44 Switchbacks

I rode Haleakala yesterday, and I had to dig deep. I took a different route this time that found me on cracked pavement with grades of ~15% (not in pic..at lower elevation). Needless to say my 39-23 was used (extensively) for the first time on the Cervelo. Over 5.5 hours later, I stumbled into the condo. I couldn't move very much, but I didn't have to.
Today, I think the plan is an easy ride, some snorkelling, and some Maui Brewing Co beer.
I heard it was raining all day at home...

Rocketship

I have been meaning to do this for some time, so here goes:
This years rig:The frame and most of the components from a stock Trek Top Fuel 9.9 SSL. Thanks Maury!
The changes/upgrades from stock include
Wheels: I9 wheels with NoTubes Race rims laced on...Thanks I9! This has to be the stiffest 1325 gram wheelset out there.
Shock: I will probably end up running the set it and forget it RP23. The bike comes with the DT Swiss pictured and a remote lockout (not pictured). I guess I would rather concentrate on going fast than worrying about 1 more control on my handlebar.
Saddle: Selle Italia SLR Gelflow XC...been on this one for a couple years and use it on every bike now, even the roady
Handlebar: Bonti riser...the one it came with was just too T-rex-arms skinny
Rotors: Hope Floater rear and Alligator front
Pedals: Old standby beater twin ti's (SST spindles). I know too many people who have snapped the ti spindles
Tires: last and most importantly, I will be running a combination of Schwalbe tires this year. I am not sponsored by them, but the advantage of being a paying pro is that I can ride what I deem the best out there. I will be using RoRo's (rocket rons) FuFu's (furious freds) and RaRas (racing ralphs). I will endorse no more than that until Schwalbe gets me some free ones=)

Finally:
Weight = 20.75-21 lbs depending on tires


On the training front things are going well. As a part of my training last week, I rode my mountain bike to Rochester (~95 miles). It took me 4.75 hours with some semi-slick tires on, and I figured it would take me 5.5 on the knobbies, so I guess things are coming along! I am basically done with base training now, although I am not super structured in my approach. The next "phase" is when I start to do some hard rides. I don't do intervals...I hate them...I do ride hard until my body quits, and then I ride less hard until my body really quits. That is how I race, so I figure that is how I should train.

The only other thing of note is that this weekend Jen and I are going to heading out to Maui (one of our favorite destinations).
It is kind of a last minute thing, but we need it. I am bringing the road bike so I can tour the island and climb that 10000 foot pile of ash again. Whoo hoo!

Going Fast?

The other day I was riding my hardtail on the road. I felt like I had a tail wind the whole time...I was only using 2 tiny cogs. Then I realized it felt this way because I wasn't pedaling a 36 lb bike through the snow! =)

Happy Valentines Day Everyone!

Tough Days

This is going to be short and sweet...Jen and I lost our son Ty Gary Moore who was born yesterday. His heart had stopped sometime on Jan 26th and the causes are unknown at this point.
For all you bikers...just know that there is know an extra biker-angel up there watching over us now.

Double Top Secret Weapons

They started arriving today....

-20 F Really?

That was the temp at my house this morning....Dang, that is COLD!
I know it has been a long hiatus for my blog, but I am keeping busy and having fun. I even had 2 weeks off at Christmas to play with Tegan, ride, nap, eat (a lot), and hang with Jen.
The past two weekends have seen a couple group rides come and go. Among the bonkers were Fisher, Ben, and Paul...I couldn't tell with Wenk, as he was struggling with skinny cross tires. As Paul said, "My first bonk and the year is only 5 days old!"
Needless to say winter riding has been a blast this year not only because of the pug but because of the snowy trail conditions. This past weekend Ben and I did 3 full laps on Pugs at Leb in 3 hours...that is a testament to the good conditions. Either way, I have only been on the trainer a few times which almost makes spinning inside enjoyable.
A note on the trainer: several years back I came to the conclusion that the trainer wasn't cutting it for my winter training... this based on my burning out sort of feelings and the fact that all the fast mtbk guys like Hall, Hanson, and the Swansons were outside. Looking back, I think this change made a significant difference in my early season fitness.
Today - Thursday: I probably won't ride much...with windchills of -20 and below, this is below my fun/safe factor for long outside rides.
Anyway, after this week I start my "official" training. What that means is pretty nebulous with me, as I go a lot of my past records and how I feel. Basically, I will be doing some base miles. I definitely feel more motivated than in previous years (sometimes I felt a bit frustrated about dealing with base miles in cold and snow)...blame it on the pug=)

-b

Monster Bike

I turned old yesterday but my wife softened the blow:

Tweener Season

I don't think anyone really likes the 'tweener season...the time between when the great fall riding ends and when the cool snow riding begins.
However, I have kept myself entertained lately with lots of variety: running, commuting on bike, riding trails when they are frozen, hockey, some core strengthening, and most importantly, chasing Tegan around. For the record, the most strenuous (but also my favorite) activity in that list is the last one=)
Racing wise, the only thing I have done recently was a 5K held here at work. It took me almost exactly 20 minutes, and my takeaway is that I would much rather suffer on a bike.
My plans for the winter will be much the same as previous years, which includes the list above with some snow shoeing thrown in. I generally depend on hockey for most of my intensity training, and RARELY hope on the trainer for more than a 30 minute easy spin.

Anyway, I am rambling, but I will have some good updates coming in a couple months. Next year bike is going to be a rocket ship, and I should have it together sometime in February.
Until then, I will write if anything interesting happens.

Have a Happy and Safe Thanksgiving!

Afton CX

I race for the first time in 5 weeks this weekend at Afton. It was fun and hard...harder than I have gone in a while mainly due to the running and jumping. My results weren't great, as I finished 9th on the knobbies in the A race.
The most fun part of the course was the muddy steep "barrier+ run up" that I bunny hopped and rode up=)

The toughest part for me was the 6 barriers per lap. This is the third time I have ever tried to clear them...the first two times were in CX races last year and they only had 1-2 per lap. I lost at least 5 yards to whoever I was riding w/ at every barrier. This was is frustrating and takes a lot of energy to make up that time, but I should practice if I want to do better...


There are some more cool pics here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/halvorson/sets/72157608371771629/show/