Is This A Logo??

Is This A Logo??

Tuesday 30 August 2016

And Zen There was One

So...this last weekend was one of the only race-free weekends of the summer (I think it was, anyways)...at least it was for me.  Friday was actually a rest day for me (yes, I do get those once in a while!)...so I actually spent a few hours of my Friday on Blaze's boat...


This was a shore thing!!






And MattyTee showed up for a bit a surprise visit...




Anyways....all of this set me up for a crusher of a MTB weekend.

So...this started with a 3 hour ride on our local trails on Saturday...and of course I rode the 29+ Fatboy...cuz that bike is just so much friggin fun!






Especially on our local trails...Waterdown...hills, rocks, hills, roots, hills.  The terrain here makes a 1 hour ride work you like a 3 hour ride anywhere else...so a 3 hour ride was a total workout.  But the 29+ wheels just smooth it all out, and traction galore!!

NewfieSteve joined me from the start...





He rode the new Stumpjumper 650Plus (Lisa's new bike...yeah Steve stole it for the day).  That thing has, like 140mm of travel (Full Suspension)...so watching it soak up every drop and jump we could find was amazing!  And, unlike me, Steve has the MTB skills to attack and handle all that stuff!

We met up with EnglishJim an hour in and he joined us for the last two hours...but Jim hasn't been riding much, and as much work as our trails are...we may have hurt him...


If you reaaallly zoom in, you can see Jim back there somewhere....

Jim had trouble staying awake for the post ride firepit corn roast....




So then Sunday Jaimie, Steve, and I head to Turkey Point...for another 3 hour ride.  Jaimie rode his carbon Specialized Epic race bike....and this time Steve rode his carbon Specialized Stumpjumper Hardtail race bike.  And there was me with my aluminum Fatboy with the 29+ wheels, so this time it was me working my arse off just to keep up...

Two hours into the ride...me chasing these fast, fit, fast racer types...I was whipped...and of course clipped a small tree with my handle bar (the only tree in a full square acre, but I managed to clip it...well the fatboy bars are wide....but still...).  Over I went...one of those falls where you fly through the air long enough you have time to think that this is gonna hurt when I land.  I landed...I rolled...I hurt.  A few scrapes, bumps and bruises...nothing so bad...but I wrenched my knee hard.  In my sordid sport history I have had both knees surgically repaired...so I am a little concerned when I hurt a knee.  It was OK enough to finish out the last hour of the ride.  But now it is quite swollen, jam packed with extra synovial fluid (yeah...got to use my science background a bit there...which is kinda dangerous cuz some of you are science/doctor types (Kate???), so I can't get away with calling it amniotic fluid...apparently that would be wrong...).

I don't have a pic of the knee cuz pics of swollen injuries don't really seem to work...people often post a pic after a crash to show how swollen the injury is...but it doesn't really show through the camera unless it is ridiculous like...




OR...




I actually didn't get any pics of the Sunday Turkey Point ride at all...I am very poor at taking good ride pics.  I either need ApexTed at every ride, or need some JeffS lessons.  I have actually asked Lois to help me by taking pics of me that I might use in the blog...so she sent me these random pics from around our house...


 ironing

kitchen

bedroom

But none of them are about mountain biking....and I think the joke is kind of on her...because I don't think any of them are really pics of me.

Anyways, I am getting way off track yet again...

So...the injured knee...quite swollen, a tad unstable, and very, very stiff.  I have been doing all the things...icing it, elevating it...to try to get it back to useful again.

I was planning on doing DanOfSubstance's race this weekend...the Kingston Trophy...but now I am not sure I will be able to.  The race is 80 kms of MTB trails in the Kingston area.  I will do it if I can get this knee properly operational, and without fear of making it worse.

I will go on an easy, recovery ride today...and keep to pavement and/or gravel, to test it out.  By Thursday I should know if it will be a go...

Stay posted!



It's not so easy to take a good mtb pic...







Thursday 25 August 2016

Thursday Thor's day Sore day...


Not to focus on the past...but a great article (much more professional than my blog schlock) by Damian, a review of Dan's Eager Beaver 2.0, here at the Gravel Cyclist.

And not to overly flog a dead horse (who would do that???  Where do these sayings come from??)...anyways...a great video of the Eager Beaver 2.0...here by the folks at Big Ring Entertainment.  Spoiler alert!!  The ending is very cool!!!

Anyways...now that we have spent all day on the past...how about a glimpse of the future?  The next race on the schedule is another one of Dan's races.  The Kingston Trophy.  It's the 4th race in Dan's Substance Projects Marathon Race Series.  I have never done this race....but the course is supposed to be unique and exceptional.  Just to confuse you between past and future...here is another video by Big Ring...of last year's (2015) Kingston Trophy...here.

Anyways, that is the next race I am planning on....and trying to get my race mojo back for.  I keep riding...as much as possible...or at least as much as CoachRob directs.  He even has me jog once in a while.  I'm not really a fan of jogging...it hurts!!  Plus it's really hard to carefully open a flask while on a trail run.

Nursing a bit of a tweaked glute/back muscle too...don't want that to get out of hand...

I'm also trying to keep the weight at/under 175.  The weight thing is tough for me...the old body much prefers to be around 190...so eating an 8 oz pizza slice results in a 5 lb weight gain...not really sure how that is scientifically possible...but that's how it goes.  So I don't eat pizza...much.  Lois thinks I am a little too preoccupied with my weight maintenance...I picked up on that from this conversation snippet...

Lois:  You know what your ideal weight is dear?
Me:  What is it dear?
Lois:  About 3 lbs if you include the urn...




Ya....OK then.  I don't get on the scale with Lois around anymore...

It has been a bit tough to stay focused lately though...so many friends vacationing and sending me pics...

Paul...who is at the beach this week...sends me this...




I don't think this is Paul, nice bike though...



And the Saskatchewan Roughriders were in town this past weekend to play the TiCats...nothing untoward went on there to get me off track...much...




(photo cred to Lois...seriously)




See!!


Blaze keeps inviting me to go on his sail boat...cuz nothing bad ever happens on a sail boat right??
I don't even dare to post any of those pics...

Ah well...if I didn't sin a little once in a while...would mean Jesus did all his good stuff for nothing then...or something like that.

At least I am wearing pants today...











Anyways...here I go...way off track again.  Sorry....
Actually, September is jammed packed with race options...

There is another O'Cup at Sir Sams Sept 11th
There is the Dairy Capital 6HR at the Pines Sept 11th
There is Enduro at Albion and Palgrave Sept 17th
There is the Fall 8HR at Hardwood Sept 24th

I think I have all those dates right...

Anyways...all those options should make it easier to stay focused...and get the race mojo going and make some decisions on which races I can fit in!  For now...it is the Kingston Trophy on Sept 3rd.

Anyways, CoachRob has me riding/training my arse off for the rest of this week...a mtb ride today...long mtb rides Saturday and Sunday...

Who wants to come help kick my arse on the weekend??
Report to come on Tuesday...

Stay posted!




















Monday 22 August 2016

Non-Olympic Tuesday

Well I'm feeling it...the Olympic hangover.

Yup...missing the nearly 24 hour coverage...and not just for the sports.  It is inspirational to hear the athletes stories...and after all the negative coverage going into the games...it is great to experience all the positive values displayed in the performances.  All the things the Olympics are supposed to be about...Friendship, Determination, Pursuit of Excellence, Respect, Inspiration...all that good stuff.

And now we are left with the negative media manipulation of the news, the sideshow of the American political race, and good old prime time programming...which is why my TV will mostly stay off.

Ah...sorry if I'm getting a little negative here....













Well....OK then...I apologize if that's getting a little too edgy...








OK then...let's move on...

On local mtb...there was the Grease Monkey Challenge in Paisley, Ontario.  All the reports I have heard indicate it was a great event...5 hours of riding on fun trails.  I didn't get there this year...maybe next year.

There was an O'Cup this weekend...waaaaay up in Elliot Lake, Ontario.  A few of the locals made the long trek up and did well...some podium spots.  Well done all!  Specifically, a couple members of the Rock & Road Youth Team...Mexican, and Grant.  These two are really making a name for themselves on the local race scene!  If they stick with it, who knows what the future could hold...maybe members of tomorrow's Team Canada!

And then there was Seth.  No podium at Elliot Lake...but an inspirational story of determination.  In his own words...

"Leading the pack 2 km in, my temptation to run lower tire pressure for traction , resulted in burping a large amount of air. Tried 2 C02 cartridges, but the inflator blew up on me. I was thinking of just giving up. But we didn't drive 15 hrs round trip to not finish. So I limped it back the 2 km to the start to get some air, and started all over again. Huge cheers from spectators motivated me big time! Especially after almost throwing in the towel. I was behind by a large margin now, but managed to catch and pass one other rider, to finish 5th (out of 6). All in all, even with a race result that was lower than my expectation, the trip was well worth while! It is absolutely stunning in Elliot Lake!"

Very Pendrel-like there Seth!!  Awesome work!!  Maybe another member of tomorrow's Team Canada??  (Maybe then you can get me Emily's autograph???)  Or is that too weird??





Besides, you'd probably keep the autograph for yourself anyways...






Anyways, as far as my weekend...I spent most of the last weekend riding the heck out of the new 29+ wheels on the fatbike!  Mostly riding with Burnsy and Jaimie.  That bike with those wheels...almost too much fun to put into words (but I did in the previous blog post)!!  Seriously, it transforms the fatbike into a super-fun summer trailbike!  If you want to turn your fatbike into a crazy fun summer ride....check into the wheel swap! 





With those wheels, I could almost keep up to Burnsy and Jaimie...until the post ride recovery beverages...

Anyways...now with the Olympics over...I am in search of my own inspiration!!



Not the Riders...they suck this year!!  It's all about Lois!!!

Well that should score me point or two...not that that is my motivation!!

Speaking of motivation....yes, I am getting my race mojo back...cuz there are a few events coming up I want to do well at.  

But...let's talk about that Thursday, shall we?  (I need to keep some post material in hand, right??)

Until then...keep the positive vibe, and...

Stay posted!






Thursday 18 August 2016

A Real Wheel Review Plus Sized

So...after 100 miles on the cross bike...in torrential rain...on gravel, rocks, and grass; it's time to get back into the easy stuff...mountain biking.




So...to start at the beginning...a couple of weeks ago I go to my local bike shop (OK....I go almost every damn day...), Bicycle Works in Waterdown.  Now, I probably don't give my bike shop enough air time here.  But suffice it to say...they are friggin awesome!!





Yeah...two logos....just cuz I couldn't decide which one to post here...

They know bikes, inside and out...they have been riding most of their lives...and still ride.  I can't keep up to them...not that that is saying much.  In fact most of our local trails were built by them.

They deal mostly in Specialized and Kona brands (and have dabbled in others)...but with two expert mechanics on staff, they can fix/repair/service anything!  (Paul is also a farmer, so he can probably work on your car, truck, combine as well!).

Friendliest shop on the planet...although their sense of humour can be questionable at times (always?...or more than likely it's just me...); Paul and Jim have come to be a couple of my closest friends.

So...there is my much overdue plug for the day...




I apologize if I kind of snuck that one in on ya...







Anyways, a couple of weeks ago...I go to BicycleWorks...and Paul says to me, "Mike, check this out...".  Now, I'm not sure how it works at other shops...but at BicycleWorks this basically means the immediate loss of any loose change, 'spare' cash (if there ever is such a thing...), and quite possibly any equity in your home.






Yeah...Paul is a dealer...I am a crack head of bikes, components, gear...and Paul knows it.

In this case it resulted in me doing a test ride...of Paul's fatbike.  Now, I already have a fatbike (a Specialized Fat Boy...from Bicycle Works of course...)...but this one was equipped with 29+ wheels and tires...not the regular fatbike wheel/tire setup.  And what a HUGE difference it makes!!

It truly, completely transforms the bike!  It is no longer the mushy feel of a fatbike...in fact it is almost the best of all the options in mountain biking!  The ride over rocks, roots, drops feels like a full suspension.  Climbs feel like the efficiency of a hardtail.  The traction on twisty singletrack, and climbs feels like the confidence inspiring traction of a fatbike.

It truly results in a brand new bike, a hugely fun bike, for the price of new wheels and tires!!  And in a year where $ are tight in the House of Riot...this worked perfect for me.  So this is what I ended up with...



A little closer, and without the dufus...



Does it look different on the trails??


Come winter and snow...the fat wheels/tires can go back on...and it will be a snow riding fatbike once again.  For you detail folks (Unglued??), these are the specs of the wheels...

Rims - Stans Hugo 52
Hubs - DT Swiss 350 (the closest thing to high performance indestructible I have found)
Tires - Maxxis Chronicle 29x3.00
Wheel-build by Paul at BicycleWorks

So, an awesome, fun training bike...will I race it??  Maybe!  Though it is still heavier than my race bike setup (the aluminum fatboy with no carbon components and the 29plus wheels weighs in at 29lbs....the race bike 23lbs)...it doesn't feel heavier!!  It just feels fun and fast!!  The comfort, traction, and greater confidence may be ideal for endurance/marathon races...and could result in just as fast times.  More testing/riding required...

Yesterday I went to my bike shed to get the bike for a ride...and found this...




Yeah...apparently someone thinks my bike shed is the perfect place to store their walnuts for the winter....



Yeah...anyways...I am apparently getting off track here.
So...if you are in the market for a new fun bike (or even if you aren't), for the fraction of the cost of a new fun bike...head over to BicycleWorks and take Paul's fatbike for a test ride...I dare ya!!

For now...I'm gonna go ride my bike!
Have a great weekend!!

Till Tuesday...
Stay posted!!




Wednesday 17 August 2016

Eager Beaver 2.0 100 Mile Gravel Grinder - Race Review Part 2



So, we left off yesterday's Part 1 of the race review, with me heading up the third stage of the four stage MurderHorn climb...the first major climb of the race....and possibly the toughest climb of the race.  This is a portion of the race where a mountain bike would have an advantage over a cross bike.  I look at my garmin to notice my heart rate holding in the mid 170s for beats per minute, and, for me, this is not sustainable.  I remind myself that I am doing this race more for fun, rather than gunning for a podium spot...but either way...one has to get to the top of the hill.  I have passed several riders walking the climb.  I look up and see KarenG walking the climb...and Karen is one of the strongest climbers anywhere.  With 140 or so kms still to go...I determine that I should walk until my heart rate mellows some.  So I walk the several steps left in stage 3 of the MurderHorn.  (Took me a long dang time to say I walked the climb, eh?  Not necessarily a thing to be proud of...)  Damian and his crew ride up past me.  I get back on my bike to ride up stage 4...I want to crest the climb with some momentum.  I look up to see Fig cresting the climb on his mountain bike...I wouldn't see him again until the end.  I get to the top...Damian is stopped, either recovering or waiting for friends.  I mosey on.  The MurderHorn is done...possibly the toughest challenge of the race.  However there are at least 3 very nasty climbs yet to go,  although only one (the stream bed climb) should make it necessary to walk my bike again.

Several kms up the road was Aid Station 1.  Normally, when in race mode, I don't stop at the Aid Stations unless utterly necessary.  On this day, I stopped at them all...to feed, renew hydration, and lube the chain.  And, it totally needs to be said that the volunteers at this race were AWESOME!!!  Bottles were filled, food was found, and chains were lubed with barely a grunt from my exhausted self.

Somewhere over the next few kms I come up on a rider wearing a sleeveless orange jersey.  I mostly stayed around 50 metres or so behind him...happy to ride solo at the pace he was carrying.  The next major climb in the race was up the very harsh, rocky, steep stream bed.  It was a doable, but tough climb on a mountain bike...it was virtually unrideable on a cross bike.  I rode my bike up to where the rocks became too numerous and slick for me to ride, then shouldered my bike and ran up the climb.  I looked up to see orange jersey doing the same.

From the run up it was back into gravel roads.  At some point after the run up, I stopped to help a rider who had dropped his DurAce crank.  However, having only the same little mutitool he had there was little I could contribute, and he was attending to it...so I moseyed on.


There was this crazy guy at the 100 mile/ 100 km cutoff....
making sure we all went the right way...and he had beer!!

Then it was into the third big climb...another very long, multi staged climb...but this time on the loose gravel road.  Soon into the climb orange jersey bailed and walked...mumbling something to himself about giving up too early...I moseyed on.


the climb...the pain...

As I was struggling up the last and steepest section of the climb...head down with the effort...the ground lit up with a blaze!!  WTF was that??  Did I just have a stroke??  Then a huge thunderclap...and it was if the sky opened under the Niagara gorge...a torrential rain fall.  And that rain kept going, on and off, for at least two and a half hours.  I'm pretty sure at some point I saw this in the distance...











Anyways, I think the rain also scared off the photogs.  Until now they regularly emerged from the most nondescript places...from the ditch on a speedy tarmac descent, from the deep rut in a farm lane, even from the cornfield on the edge of a climb.....





Blaze?  misconceptionz?  Virgil?  Or children of the corn??





Anyways...once the rain started I didn't see the photogs again.

So, several kms after the 3rd climb, I stopped at Aid Station 2.  They had beer there!!  Up came RocketDog right on my tail...on his SS mountain bike.  RocketDog and I toasted our dixie cups of beer in the pouring rain.  Refueled, rehydrated, and lubed chain...RocketDog and I continued on together; but right after the Aid Station was the gnarliest descent in the race...especially in the rain.

A very long, steep, very very rutted loose gravel laneway....and the ruts were gushing with water from the torrent...there was no way to tell just how deep they were.  RocketDog screamed down at top speed on his mountain bike...he was gone and I never saw him again.  Apparently he was battling it out with Schultzy (who had passed me at some point) for top spot in SS (how do these guys go so fast on SS???).  Reminding myself that I was in this for fun, and that my old bones are rather brittle, I made my way down the descent with a certain element of caution....enough to make it down safely.  Then into more gravel roads...alone.

At this point, and for a long, long time...I couldn't see anyone in front of me, or anyone behind me.  Alone on the gravel...which was now soggy and soft...felt like riding through a beach.  But now the grit was getting in my brakes and bottom bracket...making my only company the grinding screech of wet grit on metal.  In case you don't know it, this is one hell of an irritating sound...enough to drive one bonkers!  I'm pretty sure they use this method to radicalize people...and create mass murderers...or something like that.

Anyways...then came the last real big climb.  Loooong, steep, loose gravel road...and now it was wet, soggy, and tire sucking.  This climb is a lung busting, leg killer in the best conditions.  In the rain, my brakes and bottom bracket seizing up...I was struggling huge.  Coughing up a lung, my heart pounding in my eyes...I reminded myself that I had determined not to walk my bike again.  With the grit on metal screeching in my ears, my quads burning to just keep the grinding bottom bracket turning, I reminded myself I was in this for fun.  Still metres from the top, I relented....I caved....I walked...I may have even cried a little.

And where that tear dropped, a single black rose took root and bloomed in the pounding rain...and it would still be there today if that old man in the corolla hadn't mowed it down.  A few wobbly steps had me at the top of the hill, where I used my water/fuel mixture to wash the grit out of my brakes and bb as much as possible (I had to do this a couple of times).  So, about 4.5 hours in...with about another 80 kms to go...but now the big climbs were over...I moseyed on.

At some point the rain let up...and in the distance behind me I saw a speck...growing larger.  It seemed to take forever for them to catch me...but they eventually did.  It was Damian and his crew, working together as a pace line.  As they passed me I latched on...although they were going faster than I really wanted, I took my turn at a couple of pulls, and did my best to hold on.

Eventually, we hit Aid Station 4, and with only 25km or so to go, a quick bottle refill and we were off.  But now Damian and his crew were on fire to finish.  They tore off at Mach 75million, or something like that...way, way faster than I wanted, or could, go....so I let them go; and again continued on my own.



That crazy guy again...at the 5km to go mark...and more beer!


Then into the last 5km...a slog through a field of soggy grass...you know...cuz the legs weren't burning enough by now...then the finish.  Finally.  7.5 hours...156kms....I was done.  8th in my category...not great...but not so bad, considering.

One heck of an Epic day...and so many other stories than mine.  Many pages and posts only recognize the people that end up on the podium...and that's great...but there are so many other people worthy of much respect.  People attempting an endurance race for the first time...especially under these conditions (there were SO many DNF's!!!)...like PinoyRyder...Andrea.  Everyone who actually finished this thing deserve huge kudos.  Crazy people doing it on fatbikes...JeffS, Raf...oh, and SteveG and SeanThighbolt on fatbikes but missing an obvious directional sign to go the wrong way and make their day an over 200km day...


SteveG after 200+kms on his fattie


I know...podium...but its the fastest of the fatties....


JeffS with the new, never yet ridden carbon fatbike...


The only thing crazier than fatbikes in this race may be the SSers!!!

RocketDog's SS


Schultzy on his SS




Pinoy Ryder 100 miles on his MTB!


SteveS...100kms on his MTB!



Stories of mechanicals, flats, brake failures...like Unglued's story...you can read many of them on SubstanceProjects Facebook Page...




These were EnglishJim's 'friends' on Saturday night (how many of those BigWheel Ales did he drink??)...but that is another story for another kind of blog...


So Dan thank you for such a memorable event!  We need more of these.  And thank you to your sponsors...the prizes from Pearl Izumi...the Amsterdam Brewery beer (love that Big Wheel Amber!)...and special thanks to Cycle Solutions who had a huge contribution into making this event happen; so if you are in TO stop in at Cycle Solutions and show them your appreciation!

So...having approached this as a fun event...it is time to get my race mojo back...I missed the component of competition...so the next one will be a push to race, to compete.  What is the next one??

There is this one...a 5 Hour Solo/Relay race in Paisley, Ontario this coming weekend...



But I don't think I can make it to this...so the next one may be Dan's next race...

the Kingston Trophy of SubstanceProject's XC Marathon series...
So for that I had better be on the lookout for racing mojo...must find such...

So that's it...the race report...my apologies for subjecting you to an extra post this week...
Will you be able to handle tomorrow's regular Thursday post??

Stay posted!