Mid Mountain Strikes Back...

So I was riding on my favorite trail in Park City, the Mid Mountain Trail, this past Saturday and the ride was amazing! It was warm, for Park City, but I had brought enough fluids and food so I felt good the entire ride. I did the full loop which is around 23 miles with an elevation gain of 2400 feet and thanks to information from my Garmin Edge, I burnt almost 1700 calories. The ride takes you up to the 8000 feet elevation point at Park City Mountain Resort and continues along that contour until you hit The Canyons Mountain Resort, at this point it's a fast downhill to the resort and a road ride back to the parking lot at PCMR. All was going well, I had stopped at the Red Pine Lodge at The Canyons to eat lunch, hydrate, and stretch out. This is the halfway point milewise so it's a good place to stop, but things turned ugly fast after leaving Red Pine Lodge.

There is still a good amount of snow in that area and as I was descending towards the canyons the trail wound under a very large snow bank. The trail was muddy underneath it but seemed stable enough and I remember thinking "Aww, I can ride this!" There was a puddle about four feet wide and three feet long that looked solid enough and I didn't even think to inspect it as I started riding through it. As my tire hit the puddle it dropped into the hidden, three feet deep mudbog that the puddle was concealing! My front wheel disappeared, i went over the handlebars and Pete Rose'd head first into the mud! I was covered in mud but what was shocking was how cold the water was! Coming from snowmelt, the water was ice cold and took my breath away! I just laid there for a second shocked over what had just happened, then got up and wrang myself as best as i could dry. This part of the trail is in a pretty remote section of the Canyons but of course, just my luck, there happened to be two Canyons workers within earshot and, worst of all, sight of my ordeal! After laughing for a few minutes and stating the obvious "You just ate SH$!", they asked if I was ok and I gave them a muddy thumbs up! Well, the rest of the ride was uneventful, except for the mud drying in a thick crust on my legs, arms, jersey, helmet, and face! I got home and managed to get some pics before hosing myself and my bike off. The faces of the other drivers as I came back into Salt Lake was one of the best parts of an awesome day!

Solitude Weekly Race Series...

The Full Throttle Midweek Mountain Bike series started Tuesday June 24th at Solitude Mountain Resort. It was the hardest race I've done this year. It was only around 8 or so miles but it was steep, muddy, and unfamiliar so it kicked my butt! I didn't hydrate enough, preride the course, or eat properly before the race so I cramped up early and didn't really recover the rest of the race. I should have known I was overdoing it when in the first short paved climb I was right on the race leaders wheel thinking "this race is easy, I'm so gonna place!" Yeah, I can only blame that on dehydration delirium! The course was muddy and had two or three large snow patches that we either had to run over or ride through...I ran over them. The best part of the race was passing a few of the guys on the downhill that had passed me on the first lap climb. My skills are improving in the downhill and my bike has a lot to do with that! The other best part of the race was the moose I saw just before the second lap downhill, it was a young bull and was happily grazing in a meadow near the summit. Hopefully I'll improve on it over the next few weeks!

Mid-Mountain Meditation...

Sometimes you just have to get out and ride. Leave work, life, and love's stresses behind as you pedal, push, and sweat your way up a really hard trail. The other night I needed one of these...so I packed up my bike and headed for Park City. It was around 95 degrees in the valley but in PC it was cool and calming in the 70's. I rode a combination of trails starting at Spiro, over to the Mid-Mountain and down to Park City Mountain Resort. I didn't invite any friends, didn't really see anyone on the trail, just threw a calming mix on my ipod shuffle and rode. As the miles and elevation went by...I felt my worries, stresses, frustrations, and confusion melt away as well. I felt more centered and at peace with the world, and I realized I was actually grinning! It was only an hour and a half ride but it did wonders for my soul...enjoy the ride.

What Can be Said About a Bottle?

Well...it may seem like an inconsequential piece of equipment but finding one that doesn't leak is a dream come true! Once you do find one like this, you gotta treat it like a family heirloom and pass it down to your kids! So, this particularly fine bottle came into my possession at the Sea Otter Classic, and for FREE from the SRAM booth! Woot! Membership has it's privileges! It has a flip top for easy filling, the valve is easy enough to bite open, it's perfect for a short race or training ride, and how can you beat classic SID blue? Woot indeed!

The Showdown at 5-Mile Pass...

The Showdown at 5-Mile Pass took place May 3rd, 2008 and was a fun race! It seemed really cold and windy at first, but the temperatures warmed up by race start and the breeze helped to cool off during the race.  My parents were visiting from Canada that weekend so they were able to come to the race and see me finish. 

The course is located about twenty or so miles past Lehi, Ut., in the West Desert and winds it's way around Juniper and Sage, circumnavigating a mountain in the region. The course distance is about 11 miles and follows clay and sand single and double track trails with rolling hills. Just about to the halfway point of the race is an insanely steep ridge called Yellow Pages Hill that rises 300 feet in 1/10 of a mile. Yes I, along with everyone else, had to hike my bike up that section! The rest of the course consisted of a smooth, long climb up an ATV trail and then rolling hills and a bermed fast downhill. For my division we did two laps of the course totaling just over 22miles of riding. My Garmin Edge 305 died about 2/3 into the race so exact data is unknown. Total climbing for the two laps is approximately 2000 feet. 

It was fast and rocky and if your tires weren't aired up tight you would pinch flat super easily-I passed a lot of people on the side of the trail stuffing new tubes in their wheels and pumping their tires. Several of the competitors had to walk their bikes back as well. I had fun on the course and ended up 8th out of 15 in my class so it seems I'm slowly climbing higher and higher up my division although I still haven't qualified for any points! I guess I'll have to get on that trail building for points service project!

Sea Otter Classic 08: Cold and Windy!

I was blessed to be able to attend the 2008 Sea Otter Classic in Monterey, CA from April 17-20. I say blessed because I wouldn't have been there had it not been for my company Liberty Mountain and Vaude exhibiting at the event. I worked the exhibition booth while there, but was able to pre-ride the course after the show closed on Thursday and raced early Saturday morning. The pre-ride was amazing, sunny, perfect conditions, and I had a great ride except for flatting 3 or so miles from the finish. Although it was late in the day, a rider from Cytomax stopped and gave me a CO2 cartridge and I got home! I think my rear shock was a bit over pressurized but I didn't have time to mess around with it.

Raceday was cold, windy, grey, dreary, cold, and cold! Did I mention it was cold? Unfortunately, being from Canada and living in Utah, I assumed that California would be super warm in late April so I didn't pack my arm or leg warmers. Fortunately, I had a Mountain Hardwear windbloc zip T I was able to wear under my jersey and I'm sure that saved my butt! The loop is just over 19 miles long and had around 3500 feet of climbing. So about the same as the Mid-Mountain trail in Park City, one of my favorites. There were two super sandy downhills that I was a bit sketched out in, especially because I overinflated my brand new Kenda Smallblock 8 rear tire so it was slipping a lot in the sand covered hardpack, but I made it through alright.

I crashed hard about halfway into the ride when a rider went down right in front of me and I skinned my left knee pretty bad. I kept riding and by the end of the ride I had a sweet dried blood trail down to the timing anklet and sock! The best part of the race was that there was a rider that I kept passing and getting passed by. I would pass him on a climb, and he would pass me back on a downhill section. We did this probably 4 or 5 times over the ride. There is a looooong climb before the last quick downhill finish. I was determined to pass him on the climb and give it hell to the finish. I passed him just before the crest and never gave it up. I checked times and i was almost half a minute ahead of him! That made my 49th place finish out of 72 seem sooooo much better! Hahaha! Overall the race and exhibition was soooo much fun and I can't wait for next year!

Desert Rampage: Day Full of Surprises...

The first race of the Intermountain Cup is the Desert Rampage, held March 1st in Green Valley outside of St. George, UT. It's a great location because it's warm, dry, and a fairly non-technical course. I raced my new Ellsworth Evolve for the first time and was able to get a better feel for it.  I took Friday off from work and got there that afternoon after a windy drive down from Salt Lake, and immediately suited up to pre-ride the course. I raced here last year and the course hadn't changed so I knew that the loop would ride up a steep rocky wash, climb up the ridge, come down again, up another wash and climb to the ridge again, before a fast downhill to the start/finish area. 

The Evolve has a dual nature due to the four-bar suspension and Fox RP23 shock. In the "open" position the shock pedals well and soaks up the large and small bumps; however, when in the "closed" position it pedals very well yet felt a bit harsh. I need to dial in my shock pressure and rebound settings so that will affect it as well. It's easy enough to flip the switch when you have a lot of climbing but most of the time I just kept it open as I don't have a smooth enough stroke to take advantage of the stable platform damping anyway. My new 180mm XTR cranks were amazing! I noticed more leverage and due to the high bottom bracket height had no problem with pedal strikes, I am super stoked on these cranks! Although it pedaled well, I can still lose some chub on the Evolve, as it's still in the high 27 pound range, maybe some lighter tires, pedals, brakes, and a cassette. Other than that, the frame rode amazing and I had a blast on it!

The race was super fun, even though I cramped up and finished near the back of the pack in my division. One of my favorite things in the whole world is seeing sponsored riders on 4 and 5,000 dollar machines lining up in the Sport division! Hahahaha, stop sandbagging and move up a level already! The highlight of the race for me was on the second lap when an Expert rider came up behind me and arrogantly barked "passing on the left!" At the time I was in Keyhole Wash with five foot walls on either side of me so I yelled back "where exactly are you passing at?", to which he replied again "passing on the left" and tried to force me into the wash wall. I got pissed and barked back at him "where the hell do you think you're going? You can wait your damn turn!" Needless to say, he didn't try to pass until the trail opened up. The best part is my buddy Chad was a just up the trail and heard the whole thing and tried not to laugh too hard at the rider! 

Overall, the race was a reminder that Spring in Utah is just around the corner, as the temperature in St. George hovered in the low 70's, while up North we got a storm and several inches of new snow! I had fun on my bike and in the sun, and while the weekend contained some unexpected surprises for me, I worked through them and came out happy and content! 

180mm XTR Crankset...

So I bit the bullet and purchased a new XTR FC M-970 180mm crankset. I wanted something light, stiff, and to be honest...something with some unique bling! XTR has always had the best combination of light weight, superior shifting, and light weight and I chose the 180mm length due to my height, 6'3", as well as the higher gearing ratios associated with 29 inch wheels. I put it on my Ellsworth Evolve the night before (as usual) my first XC race of the year, the Desert Rampage in St. George, UT. Throughout the preride and the race, I felt a noticable difference in the gearing needed for the climbing sections. I'm sure some of this was due to a placebo effect from knowing I had longer cranks, but I'm certain it was also due to the increased leverage ratio from the 5mm difference....and the lighter weight of these cranks over my last ones. I'll post more when I get more time on the cranks, but for now I'm happy with my purchase and they look damn sexy on my bike as well!

My New Whip...

Some may find it odd that my mountain bike is worth twice as much as my car, but for those of you who have fallen in love with a passion-or who have seen my car-this may not seem all that crazy. Ever since last October's Interbike Trade show, I've had my eye on a new ride and in particular a sultry, anodized, big-wheeled, fully suspended, plush offering from Ellsworth Handcrafted Bicycles. 

Through the shop I used to work at, i was able to pick up my smoke anodized Ellsworth Evolve 4 inch full suspension 29'er frame just days after ordering it! That night Racer and I ordered pepperoni and cheese pizza, and settled in for the long haul as we built it up using the parts from the Gary Fisher Supercaliber 29'er I rode last season. Parts spec includes a Rock Shox Reba fork; Fox RP23 shock; Sram X9 shifters, derailleurs, and pg-950 cassette; Bontrager cranks, bars, seatpost, stem, grips, Mustang rims, and Jones XR tires; Avid Juicy 5 disks; SLR saddle; Singletrack Solutions bar ends; Crank Brothers Candy C pedals; and handbuilt (by me!) DT Swiss 240 hubs, Supercomp spokes, and aluminum (4 red) nipples, all with Stan's goo. Entire bike weight is 28.1 pounds.

It's been hard to find adequate weather to ride in since it's been Utah's stormiest winter in 5 years, but I got a break in the weather and rode some road and low valley dirt trails. The first thing I noticed (after the gorgeous finish of the anodization) was how solid the suspension and linkage felt. My previous ride was an inch less suspension travel and much lighter but the tradeoff came in lateral rigidity. The Evolve cornered and soaked up power turns without the rear end shudder I've noticed (albeit I'm no lightweight at a 185 pound race weight). The extra inch of rear travel as well and it just felt extremely balanced with the 4 inch Reba up front, and I felt balanced in the cockpit. The frame finish is a work of art, the welds are tight and even, the tubes are thick and the worries of Ellsworth frame failure are a thing of the past with large gussets on the down, top, and seat tubes. Pedaling with the Evolve was greatly affected by the Fox RP23 rear shock. In the Propedal setting the frame pedaled near hardtail efficient while seated but soaked up bumps encountered while climbing. In the open setting, the shock and suspension felt '64 Impala plush and soaked up the small drops and bumps I threw at it like it was Bounty. My initial impressions are that it is easily the best feeling frame I have ever ridden, and it had better be with what it cost!

The only real concerns I have are cornering and weight. I haven't had enough time on the bike to determine how well it corners in fast, tight, twisty, singletrack; which is what I'm most used to riding in the Utah Wasatch trails. Initially it felt really balanced so I don't imagine it will have any issues in this area. The other concern is it's portly weight. I'd like to drop a few pounds on the overall bike weight and, with already light wheels, this will take some creative choices. New brakes, cranks, cassette, and tires this should get me close to that goal. Mostly I just want the snow to melt, the temperature to rise, or me to grow more body hair so I can get out and ride more!

My First 24 Hour Race...

Ok, so a 24 hour mountain bike race is not as intense as it may sound...it can be, but my first one wasn't too difficult. First, some background information: a 24 hour mountain bike race is a race that is conducted on a loop of varying distance (usually between 8 and 14 miles) and the total number of laps completed in a 24 hour period is calculated. The race can be run as an individual (solo category) or in teams (2, 4, or 5 members), the team or racer with the highest number of laps completed is wins their category.

The 24 HOM had a loop distance of 15 miles and an elevation gain of 1,360 feet each lap. I raced on a 5-person co-ed team consisting of current and former workers, and friends of Racers Cycle Service, owned by friend Racer Gibson. Of the five I was the second to go out after Racer and following me was Kelly, Shae, and Maggie.

My first lap was conservative and I found the uphill sandstone sections difficult at first, but I soon got in to a rhythm and they became easier. The course was technical but soooo fun, I got a flat the first lap but was able to complete the lap! My night lap was difficult, mostly because it was the first time I had ridden at night and with new lights that took some fiddling with. Halfway though the night lap I had to stop and change my bar mounted light to my helmet and vice versa, after that the light contrast became much better and I was faster but I had a pretty slow night lap. My final lap was my fastest, it was cold and I was battling leaking air in my rear tire but I felt the most comfortable pushing it this lap because I knew it was my last and I was most familiar with the course.

Overall I LOVED the race and will compete in more 24 hour races in the future! Night riding was amazing and I look forward to getting more night laps in, and being in better shape and better prepared for next years races. I loved camping at the course and the family atmosphere that 24 hour racers share as well. Oh yeah, the hot showers and massage therapists available at the venue were amazing as well! See you there next year!