Cornbread

Yeah, it was cold.

2012-01-21T13:26:00.006-06:00

Frozen bottles

Negative four windchill at take off. Barmitts, balaclava's and ski googles were necessities. Well, at least for me. The older I get, the more difficult it is for me to stay warm.

Small crew for the "early" ride

Rafal made the trip down from Omaha for the ride this morning! Was great riding with ya, homey. Gotta get those winter miles in for the madness of the gravel grinders! Trans Iowa, Almanzo, and Dirty Kanza!

Icy tailwind home

Cortland was about most of us could muster in today's frigid temps. Bruce is the only one to venture on to Adams. Animal! My baselayer was soaked by the time we got to the convenience store in Cortland. Normally my baselayer is dry as a bone, but not today. Weird. A damp baselayer isn't so bad when you're moving, but stopping with a wet baselayer is bad. Real bad. I froze. Even inside the convenience store I was struggling.

Ron adjusting the newspaper layer

I took a tip from Ron and Scott. Put a newspaper in front and back under my jacket. Worked like a charm. Not sure about the ride tomorrow. There's a chance of rain. Boo.

Brisk goodness

2012-01-20T07:38:00.003-06:00

Following Wills on the Moonlander - I need one of those!

Rode Wilderness last night with Wills. It was effing cold. My face hurt riding over to D Street for the meet up. After warming up everything was A-OK. Smart wool NTS 195 oz baselayer and Voler thermal jacket was the perfect combo. Felt comfortable and dry the entire ride.

Quick pit stop

We rode for longer than originally anticipated because things were working out nicely with temp, time and trail conditions. Lemme tell ya, the temperature in the park was much warmer than the exposed roads and Jamaica Trail. The south stretch on the Jamaica getting to the singletrack was muderous!

After an hour and a half of singletrack it was time to call it good. My Niterider Minewt 600 juice indicator was red as the battery had drained. First real ride with the new light. I love it.

Thanks for the ride, Wills. I needed that.

The weekend!

2012-01-15T19:28:00.015-06:00

Saturday - D Street Indoor century

Saturday the PCL crew and associates completed an indoor century at D Street (aka the D Street Hotel, Dirtbag Mansion, the bike house, etc). This indoor century was a bit different from most. We didn't ride rollers or trainers. We actually rode bicycles in a dynamic fashion. And we rode in a figure 8 between the living and dining rooms. The dining room had a pool table to navigate while the living room had two couches butted up back to back. A majority of the miles were completed on a Pugsley and a vintage Bontrager B29 cruiser (24 inch BMX cruiser).

Cultiva hooked us up for coffee!

Now I know what you're thinking. Yes, it's a bit unusual. Honestly, who cares. It was pretty damn fun. Got to hang out with fun loving people enjoying some two wheeled adventures.

Wills and Jen riding thru the living room during an early shift

We had no idea how long it would take. Rough estimates based on speed with two folks riding simultaneously were anywhere from 8 to 14 hours. Once we got going the miles ticked away rather quickly. The event started at 8 AM and finished before 5 PM.

Dining room

Folks signed up for half hour slots. I rode one in the morning and planned on riding in the evening, but the 100 mile mark had already been cracked. Even riding just one half hour turn really worked me over. Lots of turning!

Schmidty on the Bonty B29

Eric and Jen rounding the pool table

I'm not sure who's taking credit for the idea. Whoever it was, thank you. It was a blast riding laps and I gained some confidence in my indoor 106 year old wooden floor cornering skillz.

Good company for Saturday gravel to Valpo - thanks guys!

I managed to ride outside on Saturday and Sunday too. Two tough days on the bike. The fitness is slowly creeping back, but not without some suffering.

N98th street dirt road goodness (part of the Inaugural GLGA!)

Hey! You're going the wrong way, Ron!

Interesting find off the Homestead Trail

Never heard of them - sounds American, looks Euro

Target practice - That's right, we're talkin' bout practice.

Pow wow - Nice bike, Lis!

Aspen Road dirt goodness

My legs are cooked after the rides this weekend. Time for some yoga, water and good food for recovery.

WIlderness Sunday

2012-01-08T15:57:00.002-06:00

The park is in great shape

Saturday!

2012-01-07T18:37:00.013-06:00

Cultiva!

Sunrise!

Rasta!

20!

Gammel!

Dichotomy!

Pow-wow!

Fixin'!

Flyover!

Delay!

Grindin'

Burn!

Happy Birthday, Wilderness Park!

2012-01-02T13:49:00.003-06:00

New Year's Eve gravel hundy

2012-01-01T15:09:00.032-06:00

Cultiva

15 peeps rollin' out

Jamaica Trail

Caboose

Sunrise

Stoked

Flat. Drat.

South 25th

Posse

What you missed. Part 1

Ash Road

What you missed. Part 2

Dirt

Hundy crew

Trans Iowa set up?

FDR bridge?

Soul

What you missed. Part 3

What you missed. Part 4

Truss

Curvaceous

Friendly chaser

Steepleless

What you mised. Part 5

Wills

Really?

Pit stop

Rollers

Smiles abound

What you missed. Part 6

Refuel

Yum

Homecoming

2011-12-18T16:35:00.015-06:00

Chaser...

2011 was a tough year. Riding took a backseat. Life got in the way.

The last time I had my camera out was back in the beginning of September. Malcolm, Fob and I rode out southwest of town. Since then the battery had died and all kinds of things have changed in my life. When I pulled the battery out for a charge on Friday night the camera still had Gravel Worlds grime crusted on the case and lens. The pic above was still on the camera from the ride back in September.

Back where I need to be

The body is healing. I still have a lot of healing to do. Easing back into things is not something I'm good at. So in classic me fashion I went out and rode probably more than I should have this weekend.

Malcolm

Saturday we had a small crew of four that swelled to six, back to four and then finally two. After the shake up, Malcolm and I headed to Malcolm via gravel. It was glorious. First "real" ride since the end of October. Weather was ideal for December. I did a lot of smiling.

Lippy's BBQ

Once in Malcolm, we found a seat outside the General Store for a refuel. I commented to a local walking in the store about the smokey goodness permeating the air. As luck would have it, he happens to be the owner of the BBQ next door. Soon there after he came over with a sample of ribs for Malcolm and I. Damn, it was amazing. I've never been a fan of ribs, but those ribs were unbelievable. No sauce, just rubs. That's where the "Eat Naked" slogan comes from. After finishing the ribs we stopped by to thank him and he one upped his awesomeness by offering more free samples. This time it was bacon wrapped jalapeno peppers stuffed with cream cheese. I can see a smokey pork and beef addiction in my near future.

Late December gravel sun

Saturday was encouraging. The body held up nicely and to my surprise I wasn't as weak as anticipated from the nearly two months off the bike. 2012 will be a rebuilding year.

Sunset treat

I needed some ride time. Got a lot of thinking done on the rides this weekend. Need to do a lot more.

Carl and Wills

Sunday, I joined Carl and Wills for gravel adventure southwest of Lincoln. Jamaica Trail, Homestead Trail, SW 25th, Cortland and on to the Reinkordt farm. Gravel was in great shape for mid December. A little soft in spots, but we found the magic route.

Photo fail of Brandon and Lucas

It's time to get back to what I know...riding with friends and enjoying life.

Not done yet

2011-11-09T11:22:00.003-06:00

I broke my hip recently. Not fun. Healing nicely. Will be back on the bike soon. Lots of riding and good times on the docket for 2012!

Gravel rides are good for my soul

2011-08-27T17:50:00.000-05:00

Gravel Worlds!

2011-08-21T15:14:00.024-05:00

Rider check-in. Thanks Cycle Works!

Almost ready to go

And we're off into darkness

Sun slowly rising

String

Tandem of Lance and Malcolm

Brady riding in his first Gravel Grinder

First MMR of the day - it was fine

Gravel was good

Clogged

Hoofing it on Road B near Valpo

Bike and footwear got a lot heavier after that walk

Kevin's der explosion at Road B - one of many victims throughout the day

Powerball tickets!

Big rollers all day

Chaser

Tacky MMR

Trevor and Paul - great riding with ya, guys!

Rafal! Thanks for pulling me along all day!

Coach's impromptu single speed

War Axe Checkpoint!

Ditch walkin' on 190th

Final Oasis

Gravel Worlds recon....

2011-08-16T07:42:00.007-05:00

Eight heading out for recon

Sunday was a beautiful day. What Troy called a "top tenner for the year". What was supposed to be a full loop of the Gravel Worlds course became an abbreviated version. No biggie. I got a bum knee anyways. Still recovering from our move. Hire movers folks. Trust me. It's worth the money.

A small crew met at Cultiva at 6:30. The sun is up by 6:30. Next week for Gravel Worlds we'll be starting in the dark at 6:00. Lights are a necessity for the first half hour. In fact, they're required.

Carl and Rokke chase the rainbow

We rolled out onto the course by the first Oasis location, the Reinkordt farm. That oasis is about 71 miles into the course. Only about four miles after the second checkpoint of Malcolm. Yeah, it's an optional Oasis that requires a small 50 yard jog off the course, but don't let that discourage you from stopping. The Reinkordt farm has some of the best folks around manning it. Plus some highly refreshing cucumber water! Lots of folks stopped last year just to cool off for a bit in the shade. By the time most riders get to that point, the heat of the day will be climaxing.

Kevin takin' a break while Matt changes out a flat

The crew enjoyed the reroute and the course preview. Lots of great gravel and dirt. Some big rollers too. Plus several dogs who love to bark and chase. All were friendly.

MMR on the most Eastern part of the course

The last leg of the course has several MMR roads to traverse. I was shocked to find as many as we did. Don't remember riding that many on the last leg during last year's recon.

Dry dirt

We had rain earlier in the week, but the dirt roads were already dry, cracking and even bordering on dusty. The forecast for the rest of the week is for 30% chance of rain. Over the past several nights we've had some generous precipitation. Crossing my fingers and praying to the Bike Gods for dry roads.

Bummer

On the last leg of dirt we came upon this. Not too bright. Will it be gone by Saturday? Who knows. We've found cars on MMR's before. Most are stolen and smashed. This one looked certifiably sketchy.

Gravel Worlds Recon!

2011-08-07T21:02:00.007-05:00

Silhouette

Wills and Butchy!

Beautiful morning

Road beer!

White rock

Big roller

Splat!

Accept my apology...

2011-08-04T11:42:00.004-05:00

Dear blogosphere,

I apologize for my recent (most of 2011) absence from the blog. You see, life has gotten in the way this year and I haven't been riding my bicycles as much. No riding equals no blogging. About all I can muster for rides nowadays is a short ride before and/or after work. Weekend rides have also been curtailed. So there really isn't anything interesting to blog about. Am I upset about this? Yes and no. Yes, because I miss riding with my friends and no, because I have more free time to spend with loved ones.

But don't fret, I anticipate getting back to riding and blogging more often in the coming months as I learn how to balance things. I hope to see you out on some rides. Just be sure to take it easy on me. The legs aren't there right now.

Your friend,

Corey

Cornhusker State Games MTB!

2011-07-13T21:12:00.002-05:00

The Cornhusker State Games MTB Race is Saturday July 23rd at Branched Oak State Lake, Area 7. Just a fun, fast course that will also be a good prep for anyone riding the Psycowpath race the following weekend.

Registration is still open and day-of entries will be taken. Racing starts early to beat the July heat, with 12 & under starting at 8:00, Beginner/Novice's taking off at 8:30, and Sport/Expert at 10:30. Don't miss your chance to be a Nebraska State Games Champion!

Check out this link for more detail s!

Ponca Ride 2011 - Here we go!

2011-06-24T13:30:00.000-05:00

One of the many low points during Dirty Kanza

2011-06-09T18:02:00.001-05:00

The picture says it all...

Dirty Kanza 200 2011 - Ride of self actualization

2011-06-05T13:24:00.082-05:00

CVO representing the Lincoln area code

The Dirty Kanza 200 2011 edition didn't disappoint. It was an amazing experience and I feel like I'm a better rider and person because of it. Demons were battled and overcome. Dark moments were persistent and plentiful, but valiantly fended off. Sickness embraced and conquered. Self doubt and negative thoughts were faced and evaporated. And finally, gravel was crushed with old and new friends while meaningful life experiences were savored.

It was test of conviction and determination to say the least. The magnitude of the challenge, for some reason always seems to fade from my memory until I'm back out on the gravel in the heat of the moment. Recently I was thinking back about last year and remembered that it "wasn't too bad". Ha! On Saturday I vividly remembered just how tough the Dirty Kanza 200 can be.

Ari was in attendance again this year and was a finisher! Congrats Ari!

This year's DK200 was the toughest yet for myself. After speaking to a few others I realize I'm not alone. They feel the same way. Why? Primarily the heat. The temperature was almost unbearable for several stretches of the race. Especially on the third leg of the event (mile 100 to 160) when we had primarily tail winds. The heat of the afternoon was kicking in full effect by then and the sun was beating down on the exposed gravel. Heating it up to thermonuclear temps. Plus, there was nowhere to hide. Just cook and bask in the rays. The heat took a toll on me all day and actually forced my hand to something I never thought I'd do. I stopped twice on that stretch and knocked on some farmhouse doors to get some cool water. I had plenty of fluids on my bike, but couldn't stop fixating on cool water. Craziness.

Riders beginning to line up - the Salsa crew was representing again this year

The race started out a lot like last year. Riders lined up on the street in downtown Emporia in front of the Granada Theater. The registration and rider meeting were at the Granada on Friday night. The whole registration set up was perfect. Go up one side of the theater to the second floor, sign in, pickup your number, t-shirt, DK200 trading cards and then exit down the staircase on the other side. Smooth and efficient. Thanks to the Granada, Emporia Main Street, and volunteers!

Jim Cummings - DK Race Co-Promoter

Rider meeting was about ten minutes prior to the start. Jim went over the usual pre-race info and predicted Cam Chambers record of 11:58 would be broken. The gravel was dry and fast and there was a talented field of gravel veterans in the mix. So maybe it could be done.

Mike Marchand, 2010 Gravel World Champion, sportin' the jersey and Lincolnite Troy Krause (finisher!)

The temp was just about perfect at the start. That wasn't gonna last. As soon as the sun came up we knew we were in for slap in the face.

Lance Andre and Barbie Miller on the tandem (Overall Winners!) with Lincolnite and Rasta rider James Blake (finisher!)

Eric Brunt, Matt Gersib, and Dale Pinkleman (all finishers!) lined up and ready to roll - John Williams also pictured behind Gersib...John finished fifth in the Open! Congrats!

Emporia Police escort - three cruisers this year!

Almost ready to go

And we're off!

Thank you for the escort Emporia Police Department!

The start was a bit faster this year. Somewhere between 20 and 23 mph. Mass starts with 300+ riders can get a little hairy. I think we all subconsciously knew if we went a bit quicker at the start the group would get strung out a bit more. That equates to safety in my opinion.

The usual suspects up front and full of excitement

Charging hard on the first gravel of the day

Once we hit the gravel the pace ratcheted up. The tandem of Lance Andre and Barbie Miller moved up front and put the hammer down. Mike Marchand and Troy Krause were in tow. I was third wheel and enjoying the draft. Once we made the turn to the south the pace remained steady. With this many strong riders we would make great time to the first checkpoint.

Boo

I hit a large rock and soon after the back end began to feel a bit soft. I glanced down and noted the characteristic bounce of a pinch flat. Less than 3 miles into the race and less than a mile on the gravel, I had to stop and let the rest of the field go. The sun wasn't even up. Talk about bad luck!

Sunrise

I weighed my options while changing the flat. Go hard and try to catch the leaders or settle in for a long day of chasing.

Chasing

I choose to go hard and try to catch the leaders. For some reason, it seemed like the only sensible solution. With the headwind a majority of the first 100 miles I thought closing the gap early was the wisest strategy.

Is that a recumbent! It sure is. So rad!

Slowly I worked my way back through the rest of the field. Around mile 20 Dennis Grelk rolled up beside me. I was shocked to see him behind me and asked him if he flatted too. He said no and that he was riding with a friend, but after seeing my plight he decided to come help me out.

Only two good lines

Sitting in behind Dennis the Machine!

Dennis set a ferocious pace for next 40 miles. It took all I had to remain in his draft at times. Frickin' incredible display of strength.

Thank you, Dennis!

Beautiful vistas!

Mike Johnson rode great all day and would go on to finish! Congrats, Mike!

Dennis and Rafal on the single speed

We picked off a lot of riders and by the first checkpoint were only 5 minutes back from the leaders. Several other top contenders fell victim to flats. Dan Hughes, the open men's 2011 Champ, slashed a tire around mile 26. Joe Meiser, Mike Marchand and Dale Pinkleman also flatted.

Found a good spot to change this one out

After the first checkpoint I linked back up with some strong riders. Mike Marchand and James Blake were among them. Somewhere we missed a turn. While back tracking the back end began to get soft again. I ignored it as long as I could. The rocky two track descent eventually forced me off. I had to stop and change it out.

Sweet two track goodness

Better suited for a mountain bike!

I got going again and then promptly pinched on a water crossing. Boo. Looking on the bright side I was able to enjoy the coolness of the shade at the big water crossing while changing the flat.

Big rollers

Sometime during the second leg I ran out of fluids. I rationed as long as I could. Joe Meiser and I rode for a bit during that stretch. We were both struggling. That was apparent to me. Joe is one of the strongest riders I've ever ridden with during these events. He just wasn't feeling it and neither was I.

Eventually I left Joe and ran into Troy. We both rolled into the halfway point cooked. It was gonna be a long afternoon. We took a long extended break. Probably close to 30 minutes. I was in no hurry to get back on the searing gravel. Matt, our support crew, did an amazing job cooling us off and catering to our every need. Thanks again, Matt!

Troy, Rafal, Eric and I reluctantly took off from checkpoint 2. We were all in bad shape, but quitting was not an option. I was feeling good so I took off. The break really helped cool my core and I finally felt a little pep. Unfortunately it didn't last for very long. The heat was just too much for me to handle. I felt lethargic and sick. Turning the pedals over became a difficult task.

Matt, Megan (Rafal's wife and support crew), James, and Megan's friend in Council Grove

Once the physical symptoms of heat exhaustion kicked in the mental game soon followed. I began to think about finding a cool place to lay down and take a nap. I kept scanning the countryside for cool spots to take a break. Things just weren't firing on all cylinders at this point. The body was sluggish and the mind was full of negativity. I had to snap out of it. So instead of quitting or taking a nap I compromised with myself (yeah, myself) and decided to stop at a farmhouse for some cool water. I figured the interaction with another human being might help break me out of the funk. The first farmhouse I rolled by I pulled in and knocked on the door. An elderly woman sheepishly answered the door with a cautious look on her face. She didn't know what to think of me, but she graciously offered me some cool water. I downed a few glasses and thanked her before continuing on my way. I didn't get the recharge I was hoping for, but at least I felt a little cooler.

It didn't take long for me to heat up again. My mind was fixated on cold water. I had to stop again. This time it was a large farm with a lot of horses. I noticed a spigot with a hose in the front yard and figured I could cool myself down. I walked up to the farmhouse and rang the doorbell. A young guy came to the door and after a little explaining he seemed to get it and gladly offered up some cool water. After plopping down on the front porch I heard someone approaching from behind me. I assumed it was the young guy. Nope. It was an older gentlemen probably in his sixties wearing nothing but flip flops and hot pink shorts fashioned in a banana hammock style. Needless to say, I was a bit taken back. He hovered over me and chatted while I drank a couple of glasses of water. He offered to hose me down, but the whole situation seemed a bit too David Lynch for me, so I respectfully declined, thanked him for the water and got the heck outta there! Yikes!

The next 25 miles of the third leg were very difficult. I was wilting in the heat. Luckily Dale Pinkleman, Lincolnite and all around awesome guy, bridged up to me. We ended up riding into the next checkpoint together. Having someone to talk to really helps keep your mind off the suffering. Thanks again, Dale!

Here comes the rain

James was already in Council Grove when we arrived. A storm had been building during that third leg and actually offered some reprieve from the relentless sun. The wind from the storm also gave us a push into the third checkpoint. We had gotten sprinkled on a bit before Council Grove, but managed to beat the rain. A long break was in order in Council Grove. James and I took our time as Matt, Megan, and Megan's friend tried to entertain us. The rain started as we recharged. I told James we might as well just wait out the worst of the storm and take off as soon as we could.

Rails to trails goodness

The temperature had dropped significantly after the storm front rolled through. My guess would be 35 to 40 degrees. I went from heat exhaustion to shivering like a leaf in less than 5 minutes. The body was locking up! We had to go! Steve, James, Dale, and I took off together from Council Grove in a light rain. The really nasty part of the storm had missed us. The trails were a bit wet, but nothing we couldn't handle.

Roofless

Pluggin' along

Getting gritty and soft in spots

The final leg of the race was only 43 miles. That's nothing! Especially since we've already traveled 160 miles. It was apparent that we were most likely gonna be finishing after sun down.

Keith Walberg finished strong! Congrats!

The roads were really wet near Council Grove. All the geared riders were having drive train issues. I learned my lesson from Trans Iowa and knew I needed to hose off the drive train before a catastrophic failure.

Big bump and low hangin' cloud

We ran into Tim Ek and Joe Fox not too far from Council Grove. Joe's rear der failed. He was trying to convert to a single speed. Eventually he got it to work. Not the best gear, but at least he could keep going. Several of us helped ourselves to a hose at farm to clean our drive trains. Instant improvement!

Grinding it out

Sun slowly going down

The last leg was primarily flat

Eki!

One of the highlights of my day was getting to ride with folks that I usually don't have a chance to ride with. Dennis Grelk, Joe Meiser, Dale Pinkleman, Eric Brunt, and Tim Ek. Eki and I rode together for the last 25 or so miles. It was great having a chance to chat with ya, Eki!

I smell the barn!

Eki and I rolled into Americus and stopped at the convenience store for some Coke's. It's just what the body needs! A few other riders passed us while we took a break, but we really didn't care. It's all about finishing now. Eric, James, and Mike rolled in just about the time we were ready to leave. So we linked up with them. The Coke did the trick and I felt a surge of energy. Maybe it was the sun going down too. The final push to the finish was great. After some discussion we compromised on a suitable finish...Eric, Eki and I crossed the finish line together. Crossing the finish was an amazing experience. The crowd was going crazy and the band was playing. Yep, perfect.

Thanks to all that had anything to do with organizing such a grand event. Also thanks to all my personal sponsors, friends and family. Honestly, there are too many folks to thank. You know who you are.

I will definitely be back again next year!

Almanzo Royal 162 - Yep, you guessed it...pics now, more words later...

2011-05-16T17:41:00.010-05:00

Chris Skogen going over the pre-race info

And we're off!

I see...Rafal, Aaron, Charlie and Mike!

Steve, thanks for using a fender!

Troy!

Buff, Joe, and Dennis among others leading the charge

Gritty

Fenders, folks! Fenders!

Nice break from the grit

Not riding that!

XXC Mag - Ouachita Challenge

2011-04-27T12:23:00.004-05:00

So I wrote an article for XXC mag recently on the Ouachita Challenge. Check it out at XXC mag. You can download a digital copy and/or buy a hardcopy. Get inspired!

Trans Iowa Recap - Pics now, some words with more coming later...

2011-04-26T17:52:00.044-05:00

Lots of Titanium on the back with a combined value equal to my vehicle

Part of the Lincoln crew (Troy, Skip, Lincoln support crew Jeff and myself) loaded up the Mint Julep and were out of Lincoln by noonish on Friday. Several other vehicles with Lincolnites took off for Grinnell throughout the day. No need to caravan, Grinnell is easy to find. Get on I-80 and head east. Can't miss it. Even I didn't get lost.

Pre-race Meat-up at the Grinnell Steakhouse

Guitar Ted and David Pals droppin' knowledge regarding the who, what, when, where, and maybe even a little bit of why. Each participant was treated to a great meal (which was partly paid by the Grinnell Chamber of Commerce) and a bag with a Trans Iowa prayer flag and GU and Clif Bar products. We were also introduced to Jeff, a film maker doing a documentary on Trans Iowa.

3:50 AM pre-race meeting lead by Guitar Ted

Lots of moisture in the air Saturday morning prior to the start. There had been rain earlier in the week and also Friday afternoon. Make no doubt, the roads were gonna be wet at the start.

Here we go!

Guitar Ted tooted his horn (a Salsa Woodchipper handlebar) to signal the start of the event. We followed Guitar Ted's Honda Element piloted by David Pals through Grinnell in a neutral roll out fashion. We enjoyed our last moment of cleanliness for the next 34+ hours while rolling through town. Thoughts focusing on the task at hand while trying to brush away negative thoughts of doubt, fear and pain.

Pavement - didn't see much pavement through the event

Yep, not much pavement at all. I'd say less than 5% of the entire course was pavement. Maybe even less. I'd venture to say that there were more miles of B (Dirt, MMR) roads than pavement. Who's with me on that?

Neatly tucked in

Conserving energy anyway possible is a survival technique employed by most participants. Except John Gorilla. He just pulls the entire time. FYI, I'm a pretty good person to get behind. Unfortunately, there aren't many folks that I can get a great draft off of. Except Dennis.

Hey, there's Troy!

I was always taking inventory of who was around me. There are several folks I was looking forward to riding with for the entire race. My luck just wasn't there.

First gravel!

The pace was subdued for the first hour or so. This is a very dark time of night. No one wants to wad it up in the first 20 miles, so take your time during the morning of Saturday. It's a long race after all.

B Road Ditch Shuffle

As soon as we hit the first gravel of the day the mud started flyin'. If you weren't behind someone with a fender you got sprayed with a buckshot of tan runny gravelly spit. The folks up front seemed to be doing a good job navigating so I sat in and tried to find someone with a fender to follow. Eventually I found myself near the front. After having to stop at an intersection due to a navigational challenge I took over like papa bear and lead the posse. Soon we got to a turn that wasn't on the cue sheet. So we had a pow-wow and decided to take the B road pictured above.

Gettin' heavy

The mud was thick and heavy in the morning. The sun and wind would dry the B roads out throughout the day.

Another pow-wow

After crossing the B road we realized we had made a wrong turn. A quick assessment of situation lead us down a highway to link back up with the route.

Sun lurkin'

As the sun began to rise so did hopes of anyone finishing the event this year. I had my doubts after hitting the first B road. The top layer of gravel was wet, but the foundation an 1/8 of an inch down was fine.

The lead pack thinning out

John Williams of Cow Town rode a great race and finished 7th

Smiles were abundant during the morning after the sun came out. "Maybe we can make it."

Eric Brunt, another finisher in 8th place, leading it out

Gritty

By this point in the race everyone seemed determined to keep plugging along in order to reach the first checkpoint by 9:15. John Gorilla was up front setting the pace into a strong headwind.

Grittin'

Sitting in was prudent, but I paid the price by eating a lot of gravelly back spray. Glasses were useless. We had to all HTFU and relish in the moment of our badassness. This was some real Jens Voigt shit. Only hard men and women need apply.

Improving

The gravel slowly improved as the morning progressed. Sunshine coupled with a moderately stiff wind was drying things out.

Charlie Farrow sportin' a big smile. Bingo!

Gettin' good

Muddy gravel transforming into smooth hardpack right before our eyes. Things were definitely looking up!

Pop, pop, click, click...

Everyone seemed to be having drivetrain issues. The gravel was drying and harding on the bikes and wreaking havoc on the drivetrain as we continued our march towards checkpoint #1 located in Baxter, Iowa. My drivetrain was making some awful noises and ghost shiftin' a bit. Since everyone else had the same problem I just put my head down and kept pedalin'. Big mistake.

Charlie Farrow's drivetrain

Charlie, Tim Ek, and several others were dealing with finicky drivetrains. Playing the law of averages, I figured someone would eventually fall victim to a mechanical.

Eki enjoyin' the ride

Noting everyone else had the same problem I had I suggested we stop at the first checkpoint and find a hose or carwash. Clean the drivetrain, lube and bug out. That was the plan.

Doh!

After soft pedaling up a climb I unexpectedly came to a halt. I looked down and saw what you see above. My der sucked in to the wheel. Luckily no spokes were broke, just badly bent. The der was toast as well as the der hanger. The chain snapped and badly contorted in several directions. Wow, I guess I gambled and lost. We were only a few miles from the checkpoint.

That don't look good...

The der was partially stripped from the hanger. The threads on the hanger were gonzo. Joe Fox and Travis Braun graciously stopped and offered assistance. Thanks again, fellas! Several attempts were made to make a single speed. Finally we got the chain to sit on the 15.

Boom!

Since the chain was warped it didn't take long for the chain to jump to the 16. That wasn't good. The chain tension went from acceptable to ridiculous. I rode it as long as I could knowing it would fail soon. I had no choice. Eventually the chain exploded into numerous pieces. Game over!

Lincoln crew at checkpoint #1 (Janna, Aaron, Support crew Lis, Bruce, and Scott)

After the chain broke I waved Joe and Travis on. I was gonna hafta pull the plug and find a way to the checkpoint. As I was collecting the bits of my chain a farmer came rollin' by in a pickup truck and offered me a ride to Baxter. My Trans Iowa was over, but not completely finished.

Ryan at Bikes to You in downtown Grinnell

The Lincoln crew was looking good at checkpoint #1. The whole crew made it to the checkpoint with time to spare. Not much time, but whatever. The first step is sometimes the toughest and that was the case at TI this year. I was stoked to see everyone and that immediately lifted my spirits.

Drivetrains were cleaned and lubed, tubes were patched (Aaron flatted twice in the first 50), bottles topped off, calories consumed, and hugs shared. After wishing everyone good luck and happy trails, the Lincoln support crew of Jeff and Lis loaded up my bike and took us back to Grinnell.

Bikes to You, the local bike shop was open so I figured I might as well try converting the bike to a SS and get back out there. What else was I gonna do, sit in the hot tub at the hotel and drink beer? Besides, the weather was perfect and the riders were gonna have a great tail wind all the way to the next checkpoint in Norway, Iowa. Riders had until 10 PM to travel the 120 miles to Norway. This would be the final checkpoint prior to the finish. Then it was 149.5 miles back to the finish. A tall task especially when some of those miles would be a night after spending all day in the saddle. I wanted some!

Pavement for miles and miles in hopes of finding some riders

Ryan and I got the bike to work as a SS. We used the 34 ring in front (which I never use!) and the 15 cog in the back. We didn't have a SS spacer kit for the free hub so we used a bunch of cassette spacers and the lockring from the cassette. It wasn't pretty, but it worked. The chain line was great and I had a brand spankin' new 10 speed chain. Ah yeah!

Spun out!

So the 34 x 15 worked out. I was spun out a lot, but knew of the evil that Guitar Ted and David had in store for us with the large rollers. There were gonna be big, big gravel walls that we were gonna need to get up. I really hate walking up climbs, so this gear would work.

Back on gravel!

I took a highway out of Grinnell and then up another to the north for about 40 miles until I linked back up on the course. I guessimated where riders would be and made the right call. As soon as I turned onto the highway where I thought folks might be, I saw the Madison, Wisco crew cross the road.

Chasing down the Wisco crew

I couldn't believe I was that lucky. What a great crew to ride with! BJ, Kristin, Vanessa, and Travis. BJ has ridden in 3 TI's and was a finisher. Travis was also on his third and was a finisher as well. Kristin was a TI vet. Vanessa was in her first TI, but showed a lot of strength late in her ride. I couldn't have better company.

Wisco representin'!

The Wisco crew and I rode a lot of rollers on our way to Traer. The course wasn't a cake walk. GT and David found some monsters. Those that finished earned it.

Traer has been on the TI route for the past couple of years. It was also part of the third TI. Skip and I reminisced about a long break taken at the Pizza Palace in downtown Traer on TIv3. A resurrection occurred once in Traer...

Chillin' the convenience store in Traer

The Wisco crew and I took long break in Traer. It could be our last stop prior to the second checkpoint. Might as well make the most of it. During our break the Lincoln crew came rollin' in. That was one of my favorite moments of the entire event. Seeing all my friends come in was an uplifting experience!

So stoked to be riding with Wills!

Matt Jennings, former Lincolnite, in his first TI rockin' the SS Salsa

Feels like home!

After refueling in Traer the whole group took off together. Around a dozen riders in total. It didn't take long for riders to settle in to their own pace. A few groups formed as a result. This is an inevitability in long gravel grinders.

Two track dirt road goodness

A majority of the roads from Traer to Norway were relatively flat. It was perfectly timed. After eating a large amount of garbage at the convenience store in Traer we needed some chill miles in order to "let things settle". Eating crap is a necessary evil during Trans Iowa. You gotta eat a lot of calories to keep going. The most calorically dense foodstuffs at the convenience store aren't exactly healthy. Don't get me wrong, eating healthy during TI has been and can be done. You just gotta plan a little bit more than the folks who eat donuts, candy bars, beef jerky, and pizza and pound Red Bulls and coffee until they're in a tizzy.

Gerald and I link up with the Wisco crew

Along that stretch we also hit crushed limestone trail that went for 15 to 20 miles. I remembered this trail from TIv3. I loved it back then and still do. The trail made me think about how my adventures have changed over the past several years. Before TIv3 my longest ride ever was little over a century. I ended up with around 240 that year before pulling the plug. This year I was going for a triple century. I missed part of the course when taking the highway shortcut, but I calculated I could still end up with well over 300 if I were to finish it out. And why not? I was there to ride my bike after all and I had the best company I could ask for. Game on!

Obstructionism

Threatening skies in the distance

The weather had been ideal most of the day. Overcast skies with temps hoovering in the mid 50's. At one point in the late afternoon I looked around and noted dark skies flanking us on three fronts. Rain would make our chances of making the checkpoint in Norway a distant hope.

B roads-o-plenty

During a 15 mile stretch we hit 4 B roads. It was a painfully slow stretch. Part of the roads were firm enough to ride, but a lot of it was an exercise in futility. Riding the muddy roads only clogged your bike with mud which forced you to stop and push anyways. I tried to take to the ditch as much as possible to minimize cleaning time at the end of the B Road.

Cloggin'

Unfortunately even riding and walking the B road ditches lead to clogged bikes and cleaning delays. Make no mistake, the B roads tested your patience. After being on the bike for over twelve hours we were getting fatigued and grew weary of pushing the already heavy rigs. The only thing that made the B roads bearable were the folks traversing them with you.

Gettin' it done

I suppose we could have dwelt on how sucky it was to push our bikes in the ditch for miles, but we knew it served no purpose. Whenever we hit an unrideable section of dirt everyone just hopped off and got it done.

Calories, it's all about calories...

Ben and I ended up rolling into Norway a bit ahead of everyone else. We hit the convenience store and were bummed to find no hot food available. We were really hoping for at least some crusty 6 hour old pizza or hot dogs. Yeah, we were desperate. Garbage is garbage, but hot garbage is better than plain ole garbage. So we hit the only bar in town and ordered a couple of cheeseburgers, fries and Cokes. It was heavenly. Aaron finished off Ben's fries. "Sure, get a picture of the fat kid eating fries!"

Rollin' into checkpoint #2 with Scott and Aaron

The second checkpoint was on a gravel road just outside of Norway, Iowa. The crew rolled in with less than an hour to spare before the 10 PM cutoff time. Now all we had to do is ride 149.5 miles back to Grinnell by 2 PM Sunday. I tried not to think about the massiveness of the feat at hand, but rather just tried to think of getting through one cue sheet at a time.

Taking a break before heading off into the darkness

Spirits were high as we embarked on the last leg of the journey. We were gonna need it cuz things were gonna get tough real soon. When the sun goes down on Saturday night the TI beast becomes more frightening. Everything gets exponentially tougher. Reading cue sheets, eating, drinking, staying awake, keeping warm, remaining motivated, etc. By Saturday at sundown you've been on the bike for over 18 hours. The accumulative effect of the numerous efforts begin to manifest into tight muscles and aching joints. You gotta keep moving cuz stopping and getting comfortable will end your ride.

My travel partners for the last 150+ miles - Aaron and Ben

Upon leaving the final checkpoint I was on a mission. I rolled out ahead of everyone and got pretty far ahead, but never further than an eyeshot of my blinky light. Eventually we hit a long MMR descent with a nasty climb on the other side. It was gnarly! Several of us rode the descent and hoofed it up the other side. This MMR splintered the group. MG, Aaron, Ben and I were the first ones to traverse this section. Aaron, Ben and I decided to keep on rolling and planned on linking up with the crew further down the road. Well, that never happened. That would be the last time we would see the rest of the Lincoln crew.

Sunrise!

Aaron, Ben and I were on a mission to get through the night. We each went through a low point over the next 150 miles, but still found time to celebrate the 200 mile mark with some Cokes and some chips. Good times.

We took a few wrong turns during the night, but still managed to make good time. Each of us kept each other on track. Thanks again, guys. Seeing the sun come up was one of the great moments of the adventure. Like a shot of adrenaline the sun perked me up instantly.

Hey guys!

There were no places to stop through the night. We had to sustain ourselves on our supplies from checkpoint #2. By the time we reached the next town Aaron was in rough shape. We were all in rough shape. It was a long night.

Aaron's low point

Weekend recap coming....

2011-04-25T11:18:00.002-05:00

Ouachita Challenge 2011 recap!

2011-04-04T17:02:00.022-05:00

Lined up and ready to roll

The Ouachita Challenge went down this weekend in Oden, Arkansas. CVO, KKS, Scott and I made the ten hour trip from Lincoln to represent the Rasta. Yeah, that's a long time in the car for a 60 mile race, but it's definitely worth the drive.

And we're off!

This was my fourth (maybe fifth?) year competing in the Ouachita Challenge. The event has a non-competitive tour on Saturday followed by a race on Sunday. Each day is capped at 250 riders due to park regulations.

Neutral roll out on the pavement

CVO and I left Thursday night and drove most of the way down. We were able to ride some of the Womble Trail Friday afternoon. KKS and Scott joined us on Saturday for a pre-ride of Big Brushy and Blowout Mountain trails.

Rey!

The weather for the race on Sunday was great. At the start the temps were already in the mid sixties. Short sleeve and shorts! The humidity was really high so I found myself sweating bullets shortly after the start. The dew also made all the rocks a bit more treacherous.

"Hey! The tour was yesterday!"

The race was officially on as soon as we hit the gravel. The lead vehicle peeled away as riders began to pick up the pace.

Beautiful winding gravel road at the start

Out in front with the camera

A double paceline formed down the sweet spots of the rocky gravel road up to the first singletrack of the day...Big Brushy.

Long gravel climb up to Big Brushy

Riders attacked as soon as the climbs began. The group split into a lead group, several chasers trying to hang on for dear life (myself) and everyone else. I didn't have a great start and entered the singletrack around 25th to 30th position.

On top of Big Brushy

Once in the singletrack there wasn't much room for passing. Most riders settled in and recovered from the big effort of getting to the top. The trails were so much fun I forgot I was racing several times. Grinning from ear to ear.

Beautiful flowing singletrack of Big Brushy

There was plenty of climbing and descending throughout the race. That coupled with all the rocks and trees made it very difficult and inconvenient to pass or be passed. The gravel road sections in between the singletrack was the best place to pass or let folks by.

Lots and lots of rocks

Yeah, there are some real technical sections during this race. A lot more rocks than I'm used to riding. After riding a few stretches I was able to figure it out. The rocks would claim a lot of victims throughout the day. The new bike ate up the rocks and definitely allowed me to ride a lot fast on the descents. Thanks again Cycle Works!

Lots of smiling and friendly volunteers throughout the race - Thanks!

After Big Brushy the race ventured onto the infamous Blowout Mountain. As you can imagine by the name, flats are very common on Blowout Mountain. The rocks are big and plentiful.

Pedal grabbers!

Scott negotiating some rocks on Blowout Mountain

So every year I seem to have trouble on Blowout Mountain. Either flats, crashes or both. This year I crashed. Endo'd onto some rocks after trying something I probably should have gotten off and ran. Luckily, I somehow landed "softly" onto the rocks and came away with only some cuts, bruises, and a broken camera screen.

Leaves on the backside of Blowout Mountain

After Blowout the race continued onto Sims which has a big climb on one side followed by wicked descent on the other. So much fun!

CVO finishing strong!

The last stretch of singletrack included the Womble Trail which is an IMBA Epic. This trail is the best singletrack I have ever ridden hands down. You gotta ride this trail!

The race was tough, but ridiculously fun. The heat was a little more than I was ready for at the beginning of April. Cramps were knocking all day, but I was able to finish strongly and not be a complete pile of rubble at the end.

I'll definitely be going back next year. If you want in, you better be on your toes. Registration filled up in six hours this year. Just like most endurance mountain bike events these days...it's a race to get in.

Ouachita pre-ridin' photo dump!

2011-04-02T17:42:00.018-05:00

The trails are in amazing shape! Womble Trail pictured above.

Stoked to be riding some of the best singletrack in the country!

Lots of rocks down here...

CVO too fast for the camera...

Four miles in and ruined a brand new tire. Sharp rock puncture. It wouldn't seal. Sealant everywhere.

Flowin'

Don't have anything like this back in Nebraska

You gotta be on your toes or you might flat on suckers like this one...

Pictures don't do it justice.

Burnt

Long gravel climb before entering the singletrack

Lincoln crew before the Big Brushy and Blowout Mountain pre-ride

Loggin'

Blowout Mountain has some rather large rocks to negotiate...

There's a line somewhere in this mess...yes, this is the trail!

The leaves make the downhill corners interesting...

Lovin' it

The race is tomorrow morning at 8 AM. Forecast is looking ideal. It's gonna be fun.

New bike day!

2011-03-28T19:29:00.004-05:00

Thanks you Kris and the rest of the Cycle Works crew!

I've never had a full suspension mountain bike. Ridden them a few times during dirt demos for an hour or two. Loved the way they climb and descend. Been looking forward to a 29 inch full squishy for years. I plan on taking this bad daddy down to the Ouachita Challenge this weekend. Should be fun. Hopefully the learning curve is quick.

Sloppy Saturday!

2011-03-26T15:36:00.008-05:00

Rollin' east of town

Today the first PCL event of the year went down. Well, kinda. The weather kept most folks away. We had about 10 guys show up for some gravel action. The east wind meant riding roads we rarely have an opportunity to enjoy. Some of the roads are the same that were used for Gravel Worlds last August.

Bruce and Scott rollin' with their Trans Iowa setups

These two fellas are smart. They've been getting some serious miles in with all of their Trans Iowa equipment on board. Me, I'm not so smart. I'll probably do what I always do. Make a last minute decision in the motel room at 3:30 AM the morning of the event as far as my bike and gear setup. I anticipate Bruce and Scott will do really well at Trans Iowa. I'm excited for them.

Schmidty and James on wet gravel near Greenwood, Nebraska

The ride went to a town that I've never visited before. Greenwood, Nebraska. Typical small town Nebraska. Was stoked to see James on the ride today. Haven't ridden with him in months. He's getting ready for another round of Dirty Kanza. He'll do awesome. I have no doubt.

Schmidty tuckin' in

The snow started before rollin' into Greenwood. The forecast was spot on.

Snow covered

Yeah, some real Jens Voigt action there for awhile. The wool tights were attracting a lot of snow, but dried off quickly. You gotta love wool!

I opted for the single speed today. Sure glad I made that call. I miss riding single speeds...

The hut

James flatted while rollin' back on the Mopac. Perfect timing as the flat happened near the hut.

Did it hold?

Not sure how this happened cuz we checked the brake pad and it was not anywhere near rubbing, but James cut through his sidewall. Instant flat. After a Gu wrapper boot we were off again.

We definitely made the most of the day. Hope everyone else got out for a bit. Tomorrow is looking better as far as weather. Another east wind.

Change of pace...kinda

2011-03-19T17:06:00.001-05:00

Super Saturday!

2011-03-13T13:37:00.011-05:00

Record turnout for Saturday. 25 at the start!

Look out! Coming through!

Holy Schnikies....don't get in his way.

Chris and Joel doing some filming. Thanks again guys! Heal up Joel!

Super good time with great folks exploring new gravel roads...that's what it's all about.

More MMR muddiness meandering

Even with the mud, spirits were high. Scott loves mud!

Janna is stoked to get some Trans Iowa bike portage training

MG enjoying the day

Destination for the day was the Honda Shop in Brainard, NE. Not much going on in Brainard these days.

Thanks again for the ride, folks. It sure was great seeing so many faces on the ride including some faces I haven't seen in a long time. More fun is on the docket for next Saturday. Same time, same place. See ya soon!

Saturday!

2011-03-05T17:08:00.006-06:00

Big posse with Omaha guests Rafal and Lucas! Thanks for making the trip guys. Great riding with ya.

Ummm yeah, B Road near Valpo...not so good...my bad folks. It was "a great failure in leadership."

Clean up time. The mud has a high concentration of clay so that took about 20 minutes. Ugh.

Valpo recharge

Heading home

The Weekend!

2011-02-20T18:20:00.010-06:00

Cultiva!

Groupo compacto!

Attack!

Carl!

Regroup!

Adams!

Old!

Old School!

Oak!

Welcome back Scott!

The weekend!

2011-02-13T16:39:00.011-06:00

Meet up at Cultiva Cafe

We had two big groups for the rides this weekend. Around fifteen each day. So we're gonna go ahead and make Cultiva Cafe our official meeting spot for weekend rides. Yep, it's official. It's always gonna be 8 AM unless otherwise noted on a blog.

Big thanks to Cultiva Cafe for letting a bunch of lycra clad dorks take over the place in the mornings. I know we look and smell funny, but we sure buy a lot of coffee!

Regroup on West A

Folks sure are having fun riding the gravel roads. Seen a lot of faces I haven't seen in a while. Good to see everyone out and enjoying the weather. It's gonna be a beautiful week! Hope to see ya out during the week.

Gravel is primo

The white rock hasn't been put down yet so the gravel is in excellent shape. There are a few soft spots, but for the most part it's all good. Get it while the gettin' is good!

Never seen a sign like this one - Near Crete, NE

Saturday a small group decided to head to Wilber for some bigger miles. The southwest wind was tough on the way down, but provided quite a push on the way home.

Gotta hit the Wilber Bakery for some Kolaces!

A six pack of Kolaces hit the spot! The folks at the Bakery are so much fun. They love chattin' us up when we roll in.

Aaron and Jordan rollin' back from Wilber

Alright, who busted out the chalk? Darn pirates!

Sunday crew rollin' out West Claire Ave (Carl on the pimp Boxer!)

Ryan sitting in the best possible spot (behind the 6'5" wall)

Sunday the ride was a bit shorter for a few of us. I had a GPTN meeting in which I heard Andy Clarke (President of the League of American Bicyclists) speak about all kinds of great stuff. Lincoln, NE has an amazing trail system, but we have plenty of room for making things even more spectacular.

Rollin' back to town with Troy, Nate and Matt

This weekend was an eye opener. I've lost a lot of fitness and strength. Three weeks off without any riding is not good for the body. Especially when that three weeks is spent battling the worst sickness of my adult life. It's gonna take a lot of work to get back where I was a year ago. Take advantage of it while you can! :)

Thanks to everyone for the rides this weekend. Always fun riding, chattin' and hanging with folks. That's why I ride bikes. The occasional race/long endurance event keeps me honest, but just riding is what I love the most. Even when I'm suffering up front during a long pull into the wind while silently cursing the guy behind me for not pulling through. Love every minute of it!

Nothing to see here...

2011-02-10T19:04:00.002-06:00

Not too much going on in the riding department. Had the D Street Plague for a couple of weeks. Haven't been able to ride much at all without uncontrollable coughing fits. Finally turning the corner and getting better. Now I'm in the middle of a mini freakout because I haven't ridden a bike much at all in almost three weeks. Not where I wanna be right now. Next week is looking good as far as temps and I hope to get out several times next week. Ouachita Challenge is at the end of next month. Yikes.

Riding the Loess Hills with the Omaha crew

2011-01-23T14:52:00.007-06:00

Crossing over the Missouri Rive on the Bob Kerrey pedestrian bridge

Wills, DK, and I headed up to Omaha to ride the unique, beautiful and challenging Loess Hills of Iowa with our cycling Brethren to the east. We have never ridden these roads, but have been eager to do so for the past couple of year after hearing about the topography. They are incredible!

Don't see many signs like this on roads near Lincoln

We really enjoy our gravel roads around Lincoln, but I must admit the stuff an hour to the east is much more enjoyable on many levels. Most of the roads surrounding Lincoln are on a grid system. Straight, straight and more straight. That's anything be the case in the Loess Hills. The roads weaving through the Loess Hills are twisty, steep and always provide some beautiful sights.

Regroup!

There was a great posse for the ride. The headcount was 15 at one point. Jim Winklepleck surprised us when we crossed over into Iowa on the Bob Kerrey bridge as he was waiting for us on the other side. That was a nice surprise. Hope you enjoyed the ride, Jim!

Snow and ice covered roads

The roads were in decent shape considering how much precipitation we've had. The descents were a bit sketchy and I have more "Oh shit!" moments than I care to remember. The softer snow almost pulled my front wheel out from underneath me on numerous occasions. Remarkably, I don't think anyone went down all day.

Cheesy photo time!

I don't have any pics of the big climbs. There were several large climbs throughout the day. Mark mentioned that a couple were categorized climbs. Much bigger climbs than what we have around Lincoln.

Headin' back to O Town

The snow started to fall around 3 and didn't let up until the early morning. Wills and I had planned on riding back from Omaha on Sunday morning, but those plans changed after we saw the updated forecast. The drive back to Lincoln was interesting. I haven't driven in stuff like that in years.

Wills rockin' the Soul Craft Holy Roller fixie stylee

Huge thanks to all that played a part in organizing the ride or came out and did the ride! It was great seeing everyone and meeting some new folks. We were stoked on the ride. I'm very excited to make more trips out that way for some more Loess Hills goodness. Expect me up there at least once a month! Seriously.

Ready for the artic blast

2011-01-19T10:28:00.002-06:00

Got the Barr Mitts on the Surly Karate Monkey this morning for the commute to work. Wow, they work great. I was able to wear my Pearl Izumi softshell gloves and was toasty warm. In temps below zero I usually get cold fingers even with the lobster claw gloves. That wasn't the case this morning. I was also surprised at the ease of getting in and out of the Barr Mitts. Definitely a good investment if you plan on riding in below freezing temps.

So now I feel I have the ideal winter bike setup. Studded tires keep me upright, Barr Mitts keep my hands warm, Lake winter boots do a relatively good job at keeping my feet and toes warm, and the Karate Monkey setup single speed keeps me moving without many mechanical issues to worry about. Now all in need is B.O.B. trailer with an Easy Bake Oven for some fresh warm pastries and I will reach "winter bicycle self actualization".

KC Sprints at Duffy's

2011-01-18T09:53:00.004-06:00

Saturday was a fun night of cycling culture. To me the Sprints are more of a cultural experience than a competition. Sure it's nice to win, but most are there to throw back a couple drinks and enjoy the show. And it was a great show indeed. Big thanks to all that had a hand in organizing the event. Sheclismo, KC Sprints crew, Screen Ink, Icon Graphics, Joyride, Specialized, Duffy's....

If ya missed out on the fun this past weekend never fear. There's another Sprints event in February at the Bricktop. Greenstreet Cycles is coming to town!

Sunday!

2011-01-16T14:09:00.003-06:00

Small crew this morning for the ride

Rollin' back from Cortland with Wills

Janna and Aaron a ways ahead

Saturday!

2011-01-15T15:07:00.007-06:00

Pre-ride ride on the Lincoln trails with CVO after registering for DK...we were up so we might as well ride

Big group this morning at Cultiva Cafe...16 at the start with many faces I haven't seen in awhile. Good times!

Regroup!

Posse rolling back to Lincoln via on Van Dorn

Gravel surrounding Lincoln is in great shape

Malcolm and Aaron joined me for the additional miles to Malcolm, Nebraska - Thanks guys!

The beautiful Kansas gravel beckons...

2011-01-15T05:22:00.005-06:00

Cameron Chambers pushing a huge gear up a long roller in the 2007 Dirty Kanza

MG, Skip!, Dennis and Butch shortly after hitting the gravel with the ominous clouds looming in the 2008 Dirty Kanza

Mike Marchand (overall winner) changing an early flat on the rocky gravel of Dirty Kanza in 2009

Paceline of riders with cattle escort during first leg of the Dirty Kanza in 2010

Wilderness Park XC ski trails destroyed...

2011-01-14T18:30:00.009-06:00

Beautiful and fast for the first half of the ski session

Some people...I know it takes all kinds in this world, but some people I just don't understand. Tonight on my after work XC ski session I had a run in with three very selfish guys. Before going into that let me say that the first half of the ski session was great. The XC ski tracks were nice and fast all the way from Old Cheney parking lot to the 14th Street entrance. I made relatively good time to 14th Street entrance. Temps were great too. It was ideal.

On my way back I spotted a guy coming at me on a quad on the Jamaica Trail heading east as I headed west. Two other guys were tearing it up on quads just off the trail in the corn field to the north. I stopped the quad rider on the Jamaica Trail and kindly informed him that he can't be on here with a motorized vehicle. He said he knew that, but he was looking for his dog. I asked him what kind of dog. He said a wiener dog with a smirk. Yeah, right. I asked him to get off the trail asap with his four wheeler and not to ride on it again. He agreed and sped off toward 14th Street entrance of the Jamaica Trail. His two buddies continued in the corn field toward the 14th Street entrance as well.

I was bummed, but not very upset for them riding on the Jamaica Trail. Yeah, it's illegal, but at least they weren't on the singletrack trails. So I continued on looking forward to more XC ski goodness all the way back to Old Cheney. As I was about to exit the Jamaica Trail and enter the single track trail two other skiers I crossed paths with earlier stopped me and informed me that the three guys on quads had just destroyed the trails. The trails were un-ski-able according to this guy and his spouse. They said it was hopeless trying to ski after the quads had gone through. He recommended that I stay on the Jamaica Trail back to Old Cheney. They also said the three guys about took them out when they came tearing through.

Alright, now I'm pissed off. After speaking with the couple for a bit I decided to continue on the singletrack trails to assess the damage. It wasn't pretty. Yeah, pretty much un-ski-able. See the images below.

Deep ruts with dirt churned up

All lines and tracks are gone

Really hard to find anywhere to ski in this

Give me a break...

Bridges didn't stop 'em

So I went through the entire hiker side back towards Old Cheney. On the way back I just crossed the bridge in the above pic when I heard the guys on quads. They were on the old rail road bridge that connects the biker and hiker sides. They were chillin' and laughin' and having a great time. I had already called the Sheriff a couple of times at this point trying to give them updates to catch these fools. So I walked up to them and asked if they had any luck finding the wiener dog. The guy that told my about the dog earlier just laughed. I called bullshit and things turned south fast. They knew they weren't allowed out there and they didn't give a shit. I told them about all the damage they had done and they still didn't care. Hours of work over the past week were wiped out in seconds. So when things started looking bad I wiped out the camera and started taking pics. Two of the guys immediately turned their backs and covered their faces. The other dude, red goatee guy, began to have words with me.

Say cheese

Red goatee guy thinks it's funny

Sheriff is on the way, guys.

If anyone can recognize these guys, call the Lincoln Police Department or the Lancaster County Sheriff. They need to learn it's not alright to destroy the park for their amusement.

Looking back...

2011-01-13T17:26:00.006-06:00

2010 was one of the best of my life. I have a lot of folks to thank. Instead of listing everyone, I'll just say that if you rode with me or enjoyed my company in the past year, you're on the list. So thank you for sharing your time and livin' life to the fullest. If you're not on the list, I expect you there next year.

Favorite Ride of 2010 - Ponca Ride

I know I'm a little late for end of the year reflection, but something happened recently that has really got me thinkin'. It's nothing major really. I just changed my screen saver on my desktop at home to randomly throw up a pic from my ridiculous archive. There are lots of pics in that archive. If you ride with me you know how I like to snap pics. Hey, someone has to be the local cycling historian, right?

Favorite place to ride in 2010 - Leadville, Colorado

Many of the images on my desktop stretch back years ago. CVO, DK and I have found ourselves just chillin' in my room watching the images pop up. Each one brings smiles to our faces and usually a story follows.

Favorite over the top crazy challenge of 2010 - Trans Iowa V6

And that's why I ride, folks. The smiles, friendships and stories. If you're not riding for those, maybe it's time for a change. We're always looking for more folks to ride with.

XC Skiing!

2011-01-12T18:47:00.001-06:00

The Weekend!

2011-01-09T13:27:00.010-06:00

Posse rolling through town prior to the Singletrack/Gravel split

What a great weekend of cycling fun! Saturday we took advantage of the weather to get some miles in. Some more than others. Half of the posse hit Wilderness and other half hit gravel north of town. Cultiva Cafe has been the new gathering place prior to the usual Saturday and Sunday ride. It's been working out great. Get your caffeine fix and some pastry. Perfect.

Schmidty rockin' the wicked icicle danglers - it's a good look for him

The gravel posse headed out Claire Road and eventually worked it's way to Malcolm. Most headed back for home after the Malcolm recharge, but Bruce and I ventured further north up to Valpo. We need to get big miles in with Trans Iowa, Almanzo Royal 162, and Dirty Kanza on the docket.

Found a nice stretch of dirt east of Ceresco

Bruce and I ended up getting a long ride in. From Valpo we went east to Ceresco and then eventually by Waverly and Walton. Not sure on the mileage, but it was probably over 90. It felt great to get a long one this early in the year. I felt stronger as the ride progressed. That's a good sign.

Flowin'

Today the posse (14 at one point during the ride) hit Wilderness. We got a dusting of snow early this morning which made for some fun cornering. I think we only had one person slide out and go down.

Say cheese, Nathan!

The park felt really fast today. Might be the last ride through the park for awhile. The forecast for the next 36 hours calls for 7 to 10 inches of snow accumulation. Time to bust out the XC skis!

"Alright, cheesy photo time!"

More cheesiness (myself, Matt, Matt, and Matt)

Janna, Schmidty and Jim

Ghost tracks

We followed a fresh set of tracks this morning and instinctively thought of Jim Winklepleck. Eventually we crossed paths. Yep, it was Jim. We also saw Mike Johnson a couple of times. The park was ideal this morning.

Welcome back, buddy!

Great to have Jim back in town and out for a ride after visiting China to pick up his daughter. Congrats buddy! You look really happy and a bit thinner.

Well, now it's time to do some laundry and make some chili. Maybe some cornbread too. Seems like the right thing to do when the snow is fallin'.

Winter singletrack goodness

2011-01-03T20:35:00.002-06:00

Wilderness Park - Lincoln, NE

Last ride of 2010!

2010-12-31T16:32:00.002-06:00

MG and Wills leadin' it out

Hit the park with a small crew this morning with the ice and snow falling. Yes, it was cold, but as long as you kept moving the digits stayed warm. Frost beards were in full effect. The trail was a bit slick in spots and we all had a few "oh shit" moments, but I am happy to report that no one went down. It was the perfect way to end to a fun and challenging 2010.

Oak, Janna, Wills, Aaron and MG

Hope everyone has a fun and safe New Year's celebration. Thanks to all the folks who made the last year one of the best in my life. I looking forward to more fun in 2011. Keep the good times rollin'!

Icy gravel fun

2010-12-24T12:58:00.007-06:00

Bruce leading the charge on West Claire Avenue

A few brave souls met up this morning at Cultiva Cafe for some Christmas Eve action. Lincoln got some ice last night, so at the last minute I slapped on the spare wheelset with the Nokians onto the Karate Monkey. Sure am glad I did.

Clint rode awesome all day on non-studded tires and with 42 x 18!

The roads in town weren't bad, but once we hit gravel things got sketchy. Most of the time if it's icy in town the gravel is fine. Not today. The gravel was more ice than gravel. Traction was sparse. Even with studded tires I found myself in the gutter most of the time trying to find something to bite into.

Rolling up SW 98th (Gravel Worlds course backwards)

Things got better as the ride progressed. By the time we hit the Malcolm General Store I felt comfortable on the gravel. The ice was beginning to melt, but the roads were still maintaining their integrity.

Winter bike - Surly Karate Monkey SS (34 x 16) with fenders and Nokian Gazza Extreme's

Ran into Darin at the Malcolm General Store who was out for a run

Making it to Malcolm was a victory. Not the longest ride, but enough to feel like we accomplished something today.

More fun tomorrow morning! Meet at D Street at 8 AM for waffles and coffee with the ride taking off at 9.

Sunday!

2010-12-19T18:48:00.003-06:00

Rode this...

...with these folks

Let's get physical...

2010-12-18T15:35:00.012-06:00

8 AM meet up at Cultiva Cafe for some breakfast

Olivia was heavy in the Friday night rotation according to the barista

A lot of Cycle Works/Moose's Tooth riders flying the rasta colors today. Had to get a cheesy photo.

Gravel was in great shape on the way out of town.

Janna with a flat on the county line. Bruce and Butch with the assist.

After the county line things got real sketchy

First ice gravel ride of the season is always unnerving

Frozen deer leg lying in the middle of B Road

High five!

Double donut and 16 ounce "coffee water" recharge in Valpo....$2.15

Heading home and loving every minute of it

Great ride today folks! That was so much fun, let's do it again tomorrow. How about same time, same place. Meet at Cultiva Cafe at 8 AM for coffee with a roll out around 8:15.

Unplanned weekend off

2010-12-11T12:43:00.003-06:00

Well, my quest for 12,000 is put on hold due to a nasty head cold I managed to get this past weekend. I haven't been on a bike since last Thursday and I must admit I'm going stir crazy. Hopefully be back on the bike soon.

So since I couldn't ride this weekend I worked on several bikes that were in need of some lovin'. Wrenchin' on bikes can be fun, but I prefer to ride bikes. If I hit the lottery or strike it rich some day I'm hiring CVO as my mechanic. Yeah buddy!

I spent several hours on three bikes. I always over estimate my efficiency while wrenching. Something that I think will take me an hour might take four. The more I do the more I find to do. Kinda reminds me of a saying that I heard in the medical field, "You can't shine shit. The more you rub the more it falls apart."

Indy Fab will be completely broken down and built back up

Long Haul Trucker with new rubber in back. All cleaned up and ready to go for winter commuter duty.

The Roger might live again...I can ride with a slightly cracked chain stay on gravel, right?

Fast twitchin'

2010-12-10T09:14:00.003-06:00

A crew of Lincolnites went up to Omaha last night for the Green Sprints by Green Street Cycles. Wow, it sure was fun. These sprint events are a great melting pot of all that is good in the local cycling scene. Definitely a bike culture experience that all cyclists should embrace. Last night's event was very well organized and attended. Great to see folks that I haven't seen in a long time.

As far as the actual sprint is concerned, the fast twitch fiber folks dominate. The bikes have virtually no resistance so it's all about turning the cranks over as fast as ya can. It's amazing how shelled you are after going balls to the wall for 500 meters.

Kudos to Green Street and all the participants/spectators. There are several more Sprint events lined up this Winter by Green Street as well as the KC Sprint crew. If ya haven't checked one out yet put that on your to do list!

I'm thinking of a number...

2010-12-07T09:48:00.002-06:00

That number is 12,000. My mileage goal for the year. After last week, I'm about 300 miles from reaching that goal.

Tracking miles is something I had never done until recently. My motivation was not bragging rights, but rather a system to prevent me from riding too much. A few years back just prior to the beginning of cross season I had some terrible fatigue, high resting heart rates and no power on the bike. It was very frustrating because I felt like I had made some good gains in fitness over the Summer, but I had no idea why I felt so crappy for such an extended period of time. A friend pointed out all the big rides and races I had recently participated in over the Summer prior to the onset of my funk. It finally dawned on me that I was doing too much. It took almost a month to feel "normal" again. I was overtrained.

So I started tracking all the miles I put in. All of them. Commuting, racing or just plain old riding along. It all adds up in my opinion.

The first year I kept track I was able to log right around 10,000. Last year was around 12. For no good reason I had a goal of 15 this year, but quickly realized I would be defeating the purpose of tracking the miles in the first place. I figured 12 seems to be a nice even number that is obtainable and won't wreck my other cycling endeavors for the rest of the year. So now I'm super excited to reach this milestone again this year. Barring any major catastrophes I should be able to get it done within the next two weeks. Then a new year begins.

Bitter cold, but super good

2010-12-05T14:31:00.009-06:00

"Cheesy photo time. Smile everyone!"

The wind wasn't as strong today, but it sure was cold. It felt much colder than yesterday even though the wind was only 10 mph. Seemed stronger than 10 at times. Lots of cold hands, feet and faces on the ride today.

Old missile silo location on NW 12th and Little Salt Road

Original destination plan was Valpo, but the bitter cold rerouted us to Ceresco. It was much closer than Valpo and gave us a break from the headwind.

Wills with the wicked frost beard and Janna sportin' the Hannibal Lecter balaclava

My weak ass frost beard

Mmmmm, MMR

Hit some great MMR on the way to Ceresco. There's a lot of it around the county line. Might hafta use some of those roads for the PCL Tour of Dirt Roads IV this Spring.

Takin' over and gettin' comfortable

Refuel and warm up at Ceresco was a nice change. Haven't been to that Squeegee Station in quite some time. Of course our presence amused and bewildered some locals.

Double down on the day old donuts with a cup of the House Blend coffee water

Gravel is in great shape. We're lucky.

Wrappin' up the ride with a bowl of soup from Grateful Bread

It's better than riding on a trainer...

2010-12-04T13:59:00.007-06:00

8 AM gravel crew assembling at Cultiva Cafe

Yeah, it was cold and windy today, but that didn't stop the gravel posse from heading out. Stiff wind from the NNW at 25 mph meant Valparaiso was on the docket. After some coffee and discussion on how we were gonna get to Valpo the crew bundled up and headed out of the warmth of Cultiva and into the frigid morning air.

Grinding it out on 27th Street

The wind really kept the pace to a crawl most of the way to Valpo. I even considered shifting out of my big ring, but quickly put that thought to rest. Shifting to the little ring means you gave up.

Strength in numbers

It felt like Winter today. Wind chill was around 10 degrees when we took off and didn't warm up much at all during the ride. I kept warm except my toes for a short bit. The efforts on the climbs got the blood pumpin' and warmed everything up. Even my toes got toasty after hitting the rollers with only Pearl Izumi Barrier shoe covers over my regular mountain bike shoes. In hindsight, the Lake Winter boats would have been a better choice.

MMR goodness of B Road near Valpo

We were able to hit several stretches of dirt today. Since we haven't had much precipitation in the past month all the dirt roads were in great shape. B Road is in exceptional shape.

Refuel in Valpo

The ride to Valpo was another "character building session", but the reward of a day old donut and a cup of "coffee water" for 95 cents was well worth it. The ride home was a bit easier than the ride out and we were able to converse without yelling at each other. Ahhh...good times. More of the same tomorrow, but the wind will be much more timid at 10 mph.

Only at D Street....

2010-12-03T12:31:00.001-06:00

...you'll find a bike with a cigarette butt hanging from it. DK spotted this last week. I had to share.

We may not have mountains, but we have wind...

2010-11-29T06:28:00.006-06:00

Brave souls venturing out for a "character building session"

Twenty five mph sustained winds with gusts in the 30's, no problem. Chalk it up as a great Nebraska training ride. Just imagine you're climbing a large mountain.

Finding reprieve in the Jamaica and Homestead Trail corridor

Destination was Cortland for Sunday's ride. Twenty miles to the south directly into the wind. A few of us decided to leave the shelter of the Homestead Trail and hit gravel for the last four miles into Cortland. Wicked, wicked, wicked wind. While exposed to the full force of the wind we found ourselves struggling to keep speed even on the downhills. Going up wasn't much better.

Ash Road

The reward for the trip to Cortland was a can of Coke at the convenience store and a trip down the MMR goodness of Ash Road. The cross wind was just as challenging. Almost ended up on the ground a few times.

Derby!

The afternoon was spent watching the Shit Bike Derby. Basically crash up derby with bikes. A lot of shitty bikes got even shittier. It was quite a spectacle.

CVO on the best bike of the day

Most bikes ended up with a taco'd rear wheel which rendered them useless. CVO's bike came out unscathed despite taking and dishing out a lot of punishment. Take note folks.

Holiday weekend gravel action

2010-11-27T16:35:00.004-06:00

Love the Alf mug!

Friday morning's ride started off with some amazing coffee served in an Alf "Life's a beach" mug and a fresh chewy brownie from Cultiva Cafe. Breakfast of champions!

Monsignor Tucker fixin' a flat

Friday's ride ventured West into the wind and eventually on to Milford. Second Milford ride in as many weeks. That doesn't happen too often. FYI, there are some wicked rollers to the west of Lincoln. West A Street, Pioneers and Van Dorn are all challenging routes. If you're looking for some good "interval gravel" look no further. Just attack every hill and you'll be pretty much red lined the whole time.

The crew moving out

The Saturday morning ride left Cultiva a little after 8 AM this morning. Several Trans Iowa veterans (Wills, Emily, and myself) and a few Trans Iowa noobies (Scott, Bruce and Janna) were in attendance. In order to be "ready" for something as big as TI V7, you gotta put some long hours in the saddle. Even though it's five months away it's never too early to get those base miles in.

Jim contemplating life and the universe

The ride this morning went South to Cortland via the Homestead Trail and a bit of gravel. Refuel in Cortland and off for more gravel. Some headed back to town, but Bruce, Janna, Emily, Malcolm and I continued on for Wilber in hopes of scoring some Kolaces.

That deer is smiling. Creepy.

Kolaces in sight, but "No soup for you!"

When we got to Wilber the bakery was closed, but as a result we did get to see this rad muscle car at the Casey's in town.

Nice park job.

Rollin' back home and roasting along the way

The temp slowly climbed all day. By the time we turned North towards Lincoln it was near 50. I soaked through one pair of gloves and nearly through my lighter pair too. It's that time of year you gotta carry a couple pair of gloves.

Interesting lawn ornaments in Saline County Nebraska

More gravel on the docket for tomorrow morning. Same bat time, same bat channel...Cultiva Cafe at 8 AM. Wind is gonna wicked out of the South! Probably just head to Cortland and back.

Lincoln cross weekend

2010-11-23T09:10:00.002-06:00

What a fun and painful weekend. The legs still feel a bit dead from the balls to the wall efforts, but the memories of Hooligan's Hill make it worth the Monday morning sluggishness. Saturday's race ended up being a battle with James Blake and Chris Hansen. Both rode great and put me in the pain cave for the full hour. Sunday was more of the same except Chris wasn't there, but Matt Gersib and Jim Winklepleck took his place in dishing out some punishment. My only regret during the weekend was sitting up on our last lap on Sunday to allow Mark to lap us and end our race early. Unfortunately we spoiled his moment at the line. Yeah, that was a stupid move. Sorry Mark. We were fried and you were our savior.

Huge thanks goes out to DK (pictured above getting the ghetto drum kit ready), Bill, and Brian for playing on top of the Hill. I was so stoked to roll by Hooligan's Hill every lap. This is what makes Lincoln a great cycling scene. I'm proud to say I'm a Lincolnite.

The new bike felt great, but I'm still getting it dialed in. It's a lot lighter and a bit snappier than the steel IF. It'll probably be transformed into a SS for Winter gravel rides. Ah...Winter gravel. I can't wait. The 2010 race season is over for me and now it's time for some long gravel adventures!

Gravel goodness on the horizon

2010-11-19T14:10:00.003-06:00

I got signed up for another Trans Iowa. This will be my fifth crack at it. The new bike is ready for a ton of winter miles in order to be ready for 300+ miles of Iowa gravel and dirt roads Easter weekend. Historically bad weather Trans Iowa years (V2 and V4) are followed up by dry and ideal weather conditions the following year. Let's hope that holds true for V7.

I'm proud to say that Lincoln will be very well represented for V7. At last count we had 10+ Lincolnites committing to the challenge. Skip, Emily and Butch will be back this year! Scott, Bruce and Janna have also thrown down the gauntlet for the first time. Also returning again for more are Troy, mg, Wills, Aaron, and Omaha representative Eric. Am I forgetting anyone?

So this means there will be a lot of gravel ridden this Winter by a lot of Lincolnites and that's a super awesome good thing. Rides will begin next weekend at 8 AM from D street on Saturdays and Sundays unless otherwise stated.

Random pics of the past week

2010-11-17T11:01:00.009-06:00

Sunset gravel....I love it

2010-11-09T10:03:00.002-06:00

Saturday!

2010-11-07T08:48:00.006-06:00

Jesse, Kim, Janna (on gears!!!), and Msgr Tucker

10:30 meet up at Cultiva on 11th and G per Aaron's recommendation. Amazing coffee and lots of great eats too. If you haven't checked it out, well, yet check it out!

Lots of experience along for the ride

Great crew along for the ride. I'm guessing 15 to 20 folks at launch time. Fully caffeinated and ready to go!

Coach getting the old standby at the Cortland refuel...Coca Cola.

Sorry, no ride pix. This is all camera phone action. I'll summarize the ride to Cortland with one phrase....almost knock you down windy. Good times.

Lycra clad cyclists invade the convenience store in Cortland

The tailwind home sure was wicked. More of the same today. Meet at Cultiva at 10:30. Might hafta mix in some Wilderness Park action too.

Maiden Voyage

2010-10-31T19:46:00.003-05:00

New bike day! Took the new Independent Fabrication cross bike out to Wilderness Park for the first ride. Very happy with the ride quality. Titanium bikes are rad and damn sexy. Custom bikes are the only way to go for tall guys like myself.

Still trying to get things dialed in, but it's a labor of love. The bike is set up geared for the remainder of cross season, but will be SS for Winter riding.

Wills helped finish up the new bike last night. Thanks again, buddy! Also, big thanks to Kris, Butch, Nathan, Damon and the rest of the Cycle Works crew for all their help.

Saturday!

2010-10-30T18:36:00.003-05:00

Needs more steerer tube

Blurry pic of new bike coming together. Worked on it last night and got most of it done. All it needs now are cables, bar wrap, and a few other adjustments. Maiden voyage tomorrow...maybe.

Tech break!

Rode out to Branched Oak Area 7 today with a small crew. Got a lap in on the single track. Love that place.

Malcolm General Store refuel

More gravel tomorrow at 8 AM from D Street.

Cautiously optimistic

2010-10-24T17:00:00.004-05:00

Early action in the Masters race

Another day, another really fun race which was superbly run by the promoters. Kudos to the EVCC team yesterday and the same to the Flatwater Team today. My hats off to the Flatwater Cycling Team for all the sweat equity invested into making Van Dorn Park a fun and fast cyclocross venue. It's awesome to have a cross course right in the heart of good ole Lincoln. Rode to the race. Gotta love that!

After racing this weekend I'm feeling alright about cyclocross. Maybe I'm finally getting it. Or maybe I did alright cuz the big guns were in Louisville, KY. As Jesse put it, "We're the Lincoln JV All-Stars". Ha, maybe we are, but I'll gladly wear that badge of honor. It's a lot better than my usual of getting lapped every race!

Well, that was fun.

2010-10-23T17:45:00.003-05:00

Cyclocross is the antithesis of my usual cycling endeavours. The cross races are short in duration (an hour or less) and distance (today's race was only about a dozen miles) and the effort is beyond my ideal threshold for enjoyment. Being that said, I always struggle with the transition to cross. This year was no exception. Now that I've got my first official race (Skyview Classic in Norfolk) under my belt I'm happy to report that I'm excited for more.

New Bike Day soon!

2010-10-22T18:27:00.003-05:00

Parts are all organized and ready to go. Frame and fork will be here next week. Super excited. Been dreaming of this bike for years.

Been riding a lot recently with this guy

2010-10-22T09:47:00.003-05:00

Matt Wills rockin' the Soulcraft Holy Roller SS Pinky through Wilderness Park. Thanks for the rides good buddy!

Trying to get serious

2010-10-21T09:51:00.004-05:00

Well, if I intend on giving an honest effort at a cross race this weekend I should probably convert the IF from gravel mode to more of a cross set up. Pump, second bottle cage, and saddle bag are gone. Lighter wheelset with less beefy cross racing specific rubber installed. No more excuses. Just ride balls to wall for an hour. It's gonna be a blast.

Night ride!

2010-10-20T10:11:00.003-05:00

Been doing a lot of night rides over the past few weeks in between being down and out of action with a cold and allergies. Hopefully the beautiful weather will continue thru the rest of the Fall so we can keep on riding. Last night was another perfect ride. Perfect temperature, perfect company, and perfect moonlight. Jupiter and the moon were shining bright last night. If you haven't been riding after the sun goes down you're missing out on some of the best riding that Fall has to offer.

Wilderness Park sure is beautiful this time of year

2010-10-19T09:59:00.003-05:00

Back in Amish country

2010-10-10T09:11:00.002-05:00

I'm back home in Northeastern Ohio to see the folks this weekend. Haven't seen the family in over a year so this is a long overdue trip. The folks are doing great and are really enjoying retirement.

We went out for a bike ride yesterday on a local rails to trails path. I borrowed a bike (road hybrid stylee) from a family friend and did my best to make it fit. Seatpost to the max on that 56 cm! Toe clips and sneakers with no bike shorts. Flashback to my first few rides on a "real" bike.

The info we got from our family friend indicated the local trail was about 27 miles long. So we figured I could ride the length and back to get an honest 50+ miler while my folks rode around for a bit on their hybrids. I had one bottle with me and figured I could fill up somewhere along the ride. The trail is beautiful. All paved and runs thru some picturesque countryside. Ran into a lot of folks out enjoying the day. Even came across an Amish family a few times collecting wood (see pic above). I told my folks I should be able to finish the ride in a few hours. Time flew by as I rode. Eventually I got to the end of the trail. It took me a lot longer than expected. After so calculating I figured there must have been some underestimation of distance. The trail is actually a little over 40 miles. So the 50+ miler ended up being an 80 miler. Unfortunately I ran out of water on the way down and didn't have any luck finding water for the ride back. Needless to say things got a little pastey on the way back. Still was a great ride.

Hope everyone is getting some great rides in back in corn country. See yall soon.

Saturday!

2010-10-03T05:00:00.004-05:00

Harvest in full swing all over the Midwest

DK in tow on the way up to Swanson

Crossing the Platte on a beautiful Fall day

CVO is always a favorite with the kids

CVO makes cross races a lot more fun

Me: Aren't you hot in that thing?
CVO: Oh yeah. I just ran over here.

Large Cat 4 group on the first lap

Riding back on some wicked gravel rollers east of the Platte

Last Bacon

2010-09-26T15:17:00.002-05:00

Toasty

Sub 50 degree temps coupled with 100% humidity resulted in frosty wool. Felt wonderfully warm in the merino.

Bacon posse rolling past Elmwood

Had a great crew this morning for the last Bacon Ride of 2010. Eileen, the waitress, was happy for the season to be over and was already excited for her Winter job....cleaning construction sites or something crazy like that.

Gooble

Last plate of the year...."one and done" all year long

Motoring back with Bruce (crushing all the way home) and Wes (He-Man on the Big Dummy)

Fall is here.

2010-09-25T19:05:00.002-05:00

Wilderness

Fall is here. Awesomeness.

Hit the park on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. It was in great shape prior to the rain. Leaves are fallin'. Watch those corners.

Jim and Andy have matching socks.

Went out for a delayed Saturday morning ride with bunch of cool cats. DK, Wills, Malcolm, Scott Big, The Dark Knight, Andy, Schmidty and Shawn. Am I forgetting anyone?

Palmyra refuel

DK went for the Potato Cheddar poppers with mustard and a chocolate milk. Just what the body needs!

Turnin' back home

A group of five of us continued on Hwy 2 (new and old sections) to Syracuse for another refuel.

Knee warmers would have been nice

Got rained/misted on for the large portion of the ride back. Not soaked to the bone, but definitely wet. Also got damn cold on the way back. Pretty much pinned it all the way back in order to stay warm. Yeah, Fall is here.

Just riding along...

2010-09-22T16:43:00.010-05:00

Bacon Ride action - lights required

Lots of downed branches on the Mopac Trail kept the ride interesting

Busted out the wool for the first time on Sunday - 50ish degrees with a light mist and the jersey worked perfectly...I love wool.

This doe followed me around for a bit while on the other side of the fence line

Wes has some great ideas for making the world a better place via bicycles

Wes' business Shifting Gears- get a hold of him if you need some green pedal power

Hitting the park with Wills

Time to start chargin' the light...first day of Fall is today

It's time for long sleeves and knee warmers....

2010-09-18T15:06:00.005-05:00

8 AM meet up at D Street...several surprise guest riders along for the fun!

$1.05 at Tvrdy's in Valpo

MW leadin' the charge on Oak Road with the drop bar fixie

Road 30 MMR goodness

Lots of Rasta on today's ride

Great ride today everyone! That was a lot of fun. More fun tomorrow morning with the Bacon Ride which leaves the Mopac Trailhead at 6 AM. Plenty of our Omaha brethren will meet us at Platte River State Park. Rumor has it there will be a Bacon eating throw down. My money is on DK. I bet he can eat 30 pieces before vomiting.

It sure is awesome outside right now

2010-09-11T17:27:00.002-05:00

D Street Posse heading out of town through the madness of Husker nation

Thanks for the ride today everyone. Bacon Ride tomorrow at 6 AM. BTW, I don't recommend racing a cross bike at Branched Oak Area 7.