The Winter Rides Continue

My winter riding continues...I am riding as much as possible between providing care for the young 96-yr old Grampa in Grangeville, work, and everyday life stuff. I have developed a real passion for riding around Grangeville with its clean air, cool views, and huge number of options for a different ride any given day.
At home I am finding I have much less motivation to ride after being in Grangeville. This is partially due to a discovery made after riding so much outside the Lewis-Clark Valley...it seems that deep breathing all the filth spewing from the local paper mill and such is causing me breathing issues that I do not seem to have when I ride beyond the valley. I've noticed it enough to motivate me to start looking at housing elsewhere.
Riding one of my steel single-speeds continues to be my choice for pegging my fun-o-rama meter at this time...Just to be sure I was not missing out on something, I went out on a geared road-bike the other day only to find it beyond boring except when I ran into Cori and rode with him up Evans Road at a rather chipper pace. Cori definitely has some GO in him at this time, so beware all.

Winter Riding Passion

I have a love of riding in the winter on snow-packed roads. It's just so peaceful riding my single-speed (SS) and the SS is the best option anytime in the winter...no shifting gears to mess up, gunk up, or ice up.

From 20090130_Grangeville

Lately I've been spending some quality time caring for my Grampa (a real cool 96-yr old guy) living up in Grangeville, ID. Grangeville has some super nice places ride that I have been taking advantage of as much as possible. Many of the locals have been looking at me with rather large, disbelieving eyes...they're getting use to me I think and they're all quite friendly.

From 20090130_Grangeville

Below is a ride I did on a day last week when the temp was a slightly cool 8-degrees outside. There was no wind and the sun was so nice, while the snow under the tires was crunchy as I rode some 27-miles. I was toasty warm in my layers, wool, and Lake winter shoes...

From 20090130_Grangeville

From 20090130_Grangeville

Cyclic Traditions

Out with the old in with the new? Hmmmm...it's amazing that one day every year creates such a fuss, not to mention the drunken traditions. New Years Day is just another day in the passing of time, which is truly only another mark on a cyclic chart to inform us of our relative age compared to others or mark an event that has passed. Age as we know it has nothing to do with eating habits, weight, physical health, smoking, drinking, lard ingestion, current state of mind, or stress, but it does seem to weigh heavily on some people's opinion of appearance and social status. We even have odd sayings about age - my favorite is "Act your age," which is hard to figure out since there is young, old, and the rather broad neither-world in between. To top that off there is no defining line to separate any of these. Personally I feel young so when someone says, "quit acting like a kid" or "act your age" I not sure why since I am acting my age according to me - young that is. Then again I find it rather insulting if someone labels me old, since I figure if and when I ever feel old then I will most likely have a shovel in-hand digging my grave.

From 20081231

Everything is cyclic...minutes, hours, days, years, life, and of course the two wheels I love to spin endlessly. So as we continue the circle of life together I hope your wheels remain flat free and you are young at heart in the coming cyclic event we have labeled 2009.

SINGLE-SPEED RULES!!!

Snow Fish?

The riding days have been more adventurous here lately since snow has decided to accumulate in a series of storms over the last several weeks...I love it since we rarely have snow here on the ground for more than a day and I miss having it after living in Montana for most of my life. The down side is that people here have no clue (and I mean they are stupidly clueless) about driving on snow, which means fear for your life much more so on the streets. Also most people here can not seem to grasp that riding a bike in snow is an option and fun...I get some crazy comments and looks.

From 20081223

Riding in the winter just takes a wee more thought and preparation about clothing and warmth options. Layering is key, just like it is for any winter sport. Hands and feet, which seem to be the most difficult to keep warm, to play in the cold you need to pay for quality in my opinion and many experiences. For example, I keep the feet toasty with my Lake winter boots and a quality pair of wool sock...I have yet to experience cold toes with this combo in temps down in the teens.

From 20081223

On a recent adventure I was just riding along and...WHAM!!! I hit something under the snow which popped up whacked my pedal. Upon closer observation, I realized I had come across the elusive Snow Fish and it appeared stunned after I ran it over.

From 20081223

After a few minutes though the Snow Fish seemed OK and I coaxed it off the trail (which no sane cyclist would be on anyway) and back into its native environment...

From 20081223

In snow I also think that riding a single-speed (SS) is the best option since derailleurs and shift cables seem to get a bit iffy with snow and ice on them. Tire choice is something to think about also and running good grippy tires and low air pressure is the best, but as you can see I get away with tires that have a very low tread design. I've also found that Stan tubeless sealant works very well in the cold - I have yet to figure out what is puncturing my tires in the snow but no flats yet.

From 20081223

Yes winter riding is a tad more fun than building cholesterol plaque in the arteries in the Lazy Boy all winter.

From 20081223

Think Pink/650B Race Testing

The Gunnar-Think Pink single-speed bike was blindly selected for a mountain bike race course I knew nothing about. I kind of decided to do this race at the last minute and was a tad late leaving for the 140+ mile journey to the course. I arrived with 1/2-hour to spare, which means I had to register, dress, and frantically change the rear cog on the bike after hearing and seeing the course was essentially flat and twisty (aka fast and ideal for the SS). Mission #1 was complete as I rode up to the starting line within about a minute of the start. Mission #2 was to start cold without any warmup and ride fast on a course I was unfamiliar with since I did not preride it (both of these issues are not recommended practices if you want to be competitive). I quickly studied my competition at the start line and picked out 2-guys that would be the fastest and therefore good to be behind going into the single-track...that was my plan...

From 20081027

Ready, set, go...CRASH, stop...Go again. That's how the expert race started with 2 guys getting tangled up about 25-meters from the start who then blocked the entire back field while they untangled (it was rather comical and we were all laughing about it, including the 2 that crashed). However, it was not so funny that a nice sized group were off the front and completely unaware of the crash behind them. Needless to say by the time I got around the crash there was a huge (and I mean HUGE) gap between me and the group off the front. So here I was chasing a few others that got around the crash just ahead of me and a lead group that I could not even see anymore. Well I red-lined it (bad idea with cold muscles) until I was seeing stars while my legs were screaming in an endless, painful agony. I had thoughts of quitting so the pain would quit, but my ego never let it happen.

I quickly learned the areas of the soft, twisty course where I was fastest and used them to my advantage...I steadily picked off riders in front me while getting faster on the course as the laps sped by. I came through the finish after the required 10-laps all alone with nobody in site front or rear - my eyes just about popped out of my head in disbelief as I signed out in 4th place.

I ran the Pacenti Quasi-Moto 650B tire up front and a Bontrager 26" Revolt (tubeless) in the rear. I was wishing for the beefier Pacenti Neo-Moto 650B up front and a Bontrager Jones ACX in the rear to maintain more speed through the numerous sharp, soft-sandy corners in this course. The tire combo I had on the bike (Quasi-Moto/Revolt) did OK, but both were sliding through the corners which equates to less speed and more effort coming out the corner. Pushing both front and rear tires to their limits and sliding through corners is a good skill to practice (and fun) and that is the attitude I took instead of worrying about it as I raced.

SS Cyclocross

Why I continue to pay for self sufferage at cyclocross races is still something I ponder on a daily basis (and more so during these events). It just seems contrary to normal thinking to pay someone money so that you can self-induce extreme burning muscle pain that makes you want to puke and send one's self into an ego depleting humbleness when you get your butt stomped by those that actually train for this insane sport of cyclocross. And I still am praying for a sloppy rainy, muddy course to make all this even more fun!? I've lost my sanity it seems.

From 20081102_Cyclocross Spokane

I bumped my pain up a notch this last weekend (and my ego down a notch or two) when I raced a Spokane cyclocross race on my single-speed (SS) converted Gunnar cross bike.

From 20081102_Cyclocross Spokane

After pre-riding the course I realized I was at a gun fight armed with a water pistol...not good to say the least. The opening run-out was at least 1/2-mile of fast pave (which is so anti-cyclocross). The long pave start translated into a need for SS crank RPMs that are not physically achievable by me to keep up with 28-30 mph speeds. I was spinning like mad at the start and doing 25+ mph while I was watching everyone pass me and steadily fade away. Then once onto the dirt there was another long straight stretch that was again a high speed runout. The end result was that I had no chance to keep up from the start.

From 20081102_Cyclocross Spokane

By the time I got to the more traditional cyclocross stuff (twisty with barriers) were the SS shines, I was so far behind that all I could do was to overtake anyone in front of me with continuous all-out-I-don't-train-for-this-kind-of-stuff-effort. I was happy that I was not lapped (not even close) and that I finished within the middle third of the group.

From 20081102_Cyclocross Spokane

Also I was happy that I was not the only SSer out there that got their butt kicked by this road-toad course. I only hope that the course designers come up with something a little more creative and cyclocross-like for the next few races that are up in that area.

From 20081102_Cyclocross Spokane

On the better side of this story, this was another fun event and I do believe I am addicted to cyclocross racing...so much so that late next summer I may actually change up my endurance training for some short power training needed for cyclocross. It's too bad they don't have a super-cross event that went on for 3-6 hours so that I could shine at what I do best...the long haul.

After my event Donna (my mate-for-life) and I cheered on some familiar faces (as well as nearly everyone else). Louie Fontain got plenty of support from us as the only SSer in the elite mens group. He worked hard and had the same problems/limitations as I did on this course, but his effort made everyone else's look minor in comparison.

Then there was Ted from Pullman who made the hill run-up look easier than anyone else...he ran up that thing so smoothly that, in appearance, he made it seem effortless (which he and all of us know that it was not so easy). He started fast, but somehow ended up nearly last after the first few laps. However Ted showed us all how it was done by steadily picking up places and putting in a hard effort until the end.

From 20081102_Cyclocross Spokane

From 20081102_Cyclocross Spokane

Fall, Cyclocross, and Think Pink?!

Fall has been here for some time and I've been busy taking advantage of my favorite season viewing the colors everywhere possible and enjoying the perfect riding temps. The Gunnar cross bike has been getting some serious back-road miles all over the region. I recently took to exporing the numerous mountain roads around Grangeville, which has some of the coolest vistas I've seen in some time.

From 20081007

For some very odd reason I also recently decided that cyclocross racing would be fun and since I own a bike that is designed for cyclocross I thought I should test it...note, I am not testing my ability, but the bike's ability to perform because I have no desire to put myself though such incredible sufferage without a lick of training. So last weekend I did my first ever cyclocross races (notice the plural) in Walla Walla. Is it fun? Well that depends on when you are asking me since in the 3rd or 4th lap of all-out-kickin-my-butt-effort I found myself praying for a flat tire so that I could stop the insane buring in my legs, but for some reason I never got a flat. Then just as I was getting warmed up (after 45-minutes) they announce last lap...I think to myself, "Oh crap! I just got warmed up" And I'm starting to push some of the lactic acid out and gain speed. I will not mention the cruelty they designed into the cyclocross racing courses, but I did enjoy the double water crossings and riding through old barns at high speed (to say the least it was all very over stimulating and a fun experience) and this was just the first day.

On the second day I did it again on a different course that was again a pain to my legs to say the least...so much so that I opted to do the mountain bike class immediately following my primary race. I got back to the car swapped out the cross bike for a MTB, had time for a few swallows of water then off to the start. I felt better on my MTB (but then again I was already warmed up a bit). I was antagonizing a poor young soul all through the MTB race and in the end let him have it - I think he puked (or nearly so) off in the distance beyond the finish line. It was all fun if you can call this stuff fun. (sorry no pics)

Then I watched the Group A Mens (Elite) race and was awed at their speed and seemingly ease of effort compared to what I felt during my events. Well not all of them were so relaxed looking - a few were obvioulsy suffering baddly. The most interesting part about the Elite race was 2-single speed guys (brothers I believe) who were holding their own and in my opinion kicking some serious butt on the majority of the field...they instantly became my picks for giving the best effort and were promoted to a high level in my personal world of hiarchy. Hmmm...cyclocross on a SS...sounds like more fun than shifting gears.

Speaking of SS I just happened across one of those bike sale deals that I could not stop my "I thought I was past this" obscessive-compulsive-must-ride-and-buy-everything behaviour...end result is that I now own a second Gunnar (an awesome steel frame to say that least) and the up side is that it's a Single Speed and the color is the most awesome Pink! The down side is that the frame is gear compatable (boring) and my wife has somehow come up with the idea that it's now her bike...hmmm.

From 20081027

The frame was of course was instantly built upon arrival into another Super Bike with incredible insight from none other than me. It was originally a custom 69er - that's a bike with a 29" front wheel and a 26" rear wheel which some people feel is a better combo than either a full 29er or 26" wheeled bike alone. I tried it as a 69er, but have found more happiness putting a slightly smaller 650B front wheel on it instead (650B is a 27.5" wheel for all those wondering). The end result is still in the gentle thrash testing phase (after all I just got it today). For now though I'm thinking Pink is it!

From 20081027

Chip-Seal Love

One should never discount the biting love that chip-seal can provide...on one hand it provides nearly endless traction for our tires to keep us upright and provide quick stops. On the other hand it wears our tires faster, provides greater resistance against our tires making us work harder to pedal (which could be good if you like sufferage), and it lovingly bites back when you impact it while doing an unplanned (or planned gone-awry) dismount from from your bike.




You may or may not know that smooth pavement is so much nicer to land on and skid many feet across since it tends only to scrape or rub the skin off over large surface areas of the body. Chip-seal just rips your hide off leaving deep lacerations everywhere which causes incredible amounts of bleeding and some interesting pain issues. I just so happened to take a recent low-speed chip-seal impact while doing a planned dismount from my cross bike where my cleat mildly stuck in the pedal causing an awkward skin on non-moving jagged rock (aka chip-seal) sudden-stop-to-forward-motion followed by copious amounts of blood and some pain.



Unfortunately I don't have the bloody gross pics right after it happened so you are spared the yuk (which I thought was rather interesting). I've since been patched up by Dr. Jane (a super awesome wound care doc) and healed up for the most part. My elbow obviously took the greatest impact and is still being protected every time I ride with an oversized guard.






The major damage consisted of 4-deepish lacerations and one 1.5 cm deep puncture into my bursa area (not good), but after a few weeks everything is looking quite good.

The Adventures Never End

OK, so I've been a bit slow at putting anything up here, but that doesn't mean I've not been out playing hard on 2-wheels. Mountain biking up on Moscow Mtn has been at least a weekly if not more...

From 20080813

Here's a typical profile for a few hours of riding Moscow Mtn...

From 20080813

I've been on numerous other semi-epic explorations in the surrounding area and have seen plenty of cool things while out-and-about either on a bike or a horse adventure with Donna...

From 20080824_Sheep

From 20080824_Sheep

From 20080824_Sheep

To my amazement I've had 2-rides with the SeanMan in the last several weeks. The first on was a ride home from Pullman where I got my behind kicked by the SeanMan quite easily (although not justifiably an excuse, I was riding my Gunnar cross bike with fat, knobby tires on the pave while he was on a speedo-like roadbike).

The next ride we did was on the mountain bikes up in the Giant White Pine area. The rain had stopped just before our ride which made for wet, firm trails. We were soaked though in the first 10-minutes of riding from the heavy, wet brush along the trail. Being wet was not a problem and the fun-o-meter was pegged all day along the awesome trails in this area.

From 20080827_WhitePineRide

Some of the trails were a bit steep and we felt the burn several times to say the least...

From 20080827_WhitePineRide

The maximum climbing grade % was only 28.4%...the rest was easy...

From 20080827_WhitePineRide

From 20080827_WhitePineRide