I'm still here...

...and I'm still riding. Did a fun/hard ride on Sunday. Been doing some bike commuting. I'm off to do the Fat Tire ride in just a minute.

Some stuff from the last post sold, some is still lingering around. Let me know if you want any of it.

Big bike stuff this weekend. No time to post about it right now, but look for some stories in the near future...

Bunch o' stuff for sale...

The time has come to clean out the spare parts bin! This stuff is all going on craigslist/ebay/mtbr next week, so if you want something speak now or pay 20% more later...

Airborne ti frame, used/scuffed/ridden hard but still straight and serviceable. Rim brake only. $200

Boone ti chainring for White Industries ENO crank, used but very good condition; $65

Brand New ENO Cranks; 175mm, no chainring, never used: $140

Used Eno Cranks; 175mm, used and scuffed but still work great, includes used but servicable 34t chainring: $100

New Eno Chainring, 44t, mounted and chain installed but never pedaled, silver: $20

New Eno Chainring, 34t, silver: $20

New Eno Chainring, 32t, green, $20

Phil Wood ti BB, 124mm, +5mm offset, 2 installation tools, and 2 alloy english-threaded mounting rings (i.e. everything you need to install this sucker...) I installed it once but never pedaled with it. It is in brand-new condition. $125

FSA Carbon Pro Crank Arms (no rings), 175mm, ISIS splined, 110 BDC, used and scuffed but working fine: $50

Thomson Elite x4 stem, silver, 10 degree x 130mm, used with a few cosmetic scrapes but fully-functional: $40

Thomson Elite x2 stem, black, 17 degree x 130mm, used with one small scratch (10mm) otherwise like new: $50

29er Wheelset; shimano 535 hubs laced Sun Equilizer rims. Six-bolt disk only, no rim brake. With cassette, skewers, and Maxis Ignitor tires installed. These are brand-new take-off wheels from a Kona Hei-Hei 29er; they still have that little plastic thing behind the cassette. Heavy, but good for winter/back-up use. $100. I really don't want to ship these...

I think that's it. If you think I'm off-base on a price, let me know and we can work something out. You pay whatever actual shipping cost turns out to be. I have pictures of most of this stuff that I will send on request.

Buy this stuff and help fund the rest of my season! :)

(Mostly) Recovery Week

Has it really been a week since the 24-hr race? I guess so...

Didn't ride at all until Thursday. Since the car is in the shop, I commuted to work (10 miles) and road the Fat Tire Farm ride (25+ miles). That was enough. Rode to work on Friday but otherwise chilled.

Saturday was the Team Time Trail. I'd never done a TTT before; I'd never done a road TT before, for that matter. Although the results were not stellar, a good time was had by all. I think it worked out to be about 25 mph average for 1:07 or so. Not shabby for a bunch of cat4/cat5 TT rookies.

Getting back into the swing of things this week. Maybe some PIR, maybe some Mt. Tabor; it's hard to say at this point. If the weather is good, who knows what might happen?

24 Hours Round the Clock 2008 Race Report

Many things have to go right to win a 24-hour solo singlespeed mountain bike race. A minimum level of physical fitness is necessary to stay on the bike for 24+ hours. A certain degree of mental toughness is required; no matter what shape you are in physically, it is a mental challenge to keep riding hour after hour. Proper equipment is an important part of the equation; if parts keep falling off your bike, it is hard to keep riding. Luck is also helpful. At the 24 Hours Round the Clock race over Memorial Day weekend, I had the minimum necessary amount in all of these areas and was able to notch up my first 24-hour solo singlespeed victory.

The defining characteristic of this race for my was the lack of drama. The weather was benign, the course was mostly flat and not technically challenging, and all of my equipment function as designed. My food plan was executed to the letter, my pit stops all went smoothly, and I suffered only one small crash with no significant consequences.

I limited my long training rides in the early season this year, capping rides at around 6 hours for the most part. I was worried that this would leave my unprepared to a long day in the saddle, but instead I was able to enter the first long race of the season with strong but well-rested legs. My body felt good for the entire race, and I was able to finish with some reserve of energy.

I went with a completely liquid diet for this race. Heed and Sustained Energy mixed to 300 calories per bottle were consumed every 60-90 minutes. I had Gu2O on hand, but ended up drinking very little. I supplemented the food bottle with Hammer Gel when the laps got closer to 90 minutes. I never got sick or felt excessively hungry or thirsty during the ride.

The twin Quiring bikes were perfect! I rode the ti bike for the first 10 laps and the final lap. I could really feel the bike soaking up the braking bumps on the course. This bike had a Reba suspension fork, which was useful for the couple of 100-foot rock garden sections of the course. I did find that running the Ignitor up front and Small Block 8 in the rear at the minimum rated pressure produced a ride that was a bit too harsh. I believe this is due to the design of the Stan's ZTR rims and the stiffness of the Industry 9 wheels. I could have let a bit of air out of both tires without a problem. I switched to the full-rigid bike for 6 laps. The overall weight of the bike was a bit less than it's ti brother because the carbon fork is so light. Running fat tires (Nevegal front and Karma 2.2 rear) made the bike feel even more plush than the ti model! I chalk some of this plushness up to the compliant build of the Mike Curiak wheels vs. the ultra-stiff I-9's.

The competition at this race was pretty stiff. Many of the racers had done this race before; the number 2 and number 3 finishers from last year we present. I was able to get out ahead on the first lap and stay ahead all race. The number 2 rider stayed a consistent 20-30 minutes behind me for most of the race. I was able to open the gap a bit in the final laps, eventually reaching a 45-minute cushion. I found that racing from the front is a good tactic for me. Being the leader on the course was the extra bit of motivation I needed to keep riding strong until the very end of the race.

The Best Support Person Ever lived up to her title. In this case, I gave her very little to do, but just knowing that she was there ready to jump into action put my mind at ease.

Some final thoughts: While I am glad I did this race, I don't know that it is a venue that I will return to next year. I liked that the promoter paid cash in the single speed category; that is almost unheard of! But the course wasn't very challenging and I found myself getting bored. I'll let it settle for a while and see how I feel with some further reflection.

Not it's time to start thinking about Cream Puff and beyond that; 9 Mile...

Spokane 24 Hour in Pictures

The Run

The Race

Sweet, sweet victory!

Angry Podium.

The aftermath...

Results

17 Laps
250 Miles
1st Place Singlespeed

Body=battered but serviceable.
Bikes=perfect in every way (both suspended [11 laps] and full rigid [6 laps]).

Pictures and stories to follow.

Countdown

I leave for Spokane tomorrow. Mostly packed, and I pick up the old Q from the bike shop (shortened the brake lines and trued the wheels...) tonight. Gear lists have been checked and rechecked. The car will get packed tomorrow and then it is time to head northeast.

Weather looks interesting. It has gone from sunny and cool to wet and cold-ish. That's fine for me; it's a good way to separate the men from the boys. And I guess I don't need to buy any more sunscreen.

Lots of pictures and a few videos should be available on Monday or Tuesday. Quick race report as soon as I get back.

A taste of things to come...

Still no pics...

...but I took the new ti bike to the shop to have a couple things done to the brakes before the big 24hr race in Spokane. Threw it on the scale. The verdict: Dirty, Jones bar, with computer mount, 2 water bottle cages, and a Reba and an Ignitor on the front she still came in at 22 lbs even.

That means sub-20 in XC trim.

Nice.

Still Here...

...still riding bikes. Lots of interesting stuff happening. Still don't have my camera back from d-bag so still no pics! I know, my blogging rep is falling away fast.

Return of the Mystery Stomach Ailment this weekend. Went to the doc today. Blood screens back in a few days. Most likely nothing serious, but lets run some tests 'just in case'.

I'm down with that.

Snappy Cap in route. We'll break her in real good Memorial Day Weekend!

Stay tuned...

The Nate Versluis Training Method, version 2.0

Best done after a 75-mile day on the road bike.

Quick non-picture update

My camera is still a Dylan's place. Soon the site with be adorned with bike porn; just bear with me.

Busy week at works means not as much riding as I would like. What little riding I've done has been on the new bike, which continues to impress. I gave it a pretty serious mud workout today. It passed the test with flying colors.

Nice weather tomorrow means a long ride on the road. I switch out the rear shifter cable and housing on the road bike yesterday. That was the first time that cable had been changed. I bought that bike in 2003. I'm not sure what that means, but I wish all my bikes were like that.

Oh, wait a minute. None of my other bike *have* shifter cables...

Anyway, pictures and ride reports to follow.

Quick Update

Built up the new Ti Quiring frame last night. Did a 4-hour shake-down cruise today in Forrest Park. Verdict? Awesome with a side order of Perfection! The steel bike is great, but it is nice to be back on ti. I had a vision for this bike all the way back in '06 when I ordered the steel bike from Scott. After many twists and turns, I have what I think is the ultimate set of bikes for single speed endurance racing. Pictures to follow shortly, both of the new bike and of the two bikes together.

Man, I really like these bikes. Thanks, Scott Quiring!

In other news, I think I have most of the bugs worked out of the road bike as well. I think it will get a shakedown on Monday and maybe a trip out to PIR to mix it up in the 4/5 race on Tuesday.

Ruminations and Revelations

So, I've been reflecting on Sea Otter. Here are a couple of thoughts:

1. Short Track - I am not a short track kind of guy. Go super-hard from a dead stop on a tiny course. Sort of like cross without the barriers and mud. Or cool atmospher or beer. The race was over before I got warmed up.

But the cool thing about this race is that I got to ride a Pivot FS bike. Now, you know me; I'm not a FS or geared kind of guy. But this trip was about trying new things, and this race was an opportunity to do just that. The bike was awesome! It handled the course with ease, and although I didn't lock anything out it didn't feel like riding a sick water Buffalo. I'm kind of bummed that I didn't get a chance to ride this bike out on the XC course. I was offered the opportunity, but declined in favor of a plate of pad thai.

2. Road Circuit Race - I have to admit that I was surprised to do so poorly in this race. I'm no road racing stud, but I've won Cat 5 races before. More than once. So to get dropped at the start just didn't seem right. I was dealing with a stomach issue, not enough sleep, etc. But still; dropped from a Cat 5 race? It just didn't seem right.

So I was looking at the road bike this afternoon. I noticed that the new Rival crank I had installed just before leaving for Sea Otter was tight. Very tight. Like, I had a hard time turning it. I almost did a post before I left about how I greatly favor the Shimano method of attaching cranks as opposed to the Sram method. The pinch bolts (or whatever they are called) on the Shimano stuff is idiot-proof. Apparently, the Sram stuff is not. I loosened the bolt on the non-drive crank arm and what do you know? Now the crank spins... I know, I know; excuses are like ass-holes. Nevertheless, this makes me feel at least a little bit better.

So make of that what you will. It was still a good trip; the stories I heard on the way down and back were worth the price of admission. But some better results should be on the horizon soon. That will be fun, too.

All sorts of update...

New bike on the way.

New team kit on the way.

I can't race Expert XC (39 of 43) Short Track (lapped and pulled) or Cat 5 Road Circuit Road Race (lapped and pulled) to save my bacon.

But I still like bacon.

Overall, the trip to Sea Otter was a good one despite the poor results. I had some sort of stomach issue that kept me from eating right, and the 13+ hour drive on Thursday didn't help. But let's face it; short races are not my thing. I was feeling pretty good 2 hours into the XC race; that is not how those races are won.

I got to stay with the Yakima Bike Vigilantes, with whom I will be riding this season. They are a great bunch of guys, and I think this will be a fun year no matter what results get put up.

Looking forward to getting the new bike built up and ready for Spokane. Not sure about goals for that race yet. Stay tuned for pictures and stories...

Off to Sea Otter!

I leave for Sea Otter tomorrow. I'll be traveling with the Yakima Bike Vigilantes. Should be a good time. Jason will be there as well. Good times will be had by all.

Perhaps some pictures will be taken. We'll see.

Good news should just be flowing off this page over the next few weeks. A bike here, a bike there. Some new kit. All capped off by the best support crew ever coming out of retirement for the Spokane 24hr race over Memorial Day.

Mmmmm, the sweet, sweet smell of victory. It's in the air; can you smell it?

I can.

It's Saturday, that means...

...time to ride bikes! 111 miles on the singled-out DD-X. 6:15 moving time. Not bad; I would have done the sub-5 hour hundy but I got bit by the headwind. Oh, and that one hill in the middle of the ride. The graph makes it look more dramatic than it really is, being that it's only 600 feet or so. The rest of the ride was dead flat.

The weather here went from crap to awesome in one day. It was sunny and in the 80's here today; there were so many people in the park by the river that I thought maybe there was an anti-war protest going on or something. It was just about standing room only in there. I went through five water bottles on my ride, and I now sport tan lines.

Only one other noteworthy ride this past week. As mentioned before, Eric Tonkin puts on a ride on Wednesdays called "Mountain Bike School". He ought to call it "Mountain Bike Catholic School" because when I finish it I feel like I've been worked over by a pack of sadistic nuns with weighted rulers. I've come out of that ride with fresh bruised both times I've done it. The ride isn't long at under 90 minutes, but it is full-on hammering from the word go. When my eyes aren't bleeding from the climbs, my shins are bleeding from the high-speed get-offs on the descents. In other words, it's mountain biking! I love it.

Easy week coming up, until Thursday when I drive down to Sea Otter and do three races in three days. Not looking for any great results, but I do plan to have a good time.

What to eat? How to ride?

How I chow...

How I roll...

Funny how I look just as happy doing one as the other!

By the way, the name of that dish? "ManCakes"; I kid you not. If you eat three, they put your picture up on the wall. Someone suggested that this post should have been titled "Eat Joe Eat!"

Bottom picture credit to Dave Roth. More of Dave's pictures can be found here.

So, what'd you do on Saturday?

Me, I did 45 miles and 8700 feet of climbing in just under 4 hours, according to Dr. Garmin. Used the road bike with a 39x25 small gear. Walked a very small portion of one climb, and cleaned all the rest. Had to make use of my 40-rpm singlespeed training. This ride put the hurt on my pretty good. Did I mention it was in the mid-40's? Or that it rained for the last 90 minutes? Well, it did.

I skipped the XC MTB race today. The legs just weren't feeling it.

More interesting news to follow later this week...

On your left...

I did my first duathlon on Sunday. The format was run-bike, the distances were 6 miles and 15 miles. "That's not too bad..." I thought to myself as I registered.

Ha!

The run was a 'Trail Run', except about a quarter of the time there was no trail. I was simply running through the woods like a deer. Or maybe more like a hippo, or a llama. Down super slick slopes, up ravines, through brambles; it was a pretty intense course. Although difficult, this course slowed down the faster runners, allowing me to get to the bike section in the top 20. The six miles took me about 57 minutes.

I was quite pleased when I got to the bike section. I could see that there were still quite a few bikes left on the rack, and I knew that I had the right bike (single speed) and the right experience (lots of time riding in mud...) to do well on the course. I started passing other riders right away. It was very hard riding, since the course was mostly covered in slick mud and had several deep bogs. Some sections were quite rutted and others had puddles of unknown depth. Taken together, the bike course was challenging but well-suited to my bike, setup, and riding style.

In the end, I was the 5th person across the line out of 56 starters and 47 finishers. As luck would have it, I was second singlespeed. The guy who won the overall was on a Gary Fisher Rig. Two out of the top 5 on 29er singlespeeds...at a duathlon! Gotta love it.

Results: http://www.xdogevents.com/Assets/Results/DIRTYEVENTS08.HTM

Pictures from the event to follow. They took a ton of pictures; should be interesting. The bike is trashed, as you would expect from a mud fest.

Riding this week on Wednesday and Thursday. First XC race of the season on Sunday. Did somebody just cry "Havoc!"...