1989. JFS didn’t make it that year. Charlie Kelley’s letter sat at the MBHOF until this year (19 years) when it was simply resubmitted by the current curator. Nineteen years seems like a lot of time to wait to be included in the hall of fame of the sport which your $2,500 investment, quite possibly, resulted in our having mountain bikes today. Good to see he, finally, made it, though.

(What’s playing: VeloNews live coverage of the tour – speaking of which, why didn’t Cadel use every aero trick available to him in yesterday’s time trial? While everyone else wore shoe covers to cut wind resistance, Cadel didn’t. I don’t think it would have resulted in him playing Greg Lemond to Sastre’s Fignon, but every little bit counts in these things as evidence by the CSC-Saxo’s treatment of Cancellara’s bike. And speaking of Cancellara – boy, he just looks “right” in the TT position where everyone else looks uncomfortable.)