Bummer

Floyd, say it ain't so! That's all I've got to say on that subject.

Did a road ride on Tuesday with the team. Well, a few members of the team. Only five people started the ride, and one bailed out along the way. Seems he needed to rest up for this weekend. Good luck, Mark.

The four remaining riders enjoyed the heat. Many sprints were contested, and I took my fair share. Not as many as Nate, but enough to feel like I earned the beer and mini-burrito afterward.

Speaking of hot, I will be riding this weekend. I don't know when or where, but it should involve knobby tires. I'll drink a cool glass of water out of respect to all the riders at Nationals. Then I will go to sleep and enjoy the AC and eight hours of rest.

Suckers!

Super Secret Trail Ride

A few lucky members of the Founder's Ale team gathered yesterday afternoon to ride some secret trail. The weather was great, sunny but not too warm or humid. The trail was in great condition. There were six of us: Martin, Scott, Jason, Rick, Tim, and me. Two fully-rigid singlespeeds, two hardtails and two full suspention bikes. We managed to have one flat, three chain drops (two were mine), and a couple crashes. No bodies or bikes were damaged beyond repair on this ride.

I won't say too much about the trail, since you can't ride it anyway! :) I have driven past this trail many times, and never knew it was there. A small group of riders have put alot of time into keeping this trail in top shape. I'm glad I made the time to join this ride.

After a couple of hours of riding, we headed back to Martin's place for some brats and homebrew beer. Marin is a master of both the grill and the brewery. Rick also brought some of his homebrew--On the Founder's team, we take out beer quite seriously. Several teammates that couldn't make the ride joined us for dinner. Good times were had by all.

I had two bike issues on this ride. I let the chain get slack, and eventually it fell off. I put it back on and it lasted for another hour before I had to snug it up. I think I have solved the bulk of my chain issues; of course, I have thought I had this problem beat before.

The second problem I had was with my camelback. As I was riding along, I felt a little drip of liquid on my backside. The little drip developed into a stream and then into a geyser! The drinking tube had pulled away from the bladder, and about a liter of Gu20 spilled down my back! My socks and shoes were filled with it. This was not ideal. We only had about 30 minutes to ride, so I toughed it out.

After the ride, I took a short spin on a cannondale rush. Going from a fully-rigid bike to a full-suspention bike with 4 inches of travel at each end is...quite an experience! The bike was not set up for me; the seat was too high and I can't believe I would run it quite so plush. But I am interested in giving it another try at some point. It was so comfortable, I couldn't believe it. I wonder how it goes up-hill. I also wonder how it would feel after 16 or so hours in the saddle.

This week has the team ride on Tuesday and some trail riding later in the week at the new and improved Cannonsburg Ski Area.

Good Week

It's been a good week on the bike. I did the team road ride on Tuesday. It was fun; I haven't ridden fast on the road in quite a while. The pace was not excessively fast and the climbing was limited. We did have some nice sprints and I was able to win my share.

I took the ss out on the road tonight for some climbing. It was a good time; the weather cooled off a bit and I was able to put in some good efforts. I passed someone on a geared bike on the second climb of the ride. He caught me on the flat section of road on the way to the third climb. Well, can't have that. I got into TT mode and chased him down. I was spinning like crazy to get the 40x17 to hit 22 MPH, but I caught him. He peeled off shortly after that, and I finished up my climbing and headed home. Had to watch the tour recap--How about that Floyd?

Team secret trail ride on Saturday followed by some road riding on Sunday. Running when I'm not riding to get ready for psychocross season. No need to taper for Nine Mile, since I won't be there...

Parts Test and 100k

Rode the new parts on Thursday. It was on the road, but I hammered a few hills. the chain stayed on without any problems. I plan to take it off-road tomorrow and see how things go there. I have to say that the 44t-sized bash guard makes the bike look tough! Now if I can just get my legs to back it up...

Becky and I did 100k today on road bikes. That is the longest ride she has ever done, and she did great! We planned to avereage 15 MPH, and ended up doing 16. I turned it up a little near the end, getting up around 20-21 MPH for most of the last hour. She sat on my wheel like a pro--I kept waiting for her to blow by me on the left! :)

Anyway, it was a good ride. Looking forward to the dirt tomorrow and a report on chain retention.

Gear Update

I installed the rest of the new parts. A bashguard and 40t ring join the Jumpstop in the never-ending quest to keep my chain from falling off.

It is raining tonight, so I won't get to test the new setup. Tomorrow or Thursday I should have a report.

Surprise Workout

The Jumpstop arrived on Thursday, so I installed it at lunch and went out for a test ride. I dropped chain three times in the first seven mile lap, which pissed me off. I tightened up the ENO in the parking lot, thinking that I would do one more lap.

As I was crossing the road to enter the trail, who do I see but Dan and Nate. You may remember Dan and Nate from my Arkansas trip earlier this year. They convinced me to ride with them for a while.

We did Dan's training loop. It consists of pretty much all the hills in and around Cannonsburg and Egypt Valley. We rode the ski hill (three versions), some dirt road climbs, some secret trails and some not so secret trails.

Riding with those guys is great! They are so much faster than me that is just isn't funny. It reminds me of how fast it is possible to go. I could most keep up with them, but only because they were taking it pretty easy. And they smoked me on all the hills. All the hills, every time.

And here is the kicker--My chain didn't drop once while riding with those guys! We rode for over two hours, with lots of climbing and hard efforts. The chain didn't even think about dropping. I just don't get it.

Revelation?

While cleaning my main bike in anticipation of parts arriving later this week, I noticed that the master link was loose. Could this have been the cause of my chain trouble at Lumberjack?

Hmmmm....

Two Rides, no chain drop

I was able to ride a bit yesterday with Becky. The pace was moderate, but we still had a good ride. My bike worked fine, at least from the perspective of chain drop. However, the bike did have a awful 'creak' that just would not go away. I think it is the seat/seatpost interface. Anyway, I need to get that fixed. It nearly drove Becky and me crazy!

I got a status update on the new bike parts--they won't be here until Thursday or Friday. I want to give the main bike a workout this weekend, so I hope there isn't any delay in the arrival of those bits.

A ride without chain drop...

...is the best kind of ride! I put another set of washers in the stack that space my rear brake caliper, tightened the Eno and went out for a ride. I hammered a local trail (Egypt valley SGA) and was not able to dislodge the chain.

The ride felt good. The weather was perfect and the trail was in great condition. My computer isn't working, so I don't know how fast I went, but it felt pretty fast. I'll take it.

I might be doing Poto this weekend. I also might not be doing Poto this weekend. I have some other plans that will take up one full day of the weekend, so I don't know if I can spare another full day for riding. In a year where I was full-on racing, the answer would be clear-poto would get ridden hard and put away wet. As it stands, I might spend Saturday scraping and painting garage trim. Blah...

The anti-chain-drop parts shipped today. They should be here early next week. I want to get them installed and get back to hammering the big gear. The back-up is just under 2x1 (34-18), so riding it is fun but only so much of a workout. The main bike will be sporting 40-17; that'll break a sweat for sure.

Shame

Last night I...

I assembled a geared crankset. I dusted off a set of shifters.

What is wrong with me?!?

More Frustration

I rode the back-up bike today. The chain won't stay on.

Grrrrr.....

I'm very close to converting one bike back to gears.

Somebody talk me out of it!

Joe

One Last Try

From time to time, the chain falls off my bike. Most often, this happens when I am riding hard. For example, during Iceman 2005 or the first Milkjug race. However, it doesn't fall off every time I ride hard. I rode extremely hard at DK, and had no chain issues at all.

Every time I think I have this figured out, something new creeps into the equation. I now believe that when all drivetrain parts are out-of-the-box new, the chain will not fall off for at least 200 miles of hard riding. After that, the chain will not fall off during light or moderate riding, and can even put up with some hard riding. However, the combination of slightly worn parts and frame flex causes the chain to fall off during repeated hard efforts.

I will not let chain issues ruin another race for me.

To that end, I have the following parts on order; A Raceface 40t bashguard, a new 40t Blackspire DH chainring, and an N-Gear Jumpstop. This combination should keep the chain on; it works for some Very Fast People who must flex their frame more than I ever could. If it doesn't work, I will retire my current bikes from singlespeed use. Perhaps I will give up the singlespeed thing at that point. Or perhaps I will get a new frame. I just don't know yet.

As far as riding is concerned, I have been taking it a bit easy this week. I was frustrated with my performance at Lumberjack, and I wanted to sort through my chain issues before I got that bike out again. My other ss is set up with 34x18, so riding that hardly counts as a workout. I did get the road bike out on Monday and Tuesday for rides with Becky. I hope to put in some harder efforts this weekend. No endurance racing on the horizon until the job situation is more stable. If I get all the chain issues worked out, I'd like to do a XC race or two so I don't get too rusty.

Lumberjack

DNF.

My first real dnf in an endurance race. It was hot, well over 90F. I had some bike problems. Mostly, however, I just had other things on my mind. I was not focused the week before the race. The race was just too hard without the proper focus.

Congratulations to singlespeed winners Dan Jansen and Danielle Musto! They did great under horrible conditions. Chris Eatough, the overall winner, was amazing.

Still riding, not much blogging

I did a nice century last week. 5.5 hours, so the pace was not too hard. No drama, which is the way I like it. The only interesting thing was my food consumption, or lack thereof. I ate two Hammer Gel packets, 2 bottles of Gu2O, 2 bottles of water, and a cheeseburger from Burger King. That was it. I eat more than that just sitting at my desk all morning at work! :)

Becky and I rode together quite a bit this week. We were out on road bikes twice and MTB's once. Here riding is coming along great; I am sure she will do fine for the metric century in July. It's too bad she doesn't have more time to train; she would be hella-fast!

This will be a pretty easy week. I'm thinking about another easy-pace 100 tomorrow, with one-hour spins the rest of the week. I will drive up to Lumberjack on Friday afternoon, and hammer like there was no tomorrow on Saturday.

More on Lumberjack gear and expectations later in the week.

Oops!

Ah, Old Seatpost. You have served me well these past six seasons. I know you served another master for two years before you came to serve me. Now, you are but a shattered image of your former self. At least you did not impale my manhood when you decided to slip this mortal coil...

Alas, my old Airborne Ti seatpost snapped during yesterday's Milkjug race. During my pre-ride, it felt like my rear tire was a bit low on air. I stopped to check it, and it was fine. The race started, and I managed to get through 3/4 of a lap without incident. Just after cresting the last big climb, I dropped onto my seat. The post gave two funny creaks and snapped in half, right at the point where it enters the seat tube. I was not hurt, but that was it for my race.

On the plus side, I received a certificate for a new Thompson seatpost at TI. I filled it out today, and will have it in the mail tomorrow. I will run that for a while, but I suspect that I will go back to another ti post before too long.

Memorial Day Update

It has been a nice, relaxing Memorial Day weekend. Becky and I spent some time with family and friends. We got in a nice road ride this morning. We knew it was going to get warm, so we were on the road by 9 AM. We got in 27 miles, which is what Becky's training schedule called for today. She is preparing for the Holland Hundred, where she will complete her first Metric Century.

I feel fully rested from Kanza. My knees are still giving me a bit of trouble, so I am getting out ahead of the pain with advil. I have scrapped up $10 to race the Milkjug event this week; that will let me know how things are going with the knees for sure!

I hope to get in quite a few miles this week, along with some nice climbs. I want to be tuned and trim for Lumberjack, as that may well be my last race until I find a new job. I plan to have nothing left in the tank after that race, and a nice sub-8 hour finish to my credit. That means I need to get out and ride in the heat this week.

Post-Kanza Riding

My recover from DK has gone very well. I rode my road bike for an hour Tuesday and Thursday and took my singlespeed out to a local trail for 1.5 hours on Friday. The road bike rides were fine; mostly flat and very slow speeds. The SS ride was not quite as smooth. I didn't push the pace, but my legs felt a little flat and my knees were (and are!) a bit sore. This is odd, becasue I never get sore knees.

Anyway, I plan to ride today and tomorow. This week will see a return to bigger miles and more intensity. I will also be crafting a plan for the final weeks before the Lumberjack 100.

Nutrition

My eating plan for the first 88 miles was to carry everything that I would need with me so I would not have to stop. I carried a 3 liter camelback with Gu2O and two water bottles with 6 scoops of Perpetum each. I also carried 6 Hammer Gels and 6 Hammer Nutrition bars. That was it.

It worked. I drank Gu2O whenever I wanted, and ate a gel or bar every 15 miles. I drank from the Perpetum every 5 miles. When I got to the checkpoint, I had one sip of Gu2O and half a bottle of Perpetum left over. I ate 5 gels and 1 bar. I wasn't hungry or thirsty, and my stomach was doing ok as well.

I also took 2 advil every 4 hours and 2 endurolytes capsuls every two hours. I think I also had 1 or 2 tums.

The second half of the race also went well. I did end up stopping for a liter of water in Eureka and a liter of water in the last town before the finish. I think I ate 2 bars and 8 gels. I did feel bloated at times, but this was never more than a minor distraction. I was starting to get hungry near the end of the ride. I think I was due for a nutrition bar with an hour or two left to go, and I just didn't feel like eating it.

All things considered, my eating plan went very well. I could have done the second half of the race with one stop instead of two, but I was getting a sore spot at the base of my neck and I didn't want to carry a full three liters of water out of Eureka. If this was a 300 mile race or a 24-hour race, I would have wanted some pizza or a bean burrito around 10PM.

Kanza Equipment Review

Frame and Fork: Airborne Ti Lucky Strike Frame/Spicer Ti Rigid For
Both worked great! I have been riding this combo for two years now, and it has never let me down. Light, strong, and just flexy enough to take the edge off. *Great* for gravel. And yeah, it's a 26'er.

Handlebar: Jones H-Bar
What can I say that hasn't been said? This is the cats PJ's. At TIv1 I used riser bars and Ergon grips. My pinkie and ring fingers were numb for weeks. After DK, no pain, no numbness. If you ride long, do yourself a favor and get this bar.

Singlespeed conversion Device: White Industries Eccentric ENO Hub
Super. No problems, no slipping, no nothing for 206 fun-filled miles.

Freewheel: White Industries ENO Freewheel, 16t
Again, why would you run anything else? I'm pretty sure I saw one on Paddy's bike as well...

Tires: Kenda Kozmik Lite
Kenda is a sponsor, but I have to say that there tires did not get the job done. I have used them on and off for a few years, and they seem to let me down every time. They are wicked light, but not worth the two flats and one crash they (at least partially) caused. If they can't get it done on gravel, they are never gonna get it done.

Pedals: Crank Brothers Eggbeaters
Tried and true; they got the job done again. This is the same pair I used at Iowa last year, and they are still going strong.

Seat: Selle Italia SLR w/o leather cover
Yes, it looks like hell. The leather cover is gone, and the foam padding is slowing wearing away. But that thing fits my butt like a glove. Combined with Body Glide and Butt Butter, I came away with no saddle sores! (Yes, I'm a little tender down there, but I rode for an hour yesterday without trouble.

That about wraps it up. I left out a few pieces (ti seatpost, King Front Hub and Headset, etc) that don't need to be mentioned unless they crap out. Feel free to ask if you have any specific questions.

Tomorrow I will cover nutrition and my eating plan.

Super-Long Dirty Kanza Post

I didn't think I had much to say on this topic, but I was wrong! Tomorrow I will talk about equipment performance and nutrition.

Dirty Kanza Race Report

Friday
I was on the road at 6:20 EDT on Friday. There were some clouds and light rain early, but after I passed Chicago it was bright sky and warm temps. After KC, it was bright sky and freaking *hot* temps. My car thermometer read 104 F! This made me quite nervous, as I have not done many miles in warm weather this year.

Got to the hotel around 7 PM. Met up with Garth Prosser, my roomie for the weekend. We unpacked bikes and gear. Lots of racers were staying at the hotel, including Paddy Humenny. Paddy made me very nervous when he told me he was running 38x17 on his ss. He tends to run a bigger gear that I do, and I was running 36X16! I thought perhaps I would have a long day of overgeared suffering. I didn’t bring any other freewheels, so there wasn’t anything I could do about it anyway.

I got a bite to eat (chicken parmesan) and then went back to the room to finish race prep and watch the weather channel. The weatherman said the high would only be near 80F! Excellent! Now most of my nervousness went away; I knew if the weather cooperated I could at least finish this race.

Garth was kind of funny to watch. He is very fast, and has done well at various 100-125 mile races. This was his first 200-mile gravel assault. I gave him a few small tips dealing with food, drop bag, and map placement. This was the first race like this were I got to feel like I knew what I was doing, and I could lend a hand to a less experienced racer. Also, seeing a great rider like Garth all nervous while I felt pretty calm was a strange but good feeling.

Saturday
Slept pretty good Friday night. Got up, ate some bagel and Hammer Nutrition Bar for breakfast. Had a nice cup of grounds, er, coffee (thanks, Garth!) and wheeled the bike out for the start. Everyone seemed to be in good spirits

The race got off to a very fast start. I think we warmed up for about 15 minutes and then the pace picked up. Garth and Dan Hughes were strong from the get-go, and pulled away some time before Mile 25.

A group of four or five, which included me, Paddy, a geared MTB rider and a couple cross bikes hung together for a while. Between Mile 30 and Mile 36 we must have averaged 20 MPH. We were flying—it was all I could do to keep up. I knew I was going much too hard, but I sensed that this was ‘make it or break it’ time. I knew I wanted to stay with Paddy, as I figured him to be the strongest SS’er in the race. I also noticed that there was nobody else around; we had left the pack far, far behind. So, I decided to spend the energy now and hope for the best later.

Somewhere around Mile 50 I went down pretty hard. We were crossing a bridge on a section of low-maintenance road when my front wheel washed out. I landed on my right hip, tore a nice hole in my shorts and picked up some nice road rash with a sprinkle of gravel on top. Abrasive grit got in my gloves and (shudder!) in my shorts. I was sore, but the bike was in fine shape, so I soldiered on.

Shortly after the crash, the course turned southeast and into the wind a bit. Paddy was looking strong, and he started to pull away. I decided to let him go; I was feeling a bit tired and we still had 140ish miles to go. He got about 200 yards ahead of me and pulled over to the side of the road. As I passed him, he said he had a flat. I told him I would see him in a bit when he caught me.

This was about the highpoint of the race for me. I was sitting first in SS, and about 4th or 5th overall. Paddy and I had decided that the rest of the singlespeeders were undergeared, so I didn’t think that that I would get caught. I was hopeful of a Top 5 overall finish.

Just after Elmdale at around Mile 80, the course ran along a major highway for a while. Thinking that this is where I could increase the gap over the undergeared riders, I put my head down and hammered. I must have put my head down just a bit too far, as I blew by the turnoff for Cottonwood Falls and the midway checkpoint. I went about 3 miles too far, pushing super hard with a tail wind. I sensed something was wrong—nobody would keep a MTB race on a highway for this long. I check the map and turned around. Now I am pushing a slight uphill into a headwind. I see another rider coming towards me. He thinks he is going in the right direction. We consult maps, look at a compass, scratch our heads. He thinks he has it figured out, and heads off. I notice that I have a flat tire! Grrr, get out the tools and fix the fat after pulling a small thorn out of the tire. I take another look at the map and decide that the other rider is going the wrong way, and that I should retrace my steps back to the last known course marking and go from there. At this point I see two riders making the turn that I missed! I catch up to them and we all get to Cottonwood Falls together.

I sign in and see that Paddy was about 30 minutes ahead of me, and that I had dropped from a Top 5 spot to somewhere around 15th! I was not happy. Naomi, Paddy’s wife, had my drop bag. She helped me switch bladders and clean up my road rash a bit.

I noticed that there were quite a few people just sitting around the checkpoint. Some were sitting in lawn chairs, some lying on the grass. This struck me as very strange, since that is not the kind of thing you want to do if you still have 112 miles left to ride. I found out later that many of those folks just called it quits at that point.

With a full camelback and pockets full of food, I headed out to try and do some damage control. I doubt I’ll catch Paddy, but I want to make sure there are no other singlespeed riders ahead of me. I’d also like to get back into the Top 10.

After about Mile 94 we get into the most interesting part of this course. There are no roads, no towns, no people, no nothing! The terrain is very hilly. No steep pitches, but some seriously long, sustained climbs. I catch Josh Patterson on his cross bike. He says he was 8th into CF, and that he hasn’t seen anyone since then. We chat for a bit, and then the climbing starts. I decided to keep my heart rate at 145, and just put my head down and climb. The hill is tricky, in that it just seems to get longer around every corner. Eventually I make it to the top only to find no Josh anywhere in sight. I notice that my rear tire is getting soft, and I have a bit of downhill ahead. I pump some air in the tire and take off.

I get back on the flats, and notice that the rear tire is getting soft yet again. I check it out and discover that there is a bit of thin wire sticking out of the tire! Fed up with the tiny tires, I put on the heavier but more durable tire I brought as a back-up. Josh passes me as I make the change. I figured I would catch him again, as he was having a bit of trouble on the hills. No such luck; I’d next see him eating pizza in Emporia.

I was solo through Eureka. At the gas station there I found out that I was in 7th place overall, second place singlespeed. It seems that Paddy was still only about 30 minutes up on me. I bought more water and got back on the road with about 60 miles to go.

The last big east-bound section of the course was a killer. It was hilly and long, and I could see a rider out ahead of me that I really wanted to catch. I figured it was Josh, and that I the hills would wear him down eventually. It became clear that I would not catch him before making the turn north, but I did catch him shortly thereafter. Turns out it wasn’t Josh, but Matt Maxwell. We would ride most of the rest of the way together.

We were both pretty beat at this point. We chatted, but not much. We stopped for water again in Madison, and it occurred to me that I had consumed about 4 liters of water since Mile 88, but hadn’t gone to the bathroom! Hmmm, not a great sign. But I felt fine, no dry mouth or anything weird, so I just kept drinking as much as I could and hoped for the best.

Somewhere after Olpe, someone on a geared bike flew by us. I think it was Aaron Benetti. He was on fire, and Matt thought about chasing him but decided against it. We watched him ride off into the sunset.

It got dark with about an hour left to ride. I had my handlebar light, but didn’t bring a helmet light. That made reading the map and looking for course markers difficult. Fortunately Matt had a bright helmet light. We made it in without further incident.

We rolled into Emporia a few minutes after 10 PM. I was 8th overall and 2nd in singlespeed. Paddy finished about 40 minutes ahead of me, but only because he did an extra 35 miles on the course! That guy is an animal! The next singlespeeders were an hour back.

Overall, this was a very good race. The riders were cool, the vibe was relaxed, and I had fun. It was hard, but not so hard that I wanted to shoot myself in the face for signing up. The section of hilly gravel between Cottonwood Falls and Eureka was super, and was just about worth the drive by itself.

Thanks to Joel and the rest of the crew for putting on a great race!

Ridin' Dirty (Kanza)

Short Post.

2nd Place Singlespeed. 8th Place overall. 16 Hours, 4 miuntes. 15 Finishers, 5 Singlespeed.

Weather=Great
People=Great
Wrong turns=Bad
Crashes and road rash=Bad
Driving home, alone, for 13 hours with road rash=Very, Very Bad. Don't do it.

More later,

Joe

Kansas Prep

My knees seem to be recovering from Tuesday's mayhem. My right leg is fine, although I think I will have a pretty good scar. My left knee is still stiff and sore, but it is better than I thought it would be. I was able to do the Ride of Silence last night without problem. In fact, the knee feels better on the bike than it does after a day of sitting at my desk!

Still not sure which bike I will be riding in Kansas. The Backup bike is ready to go, but it is set up with front suspention and 2:1 gearing. I am pretty sure that is too easy of a gear for Dirty Kanza. On the other hand, with my knee still being somewhat questionable, do I really want to ride a fully-rigid hardtail with 36x16 gearing? I hear the course is somewhat hill, with the downhills being somewhat rough. Decisions, decisions...

Ouch!

I did the Milkjug race tonight. It was a great time! It rained just before the race, which packed down the otherwise sandy course. The sun came out just before the race started, and we all had a great time on our bikes.

Right up until the end of the last lap. I crashed, *hard*, on the last downhill. I was able to ride to the finish, but only just. I now have a lump on my right shin the size of a gerbil. Or maybe a hampster. Anyway, it is big. And I have a nice set of gashes to go along with it. Someone took pictures, so maybe I can share those later. Of course, to get the full effect, you need to see the lumpasaurus in profile. It's like the Cul du Tourmalet.

And that is not the bad news.

My left knee, which looks fine, is very sore. I have a hard time putting any weight on it. There is no crunching or grinding, and I have full range of motion. But getting up and down stairs is not fun, and pedaling is going to be a chore. I expect that I will have trouble walking when I wake up. I just hope it loosens up fast, since I have a 200-mile ride on Saturday.

The backup bike worked great! I ran it at 2:1, so I know I would not be in contention for the win in the 'A' group. I think I ended up somewhere mid-pack. The new brakes worked great, although I did notice some chattering of the rear wheel during hard braking. Everything is tight, so perhaps this is a technique issue.

I plan to spin easy for the next two days, and drive out to Kansas on Friday. I'll post more on the knee condition later in the week.

New Brakes = Nice!

I got a nice three-hour ride in today. I took the back-up bike with the new brakes out to the local ski hill. After a few trips up and down, I can say that the the Magura Julie brakes work very well; lots of power with good modulation. My special modification to the rear mount worked fine--no problems and complete lack of rubbing or squealing.

I felt ok on the ride. The bike is set up with a 2:1 ratio, and I spent most of the time on the road. I was spinning out all the time, but still struggled a bit on the trail. Clearly I need to spend more time on the bike. However, I was able to make several trips up the ski hill so all hope is not lost.

It rained almost all the time I was out today. I feel bad for the people riding the 12 Hours of Addison Oaks--I assume they are getting wet. I have to admit that I am getting tired of riding in the rain. The forecast calls for nothing of cool and cloudy for the rest of the week. I wonder what the weather will be like in Kansas next weekend?

Not a good week for riding

This week was not good for riding. I was jet-lagged early in the week, and I had a bunch of stuff to do not related to riding. Buy the time I was ready to ride, it started raining. And it has just kept raining...

I used some of this time to install disk brakes on my back-up bike. I just finished the installation tonight. I used Magura Julie brakes with WI hubs; Eccentric rear and M16 front. The front brakes were a breeze to install. The rear took a bit more work. I am not using the eccentric adapter that WI makes, because it is not designed to work with Magura brakes. I had to get creative, which is not something you usually want to do with brakes! Anyway, it seems to be working. I'll post pictures when my camera gets back from London.

I hope to get a longish ride in tomorrow, and some kind of ride on Sunday. Right now, I am not feeling in the best of shape for Kanza. I'm *rested*, but I'm not sure about my fitness anymore.

England

Sorry for the lack of posts. I just got back from England, London to be specific. Nothing bike related (except that I saw quite a few bike couriers) but lots of walking and cool sight-seeing. My camera with the Iowa pics is still in England with my wife, so I will post them when she gets back.

It looks like Kanza will be a go! It looks like Big Bear is out :( More as details become clearer.

Quick Iowa Report

I didn't finish. Nobody finished.

It rained the entire time I was in Iowa. I don't mind the rain, but the roads were like peanut butter. Many of the roads were not rideable, and I walked in ditches for a long time. These two factors combined to keep my average speed well under 10 miles per hour.

Physically, I could have kept going. Mentally, I couldn't justify the suffering. I knew I couldn't get to Algona before the cut-off time. In retrospect, I wish I would have kept going, since distance covered seems to be how the placings are being listed this year. I think I could have kept going until it got dark, but it would have been hard going after that--my average heart rate was high, and my HID lights were in my drop bag in Algona. Something to keep in mind for next time.

That's about it. I will post some pictures later, but I don't think they will be anything you haven't seen before: Lots of long, muddy roads with wet cyclists sprinkled across them.

Ready

Didn't race on Sunday--dealing with job issues.

However, I feel ready for Trans Iowa. My legs, and the rest of my body, feel great. My gear is 90% ready to go. I have been doing short rides, about 17 miles, each day after work. Decent speeds have been attained at minimal effort.

What are my goals for TI?

1. Finish. I've never quite an endurance race, and I don't plan to start now.

2. Finish in around 27 hours. That was my time from last year, and even though the race is longer, I think I can match or beat that time.

3. Top 3 singlespeed. There are some very fast SS rides this year, but I am hoping that my experience with this race gives me something of an edge.

4. Stay for the awards ceremony. I will REALLY want to get home after this race, and I have like an eight-hour drive to get there. But I want some swag as well.

That's about it. Will it hurt? Yep. Am I worried about the weather? Nope. It will be what it will be. After TI v1 and Worlds 2005, I just don't care that much about the weather anymore.

I am looking forward to meeting the other racers on Friday. It is a 13-hour drive from GR to Hawarden, so I may be a little late getting to the pizza place. Except for Paddy. Riding a fixie for this race makes me wonder about that guy. Gotta keep an eye on him...

It must be Spring...

Because people are busy riding and not blogging.

I had a good week on the bike. The team ride on Tuesday was fast. I think we were on track to have the fastest average speed that I can recall, but then a series of mechanicals slowed us down. However, I still had a good ride.

The rest of the week was easy riding. Tomorrow I will do the Yankee Springs TT. That is the last hard riding before Transiowa. The rest of the week is very easy spinning, drinking lots of water, sleeping and packing. Oh, and watching the weather!

Unfortunately, I was a bit distracted from my training this week. On Thursday I found out that my position at work will be eliminated due to budget cuts! As it stands, my last day will be June 30. Many things can happen between then and now, but it still creates a substantial distraction from my training. Without a job, many of my races will be in jeopardy. I am on for TI and Dirty Kanza, but Big Bear is a question-mark at this point.

Anyway, I need to keep my focus on Iowa right now. That is not a race that forgives mistakes!

Last Big Training Ride

I did 7 hours yesterday on the singlespeed. That was about 90 miles. The pace was slow, but that was the objective. I rode on a course that was 4 hours of soft trail and 3 hours of pavement. Not too hilly, but more hills than most of TI. All in all, a good preperation ride.

I will get in a few good rides this week, and the Yankee Springs TT this weekend. Then it is a week of easy spinning until Iowa.

The day of Reckoning approaches!

Secret Weapon

My TI secret weapon arrived today. The package was held up in customs, but it arrived in one piece. I guess Homeland Security must have wanted to take a look at it. I will give it a test run on Saturday, but I am very confident that it will work exactly as I anticipate.

Be afraid.

Be very afraid...

On a lighter note, I got in a couple hours of easy riding today with four nice climbing intervals thrown in for fun. I ran the bike with TI gearing and TI pressure in the tires. It is very tempting to put a harder gear on the bike, but I will resist. I *must* resist. I remember those hills at the end of the course. I was cursing Jeff Kerkove for the last 30 miles last year. Seriously, I was out-loud, all-the-world-can-hear swearing at that guy. This year, I will curse Guitar Ted. I don't want to play favorites.

Quick Update

I did a nice recovery ride with the wife on Sunday. I was out for the team ride tonight. It was a small group; only five of us all together. The weather was great! It was 73F at the start and 69F at the finish! My first sweaty Michigan ride of the season... :)

My only real accomplishment on this ride was hitting 38.5 mph in one of the sprints. Granted, we had a tailwind and the road was a bit downhill at that point, but 38.5 mph is still 38.5 mph. I'll take it any way I can get it.

Planning a long, easy ride on Saturday on the Iowa bike and a short, harder ride on the road on Sunday.

TI is right around the corner. Then Dirty Kanza is just a bit after that. Got to keep the wheels turning.

The Poto

Dan, Scott, and I did three laps out at the Poto yesterday. That's 56 miles of rail riding in about 4.5 hours. Dan wanted to do another lap, even though he hadn't slept the night before and his bike was falling apart. Scott wanted to get home to his wife. I was pretty darn tired and was having some wrist soreness issues. We packed it in after three laps and had some recovery drink.

My bike worked great! I ran my TI gear, which is 38x17. The rear hub stayed tight, the chainring bolts didn't budge. The new stem did what it was supposed to do: stayed put. I ran a 2.0 Blue Groove tire on the front. Not going to do that again! It worked well: good directional stability in the sand, hooked up on the mud and on the loose and didn't flat. However, it sent way too much trail chatter into my wrists. Looks like I will be remounting the WTB Mutanoraptor 2.4. I just keep coming back to that tire for longer trail rides. The Kenda Karma 2.0 in the rear worked great.

Forgot the pack the camera, so no pictures. I don't think pictures of Dan's and Scott's backsides would be all the interesting anyway... :)

Good and Bad

Got in a nice recovery ride yesterday, in anticipation of a couple of hard hours on the trail tonight.

I got to the trail a bit late, as I had to install a new stem and fix a flat. Anyway, I cranked out one lap on the trail and managed to get a new personal best for that course! That is the good.

The bad is that I got a flat at the start of my second lap. For the first time all season I left my tube and co2 at home. Bummer.

Anyway, I am looking forward to Saturday. Should be six hours of biking fun. Maybe some pictures? We'll see.

First Team Ride of 2006

A nice group turned out for a cool, er, *cold* two-hour ride to kick off the Tuesday Night Ride for 2006. We got in just under two hours. There were some decent climbs, where I got to look at everyone's backside. There were some sprints, where I got to show my backside to a few people. Of course, Dan rocked the hiz-ouse, even though he had put in six hours before the team ride started. And he was riding a singlespeed. That guy is sick.

The legs felt good. The heart and lungs were good. I think my form is coming around. I'll be at the Poto this weekend, and that will be a good test as well.

The Magura brakes came in today! I'm looking forward to getting them installed. Might be awhile, since I plan to be riding the bikes and not messing with them.

So things are coming together. If only it would get a little warmer...

What does a half-season of tires look like?

Why, it looks like this:

I've got a pair of Karma DTC's, a pair of Nevegal DTC's, a pair of Blue Groove's and a pair of Kaliente's for the road bike.

A special thanks to Kenda who is back as a team sponsor this year.

I was only able to get a couple of hours in today. The weather was a bit cold, and I just wasn't super-motivated. In fact, after riding for two hours, I just got a bit bored. Looks like a long day of riding tomorrow.

If you happen to look at the current issue of Bike Magazine, they have an article on the Sylamo trial system in Arkansas. The lead photo for the story is the stone staircase featured in my posts below! I thought that was pretty cool.

Lots of riding this week. The weekly team road ride restarts on Tuesday, and a big riding day over on the Poto is planned for Saturday. The clock is ticking for TI, so I gots to keep the wheels rolling...

A few more pics from AR

I offer a few more pictures from the trip:

Dan rides the stairs.

Nate and Joe on a tricky slope. I bit it hard here on Day 1.

Check out my new bike! It weighs nothing! An such a low Q-factor!

And we finish with the Money Shot. This has "Dirt Rag" written all over it, don't you think? :)

Feelin' Pretty Good

I spent Saturday and Sunday in Chicago. Ate some good food and walked all over the place. My neck and shoulders were pretty sore from Friday's Mini-Epic, but my legs felt good.

Didn't ride Monday, but I did get the backup bike squared away. At least until the disk brakes get here. It looks pretty good-much more color-coordinated than my main bike. And it doesn't have those fancy Hbars, so it looks more like a normal bike. Not for long! ;)

Rode for an hour tonight. Faster pace with one nice hillclimb at the midway point and a gentle climb all the way back. My legs felt very good. The weather is also getting better, with highs in the 60's forcast for this weekend. Some rain as well, but I can deal with that.

Planning a good ride on Saturday. I hope to get down to Yankee Springs for five or six laps on the backup bike. Sunday should be three or four hours on the road. Gotta put some miles in before TI!

Mini Epic

I planned to get in six hours of mostly night riding. I started out at 5:30PM. It was about 37F with light rain. I don't like riding in the rain when the temps are south of 40F, but them's the breaks. I'm going to be in Chicago this weekend, so if I want to ride, its in the cold rain or not at all.

The ride went fine for the first hour and 45 minues. The rain had stopped, and I even saw a few breaks in the clouds before the sun set. Then the snow started.

Riding in Michigan, I have a bit of experience with the White Stuff. I am familiar with all the types of snow; granular, fluffy, wet, sand-like, etc. They all add a certain level of difficulty to a ride. They type I hate the most is the Heavy Wet MegaFlake. This is snow that falls to earth in large clumps. It is very wet, and it is great for obscuring vision.

This is the snow that started to fall one hour and 45 minutes into my ride.

I pushed on for fifteen minutes. I couldn't see. The snow was all over my glasses and diffusing my lights. Not "It was hard to see". Not "I had trouble seeing". I COULD NOT SEE! It was time to turn around.

I rode blind in the snow for about an hour. It cleared up a bit after that, but by that time I was soaked. I time-trialed back home and made good time. It was good Iowa training, but I do hope it's not snowy...

Easy Week

Not much to report for this week. I spent last weekend cleaning and repairing my bikes after the AR trip. I had to order a few new parts, get wheels trued, etc. The main bike is ready to go; I gave it a test-ride last night. The back-up should be ready to go by Friday when the last of the new parts get here.

With my MTB's in a state of disrepair, I took my road bike out several times. What a difference! It is light, has skinny tires, and gears. Hardly a challenge at all! I guess that is why they call it recovery.

I did a 5k last Friday. I haven't run much this winter, so I guess 22:30 isn't horrible. Of course, I was sore for two days after...

I plan to do a night training ride the Friday. Six hours, 6pm to midnight. I am leaving for a day trip to Chicago early Saturday afternoon, so I have to get the miles in when I can. The next few weeks will see me racking up the miles. Gotta be ready for TI!

I'll post some new pics of the bikes when all the pieces get here.

Epic Day 3

Compared to Day 1 and Day2, Day 3 was pretty calm. I rained overnight, so we expected that the trails would be a bit damp. They were, but not bad enough to cause problems. Day 3 was the Day of Flats, as we suffered a total of three of them. We rode the big loop twice, and everything else at least once, if memory serves. We saw a few more riders on the trail and in the parking lot, but it was never an inconvenience.

The weather held out all day. Sunshine and light winds made for a very pleasant experience. My legs were very cooked, and I ended up riding slowly up nearly all the hills. Nate and Dan were still putting it down pretty good, and they had the class to nate make me feel too bad about bringing up the rear.

We did between 6 and 7 hours that day. I didn't ride the last short loop, and I drove the car back to the lodge while the guys rode back from the trailhead.

All in all, it was a great trip! If you get a chance, head on out to Syllamo Trail. Bring some spare tubes, a rain jacket, and some beefy tires and you will have a good time!

The rest of my pictures will follow. I hope to have a few pictures from Dan soon as well.

Nate and Dan finish the ride.

Nate looks like he could do another 7 hours!

Dan looks like he's had enough. I never thought I'd see the day... :)

My backup bike, ready for a few days rest.

Epic Day 2

Day 2

Day 2 was the best day of the trip. It didn’t rain much overnight, and the day broke with sunshine streaming over the hills. I burned, er, cooked some pancakes for breakfast and we loaded up the car and headed out.

That’s right, loaded up the car. After our adventure with the storm on Day 1, we decided to take the car to the trailhead. We also planned to ride all day, and having tools and food handy seemed like a good idea.

I’ll let the pictures do most of the talking, but here are a few anecdotes. I had a dramatic crash on Day 1, during which I lost the end plug for the front extension on my Jones H-Bar. This did not please me. We stopped at the site of the crash on Day 2 to take some pictures, and I joked that Nate should look around for the end plug. Nate looks around for a minute, and sure enough, he finds it! A one-in-a-million chance, for sure!

We had three flat tires on Day 2, all on the same type of tire. Kenda is sponsor, and I love their tires, but I won’t run Karma DTC Lites at Syllamo anymore. Not the 26” which I ran in the rear and flatted once. Not the 29”, which Dan ran and flatted twice in the rear. I do plan to use these tires in Michigan, but the square-edged rocks in AR were too much for the Karma Lites.

A bit about the bikes. I brought both my singlespeeds set up with 2:1 drivetrains. They are built on Airborne Lucky Strike frames with WI ENO eccentric hubs.

I rode my full-rigid bike on Day 1. That was not the best choice, as the trail was very rocky and I ended the day stiff and sore. I did appreciate the light weight of that bike on the climbs, and I was able to hang with Dan and Nate pretty much all day. After riding that bike in horrible conditions on Day 1, it sat in the corner for the rest of the trip. The brakes were shot, the headset (a 10+ year old King!) was starting to grind, the wheels were knocked out of true and it looked like a hurt puppy! The bike with the front suspension worked great, but I hated the extra weight on the climbs. By the end of the ride on Day 2, my legs were cooked. But the 2001 Marzocchi Z-2 kept taking the hits. I did decide that the Candy pedals will have to go. They are fine for winter training, but I had trouble with my foot sliding all over the pedal body as I tried to get clipped in on steep, rocky inclines. I love the Eggbeaters, and will get another pair to replace the Candys.

I really missed the Jones H-Bars on Day 2 and Day 3! I had very sore forearms at the end of each ride, and I ended up with some lingering wrist soreness that persists to this day. As much as my wife won’t like it, I think I am gonna have to bite the bullet and get another set of H-Bars for the backup bike.

Dan also brought a pair of singlespeeds. His main bike was a Niner with a White Brothers fork. His backup was a Salsa Juan Solo. He says the Niner was the way to go on this course; it rolled over stuff that brough his 26er to a dead stop. I can attest that he dabbed and crashed more often on the 26er.

Nate rode a full-rigid Cannondale 1FG on Day 1, and a Trek fancy geared bike with front suspension on Day 2 and Day 3.

My new WI cranks, hubs and freewheels worked great! The cranks were at least as stiff as my splined LX cranks, and a ton stiffer than the old square-taper XT cranks they replaced, even with the same XT bottom bracket. I did manage to loosen the lockring on the cranks by the end of Day 3. I recently received the Hozan lockring tool, and I suspect using that and some loctite should resolve that issue.

Now, on to the pictures!


Me in the parking lot.

Me going down a wicked set of stone stairs.

Nate and Dan crossing a steam.

Nate on the staircase.

Dan stylin' in the parking lot. Dan, how did you get that jersey? I know that guy who won that race, and if he catches you wearing his jersey, he'll kick your butt! He is a mean SOB.

Nate stylin' in the parking lot. You would never guess that his new favorite singer is 50 Cent. What you gonna do with all that junk inside your trunk, Nate?

Day 3 report will be posted tomorrow.

Epic Ride

At long last, here is the ride report:

Day 0 (driving day)

Nate and I left Grand Rapids at 1 PM on Wednesday. The weather was cool but sunny. The drive down to Arkansas was mostly uneventful. We did see a semi blocking the entire width of I-80 south of Chicago. That caused a 90 minute delay. The last 20 miles to Mountain View, AR were through some twisty and steep roads. It was foggy and raining, so that was interesting. We also had some trouble with our directions at the end. As a result, we got in at about 4 AM and woke up Dan who had arrived earlier in the day. Time to hit the sack!

Day 1

We woke up after a few hours of sleep to a heavy downpour. The rain was coming down in sheets, and thunder and lighting were in evidence. We decided to go into town and get food for the rest of our stay. The roads were all half-flooded, and we got soaked in the parking lot of the WalMart Supercenter. Riding was not looking good.

At last, the rain stopped. We put on our riding gear and got ready to head out. Just as we were leaving the lodge to ride the 5 miles to the trailhead, I noticed that I only had half a master link in my chain! Recall that this is the same bike I rode for 1.5 hours on Sunday... So I grabbed a spare master-link, and promptly dropped half of it between the boards of the porch! Now I was looking like a rookie and getting pissed. I decided to just ride the back-up bike and fix the main bike later. So we push off again, and notice that Nate has water streaming down his back! He had failed to close the top on his new hydration bladder. Rookie mistake #2. A quick twist and we were, at last, on the road.

At the trailhead, we decided to do the easiest loop first. Dan had ridden these trails before, so he acted as out guide. Everything was wet from the morning rain, and this turned the 'easy' trail into a suffer-fest! Water was running down the trail in streams, and the rocks (of which there were MANY) were very slick. It reminded me of Whistler--fun when dry, awful when wet. We suffered through the easy lap and decided try the intermediate lap. This went ok. The ground was actually starting to dry out, and the sun made an appearance. There were still tons of rocks, and many slick spots. We finished this loop without too much trouble.

The final loop of the day was interesting. We had been on the trail for about 2.5 or 3 hours, and Nate and I were beat. Dan really wanted to ride, so we set out for the Big Loop. This was about 12 miles long. There were three "stream" crossings, if you call a 3'-4' of white water a stream! Dan said that he could ride across these streams without getting wet only a few days before. The water was moving so fast that a front wheel dipped into the flow was likely to get yanked away.

But we managed! And we had fun. There were some crazy climbs and wicked descents. We were all on the ground at least once. The sun was out and were were loving life.

At the last stream crossing, I noticed a few dark clouds. A few soon became a bunch which soon became a jet-black sky. The winds shifted and picked up. This was not looking good. On the last long climb of the day, the rain started. At the top of the climb, all hell broke loose! 50 mph wind gusts and driving rain. And we still had a wicked dirt road decent and a road ride back to the lodge.

I made the decent in record time. We time-trialed back to the lodge in some nasty rain. Here is a pic of us on the front porch of the lodge:

As you can see, I (the guy on the right with the beer) look like death warmed over. (Nate is on the left and Dan is in the middle.) We had been out for 6 hours! Notice that the sun is coming out again behind us. Also note the hills behind us--that is what we were riding over all day.

As if that wasn't enough, we returned to a lodge without electrical power! That's right, the storm had left us in the dark. We had to take quick showers so as not to use up all the hot water. All the food we bought that morning had to sit uneaten, as our stove was electric. We headed into town for a bite. The power came back on just as we returned, so the rest of the evening was uneventful. The weather channel did indicate more storms overnight, however.

Day Two will follow in the next post.

Quick Update

I made it back from Arkansas last night around 11 PM after 13 hours in the car. No time to post details right now, but I can say this:

Stop what you are doing. Book a room at the Sylamore Lodges. Drive to Arkansas and ride the Sylamore Trail. Ride it a bunch. You will smile from ear to ear. Bring your "A" game, because this trail is no joke.

Also, bring a spare bike because you will trash parts. And tires. And various limbs and organs.

A full report, *with pictures*, will follow later this week.

Now it's time to sleep, and try to heal my bruses, cuts, scrapes, contusions... :)

Dirty, Dirty Kanza

I made it in to Dirty Kanza. So did the Canuck.

http://www.heartlandrace.com/index2.htm

I bet there are a few other TI names on that list, but I have yet to scrutinize it closely.

Another 200 miles of grinding gravel. And as a bonus, it's only two weeks after TI!

Why do I do these things to myself? Why?

Can anyone stop the madness?!?

All systems are "go"!

The bikes are ready. The rack is in place. The food has arrived. The clothes are packed and the chains are lubed. I am ready for Arkansas.

I did a two-hour hike on Thursday, but didn't work out Friday or Saturday. I was able to get both bikes ready, so I don't feel too much like a slacker.

I test-rode both bikes today. The bikes are set up with 2:1 ratios for the hills of the Ozarks. I tested them over the same course, and to my surprise the bike with the heavier tires and the suspention fork was 2 minutes faster over the 90 minute course.

I plan to ride easy tomorrow and run a bit on Tuesday. I'll be in the car all day on Wednesday. Anybody from the Arkansas area that want to put some miles in at Sylamore this week, drop me a line!

Medium Intensity

I did a nice one hour ride on the trainer last night. No intervals, but I did keep up a high cadence.

Tonight I went for a 5k run at a nice easy pace.

Not much to report. I'll start packing for the Arkansas trip tomorrow. Time to get the bikes cleaned up, switch the gearing from TI to mountain climbing, and grab some sunscreen. I guess it was in the 70's down there today.

Easy Day

I was out for about 3.5 hours today. The weather was sunny but fairly cold. I wanted to ride more, but family obligations kept me from heading out until after 2pm. Several people were supposed to join me, but I never saw them. I was a few minutes late, so maybe that was it.

Anyway, this will be a pretty heavy week. I want to make sure I am ready for AR next week.

I sent in my app for Dirty Kanza. I was a bit late, so I hope there is a spot for me. If I don't get in, I'll be down in NC for 12 Hours of Tsali.

What are you doing???

That was my wife's question when she saw me working the one-legged intervals tonight. I threw them in to spice up my resistance workout on the trainer. Never did them before, but I think they will become a regular part of my workout.

Family obligations are going to mess with my long ride this weekend. It looks like I will be riding indoors, and perhaps a bit latter in the day than I would prefer. That is just the way it goes sometimes.

Ordered up some parts and other goodies this week. Ritchey, Hammer Nutrition, and White Industries orders this week with Kenda and Magura orders soon to follow. Soon the bikes will be ready. But what about the rider? Only time will tell!

Nice and Easy Does It

Had a nice easy spin for an hour yesterday. Not on the bike today, but I am looking forward to a nice ride tomorrow. I'd like to get outside, but it will depend on the weather. If it is nice, like it was today, I'll be out on the road.

The weather is supposed to be pretty much garbage this weekend. I'll be doing some serious training in Lansing this Saturday. I imagine I'll be on the trainer on Sunday. We'll see.

Plans are coming together for the trip to AR. Details to follow.

To eat, or not to eat: It really isn't a question.

I did a nice 5 hour ride today. Dan, Danielle and I started out from downtown and headed toward Egypt Valley. The weather wasn't bad, around 27F with some significant wind. I don't like to do long ride when the temps are below 32F, because my Perpeteum freezes. Today, I brought a bunch of trail mix and peanut bars. Plenty of calories, but not as easy to access as a nice bottle of Perpeteum.

We spun at a fairly easy pace for the first two hours. We did a bunch of dirt road (TI training!) that were covered with ice. There were a few scary moments where traction was nothing but a fond memory. Nobody kissed the pavement, and we made it to the trailhead.

The trail surface was nice, considering the time of year. There was less than 4 inches of snow on the ground, and the main line on the trail was nicely packed. Any time I got off line, however, the drag increased significantly. The climbs were brutal. I was running a pretty tall gear and heavy, grippy tires. Egypt Valley is not a killer trail, but I could tell early on that I would be feeling it later.

I knew I wasn't eating enough. I had plenty of Gu2O, but it was hard to get to the trail mix and bars I brought. I ended up taking off my outer layer, and my food was in the pockets of that jacket. I ate at breaks, but we didn't take many. I just decided to suck it up and keep going.

We spent a little under two hours on the trails. Dan was looking strong (as always), but Danielle and I were both talking about how out climbing legs were pretty well shot.

It turns out that Danielle was fibbing.

We had two substantial road climbs on the ride how. We all made it up the dirt road climb, with me bringing up the rear. The pavement climb is where Danielle pulled out all the stops. She powered up that climb like nobody's business. I was hanging on for dear life. Dan tried to pull ahead to block the wind for Danielle for a bit, but she just turned up the power another notch. I held her wheel all the way to the top, but at that point I was fried. Home was about five miles away, and I knew I would be taking it easy the rest of the way.

I got home and just collapsed! My wife was in the middle of cooking up some amazing pasta dish for dinner, and I felt much better after I got some real food in my tummy.

The ride was great training. I thought I could fake it with the food, but it just didn't work out. That is a good reminder

Weekend Update

Seems the weather has put a bit of a wrench into my riding plans.

Yesterday was the singlespeed nation ride. Five people showed up; Dan, Nate, Me, Tim, and Tim's Friend. Several people show could have been there decided it was too cold. You know who you are, Chambers Family.

It was very cold, with a very cold north wind. Things were unpleasant riding on the road. Once we got to the singletrack, however, things were fine. I ended up taking off my goretex jacket because I was too warm. We ended up with about two hours of riding.

Dan ripped the chainring bolts out of his chainring and had to walk back to the shop. He claims it was the fault of alloy chainring bolts and very cold weather. I choose to blame it on his massively over-developed thighs. He looks like those Polish speedskaters that you might see at the olympics!

I spent half the ride staring up at the sky, wondering how I ended up on my back. Yes, there was some ice on the road. I lost it three times due to ice, and once or twice on the trail. I usually don't crash that much, but I just couldn't keep the rubber side down yesterday.

The new parts of WI worked great! Plenty of drag in the new freewheel, but that is to be expected. The cranks and chainring worked great. Very stiff. I have to decide if I want to replace the cranks on the main bike as well.

Today I was supposed to ride the KissCross Allycat race. It was canceled. Dan and I were gonna ride anyway. I headed down to the start point, but no Dan ever showed up. Shame on you, Dan. In Dan's defense, it was very poor riding conditions. It was ten degrees warmer than yesterday, but the wind was stronger and there was quite a bit more snow. It greatly reduced visibility and did a good job of hiding the ice. I rode for an hour, and plan to ride a bit more on the trainer later.

I am still looking forward to the ride tomorrow. It is my long ride for the week, so I hope people show up to keep me company! Several endurance riders are supposed to show up. Unless they wimp out! A report will follow.

Some weather we're having, eh?

Today, it rained, sleeted, snowed, thunderstormed, and hailed. I swear, I was waiting for blood to start falling from the sky.

Tonight, the temps are going to plummet. Tomorrow we are expecting the lowest windchills that this area has experienced in several *years*. Not great riding weather.

That being said, I have quite a bit of riding planned for the next few days. Nothing much tomorrow, but I will be outside in the cold on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Singlespeed Nation ride on Saturday, Kisscross ride on Sunday, and the Dan "The Man" Jansen DeathMarch Supercross Extravaganza! ride on Monday.

This week, I rode on Tuesday and Thursday. High-speed, low-resistance work on Tuesday and some leg-grinding resistance work tonight. I also put my back-up bike back together. The White Industries hub, freewheel and cranks look awesome on the ti frame. I plan to ride that bike on Saturday and maybe on Sunday as well, if the weather is crummy. I'll have an initial review of the parts next week. I might even bring a camera this weekend, but don't hold your breath...

As you may recall, I was supposed to be on my way down to Florida right now for the Razorback. That fell through, but it is all for the best. I have just a touch of a sore throat, and that would have hurt my performance. Also, now I get to go to Arkansas with Dan and Nate for four days of Total Singlespeed Action in early March! More details to follow.

Back in the Saddle

Did a nice six hour ride today. I was inside, because I just didn't feel like dealing with the cold. Turns out that it got fairly warm out, and there was some sun. Now I wish I'd have ventured out...

Riding inside let me watch a dvd that Becky borrowed from a coworker. Called "Hell on Wheels", it is a documentary about the 2003 Tour de France. Becky and I were in France for that tour, so I was hoping for some footage of us on Tourmalet. No such luck. It was still fun to watch. It was shot by a German film crew, and the main subjects were the members of T-mobile. I think Lance was only in the frame for less than 5 minutes of the 2-hour show. Lots of behind-the-scenes stuff. Perhaps one too many shots of Zabel getting a rubdown with nothing but a towel over his junk, but what are you gonna do? The man needs his rub-down...

Some bad news; I won't be going down for Razorback after all. My ride situation broke down last week, and I'm just not interested in making the trip solo. That does free up a day of vacation to use later in the year, and I don't mind spending all the money for what would have been in essence a long training ride. Still, I feel like I am in pretty good shape for this time of the season, and I think I could have done well. Maybe next year.

Back to normal training this week. The legs and lungs felt good today. The weather is returning to normal, so I fear that my rides outside will be somewhat limited, at least in duration. I hate having my food freeze. Perhaps this is a good time to experiment with more solid food?

Also, I should get my built wheel shop this week. I need to make sure I have a gear combo that involves minimal rotation of the eccentric on the WI eno disk hub, as I want to run rear disks without using the eccentric adaptor. Time will tell. I also plan to install the eno cranks this week. If all goes well, I will use the spare bike for the outdoor ride next weekend. Perhaps I will even post some pics!

Easy Week

This is my rest week. Yesterday I did an easy hour on the trainer. High cadence with low resistance was the order of the day. Quite a change from my normal tuesday interval session.

For those of you keeping score, I was mostly right about Grey's Anatomy: The 'code black' was an unexploded rocket lodged in some guy's chest.

I'll do another easy day on Thursday. Satuday I'll be back to work with a six hour ride. I hope it will be outside, but the weather does not look good. We are expecting lots of snow Thursday to Friday.

Superbowl

Did one hour recover today; nice and easy. Did a little work on the backup bike. Turns out I need to get a pin spanner to tighten the lockring on the ENO cranks. Not a problem--I need to visit the bike shop this week anyway.

Watching the Superbowl now. Not a great first half, but the Rolling Stones had be cracking up at halftime. How old are those guys? And how much did they get paid for that performance? I just don't get it...

I'll be up kind of late tonight, since my wife will want to watch Grey's Anatomy. Looks like an interesting episode; something about "Code Black". I'm betting on either a bomb or bioterrorism.

Schedule Change

Instead of doing my long ride today, I decided to reschedule it for next Saturday. That allowed me to spend some time with my wife. This works out well, since she will be out of town next weekend.

I did two hours on the trail today. The weather was great; just above 32F. I was able to wear lightweight tights, three breathable layers on top, and my Lake boots. It felt like spring.

The trail was in good shape, at least for February. Some mud and sand was in evidence, but overall it was great. It was great to be on the trail and not just pounding the pavement. I'd like to put in some long hours on the trail next weekend if the weather permits. I hope to have a bunch of new parts installed on the back-up bike, and I'd like a long trail ride to break them in. I am also thinking about bringing the back-up bike down to florida for Razorback. It all depends on if I can get the new wheel built in time to get some test miles in before I have to leave. We'll see...

Slacking

Didn't ride tonight. Had to clean the house, and then I had to go drink a few beers with the teammates. Not fake "drink the beer but really I trained all night" but actually I drank some beers. It was a good time. I hope to make up the lost riding time on Sunday.

My pal Dan just got a new Niner. I plan to ride it at the earliest opportunity. He says it is schweet like honey. I am still not sold on the whole 29er thing. They seem slow up hill, and slow to get up to speed in general. I guess this Niner is fine like wine. We'll see...

A bunch of new parts from White Industries arrived the other day. I was showing some of them off at the bar tonight. Many people were envious. All the parts made it home again, but not because some people didn't try to swipe them. You know who you are, Dan... :)

Intervals

You know the drill: If it's Tuesday, I'm doing intervals. They were not fun today; in fact they kicked my butt! I got off the trainer, laid down on the floor, and fell asleep! Weird.

Anyway, I also got to make a return trip to the dentist. Not an endurance event this time, as they only had to replace a broken temporary crown. Note to self: Don't eat toffee bars with a temporary crown...

Next week is an 'off' week for me. That means short rides during the week, no intervals, and short rides on the weekend. I do this ever fifth week during my pre-season training. I can feel that I need it right about now, as the trainer session tonight felt harder than it should have. Of course the following week I will be down in Florida for the first race of the season, so I guess the down week is coming at the right time for more than one reason!

Spring is in the air...

It felt like spring today. Long miles in the saddle, I wasn't freezing during the entire ride, and people yelling at me out of their car windows. Yes, it was just warm enough that three separate times, some young man in a pickup truck felt the need to roll down the window and shout out that I ought to "Ride that F**king bike on the sidewalk!"

Lame.

Anyway, I was out for six hours of pavement-pounding fun. That totals out to 85 miles on the singlespeed. Not fast, but the course was pretty hilly. Think 90% as hard as the last 30 miles of TI. Throw in some moderate headwinds, and we got ourselves a training ride!

Food consumed on this ride included 2.5 liters of Gu2O, 1.75 bottles of Perpetum, with 8 scoops per bottle (what I refer to as a "4-hour bottle"), and two hammer gels. And 3 Endurolyte tablets. This worked out well, but I was starting to crave some real food (with some salt!) near the end of the ride. Hmmm, I wonder if I can get a slice of pizza at about the 6 hour mark at TI...Need to check that map again!

Tomorrow I have an easy 1-hour spin and some painting prep work to do around the house. Some people are coming over for dinner on Friday, and I promised to have a couple of things painted before then. Of course, I made that promise back before training season really kicked in... Ah, the joys of home ownership. :)

Run

Went out for a quick run tonight. Did about 3.5 miles with Becky. Now it's time to eat some food and head out to run some errands. Gotta do them tonight, since I will be on the bike all day tomorrow.

The weather looks good for the long ride: temps above freezing, with just a chance of some light rain. If the wind is favorable, I'll head over to Saugatuck and back. I think I can stretch that to six hours.

I should get my first set of parts from White Industries next week. I hope to get a wheel built up and some cranks installed before Razorback. I won't be rockin' the disk brakes yet, but I will post photos as the rebuilding project moves forward.

Dentist

I had an 'endurance' visit to the dentist yesterday. I was in the chair for just under four hours! I had a cleaning, a temporary crown and a pair of fillings. The right and lower left sides of my face were numb most of the day.

It could have been worse; at least I have a great dentist. Dr. Brennen is a master with the drill! He is, in fact, the only dentist I have every felt comfortable with. He also has a good track record when it comes to recommending other dental people; he recommended my orthondontist who turned out to be very good as well.

Anyway, all that is just to make the excuse that I didn't exercise yesterday. After the dentist, I was inclinded to just chill out and recover.

Intervals

Intervals are not fun. I would much rather ride slow and steady for three hours than one hour of intervals. I didn't do any interval work last year, and I felt like my top-end speed suffered. I also lacked power on climbs. I'm hoping these once-per-week interval work-outs combined with once-per-week hill repeats should solve those problems.

It looks like the weather should be good for riding long on Saturday. I think I have a six-hour ride scheduled. Low and slow, I am led to believe, *is* the tempo.

I am just about ready to order my White Industries parts. Also looking forward to some Magura and Kenda orders in the near future. I hope to have some of the new gear for Razorback.

Recovery

I had a nice one-hour spin yesterday. A three-mile run is on tap for today.

Tuesday is another interval session, endurance miles on Thursday. With a bit of luck, I will have a nice six-hour ride this coming Saturday. I might even bring a camera...

Trainer Time

Five hours on the trainer. Ugh. Not something I want to do again soon. Time to shovel some food down, and then get busy shoveling the 7 inches of wet snow on the driveway and sidewalk.

I have a nice one-hour spin on tap for tomorrow, hopefully outside. Need to clear some of the lactic acid out of the legs.

Speedy Update

Ran yesterday. Did 1.5 hours today.

The legs are feeling good, and the heart and lungs are feeling better. I believe I am ahead of last year, and on track for Iowa.

Run tomorrow, and long ride on Saturday. The weather looks interesting; snow and colder temps. Welcome to January in Michigan!

Interval Session

Ouch! Did my first interval session last night. Now I remember why I took up endurance racing--doing intervals is hard.

Legs felt pretty good. It was 34F and raining all day, so I was on the trainer and not outside. It looks like I will be indoors for a while, with the rapid return of my least favorite kind of weather. Cold and raining, with some heavy wet snow thrown in.

MLK Day

Today, no riding. My legs are still pretty cooked.

Tomorrow I ride two hours, down at yankee. Most of that will be in the dark. More leg-toasting fun!

I did have a change to do some bike maintenance today. Wiped off the mud, lubed the chain and regreased the Eggbeaters. I'll need all the help I can get at Yankee tomorrow!

A little jelly with that toast?

My toasted legs, that is.

So I went for a long ride today. It started at 9:30 AM. I met up with Danielle at 10. We rode north for an hour or so, and then headed back to town. Danielle had an urban assault ride schedule with another rider, and I had to meet up with the Singlespeed nation folks.

I was a big crybaby on the ride with Danielle. My legs are shot, and I just put a nice, heavy set of 'training' tires on my bike. As a result, I was slow as molasses. So I started complaining. And whining. And pissing and moaning. I felt a little better by the end of that portion of the ride, but a week of harder riding had taken it's toll.

Then I met up with the Singlespeed Nation folks. About 13 people showed up. The pace started out moderate, but got harder when we got to the 'secret trail'. I was fun, but after the secret stuff I had to head out. I got another hour or so of solo riding in, for a total of around 5 or so hours. Not bad, but I wish the legs felt better.

Tuesday a bunch of us are heading down to Yankee for some night riding. That means I have to take it easy tomorrow, or I will be double-toast for that ride.

Is there such a think as double-toast?

Snowcross?

There was no snow, but the snowcross race went ahead anyway. Details will be available here (www.kisscross.com) soon. I raced in the 'A' group. Should have raced with the 'B' group. In fact, I should have formed my own 'C' group and chilled. The pace was hard, the mud was thick, and the air was pretty darn cold. Everyone seemed to have a good time, even those of us off the back.

Tomorrow it's Singlespeed Nation ride (singlespeednation.bolgspot.com), with a few hours either before or after. Or maybe both.

Just for the record, I was supposed to get up early today and do a long ride. I did'nt, and someone wanted to make sure I confessed my lazyness on the blog. So there it is; I am a lazy turd. (Of course, the party responsible for this admission will pay a price later. Oh yes, they will pay... )

Dirty Thursday

Did 2 hours off-road tonight in the dark. Man, I love this weather. I was 55F when I left the house to ride tonight at 5:45 PM! Crazy...

Anyway, I get to the trail head and unpack my bike. My main bike had a flat tire, and I didn't have time to mess with it, so I took the backup bike. The backup has a Rollenlager singlespeed conversion device. I was running an old 17t rear cog that I tore off a used road cassette. Can you see where this is going?

The chain would not stay on! Of course I forgot the wrench that would have allowed me to make a tension adjustment. As it turns out, my riding partner Dan Jansen had brought two bike to the trailhead! I got to ride the 26er surly 1x1. He used the Karate Monkey and enjoyed the 29er experience.

I have to say that the surly performed like a champ! It was heavy, and had superlight wheels with super-heavy tires. 180mm cranks were also an interesting change from my normal ride. All things considered, it's performance exceeded my expectations. Specifically, it was stiff but not harsh. It had very neutral handling; I was able to get it sideways in a two-wheel drift without any problems. The downside? All those extra pounds in the frame and tires made climbing torture! The long cranks helped, but it was still a struggle.

I was a surly doubter. Not anymore. I don't know that the 1x1 would make the best race bike, but for tooling around in the winter, it more that fits the bill.

I plan a quick spin on the trainer tomorrow for active recovery, and they riding like crazy on Saturday (Snowcross) and Sunday (Singlespeed Nation). Should be a fun time!

If it's Tuesday, I must be riding the trainer

Quick 1.5 hour spin on the trainer today. My legs felt a bit tired after the Saturday/Sunday ride-a-than. I still feel about 2.5% sick. Not bad, but I can still feel it in my throat just a little bit.

I plan a nice easy 1 hour spin tomorrow, and if the weather cooperates 2 hours outside on Thursday. No bike time on Friday, but lots of riding on Saturday and Sunday. Singlespeed Nation ride + whatever it takes to get in 5 hours on Saturday and Snowcross on Sunday. Lots of good fun and good riding.

I noticed that White Industries has a slick new website. Check it out here http://www.whiteind.com to see some of the cool parts I'll be riding this year. ENO Eccentric Disk hubs, ENO freewheels, ENO cranks; the list is long cuz the parts are good!

First Crash of 2006

I went for a trail ride today. Yes, that's right, I was trail riding. In Michigan. In January.

Anyway, Dan Jansen and I went to Yankee Springs. Dan was on his Karate Monkey set up as a mountain bike. I was on my Trans-Iowa rig. The trail was in great shape. Better, in fact, than it is most of the summer.

The first lap was at a moderate pace. The second lap was at a bit faster pace. We caught another singlespeed, and I wanted to make the pass stick. As a result, I pushed the pace on a slick downhill. Next thing I know, I'm staring up at the sky. My knee scraped on the ground, so I got to donate some blood to the trail. It's good to get the first crash of the season out of the way.

I got to ride the Karate Monkey for a bit. The 29" wheels were...Interesting. They smoothed out the trail, but they were hard to get up to speed. Climbing was a chore. I'd be interested to try one on a longer ride, more in the 8 to 12 hour range. It was not love at first ride, but I'm open to trying again under different circumstances.

Freezing Rain? No Pain, No Gain!

Just got done with 4 hours on the bike. The temp was just a bit above 32F, and frozen rain/snow/sleet was the order of the day. I felt good for the first 3.5 hours, but the lasat 30 minutes were a bit rough. I am not quite over that cold yet...

The legs lacked power, but that is to be expected after an illness. The lungs and heart were good.

The new Craft S3 jersey was awesome! The windblocking front worked just as advertised. Could be great Trans-Iowa gear if the weather conditions are similar to last year.

Not quite better yet...

This cold just won't go away! I think I started training again too soon. That, and a bunch of stress at work and I just can't shake the last of this cold.

So, I am taking it a bit easy. Trying to go to bed early and drink lots of fluids. I plan to ride long on Saturday, so this cold has got to go.

On an unrelated note, the parts for my new computer should be here tomorrow or saturday. Let the Battlefield 2 trash-talk begin... :)

Getting Better Every Day

Another day, another hour on the bike. Still a touch of a sore throat, still a bit weak. I do anticipate being able to have a long ride this weekend.

I got some new winter gear to try out this weekend. A Craft S3 undershirt and some Hind medium-weight tights should help keep the wind and cold at bay. I should recieve some new Goretex oversocks soon as well. The quest of warm feet continues...

Happy New Year!

Just a quick note...

I am about 90% healthy. I rode for an hour today, and felt pretty good. I am still a bit weak, and I don't want to push it just yet. I have a long ride scheduled for Saturday, and I anticipate being at nearly full strength.

The holiday party season is over, so I can stop eating all this junk food! I bet I loose five pounds in the next week. :)

2005 Sponsor Highlights

With the start of the new year, I wanted to take a few minutes to talk about some of the great people and companies that supported me in 2005. I won't get a change to talk up everybody, but here are a few of the very special folks that helped make '05 such a success.

2005 Sponsor Review

Mega-Sponsor: Becky Hulst

No married amateur endurance racer can be successful without the support of their spouse. I was fortunate to enjoy such support from my wife Becky. Not only did she make room in out budget for me to register for, travel to and compete in all my races last year, she was often in the pit pulling support for me. Without her, there is no Partridge Racing.

Lighting and Travel Sponsor: Rich Partridge

My dad. He put money on the table that allowed me to get the sweet Niterider Digital HID/LED light and two batteries that I used all season. He then put more cash on the table when I needed to get to Whistler for Worlds. I could have raced without his support last year, but I would have had to hold a flashlight in my mouth and take Greyhound to Whistler.

Not from the Industry Sponsor: Art of the Table

Art of the Table (AotT) is a great store that is owned by my friend Amy Ruis. They sell high-end beer and wine, as well as a bunch of other cool stuff like stemware, linens, cooking supplies and gourmet food items.

Amy and her husband Steve are not bike people. They do appreciate the cycling scene, and they saw some overlap between their target market and the folks that show up at MTB races. They picked up a portion of my entry fees at a bunch of local races.

Shop Sponsor: Alger Cycling and Fitness

I have been riding on the Alger team for the last three years. Alger is a great shop, with a friendly, knowledgeable staff. They have a wide selection of parts on hand, and are happy to order the stuff they don’t have. A special thanks goes out to Brad Bacon. I can always count on Brad to get me what I need in a pinch.

Team Sponsor: Founder’s Ales/Alger Racing

Founder’s has been a great sponsor! You can click over to the team website to see all the team sponsors, but Founder’s stands out in my mind. The beer is great, the bar is a hip place to hang out, and the rest of the guys on the team at top-notch. I look forward to riding for them again next season.

Still sick

Took the day off work. I want to rest up so I can get back on the bike.

I will be headed to Chicago tomorrow (yep, skipping other day at the office), so I wanted to get all the rest I could today. I won't be back on the bike until Saturday. Not sure if I will do my long ride on Sunday or Monday.

Time, weather and health will make the call.

I'm Sick... :(

I rode 1.5 hours yesterday. I felt pretty bad; tired and I had a weird buzzing in my ear. I started to feel a tickle in my throat. Woke up this morning with a cough and a stuffy head. It's gone downhill all day.

Bummer. The training was going well. Things will have to slow down a bit. It could be worse, since next weeks is supposed to be an light week anyway.

Oh, well. There is still plenty of time 'til Iowa.

Quick Update

Did 1 hour on Christmas. Did 4 hours today. The weather was very outdoor-friendly, with air temps around 34F and a pretty good headwind.

The holidays have messed with my ride plans. This will continue untill next week. I'll get in what I can, but it will be less than perfect.

Joe

Back at it

Just got done with 1.5 hours on the trainer. It felt good to be back on the bike. Trainer time is never fun, but it is necessary this time of year. I felt a bit guilty riding inside, since it was above freezing here for the first time all month. But I had the trainer all set to go, and my outdoor gear was scattered all over the place, so up on the trainer I went.

On the plus side, my wife was on her trainer next to me. It's better to have someone to talk to while riding the non-moving bike. And we got to watch a Lance Armstrong special on the Travel Channel. I know liking Lance isn't very "core" these days, but I am still a fan.

Getting in the hours over the next day is gonnna be complicated, but I'll do what I have to do. I'm pleased that my form seems to be progressing nicely. I have one more hard week, and then I get to enjoy my first easy week. After that, I start adding outdoor hill work during the week, and adding another short day of riding during the week as well.

It only gets harder from here. But suffering now is better than quitting in Iowa.

Joe

Confession

I missed my scheduled ride yesterday, and I wasn't able to make it up today. It is going to be very hard to fit in those extra 90 minutes this week. Lots of family commitments and work issues to be addressed.

It's a bummer.

I will be back on the bike tomorrow. 1.5 hours on the trainer with medium resistance. I will be doing my long ride on Sunday instead of Saturday to accomodate Christmas festivities.

After the first of the year some significant nutritional changes will kick in; that is to say I have to quit eating cookies! I plan to enjoy eating for the rest of the week.

Joe

Sunday Ride and Gear Guide #1

Sunday was an easy ride; one hour on the trainer. Not too much to say about that.

I was thinking that some folks might be interested to know what kind of gear I use when I ride 4+ hours in sub-freezing temperatures. Over the next few days I will post some info on that topic.

What a fine, fine day!

I did a nice 4-hour ride this morning. I was on the bike at 9:30 AM and safely back home at 1:45 PM. I had a light tailwind on the way out, which made for a very relaxing start. Of course, that meant that the ride home was a bit more energetic!

It was important that I was home before 2 PM, because that is when registration opened for Trans-Iowa V.2. My sense from the reading the internet boards was that this race would fill up fast. And so it was. The race is now filled; it took something less than 4 hours to fill all 70 spots.

I had a moment of rage this morning when I checked the boards and found that some people were able to register for the race last night because of a screw-up at active.com. Jeff Kerkove, the race promoter, slammed that door pretty quick. Near as I can tell, the rest of registration went smoothly.

Anyway, back to the ride. It was cold, about 24F, or around 16F with windchill. I was very comfortable, both with the temperature and the effort. My feet got cold, but I am slowly working out how to keep them warm. I didn't really have any problems for the first three hours or so. Since my longest training ride will only be six hours this year, I think I can make sufficient adjustments to keep the toes warm that long. Some slightly warmer weather would also be welcome...

So, I got in a good training ride, and I got registered for my first big race of the year. All in all, a pretty good day.

Joe

Trainer Time

I did 1.5 hours on the trainer on both Tuesday and Thursday. Tuesday was low speed, high resistance. Tonight was less resistance and higher legspeed. Both sessions kicked my butt!

I am doing 4 hours on Saturday with my friend and teammate Nate. We will both be riding singlespeeds. It will be a nice, long, and slow basebuilding day. I'm thinking about what to do for food. Last Saturday, my food (Perpetum from Hammer Nutrition) froze solid after about an hour in the cold. Maybe a peanut butter sandwich? Maybe a bagel? Only time will tell...

Joe

Quick Lunchtime Update

I did the Kiss Cross race on Sunday. I think I was 2nd from last to finish. Clearly, 'cross is not my thing. I also failed to win the Slingshot frame in the drawing. :(

All in all, it was a good week of training.

Joe

Chilly!

It was about 17F this morning at 9:30 AM as I set out for my 3.5 hour ride. I did 2.5 hours solo and was able to make it back downtown to meet up with the Singlespeed Nation folks for the last hour. My solo time was done on back road with a steady pace of 15 MPH. The Singlespeed Nation ride included more stop and go riding, with parking ramps, snow-covered sidewalks and a sledding hill (!) to keep things interesting.

One bad thing to note-I got a flat tire! Flat tires are never fun. A flat tire in the cold, after riding for 3 hours and 20 minutes really sucks! The SSN ride was heading for the coffeeshop at this point, so I just sent them on their way and fixed the flat on my own. Then it was home for some tastey steak fajitas! Mmmmmm good!

Tomorrow I have a one hour ride on the schedule. I might try to make it to the last Kiss Kross race of the season. We rode the course during the SSN ride; it's short, but there is a ton of snow on the ground. We'll see how I feel.

White Industries

I just got word that White Industries will be provide some product support for me this year. This is very exciting; I used the ENO Eccentric Hub and ENO Freewheel in 2005 and LOVED them. Hight quality products that work in any weather--exactly what is necesary to succeed in endurance racing.

Training is going well. My legs and lungs feel strong during my short weekday rides. I'm looking forward to my long ride on Saturday. It looks like the weather should cooperate, with temps in the high 20's and limited snow. I also hope to do the Single Speed Nation ride http://www.singlespeednation.blogspot.com/ on Saturday, and maybe the KissCross http://www.kisscross.com/ race on Sunday. We'll see...

Early Season, Slow Start

Rode Sunday for an hour. Ran 3.5 miles Monday.

Spent a couple of hours on Sunday fixing flat tires and putting together the backup bike. I now have two fully-functioning mountain bikes! No more long trainer sessions.

Anger...

Rode for an hour on Friday. Rode for three hours today.

Today's ride was supposed to be three hours outside. It was cold this morning, around 23F. However, there was some sunshine and the winds were manageable.

I was running a bit late getting my gear together, but I was ready to ride by 9:30 AM. I was checking the the air in the tires and realized that I had a flat in the rear! This sucks, as I was already 30 minutes behind scheldule.

As an endurance ride, I should have been able to switch to my backup bike. Unfortunatly, my backup bike is in pieces in the workshop. Grrrrrr....

I decided to cut my losses and ride inside today. That means I did three hours on the trainer. Not a fun way to spend the morning.

At least my legs felt good, and I was able to keep the heart rate in the proper zone.

2006 Race Weapon

First Ride of the 2006 Season!

Today is the day the 2006 season begins! It was an easy day; only 1 hour on the trainer. The first 'long ride' of the season is on this Saturday. I use the term 'long ride' loosely because three hours is hardly a long ride a all!