2010 no mas...

2010 is a done deal. My last ride of 2010 was rather odd. The weather was in the mid forties so I took the CX bike off the trainer and headed out to Dexter, MI. The ride out was great but at the 27 mile mark I felt the first raindrop and realized I was screwed. I turned around and it was a long cold ride back home through the downpour and standing water. I made it back safely with enough time to clean up and head in to work. I killed my mileage goal this year and it is now time to reset the odometer. Overall, it was a great year. I will spare you from all of the details and simply wish you all a fantastic New Year in 2011.

2010 is coming to a close...

...and there is still plenty of riding to do.

Cold Weather Riding article

This is the latest installment from the Dirt Rag Magazine crew. Great article with some very sound advise regarding preparation and the mental aspect of getting out. Read, ride, repeat.

Dirt Rag Home:


Cold Weather Riding: It's All In Your Head
Submitted by Andy on Fri, 11/21/2008 - 05:50


When the temperature drops and daylight wanes, many riders confine themselves to an indoor trainer or hang up their bikes altogether for the winter months. True, winter riding presents unique challenges, but it also reaps great rewards. Aside from the physical benefits of riding all year long, winter riding opens up a world of opportunities for adventure, fun, and natural beauty. Over the next several weeks, the Dirt Rag staff will share some valuable tips, tricks and experiences to keep you riding this winter.

In this first installment in our series on winter riding, we begin with a single step outside. The mental decision to brave the elements is often times harder than choosing the appropriate gear for your ride. When you're warm and cozy inside your bed/house/car, the prospect of getting all geared up and facing physical discomfort in the form of cold, ice, snow, and/or rain doesn't seem like it would be all that much fun. Indeed, often times the first 15 minutes of a winter ride are uncomfortable, but after a good warm-up the fun begins.

I know this fact well, but on some foul weather mornings I still find myself rationalizing about why I'd rather drive to work or skip the trail ride and stay at home and drink coffee. The reason? Inertia or resistance to change your state of comfort. On one hand, you're warm and dry. On the other, you choose to exchange those luxuries to be cold and wet. When I think about it, I know I will be happier if I ride no matter what the weather. But the mental and physical preparation for the ride often times seems insurmountable. Obviously they're not, and what it comes down to is that you just have to push on through and get on your bike. Below are a few tips that make it a little easier for me to get moving during the winter months.


1. If you know you're riding in the morning, get up a little earlier than usual so that you can fully wake up and get your body physically and mentally prepared.

2. Before a ride, I try and warm up a little inside before leaving the house. Not so much that I break a sweat. Something as simple as climbing up and down the steps a few times or doing a few push-ups or sit-ups to increase my heart rate is all that it takes.

3. Get enough sleep the night before a ride. This is sound advice all year long, but it's especially important in the low-motivation months of winter.

4. The more you ride during the winter, the easier it is to get motivated to ride. Again, this is true all year long, but more pronounced in winter.

5. Get your bike and gear ready to go the night before you ride. Riding in the winter takes a little more preparation, so it's best not to leave it until the last minute. That only gives you an excuse not to ride.

Once you get outside, your comfort level on the bike is critical so that you actually stay on your bike and enjoy the ride. The right gear can make that happen. Tune in next week to learn a little about foul-weather footwear. It's always good to keep the piggies happy.

* Andy's blog

Oh Willow

Look what I found....

....under the Christmas tree.



It's a hands free video camera. I have never considered owning a video camera although I have always wanted to share the thrill of the ride to my non-cycling friends and family. I am totally stoked to try this out on some of my favorite trails, events and rides. Hell, I'm ready to bust it out on my Senior walk around the Mall. Cutting edge never got any sweeter.

Contour HD website:



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Criterium Detroit City - July 9, 2011

This looks like it could be a pretty sweet venue for a crit. There is no website for additional information at this time.

Check out the Facebook page here: CriteriumDetroitCity

2010 Mileage...

Today's ride took my annual mileage over the 65K mark. WOOT! My mileage goal this year was 5500 and I am pleased with the results. This is an accomplishment for me and it leads me toward a great deal of introspection regarding the year and what I was trying to accomplish.
For me it was all about spending time riding versus NOT riding at all. I work evenings and feel it necessary to get outside in the AM and ride instead of the dreadful alternative of plopping down on the couch to watch Oprah. I fell into a routine that took me back to my days as a ski bum. Work nights and play in the day. During the week I would ride from my front door for 2-3 hours before work on a vast network of paved and dirt roads north of Ann Arbor, MI. I would choose the cross bike, mountain bike or road bike based on the current road conditions. I would also try to watch the extended forecast and map out rest days around the crappy weather. I looked forward to a few rainy mornings where it was possible to get "other" necessities of life accomplished. During the weekend I would either race or ride as much singletrack as possible.
This is the program that worked for me. It may not work for others but it is the routine that I enjoyed. Riding is riding.
Rant on. Some folks (thank you MMBA Forum) think that if these miles are not specifically "trail miles" then they should be weighted less. As if trail miles rule supreme and anything less is unworthy. This logic is shot down by folks like Robert Herriman and SIMONSTER who rack up countless miles over the season and still kick ass in the Elite level races. These "trails only" haters are the same folks who drive to Island Lake every day to do countless laps on one of the easiest trails in Michigan. I equate that logic to an Expert skier skiing green runs all day. It may be fun every now and then but...
I won't get into the endless road versus mountain debates here. Hell, I'm not even going to get started on the recumbent miles debate!
Rant off.
Some may feel that quality miles are more important than quantity miles. True, it all boils down to what makes you a better rider and keeps you coming back for more. For me, it was about getting out, exploring and staying fit. I'm happy to report that it was a stellar year for me.

Happy Holidays!

Dirt road dynamics

Today I went down hard for the first time all year. I was at the end of a long ride and I was riding a frozen, iced over dirt road. I lost contact with the crown of the road and slid out toward the ditch. Typically, the roads around here are in good shape and seldom present a hazard. I've had plenty of time in the saddle to analyze my crash and the current state of the road conditions in my neck of the woods.

Dirt roads are build to drain surface water and usually include a raised crown running down the center. See diagram below.

Dirt road cross section (click image to enlarge):


Ford Road (note the crown):


My nemesis, the road grader:


Aarghh!!


So what does all this mean? In the summer the crown is usually the hardest and fastest surface to be found on a dirt road. If you drop down towards the edge you run the risk of plowing through loose gravel and random potholes lurking to eat up your wheel.
In the winter, riding the crown is fine (as long as it is wide) but when it is contoured or elevated with frozen snow or ice, it can be a challenge. If the crown is too narrow, you can run the risk of sliding off and down toward the edge of the road. The icy conditions tend to accentuate the slope. I tend to keep looking ahead and assessing the best line to take. High or low? I watch for brown sections of exposed road that may provide better traction. I also consider that yesterday's thaw may result in today's slick conditions. Check the air pressure in your tires and go low to maximize the best possible grip. Also, when riding on smooth ice make subtle movements by shifting your weight on the saddle to steer and apply smooth even pressure on the pedals whenever possible. Stay centered and be ready to put a foot down if necessary. Yeah, yeah, I know that studs would work fine but I don't have any and I like to think that this balancing act is helping my core and bike handling skills.

That is all. Now get out and ride!

Today's ride...

...was flippin' fabulous! What a difference a day makes and an additional 10 degrees of warmth. I took out the SS and rode the rolling ice covered dirt roads North of the Huron River. Conditions were generally firm with good traction. It was still pretty slow going. I am thinking that 20 degrees is my new temperate threshold for outdoor rides.

Cyclocross racer using cell phone during race

BikePortland.org posted this story and photo. I dig these finish line shots! Check out the comments at the bottom of the article.


Taken by official finish line camera during cycloross race.
(Photo: OBRA)

The photo above was snapped by an official Oregon Bicycle Racing Association finish line camera during a cyclocross race over the weekend. Yes, the guy looks to be texting or checking emails during his race! (Or, as a commenter below pointed out, it also might be a GPS device).

OBRA official Candi Murray shared the photo on the OBRA email list last night and added, "Tell me he was not making a call."

Today's ride...

...was difficult. Call me a whiner or a wimp but I had to bag today's outdoor ride at the ten mile mark. Easily, my shortest ride of the year. I'm having difficulty keeping warm. I am currently on anticoagulants (Coumadin) and I have discovered I am running a cooler body temperature than ever before. Regardless, unless it "warms" up a tad I may have to hang it up for a while.



I came across this article from the INR testing website:

Does Coumadin® make you chilly?

Wednesday, November 1, 2006
PTINR.com Staff
Some patients complain they feel colder when taking warfarin – is there a connection or is this an urban legend?

There’s a chill in the air. Some blame taking Coumadin® is the cause. Officially, the package insert for Coumadin lists under its adverse reactions: cold intolerance and feelings of cold or chills.

It is important to note other adverse reactions included: fatigue, nausea, vomiting, pain, headache, and changes in patient’s taste are also listed in the potential side effects. Like feelings of being cold – there is very little if any evidence to suggest that Coumadin would be responsible for any of the above side effects.

Coumadin or its generic equivalent warfarin interferes with the body’s ability to form clots. There is nothing in the activity of warfarin (Coumadin ®) to suggest feelings of being cold however, because patients experienced these feelings in clinical studies – they are included as “side effects”.

No one discounts patient accounts, however, associating a medication with those feelings lack a scientific basis. The list of reactions experienced by patients “infrequently”, including feelings of being cold are similar sensations in the normal aging process. The ability to cool and heat the body becomes more difficult as we age. Holding warfarin responsible for feelings of being cold may not be warfarin’s fault but related to another condition. Patients should share their side effects with their healthcare professional regardless of how benign it seems.


I guess I need to find something some cross-training alternatives. Sigh...

Riding in Basque Country.

Uh...Spain looks really, really, really nice right now.

BasqueMTB - The Coastal Video from BasqueMTB on Vimeo.

IKEA gives out bikes to 12, 400 employees

While Walmart was busy chipping away at employees' perks, the swingin' Swedes at Ikea were busy handing out early Christmas presents to staffers in the form of free bikes.

From the Philadelphia Inquirer:

“This is our way of saying ‘thanks Ikea co-workers for being strongly committed to working together,’” Mike Ward, Ikea U.S. president, said in a release announcing the giveaway. “We hope this bike will be taken in the spirit of the season while supporting a healthy lifestyle and everyday sustainable transport.”

It was no surprise Ikea, spokeswoman Mona Liss said the bikes arrived last week in a flat box and needed to be assembled. Some assembly required.

The silver bikes have a yellow, white and blue stripe, and are all-terrain and unisex.

They don't have the Ikea logo, however, because "we don't want people to think we manufacture bicycles."

I support this idea. I cannot see any real reason to knock it. Hopefully these bicycles will actually be used or given to those who NEED a bike for transportation. It would be interesting to follow up and see where these bikes end up in a year. Hopefully, not in a junk heap.

Oh to be a Pro cyclist...

...and get paid to enjoy recess on a pump track. How awesome!


The Team RadioShack training camps have wrapped up before the Holiday's and the Tour Down Under January 16 - 23, 2011. The shots taken in the Arizona dessert are wonderful. Blue skies and sunshine. I would love to hang out there for the entire winter season. So sad...
For more photos and articles visit the team website @
Team Radioshack:




Here in Michigan, the latest weather has me longing for warmer weather already. The month of November was fantastic and it was possible to ride without the threat of winter conditions. On December 1st it was like a switch had been turned on and winter arrived overnight. Woe is me, I could still ride as long as the ground was clear. Right?
Here is a sampling of gear needed for a typical 2 hour ride from my front door:

My drink mix turning into a lemon-lime Squishee (brain freeze):


The road will clear and there will be plenty of training rides to get under the belt. I'm just whining.

2011 (NUE) National Ultra Endurance Series schedule

The new schedule is out. With a few new venues added it looks like a better balance of Western venues and a general overall shuffling of the schedule. The series used to feature more Eastern venues which made it difficult for riders to meet the 4 race minimum. Looks great so far!

NUE website:

cyclingnews.com article:

2011 (NUE) National Ultra Endurance Series tentative schedule
April 30: Cohutta 100 Ducktown, Tennessee (REGISTRATION)
May 14: Syllamo's Revenge 100, Mountain View, Arkansas
June 4: Mohican 100, Loudonville, Ohio
June 18: Lumberjack 100, Wellston, Michigan
July 16: Breckenridge 100, Breckenridge, Colorado
July 23: High Cascades 100, Bend, Oregon
July 30: Wilderness 101, State College, Pennsylvania
August 6: Pierre’s hole 100, Alta, Wyoming
August 20: Fool’s Gold 100, Dahlonega, Georgia
September 3: Park City Point to Point 80, Park City, Utah
September 4: Shenandoah Mountain100, Harrisonburg, Virginia

20100 Cyclocross National Championships

Bend, Oregon. Awesome coverage this year! Congratulations to ALL the riders who lined up and gave it their all.

Cycling Dirt coverage:

Cyclocross Magazine coverage:

VeloNews:

Invitational Cyclocross- December 4, 2010-Detroit, MI

My teammate Jeffro (in the Cossack hat above) created and hosted a CX race this past Saturday. This excerpt was taken from his Blog, CX Czar:

I've decided to host my own Cyclocross.

For the last several years I've competed in or witnessed some of the most unique cyclocross events in North America and would like to incorporate the best of these events into our own quazi-competitive event in the motor city.
My race team, The RACING GREYHOUNDS!, has an internal racing series that is made up of numerous public and private events designed to encourage cross discipline competition and team comradere (as well as internal trash talk and squabbling). These events include Time trials, Criteriums, mountain bike races, Triathlons, duathlons, as well as night mountain bike races, Iceman and of course cyclocross races like the Mad Anthony. As CX Team Captain, it is my responsibility to create a unique season ending cyclocross event that will follow those guidelines as well as punish all of those not familiar with the delicate art of Cyclocross (I'm looking at you tri-team) While planning this event, it was obvious that the best part of racing cyclocross is the fan/ racer interaction. It was obvious that we needed to have two races: The first for Greyhounds Team Points race and the Second to celebrate all of our friends and competitors that made this past year great.

OK, since I chose to help out I found myself at Dorais Park at 0730 to help lay out the course. It is a small, forgotten park near some run down neighborhoods. The best feature is the soap box derby hill at the top of the park and the concrete velodrome at the base. Perfect.


The "progressive ascending barriers" complete with an intersection:


The Tequilla Shot Shortcut cut out a portion of the course. The winner of both races did a shot on EVERY lap. That amounts to 13 shots!


The Invitational race brought out several teams:






It took 3 hours to set up the course. It took about 30 minutes to break it down. Afterwards we all headed over to Kuhnhenn's Brewing Company for eats & drink. What a great time! A huge thank you to all those who came out to play. Not too shabby for a FREE event. This could be the start of something big.

Iron Horse Bicycle Classic - May 28-30 2011

I'm geeked! I just signed up for the 40th running of the IHBC! I signed up for the KOM events which includes the 47 mile Road Race from Durango to Silverton followed by the Mountain Bike XC on Sunday. I was registered for this event a couple of years ago (when the road race was canceled due to snow) and basically bagged the trip to Durango. The last time the Iron Horse included a XC race was in 2006. I raced this as a Sport rider and I sucked thoroughly. It started off bad when I missed the start and had to hammer up Chapman Ski Hill from a cold start. For me the best part was rubbing elbows at the finish venue while checking out the results (and picking up their winnings) with luminaries such as Travis Brown, Ned Overend and Shonny Vanlandingham. Just another day at the office for these locals. Chaulk it up to a new experience. Hopefully, I will suck less. On the events tab of the website it indicates the Criterium and MTB race will be going on simultaneously with laps taking place through downtown Durango. Should be interesting. It's a tad pricey but I have wanted to do this for several years. Check out the details. Registration is still open.

Website & Registration:

Good time

Brazilian or American? Who cares.

I associate this song with the Amstel Light beer commercial.
I rode a bicycle along the Amstel River this summer.
I drank Amstel Light while in Amsterdam and it tasted great!
Life is a journey. Enjoy the good times wherever you may find them.

Michigan Masters racer suspended for EPO use

I've been debating this topic since the story broke last week. I don't want to dog pile on him but it's been difficult to ignore. This story and subsequent outcome has fueled some fiery rhetoric being slung across the Blog-a-sphere. IMO, this whole thing sucks.
Here are the details:

VeloNews article:
* By Charles Pelkey
* Updated: Nov 24th 2010 12:27 PM EST

Neal Schubel, a 45-year-old masters racer from Saginaw, Michigan, has accepted a two-year suspension from competition after the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency found that he had purchased and used synthetic erythropoietin (EPO).

According to a USADA announcement issued Wednesday, Schubel’s suspension began on November 18, 2010, the day he accepted the sanction, but his results have been negated all the way back to August of 2006. Schubel readily admitted the violation when confronted with evidence in the agency’s possession.

Under UCI and USADA rules, Schubel is also required to return any prizes earned over that four-year period, but a review of his results posted at USA Cycling’s website suggests that he needn’t worry about that aspect of the Doping Code.

RESULTS:

Neal Schubel's response from Facebook:

I wanted to post this to all my cycling friends and colleagues. I have been sanctioned for two years by the cycling federation for buying and using erythropoietin in August 2006. I had always wondered what it would feel like to cycle on it and exactly how much it could increase a person's performance, so I bought some online in early August of that year and took a dose each week for a month. My hematacrit before I took it was 42.3 and when I had it tested the lst week in September it had gone up to 49.2, and by mid-October it had dropped back to 44.5 I had trained with a powertap that year and my maxmimum wattage output had been 332 watts for 32 minutes at the Willow Time Trial. I did a 25 minute time trial test the 2nd week in September and my wattage was 361 watts. It was almost a 9% increase on end of season fatigued legs. When you consider that the difference between lst and last place in the Tour is only 3%, it's easy to understand why epo can skew the whole playing field and why it can't be in the sport. It made it easy to understand how whole pro careers can be made by riding 10-20 percent over their natural abilities. I did not race on it during this time, but it was still the absolute wrong choice to make. I think we all know deep down when we are doing something we should'nt be doing, and I should have listened to myself better. It was very easy and tempting to just send an email and order it, and I lacked the self-discipline then to not do it even though I knew deep down it was'nt right. I shared the numbers so hopefully anyone curious can refer to these and NOT try it!!!! I've told my son about this experience and I hope he can take away from it that there will be many times in your life that temptation to make the wrong choice will arise, and that you have to be able to have the self-discipline and moral fiber to make the right one. I hope that can be a positive aspect of this.
I am a good father, husband, and honest businessman, and every time I've ever knowingly gone against my morals, I've paid the price. I stole a .98 cent car air freshener in 10th grade and got caught, I knowingly drove my car way over the legal limit when I was 23 and got caught, and this time with the epo. I can say for sure that I will always listen to my moral compass from this point on!!! You can't selectively apply your morals, they have to be the end all/ be all that keeps you on the right path. I hope everyone understands that although I've haven't raced much in the last 3 years, I feel terrible about bringing any negative aspect to the sport. I feel proud starting the West Branch race, and I want to make sure I give something positive back to the sport and not cast it in a bad light. I love to simply ride my bike with my friends and will always do that. If you have any questions or comments, please let me know.
Take Care
Neal

On a side note (and this has little to do with the story above), as a 50+ Expert rider where the Expert Women start behind us, I have had the pleasure of being chicked by Neal's wife Susan on many occasions. She is an excellent rider.

Is there such thing as a Fall thaw?

Well, today was the much heralded Cyber Monday that follows the Thanksgiving Holiday. Rather than waste my day in front of a computer doing all possible to resist the urge to purchase useless cycling crap I chose instead to go for a ride. Shocking!
I met up with a teammate, Wendell, at Island Lake State Recreation area and rode a few laps of singletrack. At 1000 am, lap 1 was very fast on the frozen singletrack. My tires were hooking up in the turns and it was a blast to ride with someone, especially on an identical bike as my own. It was kinda like looking in a warped mirror, although the guy in front of me was half my weight and age. The temperature kept climbing, the ground thawed and lap 2 was a greasy mess. We then hit the road over to Kensington Metro Park for a lap around the park. All in all, it was a great day to ride and it reminded me of the fact that the Spring thaw is only a few months away.

Sunday, December 5, 2010 - Springfield Oaks CX

SUNDAY! SUNDAY! SUNDAY!
This will be the final race of the Michigan Cyclocross Championships. Be there!

Race flyer and details HERE:

Registration LINK:

The weather outside is frightful...

...but it's nothing like it's going to be in February.



It's 28 degrees outside. Overcast. Light winds. Perfect day for a ride.

With this in mind I have continued my protest of NOT riding that fracking trainer until it's absolutely necessary. Conditions have become generally "harsh" lately although the ground is still clear and it's possible to continue with the outdoor rides. That being said I have noticed several things as the season draws to a close. Primarily, the effort to knock out some miles has increased. Rides that took place in the heat of summer are taking a lot more effort now. My overall average speed is dropping. This could be the result of several things such as fatigue, cold muscles or just being slow as hell. Easily, it now takes me an additional 30+ minutes to prepare for my ride. I check the weather feeds for temperature, wind speed and direction. I utilize multiple thin layers and my choices have worked fine but I still feel like I'm hauling an extra 5-10 pounds wrapped around my body. I'll take it. It still beats spinning indoors and I will keep going until the snow gets too deep.

Be Thankful...

Have a great Thanksgiving everyone. Be thankful for your family, friends, loved ones, good health, carbon fiber and especially your bike. Be thankful that we live in a great time.

US Gran Prix of Cyclocross

The fun continues....



The Stanley Portland Cup - December 4th & 5th, 2010

U.S. gran prix of cyclocross from Jim Fryer/BrakeThrough Media on Vimeo.

US Gran Prix of Cyclocross LINK: