Is This A Logo??

Is This A Logo??

Tuesday 28 February 2017

FAsT Times

So the final race of SubstanceProjects 45NRTH Ontario Fatbike Race Series took place this past weekend.  And Team True Grit showed up.




Grant took third in the U20 age cat.


Well done Grant!!


Seth and Giant came in 2nd and 3rd on the day in the Men's age 35-49 cat.





I apologize for JeffS always photobombing all the podium shots...



Reminds me of this guy...


JeffS does deserve it though...he kind of won the series overall title for that category.

Other friends of note:

Burnsy with a close 4th place on the day.
JackP with a blistering pace to take 1st on the day in age 20-34 cat and 1st on the series overall.
Alexa dominating the women on the day and on the series overall.

And that is it for the Fatbike series.  Maybe fitting given the spring weather we have had through February...and not a flake of snow left here.  So, for Substance Projects it is the XC Marathon Series, and couple of StuporCross races coming up this season.  Bring it on, Dan!!

I spent the weekend trying to get half as fast as all the guys 'n' gals mentioned above.  I recruited BicycleWorks Paul as my slave driver of choice (Try keeping up to this guy sometime!!).



I felt like this guy...


Saturday was a recovery ride gone bad (sorry CoachRob)...chasing Paul and Gregg around a 5 minute interval course for two hours on CX bikes.

Sunday was chasing (unsuccessfully) Paul and NewfieSteve around the twisty singletrack (they love that stuff but it is the bane of my mtb existence) of Turkey Point for three hours.  Exactly the practice I need!!  BTW...Turkey Point trails are in mid summer mint conditions right now!!!

I looked forward to the Turkey Point ride.  BicycleWorks had just set me up with a new AbsoluteBlack oval ring for my mtb.


Where is ApexTed when you need a good pic taken??


I didn't think an oval ring would make that much difference, but it really evened out my stroke!  (Don't get excited there Fig!)  Especially with more torque/power applied...and made for a more comfortable ride on the knees and power muscles.  I look forward to using it in the marathon and endurance races...and now need to get one for all my bikes!!

Here is a pie chart to help explain...



OK...maybe not so much...


Anyways...I mentioned mid-summer like conditions...but things are not always what they seem...


Do ya see it??



I think that is supposed to mean white mocha....but....


Anyways...I get off track...as far as not always what they seem...apparently we are supposed to get 20billions cms of rain over the next two days...

So...let's get out there before the flood!!
Stay posted!!







Thursday 23 February 2017

The Celebrity Appearance

So...so far this week we are still experiencing this crazy spring type weather.  And this week we were also fortunate enough to have the return of a once local celebrity...Capt.Sydor (his nickname is Jeff).  Jeff now resides in the Land of Ham...which is just outside of Minto, which is north-east of Fredericton, which in New Brunswick, a land far, far away.

Jeff is visiting family out this way for a few days and yesterday I was lucky enough that he had spare time to join me on a shortened version of a buttertart ride.  He was not able to bring a bike from the Land of Ham, so my local bike shop, BicycleWorks in Waterdown, was most gracious to donate a beauty of a bike for the day...


Kona Ti Rove...the perfect vehicle for buttertart hunting...
Thank you BicycleWorks Paul!!!


So on 02/22 we rode up the escarpment in +13 degree temps in search of a buttertart emporium...and at the 2 hour mark...we found one.



Apparently NewfieSteve left something here last time...


So a brief stop for a chocolate chip buttertart was in order...



The Crux and the Rove...a match made in Valens??



Proof he was here...Capt.Buttertart



When I get hungry buttertarts pay!



When Chuck Norris gets hungry...






Anyways the buttertart fueled the way home into the headwinds.  Our easy little ride took us 79 kms over 3 hours and over 500m of elevation...back to where Lois had lovingly (lovingly??) prepared for us some post ride tamales (from our favourite latino food shop 50 Pesos); some recovery ale form ShEd Brewery; other goodies, and shenanigans...


This is what shenanigans look like...

So that was one fine Wednesday!!

So...what's up this weekend??

Well while there is not a stitch (stitch???) of snow here....things are not always what they seem...



Navy seals???


Apparently there is still a shite-ton (shite-ton??) of snow up in the Bracebridge area.  Which is great, cuz that is where DanOfSubstance will be having the last race in his Fatbike Race Series (or more properly 45NRTH Ontario Fatbike Series p/b CycleSolution promoted by SubstanceProjects).

Will you be there??

Locally, in preparation of upcoming gravel grinders like the Steaming Nostril, P2A, Eager Beaver, and Dan's new El Bandito 140, Blaze has been hosting a semi-regular (semi-regular??) 'Around the Bay' ride.  90kms over various surfaces, at heinous speed.  Not sure I can keep up to this group MarknJenn, Jaimie...but I may give it a shot.

Will this weather hold??
Fingers crossed...

Whatever you're at...make a great weekend!!

Stay posted!


One last gratuitous tart shot...







Tuesday 21 February 2017

Gettin Sprung on Spring

So....snow is almost non-existent here now.  Considering that the temps got near +20 here both Saturday and Sunday.  Spring time in February!!  So...that meant the trails would be mud; so that meant breaking out the CX bike for road and gravel riding.

And that is what happened.




After watching the sunrise I happened to talk NewfieSteve into riding for some buttertarts on Saturday.  Though there was a nasty wind from the west, the sunny warm temps kept us motivated to stay out.  We made a brief stop at Dee's bakery in Valens for buttertart number one...




Steve's Newfie pre-tart prayer.


Then on to a sketchy crossing of Highway 6, Frogger style...onward to Maddaugh Springs to refill water....








Steve was hoping it was Screech.


We stayed mostly clean until the soggy gravel of Concession 11 northwest of Moffat...





Which was just before we got to Dar's bakery in Moffat.  And Dar is known to be a bit harsh at times (always), so we were a little reticent at walking into her establishment in our now rather dirty state.  But, it was all good...in fact Dar made fun of our muddy arses, and made mention that she was glad she was not one of our wives.  (I think Steve was hoping he had a shot...)

So, buttertart and coffee at Dar's...





Then south through Kilbride, west through Carlyle....and home.  137kms, almost 1000m of elevation in nearly +20 degree temperatures.  It was a great day!!  Then Lois and I topped it all off with way too much food at Boon Burger in Burlington with Blaze and Laura.

But lots of weekend left!!  Sunday...beautiful sunrise again; and another spring weather day!  Perfect conditions once again...so off to ride the muddy gravel of Galt/Cambridge area with this speedy crew!


Burnsy's gang:  MikeT, Moi, Burnsy, Al

Then from there it was a solo ride home...with an awesome tailwind the entire way!


speckled trout??


72km, and another 500m of elevation.  No buttertarts...but home to have a quiet firepit (first one of the year!) evening with Lois.  Well, as quiet as one can be with Lois...she can be a bit of a rabble rouser...




No hotdogs were harmed in this picture...



Long weekend Monday...I chose to take a rest day; and so Lois and I went to rest out at Grupetto Life Coffee & Cycling.



I finally found the g spot...it's in Dundas... 




Krys...looking all perveyor and foundery...






See...Lois really did hang out with me...in public even!!


So...spring...almost summer type weather here!  I am hoping there is still snow for DanOfSubstance's Fatbike race in Bracebridge this coming weekend!

As for me....I have a bit of an out-of-the-box mtb/cx plan for tomorrow.
I will tell you all about it Thursday!

Stay posted!!







Thursday 16 February 2017

A Taste of Spring?

So far this week fatbike conditions have been excellent.  And I have managed to get out on the local trails...









And although it may have seemed like I was riding solo...I did have some company on one ride...


 My friend Steven


There was also some Valentines stuff going on this week...
I got Lois flowers....






And perhaps this...






And SingleSpeedSarah sent this around...or was it just to me??




Now the bag is out of the cat??


Ah...mostly just jokes...you have to be careful who you make mad these days...





Anyways...get your snow riding in while you can!!  We are supposed to get a blast of solar power this weekend!!  Perhaps up to plus 15 Saturday...and near that Sunday!

I hope the Wildwood ride still works out well...



I suspect that in my neck of the woods...or gravel and roads...there will be alot of CX/road riding going on.  CoachRob says 5+ hours...



More than that sissy pants!!


There may be a couple of Riot buttertart type rides goin on.  Yup, you can combine training and buttertarts.  It's the right weather for it...
Who likes buttertarts???  

Snow fatbiking, CX gravel/road, buttertarts...all in the same week can put you on top of the world!





So we will keep this one short and sweet.  Come join the weekend fun!
Something worth singin' about!

Stay posted!!


 
 Ask Matty Tee!





Tuesday 14 February 2017

Winter Briefs

Well winter returned this weekend...I guess it needed a valentine??

The return of sub zero temps turned the previous rain to ice...and Friday and Saturday the trails were a combination of glare ice...glare ice covered with a skiff of snow...or previously soft snow that had now frozen solid and mostly heavily post holed by hikers.

So, for me this meant a couple of days of riding the single speed, cuz it's the only bike I have studded tires on.  This meant great workouts, cuz it is so hilly here on the escarpment...and single speed...and ice.  So Friday I headed west along the fallsview trails, to the Spencer Creek trails, to the trails at Christie Lake.  An occasional laugh to myself where it was obvious hikers had decided to slide down icy hills on their arses.

Saturday, still icy, took the single speed east...through the very hilly and technical Waterdown trails, through the King Road trails along the top of the escarpment to Kerncliffe Park trails.  This time there were a few studded fatbike riders along the way.  And another great workout!  But two rides in a row, and no wipeouts!!  I must not be trying hard enough.

Then Saturday evening and night the winter wonderland took over!  Snow...lots of it!  So Sunday was time for the fatbike.  The snow was so wet and heavy, and the trails unbroken it made for a huge (yuuuuge???) effort...all in the guise of fatbike awesomeness!!



Always better with at least two sets of tracks, 
but solo is OK too!






Sorry too deep?  (The thought I mean...not the snow...)

Speaking of too deep, word is in the world of LandHam they got 70cm of the snowy stuff!!  I guess Hoking and Shoeing will be the activities (other than shoveling and pushing!) du jour out there!  And great new opportunities to get trucks stuck!!

Also...some Wendigo hunting went on this past Saturday up in the Pembroke/Cobden area!!



150 kms on fatbikes!!




The Start


There were also 50km and 100km race options.  But local legends JackP, and AdamF were both tackling the full 150!!  And they kicked it!!


Adam, first place!!  12 hours even!!  
(Didn't recognize him with sleeves!)



Jack second place!!  12 hours 40 minutes!!



The podium, Jack, Adam, Greg.
3 tough dudes!!


I'm not sure what the course conditions were, or the temps...but 150kms on fatbikes!!!  You will have to ask these dudes their stories...they gotta be great!!

So...what's up for the rest of this week??


Hey!!  No Fake News!!
(or Blaze News??)


Well you all know what today is, right??






Well Lois got me this...



In case you thought this post was getting too sappy....


Anyways...I get off track...again.

Get out there and make it great!!  And...

Stay posted!



Happy Lois day, everyone!!