Single Track Mind

New Team for 2010

2009-12-20T08:31:00.003-06:00

Collin and I are on the Rib Mountain Cycles Team for 2010 along with 13 other people. Some of which are tri-athletes and road racers. The team is sponsored by Rib Mountain Cycles, Teardrop Trailers and Specialized bikes so far. The team members each get a free Rib Mountain Cycles jersey, free tune up for our race bike, store discounts and there will be a custom built team trailer at each race with bike work stands and a full set of tools for our use. I am also currently trying to get some sponsorship from a local oil company for some free gas for the tow vehicle pulling the trailer and also from a vinyl lettering company for sponsor names on the trailer. There are also more potential sponsors being sought out also. It should make it an exciting year.

2010 Schedule Is Set

2009-12-06T09:37:00.003-06:00

Well, here is the 2010 Schedule. I'm not totally sure yet, but I think this year I am going to skip 4 races. 2009 was the first time I did all the races and it was a long season. I'm also going to try to get into the Chequamegon 40 and The Iceman Cometh again, along with entering the 24-9 at 9 Mile.

Nothing Wrong with My Knee

2009-11-22T15:19:00.003-06:00

After having my knee looked at I came away with some physical therapy to strengthen the inner thigh muscles so they pull the knee cap toward the inner leg. Right now my knee has a shallow groove for the knee cap to ride in and it is easily pulled to the outside and that is what gives me pain. Nothing to do really but live with the pain when it happens.

Dr. Appt. For My Knee

2009-11-15T20:42:00.002-06:00

I am going to see the doc about my knee this Friday. Hopefully it is something that is a quick fix. Better to find out now and have the whole winter to rest it.

The Iceman Cometh Results

2009-11-15T11:04:00.005-06:00

Well, it took place a week ago already but i made it through the 27 mile point to point race that is called The Iceman Cometh.

Dan and I left Friday morning Nov. 6th at 5:15 a.m. for the 9 hour drive to Traverse City, MI. which is located almost straight east of Wausau in lower Michigan. Since Lake Michigan is in the way you have to drive either around the top or bottom of the lake. The route around the top is shorter but still a long drive (approx. 445 miles). The highways we took almost all follow along the lakeshore so it is a scenic drive and I had never been this way before. When you head along MI 35 you can actually see Washington Island and most of Door County which was neat. Once you hit Gladstone, MI you merge onto US 2 which has some very boring stretches of woods, woods, woods, house, woods, tiny town and back to lakeshore. There is a section that is like driving in a desert. There are sand dunes on both sides of the highway. Very different from anything else we saw. Then in the distance you can see the Mackinac Bridge when you are almost to St. Ignace. I've never seen the bridge before but it was very cool to see. BTW....it was the only picture I took on the trip.

After you cross the bridge you are in lower Michigan and we took MI 31 instead of Interstate 75 since it saved some distance and followed the lakeshore. We had to go through some towns which wasn't that bad and we got to see some towns similar to Minocqua or towns in Door County here. It was a very touristy, summer home type area. Especially, Petoskey, where there were a lot of old architecture homes that had all the windows and porches covered because people only use them in the summer and we saw the occasion sign "Condos starting at $499,000." From there it was into orchard country. Apples, cherries and we saw some grapes also. It is a pretty area.

Once we got to the Acme, Traverse City area we started to see more bikes and then the hotel where we could pick up our race packets. Then we drove up the road and checked into our hotel, unpacked and headed out to see the finish line area, and eat some dinner. We opted for the typical AYCE spaghetti feed that a lot of the bike races hold. This one used the money to benefit needy familes so they can get out and enjoy winter sports. Then it was off to bed to get ready for the race.

On Saturday morning we got up and got ready to drive to Kalkaska which is about 17 miles from Traverse City. The race starts there and ends in Traverse City. We got there just before the first wave of riders took off and got to see the Coast Guard helicopter fly over the start. The start order was Expert, Sport, Beginner and then Pro later in the afternoon. There were multiple age groups in each class. There were starts for over two hours spaced 5 minutes apart to get the almost 4000 racers onto the course. My start was at 10:20 a.m.

I was a little nervous having to start in a group of 150 riders. I have seen big groups crash. There are a lot of spinning pedals, riders switching spots trying to improve position, all of which is foolish because you can't win the race in the first two miles.

We got the start and the pace right off the line was a little more than I wanted it to be but I dealt with it the best I could. When we made the first turn and hit the headwind, I got in behind some guys and drafted toward the woods at the edge of town. There were riders of varying ability in all classes since it was up to you to pick what class you raced in. I picked Sport because that is the class I typically race in. It wasn't long and we were cathing Expert riders who had apparently entered well above their ability. When we hit the first section of singletrack it was easy to see that there were plenty in my class who were in above their ability or were "roadies". I could have walked faster. Once we got to the next gravel road section the pace picked up again. I have no idea where I was for most of the race but there were always at least a few spectators it seemed like. When we crossed roads there were usually big groups. There were mile markers every so often so even though I could tell my mileage on my computer it was easy to see upcoming signs. My problems started when there was about 8 miles to go. My legs started to cramp up and my knee really started to hurt. Also to make it worse it was 30 degrees in the morning but the day warmed up into the middle 50's so I was sweating out a lot of fluid. My Under Armor, jersey combo was a little on the warm side by the time I got to 5 miles to go and I had run out of water. Nothing to do but keep pushing. No time for quitting. All the steep heels are within the last 10 miles of the race so I had to walk up several of them along with many others. I got tied up with slow riders in a couple sections of singletrack near the end. When the 1km to go banner showed up it felt really good and it was cool to see my name on the big digital scoreboard when I finished. 123rd out of 150.

123 Steve Strobel Mosinee WI 2:56:55

When I got off my bike my knee hurt so bad it was all I could do to walk. I headed off to find the first aid tent to get an ice pack. The funny thing was I couldn't find it and all the volunteers I asked didn't know either. Something they should work on for next year. I finally found it after walking around in severe pain for quite a while. I tucked the ice into my shorts against my knee and waited for Dan to finish. Then I got on the bus and rode it back to Kalkaska to get my vehicle. The race didn't end up the way I wanted it to so the plan is to head back next year and finish in the time I think I should finish.

We were up early Sunday for the 9 hour trip back. The trip home is always longer than the trip there. I was glad to get home and relax before heading back to work.

NOW WHAT?? The season is over.

Interesting Take on My Knee

2009-11-01T18:34:00.002-06:00

I spent some time at Rib Mountain Cycles today just talking with some people and my knee problems came up. One take on the problem may be my bike fit. It came about when we started talking about my new bottom bracket. The new bottom bracket is 108mm and the old one was 113mm. My knee problems started right about the time I changed the bottom bracket. Randy suggested I bring my bike to fit it for me. He said that the fact that the pedals now moved in closer to the bike changed the angle my knees sit at and might be causing the pain since I only have problems after I ride my bike. I would describe "problems" as almost not being able to walk up stairs. Spring sounds like a good time to get a fitting and see if going back to a 113mm bottom bracket may be in order. Stay tuned for more on that and my trip this weekend to The Iceman Cometh in Traverse City, MI.

WORS Race #12 (Wigwam MTB Challenge)

2009-10-18T19:37:00.013-05:00

The final race of the season brought with it the coldest weather of the year. We headed for Sheboygan on Saturday, the sun out and wind blowing and a brisk temp in the upper 30's. I packed all the biking clothes I had since you never know what to expect. We checked into the hotel and unloaded all our stuff. We changed to head out for a pre-ride lap. I put on more clothes than I have ever biked in before. I am not a fan of biking in the cold. We headed out to Evergreen Park to get a lap in. I even put a winter hat under my helmet. I wanted to get moving to get warm. The familiar lap warmed me up and was fun as always. Collin disagreed any time I got a little bit out of site and swore off racing for good a couple times. I was also going to be told on for not waiting. When we got to the two spots where he crashed on his little bike last year, he was quick to get off even though he had ridden much tougher obstacles already this year. When we came to the water crossing was where he was determined he couldn't do it and was done. After me doing it twice and Collin riding up to it about 6 times he finally did it. My feet were froze from the water. We made it to the end of the lap and headed back to the hotel to get cleaned up for supper.

Sunday morning brought a lot of frost and temps in the mid 20's. We tried to wait close to Collin's start to get out into the cold. I put on as many clothes as I could and headed out to take some pictures. I could hear Don tell the 11 and over kids to go so in a couple minutes Collin's group would get started. I waited by the bridge crossing for the kids to start coming. I didn't know what place he was in when he got to me but I think it was 3rd.

It was just behind me where the water crossing was so I set up there and got pictures of a lot of the kids some of whom didn't cross it cleanly. Collin made it just fine without even thinking about it.

Next it was on to "The Bowl" where Collin had issues the day before. Today he rode down in and passed 2nd place who decided to walk down it.

He was on the move and the last spot I rode to when he showed up he was in first place with 2nd place hot on his heels. Somewhere after they got out of site, Collin had a chain issue and wound up in 2nd place just behind 1st place. Awesome job.

It was still cold at the start of my race and I was not warm even after riding around taking pictures. I waited till the very last minute to take my jacket off. Ass you can see I had long sleeves on and I was still cold.

The first two times I went through the water crossing I'm not sure what I was doing but I kept hitting the left side of the rut and had to get off my bike both times. I've never had a problem before. Maybe it was Richard cheering for everyone. Maybe it was just me. The 3rd time was a charm and I nailed the right line. The log jump was perfect every lap.

The other parts of the laps felt great and even though the gearing on my bike doesn't allow me to really climb "The Equalizer" hill I ran up it the first two times but the 3rd time when I got off my bike and started walking up it I got cramps in my legs.

While I didn't hit a lot of my goals I got faster all season long and ended the last race with a time faster Dan. It took all year but I did it and it shows that I got faster. Even though after the last couple races I could hardly walk because my left knee hurt so bad. I'm not sure what that is all about. That wraps up another season. While I get to stay in the same age group for next year, Collin gets to move up an age group to more competition with some older kids.

Actually I have one more race to go. Dan, Gary and I are heading to the Iceman Cometh race in Traverse City, MI. on Nov. 7. 3900 people are entered. Stay tuned for a report.

WORS Race #11 (Wolf River Rendezvous)

2009-10-06T20:13:00.012-05:00

It's been three weeks since the last race and I have to admit there hasn't been nearly enough riding in between races or blogging for that matter.

This race moved from just north of Shawano last year to The Bear Paw Outdoor Adventure Resort just south of Langlade, WI this year. I never knew there were trails to ride here but they were technical and flowing and can only be described as top notch singletrack. The staff was friendly and did an awesome job preparing the course and were very friendly.

The pre-ride weather was overcast and cool after a day of rain. The course shed the water pretty good in some spots and in others there was standing water to ride around. Collin and I went out and rode the juniors lap and Dan and Gary gave me the report of what was on a small section of the Sport course that I missed. I found out when the race started that I needed to ride that lap at a much faster pace. The technical areas weren't as difficult at a slow pace as they were when the race started. Collin rode a lot of technical areas very well and improved a lot. Uphill is still something he hates and it caused a meltdown on one hill which he got over and continued.

Race day was much cooler and I has plenty of clothes on to head out to take some pictures of the Juniors on their lap. I walked up the first climb to conserve some energy. The view from the top was nice.

It wasn't long after I got set up that the first kids started coming through. There were a few that were a little scared of the switchback downhill.

The older kids were the first through and then Collin and his age group showed up.

Collin isn't a fan of the caution signs on the course.

He did just great. He rode the hardest parts and cruised home to a second place finish just 7 seconds behind the leader. I actually caught up to Collin and tried to get him to pick up the pace in the last 100 yards and try to catch first place but he couldn't get in the right gear.

I lined up for my race and waited for our start and I was not ready for the pace we were going to set going up the first climb. LONG and STEEP is all I can say to describe the first climb on the course and my lungs and legs hurt when we got to the top. This pic gives a little perspective on part of the first climb.

Part way up the first climb my shoe came out of the pedal and I smashed my knee into the handlebars. I thought the footbed broke but later I found out one of the screws that hold the cleat on came out. It made the rest of the race extremely tough because it was hard to get my shoe out of or into the pedal. The wet and slippery conditions combined with the technical parts of this course made it slower than a lot of courses but it was fun none the less. I can't wait for next year and I hope it is dry.

By the third lap I was tired frustrated and just wanted to be done. Can you see it on my face?? Actually that is mud.

The special people even showed up at the race.

Aryana and Gavin showed up to race again too. I didn't get to see them this time because the times were slower than normal but they had fun.

Next is the last race of the season. See you at Sheboygan.

WORS Race #10 (Treadfest)

2009-09-15T12:17:00.002-05:00

Holy hot! I don't know if it was the hottest day of the summer but it felt like it both Saturday and Sunday. Saturday's pre-ride was warm and it wasn't even that fast of a pace. Collin found a few areas that were pretty hard and he didn't like but I think a lot of the kids felt the same way and the race organizers took those obstacles out. After the pre-ride we spent the rest of the day at the waterpark. It was nice indoors and out of the sun.

Sunday morning I was up early and cleaned and lubed the chains and cassettes. Then it was time to pack, check out and head to the ski hill at the resort for some racing. I grabbed the camera and my bike and headed out to take some pictures. I also left without water. Bad move! I was sweating and riding almost at my race pace. I got some pictures of Collin, who got another 2nd place finish, and headed back to try to drink some water before my race.

I pushed my pace a little on the first lap trying to keep up with a group in front of me. Overall the first lap wasn't too bad. Heading into lap 2 I could tell I was getting dehydrated and I really started drinking. It ended up being too much and I puked out the water I drank. I had to stop by Carrie and get more water for lap 3. It didn't really matter by then because the cramps started and I noticed my vision got a little blury a couple times. I threw my chain about 5 times also and those stops cost me some time. Gary caught me toward the end of lap 3 and I told him I was ok but had cramps. Carrie was at the finish line with a couple salt tablets from the first aid station. I wish I would have thought about that before the race. Oh well, I guess it was a lesson learned.

WORS Race #9 (Reforestation Ramble)

2009-09-07T19:39:00.007-05:00

Well I started the weekend by pre-riding in the most miserable weather I think I have ever ridden in. I rode the final 9 miles of the 12 mile lap in a downpour on tires made for dry, hardpack conditions. I couldn't wait to get done and be in one piece. It rained all day and night.

Sunday morning turned from clouds to sun and warm temps, but Collin was too sick to race so we didn't need to get there early enough for the Juniors race but if you've ever seen the parking for this race you should actually get there for the trail run.

This race is run in a marathon format which means that Elite, Comp and Sport classes are all on the course at the same time. The Elite and Comp guys and gals started first with Sport starting last.

I rolled up to the line with the rest of my age group and waited for the start. I didn't know what to expect here other than I was going to have trouble keeping up on the road sections since I only run a 1x9 with a 32 tooth chain ring. I found out quick enough that was exactly how it was when we formed a single file train of guys. Drafting really comes into play in a race like this one and it makes the speeds go up and I was pedling my legs off on the roads. I got to rest in the single track which was fast and flowed well but could be run in a gear that let me pedal slower and rest up for the next road section. I rode in a pack of guys for 1/4 of the first lap until my chain jumped off in a rough section. I got it back on and began working to catch another group to pace myself with because this course is tough to ride fast when you are alone. I came up on a person down in the trail with a spectator helping them. The next person to go down was right in front of me and I was right on their wheel with a bunch of guys right on my wheel. Poor guy got himself run over by me. I couldn't really stop or I would have had a pack of guys running me over and there was no where to go. I would have said sorry but I don't know who it was. After lap one I was averaging about 12.7 mph which is a pretty fast paced race and well above my normal speed.

The second lap started with me passing a couple riders on the start hill going into the parking lot. Then I found myself all alone on the first long stretch of road. Luckily I caught someone in the first stretch of single track which made my pace pick up. I was 1/2 way through the second lap when Dan caught me which was good for me. It showed I was going at a good pace. I was also riding at a pace that caused me to start to feel leg cramps coming on and made it hard to really push up the hills.

My goal for this race was to do the 24 miles in less than two hours. The pain seen below is what it took to make this goal happen.

I couldn't lift my legs to get off my bike at first but I did what I set out to do and finished in 1:53:25.4, not bad for me.

Two new racers showed up for this race. Carrie's niece and nephew, Gavin and Aryana showed up for the kids race. Wait! Look who's in the middle. Collin felt better by the afternoon and got into the kids race. They had a great time as you can see.

On to Lake Geneva next.

WORS Race #8 (Border Battle)

2009-08-18T12:12:00.002-05:00

Saturday we headed to River Falls for the Border Battle where WI races against MN. It rained all night Saturday night but stopped just in time for the racing to start. The Juniors and Citizen racers are always lucky enough to have the worst conditions to race in because they are the first two classes out. There was a lot of slipping and sliding in the Juniors race and some broken bikes but Collin managed to get another 2nd place finish.

I did not feel good at all before my race and can't say that I was really looking forward to it. The first lap was slippery but by lap two and three the course was almost perfect. I had some nice stomach cramps on the second lap but just kept pedaling. Dan caught me by the end of the second lap which is pretty typical. I however was surprised that by the end of lap 2 I had caught back up to him and passed him. He wasn't on his game Sunday. I assumed I was riding faster than normal to be able to catch him but my 19th place finish (last in my age group) showed otherwise. I was also caught by two women which isn't allowed (see last post about goals).

The next race is Suamico where we run a marathon format and Sport, Comp and Elite all get to race together. You really get a sense of how slow we are going when the Elite guys are passing you.

How I'm Doing So Far

2009-08-18T12:09:00.002-05:00

My 2009 goals were as follows:
1). Finish better than 10th in points (Last year 10th)
2). Race all 12 races (Last year 11 of 12)
3). No DNF's (2 last year)
4). Get a podium finish in one WORS race (None last year)
5). Race in the 12 hour race at 9-Mile, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. (Watched some last year)
6). Get picked in the lottery for the Chequamegon 40 mile race (Not drawn last year)

Where I am currently related to above
1). Won't happen
2). Still on track
3). Still on track
4). Not looking good
5). 88.5 miles completed
6). Not picked

I also have goals of not finishing last and not having any of the women catch me both of which I failed at this last weekend.

Over Half Way Through The Season

2009-08-12T12:37:00.003-05:00

Race #8 is coming up and I realized that I am going to be able to make all 12 races this year. It has been such a busy summer. If it wasn't a weekend with a race we always seem to be busy with other things. I'm lucky to have and really appreciate the best girlfriend I could ever have, who I think would kick my butt if I decided to skip a race. The Rasta Rally, 24-9 and The Iceman Cometh have also filled in gaps. When the season winds down I hope she decides on some things for us to do. I seem to take up late spring, summer and early fall with racing.

Venue Change

2009-08-11T12:23:00.004-05:00

No scraped up knuckles from the culvert in Shawano this year. Apparently Area 47 has had some financial issues and is no longer hosting a race. It has been moved to The Bear Paw in Langlade, WI which is about 30 miles to the north of Shawano. It has also been moved one weekend later to Oct. 4.

WORS Race #7 (Alterra Coffee Bean Classic)

2009-08-05T09:38:00.010-05:00

Race #7 lead us to Franklin, WI which is a suburb of Milwaukee that is by General Mitchell International Airport. We arrived at the hotel Saturday afternoon and unloaded our stuff and got changed to go check out the course. Collin heard the words "ski hill" and was worried it would all be uphill again. We got on our bikes and headed out to do a lap of the Juniors course. The start was 2/3 of the way to the bottom of the ski hill so it was an uphill climb start to spread everyone out with a long lead out around the old landfill. There was a lot of tight single track that wouldn't allow for any passing. We also came to a long uphill climb that I thought would be where he got off and walked his bike but he got it in the lowest gear and rode all the way up to the spot where there was a really steep rise in the road. I was impressed. I had actually gotten off my bike part way up to wait for him and I had to move out of the way as he rode past. He was determined because the thistles on the left were about 6+ feet tall and on the right was about a 20 drop off into the woods. The rest of the lap was nothing out of the ordinary and they let the juniors finish on top of the ski hill instead of making them go down to the bottom and ride up to the finish like us.

We headed back to the hotel for some swimming while Carrie took a trip to Burlington Coat Factory. I got to sit, relax and talk with a couple other racers in the hot tub while Collin swam. Carrie showed up with her purchases and showed them to me. Off to the room for some sleep. We need to get to all the races a little earlier now that Collin's races are at 9:30.

I set up the canopy where Carrie thought it would be best for taking pictures and then went over by the start to tell Collin to go fast and try to pass as many people as he could. I hopped on my bike then with the camera back pack and headed into the woods to find a good spot. A low hanging tree with caution tape seemed like the perfect place.

The usual little animals that win all the time were the first ones through. I took pictures of all of them just getting some practice shooting action pictures. Then Collin showed up.

I cheered him on and told him to pick the pace up a bit because he had kids in his age group ahead of him. On his was back he was riding with one of them chatting.

He's still learning to be competitive when you are racing and be friends when you aren't racing.

My race started with me near the back of the group and not being able to see the two guys that got tangled up and went down 20 yds. from the start and as the pack split to go around I barely missed it. The lead out was fast and we all got to the single track in a big pack and went through like a train with occasional stops when people were yelling out "rider down!" because there is no place to go or get around them. There were a couple of long straights to allow for passing. The switchback climb up the ski hill is probably the longest hardest climb we have to do in the series. It always seems like it goes on forever.

Once you go over the top there is a long road that leads out to some more single track and when you come back in you get to go down the ski hill and it is ROUGH. There were plenty of crashes in the Citizen and First Timer classes.

Then up the hill and one more lap. Gary passed me on the road back in toward the ski hill and I used everything I had left to try to catch back up to him. I finished right on his wheel and if I had 20 more yds. I would have passed him.

Steve 20th place and Collin 3rd Place.

Onto River Falls next for the Border Battle with the Minnesota racers.

1st 12 Hour Solo Attempt at 24-9

2009-07-28T12:22:00.013-05:00

Leading up to the race I didn't know what to expect. I had never ridden my bike for 12 hours or for as many miles as I would cover during the race. I wasn't nervous leading up to the race as much as I was unsure. Unsure if I could do 5 laps which was my goal (I acutally did 6), unsure how difficult it may be, unsure how to pace myself to cover 12 hours.

I took Friday off to be able to grocery shop, pre-ride and prepare all the things I needed to do a 12 hour race. I set up my tent and canopy to get a good spot on the course. It was of course, raining and I forgot my raincoat. I went to Walmart and did my shopping. Then I headed home and made some sandwiches cut up some fruit, cooked some pasta and got ready to head back out for a pre-ride. One more lap of pre-riding the course brought my total to 5 laps of the course in the two weeks leading to the race. I picked up my registration packet and headed back home to shower and go pick Kelsey up. We went to The Trek Store to buy one more pair of shorts. You can never have too many biking shorts. Then home to pack for the race. I live 15 minutes from 9 Mile but when I got the back of the Durango packed you might have thought 2 people were going racing and camping for a whole weekend. I guess it is better to have too much than not enough, even though that is not what I tell Carrie when we pack for WORS races.

Saturday morning and my alarm was set for 7:00 a.m. and yet my eyes were wide open at 5:18 A.M. I was sure that paired with going to bed late and not being able to sleep that great would be the perfect pairing for 12 hours on the bike. I headed out to 9 Mile at about 7:30 a.m. to set everything up while Kelsey and Carrie got ready to come later with Lori. Kelsey was hanging out with Lori to see a movie, etc. so she didn't get bored waiting for her dad to turn lap after lap. I guess the movie G-Force was good but all I saw were trees, people, trees, racers, men in kilts cheering, yes KILTS, trees, finish line, start area, my pit, repeat 6 times.

The 11 a.m. start was nearing and bang, the cannon goes off and the LeMans style start has everyone do about a 1/3 mile run to their bikes which were standing in racks. My number was 242.

I'm not much of a runner but I think I managed to take off in the middle of the pack hop on my bike and race to the log jam at the beginning of the singletrack where we had to wait for the racers to enter one by one. Once we came out of the first section of singletrack there was a long section of ski trail to start some passing. I was doing pretty good, passing here and there only to keep telling myself that I was riding too fast. Into the next singletrack still slightly backed up so at least I got a little rest. Back out into the ski trails for a long stretch with some uphill climbs. Then downhill past the guys in kilts. Lap one had one of them digging a big hole and using the dirt to build a jump. The rest....cheering and drinking. Flower trail had another slight back up of people trying to get through the rocks. Once again out onto a 1+ mile section of ski trail that has the steepest climb on the course but ends with a nice long downhill. Into Ho Chi Minh and more rocks. My best judgement was to walk some of these sections and avoid falling this early or pinch flatting a tire. More sections of single track and ski trail and then a nice 29 mph downhill gravel road. Across Red Bud road, past the water station, cheering people and loud music which is always a plus. More sections of single track and back across Red Bud road with about 1 mile left to the finish and by finish I mean the start of lap 2.

Laps 1 and 2 were fairly fast paced for me with times in the 1 hour 20-25 minute range for the 14+ mile lap. Lap 3 would be quite a bit longer with a series of cramps in my inner thighs slowing me down. Salt tablets from an EMT helped out and laps 4 and 5 were faster again. Lap 5 appears slower in time because I ate and refilled my water at the beginning of my laps with the clock running and I took a longer than normal break at the start of lap 5.Lap 6 was in the dark and included 3 hard crashes that made up my mind that I was done when I got back in just to be safe. I went down on my way through some rocks to get into Flower Trail and cracked my elbow up. Gary Esko rode up behind me later and let me know I was bleeding. No time or place to fix it then anyway. The next crash was my own fault trying to line up for a good line through some rocks on Ho Chi Minh. My bars clipped a tree and on my back I went. Crashing gets old fast and it makes it hard to get up and ride fast again. The last time was just a wash out of the front tire on a root. Any other time I could have pulled the bike back into shape but I was too tired. It was amazing how good it felt to lay on the ground. When I got back to the timing tent I scanned my card and handed it in. I had another hour left to start a lap but I wouldn't have been able to finish safely or with any lights left. I guess one plus was that I got to have a beer about 2 hours sooner than I thought.

Racing and riding in the dark are fun and it makes for some cool camera effects.

See below for my riding/racing buddies times along with mine. Gary Esko, Bryan Lau and Dan Schuster. They also added some competition to the race because even though it was about racing myself I think everybody always wants somebody else to try to beat. There were 58 total riders in Men's 12 Hour Solo. Finishing in the top half of the field was better than I thought I would do.

Next year I'm not sure if there will be another 12 Hour Solo attempt because there is some talk of the 4 of us doing a 4 Man 24 Hour Team. That sounds like a lot of fun to me!

Bad Luck and More Bad Luck

2009-07-23T20:02:00.002-05:00

Leading up to races I don't like to ride too close to the race in case I break something then there is a mad dash to get parts and get it fixed. Case in point....my bent wheels right before Eau Claire. Well this time it isn't me but my friends Dan and Bryan. Dan has had on and off trouble with his rear suspension bearings and Trek is sending a new frame but he will have to race his old bike at the 24-9. Bryan and I went riding last Tuesday and he broke his frame and Trek sent a new frame that arrived today at 1 p.m. and the Trek Store is going to get a set of components and build his bike by the time they close tomorrow or give him a bike to ride so he can race on Saturday. Either way his first ride on either bike will be when they fire the cannon for the race Saturday. Nothing like cutting it close.

WORS Race #6 (Sunburst Showdown)

2009-07-21T12:33:00.005-05:00

We arrived in Kewaskum Saturday afternoon and set up camp. I took Collin out for a little pre-ride fun. The Juniors course was not marked so I assumed that maybe they were doing one lap of the full course. Let me tell you that Collin did not find it FUN. He wondered why the course had to be all uphill and so hard. My standard response is if it was easy then everybody would do it. We went and ate spaghetti for supper that was put on by the ski patrol. Gary and I headed out for another lap after dark with our lights. I'm not sure why but riding at fun is a blast. When I got back I was informed by Collin that he and I had a big day of racing tomorrow and I needed to get to sleep.

Sunday morning I awoke to Carrie telling me, "Yes, that is rain you hear on the tent." Great! I have the wrong tires on my bike for wet conditions. Luckily right before Collin's race the sun came out and stuff started drying out. Collin fought through the uphills to come in 2nd place. He had the first place rider in his sites but a crash and one last uphill climb made him fade a bit.

When my race started the lead out to the steep climb felt pretty good. I was mid pack but I made a stupid mistake on the first climb. I hung on the wheel of 3 slower guys that I could have easily passed. I thought saving some energy for the next two times I had to climb it was smart but in reality it allowed the guys in front of us to get away a little more. ALWAYS, ALWAYS pass when you have the chance. Wow, was it rough and dusty. On lap 2 I got stopped by a rider crashing coming at me and his bike landing on my side of the trail. 3 of us had to get off our bikes and run around the downed rider and bike. Getting off the bike is the worst especially on an uphill because it is so hard to get going again. By the third lap there were people cramping up but I still felt good. I stayed ahead of Gary for the whole race which almost never happens. I came home with a 20th place finish which is a little lower than normal but there was an overly large amount of climbing which made it a little harder.

Next is my first 12 hour solo at the 24-9 next weekend.

Niterider is Awesome

2009-07-13T12:40:00.002-05:00

I sent my Niterider Flight HID light back last Monday, July 6th, 2nd day Fed Ex to San Diego. They received it on July 8th and shipped it back to me on July 10th with a new battery and charger at no charge to me. They have the best no questions asked service and they made sure that I would have the light back before the 24-9 on July 25th. Hopefully I should have it back by the middle of this week so I can get some night rides in at 9 Mile before the 12 hour race.

New Trail Construction

2009-07-12T09:09:00.003-05:00

About 12 or so of us mountain bikers spent Saturday from 8 a.m. - 1 p.m. building a couple new trails out at 9 Mile. It is a lot faster with so many people doing the work. We did what Matt Block (person who spends the time to get this approved with the county) thought would take several work sessions because of the amount of people we had. We even got a couple people who were done riding to help. The trails are going to be fun and by fun I mean hard, technical, pain inflicting uphills, rocky, off camber....you know FUN!!!

Early Birthday Present

2009-07-12T09:04:00.003-05:00

Thursday night when I got home I had a few things to do (clean my bike). Carrie texted me and said she had a surprise for me. I was talking to Dan on the phone when she got home and she was antsy to show me what it was. When I got off the phone I went out in the garage and there was a Park Tool PCS-10 workstand. I haved talked about getting one but never decided to spend the money. Now I have one and it's not even my birthday until July 31. I let Carrie know how awesome she is. Thanks to her and the kids.

Ready to Roll

2009-07-08T12:34:00.002-05:00

My new wheels got ordered on Monday and I picked them up last night. I love good service. Mavic Tn719 with Shimano XT Hubs and DT Swiss 14g/15g spokes. They are already on the bike and ready to roll at 9 Mile tonight. With any luck I won't need a new set for a while. I'm not sure how many times a year I could swing $350 for new wheels.

New Wheels

2009-07-06T21:48:00.005-05:00

I returned my borrowed wheel today along with a thank you aka a case of Pabst Blue Ribbon for the guys at Rib Mountain Cycles. They asked how I did and I blamed my finish on the wheel. They are hand building me a set of custom wheels and I should have them by the end of the week. I'll post more then with some specs. and some pics.

WORS Race #5 (Chippewa Valley Firecracker)

2009-07-06T21:37:00.003-05:00

Eau Claire is always one of the best venues to race. The course is always awesome and fast, there is lots to do for the kids and they put on a super spaghetti feed and a breakfast that are both all you can eat. We arrived on Friday and camped till Sunday.

Friday night a bunch of us guys went out for a night ride. When I set up my lights I found out one of them didn't work and it is brand new. I'll have to send it back and get it warrantied. I went out with just my helmet light which slowed me down a bit but it was still fun being in the woods in the dark.

Collin had a lot of fun and made a lot of friends some of which were the competition and I explained to him that they weren't friends when Don said Goooooo. I went out on the course and got a bunch of pictures during his race which he ended up winning for his age class. One day maybe he'll beat me.

When my race started I quickly found out I should have use a bigger chainring on the front. Maybe a 34 tooth for next year. The disadvantage of a 1x9 was clear on the lead out as I spun out (legs got tired). The guys with big rings slowly pulled away. I should have laid back and tried to catch them later. I was fast in the singletrack but it's hard to catch back up. I managed to get a 20th place finish and my time was about 6 minutes faster than my fastest time this year.

It was a good weekend for everybody.

Crash=$$$$$$$$$$$

2009-07-06T21:28:00.002-05:00

Ironically I took my last of the 5 unpaid days off from work last Thursday. Dan was off too so we decided to take a ride out at 9 Mile. Approximately 10 minutes into the ride I was on the ground scraped up and bleeding and both wheels on my bike were bent so back to my vehicle I go and head for Rib Mountain Cycles. I explained my situation of leaving for Eau Claire Friday and of course Randy and his super bunch of guys tell me they will have the wheels straightened by noon on Friday so I can pick them up on my way through. Friday morning I packed everything up and needed to take the van to go get the wheels because I couldn't get my bike frame inside the vehicle. I got to the bike shop a little early so the wheels weren't done yet but they got right on it. The front wheel was almost as good as new, the back wheel was JUNK. Randy came through by lending me a wheel from a much more expensive bike. I asked him to not tell me how much it was worth so I didn't worry about damaging it. Back home I went and threw the wheels on my back and off we went. Around the block once to come back and get the Camelbaks. Around the block again to get my lights. Eau Claire here we come.

Is It Winter In June??

2009-07-01T19:05:00.002-05:00

Went out to 9 Mile last night with Dan. I dressed for the 55 degree weather. Under Armor, jersey, pants and shorts over the pants. It rained on the way there but was dry while riding right until the end when we got a little wet. It wasn't even really a rain, it was more like fall mist. It was good to get out and ride. Got in some miles and some climbs. Another ride at 9 Mile tomorrow and then off to Eau Claire on Friday for the 5th race of the year.

Slipped a Bit

2009-06-25T21:25:00.001-05:00

I just checked my WORS points position and I slipped from 6th to 9th. I have never raced the Super D and Short Track events at the Subaru Cup to get the extra points but it appears that I need to in the future.

Black Flies and Humidity

2009-06-23T12:32:00.003-05:00

It's that time of year again. I head out to 9 Mile for a ride last night and now that it's hot and humid the motivational black flies have returned. You can see them swarming behind you as you ride and they remind you not to stop. It was humid too and may have been warmer than it was at the Subaru Cup. We didn't push too hard and tried to take it a little easy but I did manage to push hard enough that I clipped a tree but luckily my pinky was between the tree and my bike and protected my handlebars. It is sore today. Dan was having computer issues with both of his bike computers so he may say we rode about 22 miles but I say it was 11.

WORS Race #4 (Subaru Cup)

2009-06-23T12:13:00.002-05:00

We headed for Mt. Morris on Saturday for the 4th race in the series. It was hot to say the least but I prefer that kind of weather. The start times for this race are backwards so the instead of racing before lunch I started at 4:00 and Collin's Juniors race was at 6:30 p.m. When I got to the start area I got a "call up" which basically means I am high enough in the points now that I get to start in the front row. When the race started I quickly dropped off the front row and didn't push too hard because I knew there was plenty of climbing to come and actually there isn't much of a lead out here so when we all hit the first singletrack we came to a standstill anyway. It was slippery in the rocky sections and sticky in the flat sections because the area got a downpour on Friday. The sticky mud and slippery roots made it difficult to keep any momentum going and brought most people to a stop at one spot or another. I managed to miss the pick up of my first water bottle and dropped it but luckily I had Carrie, Kelsey and Collin there to help and they actually gave me several extra hand ups which I poured over myself to help keep cool. I managed a 14th place finish out of 20 which isn't all that bad considering there were people that dropped out for heat related reasons so just finishing was a plus. When I was finished it was just about time for Collin to start and Carrie turned the camera over to me so I could take pictures of his race. I think I sweated just as much running to all the different spots that he would go by to take pictures as I did in the race. Collin tried to give me the "I can't do it" in a couple spots and I kindly reminded him there is no quitting and to just keep pedaling. He came across the line with a 5th place finish. Not too bad of a weekend.

8.5 Miles tonight

2009-06-15T20:16:00.002-05:00

Went to 9 Mile and rode 8.5 miles. 1 lap of the previous race. Collin joined me and did pretty good. He struggled in the rocky sections but walked his bike where he needed too. Also looked at the WORS point standings today and I'm currently 6th. Not too bad.

Rode a bit tonight

2009-06-10T20:48:00.002-05:00

Went out to 9 Mile for a quick 11 mile ride before dark. Still a bit soft in some spots and my calf still seems to be hurting a bit. Never went down in the race but went down once tonight. Careless I guess.

Clean and shiny

2009-06-08T20:49:00.002-05:00

Bikes clean and calf still hurts. Looks like rain tomorrow so hopefully some riding Wednesday at 9 Mile.

WORS Race #3 (Big Ring Classic)

2009-06-08T12:39:00.005-05:00

After a Thursday, Friday and Saturday morning pre-ride of the course it was going to be fast and furious. Saturday afternoon Dan, Gary and I helped the WORS team set up the event and then the rains came and came and came and came. Needless to say the course was going to go from fast and furious to slow and tedious. Sunday morning we arrived at 7 a.m. and set up the E-Z Up and then I headed out to set up the water station for the trail runners. After they were done it was time for Collin's first Juniors race. He was in the wrong gear for the long climb up the road to me and ended up wiping out right in front of me. He got up walked over and grabbed a cup of water and commenced standing and talking to me. As a girl went by I pointed out that he just got passed by a girl. He hopped back on and continued on his way. After all the kids went through and my replacments arrived I headed back on the 4 wheeler. When I neared about a mile to go for Collin I spotted him in last place with the "sweepers" riding right behind him. I "encouraged" him to pick up the pace and he did. Carrie and her family also "encouraged" and he picked up 3 places for a 3rd place finish and a medal.

Time for me to get changed and start some kind of a warmp up in the mid 40 degree weather. I hate racing in cold weather. Mud is fine with me but cold I don't like. 11:30 came and I was in the first wave out.

It was a mad race down the road and I held my own until we reached the first big hill and I had used to much on the dash out on the raod and was falling back. Luckily when we hit the rocky and muddy singletrack, there everybody was all bunched up. I did all I could to stay with the group and was doing fine even though it was hard going because the mud was sooo tacky it was hard to keep the 29's rolling. Going into the start of lap 2 my left calf seized up with a cramp. I stopped stretched it out but it stayed with me for the whole second lap and needless to say caused me my slowest time of the year as you can see.

After changing clothes and waiting for the Elite and Comp racers to finish then it was tear down time. Dan, Gary and I again helped the WORS crew tear down and it was 7 p.m. when we finished. It was worth the effort. I got an MP3 player and some new Tifosi racing shades. I was beat when I got home. Tonight......BIKE CLEANING.

WORS Race #2 (Crystal Lake Classic)

2009-06-01T21:33:00.003-05:00

For the second week in a row we headed to Rhinelander to Camp Tesomas and for the second week in a row I underestimated how long it takes to get there. If you know me, I like to arrive early and not feel rushed. I quickly went to registration and Kelsey and Carrie went to find a spot to view the start. When I got back to the vehicle I changed into my biking shorts, jersey and shoes and while talking to a friend and being in more of a hurry than I like to be almost locked the keys in the truck.

After a little more of a warm up ride than I like to do it was time to head to the starting line. At the sound of Goooooo! it was off on a miserable lead out that is an all out sprint on gravel road for what seems like miles.

It is probably really 1 to 1.5 miles. It felt like my heart was in my throat along with a lot of dirt. Once I got in the woods and into the singletrack I got a little rest before a couple small uphill climbs. How the rest of a lap at Rhinelander can be described is brutally rough. Evidence of this was that 3 out of the 4 bolts that hold the front chain ring to the crank set were loose when I checked them tonight.

I told Carrie that I would be done in 1:30:00.0 and I finished almost right on time at 1:30:18.0 and it took all that I had left in the tank. I pushed it as hard as I could and wound up in 15th place. I have taken 20 minutes off the time I had for the first race of the year and was 3 minutes faster than last year for the same race.

Next week is Wausau and I am looking forward to it because it is where I do most all of my riding and I really like it there. Right now the weather shows showers for Sunday and that might make it interesting.

New Bling!!

2009-05-30T11:54:00.006-05:00

I decided to switch from the Avid BB 5 cable actuated disc brakes to Hayes HFX 9 XC hydraulic disc brakes. I also had 160mm rotors front and rear but I switched the front to a 185mm rotor for more stopping power.

The brakes come as a pre-bled system that can be installed and require no set up EXCEPT that both the cables were too long and needed to be cut down which is a process that I didn't want to tackle so I dropped the bike off at the bike shop. They had the cables cut down and the brakes bled the next afternoon.

The instructions said that the rotors require a burnishing period of 30-40 stops until they have full stopping power and when I tried them the first time I thought I totally wasted the money because they stopped worse than my old brakes. After more riding and stops they are now far superior to the old brakes. They also require a lot less pressure applied to the brake handle to have the same pressure applied to the pads at the caliper as my old brakes.

Pretty technical and boring explanation but at the same time cool.

Tomorrow will be the first time I use them in a race and I'm sure a post will follow as to how everything went.

The Benefits of Pre-Riding and Cell Phones

2009-05-26T08:40:00.003-05:00

Some race courses are the same every year, like Iola, so I don't necessarily need to go pre-ride the course and get a feel for it. This year I went on Saturday just to get out and see what the course was like. Luckily I did because on the 1st lap I broke a link in my chain. I made a call to Rib Mountain Cycles and they had what I needed in stock, however, I didn't think I would make it back in time so i called Carrie and of course she was willing to go pick it up for me. My friend Dan was with me also and he finished riding in time for us to get back so I made another call to Carrie and told her she didn't have to go. Without a cell phone I wouldn't have been able to call and find a chain or a person to pick it up and might not have been able to race on Sunday and without pre-riding my chain would have broke during the race and I would have been done part way through the 1st lap. I now have a spare chain I carry in my vehicle in case I need it.

RASTA Rally

2009-05-24T21:05:00.010-05:00

Well the RASTA rally lived up to years past and Bikes N Boards along with Wayne Fish built an awesome course with new, very technical singletrack and was rough enough to provide a beating for the body. It also gave a preview of the WORS Crystal Lake Classic that will be held at this venue next weekend.

The start was it's usual dusty self and made it hard to find good air to breathe until we got off the gravel roads and into the woods.

Thirteen miles later with a beat down handed to the body I arrived cramp free at the finish line in time to see Collin race in the three mile youth race.

And by "see" I mean get back on my bike and trail the kids to make sure they all make it to the finish with no break downs or injuries and to make sure Collin doesn't give up.

Collin did a very good job and I tried to stay out of sight until I came around a corner and he had crashed in some sand, so from there I provided some coaching to get him to the finish. Then we had a discussion about all the things he did right and what he could work on to do better.

BTW anytime I think what I am doing is hard all I have to do is remember this picture. A tandem mountain bike!?!?!

WORS Race #1 (Iola)

2009-05-18T18:06:00.006-05:00

Race season started yesterday at Iola and hearing the familiar 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5.......GOOOOOOO! from Don Edberg was music to the racers ears.

Even though the start of the race is uphill it still almost brought a grin to my face to be racing again. The grin quickly turned into more like a look of pain. The first half of the lap at Iola is mostly uphill and by that I mean steep with loose sand and rocks, roots and ruts. My legs didn't take kindly to what I tried to dish out on lap 1 and consequently let me down for the laps 2 and 3. I still managed to push hard enough to beat last year's time by 20 minutes. You can tell it's not your best race when the women who start 8 minutes behind us start catching you. Not that some of them aren't fast but I mean they ALL caught me (not something I like to broadcast)but it happens.

It feels the best when the finish line is in sight and you get to come through the finish and not have to pass by for yet another lap. It's also good to see all the people again that you haven't seen for a year.

WTF??

2009-05-06T19:33:00.002-05:00

I hit 9 Mile last Friday for th opening day and the trails were awesome. The legs and lungs were not however but you have got to start somewhere. I rode for a little over an hour and pain wise felt ok till the next day and then it hot me. Every year the first thing I notice is that my seat/chamois combination takes a little getting used to. It was hard to sit for a couple days. After a couple more rides I will be back to where I need to be and all will be good. I am hoping to get out to 9 Mile tomorrow and Friday along with a couple rides next week as well. I hopefully want to mix in a few trips up the park road on Rib Mountain. Iola is close (May 17) and I am not ready.

It's time for the race season

2009-04-23T09:19:00.003-05:00

The first day of turkey season was good to me this year. I pulled the trigger on a nice tom about 10 minutes after I started calling. I'm not sure if its luck or if I'm a good caller but the last 3 seasons have totaled approximately 1.5 hours in the woods with 3 toms in the bag.

Success feels good and I hope this race season feels good. BRING ON IOLA!!

Screwed Again

2009-04-02T12:59:00.002-05:00

While everybody else is posting how their check cleared for the Chequamegon 40 cleared, mine has not and is probably on it's way back in the mail as I post this. 2years in a row that I've gotten the shaft from the lottery system. The Iceman fiasco has however let 800 additional racers in over previous years.

The Iceman

2009-03-19T20:00:00.002-05:00

Just checked my bank account and my check for the Iceman cleared. Traverse City, MI in November will be so beautiful or cold whichever way you want to look at it.

What a mess!!

2009-03-06T19:32:00.003-06:00

February 27th at 6:00 p.m. was the time that registration for the 2009 Iceman Cometh race in Traverse City, MI was supposed to take place. I say "supposed" to take place because some idiot wrote a program that attempted to enter his name into the race 100,000 times in 30 minutes. Now to make it clear just what kind of idiot this person was, the race only allows 2500 entrants. Needless to say the whole entry system crashed and the entry was postponed until March 2 at 6:00 p.m. Again I was at the computer only to have a few hundred people get entered and the system crashed again. About 3 days later the race director decided to go back to old fashioned paper entry forms with a twist. Instead of only 2500 entrants being accepted, they are taking whoever gets their entry postmarked by March 7. I spent more time trying to enter the race then it will actually take to complete the race but I got my entry fee sent in in time. All of this to enter a race that doesn't happen until November 7, 2009.

Pretty Full Year

2009-02-25T12:44:00.001-06:00

I sent out my Chequamegon 40 entry and am crossing my fingers for the march 15 lottery drawing. I also printed off the Rasta Rally entry blank today and will be sending that in as well. This Friday 2/27 at 6:00 is also when the entry for the 2009 Iceman opens also. I will be online at 5:59 waiting. With all of those and the posted schedule of WORS races the year is going to be busy for sure.

Somebody Help

2009-02-20T19:52:00.001-06:00

Will somebody please make the snow go away. I want to bike outside again and have the temp be above freezing.

Cyclist's Bucket List...100 Things

2009-02-09T12:17:00.002-06:00

Check out the Cyclist's Bucket List that has been added to the side bar. Click on the link to see the entire list as well as an (X) indicating which I have done.

Enjoy!

Took a week off

2009-02-02T12:47:00.002-06:00

After doing so well at sticking to 2-3 hours per week riding on my trainer, I took last week off. I can't really say I missed riding since it is boring indoors but I will be getting back on this week to keep myself on track for a better start to the year come May and the first race in Iola. I am doing a lot more riding than previous years and I am sure it is because of the lack of top 10 finishes since moving to the Sport Class which I think is now changing to Category 2.

I found out how easy....

2009-01-23T19:35:00.002-06:00

it was to just sit on the couch last night instead of riding my third hour this week. It's not something I wanted to start doing it just happened. I am way ahead of last year and plan to stay there. I've got goals!!!

Logged another hour

2009-01-21T12:25:00.002-06:00

Last night I rode another hour and it was the best hour I've spent on my trainer. Kept the pace up the whole time with resistance to make it seem like I was going uphill. I'm sure the first uphill at Iola will have me wanting to lay down in the fetal position crying but hopefully this year will bring more top ten finishes if I keep progressing. I know that riding on a trainer is no substitute for the real thing but I can hope. It's better than working though.

Olympic Mtn Biking in Wisconsin

2009-01-18T18:21:00.002-06:00

Carrie showed me an article online that said with Chicago's bid for the 2016 summer games the mountian and road bike portions would be in SW Wisconsin. Tyrol Basin for the MTB portion. I can't wait and I hope it happens. I for sure will be there.

Too much, too soon

2009-01-14T12:10:00.002-06:00

Last night the ride only lasted half an hour. Apparently after 2 1/2 months off the bike my tolerance for sitting on a bike seat needs to be built back up if you know what i mean.

I had a spare hour...

2009-01-13T12:08:00.002-06:00

so I put in an hour on the trainer. I am ahead of schedule for the week. Hopefully I get another hour tonight. I posted a poll on the WORS website to see how many hours/week other people are riding and I may need to step it up a bit. Almost 40% that have answered are in the 5-10 hours/week range. I'm not sure I can spare an hour everyday but I'll just have to see what happens. Last night's ride went by faster than normal but my tailbone is killing me today. It's an injury from two seasons ago that still won't go away. It makes riding for extended times uncomfortable until it goes numb and then all is well.

Goals for 2009

2009-01-10T19:54:00.002-06:00

1). Finish better than 10th in points (Last year 10th)
2). Race all 12 races (Last year 11 of 12)
3). No DNF's (2 last year)
4). Get a podium finish in one WORS race (None last year)
5). Race in the 12 hour race at 9-Mile, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. (Watched some last year)
6). Get picked in the lottery for the Chequamegon 40 mile race (Not drawn last year)

Why is it......

2009-01-10T19:36:00.004-06:00

that it is so hard to start riding on the trainer? It is almost like the world might end if I have to ride my bike in the workout room. Well I got myself on the bike this last week for 1 hour on Tuesday and 1 hour on Thursday and I'm still here to write about it because the world didn't end. In fact it wasn't that bad at all. Crank up some tunes and get to work. I think I have already logged more hours than last winter. I plan to add some weight training too because I had a little upper body fatigue at some races last year. The move from Citizen to Sport class last year requires a little more work.

Better late than never!

2009-01-10T19:21:00.004-06:00

Finally posting about last October. After the final race in Sheboygan last October, I thought it might be time for some upgrades to my bike. I added a Bontrager ACC carbon seatpost and a set of Bontrager Race X Lite Switchblade carbon forks. I have ridden the bike one time on signletrack since the upgrade and that was last November. I won't talk about how much it costs to reduce the weight of the bike by about 1.5 - 2 pounds but is sure looks cool. The bike is hanging in the garage now for the winter and I have my old Trek 4300 on my trainer in the basement.

Cyclist's Bucket List

2009-01-08T08:27:00.005-06:00

"The Cycclist's Bucket List: 100 Things You Need To Do In This Crazy Life!" was published in the March 2009 issue of Mountain Bike Action ...here is the line-up!
1. Ride Crested Butte, Colorado.
2. Ride Whisteler Mountain Bike Park.
3. Ride a new Rock-Shox Boxxer fork.
4. Ride La Fenasosa Bike Park in Spain.
5. Enter an MBA subscription sweepstake. (X)
6. Use the plastic brake stop to keep your brake pads from moving while transporting your bike with a wheel off. (X)
7. Visit Mellow Johnny's: Lance Armstrong's bike shop in Austin, Texas.
8. Ride a fork with a new 15-millimeter thru-axle.
9. Ride outside Whistler in Pemberton.
10. Ride the main loop on Gooseberry Mesa, Utah.
11. Race a cross-country mountain bike race. (X)
12. Try Shimano's Thermo-Form Technology shoes.
13. Volunteer at a local youth mountain bike club.
14. Ride Specialized's brand of tires. (X)
15. Ride a Giant Trance at a local bike shop demo day.
16. Use a CO2 cartridge to fill a tire. (X)
17. Do an overnighter in the wilderness.
18. Race a Super D event.
19. Watch a riding buddy who just flew past you crash.
20. Ride the Ketchum, Idaho's, Sun Valley trail network.
21. Test ride a Niner.
22. Race the Iceman Cometh.
23. Do a night ride. (X)
24. Ride from the base of a mountain into a snowstorm.
25. Ride Asheville, North Carolina.
26. Ride Sedona, Arizona.
27. Take somebody on his or her first real mountain bike ride. (X)
28. Take a $5000 plus bike out for a demo ride.
29. Stop to enjoy a spectacular view. (X)
30. Wear a T-shirt from Fox Racing Shox's cool clothing line.
31. Ride a single-speed.
32. Try handlebars an inch wider than you're using now.
33. Do a night ride with only moonlight to guide you.
34. Volunteer for trail maintenance. (X)
35. Take cover from a lightning storm.
36. Visit Troy Lee Designs' amazing showroom.
37. Swap a tire in less than five minutes.
38. Learn to adjust your rear derailleur. (X)
39. Learn to replace brake pads.
40. Ride anywhere in Southern California in the dead of winter.
41. Ride at least five of seven parks along Louisiana's I-20 corridor.
42. Do a shuttle run at Downieville, California.
43. Visit Durango and ride the Colorado Train and the Hermosa Trail.
44. Sneak into the Interbike trade-only show.
45. Carry a shock pump in your hydration pack.
46. Ride with clipless pedals. (X)
47. Visit Evolution bike ship at Wistler Mountain Bike Park and say "Hi" to Jenine & Jonathan.
48. Attenda a park or forest planning meeting.
49. Lead a lost hiker to safety. (X) Girl Scout Troop
50. Build a jump bike and learn how to tabletop.
51. Ride one of Trek's new trail bikes featuring ABP (Active Braking Pivot) suspension. (X)
52. Ride Ray's MTB Indoor bike park near Cleveland.
53. Make friends with a horse rider on the trail.
54. Take a point-and-shoot camera with you on your next ride and use it.
55. Ride The Wombler in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
56. Attend the Summer Gravity Camp in Whistler.
57. Shake Ned Overend's hand.
58. Change somebody else's flat tire. (X)
59. Learn to replace your derailleur cables.
60. Ride Slickrock at Moab, Utah, and then go ride the real trails.
61. Ride the trail network in Ashland, Oregon.
62. Fix up an old bike and give it to someone who can't afford it.
63. Join IMBA.
64. Break something important on your bike during a ride and still figure out a way to ride it out.
65. Enjoy the feel of new grips and tires. (X)
66. Ride Copper Canyon in Mexico.
67. Attend the Crankworx Festival.
68. Test ride a Giant Glory DH.
69. Find a shoe that fits you perfectly.
70. Put an adjustable seat post on your trailbike. (X)
71. Ride a Scott Genius trailbike.
72. Downhillers should try Mavie's Deetraks wheelset.
73. Watch The Collective film project "Seasons". (X)
74. Make a 20-song training mix for your iPod and crank it.
75. Clear a climb that you've never cleared. (X)
76. Really learn how to use your brakes.
77. Teach a new rider to give right of way to a rider who is climbing.
78. Show somebody a trail or loop they didn't know about.
79. Take a kid on a mountain bike ride. (X)
80. Eat a giant bean-and-cheese burrito after an epic ride.
81. High-five "The King" Steve Peat.
82. Talk to kids about bicycle safety. (X)
83. Ride at Bootleg Canyon in Boulder City, Nevada.
84. Build your own pump track.
85. Bleed your own brakes.
86. Show more appreciation to bike shop employees who bleed brakes. (X)
87. Use a GPS to track a ride.
88. Get a video camera, mount it to your helmet or bike and make a movie.
89. Ride the North Umpqua Trail in Roseburg, Oregon.
90. Take a three to five-day guided mountain bike tour.
91. Ride a pump track.
92. Ride tubeless tires.
93. Ride Snowshow, West Virginia.
94. Ride Highland Mountain Bike Park in New Hampshire.
95. Ride a Santa Cruz Blur LT.
96. Do a mountain bike-packing trip.
97. Race a 24-hour event with three friends.
98. Attend a mountain bike World Cup.
99. Check out Don Hampton's collection of mountain bike videos at dh-productions.com
100. Attend the Sea Otter Classic