There were some great costumes at the recent CS Cross Crusades:
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Monday, October 29, 2012
CX Crusades Bend
If you happen to be a cyclocross junkie, then this recent weekend in Bend might just have been nirvana for you. The Cross Crusades series stopped in Bend this weekend for 2 days of racing and big FUN. Saturday's events included a 'regular' cross race and the evening's races included the costumed Clydesdale's event which was hysterical!
Saturday night was just about people watching and letting the beer flow freely while watching the Clydesdale fiesta'd costumes roll through on the CX course. This was all followed up by the warehouse party in the Deschutes Brewery.
Sunday's events included a costume version of Saturday's race which was big fun. I decided to go as Officer Dangle from Reno 911 while the missus went as the Sock Monkey. Miss Sock Monkey managed to win her category for 'best costume' but paid the price for it while she rode as the wool costume created a little mini sauna as she rode.
details on the race(s) to follow...for the time being, here are some phone camera pix of the costumes in action:
Friday, October 26, 2012
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Phattie evolves
As we are going through the process of replacing stolen bikes, the wifer's phattie was one of the bikes that needed to be replaced. She decided she really liked my 9zero7 build and so she convinced me into giving her the 9zero7 and urged me to go look at phattie replacements for me.
Since her Salsa Mukluk was stolen, I figured it would be good to try out a different bike and get a taste of what else is out there for options.
Last year's season of Phat proved to be a lean one for consumers in so much as inventory was difficult to come by. The burgeoning phat scene is taking off and as a result the simple rules of supply and demand seemed to be bottlenecked on the supply side.
This year, there are many more options and technology is changing as quickly as it has in the world of phat. The big change across the board seems to be dropouts on the rear to accommodate singlespeed with sliders or even internally geared hubs. These seem to be standard options now for many of the bikes.
I decided IGH and SS were not must have options for me on a snow bike and opted to go for inventory on hand that FatBack had pre-built. I went over to the warehouse in Bend and checked out the build that have upgraded rims and carbon fork. It was a departure from building it up but in a way it was good to be able to roll in, check things out, and roll out with a bike....speaking of Roll Out....
Since her Salsa Mukluk was stolen, I figured it would be good to try out a different bike and get a taste of what else is out there for options.
Last year's season of Phat proved to be a lean one for consumers in so much as inventory was difficult to come by. The burgeoning phat scene is taking off and as a result the simple rules of supply and demand seemed to be bottlenecked on the supply side.
This year, there are many more options and technology is changing as quickly as it has in the world of phat. The big change across the board seems to be dropouts on the rear to accommodate singlespeed with sliders or even internally geared hubs. These seem to be standard options now for many of the bikes.
I decided IGH and SS were not must have options for me on a snow bike and opted to go for inventory on hand that FatBack had pre-built. I went over to the warehouse in Bend and checked out the build that have upgraded rims and carbon fork. It was a departure from building it up but in a way it was good to be able to roll in, check things out, and roll out with a bike....speaking of Roll Out....
back to phatties....I decided to go with the raw Fatback option:
Monday, October 22, 2012
Thursday, October 18, 2012
MTB COB NR
enough acronyms yet? MTB COB NR...Mountain Bike Central Oregon Bend Night Ride...say that 5 times in a row to prove your sobriety!
We went out on the weekly night ride last night and dare I say that the conditions were just about perfect!!!! Our recent rains have packed down the trails so they are nice and tacky, and most importantly.....not dusty!
We did a reverse of the prior week's rendezvous and ended up with a very enjoyable ride despite a slow leaking rear tire of mine that needed an occasional boost.
We went out on the weekly night ride last night and dare I say that the conditions were just about perfect!!!! Our recent rains have packed down the trails so they are nice and tacky, and most importantly.....not dusty!
We did a reverse of the prior week's rendezvous and ended up with a very enjoyable ride despite a slow leaking rear tire of mine that needed an occasional boost.
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Monday, October 15, 2012
Inspired
In an era when the media chooses to focus on the negative, there are still some phenomenal stories that make you realize the depth and breadth of the human condition.
Fearless Felix...mad props to you sir!
Fearless Felix...mad props to you sir!
Friday, October 12, 2012
Video Stoke
ummm.....WOW!
'dis boy gotsss some skillzzzzz to earn some dolla' dolla' billzzzz to pay dem der billzzzz
'dis boy gotsss some skillzzzzz to earn some dolla' dolla' billzzzz to pay dem der billzzzz
Thursday, October 11, 2012
MTB Night Ride
The temps have been just about perfect in Central Oregon over the past couple of weeks and the only thing slowing down the riding options is the lack of daylight. Fortunately, night lights can extend the ride season as long as the weather holds up. We tagged along with the Webcyclery crew who is hosting a weekly night ride. The wifer, Josh, and I all showed up and were able to take full advantage of the nice temps as we kicked up a little dust around Phils.
It was good to get out after some minor maintenance on the bike (replacing front brake pads, and replacing the missing slider bolts that worked themselves loose).
All in all, a thumbs up to get out and play on hump day.
It was good to get out after some minor maintenance on the bike (replacing front brake pads, and replacing the missing slider bolts that worked themselves loose).
All in all, a thumbs up to get out and play on hump day.
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Lynskey Sliders
A little over a week while riding the McKenzie River Trail, I got up out of the saddle to pedal up a steeper section of trail and as soon as I started to apply torque, the driver train and wheel made this bizarre noise that seemed very un-natural. I immediately got off the bike to inspect and realized that two of the bolts on the sliders had somehow worked themselves loose and were now part of trail on either the MRT or somewhere else around Bend.
Fortunately, I still had 2 bolts...but just barely. They had unthreaded themselves to the point where a couple of millimeters more and they too would have been casualties. I centered the wheel, tightened up the drive train and made a conscious effort to keep tabs on the situation...the big question was whether the bike would hold up with just 2 of the 4 slider bolts in place. At this point we were not even a 1/3 of the way into our ride but I was committed to not getting derailed for the remaining 4 + hours of riding that was ahead of us.
My mind immediately started to work through how those bolts came loose and I realized that the last time I tensioned my chain, I must have tightened the tension bolts and then forgotten to tighten the bolts on the slider to hold the wheel and drivetrain in place. I had been on a couple of rides where the drive train slipped a couple of times and instantly recognized the bike had not been riding 'right' for at least a couple of rides.
Fortunately, no damage was done to the bike and the 2 bolts held up just fine over the rest of the ride. Any additional bolt inventory shrinkage and it would have been a real problem but fortunately we were able to avert that situation.
I have since ordered a new set of bolts for the sliders and my big lesson learned is to do a visual inspection on the bike more frequently as it would have definitely caught those little troublemakers that worked themselves loose (from an already somewhat loose start). There is something to be said for not rushing through maintenance and checking your bike on just about every ride.
The replacement parts are in and soon enough we will be back to being whole on the singlespeed....which reminds me, time to do a little maintenance on the bike to make sure everything is where it should be.
Fortunately, I still had 2 bolts...but just barely. They had unthreaded themselves to the point where a couple of millimeters more and they too would have been casualties. I centered the wheel, tightened up the drive train and made a conscious effort to keep tabs on the situation...the big question was whether the bike would hold up with just 2 of the 4 slider bolts in place. At this point we were not even a 1/3 of the way into our ride but I was committed to not getting derailed for the remaining 4 + hours of riding that was ahead of us.
My mind immediately started to work through how those bolts came loose and I realized that the last time I tensioned my chain, I must have tightened the tension bolts and then forgotten to tighten the bolts on the slider to hold the wheel and drivetrain in place. I had been on a couple of rides where the drive train slipped a couple of times and instantly recognized the bike had not been riding 'right' for at least a couple of rides.
Fortunately, no damage was done to the bike and the 2 bolts held up just fine over the rest of the ride. Any additional bolt inventory shrinkage and it would have been a real problem but fortunately we were able to avert that situation.
I have since ordered a new set of bolts for the sliders and my big lesson learned is to do a visual inspection on the bike more frequently as it would have definitely caught those little troublemakers that worked themselves loose (from an already somewhat loose start). There is something to be said for not rushing through maintenance and checking your bike on just about every ride.
The replacement parts are in and soon enough we will be back to being whole on the singlespeed....which reminds me, time to do a little maintenance on the bike to make sure everything is where it should be.
Monday, October 8, 2012
Back to the Porch
with the little dogs....
I got an invite to join a friend and some of his riding buds for a 'chill' 60+ mile road ride over towards Sisters and back to Bend. I eagerly accepted and joined the boys at 11:00. We started off easily enough cruising in the Sisters direction via back roads where there was either little traffic or nice wide shoulders.
At one point we hit the main 2 lane highway that connects Sisters to Bend and the boys laid down the hammer a little to get off that road relatively quickly. I barely hung on by a thread and was rather relieved when we turned off the road and the pace slowed down. It was becoming pretty evident that their 'chill' pace was not my 'chill' pace. We did some great loops as we wound our way to Sisters and then ended up in Sisters where there was a quick stop at the bakery where we dug into our jersey's and fueled up.
Soon enough we were back on the road and snaked our way back until we were once again forced to hit the main road where traffic was heavier and a guy feels more exposed. The pace once again quickened but this time I could only suffer as I watched the wheels ahead of me get further away.
Thankfully Bruce was nice enough to lolligag back to me and ride me back onto everyone's wheels.
At this point my legs were feeling the love and it would be a struggle to hold. Soon enough we hit another roller and sure enough the gap started to increase again. This yo-yo'ing happened a couple of times until it became impossible for me to get back on their wheels (even with Bruce's help of trying to ride me back). I decided to settle into my pace and just spin the legs as hard as was possible for me.
What is crazy is that it was a 67 mile ride which included about 2,700 ft of climbing and the average speed was 19.4! What is even more cooo-cooo is that this really was an 'easy' paced ride for these studs! I rode back home with my tail between my legs and once again was humbled by people who are fit and strong.
I also realized that Saturday's ride tallied up to 13+ hrs of saddle time this past week so it might have been a case of tired legs but most likely it is just that these dudes are bad asses!
I got an invite to join a friend and some of his riding buds for a 'chill' 60+ mile road ride over towards Sisters and back to Bend. I eagerly accepted and joined the boys at 11:00. We started off easily enough cruising in the Sisters direction via back roads where there was either little traffic or nice wide shoulders.
At one point we hit the main 2 lane highway that connects Sisters to Bend and the boys laid down the hammer a little to get off that road relatively quickly. I barely hung on by a thread and was rather relieved when we turned off the road and the pace slowed down. It was becoming pretty evident that their 'chill' pace was not my 'chill' pace. We did some great loops as we wound our way to Sisters and then ended up in Sisters where there was a quick stop at the bakery where we dug into our jersey's and fueled up.
Soon enough we were back on the road and snaked our way back until we were once again forced to hit the main road where traffic was heavier and a guy feels more exposed. The pace once again quickened but this time I could only suffer as I watched the wheels ahead of me get further away.
Thankfully Bruce was nice enough to lolligag back to me and ride me back onto everyone's wheels.
At this point my legs were feeling the love and it would be a struggle to hold. Soon enough we hit another roller and sure enough the gap started to increase again. This yo-yo'ing happened a couple of times until it became impossible for me to get back on their wheels (even with Bruce's help of trying to ride me back). I decided to settle into my pace and just spin the legs as hard as was possible for me.
What is crazy is that it was a 67 mile ride which included about 2,700 ft of climbing and the average speed was 19.4! What is even more cooo-cooo is that this really was an 'easy' paced ride for these studs! I rode back home with my tail between my legs and once again was humbled by people who are fit and strong.
I also realized that Saturday's ride tallied up to 13+ hrs of saddle time this past week so it might have been a case of tired legs but most likely it is just that these dudes are bad asses!
Friday, October 5, 2012
CX Thrilla' Race #4
The Thrilla' cross series wrapped up the 4th and final week of racing last night and as per the usual fun and games, it did not disappoint. The course changed a little bit in a couple of spots but was mostly the same. The minor changes made for a couple of soft turns where you had to pick a good line and keep moving.
The temps had cooled off since the last race a week ago but the dust conditions were still mighty! As the race kicked off, so did the dust cloud during the first lap. Our group was the second group to start (staggered by about 30 seconds) so we got to inhale the moondust cloud that the first group kicked up. Once we got through the first lap, things started to thin out and people got spread out enough so that the dust cloud lightened.
This was my 4th race doing cyclocross so there is still a learning curve from the riding and racing perspective. I have never been much of a racer other than signing up for enduro events which are more about survival than 'racing'. That being said there are always moments of elevated heart rate during those, but not nearly like going full anaerobic right out of the gates like cross!
After the first lap, I tried to push hard and tried to keep the end in sight by riding somewhat conservatively to avoid any mishaps. As usual, my heart rate was in the red for most of the ride and my lungs were grasping for air once I crossed the finish line. Heart rate chart below - the race started at around the 30 min market where the HR jacks up to the 160's.
Once I finished I was coasting through the paved area and noticed that the missus was sitting in the grass on the side of the road. Her face was lit up like a red tomato from all the hard work (she too signed up for the funnegigans). She informed me that she flatted on her 2nd lap and had to bail! She was leading her category until that point so she was understandably bummed.
We stuck around and watched the big boys/gals race afterwords and it was fun to see how the folk with technique cruise through barriers and make it seem effortless.
All in all, it was a great experience. I was able to win the last 3 races in the series in the 40+ beginner category so it probably means stepping up to the B's in order get spanked by them. Webcyclery handed out Thrilla' hats to the overall series winners and I proudly wore my hat for 4 weeks of hoovering up moondust...shhh, just don't tell anyone I stole it off a jr. rider....just kidding...maybe....
The temps had cooled off since the last race a week ago but the dust conditions were still mighty! As the race kicked off, so did the dust cloud during the first lap. Our group was the second group to start (staggered by about 30 seconds) so we got to inhale the moondust cloud that the first group kicked up. Once we got through the first lap, things started to thin out and people got spread out enough so that the dust cloud lightened.
This was my 4th race doing cyclocross so there is still a learning curve from the riding and racing perspective. I have never been much of a racer other than signing up for enduro events which are more about survival than 'racing'. That being said there are always moments of elevated heart rate during those, but not nearly like going full anaerobic right out of the gates like cross!
After the first lap, I tried to push hard and tried to keep the end in sight by riding somewhat conservatively to avoid any mishaps. As usual, my heart rate was in the red for most of the ride and my lungs were grasping for air once I crossed the finish line. Heart rate chart below - the race started at around the 30 min market where the HR jacks up to the 160's.
Once I finished I was coasting through the paved area and noticed that the missus was sitting in the grass on the side of the road. Her face was lit up like a red tomato from all the hard work (she too signed up for the funnegigans). She informed me that she flatted on her 2nd lap and had to bail! She was leading her category until that point so she was understandably bummed.
We stuck around and watched the big boys/gals race afterwords and it was fun to see how the folk with technique cruise through barriers and make it seem effortless.
All in all, it was a great experience. I was able to win the last 3 races in the series in the 40+ beginner category so it probably means stepping up to the B's in order get spanked by them. Webcyclery handed out Thrilla' hats to the overall series winners and I proudly wore my hat for 4 weeks of hoovering up moondust...shhh, just don't tell anyone I stole it off a jr. rider....just kidding...maybe....
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Thurs Chill
It appears as though Fall as officially announced her arrival with temps dipping into the upper 20's over the past couple of evenings. With that comes the inevitable acceptance that seasons are changing and it is time to blow the sprinklers and ready the homestead for winter. We have been precip free here in Central Oregon for the past several weeks so trail conditions are fairly dry/dusty in the area.
With the temperatures getting chillier, it is time to start thinking Phatt, Obese, Fattie, El Gordo, or big O Tires...some of the plans formulating in my head include playing with the possibility of tubeless to see if there are possibilities to reduce weight (namely those big heavy tubes with all that rotating mass/weight).
Until the white stuff flies, we are still in cyclocross season so back to some slightly anorexic tires for the time being. This evening marks the final race of the Thrilla' series and the associated moon dust lung that comes with it for the following 24 hrs. With a little luck, the colder temps will help keep the dust down but I have to admit that is more wishful thinking than anything else at this point. Regardless, it will be fun to get another CX experience and then look forward to what is next on the calendar...giddy-up!
With the temperatures getting chillier, it is time to start thinking Phatt, Obese, Fattie, El Gordo, or big O Tires...some of the plans formulating in my head include playing with the possibility of tubeless to see if there are possibilities to reduce weight (namely those big heavy tubes with all that rotating mass/weight).
Until the white stuff flies, we are still in cyclocross season so back to some slightly anorexic tires for the time being. This evening marks the final race of the Thrilla' series and the associated moon dust lung that comes with it for the following 24 hrs. With a little luck, the colder temps will help keep the dust down but I have to admit that is more wishful thinking than anything else at this point. Regardless, it will be fun to get another CX experience and then look forward to what is next on the calendar...giddy-up!
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
MTB MRT Ride Stats & Pix
Ride stats for the MRT out and back from the lower trailhead...everything is just slightly understated (by a little over a mile) since I must have hit 'stop' on my GPS computer un-intentionally while riding....so add about a mile......
buff trail in the beginning:
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