Little Black Spot

What is a Week? A stretch of days? Punching the clock? 

How do you define it? I try not to define it by going to the job site, or by when my 

favorite soap operas are on.  I define a week as how 

work has been done on two wheels. 

Sunday nights I set a list of goals of what i want and what I expect. 

It can be a hard week,,if their is no weekend racing or a week of tempo/base

keeping the legs supple for races to come. 

This week... was one that I was able to load up.. Not so much on miles/time

still around 15 hours total saddle time but more on hill climbing and 

being able to punch and recover. 

The next race up in Lester Park has s good amount of climbing as you climb up to the top of the trail system and dive all the way back to the start finish line.  Not only does it have some of the 

best single track I have ridden in years but you also get to traverse around the thunder roar of duel waterfalls.

I had a good race last year after a rough start getting crashed into off the line and having to fight like crazy to get towards the front. This year I am hoping that with some hard work and smooth riding that I can better my results from years past.  So today to end the week I get to have a nice long endurance style ride on the mountain bike. It will be warm and sunny and a good day for some solid work.  Until then the Tour is on the tube and soon the Women's World Cup from the Catskills will be on the net.

TDF

It is almost July and in my other life that meant that it was 

time to get ready for the Firecracker 50, always a big fun deal in the sleepy town of Breckenridge. 

Also means that the Tour de France is going to start,,, and even with all the 

bullshit of Dopers and Cheaters I will be watching one of the greatest events on two wheels.

I have many memories of watching the race unfold the hot dry flat stages where the field is blown apart by wind, to the Mountain stages where one rider set a blistering pace over multiple Col's. 

Good stuff and good TV viewing for the whole family. 

Monday it was announced that the Minnesota Series figured out how they were going to 

handle the Duluth carnage. They are going to flip the two races that take place up there.

We will be racing at Lester Park which is one of if not the best venues of the summer. 

Lots of climbing and perfect single track all wrapped around a Park that has two rivers and many 

waterfalls, as long as my start is better than last year it should be a good event. 

I have been out working on as much climbing as I can,, and much to the ribbing that I have 

been getting on the FB still riding the 1x9 drive.  After 7 years of single speeding trying something else has landed me a lot of criticism, and being the butt of jokes. I am fine with all of that because I can strip the bike down in 10 minutes and be a 1x1 again. As of late no desire, shifting has been fun. 

So back at again this morning before the triple degree heat comes in this afternoon. 

I hope that all in the Cspring area are staying safe..

Now go ride. 

HeDkInG

I should have been racing this weekend but I chose to go and ride bikes with the boss and 

his wife Kwood. Sunday brought a wors race 90 minutes from the house and 

the original plan was not to race and just build for the Minnesota race up near Duluth.. 

But as now is here we sit and wait to hear what is going to happen,,,seeing as the area we 

were going to race at has been hit hard by the heavy flooding rains. 

If things happen this way and Duluth is canceled that will make almost a month with out

a race. Not good I should have raced. Their is a race this weekend he in town a 30 mile road race that they want 30 dollars for,,, but no prize money.. Hard to justify a dollar a mile for a training day. 

Would be fun to go race the new King/Hed wheels that Hwood built up, but that may be better money spent else where. 

Weather can be a royal pain in the ass the Rains in Duluth ,, the Fires in Colorado and now the 

Floods in Florida.. Seems like you can never win.. 

You can win and you could be a winner every day.. Just get out and ride

your bike.. Be One Less Car!

Standing in the Rain

Longest day of the year here today folks from here on out it is all down hill. 

I have been trying to make the most of it or with the weather we have been having the Moist of it. Bikes are cleaned from the the debacle of Sunday, could use some new cables on the Pip's bike but she is so busy she is not riding it right now. 

Hate being so hung up on weather but it has been off the wall to say the least... In the past 24 hours up in Duluth Mn they have gotten over 11 inches of rain. Homes and neighborhoods are cut off due to roads being washed out and flood waters.  This is the road out in front of the SKJ's house up on Skyline Dr.

Best wishes for all the folks up there,, we are supposed to be racing there in two weeks and the campground that we would be staying at have had to evacuate.

More rain is on the way and  I should be riding tonight with the Wed night group but really don't want to have clean bikes again,, plus it is 90+ with high humidity. Yesterday when I left the house to ride at 5AM it was 80 hot and sticky,,,,thankfully Chamois Buttr keeps things in check.

Wheels are moving and instead of racing this weekend I am going to spend some time riding a bunch trying to get a big blox of dirt miles in.. Levis with Hwood and crew will be good for the mind. 

Get out stay cool and ride your bike!!

What just happenend

Cold wet muddy and confused is how my race ended yesterday,, Still not sure how 

all things are going to shake out. 

Race started in the sun with nice temps and perfect trail conditions. I hit the Single track sitting in forth or fifth,, up front is where i wanted to be. The twisty one track carved like I have never seen, going fast and staying off the brakes. Hit the Hair-way-to-steven the first time perfect and down in to the reroute. Punching out of one of the climbs I rode over the Grouse,, bird seemed to be fine as I saw it on laps to come. Second lap was more of the same charging and being aggressive and again off the breaks and on the gas. Third lap started with the rain starting to fall,, before entering the single at the start it was already getting greasy and loose. Mid lap things started to get bad for me,, lost the ability to  see and the glasses came off and from their it got tough to keep the bike up. The off camber trail was hard to run let alone ride. 

Coming through into the last lap the race director was that the race was called so I 

came through the start/finish line and dropped my mud heavy bike to the ground,,, after a minute or two of confusion I hear the USA official say that he did not call it and now it was too late to get back on course.    Results are a mess the miss direction of the people in charge and  the destruction of bike gear left me dizzy and a bit grumpy. 

All the work that I have been putting in is working I feel good and now need to build for the next race.  Kids bike has gotten overhauled mine gets it tonight.

Contact

 

I stumbled across a facebook conversation today about pedals and what to go with. The person that started the conversation was talking about how the time AtC pedals were not the same as the old days. I agreed and added my two cents. I too used the old style of times for years and as the dust covers became harder and harder to replace,, I searched for some thing new.. The Eggbeater and I did not get along to sloppy and I tended to pull out of them to often, then working at a local shop I saw a lot of failures.  Shortly their after I found the Look Quartz, and fell in love.. Like most relationship at first we argued but once I slowed down and realized how to get the cleat shims set up I was in heaven.   What for me that makes them so great is the contact point between my shoe and the pedal. You actually stand on the pedal making the feel of the bike and ability to drive through the pedal stroke that much better.. Their is float and options for release making the set up totally customizable.   Then to top it all off the cost and weight of the pedals are easy on the pocket 250 grams for the graphite and around 100$, and if you go with the Cabon Ti you can come in at around 120 grams.  All in all a solid feel and a good price, every time I clip in I know that it is going to be a good ride.

Stop,,ThEn Go

Two solid day on the bike has me felling pretty good. I have been liking my Tuesdays when I can get a good group ride in the morning before work and then get out on the dirt in the evening. It leaves me with 60+ miles and helps build early in the week with racing on sunday. The old saying of make hay while the sun shines has never been more true,, the day job has been steady with 7ish hours daily then out to get the real work done.     One of the things that I have been very luck to ride with this year are my Magura MT8 Brakes. Not only is the weight low and stopping power and modulation and feel perfect. But the ease of maintenance is unreal.. As a privater racer I need to be able to do all if not most of the work on my gear at home.. I do have a good friend local that can help but I hate having to ask as he builds wheels and does the over my head shit or just calms me down and makes it work. Jay and is shop Hollywood is two hours away and he'll do what ever I need but again that is two hours.  The MT8's set up and that is just about it if

you do need to bleed it is simple and changing pads is a snap.  They have a full line of stoppers that work for both the Mountain bike and now on Road bikes. 

I think I found the deal I have been looking for airfare wise for Interbike in September,, pretty damn excited to go,, Steve Mathews from Chamois Buttr is sending me to help work the booth and see a bit of dirt demo,, I have never been and think that it will be a good time.. Would have never made the connection with Steve if it was not for Mike Gore, how just happens to be racing the RAAM.

Check out his site and wish him good luck,,they start crossing the USA tomorrow. 

Now Go ride your Bike,,,Ride the Revolution!