Hitler angry over the state of 29ers in the World Cup

Check it out. Great video.

2009 SSWC - Singlespeed World Championships

SSWC09 BLOG


Durango, Colorado. What a fun looking event. Next time it's held in the US I am so doing this event. For 2010 it's official... New Zealand.
Singletrack.com article.

Michigan native Kelli Emmit. She can pull me over any time.

Michigan rider burning up the NUE Series

Michigan rider Christian Tanguy (Fraser Bikes) has just completed a stellar 2009 season in the NUE series. I've watched Christian over the years battle it out with Michigan rider Michael Simonson (Gary Fisher 29er Crew)in many of the local events. At first glance Christian does not fit the usual mold of the stereotypical FFG. His quiet, unassuming demeanor is kinda' stealthy. Here is a link to an article about Christian featured in Cyclingnews.
LINK

MICHIGAN DOUBLE CROSS 2009

Although I didn't make it out to the Waterford Hills Raceway for the Michigan Double cross weekend, this CX season kick-off event still looks like a fantastic weekend of racing.
Difficult corner:

Here's a short video of Sunday's race from Matt.

2009 Ithaca Grand Prix

It's official. I have finally registered for a Cyclocross event. This gig looks like a great place to start. Check out the event BLOG. It looks like a well stocked swag free-for-all!

2009 Addison Oaks Fall Classic XC

2009 Addison Oaks Fall Classic Chapter Benefit Race. As I approached the weekend I had not planned to do this race. As fate would have it my weekend plans took me to the in-laws house which is close to Addison Oaks County Park so I decided to jump on in. Addison is always a fun event and it was great to see all my mountain bike brethren. This was my first time on the mountain bike since June and the Lumberjack 100. As we lined up I saw several riders in my class who in the past, have consistently had little difficulty in handing me my ass. Like usual, the start was fast and I was mid-pack sitting in 5th or 6th. As we hit the singletrack it was business as usual as I stared at the wheel in front of me trying to make sure I wasn't too far in the red. I found myself on the wheel of Will Botens (RBS) who was in the hunt for the MMBA CPS. The pace was fast, but doable and we proceeded to pull in DJ Jurvalin (CycleFit) and pass him at the end of lap 1. At the beginning of lap 3, I passed Will and saw Matt Daly (Team Hasbin) only a short distance away. I caught up to him and we rode together for the next two laps. In the beginning Matt was very chatty but soon stopped talking and grew tired of me hanging on his wheel. He kept accelerating on the last lap to try and get a gap on me but I found I was able to keep it tight. Amazing, this never happens to me. I knew as long as I hung with him coming up to the grass finish I would use him to lead me out. I went around him near the finish and he had nothing left. Awesome. It turns out another rider finished in first about 3 minutes ahead of me but I was happy with my ride. I felt strong right up to the end and made few mistakes. As a footnote, Matt Daly and DJ Jurvalin have been battling it out here in Michigan for over 20 years for the top spot. I have a lot of respect for these riders and any day I can beat these dudes is a good day.




RESULTS:

CYCLOCROSS SEASON IS ON!

I have been telling myself I would try it for 2 years now. Heck, I have no reason not to. The road season has wrapped up and now we wait for Iceman on November 7. Time to suck it up and give it a go. There are basically 2 series going on the state of Michigan. The West side series around Grand Rapids and the East side series all around the SE corner of the state. Looks like a ton of events to float my boat.
East side schedule:
West side schedule:
More later...

Life is Good!

For a healthy dose of optimism these Life is good products have you covered.

2009 Leadville 100 video teaser

Although the hype is a bit much I must say this looks like a fantastic event to take part in. I used to live Minturn about 20 miles North of Leadville and it's great to see the town put back on the map. I recall driving up there for lunch at The Grill for some of the finest enchiladas. I do have to say, the EPIC SOUNDTRACK in the video is way over the top. Great race, great vibe.

Trophee' des Grimpeurs - September 5, 2009

Next up, the un-official Michigan Hill Climbers Championships being held this Saturday at Kensington Metro Park near Milford, Michigan. I like Kensington and the rolling terrain should be a welcome change from the last few criteriums I have sucked so bad at. I like to think of myself as a fairly good climber but I'm not feeling very confident at this time. It's all about the experience. Right? More later...

UPDATE: I had a much better racing experience this time. My warm up was on a trainer in the shade of the parking lot. I was able to hang with the pack for at least four of the seven laps before I got dropped on a climb. I was able to reel in a few stragglers and finished 22nd out of 35ish. I still have a long way to go before I can start to feel comfortable in these events but getting my ass kicked feels OK for now.

RESULTS:

Registration:

Race Flyer:

Sigma Heart Rate Monitor (HRM) - Thumbs up!

I have a basic Sigma brand heart rate monitor. I have used it off and on for a couple of years with good overall results. I went to use it the other day and I was unable to synchronize the chest unit with the HRM. I installed fresh batteries and after countless attempts to kick-start it I gave up and emailed Sigma Sport for their advise. After several prompt emails I was given a RA (return authorization) and sent it off to the company. In less than a week later I received a new replacement. Awesome service! Great job Sigma Sport!

Bikes are cool.

We all know the story about Lance Armstrong and his journey to beat the odds. The book he wrote is truly amazing. Seriously. It's not about the bike: my journey back to life By Lance Armstrong, Sally Jenkins Regardless of the title of the book I still dig bikes. For me it all about the bike. All kinds of bikes. In all shapes and sizes. If I could , I would surround myself with every possible model out there. Since this cannot be done I must settle for a few types that satisfy this incessant urge. And since I'm broke, I have to settle on things a tad down the middle of the road. No expensive-ass carbon fiber shizzle going on here. Here's a short video with my 2-wheeled friends.

Yesterday's ride...

I've realized that I have backed off the MTB racing this season. This wasn't planned but I needed to try some new things. The races are great for maintaining race level fitness but I've been doiing these races for years and wanted to try some new things. I have also been spending more time with the family on weekends. I train every day during the week before work scattered with a few road races and crits on weekends. It's been great. I train on the cyclocross bike on the rolling dirt roads outside of Ypsilant-Ann Arbor, MI. Although the knobby tires are slower they offer more versatility to explore. I see some cool things along the way and it keeps me off hazardous paved roads and certain death. Yesterday's ride took me to Dexter, MI along the Huron River. Training rides are cool.

Leadville 100: Results, Route Maps & Results | Cyclingnews.com

Armstrong wins 2009 Leadville 100.
Leadville 100: Results, Route Maps & Results | Cyclingnews.com

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Milford Criterium - August 22, 2009

Next up is the Milford Criterium taking place in the quaint village of Milford, Michigan. This will be my second attempt at the discipline of criterium racing. This time I plan to ride with the CAT 4 group and hopefully, I can actually be part of the race for a few laps. More to follow...

UPDATE:
Great event. Although I finished dead last in my group I am still very happy to have showed up and gave it a try. I blew up by lap 6, both legs were cramping bad and I rode alone for most of the race. Note to self, a better warm up would have been helpful. I suck at criteriums.

RESULTS:



Event Website:
Event Flyer:
Registration:

2009 Meijer Grand Cycling Classic -race report

I didn't think this race was going to happen today. I awoke to the sound of rain and proceeded to drive through a blinding downpour on the trip North to Grand Rapids. As if on queue, the clouds parted upon my arrival to the staging area and my nervous apprehension continued. I was about to take part in my first Criterium race. The event I chose to attempt this was the Meijer Grand Cycling Classic held in downtown Grand Rapids. I had just upgraded my USAC Cycling licence and registered in the Masters 45+ class. I soon discovered this class can contain racers from CAT 1-4. In other words, these dudes are freaky fast. Next time I'll stick with CAT 4. As I was warming up I witnessed several crashes during some of the prior heats which only added to my nervousness. I was advised to exercise caution over slick man-hole covers and any painted surfaces. The older brick road sections were greasy, especially in the turns.


The start was fast and I struggled to hang on to the pack during the first few laps. The intensity had me in difficulty immediately. On the backside of the course I lost contact with the group and spent the next half hour riding laps solo. During that time I was lapped twice by the field. For a brief period I wanted to drop out but hung on to finish 17th out of 19.

Overall it was a great race experience. It can only help me to become a better rider to do more of these type of events. I hung out to watch the Pro race and enjoyed every moment watching this spectacle with my teammates. Criterium racing is a spectator friendly event. Great time!

RESULTS

Ypsilanti to Dexter, MI ride...

Yesterday's training ride took me along the Huron river to the quaint hamlet of Dexter, Michigan. It was a combination of dirt roads and pavement which suits the cross bike well. The mileage can vary from 40-50 miles depending on the route. The Huron River road is quiet while they have it closed for road repairs. Good ride.

ROUTE MAP

Video is kinda fun...

I recently realized I have never really utilized the video feature on my digital camera. While riding today I thought I would give it a try. This is my first try. It should get better as I start to get used to the process of shooting video. I hope.

Meijer Grand Cycling Classic - August 8, 2009

Next up is the Meijer Grand Cycling Classic taking place on the cobbles of Grand Rapids, MI. This will be my first foray into the realm of criterium racing. I can honestly say that my strength is not in the areas of sprints and time trials. I tend to prefer longer, endurance events where I can advance through other's failures. I'm nervous considering the speeds that rival the Ben-Hur chariot race.
Should be a gas!

Mileage update July 31, 2009

July is over. I had a good month of riding and had some good experiences.