ride29er

Mornings

2012-01-24T10:18:00.000-07:00

I love to sleep. I hate the mornings. Yet, I will gladly get up at 4:45AM, in the dark, freezing cold, and go climb a mountain and ski it before going to work. I can't explain it. It's the only thing that will get me out of bed that early.

I'm glad I have friends that feel the same way.

Steve W. and me working our way through the trees before the sunrise. Dug has some binding issues but pushed through it and met us at the top.

Photo credit: Rob S.

2012 - Coming Together

2012-01-18T15:00:00.000-07:00

Things are coming together for 2012.

The 2012 Adobe kits are in the works.

Registration for the Crusher is done (still need to decided CX or MTB)
Booked my hotel room in Beaver
Ordered my customized ICUP race plate(Thanks Ed!)

I normally rely on several months of backcountry skiing to get in shape for Spring but with the lack of snow, I haven't been once. I'm hoping racing CX will carry over into March but I doubt it. It could be a slow start to the year. And to make it worse, I get to upgrade to the older fast guys this year and race 40+ w/ gears.

I can't wait to see all the pasty white legs in March. It's just around the corner.

Guess Which Kid Is Mine

2012-01-16T14:19:00.000-07:00

Can you guess which kid is mine? I'll give you a hint. He has the same sense of style as his Dad.

He Makes Me So Proud

2012-01-05T16:09:00.000-07:00

Congrats to Dan Z. for taking the USCS overall in Singlespeed in 2011. Thanks for wearing the team kit and pedaling so fast.

The crew over at USCS and DNA are a class act. Doing a custom jersey like this is very cool.

New Wheels

2012-01-04T09:36:00.001-07:00

I feel like I've just been handed the keys to a stick shift but don't know how to drive it. Way too much wheel for my ability. I've heard so much about how tubulars are the way to go for cross. I'm anxious to try them.

I wonder if Elmers glue would work?

Day Trip

2011-12-29T22:21:00.000-07:00

It's Dec 29th and still no snow here in SLC (at least not enough to justify getting out into the backcountry), so a few of the fellas (Dug, Sleepy, Steve W., Steve D., Mark) and I got up at 4:45AM, drove to St. George and met up with Aaron S. and Jesse for some desert singletrack.

We started with the Goulds, Jem, Rim loop, grabbed some food in Hurricane, then drove out to Guacamole and messed around for a couple of hours on the new (new for us) trails. Ate some more food and drove home.

A 3 hour drive from SLC will put you into a whole different climate. It's well worth it.

Lessons learned:

No matter what, don't accept a sports drink from Steve W. It will mess you up. Just ask Dug. Stick to CarboRocket or plain water.
Whenever Aaron says "this is my favorite trail", prepare to get lost
Gears can be nice. Especially in the off season.
No matter what, don't accept a sports drink from Steve W. Ever

Amazing what 5 hours on a MTB, in 60 degree weather, on dry dirt in December will do for your mood.

I feel like myself again.

Winding Down

2011-12-19T23:43:00.000-07:00

2011 was a long race season. March - December. I'm tired. Time to recharge and figure out what's on the schedule for 2012. I think less MTB racing and more CX racing is in my future. In fact, I just committed myself by ordering a set of Easton EC90 Aero tubular wheels. No more ghetto set ups. Since I seem to be working more and riding less these days, I figure it's time to leverage that and buy some upgrades.

Gears, skinsuits, tubular carbon wheels....I don't even know who I am anymore.

UTCX #9

2011-11-14T12:49:00.001-07:00

UTCX #9 - Mt Ogden Golf Course. In my opinion, the best cx venue in the series. Especially when you add an inch or two of snow to it. I like the course because, for a CX race, it has a monster climb.

I had heard from the racers earlier in the day that the course was greasy and slick (much respect to those who double dip. Mark raced SS earlier and then A's later in the day). About 30 min before my race, conditions got worse. The storm arrived and it got colder and snowy. As much as I like racing in miserable conditions, I started to doubt my decision to race.

I arrived late which meant no pre-ride and no warm up. In fact, I had to get registration to add me to the start list and re-print it so I could race. Then I had to pee so bad, I pretty much went in the parking lot. (Only to have Bob S. heckle me and threaten to put me on the sex offenders list).

I lined up with the A 35+ group which had a new face- Grizzly Adam (who clearly belongs in this group). I didn't even bother trying to get a good start position. There would be plenty of time to sort things out on the first climb.

The course was pretty chewed up from all the previous races but there was a fresh layer of snow to hide all the ruts.

At the base of the climb on lap 1, I was 2nd to last but was able to make a few key passes on the climb and got into a much better position. Most of the racers opted to clip out and run up the steep part of the climb, I was able to get into my granny gear and grind it out.

I had some good tires and was able to keep traction the entire race. No crashes despite the off camber corners on the downhills.

Each lap, I used the climb to try and distance myself from the chasers. I was able to get enough of a gap to finish 7th. While 7th may not sound great, I was pretty happy with it and was my best result after upgrading to the A's this year.

Birdfood

2011-11-10T09:28:00.000-07:00

Turns out, I really like birdfood. Between my hollow bones (from all the Diet Coke) and this birdfood diet, I should be in prime climbing form for 2012.

Thanks for listening. Yes, I do realize this probably should have been a tweet not a blog post but whatever...

Cross According to Grizzly

2011-11-01T20:59:00.000-06:00

Grizzly Adam put together a very cool video of the Halloween Cross race on Saturday. The dude knows how to make a video.

The race this weekend in Heber is going to be cold and sloppy. I don't think the roadies are going to like it.

Two races, one flat, one DNF

2011-10-23T19:32:00.000-06:00

I'm not going to dwell on just how poorly my races went this weekend. I'm blaming it on bad luck and being sick but mostly recognizing there is still a lot to learn on my part. I'm motivated to correct things as the season goes on.

Also, if you haven't tried the Clammy Cross series, you are missing out. Great venues, great people putting on some very cool races. The Night Race was so great. The course was short but had some great features including a steep run up, singletrack, smooth grass, 5 barriers, a lot of tight corners, all while racing under the lights. It was fun to mix it up with Bob, Mark, Ben, Grizzly and others.

Waking up on Saturday, I didn't feel good at all but I promised Seth I'd take him to race his first bike race. He wanted to try a true CX bike so the good folks at Canyon Bicycles hooked him up with a loaner at no cost. The UTCX cross out cancer ride/race was going on at Wheeler Farm.

Seth and Dad

The pre-ride and some last minute coaching.

Seth dismounting for the barrier section

Then it was my turn. I lasted about 3 laps before pulling the plug. I had no power and had a hard crash on the gravel road which left me pretty frustrated. O well. That's racing. Just chalk it up to a bad week and bounce back I guess.

Rachelle snapped a few pics.

Seth and Dad in the pain cave. Turns out, we both like to ride with our mouths open.

Fortune Cookie

2011-10-20T12:14:00.000-06:00

This is exactly the kind of fortune one would hope to get before race day (or in this case, race night). My interpretation goes something like this...."Don't get such a sucky start and you may have a shot at a top 10 finish".

Hidden Expense

2011-10-16T21:32:00.000-06:00

Somewhere in this ~~pile~~ shrine, are Rachelle's "Leadville Shoes" or her "24 Hours of Moab boots".

Any major biking road trip/race, usually ends up costing me more than just the race entry and hotel expenses. There is the shoe expense too.

Behold.....I counted about 60 pair, but I'm sure there are more.

I didn't do Leadville this year. I didn't do 24 Hours of Moab. I'm getting smarter in my old age. These one hour cross races with less expensive entry fees are the future.

And with Rachelle just coming back from a 4 day girls trip to So Cal, I may end up getting the hall pass to race the Clammy Night race on Friday and the UTCX on Saturday. Maybe.

UTCX #3 - Ft. Buenaventura

2011-10-08T21:48:00.000-06:00

Thanks Jason W. for taking the pic

Fort Buenaventura, Ogden- The best cx conditions and best course so far this year. By the time the A's and A 35+ flight left, the course was tacky and not too muddy.

I hope by racing up I'll be able to dial in this cx thing before end of the season. Fitness is there, but there is so much more to this stuff than fitness.

Early Snow

2011-10-06T09:37:00.000-06:00

The view from my driveway this AM.

Friday Night Lights Clammy Cross

2011-10-04T09:04:00.000-06:00

This is going to be cool. Oct 21st. CX race under the lights.

UTCX #1

2011-10-03T16:36:00.000-06:00

The UTCX season kicked off on Saturday/Sunday at the Utah State Fairpark. Here is a sample of the action. I switched from racing SS to the A 35+ group. Every week is going to be a fight to stay near mid pack. And you know what....? I'm okay with that.

The course on Saturday had a lot of turns. A lot of tight, 180 type turns. I spent the entire race in my smaller chain ring and a few gears over from granny. It was all about bursts of power out of the turns. Totally flat.

I suffered and never really figured out some of the corners but I loved it. I even busted out my ~~superhero~~ skinsuit. If you can't ride fast, at least look fast.

Next week, we go to "O" town. Conditions should be wet and muddy. Perfect.

Pics From Clammy CX

2011-09-29T16:14:00.001-06:00

Thanks Joey (DNA Cycling) for sticking around and snapping a few (and by few, I mean a few hundred) pics last Saturday. You have a gift.

Clammy CX #1

2011-09-26T09:06:00.001-06:00

Saturday was the first CX race of the year for me. The Clammy Chamois crew put on a very cool race. at Art Dye Park in AF. It had it all. Technical, steep climbs, mud, a lot of grass, barriers. Probably the most technical CX course I've raced.

I decided to line up with the As and give that a go. There were about 15 of us. I was already feeling out of place and then Keegan rolled up. That kid is amazing.

(I ripped off these pics from the Clammy Facebook page)

My goals were:
1) Not finish last
2) Not get lapped by the leaders

We raced for 60 min which was about 10 min longer than I am used to. I ended up making both goals with a 6th place finish and didn't get lapped.

The new Specialized Crux felt really good and my tubeless held up (although I must have burped my rear tire a lot on one of the logs. I started with 35 PSI and finished with about 20 PSI).

Thanks Dug, Kim, Holden and Joey for the cheers (and Dug for showing me his nipples when all I really wanted was a water hand up)

Thur Night Worlds Recap

2011-09-16T13:30:00.000-06:00

In the end, Drew was just way too fast. He was unbeatable and walked away with the Belt, the cash, and bragging rights (until the next race). The Belt in now in SLC. Sorry UC.

The Podium looked like this:
1) Drew
2) Me
3) Brandon
4) Dave B.

Although 2nd place really belongs to Brandon. We crested Jacobs together and descended together until the finish. Seconds ahead of me with 100 yards to go, he took a wrong turn so I was able to sneak past him. But this is my blog and I'm claiming 2nd. Wrong turns are part of racing.

Post race meal at Village Inn. Pancakes, bacon, eggs, and a massive glass of chocolate milk.

Thanks to all those who came out last night and suffered (especially to former Champion Brandon who came up from the Payson area to race). I heard a lot of post race coughing which means people were pushing the pace.

I think we all got a little faster last night.

Thur Night Worlds Update

2011-09-10T20:17:00.002-06:00

If you plan to race on Thursday night, leave a comment with your race plate number (remember, YOU need to bring your own race plate). I'll bring a bag with all the race plate numbers in it for the drawing post race.
****also, be sure to bring $5 for the cash purse. Winner takes it all*****
If anyone wants to ride (not race) and would be willing to film or take pictures, let me know. That would be cool.

We are starting from the EQ at 9pm.

I think the course should be:

Neutral start from the EQ to the first dirt road section (same as last year)
Race to base of Clarks and at bridge, stay right towards potato hill
Up Ann's trail
At the top of Ann's/Clarks, head up Jacobs
Down Jacobs
Down Ghost
At bottom of Ghost stay left
Up Canyon Hollow (to Brock's) to top of Clarks
Down Rush
Down lower Canyon Hollow
Down Creekside
Finish at the EQ

Post race meal at Village Inn on 106th South.

Who's in?

SSCXWC 2011

2011-09-09T10:03:00.000-06:00

It's official. The Cyclocross Singlespeed World Championship Race is Nov 18th-20th in San Francisco. It just so happens, SF is my territory at work and we have an office there. This will be the best business trip ever.

Motivation To Train For The Thur Night Worlds

2011-09-08T09:11:00.000-06:00

Photo taken on 8/28 in Draper. Anyone want to name that bridge?

If you plan to race the Thursday Night World Championship on the 15th, this should give you motivation to not be DFL.

Thur Night World Championship Cometh....

2011-08-24T10:36:00.001-06:00

It's time to schedule the 2011 Thursday Night World Championship Race. Phast Dan still has the belt (unless he has pawned it for cash). Anyone know what it would take to track him down to get him to defend his belt?

Right now, Thur Sept 15th @ 9pm looks like a good date. Plenty of time for recovery from the PCP2P race. Any objections or conflicts? Speak up now.

I like keeping this in Corner Canyon. Plenty of trail options to keep it interesting. Details on the race route coming soon...

$5 entry fee
Winner takes all the cash
This year we will have a podium for the top 3
Random prizes raffle for all participants (now accepting any cool prize donations...Fatty? I know you have some cool connections)
Post race breakfast @ Village Inn
Design and bring your own race plate

Past winners include:

Winning this event will make you famous on the interwebs. What more could you want? Start your training now.

Anti-Trash Talk

2011-08-18T15:52:00.000-06:00

I've been on the fence about racing the Draper Super XC Race on Saturday. It's a brutal distance (not long enough to be an endurance race yet longer than a normal XC race) And if I race, do I race SS or gears? I already know if I race SS I'll be racing for scraps. With names like Dan Z., B.Tolbert, Corey L., Chris C., I will need to have the race of my life to beat any of these guys. Not to mention, I haven't touched my SS in over 4 weeks. But deep down, I know I will have a faster time on my SS than on my gears.

3 times up Clarks and up Canyon Hollow at race pace is going to hurt. A lot.

There. That is my anti-trash talk for now. I feel better now. Pressure if off, right?

UTCX 2011 Schedule

2011-08-15T20:57:00.000-06:00

I haven't actually tried on my ~~supersuit~~ skinsuit yet this season, but I have taken it out of the closet and held it up to my body once or twice. Time for some sit ups. There is no hidding in this thing.

It's almost time.....

2011 UTCX Schedule

1-Oct-11 Utah State Fair Park

2-Oct-11 Utah State Fair Park

8-Oct-11 Fort Buenaventura

15-Oct-11 Weber County Fairgrounds

22-Oct-11 Wheeler Farm (Cross out Cancer)

29-Oct-11 Wheeler Farm (Halloween Double Cross Weekend)

30-Oct-11 Wheeler Farm (Halloween Double Cross Weekend)

5-Nov-11 Heber Fairgrounds, Heber, UT

12-Nov-11 Mt Ogden Golf Course

19-Nov-11 Wheeler Farm

3-Dec-11 Fort Buenaventura

17-Dec-11 Wheeler Farm (Series Final Race)

17-Dec-11 UTCX Series Awards Party @ Rocky Mountain Raceway

Support Your Local Bike Race

2011-08-12T11:17:00.001-06:00

The Tour of Utah finished within a few miles of my office yesterday and on Sunday will climb right past my house. I hope people keep supporting this event and coming out to watch.

TOU Stage 2

2011-08-11T10:26:00.002-06:00

By now you may have heard that Adobe is the stage sponsor for the Tour of Utah today. What does that mean? It means I plan to "host" several key prospects from the local business community at our hospitality tent at the finish. This is when it pays to have friends who are cyclists and have good jobs. Getting paid to watch a bike race with friends is a good thing. I just need to figure out which one of my friends is going to sign a contract for web analytics this year. Maddox is my target at the moment. I plan to wine and dine him all afternoon.

Also, some pretty cool videos of yesterdays pre-work ride here and here.

ATACs

2011-08-08T20:27:00.000-06:00

Ordered some new pedals for CX season. I finally have a set of pedals for all my bikes. No more pedal wrenching before rides (yes, I am THAT lazy when it comes to wrenching)

I've been running Time ATACs for years without any problems until recently. I noticed the pins that run through the middle of the spring have been sliding out. Anyone else notice this? I'm hoping I just got a bad batch last time.

These are great mud pedals. And I hope to race in a lot of mud this year.

Also, it looks like the SSCXWC 2011 is coming together. November is the target date in San Francisco. Any local UT riders plan to race this? It's been on my list for a while now. Time to check this one off.

Not Cool

2011-08-04T09:39:00.000-06:00

A co-worker has been leaving piles of books on my desk thinking I'm interested in reading them. I probably have about 15 books from him at the moment.

So finally, I approached him and confessed it's highly unlikely I'll get around to these. Something about 3 kids, a cycling addition, and not enough time in the day to knock these out. And that's when he responded with "yeah, I read all those books in the bathroom. Just kept them there and would spend 20 min or so just sitting and reading".
Are you kidding me? I've spent most of the day washing my hands.

Like Two Dogs Meeting For The First Time (but we didn't actually sniff)

2011-07-29T11:19:00.000-06:00

I ran into Fatty on the Corner Canyon trails this morning. Fatty on his new Specialized and me on my new Cannondale. Instincts kicked in and instead of chatting about what's new, we quickly dismounted our bikes and exchanged them for a few minutes. Lifting them, trying out the suspension, etc. I was quick to point out that my bike had 3/4 of a water bottle in the cage and not one but two air cartridges on the seat post. Fatty was quick to point out that his bike had two water bottles in the cages. These details are important when someone else is holding your ultra light race bike. Helps them subtract the grams in their head.
After a few minutes, we were both satisfied and returned the bikes and went on our way.

I think my bike is lighter than Fatty's. Don't tell him that.

PC50 Post Race Thoughts

2011-07-12T20:17:00.000-06:00

After racing SS the past few years, I busted out the gears for the PC50. I didn't do well (11th place in Expert 39) In fact, riding gears almost seemed harder than a SS in a weird kind of way. Maybe my muscles are just used to grinding up climbs and the abrupt change to gears messed with my legs. Maybe the extra weight of all those additional cables on my bar slowed me down (did I mention I have a fancy shock lock out remote on my bar?....that's one more cable), or maybe I had an off day. I'm not sure. But I suffered. I need to figure this out and fix it. Figure out how to spin AND keep my speed up.

I still have my SS and I still prefer to ride SS but I'm committed to riding gears for certain events and to help with recovery rides. I am 39 after all.

The PC50 course was a true MTB race. Big climbs, a lot of rock and roots, thick forest single track. I had a blast on the course. The best part was being rewarded with a 7 mile downhill to the finish. Nice way to end it.

Congrats to the USCS crew for pulling off another great race. We are lucky to have them putting on such great events in our state.

The Draper race should the best one yet. Especially if they include the new (phase 3) Rush trail. Not that I've ridden it. I would never poach a closed trail....never.

USCS #2- Round Valley

2011-06-27T14:20:00.000-06:00

I learned a lot during the USCS Round Valley Race on Saturday. For example, I learned when a 6'5" skinny dude lines up with the SS group at the start line with a pornographic spoke card in his front wheel, the rest of us are racing for 2nd place (or 6th place in my case. I had a terrible race but still enjoyed every minute of it). Nate M. from PC crushed it. He was so fast, his time put him in 8th place against the Pro field (the guys riding gears).

Dan Z, B. Tolbert, and Corey L all had a great race as well and finished 2nd, 3rd, and 4th respectively. It was fun to have such a strong showing in the SS group.

I also learned that technology isn't always a bad thing. Which is why I hereby announce my plans to purchase a geared MTB. It's 2011 after all. I hear these geared bikes have come along way. Time to test one out.

SS is still my bike of choice but having some gears to recover on will be nice.

Congrats to the USCS crew for putting on another outstanding race. Conditions were perfect and the course was a blast. I'm a big fan.

SSCXWC 2011

2011-06-16T09:36:00.000-06:00

I noticed that the 2011 Single Speed Cyclocross World Championship race will be held in San Francisco this year. Turns out, San Francisco is my sales territory at work. Something tells me I'll be scheduling a business trip that week and pack my CX SS bike.

New Bike

2011-06-13T12:40:00.000-06:00

Here is my 11 year old daughter holding my new CX bike. Turns out, aged wood and metal strings cost just as much as a nice carbon frameset.

I couldn't resist. She has been saving up her own money for the past 6 months and was finally ready to make the purchase (instead of rent). I told her I'd match what she saved. As a Dad, I find it very hard to say no to my daughters.

When I'm in my 70's and no longer racing, she can come visit and play "Devil Went Down To Georgia" for me.

I think this was a good purchase.

Race Pics

2011-06-07T10:46:00.000-06:00

Cool sequence of shots from the folks over at Zazoosh.com (Draper ICUP)

The Other Side

2011-06-05T17:01:00.001-06:00

Last week there was a trail run/race going on in Corner Canyon. No big deal. We just dropped the other side of the mountain and rode Lambert Park- The other side of the mountain. I live in a MTB paradise.

Once again Bagley captured it on video. And once again, I hijacked it and put it on my blog.

(Riders are: Rico, Corey L., Dave, Me, Jon P., Corey's Dad and Brother, and a dog)

Corner Canyon to Lambert Park Pt. 1 from Dave Bagley on Vimeo.

Draper ICUP

2011-05-30T21:06:00.000-06:00

I stayed in bed until 8am and watched the Twitter updates come in for the ICUP race. Sent off a few texts to the guys trying to figure out who was racing . A lot of rain fell the night before and it was raining in the morning. I wasn't sure the race was a go but after a 1 hour delay, the race kicked off at 10am.

We had 12 in the single speed class and they finally got the line up right. Pro Men, Exper Ment, SS, etc...

Ed has us doing 2.5 laps (30 miles). I knew this one was going to hurt. I had heard about the nasty, loose, steep switchbacks that were new to the course this year but never pre-rode them. I had no idea what to expect and decided to leave my 32x18 gearing on.

B. Tolbert lead it out from the start and I managed to get into 2nd position. We quickly got a nice gap on lap one until the upper switchbacks when Rico and J. Steele caught up. Tolbert was able to climb away from me. I had to walk/run parts of this section. Too much gearing I guess. For the rest of the race, it was me and Rico trading places trying to reel in Tolbert. Rico and I stayed together until the final half lap where Rico dropped me on the CreekSide descent. I was more cautious. I'm tired of crashing on my bad hip. I hit some lap traffic and wached him pedal away. It was a good move and he was riding super strong.

Tolbert 1st, Rico 2nd, me 3rd, J. Steele 4th.

It's days like today when I really like my single speed. A lot of puddles and a few mud sections. The bike got pretty dirty but I didn't have to worry No shifting problems.

Now I need to get revenge and try to move up a spot or two on that box. Still looking for a win this year.

Oh and that secret powder I was bragging about in my last post.....C4. Good stuff. Keeps the legs feeling fresh. Now I just need to find a powder to get my downhill confidence back.

Magic Powder

2011-05-24T09:42:00.000-06:00

Let me be clear. CarboRocket is still my #1 choice of drink during a ride; however, I recently found a magic powder that I take before a ride/race.

Magic powder:

I will not disclose what this magic powder is until after the Draper ICUP race. Nor will I disclose my gear ratio.

I expect Draper to attract some very fast SS guys who don't normally race the ICUPs. Getting a spot on that box won't be easy. I need all the advantage I can get.

First Words

2011-05-18T14:43:00.000-06:00

"C" cup (or "C" for short) has been with me for 12 days now. Not an eternity but a certainly a while now considering this thing was conceived from a very hard impact to my hip. So you can imagine my surprise when I heard his first words today. I was sitting in my cubical at work when I heard it speak for the first time. You wanna know what it said? "rain". Rain was his first word. C is learning english he's been with me so long. I'm so proud. But this weather....this weather has to change.

Pre-work Ride w/ Bagley

2011-05-17T13:39:00.000-06:00

I met Bagley for a 2 hour pre-work ride in Corner Canyon on Monday. Canyon Hollow to Rush, Ghost, Canyon Hollow, Jacobs, Ghost, Canyon Hollow, Coffee Grinder, home. I intentially didn't ride Clarks out of respect for Bob S. amd his anti-Clarkness. I was, however, riding a 29er SS which is the perfect bike for CC. Mark did you hear me?

Check out my "C" cup at the 28 sec mark. I swear this thing is about 2 lbs. No big deal. It's like training with ankle weights. Makes me stronger, right?

And now for the video Dave made:

Corner Canyon May from Dave Bagley on Vimeo.

Move Along....

2011-05-10T16:46:00.001-06:00

Move along folks....Nothing to see here. I'm taking a week off the bike after a nasty crash at the 5 Mile Pass ICUP race.

3 days post crash and I now have what feels, and looks like a bag of fluid hanging off my right hip about the size of a C cup.

I don't know how you ladies walk around with those things.

P.S. I woke up this morning and tried to poke a hole in my hip sack with a pin (to drain it). Nuthing....Too deep.

Fancy Man

2011-05-02T13:18:00.001-06:00

We've all done it. Shown up to the lunch ride with everything except the MTB shoes. It sucks. Most people would bail and go back to work. Not Brandon. You see, Brandon is a former Night Ride World Champion and World Champions find a way to make things happen. Brandon threw on his business casual shoes and took it in stride. He even "smoked the pipe" on the Dry loop. Much respect.

But his new name is "Fancy Man". I think it will stick.

Happy Friday

2011-04-29T15:31:00.000-06:00

Corner Canyon (Ghost)

In Gangsta Black

2011-04-27T21:03:00.001-06:00

Yes, it does feel good to be a Gangster.

The 2011 Adobe kits are in. Hard to go wrong with black & white, unless, of course, it's 90 degrees outside. But the way this Spring is going, I won't need to worry about that.

RAWROD & Lambert Park

2011-04-23T15:18:00.000-06:00

Friday was the RAWROD TT (Fast Friday). I got up at 3:50am, picked up Mark and met Miles, Brandon, Jesse, Ben B. in Spanish Fork and made the drive down to Moab in the MadDog van, the ultimate cycling bus. (Thanks Jesse). Six bikes up top (that's a lot of money in bikes)

Once in Moab, we met up with Kenny and his crew. I think we had about 30 riders.

At 8:42, we were rolling. 8 hours later (7:27 for Dan Z.) I finished the 100 mile ride. Completely shelled. It hurt exta bad this year.

I went with a 32x17 gear. Great for the flats but not in the sand and not great for the climbs. Especially the climb out of the Rim.

I still can't believe Chucky did the entire ride on one water bottle (and I don't think he had any food). Amazing.

Post ride, back at camp, I ate 3 brats. So, so good. (Thanks Elden and Kenny for the brats and bread).

Got home at 1:45am, asleep by 2am. Up at 8am for the Lambert Park race. What a transition. My legs were sore for the 100 mile effort the day before and the Lambert race was a 50 min circuit race which meant it was going to be all out, full gas from the gun. And the race organizers managed to throw in a nasty climb right at the start. Lap 1 and 2 hurt but by lap 3 I started feeling good again.

B. Tolbert took the win, Dan Z. was a close 2nd and I hung on for 3rd place.

Conrats to the guys running the the new Utah State Championship Series. They pulled off a really cool event. It's nice to have guys who race put on a race. They get it. I look forward to supporting them at the other races this year.

It's A Camelbak Ride

2011-04-21T11:45:00.000-06:00

I avoid wearing a Camelbak at all costs but every now and then, a ride requires it. The RAWROD TT or "Fast Friday" is one of those rides. Chasing 30 of some of my fastest friends around the White Rim is just what I need. It's been a long winter.

Last year I carried chicken strips wrapped in foil over 100 miles through the desert and never stopped to eat them. I lived off CarboRocket, water, GU, chomps and a power bar and finished on fumes.

I can still taste that chicken and Diet Coke as I sat on the tailgate of my truck post ride. One of the best meals I've ever had. (but still not as good as the Brats at camp later that night)

I hope to see you down there and swap stories over a brat around the fire.

MTB Short Track

2011-04-19T12:59:00.000-06:00

I've raced MTB endurance events, 24 hour events, cross country, cyclo-cross, road, but never MTB short track. If it's anything like CX, I know I am going to get worked but I'm pretty excited to try it. Details here.

Let me start the anti trash talking now by stating that on Friday, I will be doing the Fast Friday version of RAWROD, driving home late Friday night, getting up Saturday morning and racing. I can't wait to hurt myself two days in a row with two completely different events.

Tappering?.....Pffft.

Protection

2011-04-18T09:11:00.001-06:00

Riding solo at night in Corner Canyon always freaks me out. On Saturday, after being in a RV for 3 days, I needed to stretch the legs. I snuck out for my first night ride of the season. This time, I decided to pack some heat.

Yep, I rode with a knife in my back jersey just in case.

P.S. Before the rain on Sunday night, all of Canyon Hollow was rideable.

Vitamin B

2011-04-12T21:09:00.000-06:00

I've been taking one of these a day. It says right on the bottle "Helps convert food into energy".

Anyone else notice a difference when loaded up on vitamin Bs?

Motivation

2011-04-11T10:09:00.000-06:00

I'm thinking of cutting out this pic and taping it on my top tube as I train for 5 mile pass.

There has to be a way to beat this guy. I mean look at him. He is beatable, right?

ICUP #2 Cholla

2011-04-03T09:45:00.000-06:00

ICUP #2- Cholla was on Saturday. I had never raced this course so I figured I'd make the 3.5 hour drive and check it out. I wasn't able to leave Draper until 8:45pm on Friday so I booked a hotel in Cedar City and arrived 15 min before midnight. The race wasn't until 12:30 on Sat so I had plenty of time to sleep in, shower, eat and make the 40 mile drive to Hurricane for a pre-ride lap before the race.

Not a huge turn out. Only 6 in the SS class (which included Phast Dan and Brian Tolbert). The smaller races make me more nervous cuz there is a significant chance of coming in last.

From the gun, Brian T. and Phast Dan pressed on the gas. I was able to hang with them long enough to put a significant gap on the rest of the SS group. Within 3 min everyone else was out of sight. So there I was, hanging on by a very thin thread as Dan and Brian hurt each other. I was happy to watch them from a distance and didn't think I would have a chance to catch them. Once we hit the first wash section on lap 1, Dan was gone. He just pedaled away. I was on a 32x17, Dan on a 32x16, and Brian had a 29x16 (a smaller chain ring which made his gear slightly easier than mine.)

No significant climbs or downhills. It was a fast course which meant we were pedaling all the time. Gear selection would play a major role.

I knew I would be racing for 2nd place. Dan is just too fast. Brian and I traded spots a few times. He could hurt me on the climbs and I could gap him on the flats. We went back and forth until lap 2 when I decided to keep on his wheel for the climbs until we hit the flatter, wash sections, recover for a few min and then try and get a gap before the climb to the finish.

My strategy worked and I was able to pull out a 2nd place but it was not easy. I must have looked over my shoulder every 30 seconds during the last 15 min of the race. If Brian would have had the same gear, I'm pretty sure he would have dropped me.

Oh, and I got this sweet ribbon and a hoodie.

Cholla Strategy

2011-03-31T08:53:00.000-06:00

If you look closely, you will see my strategy for the Cholla race this weekend.

Carrots

2011-03-26T18:21:00.000-06:00

Post MTB ride in Corner Canyon, I climbed home up the North Suncrest road. I saw a roadie ahead in the distance. It was supposed to be an easy spin kind of a ride, but I couldn't resist chasing a roadie while on my SS MTB.

Caught him and passed him. The effort made me taste my breakfast again but it was worth it.

I like a good carrot every now and then.

P.S.- Gary Fisher made some pretty cool bikes. I'm bummed to see the brand go away. I think I'll hang on to this one for a while.

Night Ride World Championship Series 2011

2011-03-24T11:46:00.001-06:00

The 2011 race season is upon us. In addition to the ICUP, and weekly Sundance/Soldier Hollow series, (and the UC lunch rides/races), there is a new show in town. I like what Bob is doing. Mixing it up. Short Track and longer XC races. I plan to support this new series when I can.

What better way to train for these than by participating in the 2011 Night Ride World Championship series.

Most of us have familes and day jobs and training miles aren't always easy to find. A night ride is often the only option. Stay tuned for the 2011 schedule and list of venues (participating venues must be near a Denny's or Village Inn. If you have suggestions for location, please keep that in mind).

The "Belt" is somewhere in Utah County in Phast Dan's closet. He has had it long enough. It's time.

Find those lights and start charging them. We are weeks away kids.

Vacation

2011-03-13T20:40:00.000-06:00

Before

After

Not a lot of riding going on the past few days. But a lot of eating.

Having no agenda and hanging out with Rachelle in NYC has been super relaxing. Today we finally got the HR up by running around Central Park (6 miles). There were a lot of carrots to chase. We only got passed by 1 guy. Not bad for a cyclist, non-runner (me). Rachelle can hammer.

ICUP #1- St. George

2011-03-05T21:19:00.001-07:00

Phast Dan "Turd" takes the top step in singlespeed. Kenny Jones 2nd, me 3rd.

It always feels good to stand on that box, especially this early in the season. It's been a long winter and the boys down south usually have a head start to the season so I was glad the SLC / UC crew represented. I counted about 20 in the SS class. I only recognized about half of them.

I felt like I had good legs but I knew I couldn't hang with Dan. He was able to put a nice gap on us early into lap 1. Must of been the 17 cog he was running (not to mention good lungs and legs). Kenny and I both ran 18's and we traded spots a couple of times during the race but he was too fast and got me by a second or two at the finish.

Despite taking 3rd, I was really happy with how the race went. I could not have gone any faster and left everything out there.

Good times catching up with all the racers.

I came home to some nice tiger stripes on my head and an instant farmer tan. It felt great to play in the warm sun.

Frogger

2011-03-02T11:07:00.001-07:00

The lunch ride yesterday reminded me of Frogger.

I used to play this as a kid as a video game. Now I get to play the grown up version but on a road bike.

State Street in Utah County....not recommended.

P.S. - I'd like to welcome Marky Mark as the newest member of the UC lunch ride scene. Now I get to tuck in behind him on the flats and eat my ham sandwich.

Red

2011-02-26T11:53:00.000-07:00

With the Avalanche danger at High today, Rob and I put our route finding skills to the test. We got a 6AM start from Tibble Fork in AF Canyon and worked our way up to the Three Temptations area.

With the early start and significant new snow, putting in a skin track was exhausting but well worth it.
Touring and cycling are so closely related. Being 2nd behind the person breaking trail feels just like drafting on a road bike. And a freshly cut skin track reminds me of single track on dirt.

Getting deep into the mountains like that was a nice change from the typical LCC or BCC tours.

We kept it safe and skied mostly low angle terrain but a few spots made us very nervous. I skied with my eyes wide open and ears on full alert.

Ended the tour with a high speed, narrow, bush whack exit. Made me wish I had racing gloves and poles with pads to knock away the branches.

Hurt

2011-02-23T12:13:00.001-07:00

"I hurt myself today (and yesterday and the day before that), to see if I still feel. I focus on the pain...."

I can't get that song outta my head. But it's true. I've been trying to hurt myself to get ready for this silly ICUP race next week. I should probably learn how to train properly or taper or whatever but when in doubt, I end up craming in some hard efforts a couple of weeks before the race and go into it with my fingers crossed.

This morning's hurt session was a ski tour from the Spruces up Days Fork. Just over 5 miles and 2,700 vertical. Rob, the wonder twin, Dug, Steve and I met up at 5:30AM. It's a long approach with a long climb but holds some of the best snow days after a storm.

Now if I can just stay healthy until the 5th.....

Sign Of Spring

2011-02-17T09:46:00.000-07:00

It's about that time when the new kits start arriving. A sure sign that Spring is close and mountain bike race season is upon us.

We've added a few secret weapons to the Adobe cycling team for 2011. It should be a fast group.

Sage

2011-02-12T18:41:00.000-07:00

I spent the day with Sage (5) skiing the steeps of Snowbird. I'm trying to teach her now how to out ski the boys.

As we drove up the canyon, she was looking out the window and got all excited. "Dad, that looks like a Y." She had her eye on the Y couloir. Some kids just have it in their blood. I think she will be a ripper.

Bag

2011-02-10T11:48:00.000-07:00

From time to time, despite my efforts to change in my car before and after rides, a co-worker will notice I am a cyclist. And it's not unusual for them to give me stuff to try. Today, I had someone drop off a bag of white powder and demand I try this before my next training ride or race.

If it aint CarboRocket or Diet Coke, I won't try it. Simple.

Debut

2011-02-09T13:38:00.000-07:00

I met Rico for a lunch ride today. We did the "Adobe standard route" which includes a ridiculously steep climb. It's a short climb but it's pretty much a wall.

After a long winter of not riding together, neither of us wanted to show our cards but we pushed it at times.

I noticed Rico tends to sit down more on the climbs and I tend to stand up. I'm guessing he probably pees sitting down too.

A Letter From Ed

2011-02-07T18:09:00.000-07:00

Science Project

2011-02-04T10:04:00.002-07:00

My daughter is doing her 5th grade science project. Measuring how different drinks affect tooth decay. Instead of using real teeth, she is using egg shells.

Check out what an egg soaked in Water, Milk, Diet Coke, and Monster Energy Drink for 1 week will do:

The Monster Energy Drink egg actually started growing stuff. Nasty.

As for the egg soaked in Diet Coke....Well I think it turned a beautiful shade of brown.

Cold

2011-02-03T09:05:00.000-07:00

Despite it being negative degrees yesterday, Rob (the wonder twin) and I decided to see how much we could suffer. So we met at 6am in LCC for some pre dawn backcountry.

The top of Flagstaff. Strong winds and very cold temps. Just the way we like it.

Then it turned into a race to the sun.

The light was pretty amazing as soon as the sun came out. Rob stopped to take the pics. I have no idea how his fingers didn't freeze.

The skins come off nicely in the cold.

A quick ski cut and then it's all down.

The cold temps would cause some issues with one of Rob's skins. He was missing the strap & clip on one of his skins and once we got to the bottom of the Main Days shot, it was obvious his skin would not stick to the ski. We tried a few tweaks with a strap from his pack, but it wasn't working. So Rob skied out BCC down to the Spruces and hitched a ride down the canyon while I hiked back up to the Flag ridge to get the truck and then drove to the base of BCC to pick him up. We celebrated our tour with an ice cold Diet Coke and went our separate ways into work. Good one.

Young Masher

2011-01-29T16:54:00.000-07:00

Sage (5), the youngest of the Sunderlage family mashes the pedals. It had to be on HER terms which meant she got to wear her black boots.

Proud Dad and Sage. Now she keeps asking me when I can buy her red mountain bike gloves. She might be the future. Watch out SS division.

Business Casual

2011-01-28T11:25:00.000-07:00

Almost lunch time....

Hot Dogs and Adrenaline

2011-01-26T09:32:00.001-07:00

Is 8:30am too early for a hot dog and 44oz diet coke? I submit that it is not. Especially after a "dawn patrol" with the "Wolverines".

(and yes, I use degree deoderant because it says on the label, "responds to increase in adrenaline". Perfect for me).

Monday

2011-01-23T20:05:00.000-07:00

Warning, watching this video will make you want to take the day off work and head to St. George.

Brandon put together a cool video from our Monday road trip last week. Enjoy.

Racing Socks

2011-01-21T18:58:00.000-07:00

Before Work

2011-01-20T11:05:00.003-07:00

Early morning on Scotties in Little Cottonwood Canyon. Photo taken by Grizzly. He has a gift.

Day Trip

2011-01-18T08:33:00.019-07:00

Yesterday I spent all day riding dirt in St. George with Miles, Brandon, and Dan Z. We left the UC at 6am, were riding by 10am and rode until about 5pm with a lunch break mixed in. And then back home by 10pm.

Conditions were amazing. Dry dirt, mid 60's, and sunny. Short sleeves and shorts.

Our rides included: Stucki, Zen, Barrell Roll, and some of the Rim trails for a total of about 32 miles.

Brandon was able to test out his new bike. The last thing he needs is an advantage on the dowhills. Now he is pretty much uncatchable.

Dan Z. is in good form and was able to dish out some pain on the climbs. I learned that he doesn't eat much sugar and I think that transaltes into good legs during the season.

Miles is riding strong but didn't show his cards. I think he may be messing with our heads and is waiting to punish us once race season is here.

After our rides, we paid a visit to Sabrosa HQ, USA. Jon gave us the grand tour. Very cool.

A quick escape from the cold and snow was just what I needed. Utah is a pretty amazing state. Just a 3.5 hour drive south and you can be in dry desert riding dirt.

Now that I'm back home, it looks like a storm is on tap for tomorrow which means we could be skiing 12" of powder on Wed/Thur.

Strength Training

2011-01-13T09:37:00.012-07:00

Race season is around the corner. As a SS rider, I'm always looking for ways to strengthen the legs. Problem is, I hate the gym and I hate lifting.

So I do my best to get creative.

Rather than do this:

I prefer this:

Kind of like in Rocky IV. Dang that was a good movie.

Kicking Things Off The Right Way In 2011

2011-01-03T16:00:00.007-07:00

My only goal in 2011 is to eat better. I'm hoping this means faster legs come race day.

16 Years

2010-12-28T16:20:00.026-07:00

Rachelle and I celebrated 16 years of marriage with a little get away that included spending the day in the Wasatch backcountry. Yep. I married a rugged mountain chick. Of all her outfits (and she has a lot of them with the shoes to match), my favorite is when she gets all done up in her ski gear.

We started at the Spruces campground in BCC and hiked to the top of one of the Days shots. I didn't set my watch but I think it was close to 2,500 ft of vertical climbing.

Rachelle putting it into high gear on the climb. We had already passed a guy on tele gear. She can hammer.

We both like to put in a good playlist and suffer on the up. Stopped once for a water break but other than that, it was pretty much head down and upward.

Once at the top, we paused for a group photo at 10,000 ft.

Last year, I made Rachelle traverse around a cliff band. She hated it. This year, we found some steep pitches. She hated it and loved it.

Shelle skiing the steeps

A week after the last storm and we found plenty of untracked light powder. We had to hunt for it but it's there.

I enjoy getting out with the guys but having a wife who can hike and rip the downhill makes me happy.

After the skiing we hit one of our favorite places- The Porcupine Pub & Grill.

I hope to be doing this with Rachelle when we are well into our 60's. Although, one of these years, I should probably book a trip to some place warm and sunny.

"Let Me Ask You Something...."

2010-12-25T08:55:00.005-07:00

"Does this look right to you?"

I found this picture in an old photo album of mine. This was taken in 1977 and is a picture of my twin brother and me with our "swim coach".

There are so many things wrong here. Let's forget the speedos. That's a whole other bag of issues.

I ask you. Would YOU let your children play in a pool with this man? Holy crap. I'm calling my parents right now to give them a piece of my mind.

Fly Bibs

2010-12-24T13:32:00.002-07:00

The Fly bibs are in. Heading out now to do a test ride to see how they fit.

If you ordered some, I'll be shipping them out on Monday. Keep an eye out for them.

There are a few left if you still want some.

DNF

2010-12-20T12:19:00.007-07:00

Saturday was UTCX #11. The last real race of the season. Double points (that means nothing for me but I felt the need to point that out). It was cold, wet and windy- very windy. miserable conditions for racing bikes in lycra but for some reason, the more miserable the conditions, the more I want to ride/race.

I showed up about 30 min before the start. Made my way to the registration window and noticed the window was closed (it was one of those metal rolling type windows) but had a sign posted that said "registration open". I knocked on the window and the guy inside the booth opened it and said:

"Seriously? What are you doing here? Don't you have anything better to do on a Saturday?".

Needless to say, conditions were not ideal for racing, watching, or putting on a bike race. I responded:

"I've spent the past 5 days sitting in a conference room for business meetings. I need this".

I paid my money and went to go warm up.

At the start line, there were 5 guys including me and 1 girl in the singlespeed flight. I looked around and noticed all 4 of the guys were guys who are faster than me. Bo Pitkin (coming off an impressive result at CX Nationals last week), Ryan Ashbridge, Steve Wasmund, and Christian Johnson.

Perfect I thought. I'm officially racing for last place. I didn't care. I was on my bike and the course was wet and muddy. I love racing in the mud.

The first lap I was holding my own switching between 3rd and 4th place. But Bo was behind me (probably eating a ham sandwich or reading a book). Eventually, he came around and started passing everyone. We all stuck together for the first 1.5 laps and then Bo put it into gear and took off. I found myself fighting it out for 4th place with Christian. We took turns pulling and kept a fast pace for 3 laps and then my rear brake cable snapped and my wheel locked up. Race was over.

You know the best motivation for the winter? Finish the season with a DNF and replay that race over and over again in your head.

It's killing me. I want redemption.

A New Look

2010-12-06T13:16:00.011-07:00

It's going to get weird now isn't it?

You know that scene in "Meet The Fockers" when Ben Stiller borrows the ex-boyfriends speedo? He's in the dressing room staring at it while he eats an entire pack of nicotine gum trying to get himself to put it on.

Wearing a skinsuit is kind of like that.

One more CX race to go. I'm hoping the skinsuit gives me magic powers.

UTCX #9

2010-12-01T09:34:00.012-07:00

Saturday was the first snow cross race of the season. I didn't race well but had a blast on the course. Both Bob and Daren smoked me. They are both much better bike handlers and on a snow packed course, it's more about staying upright than about going fast. Bob took 2nd and Daren 4th and I ended up with a 6th place finish in the SS group.

The barriers were set up on the fastest part of the course. It made for a tricky dismount on the snow/ice. I was glad I had my spikes in.

Thanks Jason and Annie for sticking around, for the cheers, and for taking the pictures. They both raced earlier in the day and took 1st and 2nd respectively. Not a bad day for the White family.

Out Of Office

2010-11-26T19:16:00.004-07:00

I'm currently out of the office. Leave a message.
(photo credit- Grizzly Adam)

The Ritual

2010-11-19T08:51:00.008-07:00

I was up late last night at a friends house mounting some new skis (well, new for me anyways). As we worked in the basement, I could hear the wind howling outside. I like that kind of wind. It means a storm is coming. It felt like working on skis late at night was a ritual to welcome in the storm. I had good dreams last night.

The CX Remount

2010-11-16T13:25:00.008-07:00

I'm getting more comfortable with the cyclocross remount but every time I do it, in the back of my mind, I hear a little voice that says "don't land on your nuts".

View a larger pic here: This picture (ripped from Grizzly) sums it all up. If you're a guy and you are looking at this picture and you don't get a little uneasy, something is wrong with you. There is a lot that can go wrong here.

UTCX State Championship Race

2010-11-14T07:52:00.011-07:00

Saturday was the UTCX State Championship race. This was the first time I've seen them bring in a drumline and I really like it. All cx races should have a drumline going forward. (of course, by the time the SS and B's go, everyone is gone)

Racing on a golf course was one the highlights of the 2010 season for me. It was just fun. Roller coaster type course, almost all grass, a nasty climb, some off camber corners, and some barriers.

I've come to accept that I'm usually racing for scraps in the SS group. Podium finishes are pretty much out of reach. Coming in 4th or 5th is the goal.

I managed to squeak out a 6th place finish and was mildly happy with that.

I don't consider myself an experienced cross racer and I really haven't put in the right kind of training to be good at it. But I could see that changing next year. The addiction is getting worse and worse with each race.

The races are cheaper, more family friendly, shorter, and the bikes (at least mine) are much cheaper. What's not to like about that?

UT State Championship Course

2010-11-12T11:20:00.005-07:00

Saturday is the Utah State Championship CX Race. I'm not going to miss the chance to legally ride on a golf course. That just sounds too fun to pass up.

The course looks great. Check it out here: (stolen from Church of the Big Ring)

Lunch Ride Without The Ride

2010-11-10T14:24:00.008-07:00

For several years now, the UC crew has been getting together for lunch rides during the work week. The rides usually turn into races and that's fine. It's good training. Painful but good for the body.

Today was the first time we got together for lunch. No ride. Just lunch.

Miles without a helmet just doesn't look right. Brandon wearing a shirt with a collar aint right either. And Rico's legs don't intimidate as much in jeans. It just didn't feel right. There was no trash talking. Nobody got dropped. Too much talking and not enough suffering.

And yes. I felt very ashamed for ordering chips and a soda with my meal while Miles and Brandon both went without chips and had water/juice to drink.

I can't wait to get back to normal and go ride during lunch.

The Future

2010-11-07T14:49:00.008-07:00

I have no idea if my son Seth (8) will take up cycling when he is older. He is eight and still rides a SS which is a good sign. But if he ever decides to race, I look forward to a switching roles and paying him back for all the support over the years.

Here he is giving me a handup during the UTCX race #7 on Saturday. And doing it like a pro.

Cycling Merit Badge

2010-11-05T16:38:00.005-06:00

Somewhere on that sash is my cycling merit badge.

Double Dip

2010-11-05T09:03:00.006-06:00

Lunch ride in the UC followed by a night ride with the Suncrest crew. Not the best way to taper for Saturday's cross race but the weather pattern next week is showing snow/rain. Our season could be coming to an end. I'm trying to squeeze in as much as possible.

I probably ate close to twenty moths on the night ride. Hopefully they are packed with protein the help with the recovery.

UTCX #5

2010-10-31T15:27:00.005-06:00

UTCX # 5 dished out more rain and mud racing but this time with costumes.

Here I am making a pass (or maybe getting passed?) by a guy in a full body ski suit and ski helmet. He also had on real ski boots with the bottoms cut out so he could clip in with his cycling shoes.

The race announcers kept calling me an Eagle Scout as I'd come through on my laps. I almost stopped and corrected them. I'm not an Eagle Scout. I'm a Life scout. Let's get that straight.

Gotta love cyclocross.

Hell-O-Ween 2010

2010-10-29T01:30:00.034-06:00

It was like this.....

About 30 of us lined up at the start line at the shooting range in Orem last night for the 2010 Hell-O-Ween Night ride/race. There was a Belt at stake and a purse full of cash. First one to the top of the jeep road climb would take the goods. For most of us, this would be the only chance we'd have to get paid to ride. Pressure was thick.

I lined up next to a pink dress, a cock roach, a tutu with wings, a guy with a disturbing thing in a box, and several guys with capes. Most of the costumes were rated PG but Aaron Smith took it one level deeper and went rated R. With big risks come big rewards. Aaron walked away with best in show for the costume. (Aaron, I'll get you a prize).

The Utah County crew brought their top brass including Phast Dan from Racer's Cycle, and Dan Z. (winner of the PCP2P singlespeed div), Brandon Smith, first Night Race Champion, and Rico who was looking strong as usual.

After a few min of nervous chatter, we were off. It was full on sprint pace. Cold turkey start. No warm up. The next 5 min were some of the most brutal 5 min of my life. I could actually taste metal in my mouth. My lungs felt seared. I left my 18t cog on thinking it would give me an advantage but I paid for it. I ended up in 4th about 3 seconds off the podium. The podium spots went to:

1) Phast Dan N.

2) Dan Z.

3) Matt S.

(Note: If I ever had another son, I'd name him Dan out of respect. It's a fast name)

I haven't felt that cooked on the bike in many years. Completely redlined.

We re-grouped and kept the pace as mellow as we could be but we were riding in the UC which means steep, sustained climbs.

We made our way up Betty, over to Belt, to Mouse, to the Altar, then Upper Frank to Dry, down Dry (where several smoked the pipe), down to BST back to the shooting range.

The temps were perfect and the trails were tacky and fast.

Post ride chill was at the Orem Denny's. Good times sitting around telling stories and laughing.

I got to bed by 2am. At work now suffering from a post night ride hangover.

Thanks to all who made it down to the ride. You guys are all hardcore.

More Video and pics from Miles here.

Hell-O-Ween Night Ride Tonight

2010-10-28T09:10:00.008-06:00

We are on for the Hell-O-Ween night ride tonight in Utah County. We are meeting, ready to ride at 9pm from the shooting range in Orem (just above the Orem Cemetery).

To get there from I-15, exit at the Lindon 1600 North exit and head east for several miles until you are at the base of the mountains. The road will curve right and turn into 800 East. Just before the Orem cemetery, turn left up a steep paved road. At the top of the road turn left and you'll see a parking lot (shooting range).

**Bring $2 for the cash purse. First one to the top of the jeep road wins the cash and the Night Ride Championship Belt. After the initial jeep road climb, we will regroup and ride casual pace for the rest of the ride.

The route will probably include a race course loop or two, Crank to Ireland or Belt to Altar to Ireland (depending on conditions and what the group decides).

Post ride breakfast at the local Denny's.

Found this photo from last year's ride......

Today Was A Good Day

2010-10-27T09:53:00.003-06:00

Up at 4:45am. Back at it.

Poker Face

2010-10-23T20:16:00.012-06:00

Some guys can hide the pain. I have no poker face. Tongue out. That's how you know I'm suffering.

And here I am after one of my many "power naps" during the race. I rolled around in the mud 3 times.

(thanks Jdub for taking the pic)

Someday

2010-10-22T14:48:00.004-06:00

If this thing comes to Canada or the US again, I'd really like to be there. Someday I'll participate.

Until then check out the anthem for the 2010SSWC.

HLAH - official anthem SSWC10 from Singlespeed Worlds 2010 on Vimeo.

Granny Gear

2010-10-21T09:41:00.003-06:00

During our UC lunch ride the other day, we got to talking about granny gears and what people name them. Out of respect, many of the riders name their granny gear after their grandma.

I guess that means my granny gear would be called "Juanita".

What is yours called?

Hell-O-Ween 2010

2010-10-18T13:07:00.013-06:00

The FLY jersey makes its way onto the top step yet again. Thanks Daren for flying the colors and congrats on another win. That makes 3 in a row if my math is right.

Also, time to start thinking about your costume for the 2010 Hell-0-Ween ride.

I'm thinking we should do this Friday the 29th at 9pm. Does that work for most of you? (**Update, we are thinking Thur the 28th would be a better night**)

As much as I like keeping it close to home and riding Corner Canyon, I think Glenwild, Flying Dog, 24-7 would be a cool venue.

Thoughts?

The Fire Jump

2010-10-14T10:52:00.004-06:00

The fire jump (pic ripped off from Rich).

Just another reason why the 24 Hours of Moab is such a cool race.