Justin Farmer - Visenka Cycling

Now that was a race.....

2012-01-12T09:10:00.000-06:00

.....or more of a racing experience like none other.
25'ish brave souls made the 1st pirate cxc night jam a success. The course was challenging and when you can get a time bonus for drinking beers and/or taking shots during a race, it's kind of a no brainer that this little shindig was just awesome.
Fast forward a couple days....the Epic is hung back up, the trail shoes are back in action, and we have a little snow on the ground with highs in the 20's for a bit. Hit the trails for a night run as the snow began to fall yesterday....that was kind of epic in itself.....with no time bonus's though.

Course recon

2012-01-08T08:59:00.000-06:00

No, Burnsey, I didn't go out to do any recon for my total domination Sunday night. I headed out to Wyondotte Park to see what I would be up against should I decide to run a little 50k next month.....oh, man!
The loop, which completely circles the lake, is about 10 miles in length, and either up or down......seriously. I checked the race website when I got home because I was pretty wrecked after one loop(I'll have to do 3) and the total elevation gain/loss is just over 2,000 ft per lap. Do the math you knuckleheads.....that's over 6,000 ft of climbing/descending for 50k.....in Kansas!
So lets put this into perspective for those of you that know the terrain where I used to live out in Cali. There was a 50k out there that went for a total of just over 5,000. Granted the climbs were longer, of course,but 6,000ft of climbing no matter how long they are is pretty rough.
The good news is that I've recovered fine from yesterday and looking forward to 2 ball-busting loops next weekend(just because). That is, of course, after ripping up some singletrack tonight....bootleg style!

Ripped off!

2012-01-06T07:06:00.000-06:00

We have been treated to unbelievably warm temps for this time of year, so I decided to saddle up the Epic last night with Travis for some night riding. That is until I ripped my rear derailleur off going through a creek bed about 30 min into our ride. 15 min of converting over to SS and we were limping back to the rig. Still got an hour in, but not near what we had planned.
I now have some repairs to make......and a der. to buy.

Winter racing?

2011-12-30T15:44:00.000-06:00

Yes, that's correct. Details are here.

Night racing and all the shananigans that go with it.....should be fun.

A weekend of exploring

2011-12-13T06:38:00.001-06:00

Any thoughts I had of getting out on the Epic last weekend were wiped out after giving my Soloman trail runners some love Sat. a.m.
I hit up Kill Creek and immediately hit some trail I had seen before, but not had a chance to ramble on. I decided to give any offshoot I saw the chance to impress me, some did, some just plain ran out of awesomeness. I spent a lot of time running just off the trail to avoid the soupy conditions our freeze/thaw cycle had produced in the warmer temps. It's really a love/hate deal here. Sure the temps warmed up to make being outside, ripping it up a little more comfortable, but then the trails SUCK and what were 8.5 ounce foot propellers, turn into anchors with the mud that sticks to them.
I ended up scouring a good chunk of soil that was new to me in the 1.5 hrs I was out there and called it a day.......for now.
Later that afternoon, laced'em back up for another 1hr jaunt out the front door that had much the same conditions as earlier in the day, but it was trail none the less. I got the 2.5 hrs I wanted to, just a little break in between.
Sunday I did some more exploring from the house around the lake. Still trying to punch a trail out the door about a 1/2 mile to said lake. It's coming along nicely.
Explored some singletrack I hadn't seen before, straight up the side of earthen dams, private fields, pasture, etc. What used to be a road ramble on the west side of the lake I can turn into a 90% single track jaunt with just a little trimming. It's do-able now, but I may as well clean it up and make it mine!
It's raining as we speak, so it looks like some trail maintenence will be in order this weekend to whip into shape what will be my new playground.

J

Warming trend

2011-12-09T07:19:00.000-06:00

It looks like we'll be a balmy 40 ish this weekend. Should be perfect to get out and sample some dirt in some form or fashion. I'll have these trail tools ready to explore!

Enjoy your weekend!

J

Jobs......

2011-12-07T07:22:00.003-06:00

...as in Steve Jobs.
The mrs and I took in a book signing by Walter Isaacson, who wrote the Steve Jobs biography. I'm not a big tech guy, but what a mind he was! Entry into the little shindig got us a signed book by the author, an intro video of Jobs including his speech at Stanford in 2005. If you have not seen it, it's worth the listen. Afterwards the author told some stories of the many conversations he and Jobs had, which were quite amusing.
It was a good mid week date night!

Now go do something that inspires you!

J

Adding milage

2011-12-05T08:13:00.000-06:00

Since the cold temps and rain have hit the KC area, my running has taken over for the bike almost completely. Just a tad too wet(and cold for that matter) for me to saddle up.
So Saturday I decided to push my limit thus far and run to work.....20 miles to work. It actually turned out good, other than the driving rain the last 6 miles that had me completely soaked to the bone by the time I hit the shop.
Followed that up with 5-6 miles of exploring the lake area near the house yesterday for a solid weekend of activity....oh, and how can I forget the tasty winter lagers I picked up for recovery.....tasty indeed!

Till later.............

J

HA!

2011-11-22T07:01:00.000-06:00

......you thought I had vanished! Maybe taken up shuffleboard or badminton? No you punks, I've still been busy, real busy, just don't have the words or the creativity to sit down and try to make you guys think that what I say is interesting! Most of you have hung out with me......I REALLY don't say a whole lot!
So this is what's happening.
--Sold the singlespeed and now have a 2012 Epic with gears(boring).
--Cooler weather has spawned my trail running senses. I've been logging some sweet 10-15 milers the last few weekends just to keep it fresh.
--Remember all that Spring racing I did? Well, it was enough to win the series for the year in Cat1 40-49.
--Nightrides! I bought a sweet new light through work(Serfas-1000 lumens) which may be a little overkill, but I can see everything in my path! I've been out on the lonely, dark trails from time to time and really have enjoyed it.
--I managed to keep my Clif Bar sponsorship for another year I think. So I HAVE to keep it going in 2012......cool.
So there you have it. I've managed to keep my girly figure despite all the PBR's on the weekends and that is a feat in itself.

Cheers

Enough said.......

2011-09-08T09:01:00.000-05:00

.....putting the site on the back shelf for now. Not much racing, not much to say.....cheers!

Adventure race anyone?

2011-08-22T07:25:00.000-05:00

It looks like I'll be doing a duo adventure race Sept. 10th over in Lawrence called the Wakarusa A.R. My partner is 1/2 my age.....I hope he can keep up!
The Niner is delivered to its new owner, so I've only been on the road bike/running in preparation for my newest "thing" to do. There will be a total of 7-8 miles of trail running, 17 miles of mtn biking and a 4.5 mile paddle down the river.....always keeping my partner with me. It's a new format for me to grasp. I'm usually trying to drop anyone close. What the heck, it's sounds like fun.
I'll use one of the demo Epics from the shop, because technically, I'm in the market to buy a new bike. What a better way to put a potential bike to the test than race conditions.

Niner is.......

2011-08-11T08:03:00.000-05:00

......sold. Well, I should get the $ from the buyer today or tomo.
In the meantime, I've been running my tail off, hitting all the local trails that I would have usually ripped up on the bike. It's a totally different perspective, but welcomed.

Liquidation

2011-08-04T07:23:00.001-05:00

The Niner is up for sale if any of you know anyone interested.

http://kansascity.craigslist.org/bik/2528460017.html

Don't worry, I have plans.

Been a while....

2011-07-23T09:49:00.000-05:00

....but I'm still here, and not getting fat either!
Seems I just lost interest in the whole "racing,training" gig towards the beginning of June. Lots of stuff to do around a new house, some weekend work events that I wrenched at, etc.
I took 3 full weeks completely off the bike to refresh, only lacing up the running shoes for 30-60 minute jaunts through the countryside. It's amazing how sore I got from just a few miles when I started out, even with all the cycling in them.
The weekend of the 4th I got the itch to finally saddle up the road bike and explore the country roads west of the house. Those 3 days I put in 120+ miles, just riding new roads and exploring. Got lost a couple times, ended up riding gravel for way longer than I would have liked to, etc.
Since then I've been alternating runs/rides throughout the week. Good for a base, not good if I should decide to race the mtb, which I decided to do on a whim last weekend. I felt good considering, but a not so smooth line through a nasty rock garden bent my rim and popped the seal on my tubeless setup. It didn't help that the Stans had dried up, so my race was over,DNF.
Plus it was HOT, so I wasn't too tore up about it.
So the run base is good, I've managed to work myself up to a 7 min. mile pace for up to 6ish miles.....respectable.
The bike and I are on speaking terms. I Hit the trail here and there with Travis, even did the 40 mile round trip commute to work yesterday in 100 degree heat and lived to tell about.....never planning any of these, just heading out as I wish. It feels good again.

Variation......

2011-06-20T08:13:00.000-05:00

.....is the word right now. Have stayed off the bike since 6/9 and working on my running legs right now. What I do with those legs next is the real question. Still keeping my girlish figure, so it's all good.....

Race....less?

2011-06-13T07:56:00.000-05:00

I was a "DNS" this weekend. Kind of in a funk towards the bike right now. Lots going on in general. We'll see if it comes around.........

MO State Champs......

2011-06-09T08:04:00.000-05:00

.....this weekend. It's shaping up to be an interesting weekend.
It starts off tame enough, get in a little pre-ride Sat. to make sure my gearing is dialed. Sat. night, the mrs. has a little gig to go to with me in tow, hopefully not too late, but I promised not to be a party pooper so I'm in it until the end.
Sunday morning I get to work the tech zone for the KCCC tri at Shawne-Mission Park. I have to be there at 5am to set up and they promised me I could get out of there as soon as the bike leg is complete(or sooner).
It should give me plenty of time to load up the van and get myself out to Landahl for the days festivities. Not exactly how I would have laid out a weekend pre-race, but at least it will keep me busy and not thinking about what lies ahead of me.
...Gearing you say? After the last few races, I ordered up a 19 cog from Endless Bikes to make things a little easier when things turn vertical, especially later in the race. After talking to some local gear heads about the course, they assure me that my 34x18 will be what I need to stick with.
Temps. look to be dropping for race day. Lets just hope the rain holds off or we'll have a repeat of conditions from last years KC Cup at Swope. If so, a tire change will be in order for sure.

Turning up the heat

2011-06-07T07:57:00.000-05:00

Last weekends race in Warsaw, MO was our first real test in HOT conditions. While my performance in said conditions was respectable, I have to admit, I was a bit dissappointed with a few things Sunday......but first the positive!
-Good venue, with plenty of grassy areas to set up and relax post race.
-Course was almost totally in the canopy of the woods surrounding Truman Lake. So with the heat, that was huge.
-Mac and the crew that put on the race were enthusiastic, providing a band pre-race, and some play by play as we came through the start/finish line.
-Great to see a good Cat.2/3 turnout. Hopefully these guys and gals see the benefit of staying fit/fast and move up a category soon.
......Now, what really was dissappointing about Sunday?
-Only 8 Cat.1 racers showed up for this one....not in my class,that's 8 total, and 2 DNF'd. I know AE,GS and TD were rippin' it up down Alabama way, but not all you bums went road trippin'! Get off the couch and gain some fitness by competing, not resting your legs.After all, it was the closest race to home we've had so far this year.
-The payout... Now I'm not in it for $, because if I was I'd be flat broke, but paying the marathon class overall and nothing for overall xc may be a bit of a stretch. If your going to advertise 70% payback on the flier, do it. Gas $ is gas $.
So this takes us back to earlier coversations with other cat.1 racers. There needs to be an OPEN class. This would be the only payout class at these races. Maybe it would bring out some guys who wouldn't normally show up for a mtb race. 100% payback, maybe even some more dough from the promoters. Whatever the case may be, I'd like to see larger fields. Riding around for 2hrs largely by myself in time trial mode,albeit in the woods, gets old.
So on to this coming weekend. MO state champs. at Landahl. This will bring guys out of the woodwork for sure.....I hope.

DLS 2011

2011-05-23T20:46:00.001-05:00

As in Dirt Little Secret 2011. If you missed it, too bad. For all the wet conditions we've had here in the KC area, north of Manhattan it was perfect.
All the usual fast cats were there.....Aaron Elwell, Garett Steinmetz and Travis Donn. These guys pretty much hand me my arse each time we line up, and yesterday was no different.
The race started tame enough, the boys let me jump the start and lead into the single track for the first couple of miles. Once it opened up a bit I let them motor on by and settled into a decent pace, which was 4th-5th until the end of lap 1.
About a 1/4 mile from the start/finish area I broke my chain. Close enough that I could run/coast to the end and make the repairs needed to get going again. I lost about 10 spots, but was able to hit it hard enough to get all those spots back by the end of lap 2. The nice thing with a singlespeed,not a lot to get in the way, plus it helps that I do get to wrench on bikes a bit during the week to keep the skills sharp.
Held it together fairly well on lap 3 and finished up just under 2 hrs, 5th O.A, 1st Cat.1 40-49. 1 more lap would have made for a real long day.
Looking forward to a couple good weeks of training leading into June. There's a couple races next month that are kind of big.

photos courtesy of Kenneth Rodriguez

Polar opposite.....

2011-05-16T07:13:00.000-05:00

.....from last weekends race conditions. Remember last week? Temps. in the 80's, dry,fast, felt pretty good. Yesterday was NOT like that at all.
I had heard conditions were a little bit muddy, but that was an understatement. We were greeted to cloudy, damp skies that let loose of some drops as we were warming up. This continued the rest of the day.
The start was good, almost got the hole shot as Travis(Ethos racing) and I elbowed our way into the single track....laughing as we did it. sat in second for a while, but as we got to the steep climbs I was forced to run as the guys with the shifty bits geared down and spun up them seated.....giving them better traction in the slimy conditions. Needless to say I dropped a bit as each lap(of 4) I took a good fall that made me become a bit too cautious to make up any ground......like lap 1 on the off-camber slick rock, lap 2 same type of digger, just different place on the course. Lap 3, downhill rut washed out the front wheel as I went a few feet off into the bushes, and lap 4(thankfully) a little too squirly close to a tree that wouldn't give up its spot next to the trail.
All this carnage, coupled with mud that weighted down my One9 from a 20lb race machine to what felt like a 30lb tank with a single option of gears, you would think the worst.....but I actually held it together ok and settled for 2nd Cat1 40-49 and 7th OA. Sure I could have moved up a couple spots, but for all that yesterday was(or wasn't) I'll take what I can get.
Today I'm feeling every unexpected dismount as my back is killing me,left elbow swollen(tree), right knee bruised and swollen(slick rock), and foot stone bruised from all the crap that gets in your shoes from conditions like we had....... Looks like this week will be an easy one so I can rest up and be ready again for racing this coming Sunday.

Finally, race day!

2011-05-09T07:58:00.002-05:00

Photos courtesy of JP Brockett.......

All in all a good day on the bike. Finally received my frame Thursday,1 hr shake down on Friday to make sure it didn't fall apart, and lined up for the Roubidoux Round-up Saturday for 2ish hrs of fun. I'm not sure a lot of people would call 1,200ft of climbing per 6.8 mile loop fun, but throw 3 laps of that in and it's a party! The trails were in great shape(my bike barely has dust on it, and zero mud) and supa fast when not going straight up. I managed to hold it together long enough for the top step on the podium in the Cat.1 40-49 and 3rd OA......a good day indeed.

Finally.....

2011-05-03T08:18:00.000-05:00

.... are moved in to the new house! 3 full days of packing and moving has me whooped. Nonetheless, we are in and just need to get organized.
My frame, however, has not arrived yet......it's still setting in Ohio waiting for the the perfect UPS truck to pick it up I guess. I had "not so nice" words with one of the guys out there yesterday about the whole fiasco.
I just don't understand where my sense of urgency was lost in the translation, I mean, a 2nd day UPS label and me saying "please make sure it ships today" would do it for me! I hope it ships today, or I'll be all over there ass like a spider monkey this afternoon.

So my new frame.....

2011-04-26T19:43:00.000-05:00

....was delivered yesterday. The only problem is, it was delivered to our shop in Westchester,OH.....nice!
Now I'm trying to get Niner to pay for o-nite from OH to KC. That's the least they could do, huh?
My race this weekend may be in jeopardy......

Like what you see?

2011-04-26T08:07:00.000-05:00

It's all courtesy of the mad skills of Eddie Arguelles, or "Supercrew" as I like to call him. Ed took on super hero status while crewing for me in 2009 while I went on my no holds barred tour of any and all ultra-endurance races around the country. That year, while Ed was handing up bottles,making sure my nutrition was spot on and bike was in race shape, I just had to pedal. Now, don't get me wrong, my wife did a fantastic job at crew duties as well, but the 6 or so races Ed was at the helm.....I just won, plain and simple. In fact, I think my wife actually despises Eddie for that reason. Well, that and he has Hollywood looks and is all artsy-fartsy making blogs, websites and such.......but back to the point.....
So come , oh, let's say early June or so, Eddie is making a little trip to help man the crew duties once again for a little race called the MO State championships out at Landahl. His skill/luck mojo will be put to the test once again. Just stay out of his way post race if there is a keg tapped, because it will be on!
....and if you want your website/blog to look oh so pro like mine, give me a shout and I can get you in touch with his people.

More......

2011-04-18T19:14:00.003-05:00

....from BB36.

courtesy of Lelan

Finally, race day

2011-04-18T09:07:00.000-05:00

BoneBender 3/6 in the books. After all the rain Friday, I think everyone was pleasantly surprised how good the course shaped up to be for yesterday.
I hate LeMans starts, but ended up 2nd on the bike after the run....and proceeded to get freight trained by about 15 or so guys on the road section before we hit the "real" course.
Spent a bit too much time behind the technically challenged riders who did pass me, but with some patience, it all worked itself out.
Finished up 5th in the 3hr P/1/2 class and was running top 10 overall including the 6hr cats. I was glad I decided to race the 3hr for this time of the season, not to mention, that 34x18 I was pushing may have been a bit large for any longer than I had signed up for.
Alex made it out for the the race to hand up bottles to ol' dad. I think she had fun. Afterwards we headed over to Freestate Brewery for some tasty blackbean burgers and brews.
Now it's time to break down the One9 and send off for warranty(remember, yesterday was on a cracked frame). Everything held together just fine. I should see my new One9 v2 later this week, just in time to build it up,ride it a bit and ready to race 5/1. All that and try to fit in a move to our new house....it's going to be a busy couple of weeks.

Closing in.....

2011-04-15T08:13:00.000-05:00

....on race day. I have everything set up to send the One9 in after the race on Sunday......sorry guys, no upgrade to the Air9 carbon rig. Still just too steep a price to pay. Even with crash replacement and dealer discounts!
So 3hrs it is for this weekend. I think 6hrs on a cracked frame is just too much of a gamble(like 3hrs hrs isn't, pffft).
Here's a random thought for you......I saw a woodpecker on top of a house yesterday morning, banging away at the metal siding.....over and over again. My first thought.....that's kind of what it's like to race at altitude for me.....working my tail off, and not really making much progress. Padgett can vouch for this one. Kind of funny how after almost 2 yrs., that one and only DNF of my career still haunts me to this day. Maybe because it was marathon nationals, eh?
Here's to no mechanicals this weekend.....(toast), I figure there's no jinxing something that has been the norm for me the last 3 races.....

A fast weekend, and a cracked frame.

2011-04-11T19:15:00.001-05:00

Finally figured out when/where the Team 360 road ride started. Headed out for a solid 45 miles with those cats.....Solid indeed! We started out pretty manageable, and in true roadie fashion, as soon as we started getting a bit of tail wind we pinned it! Speed on the flats was exceeding 35 mph at times, and I couldn't bare to look when we were going downhill! Most of those guys know me only as a mountain biker, so they were surprised to see me show up with my funny skinny tire contraption......and with gears! Ahh, if they only knew I ride my road bike more than my Niner.
Sunday we had a Specialized demo out at Swope Park, only the raddest section of single track this side of anywhere! Worked the demo tent for a couple hours and then headed out for some proper shredding of said trails. Running no gears is amazingly quite, so you can imagine my dismay when I kept getting a creaking from who knows where. Well, the "where" is a crack in my seat tube at the seatstay weld. Bummer! I did get to take out Richards(Spec. demo guys personal bike) sworks epic 29 for a spin, and let's just say a rippin' spin at that! That bike was nails through all those rocky sections.....now I need to control myself.
Now back to that crack......race day coming up this weekend. So as to NOT miss another weekend of racing, my One9 is getting the call up one last time before she goes back for warranty. It's small enough, and in such a place it shouldn't cause life threatening injury.....oh, and maybe an upgrade?

Happenings....

2011-04-05T08:27:00.000-05:00

....Well, it looks like race #2 of the series, scheduled for this weekend, may be cancelled. Apparently a promoter issue with "no time right now". How do you do that? Commit to put on a race.....last Fall, and let it fall through the cracks? There's one thing I've learned about the midwest, people are jones'n to race some dirt, and cancelling a race the week of' just ain't right.
....We've put together a rippin' little team to race the Wausau24 the end of July. Craig Stoeltzing,Scott Capstack, Travis Donn and myself will lay it out there for 24 hrs out on the course at 9-mile, Wisc. I hope I can hold my own with those fast dudes.
....Finally bought a house! Offer was accepted, and we should close in the next 30 days. It will be really nice to have some room and start to settle in to our own place.
....Consider yourself up to date!

Cancelled.....

2011-03-26T08:39:00.000-05:00

Well, no race this weekend. Seems that winter was feeling a little left out with all this attention spring was getting lately, so she let loose with some cold rain/snow showers over the region that make racing in the dirt a little tough. Looks like some cold road rides will fill my cycling plate this weekend instead. Not quite like full on lung/leg burning xc racing, but it'll do.

More power!

2011-03-23T19:16:00.000-05:00

...that's what Rotor Rings U.S.A. claims at least. These rings are supposed give 4% more power with 9% less lactic acid build up. Racing the Cat.1(geared) class on a SS made me realize I needed(wanted) just a bit more speed. After all, without those funny shifty bits, I need all the help I can get.
This weekend is the Lost Valley Luau over in St. Charles, MO. Just a short little trip across the state,this lung burning xc race, at 33+ miles, is long for this discipline. There are rain showers in the forecast for a couple of days prior to race day, so conditions could be a bit slimy. Mud could be just the ticket for a guy with one gear and a sweet new Q-ring....more power!

Not a bad start

2011-03-14T19:39:00.000-05:00

March 13th....I'm usually one to call that number a "lucky" one. Yesterday was not exactly one of those days.
The day started early, we're talking 415am early. Headed out the door for Park Hills, MO which was going to be a 5+ hr drive. Arrived at the venue with plenty of time to change, get my gear ready and get a good 20+ minute warm-up.
I wasn't sure how the pace was going to start, though I figured it would be all out from the gun.....which it was. I found myself into the single track in the top 5 OA, which was pretty good, except I was behind a roadie who had zero skills once the power section at the start was over. I got an opening up a short punchy little climb and went by him into 4th......but the first 3 guys had about a 15 second gap already.
Hit it pretty hard, and was joined by another rider as we ran down 3rd place. By the end of lap 1(of 3) there were the 2 leaders(both in different classes) and then 3 of us about a minute back(all Cat.1 40-49). This is when my tire luck struck.
Not sure exactly what happened, just figured I burped a tire on the tight hairpin turn just before the start/finish, because I lost about 1/2 my air pressure in the front tire real quick. I decided to try and ride it low, but over the first log , it bottomed out. I figured it was best to use my co2 for a quick burst of air, maybe lose 20 sec., and chase back on. Yeah, that didn't work too well. There's something with me,races and using a co2 inflator that just don't click.....because the head was jammed and nothing would come out. At least I didn't waste a bunch of time figuring what to do.....I was only a few 100 yards from the tech area so I went back and bummed a pump(even though everyone said they didn't have one, I found one myself in someone's gear, thank you).
Long story made short, I spent the last 2 laps chasing my tail off. Pulled back some time and places, but not enough.....settled for 3rd in class.
All in all, it wasn't a complete disaster. I got to ride some sweet singletrack for a couple hours, I'm not in too horrible shape, and I have a bit of motivation for my next trip over there in a couple weeks......not a bad start.

Single track bliss

2011-03-08T09:24:00.000-06:00

3 days of riding in the deep woods of central Arkansas...90+ miles,9000 ft of climbing, and just one gear. Last weekend did not suck at all.

Now on to some xc racing starting this weekend on the other side of the state(MO). We'll see how all that riding last weekend worked for race prep.

I'm out.....

2011-03-03T19:54:00.000-06:00

.....heading to Arkansas in the a.m. for three full days of singletrack bliss. A post and pics will certainly follow.....Oh, and those changes that I made to the One9 are complete. She only weighs in at 20.08lbs. Sorry boys, she's all mine.

Best concert.....EVER....and stuff

2011-02-26T18:12:00.000-06:00

Nothing like a little pyrotechnics and lasers to add to the raucus atmoshere of a KidRock concert. It was a badass show.

The last of the "enhancements" went on the One9 today.....Phenom expert saddle(black) and the new XTR pedals. I'm hoping to drop her under 21 el B's. Couple that weight, with my own girlish 145# and total race weight(bike and rider in full kit) should be under 175 pounds. I take a lot of crap for being a skinny little freak, but it sure is fun going uphill at that weight.
Looks like a group of us is heading down to Arkansas next weekend to re-con some of the Ouchita race course, which is a good idea for me so I can get my gearing figured out "before" race day. Temps. are shaping up to be in the 60's or so. Looking forward to riding some new-to-me trails once again.

In the shop today......

2011-02-23T18:50:00.000-06:00

Christain Vande Velde's bikes that he rode while on Garmin-Chipotle. Word has it, he rode that TT bike in the 2008 TDF. All the bikes had a limited edition tag on them......pretty cool.

Getting closer

2011-02-22T19:11:00.001-06:00

Finally..... getting closer to that end of the tunnel that is the start of the 2011 race season....a little over 2 weeks.
Since we are getting down to the wire, the workouts have picked up nicely. I'm still on my tues. through thurs. intensity sessions and weekend longer rides workout like I've done the last few years. Why change something that has worked good so far, right? All the riding has still been on skinny tires, just a bit too damp to venture off-road yet. Saturdays ride, for example, was a little 50 mile, 3hr jaunt that had almost 4,000 ft of climbing. Who said KS/MO was flat? Riding those rollers all day will kick your ass! I know, I speak from experience.
I have the One9 all back together and ready to rock. Changed my tires to the Specialized Renegade/control in a 1.95 front and rear. The Ergon grips are off and replaced with the ESI chunky. I'm also changing the saddle to the Spec. Phenom, but waiting to get my BG Fit done by Jeremy at the shop, then it'll go on. FIT? That's right, I've never had a fit done on any of my bikes. I'm hoping Jeremy finds some stuff to tweak and I find some more speed and power! Everyone I've talked to that's had a fit done has really been pleased with the results.
Last Thursdays open house at work was a HUGE success. We had over 300 people in the shop, and judging by how fast we ran out of beer(2 kegs and 14 cases of Blvd. brew) everyone had a good time. Ned was in the house mingling and such, along with guys from Spec. and Saris. The Saris rep. brought his Cycleops trainer/margarita maker. If you wanted some, you had to pedal a pretty good pace to run the blender....you had to see it to believe it. If I remember, I'll get a picture of the set up. We still have it at the shop......for thirsty thursdays!
Oh, and the Kid Rock concert this weekend! Hittin' that fo' sho'!

Go Ride your bike!

2011-02-13T07:59:00.000-06:00

We have been treated with absolutely beautiful weather here in KC since I got back from Colo....oh sure, there's still snow on the ground and it's a melting mess in some areas, but just getting out on the bike for a couple hours and NOT freezing my backside off yesterday was awesome. I explored some new areas on the skinny, which also included some nice climbs that, combined with the fact that they hit you over and over, flat out zap the legs.
The trip out to Colo for work was good. For the service manager that has been at it for years, the info. may have been old news, but for a greenhorn like me, there was some good info. I can take back with me and put to good use. There was really no time to get out and explore the surrounding hills, which was unfortunate. Though meandering through the snow at 6am in -5 degree weather didn't get me motivated to do so at all. Rested the body,at a mile high no less, and was chomping at the bit to get back on the bike yesterday after getting back late Friday night.
As promised, the One9 is completely torn apart awaiting some new additions which will (I hope) take her to sub 21#. No rush at this point. The trails are an absolute mess, and the skinny is doing the job ......for now. I'm sure in another couple weeks I'll be fed up with my existence as a converted roadie and welcome some loose soil under my tires.

Making good use of time

2011-02-01T12:36:00.001-06:00

We are officially about 6hrs into "snowmageddon 2011" here in KC. The shop, which opened yesterday for the first day, is closed today. I managed to get out early on to walk/run Jadah, head to the bank,barbershop(there's nothing like a good barber),post office,gym and now back at the casa catching up on some stuff.
I'll take advantage of my time wisely and hop on the trainer for a bit, maybe even start on the overhaul my One9 so desperately needs.....not a lot else to do except shovel snow.
Some of you may have noticed that I have the 2011 schedule up. Of course, that is just a rough draft. There will likely be races added/pulled throughout the year. This just gives me a reason to drag my ass downstairs and hop on the hamster wheel.
Did I mention I purchased a new bike? Here she is in all her glory....as a lawn ornament.

....and a look at my most horrible trainer hole. This is literally my "pain cave".

Now that we have "officially" opened the shop, we're going to have a grand opening on Feb. 17th. We're renting out the local theater, all who show up will be charged a small fee, but all the proceeds go into the trails at Swope Park. It seems we're also going to have some Specialized brass and pro's come out for the big shindig......confirmed so far? None other than Ned Overand himself. Word is, they're trying to get a couple more pro's to come out.....sounds like a great night.
A little more travel is coming up next week for some training in Denver. Too bad the weather wasn't better. I would have loved to sample some Rocky Mountain soil.

Been a while

2011-01-23T08:22:00.000-06:00

I bet you thought I had vanished or something, right? No, just real busy at work, etc.
I got to make the trip out west to Specialized for a little training and riding. Temps. in the 50-60's was outstanding to ride in. Hopped on a different bike each day, though they were all the s-works variety(tarmac,roubaix,epic 29). Oh, what sweet rides!
While on the left coast, I made the entry list for Syllamos Revenge. The 300 rider limit on the 50 miler capped in less than a 1/2 hr. Another IMBA epic trail to race on down in AR for this spring. I've started to work out a bit of a race schedule for this year that I'll post off to the right hand side soon.
Back here in KC, I haven't been outside on a bike in 3 weeks or so. We have managed to get a good bit of this white fluffy stuff to accumulate everywhere, so I set up my trainer in the basement hallway( I call it the pain cave) and get to work. I save my outside workouts for trail runs in the snow......and still get over to the gym here and there.
Work over at the new shop is progressing nicely. Monday we start setting up product and will make the finishing touches on things throughout the week to prepare for the opening. For those of you that haven't seen it first hand, it's impressive.

I got nothin'

2010-12-28T18:25:00.002-06:00

....new that is. I've taken a 2 week break off the bike completely. Just a lot going on with the big road trip, holidays and all.
That doesn't mean I've been a big turd though. Oh, no. I'm fully into my weight program, including legs and such. Building up that power before I build my speed.
Should start getting on the bike soon, at the worst, New Years. You know start 2011 off right by pedaling some circles.

Road Trippin'

2010-12-21T05:52:00.003-06:00

All is pretty quite on the bike front. After our epic loop, it had been colder than what I wanted to ride in. Then once the warm up came for this last weekend, I was road trippin'. Departed KC via the big bird to South Tex, picked up a rental truck, loaded Alexs' 1 room worth of stuff into said truck,and a 16.5 hr drive later were back in KC.
The weekend was pretty much a blur indeed. I did get to see some of my good friends that still call South Tex home, so the trip down was not all work.
After some much needed shut eye, I'm almost back to normal.....and back to work.
Speaking of work.......I"ve officially procured the service manager position for the new store. I'm super excited to be involved in a whole other capacity in the operations of the shop. This will also lead to more opportunities for some training, and maybe interbike(wishful thinking maybe, but who knows).
I also received word Friday that I'll still have Clif bar as my nutrition sponsor for 2011. Flying the Clif and Visenka colors once again for next year still keeps me rollin' left coast style no matter where I call home.
On the road once again this weekend for xmas, much shorter trip down to the Tulsa area to see some friends. Wherever your travels lead you, hope everyone enjoys their holiday!

Bootlegging an epic ride

2010-12-13T07:19:00.003-06:00

I woke up Sat. a.m. to rain. The ride was still on though, so I headed out to meet up with the group and begin our little adventure for the day.
The rain stopped by 7:30 and winds kicked up to help dry out things. It's been dry for almost 3 weeks, so what rain we did get soaked in quick and made the going good.
Starting temp. was 44 degrees.....very do-able.
Craig promised bushwacking and hike-a-bikes, and he did not let us down. We also had some prime single track that gets very little mtb riding, but enough other traffic to be worn in and rideable.
4 hrs later we were getting back to the vehicles to 26 degrees and light snow flurries(and gusts up to 30 mph). My hands were just starting to get a little uncomfortable, so I was happy to see heat!
So now we have a inch or so of snow on the ground and just got back from walking Jadah(my trusty lab) in a beautiful 4 degree morning as the sun starts to come up. Kind of epic in itself.
The 2011 mtb season officially has a race on the schedule. The Ouchita Challenge is a 60 miler down in Arkysaw that fills up in hours.....but I'm in! Reg. opened at 2:30 am eastern and already has 228 in the open class and 22 singlespeeds. Sounds like a good time once again.
******Late edit- Ouchita Challenge is now full and registration closed. Made it by an hour. Good thing I didn't sleep in!******

I saw the light

2010-12-08T08:20:00.003-06:00

First night ride of the year for me last night at Miner. Started out 32 degrees and was 26 when we got back. Once we got going, I was nice and toasty with my gear. There was enough climbing and technical sections that made you work and keep the body heat up. We did manage to lose one of our group though. Not sure what happened, but when I got back to the car he had already split.
Not sure if I'll hit up the Thurs. night "longer" ride, but may head out to Smithville on Friday and get a ride in with Jeremy before the ugly stuff hits on Sat.
On the "non-bike" side of things......Alex got accepted to UMKC for the Spring semester. I go down next Friday to load up her things and drive her back up here for her first time to KC. Now that she has been accepted to a school, I think the "excitement" of the move is on the rise for her. It will also be nice to have her here and not worry about what my baby girl is up to! I guess it's a dad thing.

Following through

2010-12-07T06:39:00.002-06:00

Although I planned on a quick spin Sunday, I nearly hit the 2 hr mark. It was a wee bit colder, but the sun shining on my skin was welcomed from the cloud covered 30's on Sat. 4 total hrs on the mtb for the wknd was better than expected.
Some guys at the shop are dialed for winter riding. That means at night as well. So tonight, I am borrowing a light and hitting the trail. This will mark my first night ride in a looong time. I just wasn't comfortable night riding along the border in TX(silly me).
Tues. night ride may lead to Thurs. night as well, where a select group gets together for 3+ hrs of shredding around various trails in KC. I'm picking up more and more "stay warm" tips as I go. I'll test some tonight.
Oh, and that Lake Jacomo/BS epic was postponed for this coming Sat......snow showers in the forecast.....awesome.

That was cold.....

2010-12-04T19:00:00.002-06:00

....2hrs and 20 min. on the One9 today in 35ish degree weather(22 degree windchill) and I was ready for a HOT shower. The new shoes worked great, the new gloves, well, they worked OK. I would have liked my fingers to have a little more feeling in them. Sometimes brakes are needed. Tomo is supposed to be a bit colder, but I'm sackin' up and at least getting an hour or so in.

Keeping that girlish figure

2010-12-04T07:25:00.002-06:00

Core and weights, work, night runs, and now get some saddle time this weekend. The new "winter" mtb shoes get put to the test today, not supposed to get out of the 30's for the next 5 days.
Stand by for a new "look" on the main page here, Supercrew is working on some new ideas for your viewing pleasure..... He doesn't know it yet, but I've got plans for him this summer, at least for a few days. I'm thinking I may need some help about time the state championships roll around. Besides, I'm undefeated with Supercrew running the ship.

What a difference a week makes

2010-11-28T18:15:00.003-06:00

Last weekend I was flat on my back nursing it along....flash forward to this weekend....2hr mtn bike ride Sat. and 1.5 hr ride today. All single track and all good. I even got in for a massage today after the ride, let's call it therapy. So as I sit here now I feel fantastic!
I started my off-season strength training workout last week as well. It consists of a 1 mile run down to the gym, 1 hr or so of weights, and another 1 mile run back. Nothing major, but will keep me in some sort of "fit" come time to hit it hard again.
Next Saturday is the annual Jacomo/BS Lake loop ride. It's about 40 ish miles of "mostly singletrack,certain hike/bikes and a little bush wacking". This is a rain or shine ride. Forecast right now is rain/snow showers......awesome! Since this is an invitation only ride and I've been invited, there's no way I can be a "Sally" and not show up because of bad weather. I'm hoping the weatherman is wrong.....again.

Just stuff....

2010-11-25T07:01:00.003-06:00

Ahhh, the midwest cold temps. that I had been promised have finally hit. Right now it's a balmy 21 degrees and should top out at around 32 for a high. Good day to stay inside and eat!
Earlier this week, Marci and I got to take in some top notch college basketball at the Sprint Center here in KC. First on tap was Duke vs Marquette and the second game was K-State vs Gonzaga. It was pretty cool seeing 3 top 20 teams play first hand, and #1 Duke at that! Duke ended up beating K-State for the title the next night.
Unfortunately, I've had to pass on some decent riding. The ol' back spasms flared up and it was hard enough to just function normally and get my arse to work, let alone hop on a bike. I've kicked 'em(the spasms) and feel like a new small child now that I can walk without looking like I have a corn cob stuffed up my backside.
On the work side of things, I'm heading out to Cali.(Specialized) for 3 days of training at SBCU. The fine folks at BikeSource are sending a few of us while were slow to brush up on our skills. Won't be heading out there until mid-Jan., but it will be nice to ride a little without multi layers of clothing.
Still no word on the "new" position up for grabs at the new store. I'm still in the running though, my boss touched base with me a little last week and said they're close to making a decision.
So that pretty much gets you up to speed. I've got a little over a month of down time to get my body straight before I start the 2011 "training". Maybe even some new stuff on the horizon to share as well.

The cure

2010-11-16T20:07:00.003-06:00

After my little whining session about the rain last week(and the quote of the day) I got out for a couple rides to ease my small case of cabin fever.
Saturday was a road ride north towards downtown KC. I used all back roads, nothing with a posted sign higher than 3o mph, and almost got all the way there. I'm still learning the streets here, but what I've found so far is pretty good.....rolling hills through tree lined streets and even a few steep grinders to test the legs.
Sunday had me sampling some new dirt at Landahl park. This is going to be the site of the Missouri State mtb Champs. in 2011 so I figured I better start learning my way around that place. Travis took me out there and gave me a proper tour of the area....fast and furious. Lots of good flowing trail and a good bit of rocky/ledgy stuff to test the skills....and I was definitely tested. Spent almost 2 hrs out there and still didn't see it all.
More new stuff to come Friday. The shop is closed for year end inventory, so we're getting a shop ride going. Should have a good 10+ hitting the trails and new(to me) trails at that!
Life is good.

Q.O.D.

2010-11-13T09:33:00.002-06:00

Sometimes you hear a quote and just have to share:
"Don't ask a person to do something they cannot do....don't get in a urinating contest with a skunk."
.....For what it's worth. Apply as needed.

Inhale......

2010-11-12T06:42:00.002-06:00

....(sigh) I was really hoping to saddle up today and get what would be the first of 3 straight days of riding in. As luck(or lack there of) would have it, rain and 49 degrees has greeted me this a.m. Looks like another day of a short run and some core work to keep the girlish figure from wanting to hit the winter mode button. Or, I can head over to the shop and get that trainer I'll surely need to have this winter. I was hoping to hold out a while longer though.

Earning my dirt

2010-11-07T07:11:00.002-06:00

Yesterday was a trail building day at the Swope Park trails. A couple guys at the shop are the minds behind this little nugget of singletrack goodness. I figured I needed to start to get involved a little more, you know, instead of taking advantage of others hard work, be part of it!
There were 42 people that showed up for a 3 hr work day that planned on cutting new trail(my group), benchcutting, and making the lines through the many rocky areas flow well.
Before I knew it, noon was upon us and we were free to ride. I headed out with Craig and Scott, with Travis and Jesse in tow. Craig and Scott's skills are legendary around these parts and I had not yet had the chance to ride with these guys.
We warmed up on some tame existing trail, went and checked out all the trail that had been worked on in the a.m., then the 3 of us proceeded to pin it through the entire trail set. Swope is littered with rock gardens galore and we barely slowed our pace through those lines. I would have never ridden some that stuff by myself that fast, so it was good to get another perspective on how it's done.
After a nice little 3 day block of saddle time, it's back to work(yeah, Sunday noon-5pm, ugh). Feeling good about earning my dirt though!

Movie time

2010-11-05T07:41:00.002-05:00

Went out last night and took in Race Across the Sky 2. Pretty much the only time I'll go to the movies by myself. It's cool to see a mountain bike movie on the big screen. This one,like part 1, covered so much more than just Levi and JHK, in fact I would say more of the movie tracked the mid to back of the packers and their stories of will and determination. Their was a lot of inspiration throughout to get even the most un-motivated person off the couch and out training......so get out there fool!

Jones'n for some dirt

2010-11-04T14:38:00.006-05:00

I have a couple days off so since the sun was shining and the temps just about perfect(mid 50's), I threw on my Clif cap, Visenka vest and rest of the kit and hit the trails. Got my trail fix today....

Transition period

2010-11-02T06:04:00.003-05:00

I have gotten all of ONE bike ride in since the Berryman Epic.....at least it was on the dirt! The combination of work,cooler temps. and nothing on the schedule to get excited about has defaulted to siesta time for my body. Now is a good time to make plans for my winter training. I sure as hell will not going to be on the bike everyday like the last few years down in TX. This is not a bad thing though. I'll get to throw in some cross training to keep the mind and body fresh and come out swinging with a whole new vibe come 2011.
Last weekend headed down to Oklahoma to see some friends.It was only 4 hrs south, but it was funny how the scenery changes in that short time. I saw the sweetest mullet while out at Logan's Roadhouse for dinner Saturday. I was tempted to ask for a picture with the guy, but couldn't figure out a way to ask him for a picture of his f'ed up hair cut without getting my ass kicked! I'm pretty sure he had a Lynyrd Skynyrd shirt on as well.
Oh! Can you say World Champs! This is the first time one of my "teams" has won it all since 1980 and the Raiders won the Superbowl......I was 10 years old for cryin' out loud! That's a long time of misery as a sports fan. Thank you San Francisco Giants!
On the job front, I'm getting my mechanics skills back a bit. Not wrenching for a couple months left me a bit rusty. Still no word on the service mgr. position, but I did talk to my boss yesterday and he wants me to come up with a "figure" of what would be a fair salary should I get the job. Sounds like I have a shot, eh?

Berryman colors

2010-10-25T18:34:00.003-05:00

Scott took an Iphone picture during our pre ride Friday....look at those colors!

BTEpic

2010-10-25T09:01:00.003-05:00

First things first, the Berryman Trail Epic mountain bike race is excellent. 55 total miles in the back woods of So.Mo. and about 40 miles of that on pure single track bliss. We had sections of the Ozark Trail and the Berryman Trail that we raced on. All of it was fantastic.
My race, however, was less than spectacular. I lined up with 249 other riders for the 830am stick of dynamite going off that marked the start of our romp through the woods. 6 miles of gravel road stretched things out and I used my timely drafting skills behind some geared riders to leap frog up through the field.
Entering the first section of trail I was riding in a group of about 8 riders, top 20 overall and the 3rd SS. Things were pretty even on the flats and downhill sections, but when the trail pointed up, I was able to push the 32x18 real nice and start picking off guys.
This went on for about 15 miles or so, until I felt my rear tire a little squishy. I pulled off to splash some CO2 in it, but the sidewall had a rock cut. I had 1 tube and 1 big air CO2 at my disposal for the whole race, and this was a little early to start using up all my bullets. The change was made, but within 5 minutes the rear tube was now flat. This was not looking good. I proceeded to panhandle for a tube and more air, which a lot of riders were reluctant to do(and I don't blame them). I finally got my charity items and made the switch as quickly as possible.
So just like any other time I find myself behind, I went out and pushed fairly hard. Luckily there was a lot of climbing so I wound up the One9 and passed alot of riders. This went on for longer than was comfortable, but my legs felt pretty good still had some snap in them for the climbs, so I figured I'd just see how it all would shake out.
Then I cut the front sidewall, suhwheat! I stopped and tried some more air, but I was forced to stop a couple minutes later....again begging for another tube. I was lucky enough to have a fellow rider sacrifice one, changed it and went back at it. I found myself having to get back by some of the same people again. I'm sure they were thinking I needed to learn how to ride this rocky stuff, but oh well!
So before the halfway point I had already cut two tires and punctured a tube. The chances of me getting to the finish without any more screw ups was not good. But, as luck would have it(or lack there of, who knows) I was able to continue to push the limits of the bike and my legs and finish out the race with no other issues.
I finished up in 5:28 and 43rd overall(7th SS)). My ride time on the Garmin was 4:52....that's a lot of flat time! One bright spot to the weekend was that physically I felt really good, sometimes you just can't control what the flat gods throw at you.
We were able to get a post race day ride on some new sections of the Ozark Trail that was every bit as good as the race day stuff. It was a good weekend to be railing single track in So.Mo.

job secured....

2010-10-20T06:24:00.003-05:00

I had an interview at BikeSource yesterday...and got hired. Well that went easier than anticipated. To top it off, there may be an opportunity to get the service manager position at the new 20,000 sq. ft. store their opening at the first of the year. I'm actually excited at the possibility of having more responsibility in the shop. I mean, it's nice sometimes to just wrench, sell, etc., but the same ol' thing everyday does wear on ya'. Give me a crap load to do and be responsible for and I'm a happy dude. I go into the shop on Monday afternoon and should know about the other position by the end of next week....cool.
We head out tomorrow for the Berryman Epic race down in So. Mo. I have a little trail time today to try out the new grips I'll be running(basically just taped over my existing ones). After last weeks sixer, my hands were a tad shelled. This should do the trick.
There is a chance of some rain in the forecast for race day, but not cold, so it should make for decent conditions. The field is almost capped at the 250 rider limit, so it will be interesting to see where I end up on the One9. I'm registered in the ss class, I'm not that foolish, but I'll be racing every man, woman and child to the end!

6 hr solo?

2010-10-18T06:29:00.002-05:00

Yeah, I know I said I was done with all that enduro stuff, but with the Berryman Epic coming up next weekend, I needed to know I could hang for 60 miles.
It was a tale of a couple mistakes that kept me from the "dub" at the Clinton Lake 3/6hr.....my own mistakes.
First couple hrs were good. Leading the 3 and 6hr race overall by a minute or so and riding pretty comfortable, though a few of those steep climbs on the ss were going to be walking potential later in the day.
My rear tire went soft out on lap 3. No big deal. Pulled out my "big air" co2, screwed on my new, never before used inflation nozzle and started to air up my tire. Nothing came out. The inflator wouldn't screw down far enough to puncture the canister no matter how hard I tried to tighten it......so I waited... 2nd place goes by(1st place 3hr dude) and 2nd place 6hr rider trades me a 16g for my big air, and it worked. Now here is mistake #1. I didn't have enough Stan's in my tire to seal the puncture(way to go mr. mechanic!) So I rode with what air was in the tire, but it wasn't long. I stopped again, and shortly thereafter, John from Salina,KS and also on a ss gave me his pump. I spent the rest of the lap riding...pumping....riding....pumping....etc.
Once back to the pits, I bummed some Stan's from a fellow racer, which solved the problem and I was off, trying to make up some of the 17 minutes I lost on that one stinking lap.
I kept pushing pretty good, riding the steeps and taking a few chances until I could catch back up. The 3hr racers were now off the course and things were really spread out over 8 miles of single track.
After a while the gels,bars and electrolyte drinks just weren't doing it for me(I love ya' Clif Bar, but my stomach didn't). So about 4.5 hrs in I stopped and filled my bottles with water and grabbed a hot dog.....yes a hot dog. I don't know why, it just sounded good. I ended up feeling pretty good too. So after the next lap I stopped again and did the same thing.....this whole time thinking I had a comfortable lead, that is until the scorers said, "good job Justin, your only behind the leader by 11 minutes".....ooops! In the whole lap 3 confusion I lost track of 1 rider. Since I already messed up, I hopped on my bike, finished my hot dog(what the heck, it still tasted good) and went out to see how much time I could make up.
I ended up pulling back 5 minutes, but still crossed the line in 2nd. I did get my 60+ miles as prep for the Berryman race so all was not lost. Legs felt pretty good throughout and other than the puncture, the bike is all sorted out for the epic.....I just need to make sure I add some more Stan's!

Fall

2010-10-13T17:30:00.006-05:00

sometimes it's just good to slow down and enjoy the colors....

10/10/10

2010-10-11T07:37:00.002-05:00

...Crazy shit happens on days like this. Like my Raiders beating the Chargers yesterday, that has not happened in 13 games! Or, like my SF Giants coming back in the top of the 9th to beat the Braves and take 2-1 playoff series lead. Or, waking up yesterday a.m. and finding a mtb race while perusing the web that was only a little over an hour away.....but it was already 8:00, and the race was at noon.....better get going.
I had good intentions of doing a little local 'cross racing Sunday, but when I saw this little gem, The Riverfront Mountain Bike race, singletrack trumps racing through parks any day.
The site was Melvern,KS and with it being about 70 mile down there, I loaded up my things(including both dogs,Marci is out of town for work) and headed out.
I got there in plenty of time to hit the registration table, get kitted up, make sure the dogs were set up in the shade, and get a good warm-up in. It wasn't a huge turn out, but good solid group of guys from around the state.
I got a horrible start due to the fact of not clipping in like everyone else on the line. I hit the single track in 5th, sucking up a bunch of dust in the middle of the train. Luckily, shortly thereafter we came to a double track climb that was about200yds or so, and I was able to latch on to the front couple of guys as we enetered the next narrow section.
A lot of rocky,rooty,twisty trail was again the theme of the day as I picked off 2nd and soon after moved into 1st about 1/2 way through lap 1(of 4). There were some short climbs that took all I had to roll over the top of with the 32x18 I've grown accustomed to running here.
Over the next 3 laps I was able to steadily extend the gap to 2nd and finish up with the "dubya".
An hour and a 1/2 of good hard race effort was just what the doctor ordered(actually he told me to take it easy with the stitches in my face,yeah right). Once again, the midwestern hospitality was awesome and was able to meet some new people once again. Actually, everyone I meet is new, but all super nice nonetheless.
100% payback meant I doubled what I spent for the day, so Marci will let me ride my bike for another week or so.
For me, 10/10/10 was a good yet freakish day.

Face art

2010-10-08T07:10:00.003-05:00

The art of competing, no matter what the event, can be a masterpiece sometimes. Then, in this case, it can turn out to be a little painful.
Thurs. night short track turned out to be more of a lesson in overcoming the sight of blood and numb mouth. Quite dramatic actually, blood dripping down my chin and dotting the top tube of my One9 with Picasso like strokes. All this from a stupid little off-cambered high speed corner that my front tire decided to quit on. Sending me face first into the single track. I soldiered on though, still taking the "W".
After spending 3 hrs. at the hospital last night, and 4 stitches later, I'm ready for a rest day....photo courtesy of Blackberry.

"Hot, sweet and sticky"

2010-10-07T06:22:00.005-05:00

I'm like a kid in a candy store with all this new riding to do, and the legs are a wee bit haggard. How about a little short track racing tonight to really send them over the edge?

Almost normal

2010-10-06T06:19:00.003-05:00

Ahhh, things are starting to slow down a bit, just a bit. I no longer have stacks and stacks of boxes throughout the house taunting me to be opened and put away. Marci and I can almost function a normal existance now, I mean, as normal as we can get it.
I've been able to ramp up the riding in preparation for the Berryman Trail Epic on Oct.23. I know, I said no more looong races, but I just can't help myself. It is ONLY 60 miles of IMBA certified epic trail that I have never ridden before.....'nuff said. Though it will be my first enduro on the One9, I'm looking forward to it.
Oh, the rides lately? Fantastic! The leaves are starting to change and the temps are cool, so the riding is perfect right now.
I took the "W" at last weeks Thursday night short track on a double points night, so I'll be back out there again this week. Also hitting up a 'cross race on Sunday. Maybe even do 2 races on Sunday to prep for BTE.
Those Fall colors? I'll try to drag along the camera and get some shots for you.

Good reasons to love my new home....

2010-10-01T07:37:00.002-05:00

.....daytime high temp. of 74 degrees and no wind, thurs. night short track racing,post race recon of trail I've never ridden before with Travis who was ripping it up on a fixed gear full-rigid singlespeed(and he was pinning it),scored a ticket for sundays NASCAR race at kansas motor speedway.......life is good!

Burning the candle at both ends

2010-09-29T17:49:00.005-05:00

After pulling a 17hr straight drive from South Tex to KC on Sun/Mon.....I'm finally starting to get a little sleep. Everything was delivered by the movers Tues. 8am and I've been trying to get some form of organization for the last 2 days.
There's got to be some priorities though. I've shut down the box/furniture shuffling marathon a little early and hopped on the road bike yesterday and today. It's always interesting trying to ride in a new place. It never fails, I ride down a super busy road with no shoulder and get yelled at....which I did today. Trial and error I guess.
I think I'll hit up the local Thurs. night short track/'cross race tomorrow and see how it goes. It will be nice to be "off" the road for a change.

The time is now

2010-09-23T06:21:00.003-05:00

This will be my last post from the state of Texas. The movers are coming today to pack and load everything up tomorrow. This house will be empty by tomorrow night. Once I've cleaned up the place and get the trailer hitch put on the Subaru, I'll be rolling north for good. I'm not really sure exactly what day(the hitch is being shipped from Wisconsin), earliest would be Sat. night, latest Mon. afternoon. So "adios" Texas. It's been fun.

Double up young man

2010-09-21T09:32:00.003-05:00

When I headed up to KC for the weekend, I had no thoughts of getting two days of racing in. The cross-country was on Sunday and that was the goal. It's funny how fast things change.
Friday I headed out to the venue to get in a pre-ride. In the past, a pre-ride wasn't always possible. Now that I'm running singlespeed, it's pretty important, especially going into it with no info. on the course at all.
I ran into 3 guys(Doug,Denny and Dave) who were working on the venue and ready to hit up the course for a pre-ride themselves. I struck up a conversation and did the ol' tag along. It worked out real good. The course wasn't entirely marked yet for Sundays XC, so I would have been completely lost. One lap with them and one lap on my own was sufficient time to know the course and to know my gearing would be good(32x18).
Before I left, the guys showed me around Saturdays cyclocross course and heckled me enough to talk me into racing. I figured that I was going to get out and ride anyhow, why not throw down 'cross style for a bit.
After a quick overnight gear change to a 32x16,I lined up for my first ever 'cross race in the Masters 40+ class. We would be racing for 40 min.+/-. The gun went off and we immediately headed up a paved road climb for about 200yds to thin the field out. I dropped into 5th entering the 1st grassy section, happy to just set on and watch how things would unfold.
Once we hit the first section of barriers I made up a couple spots by bunny-hopping over rather than running them. Shortly thereafter, we hit a short single track section that the One9 absolutely floated through.There were a couple log barriers I just ate up, and found myself into 2nd about halfway through the 40 min. race.
From this point I had some serious time to make up though. 1st had about a 30sec gap on me, it was time to get to work. I chased pretty hard for the next 20 min. and steadily closed the gap, but in the end I was 10 sec. off the lead.
I collected $30 for my efforts,and loaded up to try and get some rest in before Sundays XC.
I woke the next a.m. feeling o.k. I was curious to see how my legs would respond to the previous days efforts. The area got hammered with t-storms Saturday night, so the whole venue was pretty sloppy. I could only imagine what the course was like.
....a little info. on the mtb course... a lot of rocky/rooty sections that dry were fairly challenging, being wet makes it real hard. It was your typical "east coast" style course where you need to be a good technical rider or get your arse handed to you.....
Well, it's a good thing I have some experience in these conditions, because the course was sketchy at best. There were multiple guys getting stitched up after this one.
All the Cat.1 group started together at the bottom of the hill again. I figured I better nudge my way towards the front unless I wanted to get held up in sloppy single track that was sure to meet us in about 1/4 mile.
The gun went off and I managed to keep pace with the front group and enter the single track in 6th. The initial section of trail wasn't too bad. The big wheels treated me well as the guys on mini-wheels started to struggle over the wet roots and rocks as we got farther into the first lap. I picked off a few guys as we encountered different obstacles that proved no match for the One9.
The back side of the loop was the most technical. There were multiple rocky,steep drops and climbs that enabled me to make up some time and join back up to the front two riders that gapped me a bit. Towards the end of loop one, I made a move into 2nd on a slick off-cambered rocky climb that we scouted a few times on Friday. I took the preferred line and the pass was made.
Heading out to do lap 2 I find myself in 2nd, feeling pretty comfortable, but knowing there's a lot of work to still be done. Within the next mile I come upon the leader.....with a flat. He's a local pro/cat.1 guy, so I know once he's back under way he'll be charging pretty quickly.
I spend all of lap 2(of 3) in the lead. Trying to ride smooth, but still pushing the envelope so as to try and not get caught. Through the start/finish area and out for the final lap I still find myself in the lead by less than a minute. 2nd is charging hard and making up some pretty big chunks of time(so I was told), so I motored on.
About half way through the final lap I was caught. As fast as he went by me I figured I had no chance, but as we moved to the technical sections I could still see him in front by only 15-20 seconds. A few encounters with lapped riders did me no favors, and by the time we were at the last little climb to the finish there was no sight of the lead. To be honest, I'm not sure I would have had anything left for him,but it would have been nice to try.
Marci and I hung out around the venue and met some really nice people post-race. I think I may have even nailed down a job at a shop once I get up there for good. Many thanks to Doug,Denny,Dave,Craig,Scott,Andy and Mark(the crew at BikeSource and 360 racing) who's hospitality made me really look forward to getting up to our new home. Post race brews flowed and podiums were ascended. I collected my pint glass and $100,loaded up and rolled on back to Marci's apt. knowing we're in a good place.

Kansas City Cup weekend

2010-09-19T17:59:00.002-05:00

Quick update from a full weekend of racing........
Cyclocross Sat.(first one ever,and it was fun!) 2nd in Masters 40+
Mtb XC today. Course was wet and sloppy from last nights T-storms. 1st Cat.1 40-49, 2nd overall.
More details and pictures later. Gotta pack and spend some time with the Queen before I fly out in the early a.m.

ahh, what the heck!

2010-09-13T15:46:00.003-05:00

"What are you talking about J?" you say. Well, I'm going to continue racing the Cat.1 40-49 class even though I'm on a singlespeed and there is a singlespeed class to race. My thinking is this: 1) I've raced Cat.1 in the past with gears, and have the ability to still roll pretty good with a single. 2) The SS class only does the Cat.2 distance, while the Cat.1's race the full distance up north. After doing a bunch of marathons for the last 2 yrs., it seems like I'm cheating myself by only racing 12 miles +/-. 3) The Cat.1's get back a little $ while SS is hardware. Now were not talking a boat load of $ here, but if it pays for my gas,entry, and some food after what the heck!
One things for sure. I better bring my "A" game this weekend.

Big wheels keep on rollin'

2010-09-11T17:03:00.001-05:00

....from Emma's Revenge last month.

singletrack bliss

2010-09-11T13:28:00.001-05:00

Here's a little nugget of what I'll be racing next weekend.....in KC baby!

I may be getting wiser

2010-09-10T08:20:00.002-05:00

I headed out last evening for a bit of a "ride" on my skinny tire contraption. I call it a ride, some may call 25.5 miles in 1hr 20min.(w/45min tempo-LT) training, but whatever. My point here is the "getting wise" part.
I was about a mile from the house when a white Mercedes-Benz passes me fairly close. I mean, come on people, there were two lanes and NO ONE out there. Move your car over a bit puh-leez!
I just shrugged it off. That's right, no sitting up and putting my arms in the air like "WTF". It may have been the brutal head/cross wind I had been fighting for the last 45+ min. that had demoralized me.
As I rolled up to the house(the one we are trying to sell), said Benz was parked up front. Huh?... Holding my male brovado was a good choice since the driver(Edna) is a realtor wanting to show our house today. She turned out to be a really sweet lady. Actually, anyone trying to sell my house for me is sweet in my book. She also asked if she almost ran me off the road back there. "No, not at all Edna" I say, "I've had closer".

Thoughts...

2010-09-09T08:54:00.002-05:00

....on XC and Marathon Nationals.
If you haven't heard, there are new venues for both. Marathon nats are now in Bend,OR which is half the elevation of the previous venue of Breckenridge,CO. XC nats are now in Sun Valley,ID which 4,000ft lower then the previous venue of Granby,CO.
I mention the elevations for the simple fact that a lot of people are still pissed that nats are being held at "elevation". I for one know well the effects of trying to "give 'er" when the air is rare. Breck was not kind to my lungs whatsoever.
My thought is this: If I understand correctly, USA cycling has to get bids from various venues willing to hold nationals during the required date of July 14-17.Why this date I am not sure, but many venues are automatically taken out of the mix because of heat issues. Couple that with actually getting bids from suitable venues willing to host such a large event, well, I'm sure the list is short(though I would like to see who did put their bids in).
I'm in no way an up and coming jr. or a pro racer, but I am encouraged by having both venues drop down a bit from rarified air. Are they ideal locations? For those of us at close to sea level, no. But it is better than the alternative, sucking air at 10,000ft while hauling my bike box into the hotel room.
Am I considering hauling my singlespeed and girlish figure over to Idaho or Oregon next summer? You bet! It's only a 21hr drive from KC and 5hrs from home in Cali.
Now I just need to qualify......

The new digs

2010-09-07T07:08:00.003-05:00

Spent the weekend up KC way. What an awesome place! Hills, trees galore, and weather was perfect all weekend. I don't know who called mother nature for that chunk early fall bliss, but I'll take it.
Found a house to rent. Nice little quiet, tree lined street centrally located to stores, etc. Oh, and right down the street from the local nature trail. Not the dirt variety, but a paved trail none the less. Besides, this winter, when it's covered in snow, it'll have the same effect as being off-road.
I have a race date as well! Sept. 18-19 they have the KC Cup. Sat. are the CX races and Sun. are the mtb races. I knew it wouldn't take long to find a competitive sampling of dirt up there. I'll be going back up that wknd for a "house hunting" trip anyhow, so I might as well rip it up with some of the locals on their trails:
(copy and paste it)
http://swopetrails.blogspot.com/p/trail-pics.html

In all, it was a very successful trip. I was pleasantly surprised with the area we are moving to(officially it's Overland Park, KS). we met a lot of friendly people(after all, it is the midwest) and most of all, it feels like home.
Now it's time to get the moving logistics all ironed out. We can get in to the new pad Oct.1st and that's what I'm shooting for as well. By the time I get there, the fall colors should be in full effect.

Transitions

2010-09-01T19:20:00.002-05:00

Last day of work today. Always weird walking out for the last time no matter how long you've been somewhere. There's a lot to get done now. First on the agenda is a trip up to KC this weekend to find a house, then get back here and start the moving process. There's definitely some anxiousness, a lot actually.

Emma's results

2010-09-01T19:16:00.001-05:00

So after taking a wrong turn and losing some time, seems I was still able to hold on to 1st in my age group and 10th overall. Better than I was expecting.

What's new?

2010-08-26T09:02:00.002-05:00

Big things actually. After a couple months of "what ifs", we are now officially moving to Kansas City, MO/KS. My wife, being the rock star that she is, was pursued by the Time Warner folks that run that region and the pot was too sweet to pass up. She starts 9/7, so next weekend we'll head up to look for a house(to rent for now), she'll stay to start the new job, and I'll come back to start getting things packed up. I'm planning on being up there by 10/1, but my last day in the shop is 9/1. There's too much to get done to try and work too.
I'm really looking forward to having a Fall again. I think that's what I missed the most about living in South Texas. We will get colder Winters than we've ever experienced, which I will enjoy, not too sure how Marci will handle it.
Best of all, the cycling scene up there is excellent, and right there in KC too. No more having to travel 5hrs to get to races. I can race my little heart out all within a couple hrs of the confines of home. Oh, I'm sure I'll extend that radius out farther, I won't be able to help myself, the possibilities are endless.
The timing of it all will keep me from hitting any of the TMBRA Fall xc races, but if I get my shtuff together, I will be toeing the line for a Fall race or two up KC way........can't wait.

Up and running

2010-08-25T07:07:00.002-05:00

New team site is now live....visenka.com. Check it out.

pre-race meetings are good

2010-08-22T18:18:00.004-05:00

Emma's revenge was a semi-success. Rode in the top 7-8 all race, was able to sustain a high effort, yadda , yadda, yadda. One bit of info. that was really helpful throughout the race was the color of the course markings.....they were blue(blue for bike, blue for bozo stay on course).
Like I said before everything was going to plan. There were no categories, just open, so I was up against some good Texas pro/cat1 guys on my single speed. We took off from the gun and I just missed the front group of 5-6 going into the single track, but only dangling 5 sec. off the back wasn't bad for as fast as I was spinning.
There were a lot of ledges, roots, etc. that made the descending and climbing interesting. I had no problem with the descending, but I spent a lot of time doing the ol' cyclocross dismount and run up some of the stair step/loose rocky climbs. They were short, so I wasn't losing too much time.
I was about 10 sec. behind 7th and about 30 sec. out of 6th with 2 miles to go when rider error ensued. We came down a real steep, rocky pitch out of the sun into the shade and the trail naturally flowed to the left, so I rolled the section smoothly and headed left......WRONG! About a minute or so later, I wasn't noticing the blue flagging they mentioned in the rider meeting(shit, I was off course!) Another error I made was thinking the trail would hook back up with the course soon. 10 minutes later and a whole crap load of creek crossings later I hooked back up with the last descent back to the finish.
So what turned out to be a good solid ride with some fast riders just in front of me, ended up in frustration.
On a positive note: the bike worked really well, my fitness was good and I can say I really like this single speed thing.....no shifting or chain slap.....just pedal damn it!

SS @ race pace

2010-08-15T19:28:00.002-05:00

Rolled out the One9 this a.m. for a bit of race pace work before next weekends Emma's Revenge up in Austin. A bit sluggish at first, likely the beer and late night, but ended with a good 40min. straight for where I'll need to be. Now there will be a gear change, a shake down of said changes, and before you know it race day will be here. Doesn't look like there's a SS class, let alone age groups, so I get to mix it up with some fast mofo's and likely take a good arse whoopin'. It'll be good for me.

You can thank me later

2010-08-03T10:46:00.003-05:00

I had a guy, Paul , come in the shop yesterday to buy a mtn bike. Nothing special there, it was why he's here that is cool. You see, Paul is from New Zealand, and is here at UT-Pan American on a grant studying the process of turning titanuim into a usable metal.
I learned a few things yesteday about ti. There are actually more minerals out there to make ti than there are to make aluminum. It's the process of turning those minerals into a metal that is so costly. Hence the outragous cost of a ti bike frame.
So Paul is here for the next year, under the eye of the worlds foremost expert on this process(yes, right here in south tex), trying to make it affordable for you and me to obtain a ti bike frame for cheap. Well, maybe not for that exact purpose, but you get my drift.
So after I helped Paul with his new purchase, of an aluminum bike, I gave him a ride back to his extended stay hotel, exchanged #'s and told him if he needed any help at all to give me a ring......so in a way I have officially contributed to the price reduction of titanuim in the world as we know it. Too bad I won't see the effects for the next 10 years or so. Good luck Paul. Give me a ring when that new ti frame is ready....two-9er of course.

Too much of a good thing

2010-07-29T08:30:00.002-05:00

It's been pissing rain down here, which means no shredding of the One9 off road. So in order to keep some form of fitness, I've spent a lot of time on that skinny tire contraption. After all it is July, with the tour and all it seems like the proper thing to do.
On the horizon, I have pencilled in a race for 8/21 up in Austin. Nice little XC on a good techy course. Time to start revving that engine a bit in anticipation of entering the pain cave that is mtb xc racing......gotta love it!

One9 follies

2010-07-20T12:25:00.015-05:00

Headed south this morning to sample some single track and not get carried off by the mosquitos. Mission accomplished!

some of the single track was in great shape

some was overgrown, but rideable

some you just didn't even attempt to ride

so I headed south to the border wall and spun for a while

you know your on "the wall" when you see these

waters is not supposed to be here

...or here....

.....or here

my One9 wasn't scared of no stinking water

so we headed off, trying not to look down too much, and hit up some more of jungle track, I mean, single track.
.......good ride!

Good intentions

2010-07-12T09:19:00.002-05:00

When I set off on the road bike yesterday, I took my camera with the idea of getting some good pics of the flooding along the Rio Grande. Once down by the border, I was witnessing some pretty substantial water flowing where it's not supposed to. I pulled out the digital camera, snapped a pic, and no sim card. It seems that my beautiful daughter pulled out my card and used it for herself last weekend and NEVER put it back. So what started out as a day of something new to post in picture form, turned out to be the same ol' Shtuff.
I did get in a good 3+ hr road ride though. All the rains have the trails a tad muddy/overgrown again, so my One9 sets in the confines of our extra room(yes, inside) as the road bike gets all the attention. I am looking pretty pimp though in the new kit.

A hint of Talledega Nights

2010-07-08T06:59:00.002-05:00

A large fellow, say....350# or so, came into the shop yesterday looking for a bike. I'm assuming he's wanting something on the comfort, shed some lbs. side of things, so I head over to those bikes(oh, and cheap....he "ain't gonna pay no $500 for a damn bike").
I'm showing him all the benefits of the bikes, when he spouts off with: "I've been on a bike all my life, practically born on one. I mean, I used to ride with no hands and all that stuff......I WANNA GO FAST!" I started to give a slight smile, since I thought he was trying to be funny.....he wasn't smiling. "Awesome", I say, so I take him over to the road bikes and hybrids. Then he saw the price tags...."Don't you guys carry any of those good bikes.....like Schwinn? I can get a good one over at Wal-Mart for less than $200!"
I was speechless, but managed to encourage him towards that direction so that he could.....GO FAST!

New kits are in!

2010-06-30T16:24:00.005-05:00

...and these race cut jerseys fit oh so nice!

In other bike, and non-bike, related news: With the onset of hurricane Alex, I hit the trails in the a.m. yesterday for a bit and then went over for the local group ride in the p.m. Good hard efforts in both cases....just what I needed to shock the system before a couple day break from the bike.

Call it Xmas in June

2010-06-22T17:54:00.003-05:00

...Or call it SWAG, for us Clif sponsored athletes. Today I received the latest new product launched by the folks at Clif. It's Clif crunch, "an all-natural crunchy granola bar that contains organic whole grains", and Clif C, " an all-natural organic fruit and nut bar made with a full serving of fruit in every bar".
Lets face it, their stuff is mighty tasty and works great. I've always got some sort of Clif product on me during rides, so ask me for a sample.....you'll be hooked!
Another treat today was my sampling of dirt on my One9. I was able to get a solid 1.5 hrs. of un-interrupted single track bliss this morning. Had the chance to change the gearing to a 32x16 and ripped it up proper. I hate to say it fellas(and ladies), but this rig feels faster than my last. Good news for me, bad news for others.

rollin' dirty.....

2010-06-21T07:38:00.005-05:00

......finally!
Got back into town from Houston with just enough time to spin the One9 into the sunset. Nina was flawless! Though I need to get my gear collection built up, I spun my ass off with that 32x18 I had.
So here's Nina in all her dirtiness for the first time.

And just in case I ever forget.....

First trail ride tomorow!

rollin' 6

2010-06-18T09:25:00.002-05:00

....days straight on the bike ending today, not that it's a big deal. I mean, who couldn't right? Just getting used to early mornings and getting out there no matter what. Heading over to Houston for the wknd, no bike, just a couple days of R&R.

The plan?

2010-06-16T20:05:00.003-05:00

....1st training phase of the year in June, you say? One thing I've realized since moving to Texas is that racing exists year round down here. In Fact, June, July and Aug. are the slower months....think mid 90's mixed in with the humidity and you've got heat indexes pushing 110 sometimes.
Since moving down 3 yrs ago, I went wild racing all year, most of them 50-100 milers. So when last winter rolled around I took a little extended break, built up a sweet new bike, and now I'm ready to hit it again.
Looks like our Texas Fall XC series will be the first step. Camp Eagle is a brutal rocky, rooty course to start at again, but I really look forward to the shorter distances and higher intensity.

training and the build

2010-06-13T10:51:00.008-05:00

June officially begins my training phase of the year. Sure I've gotten in some decent miles this year, but none of it has been working towards anything in particular.
"Training" and "working towards a goal" must mean one thing......my Niner is almost done! More on that "working towards a goal" thing later. Now here's the bike:

Notice the thought given to the grip and saddle ensemble. Those are Ergon grips, Fizik saddle and the Avid Elixir mag brakes

Big wheels and big fun.....with just one gear. American Classic wheelset, Maxxis Cossmark tires.

The full monty..... Couldn't quite ride though. I seem to have forgotten the chain at the shop yesterday and the valve stems I had wont fit. I'll put the finishing touches on it Tues. at work since I need to trim those brake lines a bit as well.
"Unofficial" weight is 20.4 lbs. so far.

Why I ride

2010-06-01T19:05:00.002-05:00

My teammates have posted some stuff on Facebook on why they ride.....some good responses. At the time I was at a loss for words, let alone a non-facebook using cat.
Last weekend gave me some perspective as to why I ride.
I attended the ProXCT race up in Dripping Springs, TX and watching the top pro's in action was amazing. I new they were fast by how bad I got smoked last year racing against some of them, but the action up front is REAL fast.
This isn't the reason I ride though. Don't get me wrong, I love to kit up and suffer for a couple hours racing like a lot of you, but sometimes watching things unfold back in the pack can inspire.
I watched my rider (I was crewing all weekend) race with torn ligaments in his shoulder, because if he didn't at least finish in the top 15, the state title was lost.
I watched as guys and gals alike suffered in the 97 degree heat, pushing on because they too, just love to ride. One of the ladies was from Alaska.....where she hasn't seen anything above 60 degrees for months.
I ended up handing out a lot of water bottles in the nuetral feed area to total strangers, who were so grateful that they would still say "thanks" even in the heat of the battle.
Spending 2 days at the race venue, enjoying the scenes from a different angle was a great experience. Oh, I really missed being out there with them, but sometimes it takes days like these to remind me why I ride.
Now I need to get out there and race! The last of the parts are all ordered for the Niner, so it should only be a couple more weeks.

It's starting to look like a bike now

2010-05-25T13:37:00.005-05:00

TruVativ Stylo World Cup 100mm stem

TruVativ Noir World Cup carbon bars

RockShox Reba SL 80mm front fork

.....more to be added next week....but what will it be? Ahhh, the anticipation!

Life on the bike is getting better and better.I did some 1.5 hr hauls last week and a nice little 2.5 hr grind with Padgett on Sunday.Hot and humid down here now, so out the door early is the norm.
Ironically, my Visenka teammates out on the left coast had their 12hr race cancelled because of.....snow! It's like we're on Mars down here sometimes.
Heading up to the ProXCT race in Austin this weekend to crew and watch some good ol' mountain bike racing. Sat. all the big guns throw down.....it'll be fun to see.

The build continues

2010-05-18T18:25:00.002-05:00

A couple more additions......

Cane Creek 110 headset

TruVativ Noir carbon cranks
As far as riding goes, well it's going. Feeling better and better each day. Last two times out was for 1.5 hrs each and felt surprisingly fresh.

In motion

2010-05-15T06:19:00.002-05:00

Finally the pedals turn! I've managed a couple 1 hour easy rides this week, which is about the max. my back can take before getting really stiff. Once I'm off the bike, a little stretching has me all limbered up and ready to go. Looking forward to extending my saddle time.

Life off the bike......

2010-05-11T09:23:00.002-05:00

......is super boring! Still getting the back situation under control, my doc is an avid cyclist and knows how much I am jones'n to ride, but if he says give it some more time.......well, I'm giving it some more time. I'm thinking later this week the pedals start tuning again. It hasn't even been two weeks yet, but it feels like an eternity!

The build

2010-05-09T13:02:00.003-05:00

Like I mentioned before, my new Niner One9 frame is here and put the first of many touches to it yesterday. Here it is so far:

That's a Thomson Elite seat post with a Thomson seat clamp. Monday the next round of ordering happens. On tap? Truvativ Noir carbon cranks /BB and a Cane Creek 110 headset. Both with red accents........pimp!

The good and the bad....

2010-05-05T19:35:00.002-05:00

Good news first..... My frame arrived and is now in my grimy mits so I can now start to build it up. It's a beauty! First parts ordered are a Thomson seat post and seat clamp. You just can't beat the quality of Thomson. Next up.....cranks and bb.
Bad news?............I've had to take an unexpected break from the bike. Last Thurs. went to get my stretch on before hopping on the bike and pop! Seems something in my back was pissed about having to ride that early. Spent all wknd on my back in bed and got into Dr. Dirk Mon. a.m. Long story made short, I'm able to function pretty close to normal after 2 rehab sessions with #3 tomorrow. Still can't bend over to put my socks on or tie my shoes, but just being able to get around without shooting pains going down into my legs is a glorious thing!
Look out for the new and improved "Visenka Cycling-Texas Style" blog site coming soon. Supercrew will be working on it. I've heard some of his ideas.....it's gonna be tight.