Bad For Bike?

Pic stole from Sauber County Cycles

Showed a few hours early to squeeze an hour in before the 2.5 hour group ride. 34 degrees. That first hour it was still warm enough that the water/mud spray was constant (I honestly had numb butt syndrome). Later on group ride ground started to re-freeze the slop. It was warmer. 9 riders. Afterward 8 made it to the saloon for greasy recovery food. Burn it off - get faster, go to the greasy spoon - put it on get slower. All worth it, good times.

Before the Solo Hour

After being outside for 4.5 hours, biked 3.5 or more

BAD FOR BIKES?

Carver Catfish Cup#1

I'm not too good at movies yet. Got it down to 5 minutes. Good times. Results: Catfish Cup Timing Sheet_1-29 Sheet1.pdf‎

Slop to Captain Crunch

Last night nine of us hit the river. Finally it was white not brown like tree daze. Riding trees not so much. Ice across creeks yes. It wasn't 0' like week before, it was over freezing to start. Started sloppy and within an hour all loud crunchy grippy ice n snow. If they weren't before are now, legs fried. Saturday fun ride in new snow. Oh boy an inch! Sunday I hope to make Catfish race. Cold day, desire that fire.

Hillside Cold Bear#2

Mind over matter. We do control our bodies right. I say what happens and when no? I went into this race after a tough week of smackdowns (work, biking, crashes, life.)  Like all of us good to get out and enjoy a ride or race. I decided Friday night with more NO SNOW in forecast to go single speed fat bike again. Nates. Dented not broken I was determined to use the force.

Lots of people, even a French Dude who kept looking at my camera

The RACE: Off the start I was able to get the hole shot through first woods.... I slowed enough to let the legs catch up then hammered the up & down hill of prologue to separate. The goal was get to second woods and start an early race gap'em game. No go, I wiped out at the bottom of hill in a dust ball of glory. So I was 6th into section 2. The race was backwards direction. Pirate was yelling what you doing sqrl......?

Long story short I ran cx in section 2 on un-ride-able uphills carrying bike to pass multiple racers at a time. I led remainder of lap one. Later Chris Fisher on skinny studded was tailing. Larry was third. Section 4 I noticed my running gapped Larry, not Chris. But the spin, grind & hike was painful. The SS game was very hard! I used the force but began to doubt lap two.

Lap start two Chris went by leaving Larry and I to battle for Fat Bike title. I honestly thought I'd wither and end 7th, but mind over matter.....I decided we're all suffering, I got this game, give it. Larry went by in section 2 flats. I chased and basically caught back up in sec 4 running the steep un-ride-able backward hills. Holy crap that was a fair workout. Hurting. Not the legs but the stomach was crunched, the arms we're feeling bruises of past rides. NO not waving a white flag I finished 2nd in Fats. Hard mind over matter day.

Duncan got faster on the pug too. Good times around the fire and eat'n hot dogs post race. So glad D-man was there to enjoy the event with me. Good peeps all around. Oh, I won a set of 45 north tires, SWAG! Got home to find dishes waiting. You know with 5 of us it's always chore time. Mind over matter won't rid the mess to clean at home. Amy had a good day at the Ice Shanty thing.  Later..

Zero Degrees Dented Not Broken

Last night was another cold one. I'm not talking beverage it was 4 degrees actual temp, zero when done? I arrived at parking lot about 15 after the hour with 15 minutes to ready. To my surprise I could see 4 of 6 riders near ready to ride. Sure enough they started circling the lot showing ready. Crap! I changed from work clothes and layered up in record time. I went so fast i forgot to lube up the face, ears, nose with that extra layer of liquid protection. With backpack, gloves, helmet, goggles on the ground I fiddled to get bike out and lights on. My hands we're clubs, feet cold in minutes. Game on.

It was cold but I had hopes double toe warmers, hand warmer laced poly inner gloves with semi-insulate mitts, two bike pants, helmet, goggles, double gator and many layers would work. I've done this drill before.

Before I could warm up I SLAMMED into the ground. We always quick stop to ride skinny log rounds for a bit. Riding skinny was easy, one line had a 5 inch high speed bump log placed perfectly at the front tire drop exit. I didn't see the issue. Yep, my soft nate tire rolled off the 2ft high drop (proper line) and hit the perfectly mis-placed speed bump of a log. my light pointed at the speed bump as I exited, as I leaned my butt way back, as the front wheel stopped, and as I went over the bars. I saw the speed bump for a 180 view the wheel was speed bumped. I let go of the bars to block the ground from nailing my face but the legs slammed the bars undeneath me. I broke the left shifter arm off with my thigh. I hit the goose or other shifter with my opposite leg shin. My fingers we're still too cold to feel the impacts.

Some fiddling and we rode off. That's when I noticed the broken front shifter and felt the future brusing of thigh and shin. I gots me some nice red dents and scrapes even through two pant layers!!

Soon two dropped out. Not even 10 minutes in and one needed an escort back. record timing tap out!! An hour later a late 7th rider met up with us, Eddie escort service in line again. Now it was 6. So what if all I had was granny gear, crappy rear shifting and sucker punched legs. I was warm. The only challenge was alternating between gator up vs. goggle fog.

After black dog two more dropped out. Now it was 4. To nine mile for more long log rides and ice crossings. Larry got Eagle Long log clean witnessed. Then it was time to head back to Indian Mounds. Not too cold, another good ride. When cold changing from bike back to civilian clothes always an interesting speed breakdown. At the restaurant I showed off the blody shin dent and thigh scrapes. Feeling groovey today. Sunday SS pug?

Crashed Ice

We biked over to St. Paul on the fat last night. 10-ish degrees seemed cold at first but through the night it got warmer as I warmed up and lubed up. Left at 5:30pm got home at 1:30am, whoops. Jimmay and I pretended we we're walkers weaving and balancing through crowds. No injuries no tip overs, all clean. Funny how people still freak and positive over the new? fat bikes. Lots of positive comments. We geek-ed, gawked and got heckled into wheelies.

It was fun riding any concrete skinny or pull up in sight to and from the event. Grand, Summit, Lake Street roaming like a teenager just acting my age. We found one 4 inch curb that we goof'ed on for 20 minutes extending the distance each try until finally cleaning. Jimmay measured and claims 60+ feet. At my alma matter campus, St. Thomas I found a nice 3ft pull up onto a long concrete retaining wall. Inch of snow everywhere was sweet. Oh, crashed ice was ok. Not as fast or brutal as I thought it would be. Looks hard but it's wasn't a battle royal or nothing. The crowds we're more exciting.

I stayed away from Murphy thinking in the woods ice would be danger to race on....they indeed cancelled the race. Not surprised, I went down at the River and Hillside a few times lately due to ice on trail. Can't wait til snow really freaks people out!!!

FOUND then HILLSIDE PUG RACE

FOUND THURSDAY NIGHT AT RIVER

SS PUG at HILLSIDE for 2nd of 37. Nates

The race was fun. Duncan did a lap on my Dad's Pug. Leo was hacking around the fire pit. Good to have them around. More snow than expected. Trail was 70% white-ish, icey in spots, not wet (but was warming). I like many crashed on stairs lap 2. Went down on ice patch later in lap2 as well. All good.

Off the start Ben got the hole shot. I followed with Brendan close behind waiting. I let Ben get away a bit as I figured out signals the SS Pug was giving me legs. Huh, me legs we're good. Brendan passed near end of prologue woods. Game on. Across parking lot to start of lap1 surprised no one was on my wheel. I made myself back off. My goal was to focus on staying ahead of pack and be smooth. It worked, ss focus with the punchy Hillside mini charges. In first section I caught Ben, Jeff stayed in sight behind me, and of course Brendan was gone. I started to gap Jeff and the field in hilly section 4 It was then comfy til lap two.

Lap two the SS started giving the workout I was after. I kept it going. Later I could see Owen working his way up. Dave, Jeff, we're 15-30 seconds back Barry and others not too far behind either. I was able to mange my position all day. The gap stuck, ended second overall Pugs with Nates & 32x19. Looking forward to recovery and more riding (want snow!)