Friday, April 27, 2012

Yankee Springs Time Trial report

I am a little late on this report but I have had a week to relive this race in my head. As always, the event was well run and the herds of riders were processed with efficiency throughout. This Time Trial has established itself as a staple on the Michigan mountain bike race calendar and it officially kicks off the mountain bike season here in Michigan.
The weather was cool and clear with high winds. It was a good thing we were sheltered in the woods. As usual, I warmed up a little but looking back I realize how hard it is for me to go all out from a cool state. I do so much better when I am thoroughly warmed up. Note to self. Bring trainer.
I had not ridden Yankee in several years and I forgot how fun and challenging the trail can be. The trail was in great shape from the recent rain. Riders from each class started off in 10 second intervals and I was off for 2 laps.
I quickly realized my ride was becoming a see-saw battle. One minute I was feeling good and passing riders and the next moment I was being passing like I was standing still. I was having difficulty getting into a rhythm. This went on for 22 miles and during this time I couldn't stop thinking of all the variables which may have contributed to my performance or lack thereof. Essentially, I had a laundry list of excuses that were rolling around in my head. You know the scenarios. Was it over-training or a lack of rest? Was it poor tapering or nutrition? Or was it simply too much air in my tires AND the sun was in my eyes? C'est la vie.
I finished up and quickly swapped out the geared hardtail for the rigid singlespeed and headed back over to the start area for another lap. I had a nagging feeling that this was not going to be a stellar lap and I soon found myself experiencing the same lack of pop that I felt earlier. My legs felt like lead. I told myself to suck it up and enjoy the ride. Regardless of all my BS, the Yankee Springs trail is one of the best trails in lower Michigan and offers a great mix of challenging terrain. The downhill swooping S section was REEDONKULOUS!
Thankfully, I arrived at the finish in one piece and for the first time in hours I was able to relax. The PBR tasted great!
The team support was great and the taco bar was top notch. I'll be back next year and hopefully, I will have a better plan. In the meantime, hats off to the WMMBA chapter for hosting a great event. Well done.

Saturday, April 21, 2012

2012 Pontiac Lake Time Trial

Sorry, but the new name for this event is Pontiac Lake Classic. It is still a Time trial and it will always been a classic early season race held in SE Michigan. This years race will take place on Sunday, April 29, 2012. Pontiac Lake Recreation Area is a 10 mile loop of challenging singletrack. Hopefully, the spring conditions will cooperate as the trail does not generally drain very well. This is race #1 of the Michigan USA Cycling Series.
Tailwind Racing website:
Event information:
USA Cycling registration page:

Friday, April 20, 2012

Two completely different animals

It's mid April and I have realized that most of my miles this year have been on the paved or dirt road with very little time spent on the singletrack. My race in Arkansas found me riding my first singletrack of the year in a strange land during a race! Needless to say, my bike handling skills were not very sharp.
Today I loaded up the bikes and went to the Potawatomi trail to take in one of the best trails in Michigan. I decided to bring the geared and singlespeed bikes with the plan to ride one lap on each. With a similar workout planned for this Sunday in the Yankee Springs Time Trial I was hoping to replicate the conditions I would encounter. The time trial will be two 10 mile laps on the geared bike followed by one 10 mile lap on the singlespeed.
The first lap on the Poto was great! The Niner hardtail performed well. After riding this trail rigid for several years I was astonished at how the new Reba fork smoothed out the trail and I felt like I was taking better lines without the pounding. The 2 x 10 gearing and Kenda Karma's rounded out the ride and my lap felt good. Funny, Strava has difficulty with mileage in the singletrack and tracked each lap about 1.5 miles short of the actual distance.
Great! The trail was dialed, I was pumped and I quickly swapped out bikes. My singlespeed rig has been a solid ride for several years. It's a Redline Monocog Flight with a steel frame, White Brothers carbon fork, Avid Elixer hydro's and a heavy ass tubed wheelset. On the trail, I was reminded of how nimble a rigid fork can be and how responsive it can be when standing up on the climb. Very efficient. The Poto trail lends itself well to the forces of momentum and a rigid singlespeed is a great choice for this trail. I was also reminded of how quiet a single geared bike can be on the trail. I startled a few hikers along the way. Lap 2 took it's toll on me and my time was about 10 minutes slower than the geared bike lap.
I can now say that after today I feel much better about my off road skills and have a new found appreciation for the equipment that gets me from point A to point B.

Monday, April 16, 2012

2012 Team Points Series





Yesterday was stop number 5 of our Racing Greyhounds Team Points Series. This is an internal race series designed to encourage participation while developing the skills of all riders at all levels. This series has evolved over the years and has grown into a top notch series spanning all cycling disciplines. The chip timing was a huge breakthrough for the development of the series.

Sunday's Hines Park Individual Time Trial was destined for cancellation due to heavy rains during the day which flooded out Hines Drive. The road was closed but there was plenty of pavement available and the event went off without a hitch. As usual, I placed somewhere in the middle of the pack. Mr. Mediocre.

Here is a series rundown:

The 2012 RGTPS will consist of 19 races -- 7 sanctioned races, 10 RACING GREYHOUNDS internal team-only races, and 2 touring rides. All 10 RACING GREYHOUNDS team-only races (noted with *RGTPS EVENT*) are 100% FREE to our team. All you need to do is show up ready to race! This series is setup so that anyone can win. The Team Captains will be handicapping RGTPS EVENTS so that even our first-time racers have a shot at winning.

Here is a rundown of this year's schedule:

Sun Jan 22 - Worst Day of the Year Ride - Touring
Sun Feb 26 - *RGTPS EVENT* Power Tap Out
Sun Mar 18 - *RGTPS EVENT* Drag Race
Sat Mar 24 - Barry Roubaix - CX
Sun Apr 15 - *RGTPS EVENT* Hines Drive Individual TT - Road
Sun Apr 29 - *RGTPS EVENT* Island Lake Night TT - MTB
TBD (June Wed/Thurs) - Waterford Night Worlds - Road
Sun Jun 24 - *RGTPS EVENT* Duathlon - Tri
Sun Jul 29 - Milford Crit - Road
Sat Aug 4 - Ride for the Cure - Touring
Sun Aug 12 - *RGTPS EVENT* Maybury Hot Lap - MTB
Sat Aug 18 - Maybury Time Trial CPS Race - MTB
Sun Aug 26 - *RGTPS EVENT* Octane Ride - Touring
Sun Sept 16 - Michigan Triathlon/Duathlon Championship - Tri
Sun Sept 30 - *RGTPS EVENT* Team TT - Road
Sun Oct 14 - *RGTPS EVENT* Adventure Race - Tri
Sat Oct 20 - Mad Anthony - CX
Sat Nov 3 - ICEMAN - MTB
Sat Nov 24 - *RGTPS EVENT* Psychocross - CX

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

2012 Yankee Springs Time Trial




Back by popular demand for 2012 will be the 23rd edition of the Yankee Springs Time Trail. Yea!
Like I have mentioned in the past, this event has traditionally been the first race of the MTB race season for many years. This race is a great social event and draws a large number of riders from all over the state of Michigan. This is always good news for those who talk of diminishing head counts at mountain bike events, especially for a Time Trial! This years race is capped at 700 riders and it just may hit that mark as the day draws closer. Like most trails and roads on the west side of Michigan, the Deep Lake trail is sandy, drains well and typically perfect for early season riding. This year has been atypical with warmer temperatures and I am hoping for some rain or moisture prior to the event. Current reports indicate the trail is dialed and in great shape. Yea.
I signed up for my age group and also signed up for the singlespeed race immediately following. I prefer to maximize my experience by enduring as much discomfort as possible. This race has never been a strong event for me but I have always had a good time kicking off the season surrounded by new faces and old friends.

Yankee Springs FB page:

Yankee Springs Time Trial website:

BikeReg.com:

Monday, April 9, 2012

2012 Ouachita Challenge


After many years of riding the fence on this event I finally decided it was time to take the plunge. I missed the registration deadline in 2011 and made sure to get myself registered for 2012. This year 500 slots filled in 20 minutes.
I "bundled" my excursion to Arkansas with a week off from work and I visited my mother in Fayetteville while checking out the local trails. The weather in the area was nice with 70 degree temperatures forecast.

I found a suitable hotel in nearby Mena and the overall logistics went fairly smooth. I quickly realized that I had placed myself smack-dab in the center of a dry county! No beer didn't mean the end of the world. Instead, I hydrated well anticipating the heat.


I went and picked up my packet and scoped out the Start/Finish area but, unfortunately, I was unable to do any kind of pre-ride. I studied the route map and quickly decided I would have to figure it out on race day. Bad strategy.

The morning was cool with the promise of 87 degree temperatures forecast for later in the day. It was cool to hang out at the start and watch all the locals exchange greetings like the first day of school after a long winter vacation and NOT know a single sole.
The route this year went clockwise with a long roll out and sustained climb that split the field. We then jumped onto the Ouachita Trail at the Brushy Creek aid station. I quickly found the trail to be very humbling with lots of bike-a-hike and very technical sections. I fared well on the climbs and fire road sections but, wow, my descending skills need some serious improvement. The heat took it out of many (including me) and the pickle juice at the latter aid stations was actually a nasty blessing in disguise. The Camelback was helpful in staying hydrated and keeping my hands on the grips. The Womble Trail was indeed the best part of the course. The technical aspect of these trails had me thinking that these local riders have a real advantage. This is their home turf and they were certainly killing it, especially the badass'on the rigid singlespeeds!

I went with Maxxis Ignitors 2.10 set up tubeless with a healthy dose of sealant. They held up great with only a few noticeable scuffs on the sidewalls. I threw a suspension fork on and the 29’er hardtail felt like the right tool for the job.
I was the sole rider representing the State of Michigan. There were a ton of DNF’s and I feel good about getting through it unscathed. I made a few observations after the ride which may serve to better describe my experience.

Benchcut - Switchback - Creek crossing (in every possible combination)
Dropoff
Boulder fields
Bike-a-hike
Square rocks of every size
Granny gear
Technical
Large snakes
Long climbs


The event was well run and the Southern hospitality was amazing! I learned a lot about the area and I have gained a deep appreciation for the trails and the folks who ride them.

In the meantime, I have been checking out the trails in NW Arkansas before heading back to Michigan. I would suggest you check out Arkansas if you ever get the opportunity. You won't regret it.



OC Facebook:

Ouachita Challenge website:

RESULTS: