Monday, May 26, 2008

Time for another century (or 2?)

Thinking of riding this on Friday or Saturday... it's unsupported and informal. And flat. But hey, I need some long distance and it looks interesting...

Then the Sierra Century a week later! gonna be a good week ;)

Prairie City #8

This weeks course was fun! I was havin' a blast on the banked turns and rollers. I switched to Heed and felt better with no nauseous feelings. Last week Jen and I both finished 6th, and this week we both ended up 4th. We are definitely two of a kind.


Jennifer smiling for the camera...


Jen outclassing her competition...


My turn...


Postcard pic of Prairie City...


This is one of my favorite shots of Jennifer...


No race next week, so racing continues on June 4th.

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

I want a jet powered beach cruiser

I just found my dream bike!
Check out Robert Maddox's pulse-jet motors for bicycles.... Only 13 pounds, and puts out 500 pounds of thrust. Strap it to the bike of your choice (preferably well built), and let 'er rip! Amaze your buddies on the next hillclimb! Merge safely with freeway traffic... (not really kids, don't try this at home... etc)
He sells them on eBay for $810...

I will if you will... but you first ;)

Friday, May 16, 2008

And a good time was had by all...

Wednesday night was the first time at the Prairie City races for Jennifer and I, and we had a blast!

12 and 24 hour races are our usual modus operandi, so we usually don't compete in XC events. Our team, Victory Velo, needed another rider for the team competition, so I was basically volunteered.

The pace was fast and furious as expected, the course was fun (even if flat), and I even won some Cytomax in the raffle! The loose rock on course reminded me of the trails in southern Nevada without the cactus.

Jennifer opted to race without anything to drink. Didn't take long to regret that... it wasn't as blazing hot as it usually is at Prairie City this time of year, but it was hot enough... Her bike was giving her fits again. Time for some new parts, me thinks. Overall she had a good race, placing 6th even after having mechanical troubles, and getting taken out in a corner by some dude. Look out next week girls, Jen's gonna drop the hammer on ya!

I had a good race, too. My bike ran great and I had no problems there. Got nauseous on the 2nd lap and had to hang on to a guy's wheel (thanks Scott!) for a little bit until it went away, then I was able to pick up the pace again... 6th place for me and 15 points for the team.

Thanks to www.racemtb.com for the photos...

Here's Jen eyeballin' someones water bottle...



Me thinking I should have NOT gone to the front of the group right off the bat...



Jennifer making her XC debut...



Me dealing with traffic from other classes...


Until next week... get out and ride!

Coolest 24

This years 24 hours of Cool didn't go according to plan...

Jen and I both raced as Solo's and soon ran into some issues that have plagued us at nearly every event this season. For me, I am running into severe muscle cramps in my quads and hamstrings after a few hours, and Jennifer has been dealing with nausea and eventually vomiting. Since becoming wheat intolerant, she has been reluctant to take any supplements while racing, and (I believe) ending up severely depleted of certain nutrients after several hours have elapsed. For me, I have tried varying amounts of electrolytes and hydration without success, and am considering a different brand of electrolyte. Lack of training has certainly played a factor, and also the lack of regular stretching and/or massage.

I ended up stopping after only 7 hours, and Jen threw in the towel a short time later. Aerobically, I felt strong, and rode well.

On lap 2, I hit a pedal on the ground where horse traffic has rutted the trail badly, causing me to get a MUCH closer look at the trail than I wanted... I tore my computer off my handlebars with my forearm as I did my superman impression sans cape.

I HATE LOSING DATA!!!

That computer had been on my bike for over 3,000 miles. No more lap times, no avg. speed or cadence to look at. Since I was coming into the pits in between laps to work out the cramps, I had no idea what my pace or lap times really were.

Jen was having major shifting issues and had to stop to get her cables and housings replaced, resulting in marginal improvement. Still, she's a trooper, and was very consistent.

Here's me raking a path to our pits...


Jen admiring the scene...


Here's the race start...


The mob heads out on the first lap...


Me feeling defeated and grubby...


Many Thanks to Jim Northey for another great year and for putting this event on for a great cause. You can check him out on his website, Global BioRhythm Events

Chico Wildflower

This years Wildflower was HOT!!!
So, we prepared for the day with sunscreen and coffee.




I was wishing for a little rain like last year. The organizers had some trouble keeping enough water at the rest stops and anything containing electrolytes was scarce. Consequently, my legs started cramping at around 70 miles.

Jennifer was riding strong, and it was entertaining to see how many people were content to let her pull them along. At times, we were hooked up with a strong group and everyone took turns up front. It's really fun when a group works together well... we were flying along!



There is some great scenery along the way. Here's a shot of an old covered bridge on the climb up Honey Run Rd.


Century rides are more social than other types of riding, and it's fun to see people we know along the way. Here's Monica and Jen's sister Kelly caught red handed in that "other" kit!


This little guy was wondering why his begging wasn't working.


And finally, I'd like to rant for a moment...


So far the food at the Wildflower has been the best of any century we've been to. For the price it should be. Since Jen became intolerant of wheat or gluten, it's been a struggle for her to enjoy the food at these events. This year, the food was sub-par, slow in coming to a mob of hungry riders, and when I asked the chef about the ingredients of some foods I thought Jen might be able to eat - he was very rude, and would barely give me the time of day.

Well... kiss my ass buddy!

There are two people who won't bother next year, and since there are other events on the same weekend we might do something else next year. His attitude was surprising, given the progressive and open culture in Chico.