R.I.D.

Who said that the tires on a road bike are too small?

R.I.D

Ever wonder what it would look like if your toothbrush had sex?  Enjoy.

Training for the North O!

Okay, so everyone who really knows me can attest that my dedication and follow through can sometimes fall off from time to time.  I participated in Dirty Kanza this year with hardly any training.  Gravel Worlds came and went faster than I anticipated and wasn't able to participate.  Now I am looking forward to the North O Rock Road Jackrabbit Hundy. 

With all that being said I have not ridden gravel since Dirty Kanza.  So I decided to hit the road to try and get in some kind of shape for the North O Hundy.  Three weeks ago started out riding my Redline 29er figuring train heavy, race light.  Played with fueling and messed around with a few setups to eliminate the issue that I had at DK with running out of water.  Also found out that rural Nebraska is actually quite pretty once you get off the interstate.  Feeling pretty confidante about what I have discovered.  Realistically I probably won't be first but at least DFL is a place.  Enjoy some snap shots I took along the way.

This is how I'm feeling today

And

R.I.D.

Best advertisement EVER.  Watch the chainrings.  Ouch!

R.I.D.

It had been a while since our last R.I.D. for one reason or another.  Here is an image that I feel has the essence of what the last few weeks have been like for me.

NEW Steed to the stable

Ok, so it has been a while since I have been active on the social grid, electronically or otherwise, but I have decided to come out of hiding and have a new toy to do it with.  It showed waaaaayyy earlier than I expected but I'm not complaining in the slightest.  I traded in the S-Works Single Speed and opted for something a little more versatile.  Hot off the presses!!  A 2011 Stumpjumper Hardtail 29er EVO.  Ten more millimeters of travel (100mm), still a 29er hardtail, alloy frame instead of carbon and I didn't go with a full drivetrain, only a 1x10, and my bike is only three pounds heavier than the s-works coming in at 24lbs. with cages and pedals.   Made some personal upgrades off the bat but I am super stoked to get a ride in.  Stupid Rain.  Here it is:

Marathon Category here I come!

R.I.D.

As if you needed a more clear description as to what your pet is thinking.....

R.I.D.

You really have to wonder why nobody caught this or if they did they decided to not say anything.....

I wonder what the basement looks like.

Random image of the day

So I've decided to have a new series called Random Image of the Day or R.I.D. The day will be random as will the image. Just figured I have enough silly, stupid and probably offensive images that if I post some of them, it will spice things up a bit. Almost none of the images are mine and are pulled from the web. If I know who took them I will give credit.




And to start things off. Drum roll please..........

  Tada!

Freakin' Saaweeeet!

OK, so I'm a little jazzed for the climbing wall at UNO to re-open and for the silos to get up and running. I'm chompin' at the bit and this is the only way that I can calm tweekin'. Enjoy.

BD athlete Nalle Hukkataival bouldering in Finland from Black Diamond Equipment on Vimeo.

Stained Glass Tilly Parkins Buttermilks Bishop

So hot in more ways than one.

DK 200 recap

To start things of I want to say congrats to Cornbread for his amazing overall first place finish.  With the combination of sunny skies and 95 degree temps it was a day for the record books in multiple ways.  I learned several things during this event, like most people did that day.

#1 Remember your map:  Yes, I will admit that I forgot my map at the starting line.  Luckily, I realized it in enough time that my Mom, who was my support crew (thanks Mom), was able to get to the hotel and back with it just as we set off on the course.

#2 Ride at your own pace:  Due to the whole map incident, I was DFL at the back of the field and felt like I had to make up ground.  Even though I kept my heart rate well away from threshold and kept my cadence even (thanks garmin) I regained on much of the field and found my self in the middle of the second or third pack and had past most of the field about 10 miles in.

#3 The best laid plans are usually the worst ones: With that being said, let me preface this whole section with, I knew that I was going into this event very under prepared for what was coming my way.  Seriously, the longest ride I had done all year was 85 miles and I was expecting to get in 200? C'mon man!  I believed that I had a solution for my hydration and fueling needs so that I could keep going.  Unfortunately, Mother Nature decided to throw a curve ball at me and with the elevated temps, I sucked down almost all my liquids by mile 50 (three bottles of water and one of perpetuem), with the first check point another 10 miles away.  I went into this event feeling very confident and came out of it feeling like a two year old that just got scolded for doing something wrong.  I deviated from my normal mentality of "I would rather have it and not need it, than need it and not have it", trying to go as lite as possible, I took a gamble and I lost.  Water is one thing that you want to follow this motto.

#4 Seriously, Kansas is R-E-M-O-T-E: When the promoters say that the course is remote and rugged, they mean it.  Some of the cattle we came across seemed puzzled as to what we were doing out there.  Most of the buildings that we did come across appeared to be abandoned.

As for the Minimum Maintenance Roads (MMR), they put Nebraska's MMR to shame.  The MMR that we traveled over were more akin to beginner Jeep trails.  Unless you had something similar to a Subaru with a bit more than normal ground clearance you were gonna be scrapin' and dingin' the underbelly of your car.  I have to say that this section that I rode was the most fun that I have had on a bike in really long time.  Pick a line and try to keep the rubber down.

So in summary:  Forgot map, pushed probably a bit too hard in the beginning, had a thought of "What am I doing out here" around mile 15, had a blast on the MMR, inside of my quad cramped at mile 40 while shifting to an easier gear going up hill (go figure), hit 35 mph on a downhill around mile 41 :-P, ran out of water at mile 50, got to check point one, re fueled and headed out, mile 65 called it quits due to dehydration headache and was starting to get disorientated.  On the bright side I had no mechanical issues of any kind.  The Specialized Crossroad Armadillo Elite 700x38 Tires at 65 psi worked like a champ, fast on the straights and grippy in the corners and my SRAM Rival/Force combo groupo didn't let me down.

Overall, I had a great time and it was a good experience.  I was only disappointed in my self and lack of preparation.  Thanks to the Promoters, Jim and Joel,  and all the volunteers for putting on a top notch event and the KC Jeep club for marking the course.  Congrats to RD and Eric for their performance.  It's on my calender for next year.

Next event:  Rapture in Misery.  Any takers?

Enjoy some pics I took along the way.

fuel for the ride.

The ride

Oh yeah, that's right.  In the AM baby!

The whole town was behind the event.

Riders gathering for the start, before I realized I didn't have my map.

The last bit of pavement before the gravel goodness started

People trying to find good lines and someone to draft off.

R-E-M-O-T-E

Looking back at the hill I just climbed.

After mile 40 the course flattened out and we had a tail wind.  Averaged 22mph.

How I looked when I called it quits.

The bike held together perfectly.

I felt how the flatbed truck looked..... worn out, broke down and shelled.

The Approaching Storm

At this point with the impending race of my life looming on the horizon I find myself not be very excited.  I find myself being more apathetic and resistant to training and wanting to do more of other things that won't benefit me.  Maybe it's because I don't think that I have done enough training? Maybe I have done enough and will somewhere find the mental fortitude to reach down deep and be able to pull out some amazing riding. Maybe I am burned out from other things, such as work and that is affecting my mindset?  What ever the case is I can not figure it out.  I had a good time at Wagon Train 12 hour MTB race.  I rode for about 10.5 of the 12 hours.  Felt pretty good at the end and I think that my fueling was good, it was my wrists that eventually forced me to throw in the towel.

I find myself debating whether or not to join RD, Douglas and others this weekend for a grinder, nothing against those guys, I love hanging out and riding with these guys.  This is my last weekend that I have available due to work to get in some decent miles before the race.  Join the group or head out on my own or just sit at home and do nothing?  I need to figure out what is going on and get on my horse or stay out of the stable.

Garage Sale

Ok so here is the deal.  Over the last couple of years I have found myself with a collection of parts that I no longer have the room to store for the "what if" situation.  I have a list posted below of all the parts with prices.  If you are interested in a part or two send me an e-mail (click on my pic to the right) and I will send you pics and we can go from there.  Everything is used except for the items noted as new.  Happy shopping.



700/29er wheel Sunrims Mz14 with DT swiss Spokes ($30)
    Hayes Rotor included
    No name hub

Pair of Bontrager Hank 26 x 2.2 slicks ($40) SOLD

Kona OEM riser bar with stem ($40)
    100mm? stem
    610mm wide bar

Kona OEM drop bar ($30)
    31.8 clamp
    440mm wide

FSA 9speed triple chainrings with bolts ($20)
    50/39/30T 5 bolt

FSA MegaExo BB ($30)
    Cups have some scaring but bearings are new

FSA MegaExo BB ($25)

FSA Gossomer Non-drive side crank arm 172.5mm ($10)

FSA Gossomer 10 spd triple crankset No BB ($30)
    50/39/30T 175mm

29er single speed wheelset ($100)
    WTB Laserdisc Trail 29er rim
    Redline sealed cartridge 6bolt hub with rotors
    Rear wheel accepts cassette style cogs

Cateye Micro Wireless cycling computer  (NEW IN BOX) ($40) SOLD
    White with red stripe

Avid BB5 Mechanical disc brakes set (NEW) ($120) SOLD
    With levers cable and housing for 29er hardtail

Surly Karate Monkey Monkey Nuts ($10)

Ritchey Comp stem ($25.00)
    110mm 6deg.

Wellgo metal flat pedals ($5)

VP alloy flat pedals (two sets) ($10 each)

Shimano PD-M324 ($50) SOLD

Spaulding Blade bicycle  ($40)
    56cm top tube
    54cm seat tube
    27x1 ¼ inch tires
    Needs a front der and cable/housing and a bit of TLC

Thanks for looking.

MOVIE NIGHT

A taste of things to come at the movie night at The Waiting Room on May 16th.

Mud and Butter

So headed out to do my first solo gravel ride to train for Dirty Kanza.  I like riding with other people but I figure that I will be riding most of the 200 miles on my own so I figured I should train from time to time riding alone.

With the recent bought of snow, the gravel wasn't as dry as I was hoping but it was very ridable.  HERE is the map.  Saw a few other cyclists and one other fellow Gravel Grinder riding down Pawnee Road.  I think it was "The D."  Tried to catch up with them, I was looking for some company, but I couldn't catch up and decided to turn back to my original route plans.  Found out the hard way that Google can't be entirely trusted as well.  Originally planned on turning off of Dutch Hall Road at 216th.  Found out that the road has been commandeered and blocked by the county landfill so had to go a bit further than had planned to 225th street and then come down.  Wasn't horrible, but not as planned.

Product notes:  Recently picked up a Garmin Edge 500 with the cadence and heart rate.  This is the first Garmin or even heart rate monitor that I have used.  Been playing with it for about two weeks and it is very easy to set up and customize.  Also Garmin has a really cool online program that you can download the data and share with other folks around the world, for free.  Even better they have a program that you can download, for FREE, and analysis your data directly on your computer.  The best thing of all... it is all Mac compatible.  :-)

Another new product that I tried for the first time today was Hammer Nutrition's Perpetuem.  I have had lots of issues in the past with "bonking" and feeling like crap after long or high intensity rides.  So far I feel good for doing 52 miles and 4 hours in the saddle.  A definite recommendation.

Last new product used today, I know taking some risks using three new products in one ride, was chamois butter.  First time for this product as well.  I purchased some Paceline Products Euro-style Chamois Butter.  I was very hesitant to try this product out hence the whole rubbing cream on myself in the nether regions.  It would be all good and fun if someone of the female gender was doing it for me.  :-P  But in all seriousness, the product works.  Usually have all kinds of saddle issues when I get up around the 40 mile mark.  But none to speak of this time.  I'm sold.  The Euro-style has a interesting cooling sensation similar to Icy Hot compared to the standard stuff.

Bike held up pretty good for it's first ride for more than 20 miles and on gravel.  And of course the mud!

Oh yeah that's some build up.  First time I felt mud slow me down.  The only time I had to stop and clean off some of the pancake batter like mud.

Made a pit-stop at The Bike Way.

And I caved on the way home and stopped at McDonalds for a post ride meal.

Overall a very good day.  Got some miles in, tested out some new products, and had no mechanical issues to speak of.   Planning on making this a regular occurrence to train for DK200.  Anyone is welcome to join.

Oh yeah. I need to start training for that....

So I got a bit sidetracked from my training plans for The Dirty Kanza 200.  With the weather being crappy, commuting to and from work and trying to acquire a new place to live, excuses, excuses and more excuses, I finally have got back on track to get my self in shape for this.

Went out with The D and Matt N. Sunday for a forty mile ride out to Fort Calhoun and back.  Legs felt good the next day, my sit bones did not.  Need more miles, got to get the body used to the distance again.  I will be going out every weekend come rain or shine once April hits.  Keep an eye out and I will post the rides here and some other places.

I'm goin' out to Cali.....

But unfortunately my bag didn't get the same journey.

Yet.....

Southwest knows where my bag is.  It just didn't make it to San Jose the same time I did.  It actually made it four hours after I did and could take another one to four hours for them to get it to me.  Which we are going on hour two now.

On the bright side, the weather is 65+ degrees and sunny with a slight north by northwest wind and the scenery couldn't be more beautiful.  For those of you who don't know, I work at a bike shop.  We sell Specialized bikes and my boss has sent me out to Morgan Hill California for the past two years to get training directly from Specialized on how to sell and market their products.

Our inside sales rep is an awesome dude and he let me barrow his Langster for the day.  Being a little miffed about my bag I cruised out and checked out the local bike shops and then hit the local trail.  All together I rode about 15 miles and it was amazing.  Everything was in my bag except for my pedaling shoes and pedals, and my computer.  So I put on my pedals, slid on my sunglasses, turned my hat backwards to keep it from blowing away and pushed off.  Yes Mom, I didn't wear a helmet.  IT WAS IN MY BAG THAT STILL HASN'T SHOWN UP!!!!!

Pedaling in street clothes with no destination and no deadlines I think is the best meditation and therapy in the world.  Just pedaling.

New things for 2010

Ok, so I'm not really one to open up and spew my deepest thoughts and feeling to just anyone by writing them on the wall, but....  this seems to be a significant enough event at this point in my life that it would warrant some acknowledgment.

I am now single.... I know that this might seem trivial, but my girlfriend of almost three years with whom I am living with, informed me last week that she wants to start seeing other people.  [blink...blink]

Now I know that every relationship has its ups and downs and ours was no exception but I thought that through it all we were actually doing pretty well and actually on an up swing.  But apparently I was the only one that had that thought and was the only one who had been thinking that for a while.  She has been feeling like we were going nowhere for about six months hence she decided to break it off instead of "wasting her time."

I think that the best thing that tops it all off, neither one of us can afford to break the lease so we can move on with our lives hence we have to try to live together until June or July.  I have spent the last week moving and reorganizing all of my stuff into our office along with my bikes.

Everything in consideration it isn't the worst thing that could of happened to me this past week... I haven't been hit by a car yet this year (knock on wood) and I am still healthy.  I guess I just have to keep everything in perspective.  Right?  Anyways, I guess that other than my dog, I can focus more attention on climbing and cycling.  Back to the basics in life: Eat, sleep, work, friends, climb, and pedal.

Here's to you.

First round of training

Ok, so in my attempts to get into shape for the Dirty Kanza I have designed a riding schedule that I will hopefully be able to maintain along with my normal everyday riding.

So this Saturday, January 16th lets say around 11 am roll out I am going to be heading up north to dutch hall road, out around Elkhorn on skyline drive and return via my neighborhood commute route with some papio and keystone trail mixed in to give it some length.

Here's a link to  a map:  http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/59-mile-dirty-Kanza-training.

Leave a response if you want to go, anyone is welcome.

Dirty Kanza.... here I come!

So I made it in to the Dirty Kanza 200 2010.  Now all I need to do is get myself to a point where I will be able to finish 200 miles.  Exciting.  Right?  I am very excited for this.  I'm a little disappointed, but not surprised with one of my co-workers that said he was going to sign up but didn't make the cut-off, but it is for the better.  Side note:  last year the promoters said that the registration filled up in four days.  This year it filled up in 14 hours!!

So for my training plans I am going to start doing rides every weekend building up to doing at least one 200 mile ride before the actual Dirty Kanza.  I figure what better way to know if you can finish than to do it.  Anyone is welcome to join me on these rides.  The more the merrier.

Congrats to EB and RD for making it in as well.

I'll keep you all updated on how the training is going and which bike I will be riding.

Until then, enjoy this video.

Happy New Year

Congrats to everyone on another year survived.  Here's to you and yours and hope everyone has safe and fun pedaling in 2010.