Worlds

Another week of worlds. Tuesday night worlds #3 and Grandstay riders must thought it was bingo night. How many riders are on that team anyway? I guess in Chia's absence they decided to recruit in numbers. Fun night of racing. Thats about all you can ask for when you are on a team like ours. Mid pack and further back. You know you are a contender when you stop mid race to pick up your computer from out of the gutter. Nice one Adam. Although I would have been right there with ya.

The madman Muyres was back in action. Whats with the red tights? And you thought my blue bike was ugly. Hope you didn't pay much for those because they are damn ugly.

A great showing at tonights team ride. Every rider was accounted for. Well almost. Our guest rider Chia is still missing. Although Erica decided to get out of the house the first time in over a year. In his absence he has been pumping out a family and secretly training. He even turned Adam into his little B^&(tch on the last sprint sign of the night. First night for WJ in the team colors. Next week I'm tying a beer can to my seat. Then WJ will be dropping us like last weeks meat loaf.

Next up, probably skipping Gluek RR. Need ot get some work done. Eric here is your homework for next week:
www.watertownstorageservices.com

Keep suckin.

Week 2 - Training and a Little Racin'

With the storage season in full swing I have been more focused on trying to stay ahead of things. The cold and snow has not been a pretty sight although it has helped slow things down a bit. Another week in the books and its time to roll the film.

Sunday - beautiful weather and no riding outside. On the trainer for 60 minutes at threshold.

Monday - No riding.

Tuesday - Another Opus and another amazing middle of the pack finish. I don't know how I pull off these amazing performances. I started flat and finished feeling flat. I think they are going to start awarding points to finishers 25-30. At least I ride like they are. Highlight of the night came from the cat 4 race watching my boy Craig mop up a 2nd and 3rd place finishes in the points and finishing 4th overall. Not to mention the 3 laps he spent off the front of the race. Nice job.

Wednesday - Wednesday Night Worlds team ride. 2.5 hrs in the saddle. 4 anaerobic intervals and a couple of signs.

Thursday - No riding.

Friday - No riding. Cold crappy rainy weather.

Saturday - 60 minutes LT on the trainer. Skipped Ken Woods. No interest in suffering in brutal conditions.

Sunday - Excelsior Crit. I was a no show the for the 35+ open race. I skipped to spend the afternoon with the family. Ducked out of the house for the 35+ 3/4 race. Legs felt pretty good. The race was pretty much a blur. The officials shortened the race to around 15 laps. I took a flyer on the second lap. I nabbed the first prime and continued on solo. The pack wasn't far behind so I drifted back. I told myself not to try for the second prime but the pace slowed on the third corner and I could not resist. I locked it up and drifted back to the pack. The next few laps were slow. No one was interested in wipping up the pace. I put in a small attached across the start finish to see who was interested in chasing. Loon State Dan and Andy chased on. Silver Cycling took over and pushed the pace for the next lap. Crossing the start/finish Loon State Dan accelerated and I jumped on his wheel. Coming into the finishing corner I was totally in the wrong position. Silver Cycling (dave) jumped and I was flat on the pedals. Sorry Chia I was caught out of position and asleep at the wheel. I rolled in 3rd.

On tap for this week - Opus #3 and WWW.

More Pain

Training Ticker - 60 minutes LT. Time for the sag wagon. Feeling the early season training.

Next up - Tueday night at Opus, Wednesday Night Worlds Team Ride, Thurday off, Friday recovery spin, Saturday? Maybe Ken Woods. We shall see.

Turning the Pedals

Another day in the saddle. No racing just riding.

Training Ticker - 2h50m

Tomorrow 3h+ with tempo (LT) up to 70 minutes

Dialed In

Getting the new mtn ride dialed in. Never guessed I would be riding a hard tail again.

Wednesday Night Worlds

Team ride was more of a team stroll. Wookie, Craig and I headed out from the shop. Hurting from the previous nights efforts we strolled along at a snails pace. No one cared about the sprint signs and we cut the ride short. Jade Fountain tangerine beef hit the spot and called it an night.

Training ticker - 90 minutes slow recovery.

TNW - Circles

Turn It Up

Well cant say the blog updating has been going well. Maybe I will post more in the future but probably not.

Tuesday night world showdown was this week. I planned on unleasing my massive sprint on the field but decided to save it for another week. Adam and I headed out from the shop to get some miles in. With the 300+ mile per hour winds it was going to be a slow commute.

Usual suspects showed with Grandstay showing its strength in numbers. Although it was not the same without Super Star lining up. I heard he didn't show because he was afraid of my sprint...or it might have been he is out of the country.

Didnt take long to get used to going in circles again. I put in another impressive middle of the pack finish. Finished up the day by riding home in the dark. Look out next week, the Sports Hut train will be in full force. All two of us that is.

Pow-Der

I have been busy and neglected to post anything last week. I am please to report the Sports Hut training camp was another success. 3 winter storms and 50 inches of new snow made for ideal conditions. The recap goes like this... Day one 24 inches Craig, Adam, Daryl and I put out an all out assualt on the mountain. Alta is for skiers and we hit every inche of the mountain. The day started with the first entry, followed by the second and then hitting Eddies High Nowhere. Ample snow made for an easier traverse across the rock face to the notch. By the end of day the snow was so deep from drifting you literally drown in snow as we made as many top to bottom runs as possible. 1/2 the mountain was nearly inaccessable due to a broken lift, however we made the effort to make trips all the way around the mountain to access the best snow. This made for a lot more hiking and work, less runs but we hit the jackpot with every run. After 12 round trips across the mountain we were wipped. Apres ski at Craigs as we awaited the arrival of the infamous Cropduster Wyrens. Day 2 brought on more snow 17" fresh and 9 degrees atop the mountain. Sights were set on Eddie's High Nowhere and breaking Jeff in early. 1/2 way up the climb Jeff was in the hurt locker. Not able to control his breathing he sent himself to the base for RR. We did not know if he would come out the next day kicking or kicking the dirt. Day three Jeff vowed to go down fighting and fight he did. Another storm rolled in and East Castle was in the cross hairs. Everyone rallied and skied hard the full day. We refueled at GoldMiners and headed home. Day 4 was a travel day. Some of the boys skied a couple of hours and others had to do some work. Probably one of the best 3 days of skiing I have had in a very long long time.

I headed home, washed clothes and headed back out to Utah. We have been skiiing everyday. Storms are forcasted for the next 4 days and there should be plenty of fresh to dive into.

Even though skiing has occupied most of my time I have not totally neglected riding. Well mostly but I managed to sneak in rides here and there. Today for instance, Sam and I met in Park City and rode to the top of Guardsman's Pass. I didnt think Sam was feeling the affects of climbing for 45 minutes as I saw him accelerate up and up the road. I stayed back keeping pace. Several minutes later I started to slowly pull back to his wheel. He then turns to me and tells me that the climb is much longer than expected. Guardsman's puts the hurt on everyone. No matter how pro you are. Reaching the top in just under an hour we turn and descend in 15 minutes. We rolled around town for another 40 minutes before calling Uncle. Short but unbelievable ride.

Tomorrow I will be strapping on the boards again in search of fresh snow. Summer will be here soon so it is time to enjoy these last few days and back to civiliziation and hitting the training hard.

3....2...1....Go

Let the racing begin. It has been over a month since the last post. It must have been winter slowing me down. With spring nearly around the corner its time to brush off the dust, hit the road and drop the hammer. Training has been steady up to this point. I wouldn't say I've trained a lot. But lets just say I hope it will be enough not to get shelled.

For the past week I have been grinding out a pretty good block of training. Managed to ride with someone new everyday and it has been pure pain. A recap of the last five days have gone like this.... Saturday rode hard in gale force winds. Sunday hit the trainer to flush out the system. Monday got shelled by Adam sending me to the hurt locker for over 2 hours. Tuesday, buckled, did not ride. Wednesday Wyrens rode me into the ground. Although I was riding a CX bike with about 40psi. He was on a road bike so I probably would have dropped his a**& if I was on a road bike too. I just need to recover enough to dish it out on Friday. We are headed to Utah for our spring training camp. Friday = Alta = powder = sending Adam to the hurt locker. Should be fun.

Training

Cold weather is coming again. I am able to bear the cold to a point but when the wind rears it ugly head I start to freeze up. Weekend outlook - rough, cold and windy. Friday, 2 hours base training before the deep freeze. Saturday, trainer. Sunday, trainer. Who knows maybe the forcast will be wrong.

Yesterday 95 minutes XC skiing at french park.....XC skiing makes me appreciate the bike.

The List 2.0

The beginning of the season and base training gives a person many hours to ponder the race schedule. I have thought through the season and have targeted a few races. The big picture is still cloudy but it is getting a little clearer.

I have been searching for road season motivation. Same races over and over have produced the same results....reminds me of Nascar. Thirty to Forty racers chasing 2-3 leaders. Time for a change. How about trying to train for a change? Maybe I will. To date the road season has only one race to make the list of "must haves" for 2008. It is a little know races called the Itasca Tour. Typically run the weekend following Chequamegon FTF. A 100 mile road race starting in Park Rapids. This is probably one of the races I am most excited about for the whole 2008 season. Something new and off the beaten path. Long enough to make it painful and low key.

I have rarely shown up to race the Minnesota Off Road Series. Can not motivate myself to ride circles around the local ski hills. To date I have been to one Series race at Welch and two weekly world cups at Buck. All three were forgetable. The List of "must haves" for the off road are no mystery. I keep coming back to these races because they are what mountain biking has alway been. Pure fun. No matter how good or bad the performance the quality of the trails keeps me wanting to ride more.

First on the list will be the Cable Classic. I have rarely done well here but who knows, this could be the year. It is rare I have any form which can keep me up front for too long. Last years result? It stunk. I blew at mile 2.

Up second on the calendar is the WORS Big Ring Classic on June 1st. Marathon fromat through the Nine Mile Forest. Abundance of competition. This race lets you know where you stack up for the big ones coming up. Last years result? Mostly stunk but I had a couple of decent laps. Final lap the wheels came off and limped it in. Hopefully early season training yields better results.

Third race on the calendar is the Cascade Cream Puff on June 29th. This race is pencilled in. The race has a 200 rider limit and falls a week before leaving for 10 days of riding and vacationing in California. The race is a 100 mile climbers delight that would rip the legs off of any rider. Definately one to keep on the List.

I will take a break from racing for most of July and hit the 24 Hours Nat Championship on August 2nd and 3rd. Another year vying for the 30+ Nat Champion Jersey? Depends on who shows. What our team lacked in talent we made up for in determination and consistancy. 2nd place was not bad, would be nice to own a title. Pipe dream, maybe...but we all dream.

Six days later the biggest race on my calendar in 07 and probably 08, the Ore to Shore (August 9th). This race has fun for the whole family. Long races, short races, kids races. The girls had a blast in the kids races. The whole family had a great time on the beach as well. The lake is unbelievable. Miles of sandy beach. Although the water is a little cold. I also had the best result of the year here (28th overall). Definately not a big time result but for a middle age has been wannabe that trains whenever I can get it, I'll take it. In 08 I will try to match last years performance.

August 24th The E100, Park City UT. This race will definately challenge me. A singletrack climberfest that I will suffer all the way through. I will opt for the 100km race unless bad judgement gets the best of me. 100 miles of climbing will break the bank.

Saturday September 13th the Chequamegon Fat Tire Festival. Lottery and no guarantee of entry. This is a race that every second counts. In the top 100, 10 to 15 riders finish every minute. You can not have a power outage on this day. Goals? 1) To get in the race. 2) Beat Muyres? 3) Both.

This is the list to date. I am sure it is subject to change.

X

Over the weekend watched Daron Rahlves take home the gold in skier X at the Winter XGames. Strange seeing some of the guys which I raced with still throwing it down the mountain. Nice to see a guy like Daron come out on top. If you have not seen this style of racing check it out at http://sports.espn.go.com/broadband/video/video?id=3217861.

Stopped by the shop tonight to check out the status of the new 29er. Well there is good news and bad. Good news I still have not sold last years bike. Bad news is I might not see the new Fisher before the middle of May.

Roller coaster weather has made for crummy training. Birkie is around the corner and I have not broken out the CX skis. Time to brush off the boards and get a few laps in before it is too late.

Food for Thought - Rant

If you have yet to read this http://www.velonews.com/race/int/articles/13939.0.html it might be worth looking at. Floyd is definately pissed off. Does not matter if you are for or against him he does make some good points.

I have read more than once that officials are not welcoming any riders which have served their time. Riders such as Hamilton (and more cant think of them right now) have been banned by officials from competition. Riders which have been linked to doping and not been banned are being excluded or threatened exclusion from races. I am not saying I support riders what they did in the past but if they have rules in place they should be followed and riders should be able to have another chance. Otherwise institute a lifetime ban.

Pretty messed up. The french and Dick Pound seem to be fueling the fire. I must agree with Floyd on all of this. Treat everyone the same and follow the rules. Has everyone forgotten riders Christophe Moreau, Laurent Brochard and Richard Virenque. Here is a refresher on the subject. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Virenque. French riders convicted and admitted of doping and served bans. Heck Moreau is still riding. The french need to look a little closer to home before pointing the finger at everyone else. How does Moreau still ride. David Millar of all people. What is the difference between Moreau, Millar and Hamilton?

Moreau and Millar doped and confessed. Tyler doped and did not confess. I am not supporting Tyler however, the rules are written and bans are based on doping not confessions.

Tubeless Materials List

I have been requested to provide some further instrucitons regarding a tubeless setup on my Bontrager Race XLites.

You will need:
- (2) NoTubes rimstrips for 26" mountain bike wheels
- NoTubes sealant
- Scissors
- Dish soap
- Core remover
- CO2 or Air Compressor

1. Trim 1/8" off both edges of each rimstrip to accomodate thinner diameter of a road wheel.
2. Streach rimstrip around wheel. Be sure to center rimstrip so bead of the tire can seat in the rim properly. Work/streach the rimstrip slowly making sure it streaches evenly round the rim. If you do not streach it out evenly the rubber may be too thick in some areas to allow room for the tire. If there is not enough room for the tire to seat inside the rim you can do one of two things (1) take rimstrip off and apply soap and water to inside of rim so rimstrip streaches more evenly or (2) trim the rimstrip more to get a better fit.
3. After getting the rimstrip to fit properly put the tire on the rim.
4. Use soap and water around the bead so it slips into place easier.
5. Remove core on valve stem and inject 1 1/2 oz of sealant. I probably used more than needed but wanted to error on more than less for this first time.
5. Use an air compressor or CO2 to force the bead into place. This is important. I have found with using tires which are not tight to the rim you require the use of an air compressor or CO2 to blast the tire into place.
6. After the tire is aired up to about 80 psi shake solution and work the tire to close leaks which may exist. You may not experience any leaks. Each tire setup is different.

RoundOne - Tubeless

This is my first attempt of a tubeless system on a road wheelset. I used a Stan's rimstrip with a Mavic Locust tire. Knowing rim diameter would be an issue I chose to use rimstrip for a 26" mountain bike wheel. I trimmed 1/8" off each side of the rimstrip and streached it over the 700cc wheel. This thinned out the rimstrip giving more room for the tire to seat inside the rim. Pretty simple setup and took less than an hour. I pump up the tire to 80 psi to get it seated and work/shake the stans fluid to fill the gaps. I still have some small leaks around the rim but should be solved soon by working the tire a few more times. If that does not work I will change the setup a little. Most likely a new tire which may seal better.

Panning for Gold

This was a picture taken yesterday at Afton Alps...Well not really but close. Alta. They have been enjoying fresh snow. Nice to see since last year was not a good year. Should call in sick and get a couple of quality days of skiing in. These days I am more of a wannabe skier. Have all the new equipment and never use the stuff. Where can a guy use a pair of B4s around here? Is there even such a thing as a good powder day at Lutsen?

Remember when the UP was the hotbed for skiing in the midwest. Indianhead, Blackjack, and a couple of other areas were booming in the late 70s and 80s. Now they are either out of business, for sale or struggling to make it. I skied at a little known area near Rodchester called Steeplechase last year. Good veritcal drop and a couple of chairs which served about 10 runs. I heard it went under and is up for sale. Too bad. Anyone interested in buying the place? Buy the resort, develop $1M+ homes around it and make it into a private ski area for members only. Private areas or clubs have been popping up. A couple of private areas in the US that have been successful courting members are the Yellowstone Club and recently the Mt. Holly Club. I can not imagine the cost of membership.

Did a little panning for gold last night trying to find that winter form. Sammy and I made it out for 2 hours. Perfect night ride. Departed from Sam's and rode the Greenway trail throughout Mpls. Some slick spots but managed to keep the bike upright. Sam was sporting his new studded tires. Definately the way to go out there. I hear Doug needs a set as well. Doug how is the ass feeling today? Remember rubber side down.

It is nearing the middle of January and I have yet to strap on the skinny skis. With the Birkie coming up I should at least attempt to skate around Baker Park a couple of times before the race. If you have not experienced the Birkie it is one event to check out. Some race it. Others just try and survive. I am there just to have some fun. Entertaining to watch terrified nordic skiers navigate downhill. Imagine Chequamegon then multiply it by 3 times. Unbelievable.

Reader question. Does a lighter bike make you ride faster? What is a pound worth? Keith Bontrager once worked out that one per cent off the total weight of bike and rider was worth 52 feet per mile on a climb, assuming constant power output. Now factor in how much you weigh and the amount of climbing we do here in the midwest during a race like OS2 or Chequamegon what are the gains of dropping a pound or 2. After analyzing finish times of these races it could be significant. 1-2 minutes during one of those races can mean up to 25 - 30 places. Now add up the savings from dropping 10 pounds of body weight. What do you think?

Burnin' Coal

Holidash

Broken pipes and birds. No bikes allowed just guns and dogs packed for the trip. Last friday I drove 650 miles to fix the broken pipes on the trailer house in Montana. I managed to sneak in some hunting as well. Sunday morning packed up and headed home.

Snow has kept me off the roads. The trusty trainer has been there for me and have been keeping up with my dosage of hours in the basement.

I have always had a love hate relationship with the holiday season. Run, run, run. It is always fun to see family and friends but many times it gets too crazy for my blood.

With all the chaos I am still keeping up with my reading and not with the writing. Pretty quite out there especially on this site.

On the local scene Bjorn wins U23 Cross Nationals. Congrats. The national and international scene has been boring. Another doper was signed to a team. Tyler Hamilton is the newest member of Rock Racing. You have to wonder about a team with a motto of win at all costs. They have certainly brought in quality dopers in Botero and Hamilton. They know all about winning at all costs.

These days I prefer to read about local riders. That is all for now. Enjoy the holidays.

THE List

“The List” is something we talk a lot about. From time to time we have all thrown out there races that fall into the category of “must ride” before we get too old or too smart to ever do. I do not think I can put these races into the category of must do before I quit because I do not think I will ever quit riding. These races fall into the category of must do before I die. Because that is what it will take before I stop riding. I have never considered quitting. In fact that is something that I never have understood. To participate in a sport, a lifetime sport such as cycling or skiing and one day deciding to quit. Maybe they really did not like/love the sport. Or did their interest just fade away, or was it replaced by something else. I guess I could understand these reasons to some degree but if this is true I hope it never happens to me. From time to time I run into old friend which I skied and raced with for many many years. Some remain active in the sport and have their kids skiing as well. It is great to hear their stories of diving into a chute and chasing down the mountain or traversing across a ridge. Others curse at the sport. Saying they would never let their kids participate in the sport. Man are they missing out. What went wrong? I guess I should ask them if they golf.

The List may have reached a mythical level. It needs to be brought back. It is December and time to put one on the List. One to be ridden and not talked about. Part of the fun is the talking. However, it is time for the planning.

Potential races range from cross-country endurance races to the level of insane endurance races that may kill you during the event. For example, the Arrowhead 135 or the Alaskan Ididabike are insane. I want to keep my fingers and toes. The List should also be comprised of events which a person can realistically train for. Here is where 24 Hour Solo events get thrown out. After witnessing Wyren’s pain I know I do not want any of that. Dakota50, put it on the list. I threw in the towel during last years race. I was not prepared and paid the price. 100% pain and suffering. Dakota50 needs to go back on the list. It deserves another chance. I will be back. 100 mile events such as Leadville, E100 and Breck100 are still suspect.

Sam, how many years should these races remain on the list? 10 years? Or is it 11?

2007

E100
???


Iditabike, Not on The List….

Remember, if you plan on riding Iditabike this year leave your dog at home?

I guess he did not like the taste of Pug.