Rode for a couple hours at Busiek today. Saw lots of horses, not so many mtbrs. I think my fitness is improving, the hills didn't seem bad today.
On a side note I stopped by A&B on the way out to pick up some supplies and heard from an employee the owner of A&B is planning to build some new trails at Busiek. I'm looking forward to it.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Cyclocross
Maybe I will have to check out this cyclocross thing if all the cool people are doing it.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Epic on order
Yesterday I pulled the trigger; I've got a 2010 S-Works Epic on order at my LBS A&B Cycle. Estimated time of arrival is 3 weeks.
They gave me a good deal and I sold my Suzuki GSXR-1000 a couple weeks ago which is paying for most of this bike, but it was still hard to write that check for half the amount.
It's going to be a blast riding that bike and I can't wait to get it.......
SO
Seems like a good deal. Am I crazy?
They gave me a good deal and I sold my Suzuki GSXR-1000 a couple weeks ago which is paying for most of this bike, but it was still hard to write that check for half the amount.
It's going to be a blast riding that bike and I can't wait to get it.......
SO
Seems like a good deal. Am I crazy?
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
2010 Gary Fisher Superfly 100 review
This weekend I was able to ride the new Gary Fisher Superfly 100 at Little Sac. The Trek Factory Demo was set up with all the new Trek and GF bikes and since I'm in the market for a new mountain bike I was happy to see them.
When I arrived at the park the Superfly 100 that I wanted to ride was in use so I rode about an hour and a half on my bike to pass the time. It's been raining quite a bit lately but the trails at Sac were in pretty good shape. The low lying spots were muddy, but there wasn't anything that would prevent me from going fast.
The guys from Trek were spending most of their time fixing flats. I guess nobody warned them about the thorns at Sac. There should be a sign that says "Go tubeless or go get a patch kit".
Once I was finally able to ride the SF I was really happy with the way it felt. I'm about 5'7" and 145 lbs and rode the medium. It felt like the right size. The riding position was very comfortable and felt very similar to how my Stumpjumper FSR is setup. This was only the second time I've ridden a 29er and my first time on one with a full suspension. The components were pretty good; Fox Float RP23 shock, Fox F100 FIT RLC 29er fork, X0 triggers and rear derailleur, Truvativ Carbon Cranks and Bontrager Race X Lite wheels.
I'm going to use my next bike primarily for racing and I want it to be quick. On flat ground the bike felt very light. In fact it felt almost jumpy. When riding a 29er I feel like I'm much higher than when I ride my bike; like I'm perched. It's really only a bit taller but the sensation takes a little while to get used to.
The first trail I rode starts with a nice long smooth gradual climb and I was able to ride it very quickly on this bike. When I reached the twisty portion of the trail the bike was plenty nimble. It turned very nicely and I was able to accelerate without much effort.
My only real complaint was how easily the rear tire locked up when applying the brakes. It seemed like there wasn't much weight on the rear wheel so when I approached a sharp turn that required braking I usually ended up sliding into the corner. The brakes overall performed very well; I went through several water crossings and they never lost power or squealed when wet.
On the rough downhills the suspension was great. The bike never felt "twitchy" and handled all the rocks and roots very well.
I never used the lockout on either end of the bike, but I never really felt like I needed to. When I stood to pedal there was a bit of bob but it was mainly on the front and nothing too concerning. If I were to spend any time on fire roads I would lock them out but on the trail it's not worth messing with.
I ended up riding the bike for about an hour and my overall impression was very positive. It's a great bike and well worth the price. It's very fast and would make a great race bike. I'm going to do another post that compares this bike to the s-works epic I'm considering, but as far as this review goes I would definitely recommend this bike.
Here's a couple pictures:
When I arrived at the park the Superfly 100 that I wanted to ride was in use so I rode about an hour and a half on my bike to pass the time. It's been raining quite a bit lately but the trails at Sac were in pretty good shape. The low lying spots were muddy, but there wasn't anything that would prevent me from going fast.
The guys from Trek were spending most of their time fixing flats. I guess nobody warned them about the thorns at Sac. There should be a sign that says "Go tubeless or go get a patch kit".
Once I was finally able to ride the SF I was really happy with the way it felt. I'm about 5'7" and 145 lbs and rode the medium. It felt like the right size. The riding position was very comfortable and felt very similar to how my Stumpjumper FSR is setup. This was only the second time I've ridden a 29er and my first time on one with a full suspension. The components were pretty good; Fox Float RP23 shock, Fox F100 FIT RLC 29er fork, X0 triggers and rear derailleur, Truvativ Carbon Cranks and Bontrager Race X Lite wheels.
I'm going to use my next bike primarily for racing and I want it to be quick. On flat ground the bike felt very light. In fact it felt almost jumpy. When riding a 29er I feel like I'm much higher than when I ride my bike; like I'm perched. It's really only a bit taller but the sensation takes a little while to get used to.
The first trail I rode starts with a nice long smooth gradual climb and I was able to ride it very quickly on this bike. When I reached the twisty portion of the trail the bike was plenty nimble. It turned very nicely and I was able to accelerate without much effort.
My only real complaint was how easily the rear tire locked up when applying the brakes. It seemed like there wasn't much weight on the rear wheel so when I approached a sharp turn that required braking I usually ended up sliding into the corner. The brakes overall performed very well; I went through several water crossings and they never lost power or squealed when wet.
On the rough downhills the suspension was great. The bike never felt "twitchy" and handled all the rocks and roots very well.
I never used the lockout on either end of the bike, but I never really felt like I needed to. When I stood to pedal there was a bit of bob but it was mainly on the front and nothing too concerning. If I were to spend any time on fire roads I would lock them out but on the trail it's not worth messing with.
I ended up riding the bike for about an hour and my overall impression was very positive. It's a great bike and well worth the price. It's very fast and would make a great race bike. I'm going to do another post that compares this bike to the s-works epic I'm considering, but as far as this review goes I would definitely recommend this bike.
Here's a couple pictures:
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Berryman Epic Recap
This weekend was the Berryman Epic mountain bike race utilizing the Berryman Trail near Steelville MO. It's a weekend long event with a tour Saturday and race Sunday.
I arrived at Bass River Resort, the staging area for the race on Saturday afternoon as some of the first tour riders were returning from their 55 mile ride. They were a mess and all they could talk about was how tough and wet the course was. Luckily it was nice and warm with clear skies so everyone was optimistic that a lot of the water would drain away, the creeks would recede and the trails would be in better shape for the race. I wasn't so sure, but seeing how it was going to be my last race of the year I was up for anything.
I slept well Saturday night in a campsite FAR away from everyone else and the pancake breakfast served at 6am had me ready to go for the 8:30am start time. We were able to load drop bags with supplies we'd be able to access at the 20 and 37 mile marks of the race. I loaded my bag with GU, dry socks and dry gloves. I hoped I'd only need the GU. I decided to ride with my camelbak for the race so I'd be able to carry more water. I've only got one bottle cage on my bike and didn't think it would get me through to the checkpoints.
This is a very popular race and even with the less than stellar conditions there were LOTS of very good riders that turned out. My goal at the start was for a top 20 finish, but when I asked Stephan (my Teammate at Burnin) if I had a shot at it he said "No Way!". I think he comes from the Bobby Knight school of motivation. To be honest I had my doubts as well.
Before the race I found out that Zdenek Palecek (my other Burnin teammate) had bought a 2010 Specialized Epic 29er and was riding it for the race. I myself am doing everything I can think of to acquire an S-Works Epic so I was more than a little jealous. But as they say “You gotta ride the horse that brung ya“ so me and my Stumpjumper FSR were ready to go.
The race started with a short section of paved road, followed by a creek crossing where the organizers had set up a flatbed trailer to get the riders across. Since I wasn't at the front of the pack I had to wait about a minute at the bottleneck to get to the other side of the water, but at least my feet were still dry. That was followed by a mile or so of gravel road before turning onto the trail. There was a decent sized pack ahead of me and I was near the front of the second pack. When we turned into the woods I followed a couple other riders for a while until a hill climb where I was able to pass and move up. Before long I found the wheel of Rock Wamsley (also on a new 29er). He was riding a good pace so I figured we could work together and we passed a few people on our way to the first checkpoint; Brazil Creek campground about 10 miles into the race.
Here's a pic early in the race:
The descent to the Brazil Creek crossing was a sloppy muddy mess but there was a temporary bridge built across the water which was nice. My legs were covered in mud by that point but anything that kept my toes from freezing water was appreciated. Right before the creek we passed Zdenek who was on the side of the trail fixing a flat. He said he didn't need any help so we kept going.
Not long after the first checkpoint Rock got bogged down on a hill so I passed and decided to try to catch a few more riders. I rode behind a younger rider for a while until at the top of a pretty long climb he pulled to the side of the trail. I tried to encourage him to keep going but he said he'd follow. I didn't see him after that. None of the hills were all that steep but many of them were several minute climbs and when you combine that with the slick conditions it starts to wear on you.
I was still feeling pretty good so I kept pushing myself on the flats and hills until I came across Bob Arnold of DRJ Racing on the side of the trail. He had just fixed a flat and was having problems with his CO2. I loaned him mine and then headed back down the trail.
The second check point was at the 20 mile mark and was the first bag drop where we could get to our supplies. As I rode up I was told that only "about" 15 people had come through ahead of me. That picked my spirits up quite a bit and made me want to get back on the trail as fast as possible. Even though my feet were wet and cold I didn't want to take the time to change socks so I just filled my camelbak with gatorade, grabbed a few gu's and took off. I was passed by a couple people at the checkpoint (including Bob) but I caught up with them not long after. I rode behind Bob for awhile and was really liking his pace when I noticed my rear tire was loosing pressure. It was a slow leak so I rode it until the back tire was starting to move around on the turns. When I stopped to fill it Bob asked if I needed help before riding on. I couldn't find the source of the leak and didn't want to put in a tube so decided to just add air and hope the stans sealant inside the tire would seal it. I was passed by 2 riders as I filled the tire and they both asked if I needed anything. When I got going again I was able to catch back up to Bob again and I rode with him for awhile, then we were passed by Mike Barro of Momentum Cycles Racing on a single speed that I rode with until just after the 3rd checkpoint where we turned on a gravel road that lead back to the drop bag site. For some reason I struggled on that road; Mike left me and I was passed by Bob and another rider. My tire was still loosing air and getting low again but I figured if I could make it to the next checkpoint without stopping I'd be better off. I don't know why I thought that.
Eventually the gravel road turned into a paved road that dead ended at a highway where there were signs to turn left. When I looked left I saw there were tracks in the ditch beside the highway so I turned into the ditch and kept going. That ditch was horrible. It had standing water and the weeds were so thick it felt like I had everything pushing against me as I rode. I stayed in the ditch for about a quarter mile before the signs said to take a right on a road leading to the berryman campground. When I looked at the highway that I'd just ridden beside I got really pissed off. I could have ridden on the shoulder of the road and avoided the hell of the ditch! The sign at the turn said the campground was 1 mile away, but it was pretty much 1 mile uphill. I was passed by 2 more riders on my way up that hill. My goal of a top 20 seemed to be slipping away. I was feeling pretty burnt and still had over 20 miles to go.
As I pulled into the last checkpoint I was given the same "about 15 riders ahead" line which I was starting to believe they told everyone that pulled up. Then when I asked about a pump for my tire, Jim Davis from Team Seagal came over with a pump and helped me find the leak and we were able to get the stans to seal it. It was a small tear in the sidewall. We left the bike laying on it's side to help it seal while I went to get more GU and gatorade. My toes were numb from the cold but again I didn't want to spend the time changing socks.
Again, I was passed by a few people at the checkpoint and not long after getting back on the trail my front tire washed out on a switchback and I went down. As I lay on the ground Rock came riding by asking if I was okay. I noticed my number plate had come off in the wreck so for some reason I picked it up and put it in my pocket; like they weren't going to believe I was #56 or something.....
Not long after getting back on the bike I was able to catch up with Rock and we rode together for the next 12 miles or so. We were both tired and sore but at the same time were able to go faster as a team than we would have alone. I was working to keep up and Rock was working to stay ahead of me. We both complained on every hill along the way but I'm glad he was there to push me. On one of the flat muddy sections Zdenek passed us, and we didn't try to keep up with him. I don't remember what he said as he went by but I think it was something about mud.
When we popped out onto a gravel road I wasn't expecting we lined up and rode hard to catch a couple riders in front of us. I asked one of them if he knew the course and he said the road lead all the way to the finish, but that it was still a long way. That's all I needed to hear and I took off. Rock wasn't feeling it and told me to go on. I spent a couple miles going back and forth with the top Women finisher, Catherine Walberg of Team Kenda Pro Cycling until I was able to pull away from her a little, then I caught up to Larry Koester of GORC on a singlespeed and we traded places a few times. I'd pass him going downhill (where I think he was drafting) and he'd pass me going up the next one.
It turned out the final gravel road section was about 8 miles and was the same road we'd gone out on to start the race. Once we got to the place we'd turned to get to the trail at the start I knew how much riding was left and decided to make one last push to beat Larry. He was able to hold me off until we got to the river crossing about a quarter mile from the finish. Unfortunately the flatbed trailer was nowhere to be seen. Larry hit the water a few seconds before me, got off his bike and waded through the water. When I got off my bike and straightened my legs in the cold water they started cramping and I couldn't move for about 20 seconds. It was extremely painful and I forgot about Larry and started looking back for Catherine. Luckily the cramping stopped and I was able to cross the water and ride to the finish line, all the while looking over my shoulder.
I crossed the finish line after 5 hours, 30 minutes and 51 seconds of racing; in 21st place. 16 seconds away from that top 20 I was after. Rock finished a few minutes back in 25th and Zdenek was in front of Larry in 19th. Stephen wound up finishing in 85th; riding the last 2 hours in the rain.
Here's a picture of me right before I crossed the finish line:
Jon Schottler of CBC Race Team won with a time of 4.39.34. Amazingly, with the muddy trails, the top 4 finishers were able to break the course record with only 13 seconds between 1st and 2nd. There was a lot of talent on the trails that day. Here's a link to the results.
Scott Davis and crew of Springfield Bicycle Company did an amazing job with this event. Considering everything that went on they pulled off a wonderful weekend. Not to mention the effort it took for them and their volunteers to prepare the course in the months leading up to the race. Hats off to them and I'll be back in 2010 (hopefully on an s-works epic!).
Here are the photo galleries I've seen of the weekend:
I arrived at Bass River Resort, the staging area for the race on Saturday afternoon as some of the first tour riders were returning from their 55 mile ride. They were a mess and all they could talk about was how tough and wet the course was. Luckily it was nice and warm with clear skies so everyone was optimistic that a lot of the water would drain away, the creeks would recede and the trails would be in better shape for the race. I wasn't so sure, but seeing how it was going to be my last race of the year I was up for anything.
I slept well Saturday night in a campsite FAR away from everyone else and the pancake breakfast served at 6am had me ready to go for the 8:30am start time. We were able to load drop bags with supplies we'd be able to access at the 20 and 37 mile marks of the race. I loaded my bag with GU, dry socks and dry gloves. I hoped I'd only need the GU. I decided to ride with my camelbak for the race so I'd be able to carry more water. I've only got one bottle cage on my bike and didn't think it would get me through to the checkpoints.
This is a very popular race and even with the less than stellar conditions there were LOTS of very good riders that turned out. My goal at the start was for a top 20 finish, but when I asked Stephan (my Teammate at Burnin) if I had a shot at it he said "No Way!". I think he comes from the Bobby Knight school of motivation. To be honest I had my doubts as well.
Before the race I found out that Zdenek Palecek (my other Burnin teammate) had bought a 2010 Specialized Epic 29er and was riding it for the race. I myself am doing everything I can think of to acquire an S-Works Epic so I was more than a little jealous. But as they say “You gotta ride the horse that brung ya“ so me and my Stumpjumper FSR were ready to go.
The race started with a short section of paved road, followed by a creek crossing where the organizers had set up a flatbed trailer to get the riders across. Since I wasn't at the front of the pack I had to wait about a minute at the bottleneck to get to the other side of the water, but at least my feet were still dry. That was followed by a mile or so of gravel road before turning onto the trail. There was a decent sized pack ahead of me and I was near the front of the second pack. When we turned into the woods I followed a couple other riders for a while until a hill climb where I was able to pass and move up. Before long I found the wheel of Rock Wamsley (also on a new 29er). He was riding a good pace so I figured we could work together and we passed a few people on our way to the first checkpoint; Brazil Creek campground about 10 miles into the race.
Here's a pic early in the race:
The descent to the Brazil Creek crossing was a sloppy muddy mess but there was a temporary bridge built across the water which was nice. My legs were covered in mud by that point but anything that kept my toes from freezing water was appreciated. Right before the creek we passed Zdenek who was on the side of the trail fixing a flat. He said he didn't need any help so we kept going.
Not long after the first checkpoint Rock got bogged down on a hill so I passed and decided to try to catch a few more riders. I rode behind a younger rider for a while until at the top of a pretty long climb he pulled to the side of the trail. I tried to encourage him to keep going but he said he'd follow. I didn't see him after that. None of the hills were all that steep but many of them were several minute climbs and when you combine that with the slick conditions it starts to wear on you.
I was still feeling pretty good so I kept pushing myself on the flats and hills until I came across Bob Arnold of DRJ Racing on the side of the trail. He had just fixed a flat and was having problems with his CO2. I loaned him mine and then headed back down the trail.
The second check point was at the 20 mile mark and was the first bag drop where we could get to our supplies. As I rode up I was told that only "about" 15 people had come through ahead of me. That picked my spirits up quite a bit and made me want to get back on the trail as fast as possible. Even though my feet were wet and cold I didn't want to take the time to change socks so I just filled my camelbak with gatorade, grabbed a few gu's and took off. I was passed by a couple people at the checkpoint (including Bob) but I caught up with them not long after. I rode behind Bob for awhile and was really liking his pace when I noticed my rear tire was loosing pressure. It was a slow leak so I rode it until the back tire was starting to move around on the turns. When I stopped to fill it Bob asked if I needed help before riding on. I couldn't find the source of the leak and didn't want to put in a tube so decided to just add air and hope the stans sealant inside the tire would seal it. I was passed by 2 riders as I filled the tire and they both asked if I needed anything. When I got going again I was able to catch back up to Bob again and I rode with him for awhile, then we were passed by Mike Barro of Momentum Cycles Racing on a single speed that I rode with until just after the 3rd checkpoint where we turned on a gravel road that lead back to the drop bag site. For some reason I struggled on that road; Mike left me and I was passed by Bob and another rider. My tire was still loosing air and getting low again but I figured if I could make it to the next checkpoint without stopping I'd be better off. I don't know why I thought that.
Eventually the gravel road turned into a paved road that dead ended at a highway where there were signs to turn left. When I looked left I saw there were tracks in the ditch beside the highway so I turned into the ditch and kept going. That ditch was horrible. It had standing water and the weeds were so thick it felt like I had everything pushing against me as I rode. I stayed in the ditch for about a quarter mile before the signs said to take a right on a road leading to the berryman campground. When I looked at the highway that I'd just ridden beside I got really pissed off. I could have ridden on the shoulder of the road and avoided the hell of the ditch! The sign at the turn said the campground was 1 mile away, but it was pretty much 1 mile uphill. I was passed by 2 more riders on my way up that hill. My goal of a top 20 seemed to be slipping away. I was feeling pretty burnt and still had over 20 miles to go.
As I pulled into the last checkpoint I was given the same "about 15 riders ahead" line which I was starting to believe they told everyone that pulled up. Then when I asked about a pump for my tire, Jim Davis from Team Seagal came over with a pump and helped me find the leak and we were able to get the stans to seal it. It was a small tear in the sidewall. We left the bike laying on it's side to help it seal while I went to get more GU and gatorade. My toes were numb from the cold but again I didn't want to spend the time changing socks.
Again, I was passed by a few people at the checkpoint and not long after getting back on the trail my front tire washed out on a switchback and I went down. As I lay on the ground Rock came riding by asking if I was okay. I noticed my number plate had come off in the wreck so for some reason I picked it up and put it in my pocket; like they weren't going to believe I was #56 or something.....
Not long after getting back on the bike I was able to catch up with Rock and we rode together for the next 12 miles or so. We were both tired and sore but at the same time were able to go faster as a team than we would have alone. I was working to keep up and Rock was working to stay ahead of me. We both complained on every hill along the way but I'm glad he was there to push me. On one of the flat muddy sections Zdenek passed us, and we didn't try to keep up with him. I don't remember what he said as he went by but I think it was something about mud.
When we popped out onto a gravel road I wasn't expecting we lined up and rode hard to catch a couple riders in front of us. I asked one of them if he knew the course and he said the road lead all the way to the finish, but that it was still a long way. That's all I needed to hear and I took off. Rock wasn't feeling it and told me to go on. I spent a couple miles going back and forth with the top Women finisher, Catherine Walberg of Team Kenda Pro Cycling until I was able to pull away from her a little, then I caught up to Larry Koester of GORC on a singlespeed and we traded places a few times. I'd pass him going downhill (where I think he was drafting) and he'd pass me going up the next one.
It turned out the final gravel road section was about 8 miles and was the same road we'd gone out on to start the race. Once we got to the place we'd turned to get to the trail at the start I knew how much riding was left and decided to make one last push to beat Larry. He was able to hold me off until we got to the river crossing about a quarter mile from the finish. Unfortunately the flatbed trailer was nowhere to be seen. Larry hit the water a few seconds before me, got off his bike and waded through the water. When I got off my bike and straightened my legs in the cold water they started cramping and I couldn't move for about 20 seconds. It was extremely painful and I forgot about Larry and started looking back for Catherine. Luckily the cramping stopped and I was able to cross the water and ride to the finish line, all the while looking over my shoulder.
I crossed the finish line after 5 hours, 30 minutes and 51 seconds of racing; in 21st place. 16 seconds away from that top 20 I was after. Rock finished a few minutes back in 25th and Zdenek was in front of Larry in 19th. Stephen wound up finishing in 85th; riding the last 2 hours in the rain.
Here's a picture of me right before I crossed the finish line:
Jon Schottler of CBC Race Team won with a time of 4.39.34. Amazingly, with the muddy trails, the top 4 finishers were able to break the course record with only 13 seconds between 1st and 2nd. There was a lot of talent on the trails that day. Here's a link to the results.
Scott Davis and crew of Springfield Bicycle Company did an amazing job with this event. Considering everything that went on they pulled off a wonderful weekend. Not to mention the effort it took for them and their volunteers to prepare the course in the months leading up to the race. Hats off to them and I'll be back in 2010 (hopefully on an s-works epic!).
Here are the photo galleries I've seen of the weekend:
- http://s527.photobucket.com/albums/cc354/E-55/BTepic09/
- http://picasaweb.google.com/Davis437/20091026?feat=directlink#
- http://www.flickr.com/photos/13703043@N07/sets/72157622542002585/
- http://www.dorba2.com/forum/cycling-passion/4450
- http://gorctrails.blogspot.com/2009/10/2009-berryman-epic-pictorial.html
Friday, October 23, 2009
Race Across The Sky
I saw the movie Race Across The Sky last night at the Hollywood Theater in downtown Springfield. It was a one time showing of the movie and looking at the audience was like looking at a snapshot of Springfield's cycling scene. There were a lot of people from my spin class there and all the people I normally ride with, but overall it wasn't that many people. The theater was pretty full but not packed.
The movie was very good. It's basically a documentary/highlight reel of this years Leadville Trail 100 mile mountain bike race. It starts with a 15 minute panel interview of the race founder and top 5 race finishers, then the movie, then more of the panel. It's pretty impressive that the race was just a couple months ago and they were able to put out the movie so soon.
Watching the movie was pretty emotional; it's inspiring, touching and in some ways very sad. The scenery is amazing and the quality of the production is top notch.
Hopefully the movie makes it to wide release and gets more people to try mountain biking and gets more mountain bikers to try racing.
I give it an A.
The movie was very good. It's basically a documentary/highlight reel of this years Leadville Trail 100 mile mountain bike race. It starts with a 15 minute panel interview of the race founder and top 5 race finishers, then the movie, then more of the panel. It's pretty impressive that the race was just a couple months ago and they were able to put out the movie so soon.
Watching the movie was pretty emotional; it's inspiring, touching and in some ways very sad. The scenery is amazing and the quality of the production is top notch.
Hopefully the movie makes it to wide release and gets more people to try mountain biking and gets more mountain bikers to try racing.
I give it an A.
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