Currchiandos

One more time,,, the last hurrah,, A curtain call.. 

The last great family outing.

Sophia heads back to school here in two and a half weeks and the summer for all that it is worth has flown by. We have only had one camping trip all the way back in May.

I was able to take an early day at work friday so I could prep food and get the camper ready for what was to be a fun weekend of bikes beer and some camp fire dancing. 

We have found a great spot for camping just outside of Black River Falls, in Hatfield Wisco.

On a lake in the pines and just two miles from the trail head of some of the best single track that Wisconsin has to offer. 

I have a special place in my heart for Levis Mound,, having ridden there the first time some twenty plus years ago. I have watched the trails develop and get better with time. The trails are part of a county system and manicured by a kickass  volunteer staff. 

The trails are almost all single track and cover a wide bit of terrain.

Again I love it there. 

The kid and I had a blast hitting all my favorites and a few of them even twice.

Pip and I may fight like a father and daughter but their are few people that I would 

rather ride Mountain Bikes with than her.

After riding Pip and her brother headed off to a local water park and Anna and I got 

geared up to ride some road style bikes. 

Anna on her Madone and me on my Nature Boy.. She was rocking some 28's and my rig the monster 40's.

Gravel was on the route and it was a route that I only knew from looking at Google Maps.

The ride started out Blissfully a nice flowing road along the Black River,, through some high rent neighborhoods.

Rolling along having fun enjoying some us time,, for we don't ride bike together very often.

We made a turn on to Fisher Road,, and got on to the first section of gravel,,   

This was nothing more than a hard packed dirt road with some rocks scattered about.

Anna has not spent much time on gravel roads and the first stretch was good as we rolled along.

So well that she could even get her phone out to talk to the kids at the water park.

We needed to make a left and ride for about four miles till we hooked up with a major road, and on the map all looked good..

This is when the wheels started to fall of the bus.. 

We rode for a good bit and she had to drop down to hill climbing gears and the road went back and forth between gravel and sand. 

Following the map we came across some ATV's and then the roads got really bad,, like sandy beach bad.... Like can't ride your road bike bad,, Like test your marriage bad. 

After a few testy moments level head prevailed and we  turned back the way we came.

I rode the wingman position making sure that she was in one piece.

Complements withstanding she rode back through some tough roads like a Boss.

The bike fished tailed and bogged down in the sand. 

Once we got back to Fisher Road the mood changed,, and got even better

when I found some cold Cokes and  Beer back at the Camper. 

We had a killer dinner and watch some crazy lightning as 

we shook our tail feathers around the camp fire. 

Pip did not get to join me this morning,,, she had to head home and get cleaned up to go to work at the bike shop.

So I was free to fly and that I did,, the dirt was still tacky and the sand was firm,

the big change was the sun was out and the steam and humidity of the day before was gone. 

It was a great session on the trails today,, listing to the Angry Bees of my rear hub buzz along 

sand stone was turned to dust. 

It was the Last Waltz for the full family and it was good,,

Now it is time to hunker down and get Pip ready for school and the

OS Blackbuck ready for Single Speed USA..

Their is still work to be done but progress is being made. 

More to come on that. 

Now the sunsets on the weekend and people in this house are ready for sleeping. 

PARTY ON!

Swampass

I have said it many times before I love racing my bike at
Afton Alps.

Or maybe it is more of a love have but the word love always shows up in 

the sentence. 

Yesterday was no different,, with the boy racing that makes for an early

drive and somewhat of a long day.. But with the right amount of coffee and 

a sweet job of parking in the shade we set up a good base camp.

Got Rocky all kitted up and out to warm up if that is what you want to call it.  When the kids race started he found his normal pace towards the rear,, which today suited him well as the group in front of him roused up some bees and a few kids got stung.. 

He crossed the line with a smile and with that I could not ask for more.. 

From the end of the Boys race to the start of mine is a few hours at best,,

so with that I hunkered down at our camp spot took a few 

chair naps and just chilled,, making sure to drink a lot of water knowing that it was going to be a hot one. 

After a good warm up I made it to the line full knowing that some of the course had been changed for this year..

Most notably the start,, fifty yards to a sweeping right up straight in to single track. 

I had told my self before the race that I did not want to be up front but a start like this demanded it.

We popped out of the single track and onto the service road before the  onslaught of 

  climbing started. 

The first lap hurt I think the most trying to get used to the pace and dealing with the heat,,

photo kmb

Going up Manhandler the first time we were all still somewhat together,, 

that was until Jeff Hall went on a Tear,,,

By Lap three by far my slowest of four laps,, the gaps and places for the most part were decided, and now it was a matter of finishing, having dealt with the worst of the heat I was starting to fell

good again and was head down on every climb..

Now did I mention that I pick the worst day ever to forget gloves,,,

yep,, left my Ergon gloves sitting on the floor of the bedroom and had to spend

the whole race using a kung-fu-death grip on the steep climbs and 

all out descents.   I managed to finish in one piece and crossed the line 

6th,, which the way that this season has been going I'll take,, three races in seven days

I can be happy with that. 

With all that behind me the fun really starts,, the new Single Speed frame should be here today 

and that process will start,, hope to have it all said and done in the next 10 days or so..

Until then back to the ride and grind,, Singletrack and Sk8teboarding that is!!

Party ON to all and to all a Good Day?

Pinhead no More

You know that part of the Movie Fight Club when 

Ed Norton is shown not fighting Tyler but fighting him self in the parking lot.

That was how I felt mid race yesterday.. as I came unhitched and was in no mans land. 

Flashback to the drive up to Duluth on Saturday.

Passing through Eau Clair I get a call from SKJ and he informs me that the trail

was in crappy shape after the rain that fell on Friday afternoon.

He said that it was so bad that he was not sure that they would not be able to hold the event.

Hanging out in a gas station parking lot I made some phone calls and the kid 

and I decided to make the rest of the drive.

Plowing through a big cell of wet nasty storms I was happy that the bikes were in the car and not on the roof. 

The good thing was none of this rain was hitting Duluth, and the hope was things would dry out. 

As we got to the shores of that big ass lake the sun was out and we got out to do some riding.

Meeting up with Teammate Mitch Burns we climbed the 7 bridges road and tore around the top of the ridge. 

We dipped our toes into some of the single track and in some places it was unreal and in other pretty slick.. 

Sunday morning we woke up to sunny skies and cool temps.. should be a great day for a mountain bike race?

I was able to get out during the sport race and do a lap and the trail was in perfect condition

and I was getting excited for what was to be a fast fun day on the bike. 

Coming out of the woods the clouds were dark and starting to threaten rain. 

With fifteen minutes to the start the rain fell not hard but a good soaker..

50+ racers on the line and the front end was stacked.. At the whistle again I slip a pedal and pay dearly for it but was able to get back on and get into the train up the road.

Sitting in 5th behind SKJ the pain was creeping in.. Across the road and into the singletrack... This is where it got interesting..

We were flying but things were greasy and the bridges and roots were very tricky to navigate. 

Through lap one I was able to stay clean but now the sun is out and the trail is drying is some places and turning into a sponge in other places. At times I was on par hitting the corners just right  but I kept pulling then getting pass and had nothing to match the gaps that would grow. 

With one and a half laps to go sitting in no mans land I decided to just pick a pace tap it out and have fun,,, because now the trail was grippe fast and fun,, only issue was my legs were starting to give out. Two hours I made it across the line with a touch over 26 miles covered.. The result was not what I had wanted and had worked for through out the week,, but I kept it clean and enjoyed the ride.  

The team had a tough day with multiple flats and DNF's and even a Broken Finger for Dan D..

Not a bunch of time to recover as this coming week is going to be Afton,, "I am devins angry Legs"

and it is going to hurt,, but another day of climbing and fast fast descents.

I am just so happy that I get to line up and go toe to toe with some of the fastest 

racers in the upper middle west..

Time to think of things to come..

Turning into Dust

America

Fuck Yea!!

Hard to believe that the Forth Of July has come and gone. 

Always nice to get some extra time off of work and always awesome to 

hang out with the family ride bikes and drink beer!!

.

This year was no different. 

I kind of used this weekend as a hard restart of sorts to refocus the 

racing season.

It has been a weird year due to weather and races either getting canceled or just washed out. 

The racing has been good and all things being the same I am happy with where I stand.

But as for now it is time to get ready for a back to back weekends of racing. 

This next one up is by far one of the best of year up in Duluth Mn,, Right on the shores of Lake Superior.

Lots of climbing and flowing single track, and watering hole for cliff jumping when the racing is all done. 

After that it is followed by Afton Alps the ski hill that I grew up skiing at and since I have been back in the Middle West one of my favorites,, again lots of climbing.

So After the Hootenanny that was Friday and the recovery from said booty shaking

it is all about building and getting ready for things to come. 

Before I know it we'll be up at the SSUSA event getting back to basics 

riding one gear and drinking large amounts of Beer.

But for now eye on the prize,, head down and HTFU.