30 degree drop...

The MNMBS (Minnesota Mountain Bike Series) kicked off Sunday with the Freewheel Frolic at Afton Alps.  Afton is physically the hardest race in the series now that we don't race at Spirit Mountain any more.  The 55 degrees (30 degree drop from the day before!) and drizzle made it even harder, especially for me.  It is no secret that I don't like cold weather racing because my legs just don't have the snap they do once it hits about 70.

The race started fast w/ a hard charging Doug Swanson taking the lead out.  Doug is flying this year, and LOVES cool weather racing (crazy???).  I was fine w/ him leading because my legs were cold and tight.  Doug proceeded to put a 20-30 second gap on me the first lap.  I had to let him go because while my cardio was under control, my legs continued to stay tight.  Finally things started loosening and warming up a little in the second lap.  By that point, I couldn't see anyone chasing behind us.  I caught Doug at the start of the 3rd lap and put a small charge in to gain a quick gap.  Then, I pushed solo through another round of drizzle in the last laps and pulled off the win by a couple minutes.  I have to admit that much of the race was a mental battle with me asking myself why I wasn't home laying on the couch watching the Stanley Cup playoffs, but how rewarding would that have been?

It was great to see our Freewheel team take 3 of the top 4 spots, and even better that the top 4 spots were all Daddies=)  For all you single racers or racers w/out kids, if you think fitting in riding/training/racing is tough now, just wait!

I want to thank Freewheel and all the volunteers for their work on pulling this even off.  It was first class, per the MNMBS norm, even given less than ideal conditions.

Pictures are from Jake at Freewheel.  Thanks Jake.  Also, thanks to Chris "I can out wheelie you" Ames for the handups.

Final equipment note/hint on the race:  7 of the first 8 tires across the line were Bontrager XR1, same as 29-1 (Jesse's front tire being the exception).  Trust me that we all have access to different brands of tires...

Next up?  Maplelag maybe...it is between that and a family visit down to Madison.  Either way, I won't make Buck this week because Tegan is graduating from Pre-School.   Because I never graduated from pre-school, this is an important accomplishment for our family.  While Tegan and I proposed (after much plotting) forgoing the the graduation and attending Buck Hill instead, we were overruled by the Queen Bee (or Queen J)  ;)

Racing Continues

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So I did a couple more races this week.Buck Hill Thursday Night Worlds kicked off with 137 advanced mens starters.  That is as larger or larger than the comp and expert class combined for MNMBS and WORS races....awesome.  I kept the start at a manageable pace and continued to turn the screws for 50 min taking the win.  Pic at the left is from Jeff Gude of the race start.

Today I did the Elk River Spring Fling.  If you don't attend Richzilla's races up there, you are missing out on the essence of mountain bike racing ($10 entry fee that goes to the trails=).  I was a bit concerned w/ a heavy hitting field including my new teammate Doug Swanson and perrenial fast guys like Luke Nelson and Josh Tesch.  Doug led it out strong and let me by mid lap.  I was not under pressure and felt good even when I went aerobic once I got out front.  I wheeled home alone and got 2 loaves of bread for my prize...what better prize could one ask for - case and point: essence of mountain biking.

Ok, so more importantly and interestingly are some equipment things.  With Trek and the Freewheel Elite Team as Co-sponsors, I have the option to run pretty much anything I want outside of being lucky enough to be on a Trek bike again.  Some of the things below are sponsored  items, some are not.
Tires: Even with multiple options, the decision was easy to stick w/ Bontrager tires.  Today I ran the NEW XR1 (same as 29-1) up front and XR0 in the back because the corners were sandy and a few were slippery.  At Buck I ran double XR0s. The XR1 is a nice compliment and option to the XR0. It is just about as fast rolling, a little heavier, but better in the loose over hard pack stuff.  The XR0 is still the king of race tires, no question.  If you don't believe me, try them.  Bontrager guarantees there performance.
Bike: Top Fuel...this continues to be the best bike I have ridden.  Don't try it unless you want to buy one, because you will love it too much.  Trek Demo's are next weekend
Fork: The Top Fuel comes w/ a Fox fork but I have always preferred the dual air and platform (I DON'T do lockouts) of the Rock Shox SIDs.  So thanks to Rockshox, I swapped out the Fox for a SID. The new SID is stiff and 1/3 lb lighter.... so far, I love it.  I may try the Monarch rear shock...time will tell, but I am very picky about suspension.
Wheels:  EC90 XC again.  If you have extra money or are looking for an upgrade that will matter, these are it.  You will immediately feel the difference and realize the benefit.  THe 15QR this year has made an awesome wheelset even more ridiculously better.
Food:  GU.  Roctane.  Plus, the new Roctane drink has 240 calories per bottle!  This is great if you do endurance racing and hate battling to get that magic 350 kcal per hour down.  Also Stinger Waffles - when nothing else sounds good, these do.  The are my favorite bike food, but they are NOT good in short XC events.
Helmet: Bell Volt. They fit me well and never give me a head ache.
Pedals: Crank Brothers.  Kevin (Freewheel owner) and Tyson will attest to the fact that these are the best pedals around.
Bike shop: Freewheel.  They know their stuff.  I am an engineer, I know and understand the technical side of mtbking, as mentioned I am very picky (too picky if you ask Tyson -he puts up with me well as does Kevin), but they keep my on my toes and will get you rolling as FAST as your legs will let you.

More to come later on equipment.  If you are looking for an early season upgrade to enhance your results, look at wheels and tires. If you see me at a race and have questions on anything equipment wise, feel free to ask.

Next up, Mother's Day and gardening (Jen's choice!).
Cheers.

This is my trophy from winning the Sandwich 50.  My little sweetie Casey was quite pleased.

The exclusive race report is on skinnyski: http://skinnyski.com/

Result, pics, and partially truthful recollections of the race from Charly and Kuske can be found at the race blog: http://sandwich50.blogspot.com/

I am in Longmont, CO now staring longingly out the window at the mountains while we discuss the finer points of disc drive design and manufacturing.  While this is difficult, I probably need the rest.

Next up will be some Buck Hill suffering and maybe an appearance at Elk River….

Moving and the Rok

It has been a while since I visited my site here in on the interweb. I assure you though, this is for good reason. Since Moab I have put in some good long weeks on the bike and moved my family to boot! Yep, we moved from Savage to Prior Lake. So far we are really happy with the move and starting fresh w/ new construction has been nice. We are now on the south end of Prior Lake on a little lake called Lake Crystal. Jen has been posting plenty of inside pics on The Facebook, so I will just show this one of the outside. The driveway and sod should be here soon...

Our view from them master suite...one of the selling points for me was .7 acres on a lake w/ beautiful sunrises over the lake.

The other selling point for me was a 1900 sqft unfinished basement, a mancave and a half! I can actually ride my bikes and test things like suspension damping down there (in the part not pictured)...

Next, I could no longer ignore the gravel road ride/race craze, so I signed up for the Ragnarok 105 this year. I think Ragnarok and Almonzo are the two queen gravel road races. Anyway Ragnarok was supposed to be 105 miles of 95%+ gravel. These are a far different animal than mtbk riding or racing w/ bike handling being a non-factor and this thing called "tactics" coming in to play for those near the front.

As far as this year's event goes, the front group got the 95%+ of grave part right...we missed a little on the 105. You see, they give you directions at the start and then every 40 miles. It is up to the riders to navigate. This is easy if you are following, but harder if you are in the front. The lead group and many of the other riders took a 6.5 mile detour at about mile 10, which made people pedal harder. About 5 of us were together when we were the first to hit the first checkpoint together. We took our time going to the bathroom and refilling water so a few people joined us again. After we got going, every hill would shrink the group to 3 guys, but then we would have to stop on the downhill to make sure we didn't miss another turn. Finally at some point, Drew Wilson, Brandon Krawczyk, and I got our act together with directions and started planning ahead. Even with our planning, we still took another wrong turn adding more unnecessary miles (not sure how many)! Somehow we were still in the lead after correcting our mistake and were able to basically soft pedaled the last 20 miles with a hard ride up the last climb. Brandon followed my wheel and then nipped me at the line...I am told that these are called tactics.

Pic of the last climb...

We ended with 118 miles and 18mph average despite what the Rok website says (it's not their fault we can read directions!). We could have easily gone faster than 18mph avg with lots of soft pedaling at various times, but it was nice to chat w/ the guys and enjoy the BEAUTIFUL scenery. I think my favorite parts were all the minimum maintenance roads.

Having finished I understand why people like these gravel events. They are kind of a race in that some guys at the front ride faster (yet as I mentioned not super fast and lots of friendly riding), but they are much more friendly with 90%+ of the people seemingly just there for the ride. I think these events can be best described as gravel "Grand Fondos" (if you are familiar w/ the similar road ride craze going on).

My ride went fine, but my legs were never good. That said I never was under pressure to hang on. I pretty much trained through this one, and my last bike rest period was spent moving, so I am very much looking forward to a rest week this week!

Equipment wise, the Trek Cronus CX performed flawlessly and is a ridiculously awesome bike.... 17 lbs out of the box, super stiff yet vertically compliant. If you want a road bike but don't race, buy the Cronus CX instead and explore gravel too. It will server you very well in both applications with just a tire swap.

Finally, Thank you SO MUCH to the Ragnarok organizers and volunteers. That is one fantastic event you have going. We, the riders, appreciate all that you do!

Next up is the Sandwich 50 in Rochester a couple weeks from now. I am pumped to ride 50 miles of the tight and twisties again this year.

Cheers.

Still my favorite

Slickrock is still my favorite out here, as it is just the most novel and unique. The Trek Remedy rocked the downs, but sucked some serious watts on the ups. Yes, it is really that steep (those that have done it know exactly what I am talking about)... Now off to the Moab Brewery for dinner=)

Back

at Amasa Back....I came out for work training, Particle College in Boulder (learning the physics of particle counting...quite entertaining), and after I finished I found myself on the other side of the mountains with my brother doing a more physical form of training.
Yesterday was the first time in a long time I have been scared on a bike as we explored "exposed technical single track", that is in Moab terms so off the charts for Midwest riding, coming down the side of the Colorado River valley (new singletrack down from Amasa Back). It was pretty amazing to say the least, and per my wifes request, I did walk the parts that looked life threatening=)

Vibe

The best video yet capturing the Cold Bear and Fat Bike Fest vibe... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZOC64RkJD0&feature=player_embedded&noredirect=1

Also, the Fat-Bike.com guys were there and did a write up:

http://fat-bike.com/2012/02/cold-bear-challenge-race-report/

Finally, I spent a bunch of time last weekend with boys from 9Zero7, Will, Jamie, and Bill. If you liked this years bikes, just WAIT until you see what they have for next year...think options. I will have details for you in few months.

Basketball shoes or Hockey Skates?

Studded tires or regular rubber... would you bring basketball shoes to a play in a hockey game? Given no hockey skates (studs), I was forced to try to compete on a single track skating rink with basketball shoes (Husker Du fat bike tires).
Just like the mashed potatoes incident a few years ago, Fat Bike Fest 2012 will not be forgotten. Fat bike racing at Hillside Park in Elk River seems to have a knack for creating memorable races...you know the ones you won't forget not be cause of how you did, but how tough the conditions were.

You get the picture, 40% skatable ice, 40% slippery glazed snow (less slippery than ice though), 5% packed snow, 15% dirt...that is my estimate anyway. These conditions made for a pretty stressful day on the bike both mentally and physically. Physically, it was constantly being slid/whipped around, thrown to the ground, or putting down full power. Mentally It was either "steady, steady, find some grip, spin, slip, oh there is a little traction", "I am sliding backwards down this hill I wonder what I should do", or "I am on dirt, go FAST." The surprising thing is that Jeff Colbert (the namesake of the Elk River ColdBear racing series) and were not on studs, and we held the studded fat bike riders off. He was dealing w/ the ice better than I was, but there was just enough dirt for me to stay away for another Fat Bike Fest win. Rich and crew put on such a great show up in Elk River, and in combination w/ the 9Zero7 sponsorship of the race (free frame and fork give away), it is a must do on my calendar even in less than ideal conditions. Thanks to all the sponsor, volunteers, and especially, Rich!!!

While I love my 9Zero7, I think I am done racing my fat bike, maybe even riding it, unless we get some snow. It just isn't the same rolling 4" tires on pavement. Also, the frozen dirt is rough and the studded Remedy is ready to go. The Top Fuel for this year, well, Happy Valentines day to me...

Proper Winter Racing..

We finally had a winter race with proper snow and conditions that gave fat bikes an advantage.
I felt much better this week and certainly had more fun riding the single track at Murphy rather than those blasted hills! My new 9Zero7 hasn't been tested on snowy single track as much as I would like (no SNOW!), but it continues to impress me when the opportunity arrises. Sunday I felt right at home on her, just as I do on my Top Fuel in the summer.

All the details, results, and a pretty cool video here:
http://freewheelbike.com/about/frozen-frolic-2012-results-pg713.htm

Next up? Who knows... I am taking hits from a group of men who refer to their brothers as sisters (and sisters as brothers?) on my skinny riding ability...so maybe I should forget trying to get fit and just work on my skillz ;)

Team and Murphilly

First, it is official that I will be riding for the Freewheel Elite Team this year with Trek and Bontragers as co-sponsors. I am excited to be a part of this team and have the support from Trek, as it is a combination that will provide me with everything I need to pedal hard.

On to some racing:
Remember the old Murphy Hanrehan course? Yeah, the one consisting of world class XC ski trials that only go up and down...almost never flat. Mr Hinkens and I took turns beating on each other Sunday at that course because the singletrack was still to icy. Jack and I agreed that it was the hardest we have gone since last fall, and he ended up besting me by 15 seconds or so I think. With a wipe out on a slippery rut and some time lost on the hills, I was down 30+ s after the first lap but pulled it back some in the last lap. While I think he had me either way, it was an interesting battle of different tire set ups with almost all else equal and both of us on beautiful 9Zero7s.

Jack's setup - Nate rear, Larry front, ~15 PSI min
My setup- Husker front and rear ~8-9 PSI.

The huskers roll better on really hard pack, which the trails were not Sunday at least on the first lap. The Huskers were much better on the second lap after the trail had been packed.
On the staircase steep climbs I was losing 5-10 seconds slipping the rear tire. Jack said he did not slip at all and climbed the hills like he had claws on his tires (technically he did w/ the Nate=).
Higher PSI, to a point, is advantageous as well for going fast because the tire casings don't comply/flex well in the cold, and the tire sidewall obviously flexes a lot less at higher PSI.

There will be more to come as we actually get to ride on snow in the coming weeks, but my initial takeaway is that unless it is very hard pack (nearly icy), the Nate will be a superior snow tire because you can run it at higher PSI and still have more grip.

Later...