For all of you with comments, emails, and facebookeries about yesterday's topic I'll get back to that next week (or not).
I hate to talk about the weather. People ask me about it all the time at work, so I tire of it quicker than the average person. Facebook has run rampant with complaints from my "friends" regarding our recent bouts of piss poor weather. As much as I hate to join in I'm feeling quite weak in my resolve to silence my my feelings towards the current atmospheric conditions.
I'm pissed. I need to get my time on the dirt in order to be happy. Last week I was desperate enough to throw $25 at the problem and race around a muddy short track for 45 minutes just to get my fill. This weekend I can't stomach the thought of throwing another $25 at the local promoter, so I am in quite a quandary. I NEED to get out and ride, but I don't think it will happen.
I guess I could spend some time planning that vacation that I won't discuss again till next week. Maybe I could work on that bike that's only seen something like 25 miles of dirt in the four plus weeks I've owned it. What could I do????
I did just get a love packet from George at Bike29.com. Some pieces parts I was expecting, but I did get a surprise....
The smallest and most useful reusable sack that Thomson has ever made???
No, there's something actually inside.
The new Thomson seat post collar and the all important installation instructions.
As much as I wanted to hold this project off till the rainy weekend I went ahead and mounted it up last night. Good thing I didn't plan on killing some time on Saturday putting it on as it only took a minute to install it (30 seconds to install it improperly, 10 seconds to read the instructions, and 20 seconds to fix my mistake).
I now have the Thomson trifecta; post, stem, and happy clampiness.
Now if I only knew what the folks at Cane Creek have up their sleeves. Something new and headsetty coming down from upon high... I have my guesses, but I think they're gonna make me wait till next week before I get to see it and maybe even touch it. Once I get my hands on whatever it is and my crabon frok from Niner this bike will be prepared to do some damage to at least 65% of the single speed field in 2010... even though I heard the front end of the field has already moved up to complete crabon fibre bikes. I heard that Niner's even thinking about upgrading Fuzzy's beard to crabon fibres in late spring. How am I gonna compete against that?
I'm thinking about going on a vacation this year. Not another stage race type dealio, but the kinda vacation where there's no start line, no nightly podiums, and no number plates. Just some friends riding in an exotic locale, hanging out, drinking a coupla beers, and riding as much as possible. Like we did in the olds days....
The old re-hashed Moab trip idea has been tossed around. We went the weekend after 9/11 and then again in May 2003. I think the last time we were there some us us were a little burned out on the place. I know there's some local knowledge type trails in town, but in my opinion there's a reason that the standard rides are the standards. I would be thrilled to get another shot at Amasa Back (we never found Jacob's Ladder), and I never got to do Upper Porc finishing on Lower Porc. I'm pretty sure I could ride there for at least four to five days without getting bored.
"Miiiiichaaeeellll Joooooooorrrrdaaaaaannnnnn!!!"
We've been talking about throwing in a little side trip to Fruita. If we drive out there we could hit some of those funky epic movie quality ridgeline trails from Tread for a coupla days before we head out to the big nasty in Moab.
Stabby's do as Stabby's does.
Lord knows I get caught up in the thrill of riding in Moab just like anyone else, and the lure to go back is strong.
or maybe just screw Moab altogether...
I've been thinking about another place that I'd like to go to. I recently read an article in a magazine that I don't write for (the position of short angry guy had already been filled) where they talked at length about Whistler. Ahhhhh... Whistler. I only got a small taste of Whistler at the BC Bike Race back in 2007. We rode from Squamish to Whistler and then did a 25 mile time trial in Whistler on the final two days of the race. I was amazed.
Whistler is definitely a place I'd love to get back to before I die. One of the articles in the same magazine mentioned an outfitter in Whistler that seemed to have it dialed in; Bare Back Biking.
Check out their website and all the wonders within. For somewhere around $900 you get two squares a day, a place to lay your head, guided rides, airport transfers, and a nightly rub down with baby powder by a Swedish nurse.
"EPO anyone??"
All right, I made the part up about the Swedish nurse, but the rest of it is true. I know $900 seems like a lot of money, but with everything included in the deal it's easily half what I've paid to do a stage race without all the hassle of trying to plan the logistics myself. There's also a hot tub, a DIY bike fixin' area, and desserts. Did you hear that??? Desserts!!
So what do you think? Got any intel on Whistler I need to know? Is there a dumpster in town behind which we may lay our weary heads and not get bothered by the local constabulary?
"There, I want you to kill those four men sleeping behind the dumpster in the Tim Horton's parking lot."
I need information people. Post it up in the comments or send me an email at teamdicky at hotmail dot com. I don't want to discount the Whistler option until I've turned over every stone. If we end up in Moab then that's just the way it goes, but I want to at least try to get back to Whistler.
I gotta say that I'm stuck at the moment. I've been working on something for Dirt Rag over the last few days, so my creative juices are being poured into another vessel leaving me with no juice left for my elitist, arrogant, selfish, cocky, conceited, pompous, egotistic, cheeky, haughty racer boy blog.
Speaking of Dirt Rag I happened upon this pic when I clicked over there this AM...
That's none other than Thad, the non-elitist, non-arrogant, non-selfish, non-cocky, non-conceited, non-pompous, non-egotistic, non-cheeky, non-haughty non-racer boy getting his ass handed to him by Jesse LaLonde. This makes me wonder what Jesse is doing on May 1st.
and finally...
Apparently one of the usual suspects in Pisgah was not happy with his standard issue Niner head badge.
He had his artistic and creative man friend Brado come up with something a little more suited to his particular ummm... ummm... idiom:
A custom designed head badge for Z. brouSSard's Niner. I have to say I'm loving the hate, and I think they should go into mass production on this bad boy since hate seems so popular with the kids these days. Bastards. You know I want one, and that's probably half the reason that you made it. Like holding a banana just out of reach of the monkey's grasp at the zoo... You guys are sick. Don't make me start slinging my feces about in anger.
That's all for now. Let me get this real piece of journalism in the bag so I can concentrate on more on my shitty blog later.
As much as Sunday may not have looked like fun, it was.
I only raced for about 45 minutes, but the cleanup lasted over an hour and a half. When I got home I threw the contents of my shit bag across my lawn and laid the Meatplow in the grass. I had to hook the hose back up since the recent cold spell forced me to disconnect and drain it to keep it from exploding. I blew all the mud off my clothes, the Meatplow, and my broken helmet (yeah, I wore my busted helmet so I wouldn't trash up my new one) and then liberally hosed my shoes before venturing into the house.
My trip to the washing machine left chocolate milk puddles strewn about the kitchen floor as I dripped my way from one end of the room to the other. I headed to the shower, rinsed out my chamois and knee warmers, cleaned the tub, cleaned the kitchen, and then cleaned the front porch. With everything in the washing machine and the house decontaminated I rewarded myself with a beer, and got to looking at my front brake....
"I'm not washing my bike dear Billy... I am merely presoaking it."
I forgot to mention that somehow early on in the race my front brake started feeling like mush. I stopped using it since I couldn't see through the mud in order to assess the problem. I wasn't sure if I lost a pad, was suffering from a bad (self) bleed, or perhaps I had a small junior rider who drowned in a puddle stuck in my rotor. At the bike wash several other riders complained of weird brake issues, so it wasn't just me suffering from the inability to slow down. I flipped the bike upside down, drove the pistons back into the caliper, reset the pads, and all is well... at least in bike room test conditions. I still need to test them in more real world conditions, like my driveway or front yard.
It has been eons since I rode my bike in a true mire. Back when I lived in Ohio this was a much more normal happenstance. I don't know how many times I went to a nasty Month of Mud winter race in P Yay or if I ever raced the Di Di Mau in anything other than the most drivetrain eating conditions. I didn't even think twice about it then, but Sunday I almost didn't even leave the house. Fortunately when I tried to call Big Worm to tell him I was thinking about bailing as I watched the rain come down outside my window he informed me that he was almost in the parking lot. Shit.
So I left the house with a bag full of clothes (nothing clean to wear on the ride home, just riding options), my bike, and a grimace on my face. Once I got over the fact that I was going to do some damage to my bike parts I had a wonderful experience. It was good, plain fun, and the only thing that woulda made it better woulda been if I had borrowed someone else's bike. Slopping around carelessly in the mud is good for the soul.
In no way am I encouraging anyone to go trash up their local trails. We are fortunate here in the Queen City to have a winter short track that was built specifically for us to abuse this time of year. The trail has been painstakingly covered in crusher run, and most of the trail was built for the specific use that it sees this time of year. Although I wasn't too sure I felt like throwing down my $25 to ride for 45 minutes ($20 entry fee and $5 USAC highway robbery*) it was well worth it to thrash about in the mud like a child for an afternoon. Call me stupid (most people think that's what the comments section is for), but I think I got my money's worth.
* Sorry, just a continuation of an ongoing rant. I used to buy my license thinking that part of my $60 was used to send our athletes to "Worlds" (don't know where I got that idea). I was sorely disappointed when I heard about Harlan's trip to Austria to represent the US and A ("USA Cycling will not be providing any logistical or financial support at this event so if you decide to accept your spot on the team you will be responsible for all your travel, lodging and support at this race.") Seeing the fees almost double in the last decade (or decade and half... I'm getting old) and not really knowing where all that money goes makes it hard for me to fork out the dough... even if it is just $5. I'm not sure at what price point I'd buy into another license, but at $60 for a year one has to enter 12 USAC races for it to be worth it (or I guess you can't race expert w/o one). I don't know too many folks who do THAT many USACycling events in one year, so who's buying these things?
What a shitty way to end a post. Who wants to hear me bitching about all this injustice in the world when I could be talking about bikes, bike stuff, bike races, and dangerous genital encounters at the Y?
I let Saturday get by me without any real exercise, well except for cleaning out the garage and buffing my helmet (literally not figuratively, as The Pie pointed out that "cleaning out the garage" is a euphemism for a high colonic). The weather woulda been fine for a road ride or even a fixed gear assault on the sidewalks and bike paths, but I just didn't have it in me. I wanted to taste some local dirt, but recent rains have made local dirt hard to come by as our local trails have been closed more than they've been open over the last coupla months. I decided late on Saturday that I would sign up for the short track race on Sunday to get some pew time in my church.
Gone are the days of feeling worthy of lining up in the front row of the single speed class. Back in 2006 I was going for the hole shot and the possible win, but as the year's have passed I can no longer hold onto the front of the pack. That is why I wore my "Doper's Suck" T-shirt.
I decided to openly protest the rampant abuse of performance enhancing drugs at the Charlotte Short Track series, and in particular, the single speed class.
My theory concerning doping in the SS class is based on the Greg LeMond Law of Doping, which states:
"When you can no longer win at bike racing you should accuse the competition of doping. Do it with your head held high, your palmares in hand, and your attorney nearby."
I think that guy mighta been clean because I managed to beat him.
The way Greg and I see it I used to be at the top of the SS Short Track game back in 2006 (until a tragic bike washing accident took me outta the overall contention). Then as the year's passed by I found it harder and harder to stay anywhere near the front of the field.
Walking the thinnest line on the rocks.
The only obvious answer is that the majority of the single speed field is now doping. I can't think of any other reason that explains why I finished exactly mid pack last year. Just like Greg I am a former "world champ" who found that he could no longer hang with the peleton, and just like Greg I've never been invited to a Christmas party at Lance Armstrong's house.
Hammering the back of the field and riding clean just like they did in the days of Jacques Anquetil (way before Gregnoticed that everybody in the sport was doping).
Like Greg, if it wasn't for my mad skills and inherit monster fitness I woulda suffered even more embarrassment at the hands of the dopers.
I did manage to pull off a slightly better than midpack finish this year. I ended up placing fifth outta eleven riders, which can only mean one thing.
Obviously short track promoter Neal Boyd's attempts at curtailing the abuse of performance enhancing drugs at his races must be working. His most recent rule banning needles in the start/finish area has obviously discouraged at least one single speed rider from immoral racing practices.
Will I end up like Greg LeMond and be a bitter, slightly overweight ex-champ? Will I start a bike brand called LeDick, sell it to Trek, fail, and blame Jeff Schalk for all my problems? Why would I do that when I already blame all my problems on Garth "Sideshow" Prosser?
Maybe I should just jump off the cliff with the other single speed lemmings and roll dirty like everybody else. I had overheard at the bike wash that some of the guys in the single speed class had warmed up before the event, avoided beer for the last three or more days, and some of them had even eaten something other than left over cake before the race. Is this what high level single speed racing has come to in 2010? Maybe this lemming will stay up on the ledge with his cake and beer and settle for midpack finishes and the ability to leave before the awards ceremony.
Let's see... I left of with PMBAR in early May, so what's next? I'll probably have to skip Dirt, Sweat, and Gears this year for personal reasons. Kinda sucks since the whole world shows up for this race, but I gotta do what I gotta do. That would mean the next race I have on the schedule would be Trans Sylvania. Yes, I still have question marks surrounding it since I still don't know if I'm gonna squeeze this one in or not. I've been looking forward to racing for seven days in central PA over the infamous (more than famous) trails including Allegrippis and the nasty terrain in Rothrock ever since I heard about this race back in July 2009. The rates start going up on April 1st, so I best get my shit in order if I'm gonna make it.
Fun Level: 9.5 Challenge Level: 9.25 Competitive Level: 7
Then I have a big hole... in my "season". Absolutely nothing planned in June as the Cowbell Marathon (formally known as the Cowbell 12 Hour Challenge) has been canceled. I've been able to go to every single one since it began except for 2007 when I was at the Santa Cruz Hell Ride, and it will be sorely missed. I considered doing the 24 Hour Nationals in Big Bear, but then I reminded myself that I retired from 24 hour racing for a reason... because riding a bike for 24 hours isn't very fun. That and the fact that $300+ is a whole lotta money to pay even if you're duking it out for a national title. Shit, I've already got a "world" title so what's the point? Even if my SS "world" champion status is more like being a half champion since it's not recognized by any cycling governing body it's still a championship. Kudos to Greg Martin for being a repeat SS "world" champion as winning two half championships is like having a whole one (bastard).
Enough about what I'm not doing, and more of what I am doing... or at least might do. If I can't get in on Trans Sylvania I might just head up to Harrisonburg for the Tour de Burg. God, how I hate road racing even more than I hate road riding, but the MTB stages make it so worth it. I had to miss last year since I was at the Breck Epic, and I think I need to get back up there this year... even if I need to bring my clapped out road bike.
Speaking of the Breck Epic... it has made the final cut for the 2010 "season". As much as I suffered like a dog last year at elevation this year I plan on going back to Breckenridge with the ability to properly transport oxygen to my muscles via red blood cells as my anemia is a thing of the past (more than likely, but I'll know for sure when I get my physical in March). I look forward to getting another stab at it, and I can't wait to see the breath-taking views (literally) again. There is nothing like getting above 12,000 feet with your wheels under you... well maybe getting to 13,000 would be better, but who knows?
Fun Level: 10 Challenge Level: 10.5 Competitive Level: 4 (who am I kidding?)
That's all I know for 2010. I know there are a lot of holes in there, but I'll fill them in as I can. No repeat performance at ORAMM? I don't know if I can go back AGAIN. I know it might sound a big braggardly, but with four wins and one second in five attempts I have high expectations when I toe the line in Black Fort, NC. I put a lot of pressure on myself when I go for the gold, and I have to admit the pressure is getting old.
Also hanging out there is the Fool's Gold 100, the Shenandoah 100, The Wild 100, the Wilderness 100... all races that I'm thinking about. Maybe I'll get the opportunity to go the Dakota 50 this year, even though I turned it down in 2009. The world is my oyster, and without a sponsor I can kinda let my ass hang in the breeze for awhile.
So that's it for now. Playing it this loose is kinda new for me since I usually have it all lined up in my head at this point. No worries though, as I'm sure I'll find something to do with my time and money (or lack thereof).
Enough about the bikes already. It's getting close to the time on Sprockets when we dance. The "season" is upon us, and plans need to be made. The first order of business is Hoffencross on February 6th. WTF is a Hoffencross?
"There will be 5 mandatory checkpoints, 5 or so extra credit checkpoints, and a special skillz time trial to determine starting positions (i would start practicing riding elevated platforms, teeter totters, and skinnies if i were you). This is not a race, is not sanctioned by the UCI, has no entry, no payout, no insurance, and no credibility. It is a friendly ride amongst friends to test navigational skills and intestinal fortitude."
What is the course like?
If you look closely at that map you'll see that one trail is only .21 miles while most of them hover around 1.something miles. That means to the DuPont ignorant folks we'll be pulling out our maps every 1.7 minutes or so (on average). I figure that I will be spending more time trying to figure out where I am than I will getting there. At least there is a promise of beer afterward and a place to lay my weary head.
Fun Level: 9 Challenge Level: 6 Competitive Level: 4
Next up on the schedule for the season is Pisgah 36 on February 19-21. This race, formally known as The Most Horrible Thing Ever, has been on my mind for the last two years, yet I've had only a slight desire to join in on the shenanigans. What's it all about?
"It starts at midnight Fri/Sat and runs until noon Sunday. There will be six separate stages, each starting and finishing at Lower Cove Creek Campground - Pisgah National Forest, North Carolina. Each stage will have it's own unique format.
Teams 'in the running' should expect up to 70 +miles of riding with 12,000-15,000 feet of climbing EACH DAY."
We're talking about Pisgah, in February, for 36 hours straight. I'll be honest, I'm watching the weather very closely on this one as that weekend approaches. If this shit we've been calling "Winter 09/10" keeps up at this rate I'll be sleeping SOUNDLY in my bed that weekend. I will not be running around in the dark, in the snow, in Pisgah, in 15° temperatures. No freaking way. Even if the weather works out I'll be showing up for the race after a full day at work and heading to the starting line after being up for 18 hours (the race starts at midnight). The first time I see my tent after the start I WILL go to bed. When I wake up I will have to decide whether or not I stay and race or go home and crawl under the covers. I will not take this race seriously UNLESS by some odd chance Mother Nature makes it tolerable IN MY OPINION.
Fun Level: TBD Challenge Level: 10.5 Competitive Level: .015
I don't have anything planned for March, aside from thawing out and maybe getting some more time on the bike. Once we get into April I start racing for racing's sake with the Six Hours of Warrior Creek. I did this race last year, and it was one of those races that I knew just a couple hours in I'd be back next year. The course was one of the funnest I've ever raced on with banked turns, fast rollers, punchy climbs, nice technical sections, and it was basically one of the best built trail systems I've ever raced on. Winning the single speed class last year has definitely made this race one to try and win in 2010, but that always depends on how everybody else feels about me winning.
Fun Level: 10 Challenge Level: 10 (due to my desire to win) Competitive Level: 10
Once I put that behind me I'm not sure what's next. I may try to hop in the truck with Niner rep Mike Stanley as he rips his way past my house on Route 77 on his way to Singlespeed-a-polooza in New Windsor, NY on Sunday April 25th. This is a big maybe, but something I've definitely got on the brain. I've never done it before, and it would be nice to see something new.
The next solid thing on the schedule is PMBAR. I've done this race for six years in a row, and I'm not quitting now. It is by far one of my favorite events of all time. Since I've placed second with my teammate the last two years in a row (2008 with Elk and 2009 with Thad) I have no other goal than to win this year. I still don't have a teammate 100% lined up, but I assure you I'll have a ringer, or at least I'll ask Thad to come back and suffer at my hands again. Oh yeah, what is PMBAR (to the uninformed)?
"Teams of two riders will race to reach 4 of 5 checkpoints (in the Pisgah National Forest), in any order, and return to the start/finish. Checkpoint locations will remain secret until start-time and there is no suggested route. Routes will vary between 50-70 miles, will include 9,000-15,000 feet of climbing, and should take 6-12 hours to complete."
Fun Level: 10 Challenge Level: 10 (due to my desire to win) Competitive Level: 10
OK, that's enough for now. Tomorrow I'll cover the remainder of my plans and options for 2010 with lots of links to great events you should be doing if for no other reason than to rub shoulders with yours truly... once you cross the finish line and clean your dirty shoulders.
Think I should look into some other events? Lemme know, but realize I'm not traveling to the middle of Nebraska to do a 4.5 hour race.
On MLK day I squoze in a ride with The Dude. We were supposed to be four in number, but attrition took its toll, and our group ride was reduced to a manly bro date in the mountains. On the way up we changed our original ride plan from Heartbreak Ridge to the Wilson's Creek area since... I dunno... since we could.
We played the plan loosey goosey style and hit up short Yancey's first. Such a heinous route once you get towards the bottom, but the fork provided a little extra bravado I didn't have just over half a year ago when I hit the same trail with Big Worm, Tommawicki, and Dejay on my rigid fork.
Dude was hitting everything in sight in order to lift his bike skyward.
Capturing action on a camera phone requires more skill than hucking of a half-assed built kicker with a scary landing... in my opinion. I do not have either skill.
Then we climbed up the energy sapping peanut butter road to the top of 21 Bumps/Schoolhouse Ridge. Both of us lamented riding HEAVY tires in such conditions, but everybody's gotta pay for their fun somehow. I paid The Dude back in spades for crushing me on the downhills, and I had time to take a baby picture of the Death Stick while I waited for him.
At some point in the day I kinda had a problem. I think I've become used to the safety bubble I've had on all my bikes since they've been so similar for years now. With my front end now up inches higher than ever (on my 29'ers) I failed to make adjustments as I tried to limbo under a large piece of deadfall.
I broke my helmet in three places. Fuck (sorry, but this is an appropriate use of the F-word). Yes, I broke the helmet I just got to replace the helmet that I damaged the last time I rode in Wilson's Creek and landed on my face less than a month back. I broke the helmet that I have desired so much ever since I mocked its retail price a year and a half ago. The new helmet even had a story I wanted to tell someday that was associated with its acquisition, and now it's already in the shit bin. I try to remind myself that it did it's job, and I walked away unscathed after seeing the lights flicker on and off a few times. Wear your helmet kids... or just make sure you duck.
The fjork? It was awesome. Bombing down through nasty shit without caring about what lingers under the thick leaf cover?? Priceless. Lofting off everything in sight without a care in the world? Suh-weet. I think I'm gonna like having an extra bike with big squishy parts to go to when I'm in the mood for love.
The Kodiak tire? Let's just say this, for me it has no match in the 29'er world when it comes to bombing down a mountain in western NC when the trail is moist an leaf covered. That said, dragging it up the mountain on energy sapping mushy roads was tasking. Riding locally in Charlotte where constant accelerations are the norm is NOT what this tire was made for. I'm very happy with it's performance in the mountains, and at 15PSI with the WB fjork up front I've never felt better about ignoring what's in front of me. I'll probably take the tire off when things clear up in Pisgah (and save @600 grams), but for now it's quite a nice security blanket.
I'm happy. My quiver is complete. I think I need to stock up on 22 tooth cogs though to get this beastie up the hills in good form, but it really is everything I hoped it would be. I still need to play with the fjork settings and the bar height, but Operation Death Stick is a complete success.
Death Stick... although Boom Stick sounded kinda cool too, but there can be only one Bruce Campbell and only one Boom Stick. What the hell am I talking about? Here goes the history of my long time fantasy (not the Mr Rourke fantasy).
Before I owned my first single speed I went through quite a few long travel squishy/clicky bikes during my "death biking" phase (2000-2004). I can't glorify what I was doing as "Free Riding" since I never hucked a gnar drop more than nipple high or jumped over the Tour de France. I did enjoy my long travel bikes quite a bit, but I grew tired of lugging a 40 pound bike over hill and dale so I could ride straight down a mountain obstacles be damned. Once I bought my first single speed the devolution began.
My first few 26" single speeds (all three of them) had a 5" travel fork. I loved riding with all that travel, and my Planet X, Spicer, and Dean all sported a long travel Manitou Minute. At the time I vowed I would NEVER ride a bike with less than five inches up front. Once I swapped the Manitou for a rigid Karate Monkey fork to ride in the Hard Ass class at the Fontana Village Icycle Night Downhill Race it was all over, and I discovered my favorite way to ride a bike through the woods. Even today it is my preferred mode of travel (or lack thereof).
Over the last few years I've felt like I was missing something... that ability to loft my bike over a hump in the trail and land somewhere out there in the great unknown, to launch off a precipice and put a lot of air under my wheels in the name of fun, the kinda things that could really hurt me if I landed it wrong or found myself putting my wheels back down on the earth in a not-so-wrist-friendly manner. I've been wanting a "play bike" for quite some time.
Here's where it got sticky. The last couple of years I've had a frame sponsor. I couldn't really afford to have them make me the frame I needed, and I would have fully expected to pay something for it since I wasn't going to race on it. Towards the end of last year I had been saving up some cash to put towards a "play bike", but I spent the last four or so months working things out with MOOTS, so I wasn't sure if I could get the hook up on something from them or if (without any commitments) I could get whatever brand frame I wanted. Then things at work changed with the downfall of the economy....
Making less money at work made me re-prioritize my priorities. It seemed silly to throw all kinds of money around when I was starting to make less money, especially when I didn't NEED to. I had been dreaming of geared bikes with squish, squish with no gears, and everything else under the sun, but none of that fit in with my new budget. Luckily the change in my economic situation saved me from making a bad decision, and sooner or later the dark skies opened up, and I saw the light that was there the whole time.
When I really thought about it there's no way I want to mess with gears at this point in my life. I don't want all the racket and maintenance that goes hand in hand with clicking and clanking your way through the woods. It's not my style. The Lenz Sport Milk Money woulda been neat, but with only three inches of travel it hardly seemed worth all the extra effort and expense for what I wanted to do. I needed a long travel fork'ed hardtail, but so few of these beasts are available without going custom or spending more money than I really want to at this time.
A couple of weekends ago it all came to me in spits and spurts. While riding with some friends at Poplar Tent and borrowing Leanne's squishy bike to drop off some structures I realized I could make a go at this. A call to the folks at Industry Nine had the appropriate wheel in my hands sooner than I would have imagined possible (thanks Jeff, Brandi, and Drew), and another call to George at Bike29 had a box of happy on my porch Friday afternoon.
Buried under all the sponsored unprofessional athlete schwag stuff (Ahhhh, the glorious life of free T-shirts, socks, water bottles, and Eclairs) was a slightly used White Brothers Fluid 135. All I needed to do in turn was send my Fox Fjork to George in exchange for the longer travel, more down tube friendly beastie. I tend to look at suspension forks in this way; You buy 80mm forks when you just wanna go fast, you buy 100mm forks when you want to be comfortable, but when you buy anything with 5"+ travel you are buying yourself an extra testicle. Sorry ladies, but if you buy a fork with five or more inches of travel you are actually getting your first testicle, but one is better than none, right?
So anyways I strapped this bad boy to the bike formally known as the Meatplow.
I had to put a Cane Creek S3 plus Five on there to get a little more down tube clearance, and even that wasn't quite enough.
A little machining down (really just filing, but machining sounds cooler) and some custom caps gave me the clearance I needed, Clarence.
and a tidy Dirty Dog cable guide that actually does a great job guiding the cable and adding some death to the Death Stick:
but this is far and above my favorite thing:
Twenty millimeter thru-axle on the stiffest wheel in the biz (I have no actual factual data to back that up). I can see why big fellers complain about front end stiffness all the time on the 29'er forum on MTBR. My Fox Fjork left me unimpressed in that department after years of riding a rigid fork and getting used to ZERO flex. Even with an Industry Nine wheel up front clamped in place with a bolt-on skewer I could feel the Fox Fjork'ed front end wagging when I pushed it hard enough. That sucked. This thing only goes where I point it. This is the only way to fly.
So here it is as it sits now... the Death Stick:
I've only had one true go-to mountain bike for the last five years. I've always set that bike up as a fun bike I could race on, but not ideal for either situation (fun or racing). Now thanks to my friends at Niner, Bike 29, Industry Nine, Cane Creek, and I'd be wrong not to mention the guys at MOOTS, I have two bikes to cover all my "needs". The Niner will get a more race oriented build than I've ever had, and the MOOTS will be used as you see it, a true fun machine minus all the clanking and clicking.
Are you asking yourself "How can you put that monster of a fjork on the MOOTS?". Maybe you're not asking yourself that because you're not a huge bike geek, but I'll answer that question for those that are (and have made it this far into the post). The MOOTS was designed around a fork with a 490mm A-C height (a 510mm A-C unsagged suspension fork), and it has a 72° HTA with that said fork. Throwing the big fork on there makes the HTA closer to 70.5° (total guess) and the bottom bracket goes up to a very Pisgah rocks and roots friendly 12.8". Very nice. To think I was thinking that I needed something new when I had everything I needed if only I put my mind to it.
Happiness and ride report tomorrow. Sorry about not posting yesterday, but I was up at 5:30am getting ready to get my ass smoked on the downhills by The Dude in the mountains of Wilson's Creek.
I'm sorry, but I have no photographic evidence to prove my claims. Rest assured though, my ass is officially chapped. I guess riding around for days on end in 14° to 35° temps with only a pair of six year old Under Armor underwear and a pair of cotton shorts between me and the cold, dry air wasn't such a good idea. Last night while taking a shower and listening to Rob Zombie trying to figure out if Dragula is in fact the best metal dance song ever I had a hard time concentrating as the hot water trickled down my backside irritating my nether regions. I guess I'll leave the decision to you.
Yesterday Matt asked "Why so many tape measures??" in regards to this image:
In this image you will see two Stanley tape measures (one metric/imperial the other solely imperial), one tape measure designed to measure one's girth, and a tethered Handy Dad all in one tape measure/flashlight/notepad that Fajita bought me for Christmas. Further down the bench and obscured from view is the 15cm ruler I used to measure my chops the other night that came out of a dissecting kit I used while attending Youngstown State University. As far as I'm concerned if a man tells you he has too many tape measures he should be punched in the face, and then someone should take his tape measures while he tends to his bloody nose as such a statement is blasphemous to everything that defines manhood. You should always have a tape measure handy, and no doubt if you have fewer than three you will always have trouble finding one when you need it. That photo was taken in one of those rare moments when all my tape measures were actually where they belonged simultaneously.
There has been an unprecedented amount of traffic here on the blog over the past few weeks. I'm not sure what's going on, but I have a feeling that people are spending way too much time indoors on the internet and not going outside. Perhaps I could do the cycling community a great service by shutting down the blog for a few weeks and force people to go outside for entertainment. I doubt that would work since there are plenty of other fine bike blogs out there... as a matter of fact according to this expert there are at least 15 blogs that are better than mine. Somehow Fatty, the second most read bike blogger in the known universe (unknown universes don't count) ended up 15th on the list right above me while Tinker Juarez (who hasn't updated his blog since December 13th and thinks humor is a bone in his upper arm) crushed Fatty and I by sliding into the 12th spot. Apparently the judge likes pictures of snow, power charts, and perhaps checking in on #4 power blogger Sonya Looney*to see if she made it to the beach again and took her camera (will she ever get an Ergon green bikini???)... who knows?
Am I bitter that I am so poorly ranked behind these fine individuals? No, I have better reasons to be unhappy. The Pie has been deeply affected by the current goings on in Haiti. The orphanage she spent two weeks at less than a year ago did not suffer any damage due to the earthquake, but as you can imagine there will be a lot more orphans overwhelming the already overwhelmed system in the coming weeks and months as things get sorted out. That place is at max capacity (think rows and rows of triple decker cribs), and the construction of a new building has been slowed because the economy has impacted the donations needed to complete it. Lots of folks are being quite charitable in the wake of the disaster, and I'm not telling you where to send your donations... well then again, maybe I am. God's Littlest Angels is doing what it can to help those who can not help themselves. They have always been taking donations ($35 dollars buys a square foot of the new building), but they have created this special page with information on Earthquake Relief. Everybody can afford something, and money is not the only thing you can donate. Here's a tidy cut and paste from the website:
We are collecting donations now and will be sending a shipping container to Haiti as soon as we can. For the orphanage, we always need powdered formula, diapers, baby wipes, baby cereal, infant tylenol, infant and childrens vitamins, and baby care items such as lotion, powder, baby shampoo. We also hope to be able to assist the surrounding community with clothing, medical supplies, household items, hygiene items such as soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste, blankets and towels. We have also set up a fund for earthquake relief for our staff and surrounding community. Many of our staff will need assistance with home repair and funeral expenses.
Here is a link to a TODAY Show interview with Matt Lauer and GLA Orphanage Director Dixie Bickel:
So do me a solid and help the children who have to rely on adults to ask for help. The Pie appreciates it, I appreciate it, but most importantly the kids will appreciate it.
* Sonya is a talented athlete and a swell writer, so please don't let my terribly sexist comments take away from her prowess on the trail and in the funny papers.
I mentioned a coupla days ago how I had to build the new Meatplow over the course of quite a few nights in between doing my assigned duties around the house. Since I was in such a hurry to complete each task there was absolutely no opportunity to clean up after completing each task, so things got quite untidy in the bike room.
Damn, I didn't realize I left my shoes turned on.
I had shit everywhere. Saturday morning I was left with a mess to deal with that was reminiscent of cleaning up after a party back when I was in college.
The bleeding/chainring swap area looked like the back room of the party where all the "bad things" took place. Weird paraphernalia strewn all over the place, discarded questionable rags, and what looks like a botched attempt at making a bong litter the floor.
Tools, parts, and what-not clutter the workbench like an overflowing ashtray and the telling evidence of a bottle cap flinging contest.
An unwanted cockpit lays in the corner like the fat guy that's still passed out in the living room that no one knows.
I've done my best to get my room clean and everything ready for project number two for 2010. Assuming UPS follows through as promised I'll be putting it together Friday night, and riding it in the mountains this weekend. This particular project has been in my brain for quite some time (years??), and it will be nice to finally see it come to fruition. Don't think for a second that I'm gonna miss another weekend on the new Meatplow. The plan is to squeeze some riding in aboard the new race vehicle as well... maybe a little short track action??
I had mentioned that "if I am correct in my assumptions I may be in love with my new Niner 32 tooth chainring" in a previous post. Why would I be in love with a hunk of machined aluminium?
When I went to install the ring to the inboard position of the crank it wasn't the same old procedure I was used to. The ring did not line up with the bolt holes right away as the ring had to be popped up onto the ramps for the middle ring. The fit was uber tight, and the ring stayed on without any bolts. I pulled out a couple other cranks (old Race Face and polished XT's) and tried the same thing with the same results.
What does that mean? Assuming you have half decent cranks you won't have to spend any time centering the ring to get rid of any loose/tight scenarios. If you're an SS'er you know what I mean (unless you have spent your entire SS career running Middleburns or White Industries). It's thick, it's sexy, but only time will tell if it will hold up to abuse so I won't make any assumptions there until I've spent the better part of a year on it.
Since I didn't have a bike to work on last night I asked Fajita to help me cut my hair. Having a lot of hair on my head is like having a lot of gears on my bike, lotsa maintenance and very little reward for all the effort.
The sideburns were going on 75mm+ long, and I think that although chops are indeed money mine had been played out. It was time for them to go.
Fajita wanted me to keep the chops. She thought this was a good look:
I asked her if she wanted me to take her to the daddy/daughter dance looking like this:
She said yes.
I decided to break her heart and chop the chops. No sense letting her think the world is all ice cream, blue birds, and sweet chops.
I know you ladies can't get enough of these screen saver shots.
And yes Andrew Brautigam, that would be a thru-axle on the new Death Stick wheel.
You do not win a prize for guessing, but if there were a prize it woulda been really sweet. I will be making a long time fantasy become a reality very shortly... not the fantasy where I'm Mr Rourke and everyone's fantasy is to get with Mr Rourke either.
I guess I could spend some time planning that vacation that I won't discuss again till next week. Maybe I could work on that bike that's only seen something like 25 miles of dirt in the four plus weeks I've owned it. What could I do????
The smallest and most useful reusable sack that Thomson has ever made???
The new Thomson seat post collar and the all important installation instructions.
Now if I only knew what the folks at Cane Creek have up their sleeves. Something new and headsetty coming down from upon high... I have my guesses, but I think they're gonna make me wait till next week before I get to see it and maybe even touch it. Once I get my hands on whatever it is and my crabon frok from Niner this bike will be prepared to do some damage to at least 65% of the single speed field in 2010... even though I heard the front end of the field has already moved up to complete crabon fibre bikes. I heard that Niner's even thinking about upgrading Fuzzy's beard to crabon fibres in late spring. How am I gonna compete against that?
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