After a long season, I am going to be posting a few of my equipment findings. Call them long term reviews after a thorough beat down of over 30 races.
One of my favorite bike component additions this year has been the E13 XCX chainguide. Ask yourself, "Self, when was the last time I shifted my front derrailleur here in the Midwest?" My answer to this question would be over a year ago! I have ridden the MRP chain keeper and still had trouble with it bending and not keeping my chain on. However, this is not the case w/ the E13. It is SO solid and easy to adjust...I set it up at the beginning of the year and haven't touched it since. I also haven't dropped a chain all year even on the roughest of decents including the DH race at Mont Du Lac! Anyway, I will be putting one of these on my snow bike (the direct mount one is awesome too), and all my bikes next year.
So, do yourself a favor and drop 1/2 lb of your bike the cheap way. Take that front shifter, front derr, and those extra chainrings off. Put one of these babies on!
For sale are a wheelset and fork to convert your 26" bike to 15QR. 15QR drastically stiffens up the steering of the bike.
Fork - Brand new, never used (taken of a stock bike) 15QR Fox Fit RL with remote lockout and Kashima coating. The steer tube IS tapered (1.5" lower bearing). The steer tube is 8.5" long.
Wheels - RXXXL Bontrager Carbon wheels. The front is 15QR and the rear is standard quick release (135x10). The wheels have seen light use mostly on the road. I estimate at 1/4 of a season total use because I have 2 other carbon wheelsets for the bike that I race and mountain bike on.
If you have top fuel or other tapered head tube bike from a previous year running the front 9mm QR, this is a worthy upgrade! I am asking $1000 which is a great deal, but I don't have a use for them and just want them to go.
Chequamegon was partly successful this year in that I didn't go down like I did last time, but my result stunk! Someone almost took me down by grinding their front wheel against my shoe and pedal (before we even hit 77!). I am not sure what they were doing but I was going straight.
I started in a fine position near the front, but by the time we hit Rosie's I was probably 100th due to my caution after the little wheel grinding incident. I passed ~60 people in Rosie's and was in a very long line but was way to far back in the front group. At some point there was a split and that was all she wrote... the rest of the race I plotted along in a group until Fire Tower, passed most of them there, and rode the last 10 miles solo.
Me at the top of Firetower Hill not happy w/ how the day was going...although, that climb is definitely the most entertaining part of the course that is left.
I had a inkling that it wasn't going to be a good day, as my legs have felt pretty hollow since that stretch of racing that ended in Maplelag. When I say hollow, I mean I just can't seem to access the high end power and intensity. For the most part I have avoided a "bad race" this year until now, so I guess I was due=) Either way, the weather, the scene at the finish, the Freewheel party (thanks guys!!!) and test riding a new Superfly 100 on the Ojibawa trail behind Telemark lodge all made it worth the trip.
A couple hours after the race I took my dad out on the Makwa trail for a while...he loved it. I could not come to the Hayward/Cable area and miss out on the sweet mountain biking! Late afternoon we settled in on a deck of our family friends beautiful lake home and enjoyed bacon wrapped fillet medallions with a couple adult beverages. That took some of the sting out of my poor result.
I may do a couple more races if the weather is nice, but my body, family, and brain are telling me to just ride and get that snow bike built!
Cheers!
P.S. Come on Lifetime, this is not cool: “Our thought was, like him or not, doping or not, allegations or allegories..." http://singletrack.competitor.com/2012/09/news/lance-rides-on-armstrong-to-race-in-crested-butte-this-weekend_35152
Doping of any kind, legal supplement or not, - HGH, EPO, testosterone,
etc - is NOT ok at any level of any race and you should honor any USADA
sanctions. I am not for or against any one rider, but a clean race and level playing field should be paramount for any race organizer or promoter.
Just a heads up...lots of links to great media in this post, but if a picture is worth 1000 words, mathematically a moving picture has to be at least 24x that.
Maplelag, which hosted the 9th round of the the MNMBS, is one of my family and I's favorite weekends of the year...mtbk related or otherwise. Maplelag Resort is a little slice of Heaven perched on a little lake north of Detroit Lakes, MN, and it happens to have some of the best singletrack, maybe the best for those of us that like the tough stuff, in the Midwest.
The weekend's racing schedule is not just about an XC race though. It is a complete stage race w/ time trial (TT), short track (STXC), and XC. The winner is based on all the times added together. Oh, and you can't forget about the kids race! Tegan rocked it runing 14 psi rear 12 psi front;)
We should all smile this big when we finish a race!
Skinnyski.com has all kinds of pics and all the results, but here is my recap
TT: This is the most painful 10 min of my year...every year. It is a 3 mile course that is ~75% ski trail and 25% singletrack. For whatever reason I prize this race the most...the race of truth as TT's are often called. This year it wasn't a cool morning which suits me well, and it helped me to set a new course record of 9:28. TJ Woodruff, a very strong Pro from Wisco/Tuscon/Boulder (depends on the time of year=) was ~15 seconds back. I knew TJ was going to be tough all weekend.
STXC: This is like a dirt crit on a course that was ~2 min per lap. The first few laps saw little separation and lots of positioning. Then a few of us stirred things up getting it down to 5 in the lead group including Scotty KJ, Mason Basco, Paul Hanson, and TJ. Near the end, I decided to get on the front and just pull the last 4 laps. Well my non-tactical approach to a tactical form of racing almost worked out (got it down to TJ and I) but TJ went around me the last lap for the win. I was a couple seconds back. Video recap here.
XC: The course is long at 10 miles or so, and I much prefer 2 long tough laps over a bunch of short ones (as I think most racers do). I am not joking when I say it is tough, and the dry conditions made some spots even more difficult. Soon after I passed TJ at the beginning of the race, he fell victim to a race ending mechanical. I kept on it and ended the lap with a large gap of nearly 4 minutes. I found out about TJs misfortune (had no idea before that) about 1/4 of the way through the second lap and eased up a little, but just a little. I expanded that to over 5 min by the end of the race. I was COMPLETELY blown after the race...well until I got some dinner and a beer! The weekend had included 3 race starts, 2 TT efforts (end of the STXC was like a TT), and finished out a 8 race in 15 day stretch for me. That is probably my most intensive stretch of racing ever. Video recap of Sunday here.
While I was really happy to win the stage race again, I still had a significant, maybe most difficult, challenge to overcome. After seeing tempting video of the lakeside jumps on Jay's blog I just HAD to do it, but I was quite nervous. That said, what kind of stage race winner would I be if I wussed out on the famous lake jump? While I wasn't nearly as impressive as Jake or Jon Richards... I did it, twice! Video and picture proof:
With my tasks complete, we finished the night w/ a complimentary keg of Fat Tire and a bonfire by the lake. You really cannot beat this weekend for fun IMO. Try it next year if you like relaxing, family, great food, and mountain biking. No, you don't have to be a crazy racer, and they have trails to suit everyone.
Next up will be that big gravel and XC ski trail race in the north woods. I haven't been there in a while but figured I should give it another go. The course does not suit me, but it will be good to see all the Wisco boys again.
My weekend recap can be found here. I was bummed miss the WORS race but had a blast in Duluth: http://www.skinnyski.com/racing/display.asp?Id=26653
As I mention in the report, there is no more challenging, equitable, and safer way to start an XC race (profile of the Du Lac start):
Next up is a Murphy TT and maybe the Murphy Menace 50. It is a lot of racing at the same place, but it is hard to turn down a 5 mile drive to a fun race w/ great people! After that, the following weekend is my families favorite race weekend of the summer, Laddies Loppet up at Maplelag. I am looking forward to some hot stage racing action with all the fast guys!
So catching up, I was on Vaca, then doing the Rhino Rally, then a Murphy Hanrehan TT, finally the Border Crossing (MNMBS#7).
Vacation was a vacation in my eyes but it might be closer to a nightmare for some. I started the 8 day break with a 6.5 hour epic on the Chequamegon trail network, hit up Cayuna a couple times (my family rented a big house to share up in Cross Lake for a week), a century on my mountain bike with my brothers that took just over 5 hours (ouch!), and I finished it with the 5 hour Rhino Rally Cancer Benefit race at Murphy Hanrehan. That put me at something like 23 hours of riding in 8 days. I was fried and in a big time hole... by accident. There was certainly no reason to bike that much this time of year...other than I was on vacation=)
As a side note, I had ALL kinds of good reasons to be at the Rhino Rally and for those that missed it, you missed a great low key even that supports a great cause and was followed by free Surly Beer and grill goodies! Come next year. You won't be disappointed.
I raced the Murphy TT (back at Murphy again!) on Wednesday down a gear still but had a great time chilling w/ the Freewheel gang. If finished in just over 40 min with some additional beginner trail having been added. My goal will be to break 40 min this year! BTW,the beginner trail at Murphy is ridiculous (not in a good way) and was the only downer on the night.
I tried to rest but did not have much success between commuting, kids/trampoline, lawn, etc the next few days.
I finally was able to lay low and even got a short nap on Saturday before MNMBS number 7. I felt a little better on Sunday, but my legs still had the "I need rest" ache. However, the Border Crossing course at River Falls is one of the best in the series. Even lacking a little leg snap, the single track there is so ROCK'N it makes you forget you are suffering. I gave it a go on my own from the start so I could get a clean look at the singletrack. I never looked back....I was having too much fun! Thanks to Nick, Bob, and the KORC gang for a great venue and race.
Border Crossing Photo from Todd Schaefer
I will continue to recover this week with only 3 races planned=) I will be doing the Murphy TT again. Tegan is looking to break his U6 record from last week, and I want to try to go sub 40 min. This weekend, I am completely torn on what to do. I really want to do the Mont Du Lac Super D + XC + camping. That just sounds like an absolute blast. I also want to test myself against the nations best over at the National in Wisconsin Saturday then Du Lac XC Sunday. We will see, but I am leaning towards just Du Lac to reduce the weekend driving from 14 hours to 5 hours. Time off and weekends are precious!!
2011 Trek Remedy 9.7 18.5" - 1x10 w/ SRAM XX and XX brakes. Stock wheels and suspension. Barely a scratch on it; 24-26lbs depending on tires; msrp w/ Sram stuff $5000 - $2400
2011 Trek Madone 6.9 ssl 54cm - Stock, 14.5 lbs, not a scratch on it; $8700 msrp - $4200
Bontrager 26" XXX lite carbon wheels - new this year. Use almost exclusively on the road; includes tubeless strips and valves - $800
This stuff is all very well cared for and I am asking less than the going rate for the same gear in this condition on ebay.
Equipment: I am officially crazy about my new Rock Shox Monarch RT3 rear shock. The Shimano Shadow Plus rear derr continues to impress as well. Also, I will be trying a hardtail solution again (in addition to dually) this fall and into next year. This looks sweet, but bigger things might be coming out in a few weeks.
Next up is vacation. I am bummed to be missing Elk River, but this will be a much needed break after 20 races so far this year...
My family and I headed up to Duluth early Sunday for the
MNMBS race at Lester Park.Casey has
never been a good traveler, and this trip was no exception.Jen, Tegan and I were serenaded with crying, some screaming,
and whining... until Jen put on
the right hip-hop song. I think it is
called “Run Away Baby,” although that type of music is WAY out of my
wheelhouse.That said, a course like
Lester is right in my wheelhouse…
The course at Lester is rocky, rooty, and punchy.Simply put, Lester park is another classic
Duluth-style trail that requires a lot more than just a motor to do well. At the start, Jesse set a hard but not too
hard pace up the couple mile gradual grassy ski trail climb (only done on the
first lap).Jesse, Scotty, and I knew what
was coming in the woods and everyone else in the lead group of 6 or so must have too, because as soon as the trail hit the woods it got very punchy
and it is easy to go POP …something like 5-10s full on then 5-10s handling/down
for the next ½ lap. I jumped ahead of
Jesse as did Scotty KJ when we entered the singletrack.As I mentioned, this kind of track suits me
well, and I thoroughly enjoy trying to go fast when 2 wheel slides, up hill sprinting,
and bike flicking are part of the game.I never
looked back and had ~3 min going into the final lap.Disappointingly, I did suffer some slight cramping for the
first time this year, but downing most of my Gu Roctane bottle fixed that in
about 1 minute (that drink mix has magical powers…my brother and wife have
experienced it as well on hard rides/races).I slowed it down on the uphills the last lap and finished with that same
3 min on Jesse who picked up his pace and put a gap on Scotty KJ.I am pretty sure my dehydration was a buildup of nearly 4 days of
constantly fighting 95 degree temps with mid 70’s dew points….and not resting,
as Ben was in town=)
Equipment: I am totally sold on the new XR1 up front and XR0
in the rear for racing.I would throw
the XR1 on the rear in dustier or slightly moist conditions.I also finally got a Monarch RT3 rear shock to match my SID fork…
I haven’t had it long enough to do an honest review, but initial impressions
are great.
Sunday night we stayed down on Canal Park in Duluth.We had a nice relaxing evening throwing rocks
in the lake (one of our smaller household members’ favorite past times).Monday, we hung out for a while before the limited
sleep induced melt-downs started ;-)
Without much other than Buck Hill for racing the past couple weeks (IMO the best way to stay fit or get fit are mid week races), I figured I should update on a few equipment things.
Oh, I should mention that I skipped my second planned gravel road race of the year (first being Ragnarok), Lutsen 99er. After Red Wing I wasn't up for any more mud, and I guess I was not alone, as I don't see anyone that finished the Red Wing Elite race in the Lutsen results!
Ok, equipment:
1. I got a hold of a new Shadow Plus Shimano Rear Derailleur. The thing is ridiculously awesome. Remember that debacle in Red Wing a couple weeks ago? Yeah, I had no chain suck or shifting issues in that muck. Besides keeping the drivetrain silent, it is a little known fact that the shadow plus eliminates chain suck! All manf will be putting a clutch like this on the rear derr's in the near future...or they will be left behind.
2. As things dry out (and get dusty), I am falling more in love with the Bontrager XR1 tire. I have that on the front and a XR0 on the rear now. I raced it at buck last week and am going to keep it that way for a while.
3. For grips this year, I am doing 1 layer of bar tape over the ESI silicon grips. This is holding its shape over time better than 2 layers of tape. If you like a bigger soft grip, try this.
4. The Rock Shox SID continues to impress me. It is definitely the best fork I have ridden from a stiffness and adjustability perspective. I don't have the remote version so I can simply set the platform to match my rear platform. That way I can concentrate on pedaling during a race rather than messing around w/ lockouts.
In other news, I blew myself apart yesterday. I like the heat, but it still takes it's toll when I can't convince myself to pedal slower....
.JPG)
