EPIC weekend!!!!!!

WOW!  What a weekend!  This weekend was certainly one to remember.  Lots of riding, lots of time in the car, more riding, more time in the car, and some other foolishness in between ;)  Fun was had by all, bikes were raced hard and hung up dirty and dry, Athens Twilight DID NOT DISSAPOINT, and did I mention that fun was had by all?!?!?  =)

So, the weekend was destined to be a success when my friend Paula let me know that she was definitely "in" for the epic weekend.  She was signed up to race the Big Frog 65 mountain bike race at the White Water Center at the Ocoee River in Tennessee on Saturday, and said she was game to make the trip to Athens, GA to watch Twilight (biggest crit, and possibly best attended one-day bike race in the US) that same night, then race the SERC mountain bike race the following day at Fort Yargo in Georgia.  She is actually crazy enough to consider flogging herself for 65 miles, sitting in a car for 3+ hours, partying/watching an EPIC race under the lights of downtown Athens, then getting up and racing a 30+ mile XC mtb race the next morning...can you say BAD ASS???  Well, Paula got the weekend off to a great start by ensuring that at least ONE winner would be riding in the Minivan this weekend, hahah!  She DOMINATED the Big Frog and picked up another win there.  She is a beast, and an amazing person.  Super psyched to call her a friend and riding partner...as long as she promises not to drop me...

While Paula was killing it at Big Frog, my buddy Fenton and I put in about 30 miles of WWC single track bliss while the race was going on.  We even met a guy named Lamar from Knoxville who was racing in the Cohutta 100 (100 mile version of the Big Frog 65) who won the DEDICATION award for the day.  The dude got so many flats in the fist 20 miles of the race that he got in his car...DROVE to an outdoor store, bought more inner tubes, DROVE BACK to the race, and was back on the trail doing his best to finish the 100 miler....WOW!  Very cool dude, and I felt privaleged to meet him out on the trails.

Fenton and I rode an easy pace and chatted to folks throughout the day, and it was super to be back out in the woods with another good friend.

Meanwhile, a host of other Chattanoogans were also kicking some serious @ss at the Big Frog 65.  Mike Reardon and Greg Brannon ripped it up in the SS class with Reardon taking the WIN, and Greg bringing home another podium finish in 3rd.

By buddy PVK was so fresh after dominating the guys in his age group of the Big Frog that he was able to rip their arms off on the podium after ripping their legs off during the race, hahaha!  PVK is a BEAST!  How many wins does that guy have over the years?!?!?!

Fellow teacher Paul Ruhling was killing it at Big Frog, too, but I am not sure exactly where he finished, it was top 10 overall, but not sure how the breakdown of the categories went...

Brad Cobb won the BADASS award for the day after crossing the line covered in blood, and with a beaten up bike.  The guy NEVER makes excuses, and never lets on that he might be seriously hurt.  The guy is a machine, and a class act for sure.  Hope he is OK and that he heals up quickly!  Brad is THE MAN!

Ginger Jones Sillery and Dreama Campbell were out there representing the Velo Vixens, both killing it as usual (although I dont have either of their results, sorry girls)

The other Cysco Boys that made the race were Jeremy Smith, and Aaron Smith, and they were lookin stylish in their kits as well!!!  =)

Unfortunately, Big Frog took its toll on a number of my friends =(  Justin Mace LOST...yes, LOST, his chain and had to WALK 10+ miles back to the start/finish, Richie Moore broke a dropout (from what I hear) and was forced to abandon the race as well.  Star Afolter had serious rear hub issues as well as a flat, but she finished like a champ and will live to fight another day =)


So....Big Frog down...3+ hour drive to go...

Paula and I make it to Athens after 3+ hours on the road, get cleaned up, and head for the AWESOMENESS that is Athens Twilight!!!

We arrived just in time to catch the last 4 laps of the Amateur final with Nick Nichols hanging tough and racing with his heart on his sleeve like usual.  That guy knows how to race a bike, and he is damn strong...that is a lethal combination, and I love watching him dish out some pain!

The women's pro race did not dissapoint either.  Amy Phillips represented Team Mystique in the final, and she rode like a seasoned veteran and just missed a top 10 finish in the biggest crit in the USA!!!! She has the potential to take bike racing to the next level, and I am PSYCHED to have a front row seat for her rise through the ranks!  Helluva job AMY!!!  You are killing it and it is inspiring to watch you develop into a real bike racer!!  YEE HAWW!

OH, by the way...the women's winner, Erica Allar...might be my girlfriend now.  She kept riding in cricles around me all night.  I think she was trying to get me to look at her @ss...she kept getting out of the saddle every time she rode past us...clearly, she is in love with me.  Erica...call me...you are a babe of the highest order... (if anyone happens to have Erica's contact information, please contact me, I think I am in love, hahah)...

The pro men lined up next, and it was a SH!t show fo-sho...but we had to jet before the finish.  Time to hit the hay and get ready for another long day Sunday!


All I could think about Sunday morning was how sore and tired I was...and then I remembered that my traveling companion for the weekend had RACED twice as far at Big Frog than I had RIDDEN...I don't even know how Paula dragged herself out of bed on Sunday morning?!??!  She is a freak...and would later prove so during the womens Pro/expert race at Ft Yargo...a quick Hampton Inn breakfast, and we're in the car for another 30+ min to the race...


I entered the Singlespeed category of the MTB race, and Paula was in the Pro/Expert womens race, meaning she started in the field that took the line immediately before us.  My first goal of the day was to catch her before we had ridden 2 laps (when my race ended, but she would still have another to go).  I figured if I could make up the 2-3 minute stagger on her, that I would have to be pleased with my ride for the day =)

Our race started, and after missing my left clip-in, I started to pick riders off as we covered the first couple hundred yards or so.  By the time we had gone 1/4 of a mile, my gearing selection proved to be more than the other singlespeeders could handle, and I took the front of the bunch....and kept the hammer down...

39x20 on my new Cysco Cycles Ti 29er proved to be the magic number, and I was able to ride hard enough to pick up the win.  (and I caught Paula just before the end of lap #1, so my day was complete ;)


The cool thing about racing 2 laps, when the rest of the higher categories are racing 3 laps, is that you are at the finish and rehydrated by the time the fast cats are finishing.  So I had a front row seat while my friends from the US Stove-Trek presented by Vantaggio cycling team cleaned house!!!!  Kym Flynn Fasczewski took another win, while teammate Catherine Peacock strolled in for 2nd.  THEN, to my surprise, Paula came around the corner shortly after to claim an AMAZING 4th place on the day, less than 2 minutes behind the winners.  So, the girls took 3 of the top 4 spots!!! awesome!

Justin Mace even showed up at the SERC race after LOSING his chain the day before, hahaha!! he killed it and seemed pretty psyched to have race really strong today, even though XC racing is not his preferred mtb discipline...super psyched to see him get back on the horse and put the hammer down today!

Also great to see Tony and Kristi Angevine out at the SERC today as well!  Kristy was water bottle-passerouter extraordinare/photog, and Tony killed it on his ridiculously sick Scott Scale!  super to see those two soon-to-be parents out there doing what they love!

So, awards were dished out, and Comeback 2.0 has officially begun.  Paula and I loaded up in the WINNING van...not minivan...WINNINGvan!  hahah, and we cruised 3+ hours back to Chattanooga.

Below are a couple pictures from Big Frog and the SERC.  Enjoy!

First MTB win of 2012, hopefully more to come!

Ladies Pro/Expert podium with (l-r) Paula, Catherine, Kym, and Heather

Some VERY fast women!!!

Mike Reardon at Big Frog

Paul Ruhling at Big Frog

PVK at Big Frog

Greg Brannon at Big Frog

Paula making it 2 in a row!

PVK ripping the ARMS off the competition after ripping their Legs off at Big Frog, hahaha =) 

Mike Reardon and Greg Brannon representing Chattanooga on the Big Frog Singlespeed podium!

WOW, what a great weekend.  I can't wait to do it again soon.  Thanks to all of my friends for making this weekend one to remember.  EPIC, for sure!!!



Cysco Cycles Ti 29er build update!

I could not be more excited to have Richie Moore of Cysco Cycles building a custom Titanium 29er mountain bike for me!!!  This sucker has been designed for ONE THING...going ridiculously super stupidly fast, hahah!  I'm not gonna let Richie down.  This sucker is gonna FLY!  Here are the shots of the build process so far.  I am amazed every time I see the updated pictures.  Richie is getting this thing DONE!  Enjoy =)

Can you believe that such a masterpiece starts life like this??

Front triangle is all cut and ready for welds...

Front all welded up!

WOULD YOU LOOK AT THOSE WELDS on the BB30/seat tube/down tube junction!!!($%(*$&%)!!

Oversized 44mm headtube welds.  again, WOW!

Front is all welded up, and the rear is ready for welds tomorrow =)

Maybe I am just biased, but I think Richie is really outdoing himself this time.  I just hope I can do this bike justice!  More to follow, so stay tuned....

In the meantime, check out Cysco Cycles!!!

First race back...

Well, I guess I am officially back in action!  And I could not possibly be more excited about it!!!

This weekend I signed up for the Masters 30/40 race at the Aaron Schafer Memorial event in Sparta, TN.  UHHH, ouch??  Yep, it was brutal, but the racing was top notch and it was great to see so many friends doing what they love.  I certainly wasn’t expecting any sort of victory, but I am happy to report that I finished FAR AHEAD of the field when it comes to the SUN BURN category, hahah =)  Saturday was really the first time since the weather got warm that I was able to get out and enjoy a day on the bike, and my new cycling kit burn confirms that.  Prior to the race, I was most certainly the pastiest guy in the Southeast for sure, hahaha =)  So I killed 2 birds this weekend… 1) first road race of the year, and 2) first sunburn of the year also…

The race – I was really pretty much definitely expecting to probably get dropped before this race reached the finish line, but I had decided that I would ride until I blew a gasket and see where that landed me.  I think we started with a few more than 30 riders, and 28 recorded a result at the finish line.  I knew it was going to be a highly tactical race, because the guys in attendance are FAST, SMART, and SEASONED racers…and they had team mates and tactics.  MOAB Masters had 9 in attendance, SVMIC had 7, and 3 other teams had 3 riders each…and then there was moi. 

Right from the gun, this race fired up.  I hit my peak 5 second, 10 second, and 30 second power before we had even raced half a mile.  OUCH!  OH, my peak HR for the race also occurred within the first kilometer, too!  Hahaha!  That is not really the way I was hoping that my first race of the season (after being off the bike for 2 months following a car vs. bike accident) would roll off of the start line.  I repeat…OUCH!

As the race progressed, the attacks continued to fly, and fly, and fly, and fly.  I was patient and let the teams who were not represented in the attacks bring them back, but every now and then a group would get up the road with the right mix of guys, and I was forced to chase it down.  Actually, I managed to sneak into a few breaks that DID have the right mix, but apparently the guys behind us didn’t like the fact that I had made the selection, and perhaps they thought that it was not in their best interest to let us stay away…So the teams brought back their own riders in any move that I got in, no matter how many of their teammates were up the road.  I’ll take that as a compliment =)

So, this race has ONE defining climb about 1/3 the way through, and historically the race would blow apart on that stretch of road, and the leaders would never be seen again.  So I battled for position leading up to the climb and figured that being in the front 8-10 riders was about where I needed to be.  I didn’t want to SET the pace up the climb, but I also didn’t want to get caught behind someone who might fall off the pace and get dropped.  I managed to zig-zag my way through the riders as we approached the summit of the punchy little hill (probably 200ish meters long, and pretty steep)and crested the top in 4th position, and 9 of us had a nice gap over the chasing group.  The climb had indeed shredded the field, and I was really liking the make-up of the group we had up the road.  2 MOAB, 2 SVMIC, 3 Chainheart, a Swiftwick, and myself.  We hammered down the mountain and worked for about half a mile before I noticed the MOAB and SVMIC guys sitting up and taking note of the situation.  They didn’t like the make-up of the group one bit and explained that they were going to wait for their chasing team mates.  So our group was soon joined by the pursuing group of about 9 or 10 more.  So we were now back to a fairly big group of riders, and the attacks resumed…one after the other, after the other, after the other…

I was really beginning to suffer, and the rollers and the wind were taking their toll on me as much as the pace being set by the teams trying to get the right break up the road…I was really beginning to wonder if I would be able to hang on till the finish line…

I was alert the whole race, and am really psyched that I chased when I needed to, and conserved when I didn’t.  I’d like to think that I couldn’t have raced any smarter.  Well, until the last 800m anyway!  Haha =)

I had already decided who I was going to mark for the finishing sprint, and with 2 miles to go, I had positioned myself in the front of the bunch (top 5 riders or so), and refused to give up that position for the remainder of the run-in even though everyone was fighting for the wheels they wanted.  The finish has a punchy little climb with about 600m to go, then a couple of rollers within the last 400m.  You either want to be way ahead with 400m to go, or you want to wait until the crest of the last roller within the last 100m to open up your sprint.  I had it all planned out.  I was hoping that the guys I was following were going to HAMMER the little climb and have a gap over everyone else.  Then I would hang onto them until opening my sprint…

Well, they hammered the climb, and I felt great and was 4th wheel as we crested the hill and saw the finishing straight unfold in front of us.  We even had that gap I was hoping for.  Certainly big enough to hold off the chasing group…well…IF the guys in front of me had as much left in the tank as I did…

But they didn’t, and all three of them swung off to the sides and I found myself all alone, with the wind in my face, and 400 terrible meters of pavement to pound before the finish line.  I buried my head and gave that last section of road all I had.  Both of my legs were already starting to lock up with 100m to go, and I didn’t have the option to get out of the saddle for that last little burst of speed.  With 20 meters to go, I was caught by the swarming bunch that came by me on both sides at the line.  Bummer.

I wound up 3rd in my category (30+) but 9th overall.  I wish the finale had played out differently, because I think I could have placed top 3 had I not been hung out to dry with 400m to go.  Overall, I am really pleased that I raced as strong as I did without any saddle time lately.  I think I will be back to my old self very quickly =)

My power file from the race shows that it was one of the harder rides I have ever done.  Ever.  And I did it with zero fitness, off the couch.  So I think there is certainly some room for big gains in the very near future.  Now that I have a race under my belt, and a rockin’ cycling kit tan (err, burn), I am itching to get back out there…

oh yea...injury update...wrist seems to be continuing to heal, but my ankle still needs some work (another checkup in 6 weeks, and PT in the meantime).