Rained Out Again

Shut out again,, this time it was not me pulling the plug but the promoters of the race. 

The back story is all week long the Mississippi river valley has been getting pounded with rain,, and lots of it.. Strong severe weather has been blowing through one after an other. 

The forecast had called for a dry Friday and drying out over the weekend with small chances of showers. 

The Series put out a Tweet that a final decision will be made saturday morning after  

the trail was inspected on Friday.

On Friday I rode the monster Cross to work and home through the quarry and on the way home I rode some of the upper sections of HPT. 

Pleasantly surprised I was to see that the trails were drying and my mind was shifting into race mode.

Got back to the house and Brown Santa had brought two boxes to the house

one with new Geax tires and the other a new Deck for the boy to Thrash on. 

Got the tires set and the word from the series was the trail was in great shape and the race was on...

Made some last minute plans to ride up to St Paul with the Girls for the concert that they were going to and the Party was on.

Saturday morning I went for just a quick tempo style of ride and happy with how I felt,, until

pulling into the Garage to find out that the race had been Canceled.

This is the official announcement.

 I understand how frustrating this is for racers and the series given our proclamation last night, but the forecasts have gotten worse and we run the very real risk of running our club out of business if it were to rain and the turn out was low. With past two Red Wing events being wet and the prior event in Mankato being wet, we felt there was a good chance racers would understandably stay home if we got rain tomorrow. 

We apologize for any issues this cancellation may cause. Expect information from us and/or the series for how pre-registered riders will be handled.

At this point I am pretty bummed this means that I have not raced my bike now due to
weather for almost a month.. and I am freaking out and ready
to bend some cranks and feel that pain that can only come from racing.

The Weekend was not a total disaster,,
Did get to have dinner with the Boss last night and the Boy and I rode a new skate park.
Now we do have a race coming up next Sunday,,
One of my least favorites Buck Hill..
Two Hours of driving for a 75 minute race..
But I need to feed that Jones and this will have to be where I start.

Ditch Diggers Too Danny

It has been all bikes all the time and aside from racing this guy has been smiling from ear to ear.

Md and the Crew at Velocity twisted my up a new back wheel which showed up

bright and early last week and added to the riding enjoyment. 

I had the best fathers day gift a guy could ask for last friday,, getting off work early and meeting up Woods at Levis Mound. 

with the

Which by the way was voted one of the best places to ride by some magazine or group of people that i am sure know a lot about something. 

Regardless the weather perfect with low humidity and as long as you kept moving the bugs were not so bad. 

The Pip and Kwood were riding like they were on fire and all Jay and I could do was sit back and watch.  I even got to drink a beer and then have Pip drive home while chilled in the passenger seat.. KickAss.

Still on a Mountain Bike High saturday morning I found my self back out on the LaMere this time heading up to the HPT for nice post breakfast ride..

Trails were in great condition and at times I even felt fast.. The trail crew were up working with machines and I made Planes with Blum to carpool to the SSUSA,,, so I guess that is going to happen. 

Now just need to figure out what bike or bikes I can ride singlespeed up there.

And as you would guess sunday saw more bikes and beer drinking. 

I took the All/City out to see it  I knew how to ride  a Single and with the 42x18 and 44mm tires it kept me honest. 

My wife took me out for wings and beer and then I cooked a kicks ass dinner..and when it was all

over I woke up monday morning like it was some awesome dream.

Now I just need to plow trough to the weekend and I will finally get to race this time

at Red Wing one of my favorites,, Fast Hilly and Fun.. 

LaidOut

I woke up monday morning ready to get back after the Mountain Bike on the way to work.

Nothing starts the week off better than riding singletrack before heading

into the monday morning meeting. 

For what ever reason I had to fight my breakfast and my coffee was not going down as it 

normally should be. 

All this was coming on the heals of a great weekend and week of riding.

Sunday saw 35 miles of dirt and over 4K of climbing.

So as my morning progressed I was dressed and almost ready 

when it hit me like a freight train. 

It took all I could muster just to get out of the super suit and climb into bed. I slept from 7:30 to 1:30 and then just moved to the couch where I just laid low for a few more hours.

Not sure if I had picked up a bug or if my body was just telling me to stop as the candle had been being burned on all sides.

It has been a slow restart to movement trying to get my legs back under me and get back to feeling

as good as I did last week. 

I was able to ride dirt before and after work yesterday which helped but still put me to bed just after 9,, going to be while it is still light outside..

Going to test out the monster truck tires that I put on the cross bike,, this morning, for what ever reason could not get the tires to hold air with all the sealant that i put in them so I will have to run 

tubes,, but regardless they should be a blast on the dirt. 

And if and only if I can pull it off should be going to Levis tomorrow after work to meet the boss and rip some trails.. 

#WhAtAJeRK

Not racing last weekend has me chomping at the bit to line up and and go,,

nothing unit the end of the month which makes two races this year and it just fells weird. 

So in the meantime I have been just over dosing on the MTB.. 

My biggest fear is that I don't have the high end that is needed to keep up with the fast guys but the miles and climbing are on point.

I spend most of my time riding solo due to time and not the biggest fan of the group rides in the area.

I did get out with Jblum yesterday and showed him around the backyard and caught up with all that

is cycling in the area as I am for the most part out of touch doing my own thing. 

Had a blast trying to link up all the dirt in the area as the sky's started to get dark and 

the thunder started to boom..

After cresting the big quarry climb I had to make the decision to turn tail and run before the buckets of rain started to fall. I got in to the garage just as the heavy stuff started to fall,, only make for some minor bike cleaning. 

And that was on the heals of getting caught in the rain coming home from work on friday.

Pop up thunder showers much like those in my old home land of Colorado.

I felt the rain starting as I pedaled out of town and headed to the trails,, beating it and getting under the canopy of trees for the two mile Vista Climb.

Very little rain made it through the trees but what did made for some greasy conditions  causing me to have to pedal a touch easier. 

Popping out on the top my bike wanted to ride more dirt but my brain said get out while you can..
So I did.

Today was nothing but blue skies and SingleTrack, Gravel and a bit of Pavement.
I had nothing but time on my hands and wanted to do the ride that I had planned yesterday.
Thirty Five miles later and 4k+ of climbing I was smiling from ear to ear
and oh so happy that i did not go out on some windy
death march through the hills waiting for flat tire fixes and
regrouping at the top of hills..
Call me an asshole or an elitist or that I have a darkheart,,
No I just want to ride my bike with out any drama..

DnS

As far as I can tell I pulled my first ever DNS#

I can't think back to a time where I have been signed up for a race been at the venue and not gone to the line.  But if their was ever going to be a day to do so yesterday was it. 

I love love love the race at Mankato and am super bummed out that it ended up being the race that it was.  Last year I had one of my best races of the season, and was looking forward to another good showing. 

Now all things in context,, this was a busy weekend for racing with a Point to Point in Hayward and State Crit champs in St Paul and then both Minnesota and Wisco having races. 

A ton of folks were up in the north woods for the Epic and in hind sight I wish I would have also,, gone to this one.. My favorite Ginger pulled out a kickass race finishing in sixth just behind Mr Creepyfriendly and in front of the Basco boys.

From all reports the weather was great and the racing was better. 

Hwood and Kwood opted out of MTB racing due to the Road Racing that was being put on

by Podium Wear and they being a title sponsor of the THC team it only made scene for them to race there. 

The only other dry option for racing on Sunday would have been going to 

Cam Rock and racing WoRs, but since I did not pony up to USAC no racing for me,, the Pip could have and maybe even should have but committed to the   MNMBS and to the Team we are. 

So at the Race we were and the field was small and the mud was thick.

During the sport race people were getting pulled out of the course by an ATV,, and meanwhile their was the Marathon event going on,, and Jeff Hall sent from 20 minute laps to 30 to 40+ minute laps.  Last years finish time was under two hours for 5 laps. 

I made the decision and left the bikes in the car up until the last minute when I was going to send the kid out for points and money,,    as I was doing this Jeff had just finished and said " if you don't have to be out there don't go".

Bike back in the car and we became super fans. 

I did catch a lot of flack from the guys lining up all twenty or so of them. 

I just smiled and gave the guys on the line HIGH fives, and told them to have fun. 

I just looked at results and only 10 people did the four cut down laps,, 1 and 2 did it in just under 2 hours and third was 2.5... and again this was a cut down lap from four and a half to maybe three or so. 

Their were racers on course for almost four hours... FOUR HOURS.. That is Fucked Up..

And the destruction to bikes and trail are off the charts.. 

I saw at least 10 snapped rear derailleurs countless flats and mud that would cut through carbon fiber.

All in all I had a blast watching and cheering on the twisted freaks who will spend the next week cleaning their bikes and bellybuttons of clay mud and sand. 

Who will dump dollars upon dollars to get their rigs back in shape. 

Should the race have been called,, I think so but it is not up to me... do I thinks that for all lessons are learned on racing in these conditions?? Maybe...,.

But for sure after what I watched I'll take a DNS over a DNF and  Fuked up bike any day..

PARTY ON!!  

Steady Diet Of Nothing

Sitting in front of window waiting for this small shower to pass

getting way to jacked up on coffee. Four day weekends are like 

little gifts sent down from the gods up on Mt Olympus. 

With no racing this weekend I have just been cramming in as much Mountain Bike riding as I can.

Solid miles on dirt with and with out the kid as she floats back and forth between work

and the work of fat tires. 

We spent part of the weekend in the Rockwood over at the camp ground just outside of Levis. 

Camp Fires beer fishing and bike riding,,, Is their a better recipe of things to do when 

their is nothing better to do?

Next week is the race in Manko MN and it is one of my Favorites..

I like to think that my fitness is coming around and this race

will be a good test as it will be the first one that features any climbing, 

Three time a lap bottom to the top of the hill,, by the time it is done just under

4K of climbing. Not bad for life in the Middlewest.

Damn this rain is harshing on my Mellow.

Hope you all have a great time doing what ever it is you do!! 

Fast Times

Bike racing is a sure fine way to see where your fitness lies.
Mine may be under a rock somewhere back in April.
All things being the same I have to say that I am happy with the way yesterday shook out.
Unfortunately their are still no concrete results due to some new equipment snafu that
took place but I know that they are shaking out all the bugs to get it righted.

The Curran-mobile showed up to the venue
Total Hwood style after some road closures and some farm machines slowed down the processes of getting there.
I had the Rocket getting kitted up in the back seat of the Rav which was funny enough in its
self as he tried to navigate his bibs and enjoyed the felling of the
 leather seats on his bareass.
With four minutes to spare we got the boy to the line,,, Bike off the roof  number plate on and a
big High-five and it was time.
A four mile lap for the kids and the third time that the boy had been on his new bike,, I was a bit worried but all should be ok Right?
Some Forty minutes later had showed up smiling and
letting me know about all the tricky spots.
Happy to see him cross the line in one piece.


I had some time on my hands between races and got to cheer on some of the other Team Hollywood Cycles racers that were on course for the Sport race.
Semi dressed for fun I hooked up with the Bavers who was testing his legs after
a 5+ hour day at the Almonzo.
We ripped some of the single track figuring out lines and shooting the shit...
The Little Ginger is on fire this season and the sky is the limit.
Lining up it was a free for all and people shoved to the front of the chute.
I took the mellow approach and forced my way to the front,,, no respect..

I had Hwood to the Left of me and the New Kid Mcburnsy to my right.. Due to the nasty
crash that took me out years back they don't send us straight into the single put send us around the ball field and out to the back half of course.
It was a fast start and in one of the last corners I could hear carnage behind as wheels overlapped and people went down.  Hwood was charging hard as the group of Dom, Hall , and Young Jack hit the gas.. It took everything that I had to get back on and at times I left a little room to avoid the yo yo effect.  Eventually Jessie R came around and I missed his wheel and now I was chasing hard and pulling a line of guys that I did not want to pull..
From here it is kind of a blur,, I missed a corner and had the Bavers and Owen pass me,, But are flying fast right now,,, I needed to not completely shut it down but knowing it was going to be a two hour race stick with my plan.. The single track was in prime form and the dirt air pressure and corners all made for some fun riding.
I was able to put in a few attacks towards the middle of lap three and then consolidate during lap four going full gas now.  As far as I know I cross the line in 7th was as far up as fourth and drifted back at times around tenth.
For the first real test of fitness I can smile and say that more better is yet to come.
The rest of the team had a kick ass day and
our hope is that this will be another winning Year!
PARTY ON!!