Neither.

Well a lot has happened since the last post. The Wednesday night ride has become a staple, and then receded into the past. After leaving the country for the first time, I have a skewed and renewed vigor for random tidbits for life.
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After leaving for Mexico, I was excited for my future. I couldn't imagine a world outside the country I had known. What I saw blew me away. If you are an American (from the USA, you will not be surprised) and travel to Cancun, Mexico, you will find what you are looking for. Hell let me put it this way. If I were going there to get completely wasted (a la Iowa City-tailgating style), I would be disappointed.

While the "luxurious" amenities abounded, I was significantly disinterested. I met some sweet people, but could not imagine a more watered down experience. Was it not a fabulous honeymoon? Of course it was. Emily and I experienced gorgeous views, beautiful seas and magnificent beaches in the company of our one true love. We were in heaven. Anything we wanted to eat or drink for 10 days, while in the company of the only individual on the planet that was significant.

So compared to Brazil, what did I experience? Everything. The beautiful people of the country emblazoned my memory with imagery that I cannot begin to describe. The love, care, and emotion with which they displayed their passion for their homeland left little to question, and much to be desired. I can only begin to describe the experience in picture rather than words.


I apologize as I struggle to find purchase on what my blog has come to be, but I have struggled to describe my personal experiences over the past couple of months as I see them now. I would say that things have changed drastically, but they haven't.

I haven't stagnated. I have advanced. I have raced. I have biked. I have loved. I have been overly corny. I have been a poor husband. I have grown as a human being. To say that I have done anything other than stagnated would be a travesty.

I apologize for being dramatic previously, and continuously. I was in a weird place, and quite honestly still am. This whole season has left me humbled on the bike and in my learning environment. Some might think that to be a weird statement, but I will leave you with this. Try walking in someone else shoes for a minute. It might throw you off for a while.
On to Gnomefest. If you don't know what it is. Listen up, learn yourself somethin'. Get to the 'Scons, and live a little. I'll be back soon.

Stagnate or Advance?

I have been pretty flat since returning from vacation. After a wedding, the end of my semester (during which time I spent three decent weeks on the bike) I have been ultimately flat since my vacation. I don't even know where to start. Well I do, but I am lacking motivation.

A garage full of bikes. A body ready (but questioningly able).

I need some kind of rebound. I am ready to throw in the towel, but last season lingers in my brain. I overcame stupidity last year. This season brings struggles due to life decisions.

Where do I start? A long road to travel any way I slice it.

Got married, Finals, then rode my bike. Now in Brazil.

Be back soon.

Iola Bump and Jump Race Report

Well one week before my wedding and I knew I needed to get to one last bachelor race before marriage. Luckily instead of having to drive completely hungover up to Iola on my own, Kevin from the shop decided to head up there with me. He just purchased a brand new car and an awesome roof rack so he was definitely looking for an excuse to use it (and to lay the smack down on my hungover butt.)

We met up at 6:30am to make the 5 hour drive up to Iola, Wisconsin. Little did I realize that I had basically made this drive before for Gnomefest Quattro. We chatted and listened to some good tunes, peed one too many times and snacked on some good foods on the way up. We stopped in Steven's Point just down the road from Iola to grab some sandwiches before the race. We ran into the Eppen's who were doing the exact same thing.

I tried to cram some sandwich down and some chips which worked ok. I was still feeling my bachelor party from Friday night. Needless to say I enjoyed the evening and was home in bed by 11:30pm (I was lit beyond belief). We got to the venue and not to our surprise it was packed. There were countless cars everywhere. Right when we got there the Sport race was going off and the line of racers was longer than any I have ever seen. There were probably 250-300 people racing sport. Insane.

We got registered and perused what little of the course we could. With the races being so large, you cannot pre-ride the day of the race, so we checked it out what little we could. It was time to get ready so we suited up after finding Kyle and Robin and pre-rode a little bit. We thought we were going to nab a good starting position by getting to the line early, but it seemed that everyone else was there 10 minutes early.

We lined up somewhere in the 50-60's of our field. We didn't know at the time, but our field was 94 deep. Talk about nerve wracking. National anthem, waiting, call-ups not in that particular order. Then go time. With 50 people in front of you, you have time to make sure you don't slip a pedal or do anything stupid, unfortunately, it is the people hurrying in front of you you have to worry about. Two guys got a little tangled in front of me so I had to clip out. Not a lot of momentum lost and I cranked as hard as I could up the start hill.

The beginning of the race is really open and all doubletrack. There are some wicked steep climbs which were going to take there toll later in the race. I kept the pedal down, but on the open sections just wasn't feeling it. I made it through lap one unscathed and had moved up a little ways.

Lap two went on without a hitch until the end. Riding behind a 29er crew racer out of a singletrack section into a clearing, he took a really inside line near some course markers. I was gassing pretty hard and not paying as close attention as I should have. Totally being my fault I rode too far inside and smoked a pole. Nothing serious and no crash, but I came to a complete stop and had to rally to catch back onto the group after the opening climb.

I caught back on, but the damage was done for lap 3. I had to back off at the beginning of lap 4. So did everyone in the group except Kevin. He was riding really strong and just walked away on the start climb. I could have chased, but knew I had to sit in and let my legs come around. After the 3rd or 4th hard climb I hacked the most epic two part loogie of my life. And after the epic loogie, it was game on.

My legs out of no where came around! My hangover and stomach came out of no where and started working. I kept the pedal to the floor with only two or three guys hanging onto me. At the beginning of the 5th lap I could tell they were hurting and just kept the pace up. I felt great at the steady tempo. I was paying for Friday night on the climbs, but I just cruised those in the granny and kept the pressure on until the singletrack. There was no one in sight at that point. I rode to the end of the race solo on the remaining singletrack.

I ended the day 26th which wasn't too shabby for being more drunk on Friday than I have in probably a year (don't ask about that time). Eppen killed it of course and took 2nd and Kevin took 23rd. Robin did awesome as well taking down 7th in the Women's Elite. Dr. Kyle rode strong as well considering he had just defended his doctoral thesis two weeks before hand. Kim Eppen flatted/burped her tire of the remaining pressure and DNF'ed which sucked. She asked if anyone wanted to ride Sugar the next day, and we all declined. No way was I going to ride when she had some aggression to take out on the trails.

All in all a good weekend. Now time to get married. I have more butterflies in my stomach than you could ever imagine. I know that isn't a thing for a guy to say, but screw it it is true. I love Emily more than anyone could imagine and the anticipation of her being my wife is killing me.

I also have a bitching SS cross/gravel conversion coming up after I get Emily's wedding present all built up. The build has spiraled out of control as new parts that are just hitting the market have literally been falling in my lap as I need them. They have just become available pretty much exactly when I need them. I will detail that in the next couple of days.

Decorah Time Trial Race Report

Knowing that the Decorah Time Trials were going to be on the IMBCS schedule this year, I knew it was a must do. About 3.5 years ago I had the chance to cruise up to Decorah to finally ride the awesome trails. With it being 3.5 years since I had ridden them (I have subsequently said year after year that I was going to get up there at least once) I knew I was going to need a refresher on the trails.

I contacted Shockey at the beginning of last week. Tentatively the plan was I was heading up on Thursday to pre-ride come hell or high water. Luckily neither of those came about and I was actually joined by Adam and Thomas B. We shoved off nice and early (8am, come on it was my day off) in gorgeously sunny weather. Shockey had arranged for Jeff O'Gara to ride with us.

Last time I rode those trails a couple of friends and I actually rode with Jeff and another individual who we figured out to be none other than Ben Shockey. Small world, but it is Iowa. So after some minor adventures on the way up we arrived just in time to meet up with Jeff.

Jeff knows those trails well enough that he could casually ride a fast pace and make us feel pretty worthless, but without that kind of pace, I wouldn't have gotten a good race pace feel for the trails. We rode just about all of the course (some or most backwards) and included the Palisades side just to round things off and kill the last of what was in our legs. I somehow remembered a lot of the trails and where we were which was great.

Come race day Adam and I met up even earlier at 7am to rainy cool weather. With a 10am start we knew that we had to get up there early enough to get a decent start time. We arrived right at 9:30 with just enough time to register and get the low down in the race meeting. We nabbed the 10:53 and 10:54 start times, and got suited up.

One thing I need to work on is warming up. I suck at it. The course started with about a 200 yard road stretch and then turned into the sky. I had been forewarned about the opening section. I knew there would reach a point that got too steep. This came a little earlier than anticipated due to the tacky/slightly muddy conditions. At this point my heart was beating out of my chest so I hopped off the bike and attempted to run. Not happening. So I hiked up the short section that led to the top of the bluff.

I thought that things wouldn't turn up again too badly, but I was wrong. I was 10 minutes in and had already passed countless people who were faced with the intensity of the climbs. The trail opened up into a double track section that again pitched up steeply. There were three more people here either off the bike or just trudging along. I dove in past the last of them thankful to find the trail finally at the top of the bluff.

This is where my heart finally slowed down and I got into a good rhythm. After this I was on cruise control. I was feeling great. I knew the couple of trouble climbs after this point and knew the insane dosage of elevation was better spread across the remainder of the course.

I got heckled twice going through Death Valley where all the party people were hanging out and was wishing I could stop, but I felt really good. I got down to the river trail and punched it as fast as I was comfortable with. Trevor was waiting at the line and said I had rolled across the line close the the sub-1 hour mark. I knew I had made the top 5 and was content.

I then proceded to drink way too many beers, eat some awesome chili, hang out with Shockey, Adam, and Marty, show up to the awards late (they started way earlier than anticipated) and then head home. I pulled out 4th on the day. I had hoped for more, but everything felt great. The stupid cramping problem was being caused by the Rotor rings and was remedied by a chainring position change. This race confirmed it.

Next up is the WORS race at Iola. I am hoping that my legs have a little Bump and Jump in them after my bachelor party on Friday night. I have a long drive up there on Saturday evening after work and a late start time on Sunday and then more driving.

After that I am on official house lockdown. No mountain biking for me until after the wedding. More self imposed than anything seeing as the beginning of the season has been laden with races already.

Sylvan Island Stampede Race Report

So this is way late, but better than never. I headed down to Davenport early on Saturday for my cousin's wedding so I got a chance to preride the course with Emily. Riding the course backward from last year was very surprising. It rode great! Not a single hiccup in the flow of the course.

The wedding went off without a hitch, I probably drank too many beers, and then headed to the hotel to get some rest. I woke up nice and early to watch Paris-Roubaix. It was crazy to see Cancellara ride away from the rest of the field that well. After getting ready we headed over to the Island to watch the Sport/Women's race.

After getting all ready, we lined up for the Men's Expert race. Things were running behind all day long so it was an antsy start on top of the fact that it was the first IMBCS race of the year. I as usual was an idiot and didn't get a front row start which really hurt my chances. I was right behind Kevin who got bumped off the start which in turn caused hesitation on my part.

So getting into the singletrack somewhere around the 20's I knew I was going to need to do some work to get through the beginning of the field. What I didn't know was that I was going to darn near have to blow myself to do this. On the open sections of the course it seemed like everyone was riding really strong. I had to burn a couple more matches that I would have liked to just moving up.

I got up to around 4-5th by around the end of lap 2. I realized that if I held that "pace" I was going to blow up. Worst part was all the accelerations were causing me to slow instead of being able to settle in and hold a solid pace. The rest of the next two laps were damage control.

I over'Gued myself somewhere around lap 4. My stomach got all weird and bloated which turned out to force me into a comfortable pace. At this point I realized my fitness was lacking and that I was going to ride above my comfort level just to save face.

Lap 5-6 were when I felt the best. If the race would have ended at lap 6 I would have been happy. I would have been one place lower, but Jed Gammel rode stronger than I and should have beat me if not for a late race puncture. I also have to give it up to Brian Kingsbury. He rode the race of his life. His fitness looked great. He caught me on lap 6 and never looked back. Hats off to him.

I ended up 5th on the day. With guys like Brian Eppen, Jesse Lalonde, Cam Kirkpatrick there, you know it is going to be a tough day. And it was.

I promise to get the Decorah Time Trial update up this week. It went a lot better.

Ouachita Challenge Race Report

So race day came. Woke up around 6am and got showered and headed over to Oden to pick up the race packets. We officially found out that we were going to run the race the opposite direction. My goal for the race was to stay with the leaders as long as possible to see what would play out.

At the start I made the group for the long dirt road section before the singletrack. I had to ease up on the climb to the entrance but caught back on the tail end of the line of 15 or so leaders. I rode in the group for quite some time while things stretched out slowly. I realized quickly that I was going to need to back off the pace.

I eased up and settled in climbing Blowout and Big Brushy. On the descent off of Big Brushy (after flatting) I found my front brake slowly leaking down. Shit. As it turned out, my brake hose banjo bolt was not torqued to spec (the bike had been built for 5 days, still my fault) so the last 40 miles were ridden without a front brake. Awesome.

Anyways after my mechanicals, I kind of shut down a little mentally. I was out of the top 20, and was yoyo-ing around the 30's. I decided to just ride and have fun. I started to have some cramping issues a little earlier than expected as well. I was hydrating well and eating, but cramping ensued early. I think I have tracked it down to my chainrings which leave you on the gas a lot.

All in all I still finished top 50 which was a good day on the mountain bike. I finished with Adam same as last year forgoing the opportunity to sprint it out for 39th or 40th or something. Seemed fitting to cruise in with him.

Next up Sylvan Island Report. More of the same (minus the mechanicals!)

Ouachita Challenge Race Report (pre-race adventuring)

This past Friday, Adam, Karen, Agent and I all headed down to Pencil Bluffs, Arkansas to spend some time in the Ouachita Mountains. The main event was to be the Ouachita Challenge mountain bike race. I went down hoping for a top 20 finish, but what I came back with was a lesson in living.

Our travels began with many miles in the car. Goal number one was finding Doritos Burn. Our first stop left us chasing a behind production chip manufacturer. Adam contemplated that we would probably find said Doritos in some "small town in Arkansas." More on that story later.

We arrived at our campsite at the Ouachita River Haven around 7pm CST on Friday. We got the tents all set up and got ready for dinner. I could not imagine a better place to camp and hang out. This is my third time camping at this spot, and the owners are by far the closest thing to family you could imagine. On site firewood, grills, showers, you name it. I know that isn't really camping, but when it comes to camping for races, it sure makes a difference to have a hot shower.

We sat around and drank a couple of beers and enjoyed our surroundings. We knew Saturday was going to require some traveling to pick up essentials either forgotten, or at least a meal depending on the weather. The next day we rode some sweet gravel and cruised the trails near the campsite. After riding and chatting with some guys camping and racing the next day we headed towards Boxer's Crystals and Hot Springs.

Boxer's was a no brainer for a stop. We needed more race crystals, and little did I know how much I needed them for the following day. I shudder to imagine how my day would have unfolded if I hadn't had two new race crystals. Either way both Adam and I received two (count them two) new race crystals from Boxer. I would elaborate more, but it would blow your mind.

We headed towards Hot Springs in hope of finding supplies. We went to Wal-Mart and picked up a comforter for Karen and Adam (and Agent), and then were in search of food. We spoke to our cashier Heaven (I wouldn't make it up if I could) who said that there wasn't anything good in Hot Springs at all. We didn't believe her and set out to find something awesome.

We ended up cruising past McClard's Barbeque. It was a crazy busy place. We stopped in and parked around back. The second good sign other than it being super busy, was the huge pile of wood out back. Score. We headed inside to find not an open table, and a seat yourself arrangement. We ended up with a table after around 15 minutes of waiting.

The menu was pretty brief, so I got the tamale's, and Adam ordered the Rib and Fries. Tamale's you say? Yes, but with a barbeque twist. The dish was two tamale's covered with Frito's, pulled pork, baked beans, onions, BBQ sauce and a pile of cheese. Amazing.

We then headed back to the campsite to hang out and get ready for the next day. More on that later.

New Sponsor/Team News

Well after great deliberation, many heated talks running late into the night, I have joined forces with Q7 Cycling. I am pretty excited to get together with a local clothing company trying to make a name for themselves. Check them out to check out their sweet duds.

One Mr. Adam Blake will also be killing it on the mountain bike side of the upcoming Q7 Team. This is exciting as well knowing that he has thrown out some trash talking (aka making me worried). Mr. Blake has also thrown out that he will be my race transportation to the IMBCS races that would typically not interest me in the least due to their distance from Iowa City.

Either way, with all of the other members of Q7 coming from different aspects of cycling, it is sure to be quite the mash-up of a team.

Things

Lots of bike riding. Slow and fastish. First group ride of the season tomorrow. Got my White Industry hubs for my new bitching sweet CX/Road bike wheel build (I think I may end up really liking these wheels). Got some Rotor 3d cranks and rings for the upcoming Specialized build. They are crazy nice. Some of the nicest cranks I have laid hands on.

I will leave you with some Gorrilaz to catch how I am feeling.

Ouachita Prep

Well since I am heading down to Ouachita again (Lance I still need to get some beer on the way to you. Sorry for procrastinating) I have been getting in some decent rides. The past two days were spent hitting it pretty hard. I got in a solo ride on Wednesday, and then a three man road bike mission on Thursday.

Thursday brought high winds from the south so it was officially time to pull out the weaponry. And by that I mean my Roubaix. I have made some nice upgrades to the bike over the winter which have made the bike fit and ride like a glove. I guess I should boot up some pics as this machine definitely warrants them.

Outside of that I am getting concerned about my Ouachita race setup. I know that my Specialized frameset is potentially out of the question, but I am still waiting on some other key components to make the bike rideable when it comes. That and I was hoping that I wouldn't have to ride my Karate Monkey with my Halo/Flow wheels. While bomber and nice, they are bomber and heavy.

I am also going to get some pics together of the upcoming build for my S-Works. The components pile is getting tall (and awesomely expensive as well as good looking.) I had been waiting on a crank decision, but that situation has been cleared. The crank arrived today and while still waiting on the chainrings that I hesitated to pull the trigger on initially, the cranks alone are my cup of tea.

Since I've had some good time on the bike in the past two weeks, I am gonna drink some beers and then go to sleep. Tomorrow should prove to be an interesting day at the shop.

Beer of the night: Samuel Smith IPA

One Week Down

Got some things done this past week. Felt crappy and then I felt better. Ended with a busted up chain after 135 miles which was installed brand new 5 days prior. 5 cracked links and one completely broken. Got in some fun townie action on Adam's Birthday Ride. Got pulled over by some extremely nice cops. Rode some awesomely packed snow.

Otherwise we will see how the next two days go. Lots of time planned on the bike, rain or no rain. Planning on around 4 hours each day regardless of miles. Still waiting on all my crap. Good news is I am heading to Ouachita Challenge end of the month. Lance Andre was kind enough to pawn his registration off for a 6 pack.

Which reminds me I better get him some beer in the mail. And get a rider transfer.

Work to do. Change of plans.

Well things are changing quickly and I am a lazy sack. While I've been working out, I have been severely neglecting working on riding outdoors. Yesterday was Cirrem. I missed out with work and all, but after today's ride, I don't know how I would have fared anyways. I got in my first road/gravel ride in quite a while and needless to say my legs weren't responding with the best answers.

I felt ok (especially on climbs) but my flatland bike riding ability is lacking. I know my legs are in there somewhere, I am just going to need a couple more days on the bike to find them again. I happened to choose to ride my cross bike as well which is a new frame that has been 85% built for about two months. So that wasn't the best decision (it was for the conditions, just not for the fit.) It just wasn't dialed in. After blowing my calves up after about an hour, I made some quick adjustments and all was good, but the damage was done.

I also rode 170mm cranks because that is what I had. Terrible idea. I know some people say it doesn't make that big of a difference, but I really dislike them. 172.5's just feel so much better. We will just have to see how I feel tomorrow.

Hitting up Sugar Bottom loop for the heck of it. I might even get the road bike dirty just cause I know the fit is dialed.

Getting that itch.

And I don't mean anything but multiple mental ones. I am glad we still have snow on the ground, but I am really itching to hit the pavement. I had a great time last season on the road bike, and I already had a couple of long ones in this time last year. Now, I won't jinx it either, cause I love skiing as well. As long as it isn't cold, slushy and frozen, I am in.

I am itching to get my hands on my mountain bike for the season. I have quite a number of things on order, and I have a feeling that I have a wait ahead of me. Everyday I check on my frame, and I wait until the next. I am around the 1 month countdown to ETA. I am waning patience.

Otherwise school is going well. Not as well as last semester, but these Olympics are killing me. I get home after work and school, and it is too easy to hop on the trainer and zone out for a couple of hours instead of read or crank out math problem after math problem.

I want some new crap to play with for sure. I wish I would get my wheels so I could get at least get them assembled a look at them while I am sitting around doing nothing. I am just ready to ride. This week put it into motion.

Shoe Issue Solved.

Got in 2 workouts today. Everything is coming along nicely, and I am planning on ramping up the bike workouts and tapering back on the lifting/Crossfit workouts. I have been questioning how the full winters worth of that work was going to go, but I am feeling really good about it. I have been on the trainer twice in the past week, and I feel way ahead of where I was last season. I am going into this season without a major long distance race to train for, so focuses are different.

I got some new equipment last week as well. I knew I was going to need to relegate my Sidi Dominators to townie commuter usage (weird thing to say huh?) so I ordered up some new ones. I was really questioning the white SWorks Mountain shoe, but quite honestly, the shiny white really doesn't stand out as much as you would imagine.

Well there was a little problem. The SWorks shoes are a synthetic plasticish outer. The problem I ran into, was even though my feet measure average for their size, I have a hard time with shoes that are too narrow. I had to size down on the SWorks, and they definitely were narrow. I wore them around with no change to their width.

I broke down and mounted up some cleats and my mountain pedals on my road bike. Hopped on the trainer to get them warmed up. I have been doing a little research to see what sort of stretching techniques you can use, but I did not find much info about stretching synthetics, especially plastics. So I thought about water, hot water, water and alcohol mixture, but none of that seemed like it would work.

After about 5 minutes on the trainer, it came to me. A toe warmer! Not only would it simulate extra width, but provide extra warmth directly where I needed and wanted it. Well after around an hour on the trainer and an hour sitting around my shoes are stretched and ready to go. One or two more sessions to ensure they are just right and I am golden.

Exciting I know, but these are awesome shoes. After feeling the comfort of the BOA closure and the stiffness of the sole, I knew they would have to work one way or another.

Hurtin'.

So this whole curling thing is starting to get to me. It is affecting my school work, my working out and my entire lack of motivation. All I want to do is watch curling and drink beer (and the occasional shot of tequila.) I really need to crack down tonight and do some math homework seeing as my test is on Tuesday, but even though I haven't really done anything, I really am grasping the topics.

Otherwise things have been good. My little rest was good. I am scaling back to two days of Crossfitting with a day of cardio. I figure it is a good time to start cranking the cardio back into the schedule. The trainer has been a slight relief, but I really would like to hit the century ride going on tomorrow with most of the shop crew.

I also am hoping the Des Moines crew might be heading to Ouachita the weekend before the Challenge so I might be able to go with them. I would love to hit some trails before Sylvan Island. Last year was a good time, but I would love to head down there and just do some riding for a couple of days. Kind of like a mini training camp with drinking involved.

That's all I got.

Eventful Weekend.

On Friday evening I didn't know it, but I apparently had dinner plans. After three consecutive days of skiing, I felt oddly good. Thursday Nate and I hit MNRA decently hard, with some emphasis on backcountry xc skiing. Got in some higher paced stuff on the groomed trails, and hit some steep downhills and hiked some steep uphills. I have had this sinus thing kicking me around a bit, and being 4 weeks into a training cycle with no more than a day off at a time, it was time for a break.

Saturday was spent being slightly hungover and working. Ate dinner at Emily's parents and otherwise hung out again. Sunday we did the church thing, then the lunch thing, then hung out watching the Olympics. We headed home for some Chinese food and Zombieland. Went to bed with the sinus thing still lingering, but Emily got me a humidifier which has been helping.

I was going to hit it again today, but I finally feel like I am clearing up. Tomorrow I will get back on it again for sure. 4 days off should be plenty of rest. It is crazy what I feel like now compared to even 3 months ago after a nice rest. Winter is getting easier to make it through with skiing, and some structured workouts.

Of course on the bike front, I am still impatiently waiting. I am starting to get really antsy. With about 6 weeks of more potential waiting ahead of me, I am reaching the final countdown. March 1st cannot come soon enough. Then I will feel like I am in the home stretch. I received my awesome little package from Hope this week, and I have to say the Race X2 brakes are super light, as advertised. My only slight quibble is the brake lever pivot setup, and I am going to see if I can ditch the aluminum pivot pin for one of their adjustable setups. If not, I'll deal.

I am still waiting on that nice shipment of Edge stuff though. If anybody over there is listening, I would love to build some wheels sometime soon. I have some road tubulars to build for the Gios, but I could use some fun carbon ones to lace as well.

Two days in a row

I made it out skiing last evening with Nate. We finally got enough snow that they could groom the local Cross Country course for the University. I have been fighting a slight sinus thing so I was not 100%. Needless to say I felt ok, but after the mornings squat workout, I was in for it.

Nate has been putting in some pretty good time on the bike so I knew I would be in for a hurting even though we weren't out to kill each other. I couldn't have been more right. We skied in from IHOP which was uneventful. About 1/2 lap into the course, we ran into the Eppen's. They were out getting an evening ski in just as we were. They hung out on and off between just walking away from us.

I have been feeling ok on skis as of late this season, but it just goes to show you there are always people who are just plain better and faster. It felt good and I was surprised I wasn't that sore this morning.

I headed to class and then home for lunch. I knew as nice as the weather was that I had to get out again. I took the "grandma" approach today though. I just slashed around and enjoyed the sunny day. My legs didn't want to respond to anything so I didn't push them one bit. I can feel the sinus thing holding me back a bit so I am going to take a couple of days off and kick it's butt.

On the bike front, my brakes shipped on Monday. Hope had told me they wouldn't be in until next Monday, but the shipment came in a little early, so they rolled those suckers ASAP. So that means I might have brakes, a stem, a handlebar, a seatpost, and possibly (fingers crossed heavily on this one) wheels this week. On top of all that, the XX/XLoc Dampers came in stock at BTI today so I will be able to convert my Reba to a b*ithc*ing sweet hydraulic lockout right off the bat.

I also talked to the guys at SRAM and they said the funky non-traditional hex setup on the BlackBox Dampers are actually just machined 24mm socket heads. They just machined them down because the middle section of the wrench flats aren't engaged when using a socket anyways so they machined them down to save weight.

Well that is enough nerd talk for one day. Now to put some more Watchmen away (about half way done. What a crazy graphic novel.) I thought I said no more nerd talk?

Some parts on the way.

I talked to Jason Sager at Edge Composites today. Most of the stuff I had on order was in stock, and hopefully on the way. I know the stem and seatpost at least, and he was checking on the Chris King hub status. I am really looking forward to getting my hands on the wheels in particular so I can start playing with tubeless setup on them. I also haven't seen the seatpost in person yet, so I am slightly anxious to see that as well. The Sweep bars are supposed to be in tomorrow, so hopefully the cockpit will ship in it's entirety (even though I still don't have my frame.)

I just can't wait to get my hands on the wheels. Chris King is tooled up and cranking out their new road hubshells like crazy which is pushing production back on the 28h CK ISO Disc hubs. I was waiting on black shells, but might be getting pewter instead. That is the color they stock, and I will take what I can get. I suppose that means that I should order up some rimstrips soon to get those ready.

I also talked to the gents at Hope, and as far as I know, they should have received a shipment of Race X2 brakes today. I will have to call them tomorrow to check on those. Otherwise I have the drivetrain all shored up besides cranks. I have my old Deus cranks, but I kind of want to slap a pair of XTR's on their to match all the other fancy parts that will be on the bike. If not, no sweat off of my back. Everyone is out of stock on 175mm's and I am kind of interested in trying some 172.5's on my geared mountain bike due to the fact I run them on my road and cross bikes.

Well enough bike talk. I took the weekend off besides the work commute on Saturday. I was feeling beat down and tired. It turned out it was a good thing, because I woke up this morning with quite a sinus jam. I was totally dried out. It sucked. So I am fighting that. I worked out today and fought my slight shoulder tweak. It actually feels quite a bit better this evening then it did this AM.

Well tomorrow brings some biking, some lifting, some relaxing, then some evening skiing with Nate.

Lots of things

I have had quite a number of things on my mind as of late. The opportunities for various races are flying by this year. Everything is filling up faster than ever before. With the wedding happening I am just hoping to branch out a little this year, and hit Wisconsin and Illinois. I would love to make it to a couple of Minnesota races, but I don't think it is going to happen. Maybe one 12 hour WEMS to keep that doubt in the back of my mind.

This time last year, thoughts of Ouachita were flying through my mind while spending time on a trainer, and outdoors in nasty snowy conditions. And going to work all the time. This year couldn't be more different. Going to school, and working out like crazy (in the gym and a little on skis), and working part time. Now my thoughts are focused on what I can fit in this season. I know what my expectations or at least hopes are.

The wedding will take some time and focus, but I am planning on getting my time in whatever way necessary. Emily and I have talked about the situation and have been planning well ahead of schedule (all except those pesky invitations!) So now it all boils down to time availability. Everyone from the shop is planning their schedules pretty tightly and I am trying to stay a little loose with mine. The few Wisco and Illinois races will hopefully be pulled off the cuff, and the Iowa races were scouted last season so all should fall into place well.

I am still motivated and that is not going to change. I am just getting a little antsy. Similar to last season, just without the 80 mile monster to worry about.

Now for dinner, my beer, and Watchmen.

Think it will work?

So I started to ponder whether or not the new XX Hydraulic lockout will install onto the SBC Reba that is spec'ed on the SWorks. I have been doing a little digging and from what I can tell, there is no reason it shouldn't. The only problem with that, is now I am questioning my brake spec based on that potential decision. It would be pretty clean to run either XX or CR Mag brakes and have the lockout, shifter and brakes, all mounted in one clean package.

I love my Hope disc brakes, but the new XX brakes simply function well. I'm not going to go crazy and spec the whole group (I wouldn't want to have a replica of the stock bike now would I?), but I would like to have everything super clean. I am unsure whether or not it will work with XO shifters, but I am thinking it should. Enough about that.


I am gonna head up to Cedar Falls tomorrow after class to hang out with Adam and Shockey to ride some gravel. I have been itching a little bit to get out on the bike, and this will be the perfect opportunity. I am going to make the mistake of taking my Litespeed fixie, but oh well. I want to ride something light. That reminds me, I better get my shit together. Riding bikes with those two practically requires a full-on epic ride setup.

I'm out to study and load up.

Late Edit- Looks like the X-Loc comes with a mount that will allow you to combine your lockout and shifter. So looks like the Hope's are still on tap.

New Hotness

So I have been mulling over such minor geared related details as to which cassette to run. An XTR doesn't save that much weight overall, and is still pretty expensive. Well now SRAM has come to answer my concerns of lightweight and 9 speed compatibility (I actually really do like XX, just not the current price tag, or it's unproven to me durability and ability to perform in the nastiest of mucky situations). The XG-999 brings us steel cogs with one aluminum one that is replaceable. Supposedly 175 grams, which SRAM is usually accurate with, it sure looks like a gem. Time will tell, and hopefully will I.


On other fronts, a good friend wrapped up his new SWorks Stumpjumper HT 26er build. Needless to say, it came in under on weight and price compared to the complete version. The build is straight forward good stuff. It tipped the scales at 19.19lbs with pedals and a bottle cage. Specs are XO rear derailleur, XT Cassette, XTR Crank with 28-42t TA Chainrings, XX Front Dereailleur, XX Brakes, etc. Wheels are Kings on the new Alpines. Seatpost is a Thomson Masterpiece, Syntace F119 Stem, Syntace Duraflite Bar, seriously nothing over the top. Just goes to show, if you build intelligently, you can get lighter than stock, have something original, and have it be lighter and faster. It takes some work and planning, but it will be exactly what you want.

Now to keep waiting for my SWorks. I have my old crank with newer chainrings, and that is about it so far. I am still waiting on my Edge wheels, handlebar, stem, seatpost, of which Edge is waiting on seatposts, handlebars, and hubs to come in stock. I am piecing together the drivetrain currently as well. I will hopefully have an XX front derailleur on the way beginning of next week, as well as making a little trade for an XO rear derailleur. I am still deciding on what to do for shifters.

The other big thing I am waiting on is the brakes. Hope Technologies is still waiting on their shipment of the new Race X2 brakes to hit our shores. The guys down in Texas have been super cool to get me the scoop so I can score them before they hit the major distributors. I rode and owned my first set last season, and they simply work without notice or surprise. I love the fact that the levers are bushing based and that the play can be removed. I love the attention to detail. I think their floating rotor is as light as a performance based rotor should be. Their stopping power with even smaller sized rotors are impressive to say the least.

Well that's all I got.

Brutalized.

So I have been doing a fair bit of working out this winter outside of riding. The workouts call for warmups of strength stretches, squats, sit-ups, back raises, push ups and pull ups. The three rounds of 15 each of those are enough to introduce some muscle back into the system that was lost, but this is where things are getting started.

The rest of the workouts vary greatly. Sunday it was sets of deadlifts followed by sets of pullups, then repeat. Yesterday was the killer though. Thrusters followed by rowing. I have never really rowed on a C2 before, but it is intense. I made it three rounds of this workout after my warm up and then I shut down. On the floor, completely inert for around 5 minutes. My arms felt like they were going to either burst into flames, or just fall off.

Some have been telling me these workouts are going to catch up to me. And I think they are right. I am just interested to see which end of the spectrum I catch up to.

Whirlwind Week

Well after having a crazy time selling things on MTBR (and I mean that in the best way possible) I am rid of almost all things race mountain bike oriented. Plans are in full swing (and parts on their way) for the creation of the next race bike.

On a side note, the gears are turning and will possibly be soon set into motion on superlight SS project. My "Monster Truck" aka the Titanium Townie is gonna get a revamp as long as everything works. I have been dreading not having a superlight SS to smash Sugar Bottom on, but I think I have a solution for that. It is going to involve a fair bit of carbon (nothing too overboard), some titanium, and some inbetween-sized wheels (with the off chance of one being bigger or smaller than the other).

Some have called me crazy, and it is officially true. But really, who needs a titanium commuter?

Decisions made, sometimes poor.

Well for some reason I decided it would be a grand idea to take an 8am class this semester. What's the issue you ask? Are you lazy and hate getting out of bed? Well only sightly on that one. More importantly, I live in Iowa. We have a little thing called winter that for the most part, enjoys messing with the residents of this fine state time and time again.
So today I was up at 6am. I got up that early to hit the pavement of the Zombie Monkey, and get in some winter riding. I knew foul weather was on it's way, I just had no clue when. I checked the Kirkwood website right before I left. No updates whatsoever on whether or not school was happening. So I took on the ride.

The incoming front brought a strong east wind which is strange. Gusts were strong and luckily my ride is about 50% east and 50% south. I got to work to change out of my sweaty gear and get into my class clothes. I thought it might be a good idea to check the website one more time. Sure enough. Cancelled! I was on my bike for 45 minutes only to find out I had to go back home. On top of that, the freezing rain started about 5 minutes before I got to work.

I worked out, then headed home. The pics are the aftermath.

A little love for Iowa.

The boys at Edge Composites threw out a little love for the IC scene as well as Iowa as a whole. I hope I represented everyone well. Now time to do some homework after working out. I'm telling you, Crossfit is where it is at.

May I present...

My semi, not so finalized, but quite possibly finalized plans for my 2010 race bike*. I present to you the 2010 Specialized S-Works Stumpjumper 29er Hardtail.

After the utter crushing blow was dealt (that I totally had a feeling was coming), I have decided to switch my prior insane plans to remain on a carbon SS, and give the dark side of gears a try. I am very excited to have the opportunity to still score one of these framesets for 2010, and even more excited that it should be here around March, which couldn't be any better.

The build is going to be an assorted mix of components I already have, but there will be some shining star highlights. Edge Composites will be providing the wheels, stem, handlebars, and seatpost. In conjunction with the specified fork, the custom SBC Reba with tapered steerer, the combination of oversized carbon bars, superlight carbon stem, and Edge Composites wheels, this bike is going to be a rocket ship that should take me straight to the ER.

But fortunately, it is going to be to let the good doctors at said hospital use, because this thing is going to be a scalpel. Also the transition of power through the drivetrain should be pretty incredible, considering the down tubes massive transition into the uber-wide 84.5mm wide BB shell. That and the near 45mm tall chainstays...

Ok, I will shut up there. I couldn't even imagine a bike/frame that could remotely compete with the Superfly after racing it this season. I knew components could be improved to gain marginal improvements, but the technological advancements put into this frame versus the 2010 Superfly absolutely blow it out of the water. Custom tapered carbon steerer crown assembly, Shimano BB-91 bottom bracket allowing the downtube to be increased in diameter in comparison to tradition 68 or 73mm threaded shells, even BB30 doesn't allow a downtube of this size.

*All future plans and specifications subject to change dependent on product availability (as well as the insanity of the future owner.)

Ok, I know...

All I talk about is bikes. But imagine if you were in my brain. You would go crazy. Trust me. I have some serious bike issues. Not the kind of issues like gambling or smoking crack where you spend ALL of your money, but I think it may be something of a combined sickness.

I thought riding singlespeeds would cure the whole "I need" or "I want" syndrome. Well it could. It starts all nice and well, learning to ride your mountain bike all over again. Eventually you ditch your suspension fork and have to relearn once again. Then you come to the astounding realization that you need a bigger tire to compensate for the lack of suspension. After getting adjusted to that, you realize that your 17lb 26" machine is a little harsh. The weight of it is actually part of the problem too.

After a summer and fall's contemplation (and further destruction of a Litespeed mountain bike head tube..oh well at least when bought used they are cheap) you realize that maybe 29" wheels could be the wonder you were looking for as far as extra comfort and steel would bring "needed" durability. Research, research, then pull the trigger on a budget priced frame. Take the time to ride it geared, ultimately pulling them off in favor of the original SS setup. Spend too much money on nice, but burly-ish parts to ensure HTI (Head Tube Integrity) as well as cheap but over priced wheels.

Start realizing after a coupld of races that the bike is too heavy. Damn. Well it rides like a dream, but when you are trying to go all out, it comes up short (as well as realize that you are lacking fitness as well...I know what you were thinking). In the mean time a once in a lifetime opportunity (yeah f*ck*ng right, I've heard that one before...alas there is money to be made) and dreams seem to be coming true.

That dream brings upon ultimate realization. It doesn't matter if it has 1 gear or 30. Bikes can be and will be expensive. In the graduating syndrome that is racing, you get faster. Being more fit almost 100% demands better equipment, or simply just more new crap. Then after it all you realize that you are addicted. Crack. Carbon Fiber Lust. The performance. The speed, the ride, the precision. And ultimately, the failure. Whether manufacturing, or accidental, it inevitably happens.

And as with everything else in life, the addiction lingers, and as human desire and planetary forces dictate,

The cycle starts again...

Winter Commuting Time

Well it is that time of year to get back on the bike. I have put it off up until this point, but now it is time to stop putting so much gas in my tank, and start putting some miles in the legs. I will hopefully still get to ski 2-3 times a week. Since the new commute is over two times longer than the one last year, it will be pretty epic. At this point I've really been enjoying skiing, but it just feels wrong to not put some time in on the bike.

The whole thing is being partially spurred by the fact that my car needs work again. It seems to be never ending the whole car repair thing. With my bikes, it seems worth-while to spend the money. On other bike fronts, it looks like I will be riding gears for 2010. I have to get a crash replacement for the Superfly. I have the chance to get another SS or get a geared version. Looks like the window of opportunity has opened. Now I am going to have to gather some parts to make it happen, but hopefully it will be worth it.

Well that is all I got.

Unsorted.

Well after wiping down my SSuperfly, I found a couple potential issues. I am now left kind of bummed knowing that while in Mexico, I'll be wondering what is happening to my frame. I have more than loved that bike. It is hands-down the single fastest bike I have ever owned. That bike legitimately made me faster. I loved riding it which could have been part of it, but I know I would not have been as successful as I was last season if I weren't on that frame.

With the impending upgrades, I was looking forward to racing on it this year. How do you make a bike faster? Train harder and make it lighter and stiffer. Both of those were well on their way, now to wait and find out what the Big T says.

Hoping.

Sorted.

Well for the most part, plans for the 2010 race bike are tentatively finalized. I talked to the fine folks at Edge, and I am getting their amazingly sweet set of XC carbon clincher wheels featuring King hubs and Aerolite spokes instead of the carbon tubulars. That also pushed me to order up their new Sweep bar, 75mm carbon stem, and one of their seatposts. Considering their generous prize and willingness to change the prize, I want to represent them to the fullest. All of those fine pieces of equipment will be landing on the Superfly.

Other finalizations are going to include that "little" revamp. A lot of the parts will be hitting MTBR's Classifieds as soon as I get them stripped off the bike. I'll have wheels, crank, bb, well just about everything that is currently comprising that build. I am planning some big upgrades to achieve full on ridiculous SS status.

Speaking of which, I am going to send my Fox fork out to the boys at Push Industries for a full Factory Service and System upgrade. I figure that the aid of suspension will help with fatigue during races. I rode it during the last part of the season, and it treated me very well. It will be especially awesome after the guys at Push get it all tuned up, I'm sure it will run even better than it does.

That means a busy off season again (not that it wasn't going to be already), but I will need to keep focused leading into the spring. Well, off to start the season right, I am going to head out for a couple of hours on the XC skis, and then get in the CF workout of the day.

5 days 'til Mexico.