Race Week

This Saturday I will be taking on the Chequamegon Fat Tire 40 for the second time.  Last year's race didn't go quite as planned, but I learned a lot and I am better prepared this year...well at least mentally as I have 273 fewer miles in now then I did at this time last year.

A couple weeks ago I did the Murphy Menace 50 mile mountain bike race at Murphy Hanrehan in preparation for Chequamegon.  Murphy has 11 miles of tight twisty singletrack.  It is a completely different animal than Chequamegon which consists mostly of cross country ski trails and fire roads.  In many ways Murphy is a harder race than Chequamegon is 1) It is all singletrack, 2) it is 5 laps of a course which is harder mentally than just being "out there" for 40 miles 3) the last time I checked 50 miles is longer than 40 miles 4) a certain kick ass bike shop sponsors this race and brings a lot of fast riders to the event...which means me, being slow, gets lapped.  It is physically impossible for me to get lapped in the point to point race that is Chequamegon...at least I hope 5) this list just seemed like it should have 5 points.

 Looks like a fun way to spend a Saturday

Overall the race went pretty well.  As previously stated I have not ridden quite as much as I had last year and more to the point I have hardly mountain biked at all.  My splits were faster than last year which is encouraging, especially considering some mileage was added to the trail since last year.  My achilles heal, cramps, did not set in until the end of the 3rd lap.  I was moving over to the side of the trail to let the eventual 3rd place rider get past me.  As I did so a rogue branch grabbed my front wheel.  As I was gracefully plunging to the ground my legs decided it was the perfect time to seize up.  I was crumpled over on the ground for a solid 5 minutes before the cramps let off enough that I could at least stand up and get back on the bike.  I had a mile back to the trailhead and I was 99% sure I was going to throw in the towel.  I suffered through cramps for 30 miles of this race last year and I didn't feel like doing it again.  As I spun through the remainder of the beginner loop the cramps loosend up and I stopped feeling sorry for myself.  I cruised through the start/finish chute and went out for lap 4.

Just as I started lap 4 mother nature decided to have a little fun with me and it started raining.  The first 2.4 miles of the trail is the beginner trail out in a meadow.  On a normal day I don't care much for this part of the trail because it is poorly designed and flows horribly.  It just isn't very fun compared to the rest of the trail which is superb, so after battling cramps at the end of lap 3 and now rain I was fighting another major mental battle to not call it a day at the junction of the beginner/intermediate trails.  A turn left and I would have a .5 mile ride to the trail head and a cooler full of beer and BSing with other racers, a turn to the right would be a mental victory, but would also be another 8 miles of racing, decreasing weather conditions and the inevitable moment when cramps would rear their ugly head again.  I went right.

Rain continued for the entirety of lap 4.  When you make the right hand turn off the beginner trail to the intermediate and later advanced sections of trail it is primarily in the woods, so the rain wasn't that big of a factor except for the rock gardens and wooden bridges which were becoming increasingly slick and dangerous.  Amazingly my legs felt pretty good and I was enjoying the lap.  During miles 7-8 of the lap the rain increased and trail conditions deteriorated quickly.  Things were getting slick and my tires were starting to pack up with mud.  I was becoming convinced that the race director would pull us off the trail to prevent significant trail damage.  At that point I was also hitting a pretty major wall.  I knew cramps were going to set in again soon and I didn't want to damage my legs significantly with Chequamegon coming up so quickly.  I nursed it through the rest of the lap and as I suspected racers were being pulled.

I was more then happy to end my day.  I had booked 40 miles of hard mountain biking, pushed through a couple mental blocks, experimented with some new nutrition/hydration strategies for Cheq and didn't destroy myself too badly that I would be off the bike for an extended period of time.

Since the Menace I have squeezed in a few more long distance road rides and added salt tablets to my cramp fighting strategy.  I think I am ready for Saturday...I hope.  There are a million things that will go through my head between now and the race, but all I can do now is go out and try to ride the race I want to ride.  With any luck my legs will cooperate and I will put in the time I am looking for.

Freewheel Frolic- Longer Video

Here is a longer video of the race.  3 riders had helmet cams on.  This gives you a pretty good feel for the trail and the conditions.  We really need some more snow so we can do some more fat biking!

Freewheel Frozen Folic

This past Sunday I competed in my first fat bike snow race.  Freewheel is sponsoring a race series at Murphy Hanrehan park that was supposed to take place every weekend in January.  Since Mother Nature is hybernating this winter all previous races have been canceled because the weather has been too warm.  Sunday that all changed and there was even a fresh 1.5" of snow to really make things interesting.

I was a little more nervous than usual for this race for a few reasons.  1) This would be my first fat bike race and I have only ridden the Mukluk on snowy singletrack one other time 2)  There were going to be plenty of really fast riders 3) I am out of shape.   All that said though, I was really looking forward to the race because it was another way to test myself and there is only one way to become a better rider, ride and suffer a little.

Overall the race went pretty good.  I definately went through some stages throughout the race.  The first part I would rate as a C.  As I typically do at the start of races I was too worried about the people around me and not riding my own race/line enough.  This resulted in my first crash of the day within a mile of the start. I was watching a rider in front of me spinning his rear wheel looking for traction and I lost focus, drifted to the outside of the trail and found myself on the deck after my wheels washed out.  I settled in for the middle half of the race and would grade that as a B.  I managed to stay on my bike for the most part, maintained a solid rhythm ,caught and even passed a few riders. 

Towards the end of the race I started falling apart.  I passed a couple more riders and instead of focusing on riding like I had been I started worrying about where they were behind me.  This once again resulted in loss of focus which caused me to wander to the edges of the trail and get sucked into loose snow.  A couple riders re-passed me and I suffered my worst crash of the day when I rounded a corner at a pretty good clip and lost it on ice.  I was still feeling that crash yesterday.  I would rate the last 1/4 of the race as a D.  The best part was still to come as Freewheel caps every event with free beer, burgers, and dogs.  Freewheel knows how to put on an event!  Can't wait to do it again!

A few pictures from the day*:

 Start chute

 Pack rolls out.  I am rider 31.

 Early leaders

 Freewheel Owner Kevin.  He is one of the really fast guys.

 Another fast guy.  Freewheel GM Jake.

Not so fast accountant.

And last but not least, a video trailer of the race.

* Pictures from 45NRTH and Freewheel

 

Welcome Back Winter

Seems Mother Nature has finally straightened out the seasons. These pictures were from Friday's commute home from work.

The bike was definitely the right mode of transportation today.  Apparently drivers have completely forgotten how to drive in snow as the roads around the Twin Cities were jammed all day long.  I would be lying if I said I didn't laugh a little as I crossed over the parking lot that was Hwy 100.

New low temperature mark hit.  I believe it was right around zero when I left this morning.  There is no bad weather,only bad clothing.  Although wind is awfully close to bad weather...

Cycling 2011

2011 was a great year on the bike.  I road several new events, began commuting via bike several times a week, added a new bike to the stable and logged more miles than ever before.  Here is a look back on my year on the bike:

• 1,622 miles (608 more miles than I have ever ridden)
• Surly Crosscheck: 1,225
• Salsa Big Mama: 234
• Salsa Mukluk: 103
• Marin Muirwoods 29er: 60

• 818 commuter miles (Roughly $455 in vehicle savings and an immeasureable amount of stress relief by not sitting in traffic)
• Longest ride 105 miles
• Hottest temperature: 105°
• Coldest temperature: 15°
• Races 3: (Ironman Gran Fondo, Murphy Menace 5-0, Chequamegon 40)
• Mountain Biking Legends Met: 1 (Gary Fisher)
• Crashes: A lot, luckily none too serious
• Numerous Burley/Family bike rides
• $1,600: The amount of money you all helped me raise on the MS150.  THANK YOU!
• Top moments: The final downhill at Chequamegon, finishing the Ironman Gran Fondo in horrible weather conditions after an hour plus delay helping a rider that crashed and needed medical attention, Isabel taking to her Strider, & family bike rides.
• Lowlights: Chequamegon "Up/Downs" after Firetower; and 10 miles into Le Sueur, the half way point of the Ironman, battling a 25 mph headwind & averaging about 8 miles per hour. 
• And finally the best moment of all.  Landing a job with Freewheel!  I still can't believe I actually work for Freewheel and get to work in an industry that is also my hobby.  I have never been happier at work and I can honestly say that I look forward to Mondays.

I am looking forward to a new year of cycling, setting a new personal mileage best as well as adding some new events to my calendar.  I have some things in mind and I will just have to see how it all pans out.

Keep the rubber side down!

Little Shredder

Hopefully there will be a similar video of Isabel sometime in the future.



This video was shot on a MN trail that opened by Bemidji this year.

Muking Around- First Tracks Addition

First tracks used to mean leaving the apartment at 5:00 am and praying that traffic wouldn't be too bad and the pass going up towards the Eisenhower tunnel or Loveland pass were drivable.  Even it those variables worked out in your favor there was still a slim chance to beat the locals to the lifts and get on one of the first chairs in hopes of getting first access to knee deep powder.  I can count on one hand how many "first chairs" I experienced and I could even sacrifice a finger or two and still be alright.

First tracks has taken on a whole new meaning.

 6:45 am last Sunday morning the trail from Shakopee to Chaska looked like that and I was nearly gitty with excitement!  Flash backs of CO raced through my head, but rather than a snowboard strapped to my feet, I was clipped into the Mukluk and I was about to lay down 4" of fresh tracks.  My first powder day on the fat bike.

I really had no idea what to expect.  I didn't know how the bike would handle, didn't know if I had the right pressure in the tires, didn't know if this could possibly be as fun as I have heard it is.

After 1/4 mile all doubts were gone.  This was awesome!  It was just me, my bike and fresh snow for as far as the eye could see.  The trail was mine.  Better get going before the snowmobilers get out of bed and my secluded trail turned into a highway.

Before I knew it, 5 miles had passed and the trail spit me out in Chaska.

I checked in with Kati to let her know a Yeti hadn't eaten me, enjoyed a Honey Stinger Waffle and headed back towards Shakopeee.

I am still very new to this bike and have just begun exploring what it can all do.  I can't wait to take this thing out more.  There really is no place this thing can't go: snowmobile trails, singletrack, lakes, commuter trails, etc, etc, etc.  The only limitation is the engine and I am working on that as we speak.

Pumpkin Carving: Take 1

Last Sunday some employees of Freewheel, their significant others and kids got together at the Freewheel Midtown Bike Center for some beer, pizza and pumpkin carving.

We were really hoping that Isabel would show a little more interest in pumpkin carving than she did last year, since she was not interested, at all, then.

We had nothing to worry about.  As soon as Isabel walked in she couldn't wait to pick out a pumpkin and start carving.

Kati inspired by Isabel's t-shirt, drew a cool design on the pumpkin and I somehow managed to not screw it up. 

It was good practice for the main event.

Here is a look at some of the other pumpkins carved that night.

Fat Tire Adventures

Yesterday I took the Mukluk on its maiden voyage to the River Bottoms Trail.  It has been about 2 years since I had been to the River Bottoms, mostly because it has spent about that amount of time under water from all the flooding in the past year plus.  I figured it would be as good of a test as any to see what the fat bike could handle with all the sand and tree debris that was sure to have been deposited by the flood waters.

There were a couple adjustments I had to get used to right away as the Mukluk is unlike any other bike I have. 

1) I had to get used to riding a mountain bike without suspension again.  The fat tires damp a lot of the bumps out, but they also have a trampoline affect when popping over larger trees and/or logs.  I found that out the hard way as I was almost catapulted over the bars when I didn't pop the rear wheel over a log.

2) Working the bike through corners.  The Mukluk is not designed to be charged through corners.  To take any corner at any kind of speed requires a little "muscle" to keep the bike from continueing in a straight line as it would prefer to do.   

3) Sit back, spin and enjoy the ride.  Too often I find myself charging through rides and not sitting back and enjoying what I am actually riding through.  The Mukluk doesn't roll that way.  It is a slow and steady style of bike and it allowed me to take in what was around me.  That was a nice change of pace.  Don't get me wrong, this bike can get up to speed, but it takes a lot more effort to get it there.

Within the first half mile I knew I loved this bike.  From the constant "whir" coming off the fat tires to the plowing through sand, over trees and through brush that I would cringe at bringing my other bikes through.  Point the big tires at something and pedal and more than likely I came out clean on the other side with a smile on my face.

There used to be a floating raft at this crossing, but enough floods have come and gone that I think they have given up on it.  Now it is a bit of a dicey tree crossing and it is a little more hairy with a 30+ pound bike on your shoulder.

After the tree crossing the trail goes from singletrack to a nice gravel road along the river for a mile or two before joining up with another section of singletrack.

Before I knew it 16 miles and 2 hours had passed.  It was a great first ride!

For Sale!

Are you in the market for a bike trailer?  If not, you should be.  We have a smoking deal on this little gem (not the adorable child, but willing to negotiate on the dog):

As you can see, both adorable child and the dog love it!

This little beauty is no longer our style.  As the Krieg family may say, it is a little too "main stream" for us.

A bike trailer that looks a little more like this, is more our style:

 

Confused?  Perhaps you did not look at the pictures in the previous post closely enough.  You did, READ, the previous post, right?!

Maybe this one will help.

May 2nd now joins January 18, March 30 and August 11 as one of my favorite dates.  We can't wait to meet you Baby Mousel #2!

Now what the heck are we going to name this blog???

Let's Ride!

We pulled the Strider out last week to see if Isabel had grown into it.  She is still just a hair short, but as is typical she is fearless, and attempted to scoot herself around anyway.  Since her first taste of the open road, sidewalk, she has been making frequent trips to the bike room, mud room, to visit her Strider.

I hope this great fall weather holds on a little while longer so we can hit the open road!

P.S.

This video has been popping up on a lot of bike sites, so if you happen to be riding in Africa someday, you may want to consider wearing full downhill body armor!  Ouch!!!

Muking Around

It is that time of year again when I inevitably start to dread the start of winter.  Despite the wonderfully awesome fall we are having I know that snow and cold are just around the corner.  I don't dread winter quite as much as I use to and I even find myself looking forward to the first snowfall, ice fishing and just the general change of season, but come January I am longing for winter to be over.  I haven't truely looked forward to the start of winter since I moved back from Colorado.

That is until now!  My unbelievably awesome wife gave me the greatest anniversary/birthday/I owe her big time gift in the world!

You are looking at the Salsa Mukluk 3.  It is what is considered a "fat bike" designed for snow, sand, rocks, roots or whatever else you couldn't imagine riding a regular bike in or on.  What makes it a fat bike?  The 3.8" tires, that is what.  The tires can be run at extremely low pressure, like 10 psi low.  Considering I run my mtn bike at 32 psi and my Cross Check at 90 psi, that is ridiculously low.  That low pressure allows the bike to "float" on top of terrain that other bikes would be bogged down in.  So yeah, I am slightly excited to test out the Mukluk in some snow.

Here are a few more pictures of all its fatty goodness.

Bikes are a wonderful invention!