Buck #3 Not a Century

Buck Hill last night, not even 10% the duration of Chequamegon100. The pain was different but was present like Cheq100. The fun factor different too yet there none-the-less. Good times as always on Thursday night(esp. with Duncan & Leo). I've noticed previously 5 days after a long ride can produce good results. That's what happened last night. Buck race went pretty good. 6th place and no slower than prior weeks. In fact at times, when not sweltering in 85 degree lung busting heavey breathing dust bowl of suffer - I felt fast. Each week my early efforts stick longer. It takes a good part of the season before I can hammer Buck full on with constant pace. Maybe next week? bootleg print results .Penn Cycle Web Site Results.

Chequamegon100 & Salem "Both??"

Yep we did'em both. Squirels everywhere! Duncan Called Grey Squirrel at 8AM Saturday and asked, "when are you picking me up for Salem?" From what I hear Grandpa Grey Sqrl scrambled big time from the alien ship, grabbed Sqrl Jr. at 8:30ish then bolted for Salem. Just in time!! Grey did Cit, Duncan did Sport post rain storm at 1pm!! Anyway Grey was faster than prior yrs, Duncan's 8 block front tire was all mud(see pic). That's if you can see past Duncan's glowy chest. D-Man is faster this year too. Both just off the podium in 4th. They finished as every sqrl should. ha ha. Speaking of finishing......Cheq100. No prize just bragging rights for having a great day! Very cool. Maybe 110 showed. Great weather, almost rain free. Who ever signed up & bagged is lame right???? CHEQ100 RACE: About 30 guys of the start hammered like no tommorrow. I'm talking urban, city, rural, sport, expert, single, rigid, fu-mon-you all hammering...... Funny thing was my 90oz of water & all my gear, food was a black hole o mass for my $1.53 bad self. I was hate'n life off the start for 25 miles. After mile 25ish I backed off & said to myself, "self, there will be carnage today." NAMEKOGEN MESS: Sure enough many popped. Many got lost. Some flatted with no tools or tubes. Nuts! The chase group was lost as Larry, a SS'er & I caught them doing a u-turn in the bermuda triangle. Now it was 9 guys lost in the Namekogen cue sheet riddle. I was in it for the long haul. Not often I get a guys weekend of riding!!! Quiting was not an option. By this time many others failed or had equipment failure. There's always next year...... MILE 50 to END: Long story short few peeps we're off ahead as 9, then 15 of us hurried at 50 mile drop bag spot. I took off from drop bag zone top ten-ish. Legs we're filling up like a 70oz camelback, 2 fuel bottles, an avocatosalamicheesepirate sandwich, a salted nut, rain jacket, tube, pump and every tool one needs. I let Larry go for the chase. Larry caught the group ahead. I hooked up with Ryan & Mike. The 3 of us finished the last 48 miles basically together for top 5. It was fun riding Ojibawe, Rock Lake, Hillde with dem! In the end we got lost less than the 6-pack. 6-Pack biked up torward CoRdM instead of torward Telmark! Some of the 6-pack flatted then routed back to pack? Who knows. Did you see the wheel barrel too?? Very good times. Very good miles that wouldn't have happened without this race. No prize just a good time! Doing 110miles with Rock Lake, Ojibawe, Makwa, Mosiquto, Hatchery, Birke, Namekogen, Boedecker, Janet Rd, Birke steeps, Rock Lake Road etc etc etc. Again, perhaps couldn't have done it without coaxing of the organized race riddle. Thanks, sweet dreams for many nights are my finish prize. results

The Young & Restless

Pre-Cheq100 Thursday Amy and I headed to Buck Hill with 5 kid's, 3 ours, in the mini-van, 5-Bikes n gear. Duncan loves the 29'er Misfit rigid did mid-pack rec class again. Leo at 10yrs did beginer lap and still loves the Mtb. Alta has limp knee issue from tramp jumping so hung out with a friend to cheer. Amy did 2 laps SS32x20 and had fun working hard. Oh, if your curious why I was called up, it's Amy's fault. She told them about my MBA. So nothing mtb related unless you go with mba stands for mountian bike action. My race: started off 7th or so up the hill going out hard, suffered losing near 2 spots a lap for 13th. The Cheq100 bike felt swell with Reba & 2.2 tires front & rear. I was sluggush but kept going ending 45 seconds off 7th. Good to see everyone again out racing and hanging. That's Buck! Jack & Cody, more than half my age & restless scored 1st & 3rd. Cool. Looking forward to 100 miles of great Chequamegon Namakagon single track. I may be a noodle next Thursday!!

Chequamegon 100 Q need A !!!

I have the following questions about the Cheq100: -how many skeeters have the lyme? -how long until tick's start sucking blood? -can a Bear really kill with one swath o da claw? -are non-morc maintianed trails more dangerous? -if i don't bring lights will I need them? -will a rigid fork make me less rigid? -what if the compass don't point which way to go? -is rock lake still good after, objib & skeeters brook tr. or visa versa? I Gotta Know.... YES SIR this is living!!!

Big Mid-West Weekend

Quick ramble: Eppen's win the Almanzo on tandem. Big crash at mile 8ish sends your mcf guy to Mayo? Sounds like from Almanzo site 268 showed up or have results. Official results pending at Almanzo100. Cable off road classic results. Brendan won it with Sam O pulling off second. Skinnyski has pictures too. Hillside was a blast today. Sam and Eric O's showed up to take the race with Jack in third. Cody fresh off Almanzo got 4th. That boy don't beleive me about new racer momentum, watch him fly this year. My old bad self with 1x8 and chain falling off 5 times came home in 5th. My chain keeper was making noise so I took it off. Miller then Doug Larsen 6th and 7th. How about Nils hammering off the start for the hole shot 1/3 mile ahead, awesome. Had us running. Duncan did great in his race and Leo did the kids comp through two sections. After my race Leo and I went out for more, so did Duncan!. Good times. Results will eventually show here for 5/16 date or maybe that local forum board soon. See you Thursday night. Hmmm SS or gears?

Buck#1 Hurt so Good

Great night racing on tacky to peanut butter! All week me & the boys we're ready for this. Duncan finished on his new 29'er 25th in rec. Not bad for 14, soon to be 15yrs. Leo at 10, soon to be 11yrs did a lap on Duncan's old bike. I caught him after my race & followed. Awsome to watch him pedal that 26'er when he's hardly a 49'er. Scroll down to see pic. Pops is proud!! My race hurt so good. Off the start I was w/leaders. Charlie yelled for Doug S. Right after that Doug hit a tire ahead of him. I was top 3 then (like 500ft into race:). Then Doug made an inside move before woodchip corner & slid out into me. I sort of expected it as his line was too sharp for that surface. Anyway he popped up wobbling into me for balance. I said leaning & pushing the balance, "oh Dougy". Up the first climb a few go by, including Sam whom I was looking for. The race was shaking out normalish. I tried to hang with the top 6 - it hurt too much. The rest of lap 1 and especially 2 wondered if I could hang. Owen on his SS battled with me, was ahead. Lap 3 & 4 I felt fine. Not awesome but fine, I was able to catch and pass Owen for good lap3 to end 9th, 52m11sec. Charlie actually was ahead of me results. My Stats 29'er SS 34x18 ave 92% of my est. max HR, max for day 178. OK I'm done w/the strap-on. At 44yrs young it's a few more races to rev up intensity. Hillside then Cheq100 next...

Is the Gearing Always Wrong??

No matter what gear you choose or suggest, it's wrong. Or is it? That's the beauty of SS. Show up & use what you got. Everyone different too. For you it's under geared or over geared, for me more of one or the other - who cares. Funny thing is even after pre-ride gear choice scramble, we always ask was that right? I conclude, no matter what gear you got with proper attitude you'll end up where you should. Take St. Cloud, past 3 yrs ss champ race 29'r- 17 x 32, 34 then 36. Expert race I went a bit easier. All my gear choices are on my results blog page, or in recap post, or for sure in my training spread sheets. It helps me but may not help you. Anyway, the trick is to not complain or make excuse......regardless "what gear" it's a silly fun conversation. BTW I went to HILLSIDE for a non-race race day yesterday afternoon. 34x17 29'er big tires. Busted out 3 laps with great results!! If 100% heart rate is 100% crazy, I accomplished the following. Lap 1 90.1% crazy. All 3 consecutive laps averaged 86.4% crazy. Every time I hit section 4 basically steady at 93.4% crazy. Awesome effort. See you at Buck.