Early Spring riding

ROUTE

We have had a week of clear weather and the temperatures are starting to climb here in Michigan. Anything above 30 degrees feels balmy! It's been difficult to NOT ride with the sun shining and perfectly blue sky's above. I rode out to Dexter today and squeezed in a few hill intervals. Here is the route as well as some shots from this past week.

2010 Spa City 6 hour race report

I'm here in Hot Springs, Arkansas recovering from yesterday's Spa City 6 hour XC. Conditions were primo with blue skies and 60 degree temperatures. It was AWESOME to ride without all the winter gear and only shorts and short sleeves. It was hard to prepare for this type of event in the dead of winter. Kinda hard to taper for a 6 hour event when the usual winter training ride is roughly 2 hours.

The race is stop number two of the USAC Endurance Series. There were a few pros, namely Evan Plews, Rebecca Rusch and several other talented riders in attendance. While we walked up to the La Mans start line I chatted with Rebecca about her races in South America earlier this month. She struck me as a very nice person and a class act while also being amazingly fit! Damn, where was my camera?

The race course contained every possible feature found on a trail with the exception of sand. The rock in Arkansas is limestone and the trail was covered in a mix ranging from gravel to brick sized chock stones, all with very sharp edges. In a nutshell the trail had short technical climbs, creek crossings, MUD, switchbacks (uphill & downhill), roots, flowing singletrack, long climbs and fast rocky descents. Repeat over and over...



The course was set up on a 10 mile loop. The start was at 10am and you must finish your final lap by 4pm. The first 2.5 laps were great but the mud quickly gave me a bad case of chain suck and I struggled to get back to the pit area unscathed. I slathered on some lube and all was well again. I was starting to hurt. My lap times were over an hour and as I finished lap five I was told that if I went out for a sixth lap and did not make the cut off, the lap would not count. I came to ride 6 hours so I went back out regardless. I missed the cut off and the lap was discarded. My 5 lap time was 5:31:xx and I placed 6Th in my age group.

Overall, I think the hardest part for me was the upper body punishment the trail dished out on my shoulders, forearms, and especially my wrists. I could barely squeeze my bottles on the trail. And yes, I'm pretty sure I was staying light on the grips.


CyclingNews story:

Great event! Arkansas has some great riding.



RESULTS:

Today's ride...

...was awesome! I was visiting my in-laws in Shelby Township, Michigan, the sun was shining and it was a balmy 35 degrees out. I was surprised at the amount of snow on the ground and the network of nearby rail trails were clogged with snow so I decided to take a spin up to Stoney Creek Metro Park. The park has a wide, rolling 6.5 mile road that circles the perimeter with very light traffic. Most of my training rides are usually out and backs or a single large loop and I found the laps today offered a consistent workout over some nice terrain.
Park map:

Ice stating:

Stoney Creek:

Wheelsets are freakin amazing!

Need I say more? It is truly amazing how far bicycle rims have come. Just like everything else available today that is produced for the masses, the technology that is integrated into bicycle components and products is simply staggering. My first set of wheels that were considered "modern" were some wide-ass Araya rims that were standard issue on my 1985 Bianchi Grizzly. There were very few wheel options back then but I didn't know any better and they worked out fine for me.


Flash forward 25 years to today and you'll still find me riding some low-end hoops because I'm a practical guy with a limited budget, especially around carbon fiber. I was working on my bike yesterday and discovered the bearings on the front wheel of my mountain bike were toast. I couldn't ignore it any longer so I took it in to my favorite bike shop guru and the prognosis was simple. "Buy a new wheelset", said the Pusher. I looked around at the Mavic, Velocity, American Classic and Vuelta wheelsets scattered about the shop and quickly realized I needed to escape before I caved in. All I needed was a 26" front front wheel. The Pusher was handing me various wheel combinations that were designed to make me faster and cooler than I could ever dream of. As I held these circular pieces of art in my hands I had the impression that my wallet was suddenly becoming lighter. I stroked the carbon fiber and spun the aero wheelsets and visualized how freakin awesome it would be. I started to imagine how I could scrape up the cash and fabricate a hair-brained story to fool my wife about the magic carbon wheelset that mysteriously followed me home.
I had to leave. I reluctantly stood my ground and walked out with a $40.00 Mavic rim laced to a XT hub. I'm happy as a clam although I'm not feeling any faster or cooler right now but at least my wheel is fixed. Thank you for the awesome hook-up Daniel!

Today's ride...

...was great. Mild winter weather and a ride outside on the singlespeed made for a fun time.
I found a shoe:


I checked out the local art scene:




I saw some swans:



I saw a dam:



I rode some primo dirt roads:



Awesome!

6 hours of uncertainty?

Simply stated, the number six can mean a lot of things. For me, the first thing to come to mind is THE Number Six from Star Trek fame:


Of course there is always my favorite beverage which usually comes in sixths:


I could go on and on about the number six but what it really boils down to is my decision to enter a 6 hour race in the dead of winter. What the hell was I thinking? On February 27 I will be in Hot Springs, Arkansas riding in the Spa City 6 Hour XC. This event is stop number 2 on the 2010 USAC-MTB National Ultra-Endurance Calendar. Whew. In most cases a rider starts out the season in a progression of shorter events such as Time Trials and training events to slowly transition into the race season. February here in Michigan has been typical, I am a wuss when it comes to outdoor rides (insert whiny voice here) and I have had very little time in the saddle. FWIW, I also hate my trainer. Here is the current forecast:


The last time I rode six consecutive hours was in the Lumberjack 100 last June. In true fashion I have been tapering since January! The race course is a 10+ mile loop and my goal is to run sub-hour laps and make the time cut-off to get in a 7th lap. I am truly looking forward to the challenge although I have to say I'm not feeling too prepared for it. More later...

today's ride...

Marvelous! The sun was shining and it was clear and cold. I took the bike off the trainer and headed out for a two hour ride before work. I have determined that two hours is my minimum ride time threshold. I am aware that great workouts can be done in less time but given the amount of time to suit up I might as well be preparing for a space walk. Once I made it out the door it felt great to be in the fresh air although I still have to admit it, winter riding as a whole is a giant pain in the ass. The upside of winter riding is the effort it takes cannot be simulated indoors (in my opinion) and the two hour training ride is plenty satisfying. I made it out to the small hamlet of Whitmore Lake and took this shot:



I continued past the feed store:



I gawked at Saint Patricks steeple:



I got in 36 miles of rolling hills and I felt good about the effort. Now we are bracing for another round of winter and I'll have to put the bike back on the trainer. The trainer has worked out fine. It is a consistent workout although I have yet to make it beyond 90 minutes. Regardless of what I do to entertain or hypnotize myself it's just too freakin' boring. I have done a good job of maintaining a steady level of fitness over the off-season with a mix of spinning, training rides, weight work and core exercises. In years past the off-season meant nothing more than months of acting like a 3 toed sloth. Sigh...

Periodic Table of Professional Racing

From my new favorite cycling BLOG, Cyclocosm I discovered this super-duper chart featuring every possible big-time race you could ever dream about all on one easy chart. Science is fundamental.

Click the photo for a larger image.

2010 Lumberjack 100 - Sold out!

SWEET SASSIE MOLASSIE!!

When I did my first Lumberjack in 2008 I don't believe the 300 rider limit was even reached by the date of the race. Last year the race reached capacity by sometime in May. I awoke on Monday, February 1 to a voice mail from my buddy Daniel who mentioned I should get moving on this ASAP. Thank you Daniel. I ended up somewhere at the 240 mark and it was 1100 AM. The 6Th annual Lumberjack 100 was sold out by noon the same day. I've asked myself, "Why has this event become so popular"? What is attracting riders to this event? I believe the Lumberjack has simply achieved the correct formula for mass appeal. The 99% singletrack course is unrelenting with little opportunities to recover while covering some great terrain. The mileage is an accomplishment to a wide range of skill levels. The event vibe, food and Founders Ale is top notch. The 300 rider limit creates an urgency to "get in". Promoter Rick Plite and his crew have made the Lumberjack 100 what it is today by keeping it fresh through adaptation, innovation and hard work.

Lumberjack 100 website:

The Rider by Tim Krabbe

WOW, what a great book! This book will appeal to riders of all types as well as any non-riders out there. The story takes place in 1977 on a one day race through the mountains of France. It's a short, fast paced story that gives wonderful insight into the world of cycling from a riders perspective.
Taken from the Rapha cycling website:


Check it out.


The Amazon link below gives you a preview.
The Rider

Spa City 6 hour XC

Race info and flyer:

OK, not to appear too critical but this event has the lamest race flyer EVER! As a promoter wouldn't you want to stir up excitement in your event and take the time to UPDATE your race flyer. It's been the same layout for 3+ years. If the event is promoted as exciting or edgy I may be more inclined to shell out the scratch, tell all my friends about it and drive the 12+ hours to take part in a great event. Simple. Market your product and you will see results regardless of whether you are a non-profit organization or in it for the money. Sigh.


This increasingly popular event is coming to the town of Hot Springs, Arkansas on February 27th. My brother lives in Little Rock, AR and I have always wanted to try out this race for several years now. This year I will finally get the opportunity. The prospect of an early season race, especially an endurance event such as this gives additional purpose to my off-season training. In years past, most XC races usually start by mid-April. I just hope the temperatures are mild. Arkansas riding is fantastic and I recommend it to anyone out there.

Mohican 100 registration...

...is now open. Price goes up February 1st. Do it!

June 5, 2010

Website link:

Registration link:

My 2009 Mohican 100 race report:

2010 Team Kit

There have been some discussions recently about how the new Team RadioShack kit resembles our Racing Greyhound kit for 2010. I know for a fact that our kit was fianlized well before Lance debuted the Tron kit. I dig the look of our new kits! Octane Design did a fantastic job with the design. See you out there on the trail or roads.

Today's ride...

Great weather today, especially considering it's January in Michigan. I discovered that winter riding requires a significant increase in effort. Maybe double the effort. The same routes that I rode last summer with ease are kicking my ass. Maybe I can blame it on all those Holiday treats that my face was attracted to. Today's ride took me to Dexter MI.

Mt Evans, Colorado circa 1992

I came across this shot of me at the 14,250 ft. summit of Mt Evans, home of the annual Bob Cook Memorial Mt. Evans Hill Climb. The road that leads up to the top is the highest paved road in North America. I did this ride to raise $1500.00 for the United Way of Denver. Shortly afterward, the United Way scandal broke and my hard earned dollars were dust. I would love to do this ride again, especially on a lighter bike!
Damn, those vintage Oakley's are huge!

Gmaps ride route:

Click the image to enlarge.

Levi Leipheimer mountain bike video

This is a great example of how cross training can keep things fresh. Expand the image for full effect. I like how the helmet cam captures the flow and feel of the trail. Looks like a gas!

Levi Leipheimer on a Mountain bike from Roger Bartels on Vimeo.

Jens Voigt

Pro rider Jens Voigt is a gritty dude. He is not afraid to turn himself inside-out in the heat of battle. I came across this chart and realized I am a weenie when it comes to suffering in the name of training and I am currently stuck at Jens Factor 3. The Michigan weather lately has me housebound longing for some warmer weather. Soon.

Click on the chart for a larger image.

State Cross

OMG this is great! I know firsthand that promoters have to put up with their fare share of this kind of crap. My favorite comments from the clip are:
"It's cyclocross, not mountain bike racing, asshat".
"Single speed races should be free".
"I'm not paying to rock the one-cog".

First day of 2010...

Excellent start to the new year today. I dusted off the singlespeed and checked out the frozen dirt roads North of my place. The temperature was 20ish with 20mph winds out of the NW. With the winchill, the temperature was closer to 3 degrees. It didn't matter, I was dressed properly and I was ecstatic to be outside on the bike versus stuck inside toiling on the trainer. A great start to the season...