Team Terpening

Blast From The Past

2011-11-06T14:29:00.001-05:00

I've been going through the carload of crap that my folks felt necessary to drag all the way out to Arizona for me this fall. 50% miscellaneous items to be deposited in the Flagstaff landfill in the near future, 50% knick-knacks worth saving or passing along. I came across the picture below, which I feel made my father's less than stellar gas mileage and carbon footprint from hauling 50% junk up and over the Rockies all worthwhile...

Circa 2002, A Special Place In My Heart For All Those Pictured Above And Those That Aren't In This Picture But Were Such A Vital Part Of My Summer Fun. Mad Props!!!

Fall Update

2011-11-01T14:19:00.002-04:00

So I've been on a bit of a break from the bike (and training in general) for a couple of weeks now. My exercise has consisted of clearing ski runs in the woods and yoga. It's felt pretty good, but I'm going to start getting back into "training" mode this week. So I'll be cutting/hauling a little extra firewood and running around in the woods until the snow flies. In a complete departure from anything bike or ski related, I've also started a very interesting and fun project this fall. A good customer of ours happens to be an expert boat builder, and this winter he is helping me (or maybe I'm helping him) build a kayak. We've been at it for a few weeks now, working for a few hours every Monday evening. It's been quite interesting learning about the design and lofting process. We've just about gotten the drawing out of the way, and we should begin building in another week or two. Below are some shots of the full size drawing so far.

Only a couple of Wednesday's left before the men with guns start populating the woods, so get it while the getting's good. I'll be at the WNR(un) tomorrow and the next week so I'll hope to see some of you out there as well. Over and out.

Cyclocross Sunday

2011-10-04T17:12:00.002-04:00

Our very own Twisted Stone/Latitude 45 team put on a cyclocross race on Sunday at the Winter Sports Park in downtown Petoskey. It was really fun. It hurt really bad coming on the heels of Saturday's race. The weather was excellent. The turnout of both spectators and racers was great for the first year. Thanks to the boys for putting it all together. Someone even put together a little youtube recap. Check it.

Cry Baby 2011

2011-10-01T15:26:00.002-04:00

The extra mileage added onto the course this year makes this race an official motherfu**er, but in a good way. 9.3 miles a lap and over 1,300 ft. of climbing per. Even with the advantage of gears, it would be brutal. Running the 34/18 on the singlespeed today made for an extra special sweet kind of suffering, a kind I have not experienced for quite some time. I don't recall a mountain bike race in which I saw my heartrate pop over the 180 mark quite so many times as it did this morning. Rarely did it dip below 170. Just to change things up and make it interesting this year I tried a new race prep routine. It was really quite simple, I did nothing to prepare. We had some friends over for dinner last night and consumed a tad too much vino. This morning I got up and had breakfast, put on most of my kit followed by some tights and a sweatshirt, gave the tires a quick squeeze before loading the bike, and left the house about 45 minutes before the start. It was cold, like 41 degrees cold. My feet never warmed up, but other than that the cold temps. didn't bother me too much. I came to work after the race, so I wasn't able to stick around and see the results. I'm pretty sure though that unless one of the other 6 or 7 expert singlespeeders dropped out, I may very well have finished DFL. But given the fact that I don't race too much cross country anymore, and the fact that in order to tackle three laps on this course without gears requires a pretty good level of fitness to begin with I was pretty happy with how the race went. I measured out the pace pretty well, and stayed real consistent all the way through (consistently in pain and suffering that is). So two weeks now until the last bike race of the season. Then it's time to switch over to some trail running, stairs, and roller skiing. Oh yeah, I'm doing a cyclocross race tomorrow too at the Winter Sports Park in Petoskey. Most of the team should be there, and I'm fully expecting a good time. Enjoy the rest of the weekend, and thanks for reading.

Grand Island

2011-09-27T07:52:00.002-04:00

I was able to talk Matt into taking a little adventure with me over the weekend. I picked him up Sunday morning, and we drove up to Munising to catch the noon ferry over to Grand Island to ride around and camp out for the night. The island, and really the whole trip, far exceeded both our expectations. The campsite we stayed at on the north end of the island was hands down one of the most spectacular campsites I've ever stayed at. The riding was way better than we thought it would be too. Lots of elevation changes, great views of surrounding islands/cliffs/pictured rocks, and just enough roots and rocks on the trail to keep it interesting. The best part was that we pretty much had the whole island to ourselves. We rode just over 30 miles on the first day and another 11 yesterday. That pretty much covered most of the terrain on the island; and that whole time, I think we saw less than ten other people. I told Matt yesterday on the ride back to the ferry that "you know someplace is truly awesome when you are already figuring out how to get back before you've even left."

BIkepacking 101

2011-09-20T08:11:00.004-04:00

Throughout the summer I've spent a half dozen nights or so in the woods working the kinks out of my "bikepacking" setup. I think Sarge posted up a link to this site before, but here it is again for everything and anything you ever wanted to know about the emerging cycling subculture of bikepacking. Anyway, I've had this route in mind for a while. This weekend was my first attempt of it. Basically my plan was to ride the NCT up to Mackinaw City and then head south on the old rail trail past Indian River. From there I was planning on hooking back into the NCT via Thumb Lake Rd. and continuing north to complete the loop. The first half went very well. I made it to a suitable campsite along the river south of Indian River after 85 miles and about 8.5 hours in the saddle. I had stopped at the Keyhole for lunch at about 2:30, so I wasn't super hungry when I made my final resupply for the night. Therefore, I walked out of the gas station with a bag of cashews, a large bag of cheese it's, a big bottle of water, and a tallboy of Blue. What a dinner indeed. So during the night it began to rain very hard. Fortunately my hammock tent setup kept me dry and cozy once again. In the morning it was still raining hard so I waited around and had a breakfast of a Clif Bar with the leftover cheese it's. By 10:30 it was pretty clear that it was not going to clear up, so I packed up. From my GPS it appeared that home was about 35 miles due east, and that seemed plenty far to ride in the downpour. So that's what I did. The highway between Indian River and Alanson was interesting in a scary kind of way. The traffic was intense, but I did have on a bright ass yellow coat, a rear red blinker, and I even turned my headlight onto flash mode just to be on the safe side. So my shortened loop ended up being 118.6 miles. I'm thinking the whole deal will run over 150 miles for sure. A couple of lessons learned on this trip: One, I need to pay a little better attention to my nutrition. I was tending towards thinking I didn't need to worry about eating so much because I was riding at a more relaxed pace, but it turns out you still burn calories even if you're not operating at full on race pace. Just south of I. RIver I started to bonk pretty bad, but a kind bar and some cashews set me straight. Two, while I stayed nice and dry in my hammock some of my gear did not. I'll need to take a little better care of getting gear stored under protection of the rain fly. Other than that, the trip went pretty well. The legs felt pretty good both days, and the discomfort from carrying the extra weight on my back was minimal. One last note, you may think the flat rail trail from Mackinaw City south would be a piece of cake. I sure did. I'm here to tell you it's a bear. It's flat so there is no coasting.....for over 40 miles. To add insult to injury, there was a stiff wind out of the southeast making a 11 mph pace barely sustainable. So that's that. Hope to see everyone on Wednesday. Enjoy the crappy phone pictures and ride data below. Over and out.

Making The Best Of It

2011-09-12T09:37:00.002-04:00

Spending the first weekend after Labor Day in the greater Metro Detroit area is far from ideal. But there was a cousin's wedding and Sarah needed to get her foot fixed, so here we are. I did get a good ride in on some new to me trails at he Highland Park Recreation Area. They were quite typical of downstate trails, very twisty, rooty, and rocky. Hills were short and steep. On the way to Sarah's aunts house after the ride, I got to experience a good traffic jam on the freeway. It took about an hour to go less than a mile before I could get off the freeway. I made the rest of the journey without too much hassle, but all told it turned what should have been a 38 minute trip into something closer to 2 hours. But I did get to see a lot of suburbia that was totally new to me. The wedding reception was exactly what one would expect if you tried to picture the quintessential generic downstate wedding. Sunday was a bonus day. The hotel had an Aubrey's pizza place next door, and the Lion's pulled off the big W on the road in Tampa Bay. So we head over the doctor's office in a few minutes for Sarah's surgery and with any luck we'll be safely back above the 45th sometime this evening. I hope not to venture south of it again for many moons. All the people, cars, and pavement are enough to drive you insane.

Coconino 250, Stage 1, Part A

2011-09-02T10:40:00.000-04:00

During a conversation with WPG the other day, he expressed his interest in flying out to the southwest for the Coconino 250, a 250-mile grassroots mountain bike stage race here in northern Arizona. I've taken it upon myself to help him out by doing some reconnaissance by riding the route myself in smaller stages over the course of the next 8 months. So, here's the first in a series of posts regarding the route:

Stage 1, Part A: New Frontiers to Marshall Lake

I began at New Frontiers (a local health food store here in Flag) and headed out for the first 10.4 miles of the ride from the start, near Lonetree and Butler Ave., to Marshall Lake. Once off the pavement of Lonetree Road, the route follows about a mile of the Flagstaff Urban Trail before it veers off on the Arizona Trail (AZT). It immediately brought back some fond memories for me. I did my first group ride since moving to Arizona on this trail, and I also had my first Arizona OTB wipeout here. Since I generally stick to the trails near Mt. Elden and Fort Valley, it's been years since I've ridden this section of the AZT, and I forgot how absolutely beautiful it is this time of year - lush and green. The single track winds through the forest on an old double track and drops into singletrack that rolls through some open meadows below Fisher Point. At about mile 4.9, the trail splits for a route to Fisher Point or a route towards Marshall Lake. At this point, and although I'm familiar with the area, I realized how important it will be to carry the cue sheets, especially in areas that I am unfamiliar with. The mileage seems very accurate and will be a necessary and handy thing to guide you/me through the course.

AZT Shortly Before the Junction to Fisher Point and Marshall Lake

Heading along the AZT towards Marshall Lake, the trail crosses a drainage before it heads up to the top of the Mesa. Here begins the first of several hilly challenges. A series of switchbacks lead you up the mesa and eventually to a loose, rocky straight up climb. It's a challenging climb by itself. I would imagine that with the required bikepacking gear, it's certainly a hike-a-bike. I walked several portions of it carrying only my CamelBak. Once on top of the mesa, the singletrack trail undulates across a series of valleys through ponderosa pine forest. I had two bull elk cross the trail in front of me, as I dropped down into one of the valleys. A beautiful sight. The wildlife only got better. As I cruised along, I approached a full tank on the right. To my surprise, I saw what, at first I thought was a large black dog running away from the tank, but it turned out to be the first black bear I've ever seen in the wild in Arizona. So cool!!! And after some further map reading, I'm pretty sure that the tank is called Bear Tank... kind of fitting.

AZT Singletrack Before It Heads Up to the Top of the Mesa Towards Marshall Lake

The trail emerges from the forest into an open meadow. The nearly level singletrack is fairly smooth going, but with an occasional cluster of rocks, just often enough to keep you honest and on top of your game. Around mile 9.8, the trail starts to descend towards Marshall Lake. Now, as you'll see in the picture below, keep in mind that Marshall Lake is a seasonal lake. Generally a small marshy body of water during the spring and wet times of the year. Right now, it's dried up to almost a nonexistent body of water. And at this point, the end of the first leg of my reconnaissance. Time to turn around and head home (please see this post about the return trip).

Marshall Lake, Almost Completely Dried Up

Next - Stage 1, Part B: Marshall Lake to Mormon Lake Road, approx. 20.6 miles.

WNR Report

2011-09-01T07:46:00.002-04:00

WNR # ?

We met up at he end of Valley Road to ride a little bit of the NCT and a little bit of the new and improved course for the race at Nub's on October 1st. The course for the first running of the Cry Baby Classic last fall consisted of mostly very wide and sometimes sandy cross country ski trails. There were a few tiny bits of singletrack, but mostly it was just hilly. Our very own Secret Steve took it upon himself to contact the promoter and the head honcho at the ski resort to get permission to build some new singletrack for the race and tie it in to the NCT. Last night was the unveiling, and we were all super impressed. We're going to have to ride it in some more for sure, but Steve's hard work is going to turn a so so race quite suited to roadies into a brutal test of technical skills and endurance. I'm pretty sure Steve said his new section was about 3/4 of a mile, and that tied into the section of NCT brings the lap total to 9.3 miles with just over 1,300 ft. of climbing. Three laps are going to hurt, especially on the singlespeed. So we rode that, did the roller coaster trail down into Trout Creek and then climbed back up. Lots of riders. Probably ten or so in Sarah's group and close to 20 in ours. Good ride, good trails, and good beer. Best of luck to all the teammates heading up to Copper Harbor this weekend for the Fat Tire. I so wish I could be there, so think of me right when you make that turn up onto Brockway Mt. Drive right after the gun goes off Sunday morning. If you've ridden up there before, you know what I'm talking about. If not, you'll see soon enough. Enjoy and have a good weekend. Over and out.

Coconino 250

2011-08-28T19:22:00.002-04:00

Hey, man... and other readers and followers. Here's the link that I was talking about for bikepacking. Figured everyone could enjoy a glance at the three sites listed below... especially since I can't seem to find your email. I'm sure you've seen the Arizona Endurance Series site as well as bikepacking.net. Chad's bikepacking blog has some good info in it, as well as some nice photography. I think I remember some posts in regards to the Coconino 250 on there from previous years, so scroll back through some posts and find it. I printed out the directions for the Coconino 250 today, and I'm thinking maybe I'll preride portions of it for you just to scope it out myself. Just reading the directions to the first stage makes me tired. Looks like one hell of a ride; but, like I said, I'll gladly be your support crew. Keep me posted.

http://rockyroad5050.wordpress.com/2007/10/20/aes/

http://www.bikepacking.net/

http://chadfbrown.blogspot.com/

Ore to Shore 2011

2011-08-16T16:12:00.004-04:00

Another O2S in the books, and we all had a great time. It was a perfect weekend in Marquette: great weather, great friends, and great racing. My new singlespeed performed flawlessly, and I was able to pilot it to my best ever finish of 3 hours and 5 minutes. I forgot how nice the Lefty fork is, I was bombing down hills like I haven't bombed down hills in a long time. I metered out my energy just right, and I didn't start cramping until about 2 miles to go. And that late in the race I was able to just ride right through them. Later back at the campground, the booze flowed freely as we all shared our stories from the race and ate some wonderful burgers and brats grilled up by Sarah. Sarah, Hugh, Denise, and I were all lucky enough to get to stay Sunday night as well. So we went to Sweetwater for breakfast, did some shopping at Downwind, went to the beach, and topped off the relaxing Sunday with Aubrey's pizza by the campfire. Now I can concentrate on getting through the rest of the summer at work before starting to focus on the last two races of the season for me in October. Enjoy the pictures, and check out the data from the Garmin link as well if you are so inclined. Over and out.

Falling Bike(ers)?

2011-08-11T11:11:00.000-04:00

I needed some humor this morning so as I strolled the never ending internet I came across this:

If these had to be posted where we ride, they'd run out fairly quickly!

Enjoy, and Happy Trails!

Action Chuck

If a picture is really worth....

2011-08-10T07:56:00.002-04:00

a thousand words, theses may get me close to being caught up on the blogging front. Seriously though, my sister and I are in the midst of one of the busiest summers ever at work. And since I don't have the internet at home, blogging and surfing has been curtailed dramatically. I don't have time when I get to work in the morning normally, and the last thing I want to do at the end of a shift is stay here longer to use the computer. Fortunately for the one or two folks who may be checking in, I carved out a couple of minutes this morning to upload some shi**y phone pictures and some quick notes about what I've been up to(although that pretty much can be summed up with riding, working, and sleeping). So here goes:

New bike in the stable courtesy of Scott Quiring. It is currently set up singlespeed with a 34/17 gear, and I will be racing it come Saturday. It is very, very nice and weighs in at a hair under 22 lbs. with pedals and cages.

This is what some stupid bi**h thought was an acceptable way of returning unused stuff from a cocktail party. Really? I bet she has ants in her trunk now because a few of the coke cans had sprung leaks and I didn't tell her.

I have been working out the kinks in my bikepacking system as well with a few overnighters close to town between work shifts.

Sarge, last night I camped out about 2/3 of the way through your loop, and last week I was at the top of the old super pipe at Nub's. Fun stuff and nice to sleep outdoors on a semi regular basis. I've got a good long overnighter planned for the middle of September involving some monster miles and all of the NCT north of Thumb Lake.

So that's all I can manage for now. WNR's are going so well with huge groups and new riders every week. Good luck to all the riders racing the O2S this weekend. Hopefully we'll see you all at the campground for post race beers and burgers. Over and out.

And it all comes together

2011-07-19T16:45:00.000-04:00

My how our group has grown! Since I’ve been a part of “Team Terpening”, I’ve seen the attendance peak and valley and the trend over the last few weeks is definitely peaking! Actually, I can’t even really say that; to say its peaking is to assume we are almost at capacity, or we’ve reached the top…the way the last few rides have been, there has been greater attendance all the time. I mean, who has mountain bike group rides with numbers in the 20’s these days? Oh yea, that’s right…WE DO! And we love every one of them!

This last Wednesday, we had another high attendance. I could fill a whole paragraph with the names of all that rode, so I’ll just say we were all pretty much there. I could name those who WEREN’T there, but I don’t want to give that kind of credit to anyone. There were a lot of riders. Benson had planned the route to break up the same old that we tend to get used to, an out and back kind of ride. Once we arrived, saddled up, clipped in and finally cut the chit chat after a group photo, we were off!

Dirt. Hardpack. Sand. Singletrack. Doubletrack.

We started at one of our favorite sections of the NCT, the Larks Lake Road Trailhead. This is a very nice section of the NCT trail system, perhaps one of the nicest. If you have a friend who is starting mountain biking, or even thinking of starting mountain biking, you want them to ride this section of the trail. It’s not too steep, not too tight; it has a nice flow to it, traverses through some great scenery, and is very well marked. There aren’t any forks in this section to get confused about, and aside from only ONE big climb (called Robinson Hill by most that are familiar); it’s a trail that will make any noob want to ride again and again!

So out we went. But not before Secret Steve did some sand pit sampling. Next stop, Robinson Road. Usually during the rides we hold up to re-collect everyone that has spread out over the last few miles. On a group ride, I find this to be an excellent idea. Not only does it keep us together and solidifies the meaning of a “group” ride, but it gives the hammerheads a little break to catch their breath. Except Kevin…we tried to catch him but he was gone! Ah well, we’ll find him later…. I mean, if we had to track him, it wouldn’t be hard by the freshly turned trail dirt from his rear tire digging in!

Grind. Tear. Rip. Crush. Crumple. Whoosh. Zzzzinng.

Our ride took a turn for the road as we exited the trail, Van Road, that is. Nice little stretch of paved road. Uphill road. I think there was a right hander in there too, but that was uphill too. I mean, it wasn’t like a cart path, but there it was, kinda uphill. And there was Joe, Hugh (whom we encountered a few miles ago), Uli, and Secret Steve mashing the pedals and disappearing out of sight. Man those guys can move on the flats! Action Chuck needs a little improvement in this area…as if it wasn’t apparent enough already! This brought us to the traditional Van Road trailhead we normally would have turned around at.

As soon as everyone was collected, Benson explained the change in route he had in mind. After barreling down this very fun section of trail back to Robinson Road, dodging some low branches and swerving around a downed Uli, we turned left and headed towards Palmer Road. Oh goodie, more road. Well, at least this road was rather flat and kept most of us even. I never get tired of the sound that 10 mountain bikes make on pavement in their own little peloton!

Palmer is a seasonal road. We crossed it already on our way out to Van Road…. All I’ve ever seen of Palmer was that little crossing and perhaps a longer section of it when Action Cheryl and I went ditchbanging (definition worthy of its own blog post) on the snowmobiles. But that was in the winter and under BRAAAP power! So, in order to help with its description, I took a few minutes and glanced at how Urban Dictionary would define “Palmer”. I couldn’t really find anything appropriate to cite in the blog, so I just came up with my own. The experience of Palmer Road will be seared in your memory much like your leg muscles sear after climbing a giant hill in a not low enough available on your bike gear, sandy Two-Tracked Sonofabitch Hill. Joe, on the other hand, looked back all the way wondering when the hill was going to start!! I can appreciate a good climb, but we REALLY appreciated this one!

Climb. Stand. Mash. Lean. Press. Balance. Torque. Sweat. Grunt. Press. Pound.

Once we cooled this leg furnace and got everyone back together, we zipped on down the NCT back to where we started. You really gotta love this section, such sweet reward for the climb…so, Benson, in a way, we thank you for the Palmer Experience! It’s pretty much downhill from this point on, all the way to the trailhead. Secret Steve, Joe, and I tunneled our way back at neck breaking speeds, trail dirt flying out from under the knobbies at every sharp turn, pumping every chance, and glancing a shoulder or two off an occasional tree!

Cool. Race. Speeeed. Downhill. Snap. Biff. Shoosh. Flyyyyy!

With everyone collected, packed, changed, and bikes mounted back to their respective racks, it was time to head out to The Moose Jaw Junction, or as some affectionately name it, “The Pond”, for some of their famous burgers and cuisine! A fine end to a fine ride!

What is it about a ride that gets you going? The scenery? The camaraderie? The exercise? The beer? The speed? Geez. If I was forced to pick just one, you’d probably be waiting a long time on an answer.

You really gotta love how it all comes together. As I touched on earlier, the group has really grown, but I dare say so have the friendships. Seems like the group is really rolling into something special. It’s not too often such a large a group of people get along so well that come from different backgrounds. Mountain biking is our common link; it’s something we all share, enjoy, and embellish upon. May the trails keep out in front of us for miles to come!

WNR AT HEADQUARTERS

2011-07-08T12:50:00.003-04:00

Old Pic of Headquarters North....Post Ore to Shore 2010.

Attendance: WPG, Myself, Kevin, Karen, Benson, AC, Cheryl,Bobbi, Tina, Coopy, Secret Steve, Uli, Joe or Ryan, Brian, Belinda, Doug, Sherri, 9 year old Lexy!, Damon, Molly, Jim, Dave from Petoskey, Jenn, and I think that is about all...

No pics, sorry Sarge...but definitely from now on!
What an amazing night for a ride, 70's, (yes we actually wore short sleeves), beautiful sky, a tour around Pond Hill Farm, no bugs and the start of many new friendships with fellow riders.
The energy from everyone was just astatic and it was felt all around.
So after the great ride, we hung out in Headquarters new kitchen! Man can that thing cook!!
From my pulled pork on Gurney's breadends, to Bobbi's Flaun, we ate like kings and queens.
I never want the WNR to end and this past one, I didn't want to end especially.
Thanks for reading,
Sarah

WNR Posts

2011-07-07T18:02:00.003-04:00

Hey Team Terpening folks!!! A former WNRider located in the southwest corner of this fine country that we live in has felt a little out of touch lately with the haps regarding the WNR... it's my way of keeping in touch with a group of riders that I loved riding with every Wednesday night. Yeah that's right, I said it, the posts on Team Terpening have been a bit light lately. As a past resident of N. Mich., I understand what time of year it is, and that by the time you get home from work, all you want to do is take out your aggression on some singletrack and drink a beer... or, more likely, several beers. So... here's what I propose (with the permission of WPG): In the same fashion as last summer, let's get some people involved in writing up some WNR reports in a competition, voted on by yours truly. I will personally donate some fine quality brew from my beloved Lumberyard Brewery out here in Flagstaff, AZ (formerly, and kind of still is, Beaver Street Brewery). So, you guys work out the details amongst yourselves as to who writes first, when the competition is complete (based on number of riders/writers), etc.. etc., etc. I'll make a judgement call on my favorite post, and present the winner with some brew. I look forward to some WNR posting. Good luck.

Mmmm...

2011 Lumberjack 100

2011-06-21T07:42:00.002-04:00

I've had a pretty rough spring in terms of injuries and mechanicals, so I was really ready to put together a good race before summer started. My goal was to try really hard to pace myself in the early part of the race and then ramp it up at the end. A few twists and turns aside, everything went according to plan.

Lap 1: After freezing my a** off on the two mile ride out to the start on the pavement with the sun not yet over the tops of the trees, we were off. For the first 45 minutes or so I found myself in the middle of a looooong line of riders snaking through the singletrack. The pace was super mellow, and you could hear a bunch of different conversations going on simultaneously all around. About ten miles in the pack started to thin out and soon I was in a good group of 5 or 6 other riders. I went real easy and finished up the lap feeling fairly fresh.

Lap 2: On a whim Thursday night, I threw an expired bottle of Endurolytes in my food box. This would prove to be a very wise move indeed later in the race. Before setting out on the second lap I downed three of the white pills and changed out my bottles. I had a few rough spots on the second lap. There were definitely times where I struggled, but there were also times where I felt really strong. Such is life racing for 100 miles. I had one quick spell of cramping just past the aid station. My left quad seized up, and I quickly stopped pedaling and got off to the side of the trail. My first thought was, "oh F**K!". But then I stood still for a moment and took stock of the situation. I massaged my leg a little and drank about half a bottle of Heed. I got back on the bike and gingerly continued up the hill in my granny gear waiting for the cramps to reappear. Miraculously, they never did.

Lap 3: I downed three more of the Endurolytes and three ibuprofen before setting out on the final lap. As soon as I rolled away from the pits I knew I was going to finish. All those steep climbs would only have to be conquered one more time. I had a few rough spots here and there to be sure, but compared to the carnage I saw on the side of the trail I felt great. No cramping and aside from some irritation in my hands and lower back life was good. I stopped at the last aid station, about 16 miles from the finish, and filled up my bottles. I also slammed two little dixie cups of cold flat coke, it was delicious. From there on out I probably passed a good dozen riders. The heat was taking it's toll, and almost everyone I saw out on the trail was complaining of some cramping issue or another. I was still feeling great, powering up short steep climbs in my middle rang that I had cautiously walked up on the second lap. And then it was done. It feels so good in so many ways to finish one of these races.

Special thanks to Sarah for sitting around in the buggy woods all day to take care of Hugh and I. And also for cooking all of our delicious meals over the weekend. I'm already kind of sort of looking forward to next year.

WNR # 12

2011-06-16T15:43:00.007-04:00

Attendance: I can't even begin to pretend that I would be able to remember everyone. That might have been the biggest WNR ever, at least that I can recall. Benson hiked up the power line for a photo afterwards, so maybe he'll be able to edit this post with some names and the shot.

**CB's Adds: Photo to the right shows the parking

area of the meadow that may need expanding ... with the number of riders, I thought it might be easier to get an aerial shot & this is my closest approximation. As for attendance, the list is getting LONG: CB, Doug, Pete, Sarah, Rob, Kevin, Charlie, Cheryl, Steve, Uli, Kerri, Scott, Mitchell, Cooper, Jim, Nick, Joe, Lisa, Mike T. & Jen PLUS new WNRiders: Bryan, Molly, Mike J., Anne for a GRAND total of 24! If some of the regulars would have made it, we could have easily hit 30! Next week at Boyne Mt. - meet at the tennis court parking area...practice wheelies at your own risk.**

Weather: Perfection. Sunny and 70 degrees.

Trail Conditions: Very good. A bit sandy in spots, and some of the trails are still fu**ed up from logging :(

I led out the B group, and Benson took the helm for the A group and we were off. I was trying to save some energy for the LBJ on Saturday, and some of the girls wanted to learn a new route so it worked out well for all involved. Benson and Amber hosted a nice pizza dinner afterwards, thank you very much. So Hugh, Sarah, and I are hitting the road tomorrow afternoon for the race. I'll report back upon completion. Have a good weekend and ride well.

WNR #11 Kipp Rd AFTER A MAJOR STORM

2011-06-13T12:41:00.005-04:00

AC, Kevin, Chris M., Chris H, Bobbi, Tina, Jen (both new girls), Cheryl, Karen, Sarah, Doug, Damion, Racin Rob, Pedro, Joe(Ryan),Secret Steve, Jim, some new guy I didn't get his name, Benson, Lisa--I think that is it? Sorry if I missed you.
I believe I was the one in charge of posting and now that summer is here at the boat shop, it didn't happen until now.
All I can say is it was Kipp Rd.
This is the account for the boy's ride. They were going to stop at Brutus Rd because if they went further the bridges would have been very slippery because of the storms from that morning. So, those of us that turned around we came back without blood, those that kept going had a pretty wicked pile up because Joe slowed down for the wet bridges and Bobbi then fell (shocker) and then Kevin said, well I ride over Bobbi or fall-thanks for not riding over her. Then I have no idea how AC got his his wicked bloody chainring looking injury and then there is Nick, who is new and his whole leg was bleeding. Thank goodness there were cold beers after!

All in all we had 21 riders!
See you at Boyne Highlands for the next episode!
Sarah G.

Sticks and stones may break my spokes but dirt will never hurt me!

2011-06-07T14:53:00.001-04:00

The Sunday Dirt Services…what a great turnout, and we aren’t just talking about the weather either! Chris, Chris, Rob, Bobbie, Joe, Uli, Charlie, Cheryl, Steve, Dan, Cooper showed up… Sundays typically are days…of rest. But what we were about to embark upon was nothing close to rest. Except maybe for a pro racer. This might be rest to them!

It is nice to see such big a group of riders so early in the year. Heck, it’s nice to see a big group of riders, period! Our attendance thickens and thins during the progression of summer, but as of the last few rides, we’ve had at least 10 people sharing mud together.

Once everyone was rounded up at the Pleasantview Township Hall, we rolled out onto East Stutsmanville Road to roll up (way up) the North Country Trail. Like a train pulling loaded freight cars, we lumbered up that first hill, gears changing, legs waking, lungs cycling the fresh wooded air. Aaahhhh it’s good to be out! The weather couldn’t have been any better!

As we rode, it became very noticeable that someone had been out on the trail doing maintenance. This section of the NCT was almost spotless…it was almost as if someone took a vacuum and sucked all the sticks and derailleur catchers off for us! Great company, great weather, great trails…what could be better?

A couple of hills, that’s what! In the middle of the next climb, suddenly, PANGGGGG!!! What the F?!?!? Looking around, I didn’t notice anything different, but holy cats, I sure heard it…loud and proud. And, it came from MY bike! And, as any of those reading this and have ridden with me know I’ve had my share of mechanicals…but that’s a blog for another time, haha! Uli, who was trailing me at the time, said it looked like something shot out from my wheel…but I kept rolling...nothing looked different and nothing felt different. Yet.

Benson had a route in mind this Sunday that was a little different than the usual. Instead of crossing the upcoming two-track and continuing along the NCT, we leaned right and headed uphill. I like it when there isn’t really a planned route, or at least I like it when I don’t know where the route will take us. Just follow the guide…its part of the experience of Dirt Service. At the top of this hill (did I mention there are hills in mountain biking?) we again took a right which rewarded us with about a mile of downhill. Pretty awesome when a singletrack flows downhill and opens right up…we were flying and likely hitting low to mid 20’s on this baby. We all saw a little humor in the 5 mph sign posted near the bottom…and boy did we hit bottom.

The trail took us through the bottom of some kind of bog or swamp! Everyone’s tires, balance, and ground clearance was put to the test as we glooped our way through this murky muck…I was lucky enough to stay up and not put a foot down. So was Secret Steve…although I must say he had a little extra incentive what with his gleaming white Sidi’s…ah well, there’s only ONE way to break that stuff in right Steve?!

Now that everyone’s bike was five pounds heavier, it was time to conquer the cart path. For those of you who aren’t sure what the cart path is; meaning, if “cart path” sounds like something easy, relaxing (as in cart path: golf, nice afternoons, coupla brews), and scenic…well, let’s just shift that train of thought, shall we?

The cart path, as it is deemed, is kind of scenic. It is a smooth path, so it’s not very technical for us mountain bikers. That makes it nice. It goes past a golf course, so that’s nice too. Now, take that mental picture. Think about it for a second…take it in, ahhh yes….. Now tilt it. Put it in both hands and just tilt it. UP…like, 50 degrees up….!!! Suddenly, you aren’t really taking in the scenery any more; rather, you are glaring at the pavement just below you, taking in as much air as you possibly can to muster this thing!!! And climb we did…pedal stroke after pedal stroke, foot by foot, we climbed. The trees and shade fall away near the top and the pavement gives away to dirt…oh yea, when you hit the dirt section of this cart path, you can tilt that picture even steeper….and don’t even think about laying that picture flat until you’ve reached the ski lift. Joe found the easy button for this one though, not sure where he hid it, but that little powerhouse cranked right past me in a sprint to the top! Awesome! At the top is a stunning view…on the clear days, you can see the Mackinaw Bridge from the top of Boyne Highlands! Today, not so much; there was a little haze in the afternoon sky, but still a great view looking down at the landscape.

Once the oxygen began to even out and circulate back into my brain, I looked down and figured out what that resonant PANGGGGG!!! I heard from my bike a few miles ago; a darned spoke nipple gave away! But luckily for me, the main body of the nipple was still attached to the spoke, and it was sort of resting inside the rim being held in place. Score!

What goes up must come down! From the top we followed Dirt Reverend Benson over the other side of the hill and wound our way through some very familiar singletrack, The Bridges, and snuck out the back side of Boyne on the newer, less beaten path towards Stutsmanville Road. This part of the trail is pretty darn technical; you can’t really get much speed up because of how close some of the turns are and how close some of the trees are! It’s nice to see this path getting some use, it’s beginning to get beaten in rather nicely and you don’t have to guess as much where the path goes. Usually in cases like this, you call upon your skills of “Trail Braille”, where you sort of feel your way through the path when it becomes a little hard to read! Which is totally different than using Trail Braille at night, but again, that’s another story…!

Once we spilled out onto Stutsmanville Road for the return stretch, it turned into a frantic, how fast can get my bike going, how high of a number can I get on my computer max speed indicator, race to where we started! Any mud that held on to your tires for the last 5 miles of trail riding had no chance! Shedding a chunk or two on the way down, the wind roared in your ears and the whizz of freewheels spinning to their maximum velocity kept everyone sharp and ready to attack once gravity’s advantage leveled out. Everyone began sprinting as far as they could…I was so deprived of oxygen and spinning my knees off, that I cannot for the life of me remember who was out front…but I was somewhere in there and made it with the rest of the crew for another amazing Dirt Sermon. We all reported max speeds down the hill of 40, 42, 43….and I’m pretty sure someone said 45…that’s haulin’!!!

Dirt Services, what a great way to finish off the weekends!! Keep ‘em comin’!

WNR # 10

2011-06-02T13:48:00.002-04:00

Attendance: It was a big group, so my apologies if I forget anyone. Myself, Benson, Uli, Nick, Kevin, Matt, Jim, Bobbi, Cooper, Scott, Mitchell, Sarah, Lisa, Jess, Karen, Kerri, Amber*, Kathryn*, and Finn*. *denotes attendance but no riding.

Weather: Wonderful. Sunny and right around 60 degrees.

Trail Conditions: The singletrack at the HQ is in wonderful shape, but the rest of the trail (including Hugh's) is in need of a little TLC. There are a few trees down here and there, and Sammie's trails still need to be opened up.

So we had a huge group, and we were missing a few regulars! Dinner and post ride refreshments were awesome as always. Next weeks WNR is @ Kipp Rd. so get your climbing legs ready. I know there will be quite a few of us down for racing at Hanson Hills this Sunday. Good luck to all. I finally cobbled together a video of my Copper Harbor trip. It comes complete with an original score by yours truly. Please keep in my mind, that was the first time I'd picked up my guitar in about three or four years, enjoy.

WNR #8 - Ride of Silence

2011-05-23T17:48:00.003-04:00

The fourth annual Ride of Silence-Harbor Springs was a success. The turnout was similar to past years but there were a LOT of new faces. Officially there were 56 riders signed in but I know a handful arrived late to join the procession. We opted to not have a vehicle escort for the ride and encouraged everyone to ride no more than two-abreast as allowed by law. I was thrilled to see that everyone tightened up the ranks and showed how to ride courteously & legally. We did have the support of the HSPD to aid in traffic control at a couple of intersections, just in case, but the group performed so well, we hardly needed it. I was fortunate to get Steve Foley from the Petoskey News Review to volunteer as the photographer and he took some wonderful pictures. You can view them all HERE or see them on the R of S-HS Facebook page. The weather was a bit chillier than the past couple (in the 50's) but no where near the brutal conditions we faced in our first year. We were one of 322 locations worldwide and I am proud to be a part of this event honoring cyclists that have been injured or killed while cycling on public roadways and to raise awareness encouraging everyone to Share the Road.

Again, I want to thank everyone that participated this year in our ride or another, volunteered in some way, supports our cause, wanted to but was unable to, has in the past and/or plans to in the future. Riding bikes is just plain fun and we'll continue to work to make it safe to enjoy an activity we love so much!

WNR #7 - SUPER-sized

2011-05-16T14:34:00.002-04:00

Just a quick catchup post from last week's Super-Sized Ride. Not only was the ride larger, longer, faster AND had more climbing than normal but we had a HUGE turnout of 16 riders!...here's the rider roster:

Myself (CB), Secret Steve (our super-fast ride leader) Uli, Bobbie, Action Chuck, Cheryl, Kevin, Karen, Chris M, Chris H, Racin' Rob, Damon, Lisa, & newcomers Cooper (though she did a snow ride in December), Damien F. and Jimmy D.

We rode the NCT from the Pleasantview township hall south to Kipp Rd. & back. As I noted, S.Steve took the lead and kept us at near redline (me at least) with a couple of appropriate stops for the stragglers to regroup. All in all, about 14 miles with over 1600' of climbing in about an hour and a half. Like I said, a bit of a Super-sized WNR...and this was without a few regulars that could have easily pushed the group over 20. Sorry no group photo as some of the players had to ske-daddle before everyone was back and for the late post (blogger had some technical issues.)

WNR #8 joins riders Worldwide for the Ride of Silence which meets locally @ 6:30pm downtown Harbor Springs (at the Harbormaster parking lot-250 E.Bay St. or find a location in your neighborhood.)

Copper Harbor #1

2011-05-14T18:04:00.001-04:00

Just finished up my first ride up in Copper Harbor, and all I can say so far is "wow!". These trails are so sweet, it's almost indescribable. I'm going to take the camera tomorrow, so I'll have some stuff to share with the class shortly.

Untitled by wpeterg at Garmin Connect - Details

Semi-rustic camping conditions: Outhouse and no water, but I do have electricity so heat and the laptop are operational. No cell phone reception whatsoever, it really is the end of the road. I love it.

MSB Part 2

2011-05-10T07:21:00.003-04:00

Go! I would get caught behind a fallen unskilled rider shortly after this on a sandy uphill. Unfortunately, that was the last I'd see of Secret Steve until the finish. He killed it, as usual.

Team photo.

It sure was a really well run race, especially for only the second year. The early start does lead to an early finish, which leads to early drinking, which you know leads to........... But I think a fun time was had by all of us, and I'm sure most of us will be back next year. It's a great way to kick start the season!

Mud, Sweat, and Beers Part 1

2011-05-09T13:43:00.002-04:00

Race Report: 20 miles in the Expert 18-39 group. 25th out of 35, in 1:38. Considering my last ski race was only about a month and a half ago, I was okay with how the race turned out. It was definitely a change of pace to go from long endurance events over the winter right into flat-out cross country racing. In some ways it's easier. You don't really have to form a nutrition plan or worry about pacing. It's just full speed from the gun until it's over, that's it. In some ways it's harder. Going all out for just over an hour and a half hurts like a motherfu**er. At any rate, I've got some pictures and video from the race on my computer but I didn't bring it to town today since I was on my bike. I'm going to drive tomorrow so I'll bring it with me and post up some art. Until then.

WNR # 6

2011-05-05T16:59:00.003-04:00

Attendance: Myself, Benson, Secret Steve, A/C, Uli, Nick, Bobbi, Sarah, Cheryl, and Jess. James and Amber joined in for the after party and WIngs game.

Weather: Pleasant, 50is degrees and sunny.

Trail Conditions: Excellent. Not to pat myself on the back or anything, but I've really been trying to keep my portion of the trail cleaned up this year. So far so good. The rest of the trail was a tad sandy in spots but otherwise 100 % rideable.

Our kitchen is completely dismantled at the moment so dinner was a bit of an adventure, but we all still managed to have a good time. I believe next weeks WNR is on the NCT starting at Stutsmanville and heading south, but wait for Benson's email for the final confirmation. I'll report back after the race on Saturday. For now, a race report complete with photos from across the pond:

Here is a recap of Race 3 - April 23th – local club race – about 25 riders – fast 4 kilometer course in windy conditions– 18 laps. I continued where I left off the week before and decided I would just spend the day mixing it up. The first lap was a parade of the whole group and then things started to pick up. I kept close to the front to make sure I did not miss the break. With each acceleration, a few rides would get dropped. After about lap 3 laps the group of riders I was with had whittled down to 8 riders. The cat 1 and 2 riders had already checked out. Myself and one other rider took turns attacking and by the 5th or 6th lap we were down to 5 riders. Attached is a picture Denise snapped at about this point. I was going off the front again and I think another rider dropped. This continued until we were down to 3 riders (the other picture) and we continued a perpetually rotating paceline until the end. I spent the last two laps mostly at the front to help a teammate. Both the other guys soundly outsprinted me at the end but I finished overall pretty well….tired and smiling and no road rash. Did I mention that the course was flat….I checked the computer at the end…. a whopping 60 feet total of elevation gain after 72 k!

PBR Freshener

2011-05-04T16:40:00.000-04:00

Well, I gotta be sure that one of you have seen this, but figured, hey...I'll throw it in there anyways! Post Bicycle Refreshment never smelled so good!!!

Sunday Service

2011-05-04T07:39:00.002-04:00

Since most of the crew attended service on Saturday in order to watch the Wings lose on Sunday, it was just Matt and I in attendance Sunday morning. Had a good ride though.

WNR @ the HQ tonight without a kitchen. Wings are on at eight, and Red's Rye is on tap. I've got another report from across the pond, complete with photos. Look for it later in the week. Over and out.

WNR(ained out)

2011-04-28T08:00:00.002-04:00

Even though it looked like the rain might have been letting up, Benson and I decided that it would be poor trail stewardship to ride on the trails after two straight days of torrential downpour. Something about erosion I guess. We're going to try to make it up tonight, but so far the forecast is not looking too good. I've got all my stuff and bike at work, so I'm ready. Stay tuned and we'll make the call this afternoon. In the meantime, check out this funny video. Fu**ing roadies :) And people wonder why I don't go on the Sunday morning ride anymore.

BIkepacking Adventure

2011-04-26T07:50:00.003-04:00

Matt and I made our first overnight bikepacking trip this weekend. I must have totally purged the bad bike mojo two weeks ago on the Sunday from Hell because neither Matt nor I suffered single mechanical problem on the trail (even with the extra 30 lbs. that each of us was hauling around). We managed to mix up the route enough that we encountered everything from smooth pavement all the way to rough unkempt technical trail, and the gear all held up pretty well. That said, we were both strategizing on ways to drop the gear weight before we even got home yesterday. The ride: We left HQ a little before noon on Sunday and headed north. We hooked up with the NCT for a bit, and then swung through Cross Village to visit with Scott. From there we continued north all the way around Wycamp Lake and eventually around to the north end of O'neal Lake. There we found a wonderful, or maybe I should say spectacular primitive campsite right on the lake. It was situated on the end of a peninsula about 1/2 a mile from the main trail. We set up camp and camped well. We had a pretty leisurely morning waiting for it to warm up a little. We probably rolled out of camp around ten or so. Our first mission of the day was water. After a few twists and turns we ended up being able to refill at the pump outside the Nebo Cabin. From there we headed over to the NCT and took that south to the end of Sturgeon Bay. We had another visit with Scott when we passed through the VIllage, and we were able to say hi to Finn as well this time. Then it was home via some dirt and the shore. Awesome, Awesome trip! I can't wait to do something like that again. The numbers: Day one was about 34 miles and about 4.5 hours. Day two was 30 miles on the nose with about 3.75 hours on the move. My bike and gear weighed about 50 pounds, and my pack was about 9 with a full bladder and other assorted gear. Matt's rig came in at 57 pounds, but his pack was only 3 or 4 I think.

I took this shot right when we pulled into the driveway yesterday when we got home.

The next four are a random assortment of pictures from around camp. Matt is supposed email me some more pix later.

Notes From Across the Pond

2011-04-23T08:10:00.002-04:00

I just got an update from our european correspondent. From the desk of Hugh on his spring racing campaign in France:

The races are typically 60-65 kilometers (about 2 hours) with various topography

Race 1 - April 9th – local club race – about 30 riders – 86 degrees – flat fast 2 kilometer course – 32 laps. The course was paved but a little narrower than your driveway and not quite as smooth in some places. It was unusually hot and I only had 3 weeks or riding under me. I did not have legs and suffered quite a bit. It was tough to keep up but I did manage a weak sprint at the end. Mostly rode at the back for the whole race. Not my best day but it was rubber side down. The course is open to traffic while this is going on and occasionally you get blocked by cars. I am sure it is quite confusing for drivers to have a pack of riders bearing down on them.

Race 2 - April 17th – bigger regional race – about 150 riders (60-70 in cat 3 with me) – 75 degrees – moderately rolling fast 8 kilometer course – 8 laps. What a difference a week makes. I had a couple good workouts during the week and entered the race rested. The pace was fast and I sat at the back for the first 3 laps. It is still a little intimidating riding in a group so large. I decided that I probably would not be able to outsprint the rest at the ends so I attacked the group 3 or 4 times just to have fun and once to chase down a break. When tired, I would drop back to rest and then attack again. I am sure some of the others were wondering what kind of strategy was this. Little did they know..I did not have a strategy. I was just having fun mixing it up. Many of the riders will ride wheels all race long and then contest the sprint without ever taking a turn at the front. In my mind, that is not racing. In total, I was at the front for at least 1 lap. I ended up pulling the group to the sprint finish which was slightly uphill. Of course I did not have much left and got passed by quite a few but I had a great time.

Race 3 is tomorrow April 23rd. – local club race – probably about 30 riders – flat 4 km course, probably 15 laps and it is supposed to be windy. The legs feel fresh so we will see.

Say hi to Sarah and the others and have a good trip.

Talk to you soon

Hugh

I got out for my first geared mountain bike ride since last August. I liked it a lot. Matt and I will be sleeping outside tomorrow night in Wilderness State Park somewhere in the vicinity of the Nebo Cabin if anyone cares to join us. Have a good weekend.

WNR #05 - 4/20 Snow Ride

2011-04-21T17:43:00.004-04:00

Mother Nature sure seems to have a good sense of humor to hold onto her latest April Fool's joke by dumping 6+ inches of snow on us overnight. That didn't stop a few of us from getting in some revolutions. In fact, our fine foursome included myself (CB), Charlie, Kevin and Chris H. We headed to the Lark's Lake section of the NCT as planned. If you haven't driven Lark's Lake road this spring, beware that the county has reverted this back to a dirt road from Stutsmanville Rd. north to Robinson Rd. and with the recent snow made for a muddy, mucky, sloppy, washboard of a drive. As we suited up to ride, the snow continued to fall, making it feel more like November than April. Undaunted, we lowered our tire pressure (for better traction supposedly) and headed out to see what it would bring. Kevin & I had hoped that the conditions would be similar to our first snow ride last December at Boyne Mt. This wasn't quite so, this snow was much wetter & heavier which made the trail a LOT more slippery. Luckily the L.L. section isn't too climby so we were able to make it up most of the first hills...with a little practice. You have to stay seated, gear down, keep your weight back and stay light on the pedals in an effort to maintain traction. There is a pretty good climb early on the trail and we made it a little ways before we had to dismount & hike-a-bike. After a brief stop, rest & regroup at the top, we got going again into the pines and the conditions were noticeably better, partly because we were going downhill but also because the snow was different in the pines, not quite as deep, a little slushier which seemed to give a bit more traction and control. It was very apparent when we popped out into open areas with more snow. It was definitely a challenge to keep going straight as your front tire seems to have a mind of it's own and tries to wander plus when it does, you have a tendency to lean forward to gain control which causes your front tire to veer off track even further. In ways, it is similar to riding in sand, not quite as loose but definitely more slippery; an interesting way to acquire added handling skills. Once through the pines, we all seemed to be getting the hang of it and as we crossed Middle Village Rd. we wondered how difficult the next climb would be. It isn't that steep but it is long and it doesn't take much for you to spin out in these conditions. Though the ride pace was slow, the heart pace wasn't because you really have to work to maintain traction and stay on track. Overall, the climb wasn't too bad, I made it with a slow & steady approach, Kevin spun out but it was near the top and I think AC & Chris made it most of the way too. We decided that Palmer Rd. would be far enough given the conditions and the fact that the pines section beyond that might be a B!#ch to climb back up. As always, the return trip on this trail is a lot more enjoyable and it was much easier following our outbound grooves (if you could stay in them!) I locked out my fork and found that I got much better control in the turns, though it was a lot bumpier...good thing we couldn't go too fast. Kevin had a good spill but he was behind me and I missed the show, you'll have to ask AC for the play-by-play. Our confidence was definitely up on the way down but there were corners & quick turns that required a quick clip-out to plant a foot or stiff-arm a tree for course correction; timing was surely key! All in all a pretty good ride, a total of about 5.5 miles in just under an hour, nothing we would normally tout but we kept the WNR streak alive for 2011.

The plan for next week is to head south to Boyne Mt. (we had considered Avalanche but with the recent snow we're pretty sure it will be too greasy...sorry girls.) Plan on post-ride grub at the Mesa!

WTF?

2011-04-20T08:15:00.002-04:00

All winter long, whenever "they" said it was going to snow it didn't. Finally spring is here, and we've been able to get a few weeks of riding under our belts. "They" said it was going to snow last night, and it did. I woke up this morning to six inches of wet, heavy, mashed potato like snow. Go figure I just had my snow tires taken off last week. Anyway, Benson says he's up for a snow ride tonight, but to be honest I'm not even sure the trail will be passable on bikes. Skis? So stay close to your communicator, and Benson and I will try to put out word one way or another this afternoon.

In way more exciting bike related news, my geared 29er is only a few short steps away from being put back into the stable. Secret Steve is going to come over this afternoon (thank you very much) to oversee the final tweaking of the rebuild to make sure I don't screw anything up too badly. I'm sure I could stumble through it with a bit of headscratching and making it up as I went along, but I've been without this bike for far too long now and having a fully competent mechanic like Secret finishing up seems like the fastest path to being able to actually ride it (just maybe not tonight, but this weekend for sure).

Scott welds good.

Notice that in the future I will be able to simply bolt on one tiny little replacement piece instead of bending the frame back into shape. Success!

Birkie 2012

2011-04-15T20:18:00.002-04:00

Registration opened for the 2012 Birkie today, and I'm in. I know the bike season is just getting started, but that ski race in Wisconsin is hands down the best/most fun/well run/largest/awesome race I've ever done on dirt or snow.

WNR # 4

2011-04-14T13:51:00.002-04:00

Attendance: Myself, Sarah, Cheryl, Jess, Sherri, Karin, Benson, Secret Steve, A/C, Kevin, New Chris, and Tricky Nicky. I feel like I'm forgetting someone, but I don't know. Sorry Sarge, we forgot to take a group photo for you. Maybe next week.

Weather: A bit chilly, probably around 50 degrees with a stiff north breeze.

Tail Conditions: For the most part the trail was in excellent shape. Boyne has continued logging past the pines, and I don't recommend attempting to go much past Benson's trail.

I was feeling a little antsy after two days off the bike, so I set out on my own just after 5:00 for a warmup. My route was up Secret Steve's trail/South Peak/North Peak/Bridges/Pines/Hike a bike through logging operation:(/back to the field directly. Our WNR group headed back up the same route; but when we got to the pines we headed back down for the traditional Sarge Loop. The past couple of years I've been doing Sarge's via the Dump Run and a bit easier uphill. Last night we rocked it old school, and it hurt just as much as it ever has. But it sure is a nice downhill finish right back to the cars and beer. Sarah was thrilled with the girl ride as well. I don't know if we've ever had such a strong and consistent female showing at the WNR over the years. Anywho, I think we're going Larks Lake NCT next week for the WNR, right? If not, correct me. If so, hope to see another strong showing next week.

Also, before I add on to the new trail out at HQ I was hoping for some feedback. My intentions so far have been to make it technically challenging and twisty, but at the same time also make it mostly rideable for all skill levels. I think I'm heading in the right direction since Sarah rides it without complaint, but I'm open to suggestions as well.

So my pity post about Sunday's challenges netted way more comments than usual, like three or four I think (total). In response to what I normally carry, I emptied out my pack before I started my ride yesterday so you could see. I'm currently carrying some food, a tube wrapped in saran wrap to avoid small punctures while kicking around in my pack for months on end, a shell (the same one that saved my a** in both ski marathons this winter), a pump, inside that plastic bag: multi-tool/tire levers/chain tool/9 sp magic link/5 mm wrench with some duct tape wrapped around it, money, emergency headlamp, and emergency blanket. I also carry a blinky rear light, but it's taped to the pack so it doesn't bounce off. For a race or long adventure, I would probably also throw in another tube, some CO2, and a fix a flat tubeless inflator.

These last two pictures are my first attempts at developing my bikepacking setup. Matt and I are planning an overnighter on the High Country Pathway for Easter Sunday, so I'm definitely going to be dialing it in over the next week or so. I'm planning on a night sleeping out behind the house next week as a final test.

Sunday Services Sucked Balls

2011-04-12T07:59:00.002-04:00

I waited for the storm to clear out Sunday before I headed out for what I was hoping to be 3ish hour ride. About 35 minutes in, things took a turn for the worse. In chronological order the following events took place: 1) While exploring one of the many subdivisions below 119 north of Good Hart, I took a little tumble. I was trying to turn around in some loose pea gravel and managed to tip over, drawing some blood from my left leg. No biggie, and at least nobody was around to see it. 2) About 15 minutes after the mini crash I got a flat. Still I was unperturbed, I had a spare tube and a frame pump. I got the old tube out and the new tube in. I got her all pumped up, but when I went to take the pump off the core of the valve stem came with it (thus rendering the tube useless). 3) Now I was starting to get a little frustrated, but I had a plan. I patched the old tube as best I could with some duct tape. It lost air slowly enough that I was able to limp a couple of miles down the road to Jon and Debbie's house. There I borrowed the phone (no cell service) to call Sarah and ask her to bring my mountain bike down so I can finish the ride. 4) Sarah brings down the singlespeed, and I swap out the computer and bottles before setting off up the road. 5) About 40 minutes later, while climbing a steep two track heading east towards the NCT my chain broke. And not just the pin popped out broken, two of the plates had broken in half and twisted/mangled the adjoining links. It was so absurd that I actually started laughing. 6) I shoved the useless chain in my pack and lowered my seat a couple of inches. That way I could alternate legs to "scoot" me along. FYI, "scooting" on flat ground I can maintain a speed of about 7.5 mph with a heart rate in the low 130's. 7) I did not "scoot" all the way home. I did scoot about 4 miles back to Jon and Debbie's where I begged a ride home in the pickup truck. 8) I did not fire up my only working bike left (road bike), I felt as though it was definitely not meant to be. Instead I fired up the chainsaw and got rid of the trail obstructions just over the top of the hill and did some other assorted trail work to finish out my workout. I'm really hoping next Sunday goes a little better. WNR tomorrow @ Boyne. Hope to see you there.

WNR # 3

2011-04-07T12:40:00.002-04:00

Attendance: Myself, Sarah, Cheryl, Lisa, Karen, Benson, Secret Steve, Kevin, A/C, and New Chris.

Weather: A bit chilly, but no rain and not too much wind.

Trail Conditions: Very good for so early in the season. A little slick here and there and a few downed trees to climb over, but all in all about 90% rideable.

It was definitely our first "real" ride of the season. We had a few stops to negotiate some turns and regroup, but the pace was definitely starting to ramp up to summer speed. The cart path climb back up to the 95 acres was just as brutal as always. Our collaborative pasta dinner was an excellent way to round out the evening. Next weeks WNR is still up in the air. We're going to do some scouting this weekend and see how much of the remaining snow we lose during the forecasted warm smell coming up. I'm sure Benson will send out the invite on Monday, and I'll try and post it up here once we decide. Also, I'm planning on a longish 3 hour ride for Sunday, so give me a call if you're interested in the details. Over and out.

The Long Way Home

2011-04-01T14:51:00.002-04:00

After breaking down at the WNR (I figured out last night that that crankset is toast :(), I had some training ground to make up for. So yesterday I did the 8.5 mile ride to work and then took a hilly convoluted route home to the tune of 15 miles and 1,100 ft. of climbing.

This morning while I was riding into work again it dawned on me that one of the things I like most about being on the bike and not in the car is disconnecting just for a short time. There's no Sirius radio reminding me of how fu**ed up the world is. There are no calls on my phone or text messages to answer. I don't have to get frustrated with the car in front of me that is SO holding me up. All I have to worry about is pedaling my bike and taking in the views. As the old Poi Dog Pondering song says, "you get to know things better when they go by slow". Have a good weekend.

Pics from #2

2011-04-01T10:11:00.003-04:00

WNR # 2

2011-03-31T11:15:00.002-04:00

Attendance: Myself, Sarah, Cheryl, Karen (sp?), Lisa, Benson, Racin' Rob, Kevin, Chris, and Action Chuck.

Weather: Sunny but chilly. 33ish.

Trail Conditions: I wouldn't know.

As soon as we set out down the path I realized my drive side crank bolt was loose. After a brief pause to attempt a fix, I sent the rest of the group on up the road and said that if I could get it fixed I'd start riding our proposed loop in the opposite direction. It was not to be. I went to McLean and Eakin to see if Matt had a full sized set of hex wrenches, but they did not. The hardware and the bike shop were both already closed. I briefly considered calling Secret Steve to see if he could help me out, but I thought better of it since they had their baby boy yesterday morning. Congratulations on little Secret Turner! I eventually figured out that my multi-tool did have an 8mm attachment, but try as I might I couldn't get the bolt to turn in either direction. Ugh. I thought singlespeeds were supposed to make life easier. Anyway, everyone else finished up just fine and we regrouped at the Mitchell St. Pub for post ride grub. It was good. Next weeks WNR at the HQ. Sarah will be in touch on dinner assignments. I'm planning a long ride on Sunday if anyone is interested give me a shout. Otherwise, have a good weekend and we'll see you next week. I promise at least a small portion of singletrack. Over and out.;

Sunday Services # 1

2011-03-29T08:31:00.002-04:00

Got out on the bike for close to the planned two hours on Sunday. It was so fu**ing cold I didn't even bother to see if anybody else wanted to tag along. I cruised some dirt to check out the woods, and we're not quite "there" yet for off road adventuring. I ran into quite a few patches of ice an snow; and where the snow had melted, it was pretty soft. But all in all it was a good day on the bike. My route from HQ took me north and down Lamkin Drive below Good Hart. Then it was up the singletrack at Readmond TWP and south to Middle Village. Up Middle Village to Townline, and then back to Terpening via the old Deli Sauce Factory hill (Boynton). Then it was down 5 Mile Creek Road and up to the 95 acres courtesy of the PMS Farm and the home. Check out the details below. WNR # 2 is set for tomorrow, and it looks like we should have some decent weather. Meet at the Petoskey waterfront for a 6:30 start. Be there or be square.

Bikepacking

2011-03-26T14:23:00.004-04:00

What is bikepacking you ask? Given my total inexperience with this particular niche in the sport of cycling, you can find a ton of info. and ideas from this site.

I also stole these pictures there to give you an idea of what a "bikepacking" set up looks like.

Sarge touched on this topic over on his blog yesterday, and it's something I've been thinking about trying for the last couple of years. Think about how cool it would be to do overnight trips on the NCT. Just pedal until you can't pedal anymore, find a nice out of the way spot to set up camp, eat a simple dinner (or gourmet if you're willing to carry the extra weight), sleep, wake up and repeat. The High Country Pathway also seems like an ideal area for bikepacking exploration. From what I've read about so far on the internet and in some magazines, the set-ups seem to run the gamut from super cheap ghetto style to full on lightweight, high tech., and expensive. One of the first things you need to decide on is some form of shelter. Some people seem quite content with a tarp and some anchoring lines and stakes. Apparently you can use your bike and front wheel to finagle some sort of semidry shelter. Others use one of those small and light weight bivy sacks. This seems like a slightly claustrophobic way to spend the night, but at the same time I do seem to be able to sleep just about anywhere so maybe it would work for me. Once you start thinking about everything you might need and figuring out how much weight you're willing to carry, the possibilities truly become almost overwhelming. Trial and error seems to be the only way to figure out what works best for you, and this season I just may find out what bikepacking set-up works for me. Have a good weekend.

Forcefield

2011-03-23T08:32:00.002-04:00

There seems to have been a forcefield surrounding us all winter repelling almost all snow accumulation. It appears as though it is still operational. The forecast last night called for 3 to 5 inches, and we got a very slight dusting. So it looks like the only thing standing in the way of WNR # 2 is the arctic temperatures and a fierce wind out of the NE. We'll see how the weather looks this afternoon, but with our crazy bunch I'm willing to bet a couple of us will brave the elements. I stole the below video from bikerumor.com. Enjoy.

2011 so far from ryan n on Vimeo.

WNR # 1

2011-03-17T14:02:00.002-04:00

Attendance: Myself, Sarah, Benson, Racin' Rob, Action Chuck, Cheryl, Kevin, Karen, and Lisa.

Weather: Cold, but not too windy. About 40 degrees.

Trail (road) Conditions: M-119 is really pretty clear, a couple of puddles here and there but not too much sand or salt leftover from the winter. The driveway proved to be the most treacherous part.

For WNR #2 next week the plan is to meet at the waterfront in Petoskey and ride the bike path towards Charlevoix for a bit and back. Dinner at the Pub afterwards for those that are hungry and don't want to go home. On the slim chance that some trails open up by then we may change venues, but that seems highly unlikely given the foot or so of snow still in the woods.

It's Just Like Riding A Bike

2011-03-16T08:20:00.004-04:00

Seriously. It's so nice to get back out on the bike. I only rode for an hour on the shore yesterday, but it was awesome. The views of the ice breaking up on the lake was enough to almost cause an accident. Fortunately there was virtually no traffic, so riding around the two or three huge puddles along the way wasn't an issue. Tonight's WNR # 1 should be even better. I think we've got something like ten people coming out for the kick off of the riding season, and I just tapped a fresh keg of Short's :) Also, I just signed up for the Mud, Sweat, and Beers cross country race. They only have 150 spots out of 700 left; so if you're interested, I suggest making the move. I think last year was the first running and I didn't make it, but I heard really good things. And it's close enough to sleep in my own bed the night before which is always nice.

A Day Early

2011-03-15T08:11:00.004-04:00

Here's a cool video I stole from the DC website this morning. These guys are fast. They start speaking English about halfway through, and then you get to see a super pro bike swap from Paris-Nice. Also, I had the best day of the year skiing Sunday morning with JT, Sarah, Marcus, and Matt. Three hours of fresh powder and blue skies, a great way to close out the season. I'm on the bike this afternoon :)

Still Skiing

2011-03-10T13:53:00.002-05:00

We can't seem to shake winter. We've had about six inches of new snow over the last couple of days, and I've been trying to make the best of it (despite the fact that I'm kind of ready to start biking). I got out behind the HQ last night and snapped these snowy shots. JT and I got together this morning for an early morning ski at Hurd Road before work, and we're going to meet up again tomorrow morning at the Tower. So far, the forecast looks like we'll be skiing all weekend as well. After that it appears to be up in the air. With a little warmer temperatures and/or some rain, what little snow we have should melt pretty quickly. Hopefully we'll see a good team turnout at Bowling this weekend. Let's get our roll on!

Detroit

2011-03-09T08:08:00.002-05:00

I found a link to this earlier this morning. It almost makes me believe that Detroit will survive. It's a long one, but well worth the time. I'm going back to watch parts 2 and 3 while I dine on my breakfast of granola and almond milk. Have a good day.

Weekend Pictures

2011-03-08T08:18:00.003-05:00

We had a nice hike out on the lake and then up the dunes out at the SBYC Sunday afternoon. Sarah and I were joined by Matt, Scott, Kathryn, and little Finn. A bit cold with the wind, but a beautiful day up on Sturgeon Bay.

JT and I met up in the a.m. to ski at the end of Hurd Road. I had never skied there, and JT had only first been the day before. We were out for a little over two hours, and we found some really great terrain. Unfortunately, it looks as though the state is getting ready to log it this spring. Damn orange spray paint!

We got another inch of snow last night, and there's a bit more in the forecast for tomorrow. For such a crappy winter it sure is hanging on for all it's worth. I'm probably going to start assessing the bike fleets readiness today or tomorrow. At the very least, I hope to be getting out on the road next week to start logging some base miles.

Dang That's Cold

2011-02-26T17:44:00.005-05:00

This was the second coldest Birkie in the 38 years that it's been held. Based on how I was feeling with about 10 km to go, I have absolutely no reason to argue with that statistic. We (Sarah, Hugh, Denise, and I) rousted from bed a little after 5:00 am. After some last minute packing/changing and breakfast, we headed north to the start a little after 7:00. It was 10 degrees below zero. No biggie though, after all there were another 8,500 skiers or so gearing up to do the race. We ran the schedule a little tight; and by the time I finished putting on my kick wax and getting my boots on, I had missed my wave 5 start by a couple of minutes. Fortunately they allow for this, and I was able to tag on to the back end of wave 6. Despite the cold, course conditions were excellent. It's really amazing the amount of work (especially the volunteers) that goes into putting on the largest cross country ski race in North America. The grooming is excellent. The aid stations, of which there are 11 along the 54 km course, are staffed by dozens of super enthusiastic and helpful volunteers. It's a tough race to ski, but I really wouldn't be interested in standing around in arctic temperatures all day handing out drinks and bananas to the thousands of skiers that pass through each one. I was sure to thanks as many of the volunteers as I could. Even the volunteers manning the registration tables the day before seem thrilled to be helping out with such an awesome event. So anyway back to the race. I started off really well. I wasn't pushing too hard, and I felt really good. I was definitely cold, but not unbearably so. I was passing people pretty consistently, and managing to eat and drink pretty regularly as well. The course is just awesome. There are three sets of tracks set on the classic course, and so it's pretty easy to get around people. The downhills are also a real hoot. Generally the runout is clearly visible and straight so you can really let loose and carry some serious speed into the next uphill. I was still feeling strong with about 15 km to go, and then the cold finally sunk it's vicious claws into me. My speed dropped to barely moving, and when I limped into the last aid station with 5.7 km to go I had to bust out my emergency shell with the hood. Fortunately I didn't need to stay put for too long. I had 2 cups of warm Heed and 2 slices of orange before setting out for the finish. There were still a couple of long downhills that chilled me to the core, but once I got onto Lake Hayward I was able to get moving enough to generate some body heat. By the time you get off the lake, the thousands of spectators lining Main Street with all there cowbells and such pretty much make you forget about all the pain and the cold (until you cross the finish line that is). Another Birkie and another great experience. To top it all off, I was a little over 20 minutes faster than last year, despite reportedly slower snow conditions. I'll take it.

*I stole the picture, it is not me. by Richard Hoeg

From the 2011 American Birkebeiner Race Guide:
The numbers..what it takes to host the Birkie!
2,000 volunteers, 20,000 spectators, 11 food and medical stops, 2,000 oranges, 5,000 bananas, 5,000 cups of hot chocolate, 600 gallons of soup, 5,000 gallons of water, 1,500 gallons of sports drink, 98,000 cups, 16,000 cookies, 5,000 doughnut holes, and 165 portable toilets. Plus all the skiers and their support staff. Thanks Sarah.

Slacker

2011-02-23T07:51:00.003-05:00

I've been slacking in the blog quite a bit as of late. I can honestly blame a lot of the slacking on the absolutely horrible weather we've had this winter. Our lack of snow has made it very difficult/boring to keep up with the training, but I've been doing my best. Besides, after this Saturday I can start thinking about the upcoming bike season (about which I am very excited). So to save Sarge the hassle of keeping up with his blog and this one, I'll put up the video for this Wednesday. This is a race that has been on my radar for a couple of years now. I know it won't happen this year, but I definitely want to do it at some point in the next few years.

I'll report in after the Birkie.

Video Wednesday

2011-02-16T18:21:00.000-05:00

Does this mean that I'm now the self-appointed "Video Wednesday" guy? Keepin' it real, yo.

Everyone should have one of these in their neck of the woods...

Bodhi

2011-02-12T14:03:00.002-05:00

Bodhi went to doggie heaven this morning around 10:00. He's been showing the signs of aging quite a bit over the last few months, but last night when we got home it was clear that something very serious was wrong with the big guy. Sarah took him into the vet this morning and left him to get some tests done. The Dr. called a little while later to give Sarah the bad news. I left work and met Sarah over at Bay Pines so we could both be with him at the end. We all are going to miss him for sure, but he did have a pretty great life. Have a good thought for the big guy this weekend.

Video Wednesday

2011-02-09T12:09:00.002-05:00

"Va Fa Napoli, Hipster" from Blue Barn Pictures, Inc. on Vimeo.

WNR # 1 (Sort Of)

2011-02-07T09:55:00.003-05:00

Saturday was the first unofficial kick off of the year for the WNR! And yes, it was still as competitive as ever!

Attendence: Chris, Amber, AC, Cheryl, Pete, Sarah, Racin' Rob, Kevin,Bobbi, Matt & Jessilynn.

While most of us have a secret passion for bowling, we are not very good. Except for Racin' Rob. R2 showed up just a bit late, threw some shoes on and walked right up and threw a lefty curve ball and a strike. All of our mouths just dropped. Yep R2 has more hidden talents!

Two games, beer, pizza, sore arms and laughs! Great start to the New Year!

It really was a great time! I loved our surprised faces whenever we knocked some pins down or the joy of actually getting a strike!

Good Luck to Secret Steve and Moriah, baby boy Schultz will arrive some time in March.

14 Minutes

2011-02-02T08:02:00.002-05:00

That's how long it took the LBJ 100 to sell out last night starting at 8:00. Fortunately I went over to Hugh's about a quarter till and we both got in with about 6 minutes to spare. I'm already looking forward to it. Getting shut out last year left a gaping hole in my usual calendar, and it made it really hard to stay motivated through the spring. Not so this year. I've still got that little ski race in Wisconsin at the end of the month, but after that I'll be back in the saddle. Now that I've gotten my main objective nailed down for the first half of the bike season I can start filling in the rest of the race schedule. Over and out.

Noquemenon 51 km

2011-01-30T08:46:00.001-05:00

I felt better than I did last year (even though my time was a tad slower). For some yet to be determined reason, I got really fu**ing cold somewhere around the 15 km to go mark. I ended up stopping for a little over ten minutes at the aid station with 10 km to go. I put on the shell I always carry in my hip pack and cinched up the hood. I also downed two large cups of warm water and four lemon cream cookies that I would not normally eat. I still felt like crap when I left, but I warmed up a little by the end and finished pretty strong. In the end, it was a great race for all of us. Kerri and Hugh who were staying with us had a wonderful time, and Sarah was the perfect support crew as always. We topped it all off with dinner for ten at the cabin on Lake Superior with some other folks from home. Homemade cavatelli and an abundance of beer and wine rounded out the day perfectly. Next stop on the race schedule is the Birkie in just about a month.

Untitled by wpeterg at Garmin Connect - Details

What Happened to Video Wednseday?

2011-01-19T17:53:00.000-05:00

Video Wednesday seems to have fallen to the wayside... so here's a couple that I've enjoyed recently:

Portal from Linus Platt/SolarSlash Digital V on Vimeo.

Back in Action

2011-01-18T10:51:00.002-05:00

I took it easy that first week after the crash. I was using the laser therapy and popping the ibuprofen in an effort to speed up the recovery process. It must have worked because I've been back on the snow for about a week now. I'm still probably only at 80% give or take, so I've been going extra slow on the downhills to avoid another crash. I was a little worried in the first few days following the crash that it would f**k up my first big race of the season, but the last few days have restored my confidence. Sunday I got out for a good solid 21 km classic ski at race pace, and yesterday I got a hard 10 km skate ski in. I'm going to keep trying to ski hard through the end of the week, and then I'll start resting up and getting ready for the race. Hope everyone is having a good winter and getting out to enjoy the snow. Over and out.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PEDRO!

2011-01-14T12:02:00.002-05:00

Gearing Up in the New Year

2011-01-13T23:45:00.002-05:00

It's been a bit quiet around here lately, on the Team Terpening blog that is. I suppose the weather and time of year is mostly at fault as people switch from moving on wheels to moving on sticks strapped to their feet. I suppose I'm at fault, too; I haven't posted since Christmas - been a bit busy lately. With the new year upon us, I've been concentrating on the new season of cycling and getting things together for a great year on the bike (had my first ride of 2011 on 1/4).

Sick's New Bike Route: May Be 10 Miles Out Of The Way, But He's Committed To It

Although I plan to continue making blog posts here, I have started writing on my own blog once again, The Resurgence of Sarge. I deleted all of the old material and started out with a clean slate as part of the 2011 program. Please feel free to check out the new layout and content. This time I'm trying my best to keep it completely cycling related with an emphasis on my 2011 program for riding, fitness, diet, and health. I'm also making a conscious effort to post on a regular basis. Check it out. Speaking of blogs, I've added some links on my site to other blogs that I enjoy reading. Since he's a member of Team Terpening, I added Action Chuck's blog to my list... and I'm still waiting to read the first post, Chuck (hint, hint).

As most of you may know, we welcomed our first child into the world shortly after Christmas. We're so excited to introduce the newest member of our family, Chas Anthony...

We'll Put Him On A Bike As Soon As Possible, Can't Wait To Teach Him To Ride

In other cycling related news, I've decided it's time to treat myself to a new ride. After thinking about it for a while, I realized that I've only purchased two new bikes in the past 8-10 years (?). Notice the key word there - purchased. I have had several different bikes based off of one purchase thanks to Gary Fisher's stellar warranty policy. It all started with a Gary Fisher Kaitai. A stripped out bottom bracket shell led to a warranty Big Sur which was eventually replaced after I broke the frame. After a second broken frame, I upgraded to a Sugar 2+. I broke one or two front triangles, then a rear triangle; and, at that point, after warranty parts arrived, I retired the Sugar in lieu of a Surly 1x1 which has been my trusty steed for the past three or four years. As much as I love singlespeeding, I feel like I might enjoy some gears and suspension from time to time. So, I'm in the market for a geared bike with at least a suspension fork. Not sure what it might be, but I'm currently looking at Specialized StumpJumpers and a Redline D660. I'm really stoked to have gears and suspension, but I'm trying to be patient in order to find a good deal on a new bike. I kind of hope something comes along soon.

I'm not sure if anyone has really noticed, but the 500th post on the Team Terpening blog is approaching quickly. It'll be interesting to see what our team leader has in mind for this monumental event. I'm already looking forward to it.

Well, I wish you all a happy new year. Ride on.

I Hurts

2011-01-07T10:50:00.002-05:00

Finally got back on the snow Tuesday for a wonderful 1.5 hour skate ski session with Hugh. At the very end, coming down the last hill, I crashed and my ribs made extra firm contact with the frozen ground. The wind was knocked out of me, but I got up quick enough and we made it back down to the car without incident. Now my ribs are very sore. The pain seems to be radiating from the bottom of my sternum outward and down. I've been treating them with a combination of heat, ibuprofen, laser/electrode therapy, and beer. Today they feel a little better, so I think I'll fire up the snowblower and maybe tool around behind the house on my fat skis. For those who have not experienced a blunt force trauma to the thoracic region, I don't recommend it at all. First marathon of the season is only three weeks form tomorrow, so I'm hoping to get back on the snow serious style come Sunday. Hope everyone has a good weekend.

Another Year

2010-12-31T17:15:00.003-05:00

I tried to summon the energy for an end of the year re-cap post, but it's raining out and I just don't have it in me. So I give you the "reader's digest" condensed version instead.

I had a good ski season in 2010, but it wasn't super. I did a couple of new to me marathons (Noquemenon and Birkie), and what I learned in those races will hopefully translate to some better results this winter.

My bike season was filled with ups and downs. Getting shut out of the Lumberjack threw a huge wrench into my schedule. Having a 100 mile race on the calendar in mid June forces me to build a really good base in the spring, and the actual race gives me a great boost of fitness that generally lasts me threw the summer. We'll see what happens next year.

Thanks to all the WNRiders for helping me to at least maintain some sort of fitness and structure. Special props to the hearty few that kept her going up to #40. And thanks to Sarah for putting up with me and helping out at all the races.

2010-12-31T17:15:00.000-05:00

Happy Holidays

2010-12-25T14:01:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas!!!

WNR XL

2010-12-24T14:04:00.007-05:00

A GREAT way to finish the 2010 riding season with our 40th Wednesday Night Ride in the snow! Commemorated appropriately with a 40 of Post Bicycling Refreshment...thanks to Secret Steve. If you've been paying attention, you'll understand the title of this post (if not XL is the roman numeral for 40) and that the moniker doubly symbolizes the essence of the 2010 riding season. As if 40 weeks of riding weren't enough to make the year extra large, the Wednesday night group grew in number of riders and also in it's caliber of participants. Not since the 'old days' with Drew & Sarge have we pushed the group ride envelope in the way that we did this year. More rides, more riders, more trails, more miles, more races & much more fun. From starting the season on St. Patrick's Day to continuing into deer season (riding trails closed to hunters) and beyond, into 4 consecutive Snow rides! Including #40 with the crew pictured below. The quartet consisted of myself, Charlie, S.Steve & Kevin all determined to complete the landmark ride. Thought we might coax a few more out either to try their wheels on the snow or to join us on skis, snowshoes or even by dogsled...no such luck. We met just above the Meadow & rode down Warwick road to the snow-mo-bike trail, only saw one snowmobile on the trail and only passed one truck on the roads to & from so we know there were witnesses besides ourselves...in case you think the photos were staged.

The bar was set awfully high in 2010 (in more ways than one) and not likely to be replicated any time soon, barring a serious climate shift or a group shift to more southern latitudes...not bloody likely. I want to say that it was an absolute joy to ride with each and every one of you this year (even up the cart path) and I look forward to our continued single-track adventures! Merry Bike-mas & Happy New Rides!

Merry Christmas

2010-12-24T07:40:00.001-05:00

Hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday this year. I'll be skiing.

00100111

2010-12-20T21:23:00.010-05:00

How do you make a Bike Stand?
Ride until the snow is deep enough!

In an effort to keep the WNR reports fresh this late in the season, I've decided to see how many different ways I can title the report count. This week is probably the least recognizable as I've gone binary - If you don't like it, don't let a geek write the blog. The 1's & 0's above represent 39 - Yes, we are still riding in the snow and we are one ride away from hitting a very high mark for number of weeks that we have held a weekly ride in one calendar year. Not only are the report titles fresh, WNR #39 headed to a fresh venue in Charlevoix for Snow Ride #3 at Fisherman's Island State Park. If that weren't enough to be excited about, Secret Steve showed up with his new snowmo-bike - a new Pugsley and a new WNRider, Cooper Dendel - eager to show us her riding chops and take on her first WN/Snow Ride.

We landed in CVX at Kevin's suggestion, hoping that we would be able to ride some groomed, if not well packed, trails. We launched from the entrance of the park as that is as far as the road was plowed & Kevin didn't really feel like towing anyone out. There were actually some solid tracks along the access road and the ride started out pretty easy...then we turned off-road onto the hiking/skiing/snowshoeing trail. Thanks to a two-day stiff north wind and the lake effect machine, conditions were not as ideal as when Kevin first scouted the park. There were a few fresh inches of snow along with a mix of hiking & snowshoe tracks. As we've learned riding in the snow this year, it's actually easier breaking trail than following in other's footsteps (I'm sure there's a metaphor in there somewhere.) Unfortunately, the trail was fairly narrow and riding on the sides was not an option. This combined with a few downed trees, some narrow, rooty turns and a few mild inclines made for an extremely challenging first couple of miles. Then we turned back out to the access road at the south end of the park which followed the shoreline back to the start. Some sections of the road were blown clear while others were drifted shut and had it not been for an adventurous drift-busting 4-wheel driver, our ride would definitely have been extended.

What the ride lacked in mileage, it made up for in heart-rate...at least the first half of the ride. The grand total was only around 4 1/2 miles, not very impressive by most of our WNRides but we kept the streak going and had a pretty good time to boot. Not to mention adding another name to our roster of die hard riders. Way to go Cooper!

Here's picture proof that we at least dressed up & took the Pugsley out in the snow! Man those are some FAT tires!

You know that we're going for 40! If you want to be a part of the historic ride of 2010, get your bike, cold weather gear, headlight(s) and rear blinker & meet us at the top of Emmet Heights Rd. in Harbor (just above the Meadow) for a ride on the snowmobile trails & two-track to round out our awesome year!

Movie Night at the Orpheum Theater

2010-12-17T01:15:00.002-05:00

The Orpheum Theater here in Flagstaff was home to the Northern Arizona Premiere of the new mountain bike film "Life Cycles". Kristina and I made our way down to watch it last night; and, by all means, if it's playing in your neck of the woods, go see it. It's an excellent film that is sure to inspire and awe. As I usually feel about movies like this, I was amazed to see riders on that thin line between completely shredding the gnar and being completely out of control... Although maybe being out of control is the definition of shredding the gnar. Watch the movie and see if you can figure that one out for yourself.

Life Cycles OFFICIAL Trailer from Life Cycles on Vimeo.

Surf's Up!

2010-12-15T08:17:00.003-05:00

A few of the dudes we know round these parts (particularly Secret Steve and Marcus) have to taken to this whole cold weather surfing thing. I'm told that with the right gear it is not uncomfortably cold, but I'm not sure I believe it. I do like the water, and it does look like fun. Unfortunately, my sporting world is currently filled to capacity between the biking and the skiing. If and when I win the lottery/retire I may give it a try though. Good work WNRiders on keeping the streak alive. I've fully made the transition to skis now, and my first race is a little less than four weeks away. Enjoy the video.

Rochester Surf Sesh Nov. 2010 from jimmy rathbun on Vimeo.

Thirty Eight

2010-12-14T20:04:00.002-05:00

Refusal to Quit. Unwilling to Yield. Perseverance. Insanity. Many things depend on your point of view. As you may deduce from the photo, we're still riding on Wednesdays (a few of us anyway) and are trying to hit the big 4-0 before 2010 runs out. The quartet at left, Secret Steve, Kevin-Tron, Below-Zero Benson & Action Chuck suited up for WNR #38 & Snow Ride #2. The conditions this time were a bit different than our first snowy foray. For one, the temperature was about half that of the week before...somewhere around 16; snow wasn't pouring from above and the ground underneath had frozen. There were several inches on the ground but it was the consistency of sugar sand, at least where there weren't frozen footprints below. You would have thought that following the footprints would have been easier than blazing fresh tracks but riding on top of them was like riding over chattery frozen hoof prints. Needless to say, these settings made for a much more challenging snow ride. The ground was now frozen solid, which made turning/staying on course and climbing even moderate inclines extremely difficult. At first it just seemed like monotonous work, spinning out, struggling around every corner AND straight line, not to mention that it was COLD! But just like going swimming in Lake Michigan, once you're in, it's not so bad. Once we got off of the semi-beaten paths & started making our own, the ride smoothed out & we started enjoying it again, riding for just over an hour & about 6.5 miles. We're finding that snow riding isn't about the speed & distance because you're working harder throughout the ride but it's that good kind of work. Just take a look at our post-ride smiling faces, they're not just plastered on because we're mugging for the camera, we all had a good time. And that's what it's all about, getting out, riding with your buddies & having fun. We've chosen to ride in some questionable conditions this year and every time it has been worth it...beyond keeping the riding season going. To that end, #39 is scheduled & we're heading to Charlevoix to Fisherman's Island State Park to ride some groomed XC Ski trails. Hey, as long as we're still riding, we might as well check out some fresh trails. If you're interested and want to join in the fun, check out the Team Calendar for directions, details & info. If you're not up for the bike aspect, bring your skis or snowshoes, plus your headlight!

The Burn Returns

2010-12-12T19:46:00.000-05:00

A Wonderful Day For A Ride!!!

With the unseasonably warm temperatures we've been having lately in Flagstaff, the snow in and around town has pretty much melted off, with the high country and north facing slopes being pretty much the only exceptions. A temp of around 56 degrees and the sun shining brightly made for a perfect day to get a quick ride in (it also helps that the Arizona Cardinals aren't worth watching anymore), so I loaded up and headed to what was a dry Campbell Mesa. Although, I wasn't trying to set any land speed records on today's ride (currently held by Canadian cyclist Sam Whittingham at 83mph on a flat surface and unpaced); the burn has returned. I haven't been riding too much recently (basically not at all) due to buying a house, getting married, remodeling a room into a nursery, work, etc., etc., blah, blah, blah, excuses, excuses, excuses... To quote what seems like Peter's favorite saying these days, "HTFU, Sarge!!!" It did feel wonderful to get out and get those legs spinning, though. I managed, to my surprise, to maintain an 11.0 mph average over the course of 11 miles. And although it was at Campbell Mesa, not Flagstaff's most technical trail and mostly a flat series of loops, I managed to get that burn going in my legs and also my lungs. Which really boils down to one conclusion... "Sarge, you need to ride more!" Campbell Mesa and the base of Mount Elden may have to do for riding locations, though. I'm trying to stay close to home these days. Even with a due date of Dec. 20th, the birth of our first child could happen any day now, so taking the trip down the hill to Sedona to ride will just have to wait until January... hopefully.

While perusing our pictures on the computer today, I came across the following vids that I haven't seen in quite some time. Keep in mind, I'm no video guru; they may be a bit shaky with random commentary by myself. Short as they may be, they brought back some fond memories of riding with Team Terpening.

Peter at Barlett Wash, Moab, Utah. I Love The Smile On His Face After A Short "Pump-track Style" Session On The Slick Rock

The View From Along The Porcupine Rim Trail, Moab, Utah. With Peter, Sarah, and Ginni Biggs.

The Finish To The Vehicles At Campbell Mesa, Flagstaff, AZ. With Peter and Sarah

***Also, there may be a SargeFest 2011 in the works for sometime in September. I realize it may be a challenge for some of you to get here, but good times are guaranteed with plenty of great riding, beer, and BBQ over the course of weekend. Shoot me an email if you have any input regarding dates that may work best. I'm leaning towards a weekend in late September.***

More Mike Bodt

2010-12-09T10:06:00.004-05:00

Even though our friend hasn't been to visit in a while, we still talk about him a lot!

Here is a recent photo from Travis' apartment in Brooklyn where we had an amazing time with great friends! Come home soon Mike! Love, Sarah

Video Wednesday

2010-12-08T08:13:00.002-05:00

The closest I've ever come to actually skateboarding was a brief stint playing Tony Hawk with Bodt and Sarge about ten years ago, but this is a cool video all the same. Check it out.

Have a good time on the ride tonight if it goes (they're calling for 2 to 5 inches today), I'll continue running until I can ski. Over and out.

36 and 37

2010-12-05T21:54:00.005-05:00

Somebody has been slacking on the Wednesday ride updates...I'll confess, it was me and since our official WNRide season typically ends on the last Wednesday before firearm deer season opens coupled with the arrival of several inches of snow, you might not expect there would to be much to report. However with the phenomenal riding season that we've had, we just had to find a way to extend our streak. With 35 consecutive weeks of riding already in the history books, we were determined to find a way to add a few bonus rides and possibly reach a total of 40 weeks of riding in 2010. There are enough weeks left in the year that we could conceivably reach this lofty (some would say crazy) goal.

WNR #36 - Bonus Ride #1 - November 17
Even though we don't start our night rides until 6:30p, well after hunters should be out of the woods, we've abstained mostly for our own safety as well as out of respect for the hunters...they are armed after all. Still wanting to ride some single track, we chose to ride at Avalanche Park in Boyne City as it is a Preserve/Park mainly within the city limits and off-limits to hunters. The weather was cool, around 38 and had been raining on & off throughout the day lake-effect style giving dry-ish respites when the rain bands shifted. Undaunted, six riders arrived to enjoy the ride including Myself, Action Chuck, Secret Steve, Racin' Rob, Kevin & Joe. With a break in the rain, we suited up & headed out. We only discovered Avalanche Park this year but it has quickly risen to a top ride destination with its tight, twisty, flowy & well managed trails. This would be the first time most of us rode the trail wet. The bottom half of the trail consists of quite a bit of clay, while this is normally nice & grippy, add a little (or a lot) of rain and you get sections something the consistency pudding covered Crisco. Normally a wet trail in the fall isn't too bad, there are plenty of leaves to soak up some of the rain & give you some traction. Unfortunately, some overzealous leaf-blower jockey had cleared the entire loop, making for traction, as Charlie put it, "like a glass doorknob covered in snot." Challenging, to say the least but kept the adrenaline near the red line at the same time the fun-meter was pegged. The steeper hills were mostly unclimbable, the roots course-corrected ever-so-gently and the corners let you drift whether you wanted to or not. All in all an exciting and worthy bonus ride! Plus, with all of the clay caked on our bikes & tires, we got to take a little of the trail home with us.

WNR #37 - Bonus Ride #2 - December 1
We planned ride the 2nd Wednesday of deer season at Boyne Mt. as it is primarily private property. This was the first time we were riding this near Thanksgiving so we opted to move the ride up to Tuesday (mostly to accommodate me as we were hosting the family dinner & I needed to help get the house prepped.) Alas, it wasn't meant to be this night as a snow storm along with some scheduling conflicts aided in the ride's demise. The following Monday, Kevin rallied the troops & we decided to try again and even though deer season would be over, we opted to stick with the previous plan to ride at the Mt. December 1st arrived with a little mixed precipitation in the morning that quickly turned to all snow & by noon there was about an inch+ in and around Harbor though the lake-effect machine had been pumping a bit more to the south. A brief flurry of emails confirmed that we were all still up for the ride, no matter what. With the snow bands clearly targeting Boyne Mt. Charlie & I pulled into the snow covered parking lot to see Kevin, Joe & S.Steve gearing up to round out our first snow ride. By the time we suited up and hit the trail, there was a good 3-4" fresh, white blanket covering the trail and plenty more falling all around. I was glad that Joe/Kevin/Steve were leading the way, breaking trail, let alone finding it. The wet heavy snow, along with the fact that the ground wasn't frozen yet, actually made for decent traction. With the snow falling heavily, it was difficult to see, whether you had glasses or not but our headlights effect was doubled as it reflected off the white trail ahead. It was a beautiful sight with the snow heavy on the thorny canes arching on either side of the trail, no longer reaching in to grab our arms as we passed. A few of the climbs were even less possible and the snow covered roots made for some surprising course corrections but we managed a decent pace and covered about a 7 mile loop in about an hour. the consensus was that this was one of the most fun rides that we've all done and I believe the first "Snow-Ride" undertake by our merry band...certainly not the last!

We thought we had better take a few pictures following the ride to commemorate the event & for some quality blog fodder.

As you can see, the snow was still falling at a good rate as we pulled up to our cars and made for some quick clothing changes before heading to the Red Mesa warming hut.

Not to be outdone, we are continuing toward the goal of 40, so long as the snow isn't too deep. Ride #38 will be at the Meadow, group launch at 6:30. Dress warm, bring your lights & make history with us.

*(Studded tires are optional)

What's this?

2010-12-05T21:32:00.002-05:00

On Saturday, Kristina and I made our annual trip out to the Mogollon Rim to cut our Christmas tree. A wonderful day was spent out in the woods thanks to the NFS and a $15 tree permit. The sun was out, and it warmed to a balmy 50 degrees. We found a nice, not-so-treefarm-perfect-but-close white fir tree... homegrown, hand selected, and cut with my bare hands (well maybe not bare, I did have gloves on). The route to the designated tree cutting area takes us out of Flagstaff via Lake Mary Road, a popular road biking route. It was spring the last time I traveled out Lake Mary Road, during a period of road construction to see how full the lakes were. The City/contractor did a nice job. Fresh, new pavement and widened with a bike lane on each side of the road. One thing really caught my eye, though. A new road sign. A sign that made my mind wander back to a small incident in town regarding a bus and a bicyclist. DC and the AZ Daily Sun reported about this incident and even posted the videos from the bus surveillance camera (click on the links). An incident that pitted a cyclist against, first, a bus driver and, secondly, the City of Flagstaff. The feud was brought about by a passing bus that appeared, at least to cyclist Randy Mason, too close for comfort... even illegal. It brought to my attention a rule of the roads that I had never even heard of before - The Three Foot Law. Also referred to as Brad Gorman's Law, named after a Tucson cyclist run over from behind, it was passed in 2000 in Arizona and requires motorists to abide by the following: "When overtaking and passing a bicycle proceeding in the same direction, a person driving a motor vehicle shall exercise due care by leaving a safe distance between the motor vehicle and the bicycle of not less than three feet until the motor vehicle is safely past the overtaken bicycle." Aside from the cyclist involved, the law seemed to be a mystery to all involved including the bus driver, responding police officer, and city attorney. And so, as the law was interpreted and the whole ordeal seemed to fizzle out, it resulted in a ticket for the bus driver and a new awareness to a law that existed, but was never really enforced... But it was brought to my attention once again as we traveled down Lake Mary Road. Apparently, Randy got one more thing out of the ordeal, the first one of these I've seen in the state...

Randy's Sign, Lake Mary Road, Flagstaff, AZ

Cry Baby Revisited

2010-12-01T08:02:00.002-05:00

The video they filmed at the race this fall is out. Check it.

"127 Hours"

2010-11-28T13:42:00.002-05:00

It's a snowy day here in the FLG; 23 degrees, 15 mph winds, and snow, snow, and more snow. Nice to be inside surfing the web for a bit before making an attempt to organize the garage. I finally did some research this morning that I've been meaning to do since shortly after our wedding reception. The evening of our party, the Warden and I were engaged in some conversation regarding the movie "127 Hours" that he had recently seen at a limited engagement at a theater in Denver. I had heard in the past that there was a movie in the works based on this true story, but hadn't heard when it was due for release. I can recall reading about Aron Ralston's near tragic end in a 2004 "Outside" magazine article and being immediately blown away by the story. A story that is absolutely outrageous, and asks the question, "In the face of death, what would you be willing to do to save your life?" In a nutshell the story is as follows: While solo hiking in southern Utah, Ralston's hand/arm becomes wedged behind a rock in a freak accident. Unable to release from behind the rock and trapped in a slot canyon, he is left with only two choices, life or death. In order to choose the life option, he must self-amputate his arm. Once freed from being trapped, he still must hike several miles to safety. I recommend visiting the link above to the "Outside" article, an excerpt from Ralston's book "Between a Rock and a Hard Place". I have yet to read the book; but, after doing my research and rereading some of the article today, I'll be making a trip to the Flagstaff Public Library to check it out on Monday. Released on a limited basis only, it unfortunately doesn't look like the movie will make a debut here in Flagstaff. Although it's not available on Netflix yet, I've saved it to my queue; and, based on the Warden's recommendation, you should too. It came highly recommended by the Warden based on the jaw-dropping story, cinematography, and scenery. After reading the linked story, please comment below: "Could you cut off your arm in the face of death?"

Poke town pump track

2010-11-24T08:06:00.001-05:00

The only person I know who's ever ridden one of these things is Lianna, and she said it was super fun. Notice how the track is built in such a manner that if you do things correctly you don't need to pedal. Supposedly they are good for xc riders too because they teach you how to conserve your momentum. I want one in my yard, but I'm too lazy/don't know how to build one. Might be a good team project in the spring. Have a happy turkey day.

Hipster (Anti)Nation 1.0

2010-11-19T23:00:00.002-05:00

The Cutter

The Madison

As I sat on the davenport tonight relaxing after a long, hard day of work, I reached out and grabbed the nearest periodical for a quick read before dinner. That reading material just happened to be Kristina's latest issue of Women's Health Magazine. After flipping through a couple of pages, my fingers stopped on a section entitled "2010 Holiday Hot List - For Sister". I stopped, not because I needed a gift idea for my sister Anne, but because of one particular "hot" item on the list. The Schwinn Cutter for $379, described as a "Carbon footprint reducer, muscle toner, and fashion statement all in one". It sparked my interest, solely because the bicycle just absolutely screamed hipster scene and was being marketed to the masses (did you realize that Walmart now sells a fixie... scary!). I couldn't believe anyone could actually recommend this bicycle as a gift... for not just a sister, but anyone. I did some quick interweb research on this ride at schwinnbikes.com. To my jaw dropping amazement, Schwinn has an entire line of bikes built for the hipster crowd, all part of their "Urban" line of bicycles... makes me want to puke!!! I remember the good old days when Schwinn used to make some classy old rides like the Stingray, the Fiesta, and the Collegiate, all available in what I would call "basic colors", not these pu*sy pastels that hipsters prefer. These "Urban" bikes are just too much. Although I still enjoy collecting classic Schwinns, they may have just made "the list" because they are aiding in the advancement of skinny jean wearing, walk your bike and try to look cool hipster mofos. If you ever see me on one of these bikes, do me a favor and kick my ass. As always, I love bicycles, but these fixie assholes bother me.

Don't Be That Guy
(Pic poached from "TheThrill of Riding" blog, but I don't think he'll mind, as long as I'm pickin' on hipsters)

Video Wednesday

2010-11-17T08:00:00.002-05:00

I've been running short on blog material lately. Perhaps I will steal a video off the interwebs on Wednesday's and post it here. Stoled this one this morning. Check it out.

WNR # 35

2010-11-11T13:56:00.003-05:00

Attendance: Pete, Benson, Secret Steve (of recent Iceman fame), Racin' Rob, Kevin, A/C, Joe, and Cheryl.

Weather: Dark, but balmy at right around 50 degrees.

Trail Conditions: Excellent.

Another WNR season in the books with a record breaking 35 in a row. I've been trying to think of just one word to sum it all up, and all I've come up with so far is FAST. Week in and week out I've been amazed at how fast we've all been getting. It seems like every time the pace backs off even a little bit, Racin' Rob or A/C is putting the hammer down and shooting off the front leaving the rest of us with no choice but to reel them back in. These high paced weekly rides appear to be paying dividends come race time as well with some of us putting up fabulous results this season (Secret Steve in particular). So we can all give ourselves a proverbial pat on the back for a job well done this season. It's hard to imagine we'll get any faster next season, but there definitely appears to be a trend in that direction. Thanks to everybody for making the commitment to keep the WNR torch lit; I know there were at least a handful of Wednesday's on which I would not have ridden otherwise. Possible WNR extension next week at Avalanche in Boyne City depending on the weather. Thanks again for a great season everybody. Over and out.

P.S. We closed out the ride on Sarge's Trail in honor of his birthday yesterday.

Number 34

2010-11-04T15:09:00.004-04:00

Attendance: Pete, Benson, Racin' Rob, A/C, Sarah, and Cheryl.

Weather: Cold and dark.

Trail Conditions: I raked all the singletrack on my property over the weekend, so that was still in great shape. The rest of the trail was littered with a ton of sticks and leaves. In addition, there were a few downed trees requiring a dismount.

Still, we had a good ride. The cold wasn't nearly as bad as we thought, long sleeves and a vest were more than sufficient. And the rain that had been falling off and on all day stopped for the entire ride (it started up again as soon as we were done). We all enjoyed a great meal prepared by Sarah, and we sat around the table shooting the proverbial sh*t for a good long while afterwards. Fortunately I was still able to rouse myself for a much needed dose of yoga before work this morning. WNR # 35 will be @ Boyne next week. Hope to see you next week.

P.S. Plans are in the works to extend the WNR streak into hunting season weather permitting, so stay tuned.

WNR # 33

2010-10-28T13:05:00.002-04:00

Attendance: Pete, Benson, Racin' Rob, Kevin, Charlie, Joe, Cheryl, Christian, and Lisa.

Weather: 45 degrees, 50 mph winds, and a steady rain.

Trail Conditions: Due to the wind and rain the trail was very slick in spots, and numerous dismounts were required to climb over downed trees and limbs.

You might think this all sounds like we would have had a horrible ride. Nothing could be further from the truth. Sure the rain was a little wet, and yeah it would have been nice to have a few less than the fifty or so dismounts and tree climbing overs. But once you're wet, you're wet. And it's always good practice dismounts and remounts. So we ended up with a little under nine miles of riding and just over a thousand feet of vertical. Actually, it was one of the better rides I've had recently. Judging from all the smiling faces at the conclusion of the ride, I'd say the feeling was universal. Riding in adverse conditions is always a little tougher, but when the ride is done it's just that much more gratifying. HTFU. Next weeks WNR @ HQ. Since it may be the last HQ WNR of the season, I'm going to do something special for dinner. All you have to do is show up and ride. It's been a great season, and I hope we'll keep up the strong finish until the snow flies. Over and out.

WNR #32

2010-10-22T12:04:00.003-04:00

The 2010 Wednesday Night Ride season is still going strong despite the dwindling temperatures, daylight and trail visibility. The late afternoon weather looked to be cooperating with clear sunny skies though a bit windy. Closer to ride launch, that wind pushed a little lake effect rain over us but quickly cleared before the ride began. The temps were hovering in the low 50's and definitely felt chillier with the wind but that didn't deter us. Even in Pete & Sarah's absence (PG' s parent's anniversary) we had a solid crew of 8 WNRiders geared up for the cool/dark ride up the rooty Kipp NCT: Racin' Rob, Action Chuck, Secret Steve, Bruised Benson, "Where are my keys?" Bobbie, Cheryl, Joe & Lisa.

Rob, Charlie & S.Steve set off on a good pace & quickly dropped the rest of the crew as we started the climb. Joe, Bobbie & I rode in the middle, not too far behind but in no hurry. Joe was even testing a fully ridgid single-speed (due to a mechanical) and was enjoying its efficiency. Cheryl & Lisa were enjoying themselves batting cleanup. The leaves on the trail were plentiful and masked some of the roots below for some fun surprises and the recent rain made the roots a bit slippery especially on the climb. Though the trail was a little hard to see in the remaining daylight, the trough we carved on the way out made for easier visiblity with the lights. It was actually harder to follow the trail in the pines where there weren't any leaves. All in all a great ride, especially for late October.

Not long ago it seemed that there were only a few of us that were diligent (some would say foolhardy) enough to continue riding this late into the season. Just having new riders join the core group has been great but even those new to the group are excited to don not only cold weather gear but headlights too in order to continue our riding season. Plus we have been extremely fortunate to have had a nice mild & dry fall so far. Only a few WNRides left but it looks like there will be plenty of us out there to enjoy them.

One more note, I want to wish Sarge & Kristina Congratulations today on their wedding day! Wish we could all be there!

The Night Before

2010-10-22T01:25:00.000-04:00

No bachelor's party... I'm alright with that. I suppose I'm past paying for overpriced lap dances. A few Beaver Street IPA's after cutting out of work early. Greg stopped by with a sixer of New Belgium Ranger IPA. Jess dropped off an extra cooler and an air matress for the Warden. Nothing planned tonight except waiting for the "Big Day" with a few good beers. Me... I'm ready for the reception. A keg of Beaver Street IPA, generously donated by Gary, and a lot of good food prepared by friends and family. Life is good. Now, lets drink some beer!!!

I'll be laughing and having a grand ol' time tomorrow. I've been a bit busy lately. I'll right more later, until then... enjoy this video while drinking an IPA in my honor.

WNR # 31

2010-10-14T20:08:00.008-04:00

WNR # 31 is in the books and I think we are getting close to a new record for most WNR in a season. I think Benson is keeping score and I am sure we will celebrate when we reach that goal.

This weeks ride was at Boyne Mountain. riders attending were myself, Action Chuck, Bruised up Benson, Secret Steve, Chris M. and from Boyne City, Team No Boundaries riders Bob and Ben.

The weather was near perfect for the middle of October with temps around 60 degrees.

Steve and Benson arrived a little early and did a short pre ride to warm up and as they returned I decided to check out trail conditions as well. I pedaled away to the east of the parking lot just out of sight ( 75 to 100 yards) and I heard a loud bang, sounded like someone slamming their trunk or hood really hard. I didn't think to much of it but when I returned to the parking area I see Steve and Benson wrenching on Benson's bike. It seems that Benson decided to practice his wheelie skills and leaned a little to far to the right and could not save it. The noise I heard earlier

was Benson and his Bike hitting the pavement really hard. I keep telling everyone that they are trail bikes not stunt bikes. He landed on his right hip and bruised that pretty good, sprained his right wrist and his face (cheek ) kissed the pavement. Pretty banged up but we were glad he got up and was not seriously hurt. It could have been much worse.

Now for the rest of the ride. Steve started off leading and set a quick pace. The trail was dry and loose with a lot of leaves down so it was a bit sketchy at times....for me anyway. Steve myself and Bob took turns leading the way for the first half of the ride. At about mile 6 or 7 Bruised up Benson's wrist couldn't' take any more punishment and he took a shortcut back to the truck.

He put in a good effort considering the hit he took. Good job CB hope you are feeling better soon.

The rest of us kept going and action chuck got out front for a bit showing off on his 1998 Schwinn S carbon something. He broke his frame on his Cannondale so had to get the Schwinn out of retirement. Charlie said it is a good climbing bike but a little scary at speed. He seemed to do just fine as always. We made our way to the top with lights on as it was dark now. Bob knows his way around these trails so he showed us the quick way down so we could meet back up with Benson at the parking lot. Benson was there waiting for us just resting,licking his wounds and sipping on some medicine in a brown bottle. not a long ride but not bad for a WNR in October. OK I have to say it, IT WAS A WHEELIE GOOD TIME!!!!!

Good luck to everyone racing Saturday, the weather looks good, HAVE FUN!!!

WNR #30

2010-10-12T16:26:00.003-04:00

Yes, it's true, we have reached the 30th ride of 2010 and we're still in early October. This puts us on pace for a total of 35 Wednesday Night Rides for the year! That is, weather permitting and before we have to take a hiatus for firearm deer season. So far the weather for this month has been exceptional and the fall colors are in abundance. The weather for ride #30 was no exception, in the low 60's at the start of the ride on a clear & sunny day.

The group started at The Meadow to ride the trails behind Boyne Highlands. In attendance this week were myself, Racin' Rob, Secret Steve, Action Chuck, Kevin, Joe, Chris M., Cheryl & Lisa? (also from Lat. 45) - Everyone donned their headlights for the latter half of the ride. We opted to ride a traditional loop, starting up the valley to Pete's Knee, then to the Chapel, across to the North Peak. On our way from the N.P. out to the Bridges, we encountered the logging that had been rumored on the 'Blue' trail. It turned out not to be too bad though, only a short section was blocked by downed trees & log piles - from the top of the Loser trail to the top of the short downhill connector. A little 'through the woods' riding & we were back on the trail without issue. We rode out to the Bridges & then started working our way back down and aimed for a nice finish on Sarge's Section, where we had to make use of the headlights. The boys group kept a pretty good pace and made it back to the Meadow in about an hour. Cheryl & Lisa found their own way & got back to the cars about 20 minutes later making full use of their lights. The trails were near perfect, save for a plethora of freshly fallen leaves coating the forest floor occasionally obscuring the trail.

For those that have been taking attendance, I missed my first WNR of the season last week (WNR#29) while Amber & I were in AZ enjoying a little warm spell (104+ a couple of days) - so much for a perfect season...though I'm still waiting to hear if there was a September T2 blog contest winner. Blog official Sarge was curious too!?

Please excuse the late entry, PG is on vacation and I got back from our vacation the night before the ride and have been playing catchup ever since. In the meantime, enjoy this photo of a sizable saguaro outside Greasewood Flat just north of Scottsdale. Next visit I plan on doing some riding...if it's cooler!

WNR #31 is at Boyne Mt. & dinner options in BC. Bring your lights & see you there!

Thanks Greg

2010-10-07T17:11:00.003-04:00

Stole some good pix of the team at the Cry Baby thanks to Greg H. My big nemesis's older (?) brother.

Big Dave and I before I got dropped for good on the last lap.

Kevin muscling up the beginning of the "cry baby" climb.

Damon heading down a steep little chute about a mile and a half in.

This one I'm not sure how I feel about. Kevin gave it group wide email distribution this morning, but for those not on the list here it is again.

So how was WNR # 30? We're about 5 hours shy of Burlington and holing up for the night in Utica. Utica does not appear to be a very nice city, but we'll make the best of it.

Lost and Found

2010-10-05T08:04:00.002-04:00

Let me know if you've lost something recently, and I'll keep my eyes peeled while I'm out east. I found this on the DC this morning, and I thought it was pretty cool (even if I couldn't understand what they were saying for the most part). I believe they've been doing rides like this over across the pond for a long time as evidenced by some of the old school bikes and clothing. I think they're referred to as Gran Fondo rides? Hugh (our european correspondent) needs to look into this. Check it out below:

L'Eroica report / DAY 3 / The Race from Le Coq Sportif on Vimeo.

1st Annual Cry Baby Classic

2010-10-02T15:45:00.002-04:00

Yesterday afternoon, the forecast for today's Cry Baby Classic was dismal to say the least. Rain and temperatures hovering around 40 degrees sounded miserable. Fortunately, the forecasters got it wrong. It was cold this morning to be sure, 42 degrees or so but the sky was blue and there was no threat of rain. I got kitted up in the car and got out to start my warm-up about 45 minutes before the expert singlespeed 9:30 start. I wore some heavier gloves, a big hooded sweatshirt, and a ski hat for my warm up. This proved to be the perfect choice. It was cold when I coasted downhill, but I didn't overheat when I ramped up my heart rate on the uphills either. I tried to stay moving as long as I could before the start because I knew once I stripped off my warm layers I would get cold in a hurry. I gave my warm clothes and tunes to Sarah and put on my helmet and some lighter gloves about 5 minutes before the start, and then we were off.

The giant dude in front of me (it's not an optical illusion) is none other than Dave Hintz. Here he is leading me into the first lap. While we would trade spots back and forth a couple of times throughout the race, in the end he proved stronger and got me by less than a minute.

Lap 1: The first lap went by without too much incident. The climbs were brutal, but the course was in great shape all in all. This was also my first bike race on home turf. It was a little unnerving at first to have almost every spectator and course marshal calling out my name when I rode by cheering me on, but in the end I think it most definitely helped me out. I came through the start/finish area to more cheering and a slight gap on Big Dave.

Lap 2: About 30 seconds into the second lap, disaster struck. Well maybe disaster is a bit strong of a word, I dropped my chain on a particularly bumpy downhill section of trail. I stopped long enough to get it back on and make sure the chainring hadn't loosened up again. It only took a minute or so, but in that time Big Dave and another singlespeeder flew by me. I had a momentary lapse into the world of frustration and self-pity, and then I told myself to HTFU. I did, and halfway through the lap I caught up to and passed Big Dave again. After another ripping downhill back to the start/finish area I was stilling feeling pretty good.

Lap 3: Big Dave caught up to me about 2 miles into the last lap, and I was content to sit on his wheel and let him pull me around for a while. I tried to make a move past him on the second to last run up, but I started to cramp up just a tad in my quads. I let up on the gas a little, and he was gone. The rest of the lap went fine, and I had a strong finish.

While I didn't do particularly well in the expert singlespeed division (8th out of 10 I believe), I was very happy with my race. The four or five guys above me were less than a minute ahead, and I was also less than a minute back on Secret Steve's wicked fast geared pace. Also, my lap times were all less than a minute apart which means I paced myself well. I think my official time was 1 hour 39 minutes and 50 seconds for 18.64 miles. My average speed was 11.3 mph, and my heart rate averaged 166.

Here we have a shot of myself, Secret Steve, Ulle, and Kevin at the finish. I think my brand new 10th anniversary DC jersey brought me some good juju today. I will wear it again for sure.

So I went home to take a shower, and then I went to work where I type this now between selling people some wine and stuff. Check out all the other numbers and elevation profiles through the link below. Have a good weekend.

Untitled by wpeterg at Garmin Connect - Details

Number Twenty Nine

2010-09-30T13:21:00.002-04:00

Attendance: Myself, Racin' Rob, Secret Steve, A/C, Kevin, Sarah, and Cheryl.

Weather: Sunny and 60 degrees.

Trail Conditions: Excellent. I spent a little over two hours cleaning up the trail before the ride. The biggest project involved firing up the chainsaw to finally clear out the Bodhisize trail that has been clogged with downed trees most of the summer. It's really nice to be able to get through there without dismounting and climbing over a bunch of crap.

Sarah took Cheryl on some new trails; and since most of my group is racing this weekend, I led out what I was hoping to be a leisurely (as if that's even possible anymore with this crew) ride around Pond Hill Farm. After the ride, we were all treated to another delicious dinner from RaRa. Next weeks WNR is @ Boyne. Bring your lights for sure. RaRa and I are departing for the east coast next Wednesday afternoon, so we'll be out for the next two WNR's. Ride well and keep the rubber side down. Perhaps I'll post up some stuff from the road. Over and out.

28 and Counting

2010-09-28T21:11:00.001-04:00

A little late on the draw this week for the blog…I hope I haven’t abused blog etiquette too bad by not posting quite on time. Kind of a busy week, and hey, I have quite a blog to top from the last one! Pressure! Haha! But, here we are, better late than never!

With 28 Wednesday night rides so far this summer, I, along with everyone, can say what a great one it’s been! I don’t mean to say it like its past tense, because our rides are still rollin’ along, even into the night hours! We’ve truly had a great summer of riding though, I don’t think any mountain biker or outdoor enthusiast could argue with that. A few wet ones here and there, but all in all, a terrific season!

I’d have to say this ride was fairly casual. Well, casual compared to last Sunday…I’d say most anything is casual compared to 40 miles on knobs. Me, Rob Horsepower, CB, Action Cheryl, Sarah, Pete, New Chris, and Secret Steve took another tour of the Crybaby. This run was about the same as our last one with the same view of Rob drifting off into the distance. Except this time I swear there was a little rooster tail spewing out from behind his tire! Well, rounding the first corner we could tell the course had been groomed, it looked rather nice. It had that texture every mountain biker looks for in a turn. Smooth, but tacky enough to feel the tread squirm just the right amount into the dirt. The kind that allows your weight to transfer confidently into the bars, lowering your weight just enough so you can squeeze an extra mph or two to sneak ahead of your would be competition. And the course…if you were wondering…yup, still hurts. All the way up. I’m trying to figure out where I’m going to take a swig of water because my lungs will be working overtime! Not sure what I was thinking when I signed up for three laps….

Our short tour of the course took us into the night. On our way back the trail was dotted with our lights dancing all over the singletrack. Thanks again Pete for letting me trade batteries for my little test. Ah yes, night riding. That’s a damn good time. For #28 we didn’t get to dip into the darkness very much, but if our fall stays in line with our summer, we could see quite a bit more of it. Might actually have us slow it down a bit so we don’t overdrive our lights…there’s only so far you can see careening down a familiar singletrack…the darkness plays tricks on you. I remember more recently that one well worn trail “seemed” to veer right…well, it didn’t. My poor knuckles. (fist bump?)

As the lights feathered out, we gathered for some friendly brewskies and a little armchair racing thinking of how the upcoming race is going to pan out. Grinding about technique, lane choice, and generally how the event is going to unfold. Seems like I’ve heard a lot of positives, but we’ll see. Until then, I’ll be sure to pack my tissues for that hill… As Pete would say, yes, the race this weekend is going to hurt like a mother fu**er….or should he say more appropriately, HTFU!!!

New U.P./Old U.P.

2010-09-28T07:54:00.003-04:00

WNR # 28 came and went. I think A/C said he was going to do the post so all I'll say is the race this weekend is going to hurt like a mother fu**er.

I had a really nice last minute trip to the U.P. over the end of the weekend. Some of it was same old same old, and some of it was brand spanking new to me.

The same old same old: I stayed at the Landmark. It's a really nice (not overly $) hotel in downtown Marquette, and I like it a lot. When I called to check on a room and gave the front desk person my last name, she immediately said "You've stayed with us before if I'm not mistaken Mr. Gurney. Let me pull up your information." Hardly necessary, but nice all the same. While in town I ate breakfast at the Sweetwater and had pizza from Aubrey's, they are both top notch eating establishments. If you ever find yourself in or around Marquette, I highly recommend checking them out.

The new stuff, in order of least exciting to most painful:

I took the Newberry way home. We always go Blamey Park. It's literally six of one, half a dozen.

I finally pulled into the Scenic Turnout just west of Munising. It's pretty, and there's a good view of Grand Island. I stayed about two minutes.

I rode two and a half new loops of the South Marquette trail system over the course of two days. The trails up there are sweet. Part of one of them is a long downhill literally on top of an old concrete pipeline. It's called the pipeline. So the trails are super technical, but almost all rideable even on the singlespeed. I've now ridden all but half of one loop in the system at least once.

I was talking with Kate and Nick before I left work on Saturday afternoon, and I mentioned I was thinking about checking out the Cut River Gorge on the way up. Kate and the fam had been up across the weekend before, and they stopped there on their way home. I had been thinking they had some stairs down to the bottom, and Kate confirmed that they indeed did. My mind was made up. I'd park, change into my running gear, go for a little jog to warm up, and then do a good hard stair workout to break up the drive. There are something like 250 steps, and I ran up them three times. People looked at me like I was insane, and with the way my legs feel today after that workout and a couple of solid rides they may have a point. I took a sauna last night, and that seems to have helped a little. I'm just hoping they start feeling better before the weekend.

P.S. I was thinking of doing a cross race up there on Sunday. I didn't. The blue skies, warmish weather, and the abundance of sweet singletrack trumped riding/running around a park as fast as I could for an hour.

WNR @ HQ tomorrow.

I Couldn't Resist

2010-09-22T07:26:00.003-04:00

I see a lot of funny sh*t on the internet. Usually I figure most people see the same stuff, or maybe they wouldn't find it as funny as I did; but with this one I couldn't resist sharing with the class. I found this over on the DC this morning and had a good little chuckle. I just laughed again when I pasted it over.

Anyway, got some good bike work done the other day. I tightened up the tension of my singlespeed chain, so hopefully no mechanicals for Pedro tonight. I also finally got some new tires on/racks off the cyclocross bike just in case I'm so inclined to drive to Marquette for a little pain and suffering on Sunday. Over and out.

p.s. Sarge, check out the hipster/fixie rant over at DC as well. It sounds like you and that dude share a similar outlook on that particular sub-set of cycling.

Forties

2010-09-21T07:56:00.002-04:00

Sunday Dirt Services went a tad longer than expected over the weekend. We were shooting for a 2.5-3 hour ride, we ended up with 3 hours and 45 minutes for just about 40 miles. It's the longest ride I've done since Ore to Shore, and it felt really good. Those are the kind of rides I do at least once a week starting in late March/early April up until Memorial Day pretty much. Then sh*t just gets busy, and I simply don't have time for long jaunts in the woods. Plus, if I do a long race in June, July, and, August my body probably wouldn't respond very well to additional four hour rides in the woods. Anyway, doing longs rides like Sunday with a good group makes them even better. Benson, Racin Rob, A/C, Secret Steve, and KnewKhris joined me on the adventure; and while I kept them out on the saddle a little longer than expected, I think everyone enjoyed one of my personal favorite loops.

WNR is moving to the end of Valley Rd. just past Chestnut Valley this week. I know someone told me why, but I can't remember. Benson is supposed to be sending out an amended invite as well. Hope to see you there, it's getting real tight on getting by without a light. Contact myself or Benson and we might be able to hook you up with a loaner.

Feeling Like a Slacker...

2010-09-17T19:16:00.000-04:00

I know that it's been quite some time since my last post, but I must say that life has felt a bit overwhelming lately. And so, I've taken a month off from riding. Not necessarily by choice. Nor did I even realize that I was doing it at the time. Folks, I must say that buying a house, preparing to move, getting married, and having a child were not really meant to happen all at the same time or pushed into the same month. Welcome to my world. Although these are all great things leading up to one of life's greatest pleasures, one of life's simple pleasures has been put on the back burner... riding my bike. I feel like a slacker. I feel lazy. I feel rushed. I feel like I need clarity. I feel... well, like I need to go out and ride my g*d damn bike. So, this weekend's goal... no, wait... requirement, besides packing, is to get out and ride, damn it!!! I'll make a post real soon about how good it feels to get my ass kicked after an extended break. Until then, check out all the cool bike sh*t that I've come across while cleaning and packing. Amongst the piles of loose bike parts and dirty rags, I've uncovered some classics... and a spare bedroom. It's been a while since I've taken inventory of my bicycle collection. Lot's of work to be done on these babies, but with a garage and a proper work space at the new place, it's sure to get done... eventually.

From front to back:
1. Early 70's Azuki 10-Speed, Blue
2. Late 60's/Early 70's Sears Roebuk 3-Speed, Black
3. 1965 Schwinn Fiesta, White
4. 1971 Schwinn Collegiate, Green
5. Mid to Late 70's All-Pro, Beige

1965 Schwinn Fiesta

Anybody remember this old girl? She's been retired for a few years now. Brand new front triangle has only had about four rides on it before the SS started dominating the dojo.

WNR #27

2010-09-17T15:10:00.000-04:00

Summer is behind us and so are most of our races, the temps are dropping and the daylight is fading earlier each day not to mention that the weather pattern has been decidedly too rainy & October-ish for mid September. This isn’t so much whining as stating the facts of Fall Mountain biking in Michigan. However the transition to this year’s season of riding has been a bit abrupt and we have had to adopt our cool-weather riding gear much sooner than expected. All of this may lead some non/infrequent riders to beg the question: “Are you nuts riding in this weather?” I say NO! We’re just enjoying the variety that fall riding brings. Not to mention that we get to don the headlights and do some night riding to extend the season! (still, maybe a little nuts...)

As for this week’s ride, the majority of the day was bright & sunny, a little cool but a nice fall day…until late afternoon when clouds started rolling in and a sizable green & yellow radar blob was pushing its way over the lake destined to collide with our ride on the Larks Lake NCT trail. Seeing that radar blob and having the opportunity to hit the trail early, I opted to get in a 30-40 minute pre-ride (or ride in the unlikely event that the other riders might bail.) Doing my best to ride between the raindrops, I headed up the trail and near the two-mile-mark I encountered Pete heading south on his ride from home to meet the group. We rode a bit further north & then headed back to see who was going to brave the weather. The rain was coming down a bit steadier but wasn’t too bad under the trees. Upon arrival at the trail head, we were encouraged to find a solid contingent of our fellow riders gearing up to brave the green blob. Kevin & Kerri were just pulling in, Charlie & Cheryl were almost ready to go, Bobbie was putting the finishing touches on locking herself out of her car (solved by a quick phone call to her dad for a spare key delivery) and Sarah was rarin’ to go! OK, we had to convince her to suit up & not sit in the car for an hour, but isn’t that what the rain gear is for?

The trail was in pretty good shape save for some plentiful sticks & downed branches from all of the recent windstorms. A few of the corners started to get a little sketchy with the added rain but all in all still good. Then Pete had a little mechanical with the single speed (yes, another bike issue) that kept ejecting his chain from the front ring. It looked like the chain ring was bent but turned out to be a loose chain ring bolt, easily tightened. Not wanting to chance it, Pete headed back to the car while Action Chuck, Kevin, Bobbi & I pedaled on to Robinson Rd. After a brief rest, we headed back up the climb (surprising Kerri on her way down) & back to the cars. With the clouds & rain, it was getting a little dark so we switched on the lights for added trail clarity…mostly to even out the fact that we couldn’t see through our rain & mud streaked glasses. Generally an uneventful return to the vehicles except that I managed to clear a sizable branch from the trail by picking it up into my pedals/frame/wheel/leg & instantly ground it into innocuous trail chips. Gotta love my steel-framed wood chipper (got lucky!) With everyone safely back and the rain continuing to fall, we made a quick change of clothes & headed north to Moosejaw Junction for some post-ride grub & beverages (minus Kevin & Kerri who were headed in the other direction but plus Racin’ Rob who worked late but joined us for dinner.) A weekend ride is planned for Sunday, starting from Team HQ at Noon:30 with a BYO cookout planned afterward and next week’s WNR will meet at the Pleasantview Township Hall to ride the NCT south with the possibility of some of the Cry-Baby course thrown in for good measure. See you next time!

P.S. I’ve been meaning to throw in a Copper Harbor Fat Tire Festival report but haven’t found the time. Here’s a little tidbit of a recently completed trail that wasn’t on the race course but should whet your appetite...if not for my post, then for the sweeeeeeet trails in Copper Harbor!

WNR # 26 BOYNE HIGHLANDS

2010-09-09T18:48:00.004-04:00

My first blog how exciting! This weeks ride at Boyne Highlands was rather cool and cloudy and with recent rain a little....O.K. alot slippery. Time to get out those long sleeve jerseys.
Riders attending this week included myself (Racin Rob), Rock Conquering Chris Benson , Secret Sandbager Steve , Kamikaze Kevin , Action Chuck and sidekick Super Cheryl , Jamin Joe , Pedalin Pedro , Singletrackin Sarah , Newer Chris , and Chain Krushing Kerri. Quite a cast of characters huh. Pedalin pedro got an early start and was already out on the trail and would meet us in the new section between the pines and Stutsmanville rd. Rock Conquering Chris rode with Singletrackin Sarah and Chain Krushing Kerri to introduce them to that same new section.
The rest of us took off up the valley with Secret Sandbagger Steve leading the way. we decided to add a little mileage and ride the bridges section on our way out to the new trail. There were alot of trees and branches down from all of the high winds over the holiday weekend and just as we started into the bridges section there was a good size tree down over the trail. Action Chuck decided to take action and show us a good line to get back on the trail. As he started his descent the slippery hillside and gravity put him head first into that downed tree. he was O.K. but I thought we might have to call in a helicopter to lift him out. There was some talk about mounting a winch to his bike to get him out of these situations. We finally made it to the pines and into the new section and caught up to Benson, Sarah and Kerri. As we got going again Kamikaze Kevin
took a log to the shin and had a nice goose egg. It looked painfull but he powered through. nice job! We kept going and ran into Pete as he was coming back south. He decided to ride back with Benson , Sarah And Kerri. Kerri was breaking in her new Salsa Mamacita 29er and break it in she did. The chain had come off and was pinched, sucked or jamed behind the big chainring and frame. Pete and Benson carefuly got it out with just a few minor scratches on that pretty red frame. A little red finger nail polish should touch it up nicely. The rest of us made it to Stutsmanville rd. and I decided to do a few wheelies on the pavement before we headed back south. With all of the trees down there was a lot of creative an competitive trail cutting (you know who u are) all in good fun. As we headed back to the meadow it was getting dark in the woods so those that had lights lit up the trail. We all made it back safe and enjoyed some beverages , chips and pretzels and made plans for next week. Just a reminder only 350 days untill COPPER HARBOR FAT TIRE FESTIVAL 2011 JUST RIDE AND SMILE