Dave Byers, Cycling Junkie

Grand Targhee...So FAT Right Now!

2012-02-01T17:27:00.003-07:00

From Grand Targhee's Press Release:
Andy Williams, Grand Targhee's Special Events/ Summer Trails and long time snow biker, was pivotal in paving the way for Grand Targhee to encourage snow biking on the Nordic trails. "After enjoying the mountain bike trails in Rick's Basin during the summer, I couldn't help but think that the winter riding would be amazing," said Williams, "Snow biking provides another opportunity for guests to enjoy nature in the Tetons."

Dave Byers, a local snow bike race organizer and cyclist agrees and recently blogged "I applaud Grand Targhee Resort for their forward thinking and willingness to try something new. As long as snow bikers follow the rules and respect the trails when conditions are soft, I feel as if snow bikers and the Nordic skiers can coexist peacefully on the trails."

The snow bike was created to go where standard "all terrain" bikes flounder. The floatation and traction afforded by large-volume, low-pressure tires can get you over and through otherwise unrideable terrain...sand, mud, wet rocks and roots, ice and many kinds of snow. The snow bike is purpose built for snow and sand with wide, high flotation tires that enable travel on a variety of low pressure surfaces. Huge tires make for a comfy ride and distribute weight for FLOAT and TRACTION IN THE SNOW.

Staying Hydrated On The Fat Bike

2012-01-27T12:51:00.005-07:00

Discomfort is an excellent teacher. I know this because I have learned a lot by being uncomfortable on the Fat Bike in cold temps. One thing that has taken me a while to dial-in is the process of hydrating when the temps are below zero. You can make mistakes and get away with it when the temps are 10F to 32F but once the temps drop below zero, the margin for error is slim.

About a month ago we had a stretch of overnight temps that dropped into the -5F to -18F degree range and I made it a point to get out and ride early a couple of times to practice my cold weather routine. On my first “below zero” ride of the season I managed to freeze my hydration tube within the first hour and then spent the next hour trying to thaw it out. During that time I had nothing to drink. Well, technically I had 72oz of water in my hydration pack but getting to it would have meant stopping, taking my jacket off, taking my hydration pack off, and then drinking from the opening in the top of my hydration bladder. That was an effective reminder.

Here are a few things that work for me to stay hydrated in really cold temps while out on the Fat Bike:

Hydration Packs – The most efficient way to drink while on the move…even when it’s bitterly cold

For moderately cold days, I wear a base layer & hydration pack under my softshell jacket

For below zero days, I wear a base layer +vest & hydration pack under my softshell jacket. The vest helps keep the hydration hose against my body.

I had a buttonhole sewn into my vest where I wanted the bite valve to exit.

Wear a minimal hydration pack as close to the skin as possible
Wear your outer jacket over your hydration pack and try to choose a jacket that does not compresses the hydration pack when in your cycling position. I normally wear a large jacket but I have a dedicated XL jacket for the Fat Bike to accommodate the hydration pack.
Route the hydration tube under the arm and against body
Don’t overfill the hydration bladder to start the ride or the liquid will be forced into the tube when you lean forward into your cycling position
Consider using a drink mix with sodium, like Carbo Rocket, to reduce the freezing temp of the liquid
Forcefully blow back into tube after every sip (blow until you hear bubbles in your pack), then lock the mouth piece closed
Carry a “backup” bottle in case your hose freezes and you can’t thaw it out

Insulated Bottles - Not as efficient but more foolproof in truly cold temps

From Left to right; 32oz Nalgene bottle, Outdoor Research Water Bottle Parka, Granite Gear Aquatherm, 24oz Polar Insulated Bottle

Outdoor Research and Granite Gear make effective bottle insulators
Carry your insulated bottles on your bars, fork legs, and/or downtube for easy access
The Salsa Anything Cage allows you to easily mount “bottle parkas” to your bike

With the Arrowhead 135 staring this Monday, I have been thinking about the gear that I would choose if I were racing. The Arrowhead is notorious for freezing racer’s hydration systems due to typical temps of -20F or colder during the race. If I were lining up this Monday, I would run the combination of a 3L hydration pack and two Granite Gear Aquatherm bottle insulators with a couple of 24oz Polar Insulated water bottles in them. This would ensure that I could have at least 48oz of insulated liquid storage available even if I managed to freeze my hose. The Granite Gear Aquatherm/Polar Insulated bottle combo can be operated with one hand while riding and are much easier to drink from than a screw-top Nalgene bottle. The only downside is that you give up 8oz per bottle in capacity vs. a standard Nalgene bottle.

Grand Targhee Snow Bike Race Video

2012-01-20T08:24:00.002-07:00

The first annual Grand Targhee Snow Bike Race was held January 15, 2012. Racers could choose 1 Lap (15K), 2 Laps (30K), or 3 Laps (45K). Conditions for the race were "as good as it gets" with temps in the mid 20s and a firm track. Grand Targhee Resort is the first ski resort in the U.S. to promote snow biking.

Grand Targhee Snow Bike Race Report

2012-01-18T08:47:00.009-07:00

The Racing
I can sum it up in one word: FAST. The Nordic trails were groomed the night before the race and had all night to “firm up” which left the course much faster than I expected. In hindsight, I could have run more PSI and probably been a little faster on the flats but I liked the extra traction in the corners that 5.5 PSI provided. My GPS file says I averaged 10 mph and hit a top speed of 25.8 mph. WooT!

JayP leads the charge off the line - photo by Powder Day Photography

JayP launched off the start line in classic JayP fashion and we would only see him in the distance for the rest of the race. He rode solo off the front for the entire race and took an impressive win.

I was feeling good but missed the break to get into the chase group behind JayP. I was riding in no man’s land about 10” behind the chase group of 5-6 riders and watched as they drafted each other through the breezy sections of the course for almost two laps. What I didn’t realize was that several of the riders in front of me were only racing one or two laps and would soon be done while I went out for lap #3.

The battle for the remaining podium places really took shape near the end of lap #2. Gabe “Fiddee Cent” Klamer looked to have 2nd place locked up but Mike Piker was not giving up and continued to chase. I was locked in my own battle with Ben “Afterburner” Aufderheide and Jared Rammell from Boise lurking just behind. Near the end of lap #2, Afterburner bobbled in a wind-drifted section of the course and went down briefly. This allowed me to sneak by him but he was quickly back on my wheel.

I could see Fiddee Cent and Piker ahead but I knew it would take a miracle to catch them. My main goal was to try and stay ahead of Afterburner. Having some experience on the snow bike and being comfortable going downhill probably made the difference in the end. I attacked every time the trail pointed downward and emptied the tank on the last lap climbs.

There were two sprint finishes in the top six places. Piker closed the gap on Fiddee Cent and surprised him on the final hill before the finish line with a last minute attack that earned him 2nd place. I held off Afterburner and crossed the line in 4th place. Less than a minute behind me, Jared Rammell and Afterburner sprinted for 5th & 6th place with Afterburner taking it at the line. Greatness!

The Race
In addition to being the first ski resort to promote snow biking, Grand Targhee Resort became the first ski resort in the country to host a snow bike race. They nailed it. Racers had the option of doing one (15K), two (30K), or three laps (45K) of the resort’s Nordic trails and this encouraged many first-time snow bike racers.

Andy Williams always does a great job with any race at Targhee and his attention to detail is awesome. The race course was lined with crowd fence where needed, there were directional arrows on course, there were pin flags to indicate two-way traffic, and there was a great Start/Finish scene complete with a fire pit. Lastly, each racer got a cool custom beanie from Mt. Borah and there were great prizes for the top three as well as tons of raffle prizes. If you own a snow bike and live within 200 miles of Grand Targhee, you should seriously make an effort to attend this event in 2013!

Mike Piker crosses the line in 2nd - Photo by Powder Day Photography

Fiddee Cent crosses the line in 3rd - photo by Powder Day Photography

Piker collapses - photo by Powder Day Photography

I held off Afterburner and took 4th - photo by Powder Day Photography

Post-race stoke! - photo by Powder Day Photography

2012 Fatback Build & Short-Term Review

2012-01-12T13:04:00.006-07:00

When the FedEx truck pulled into my driveway I knew exactly what he was about to unload. Is it wrong that I watched the FedEx Tracking page like a hawk for two days while my frame made its way to Idaho from Anchorage, AK? I have been thinking about a new Fat Bike frame for a while and when I saw the specs of the 2012 Fatback I knew it was the frame for me.

The Blank Canvas

My ultimate goal for a new Fatback was FLOAT. I want to have the best chance of riding, not pushing, when the conditions get soft. I wanted to be able to run the largest tires available, the 4.7” Big Fat Larry, and not have to make drivetrain sacrifices. The 2012 Fatback was actually ready for production before Surly announced the Big Fat Larry tire but the guys at Speedway Cycles wanted their new bike to accommodate this new huge-mongous tire. New drawings were sent to their fabricator and of course this added a delay to the delivery time. I would say the extra wait was worth it.

My new aluminum 2012 Fatback in the raw finish has a no-nonsense industrial look to it. The frame has several well thought out features such as a tapered head tube, clean cable routing for full-length housing runs, a bent top tube for more standover clearance, and massive rear triangle clearance to accommodate the biggest Fat Bike tire available today.

Room for 90mm rims, Big Fat Larry, and a 2 x 9 drivetrain

Having the clearance to run a 4.7” Big Fat Larry tire on a 90mm-100mm rim in the rear is important to me because of where and how I ride. Our snowmobile trails here in the Tetons have a lot of hills and I need at least two chainrings in the front. I chose to build up the new fatback with a 2 x 9 drivetrain using the Origin 8 Isis crankset and SRAM XO 9-speed in the rear.

The Rear Triangle is built around at 170mm Hub

Fat Carbon with Stealth Graphics

I opted for the new tapered carbon Fatback fork for one simple reason. It is sexy baby. A steel fork would have ridden just fine and cost a few bucks less but I could not resist the sexy FAT carbon. Does that mean I am shallow?

Enve Downhill Bars cut down to 760mm

I find myself moving to wider handlebars on my XC bikes so I thought I would try something really wide on the Fatback. The Enve DH bar is 800mm uncut and I have now cut them down to 760mm. I think I am in love. A Fat Bike seems to be the perfect application for a wide bar because of the stable handling it creates.

2012 Aluminum Fatback, Ready to Rock

So how does it ride? Laterally stiff while remaining vertically compliant...I think I read that crap somewhere. Ha!

In my opinion, the two key ingredients to the ride of a Fat Bike are:
A) How does it fit the rider?
B) The tire profile and PSI

The guys at Speedway Cycles nailed the geometry with this frame. My large frame has a 24.2 effective top tube and a tall-ish head tube that made it very easy for me to create a comfortable position. In terms of tire profile and PSI, I am running Big Fat Larry tires front and rear and my typical riding pressure is 6 PSI. At this low pressure, the ride is super comfy and grippy. With about 20 hours in the saddle so far I have to say that I am very happy and impressed with the bike.

A short video of the build process

Big Ride Sunday's Lesson - Be Prepared

2012-01-09T15:26:00.004-07:00

I had big plans for Sunday's ride. I wanted to tag the Radio Tower on Relay Ridge from the Horseshoe parking lot, backtrack a bit, and then bomb down Trail 508 as my reward. However, 25 minutes into my ride my chain broke and my rear derailleur violently snapped back against itself and bent. WTF?

I needed a "repair stand" to properly address my drivetrain issues and this old fence worked nicely.

Obviously, this is where being prepared paid off and allowed me to salvage my ride. I needed the multi-tool, a SRAM Quick-link, and the two chemical hand warmers that were in my frame bag. Once I got the rear wheel off of the ground and could un-stick my bent derailleur, it was simply a matter of fixing the chain and carefully re-bending the rear derailleur back into place. The hand warmers were nice because handling metal when its 19F leads to cold hands. I probably spent 15 minutes making the repair but having the right stuff in my frame bag saved my ride.

Do you have:
- Tube (2.4"-2.7" or bigger)
- Pump
- Patches
- Multi-Tool
- SRAM Quick-link
- Tire lever
- Chemical Hand warmers

Did I mention the trails are as good as they get for snow biking right now?

As I gained elevation, I climbed into the frozen clouds

As I climbed higher and higher the visibility decreased and the day took on an eerie feeling. I knew I would make better time on the way back so I figured I could turn around at about the 3.5 hour mark and still complete my ride in 5 hours. This did not allow me enough time to tag the Radio Tower though. I had to turn around about two miles short. While backtracking to TR 508, I made a wrong turn in the thick fog that could have sent me waaaay down the backside of the mountain...but I caught myself in time. I was ripping down the trail in the frozen fog, thinking "This ROCKS...but this doesn't look familiar." I only descended about 1/2 mile the wrong way so no big deal.

The next time I attempt this ride I will start earlier and plan to be out longer.

Keepin' it in the family

2012-01-07T20:28:00.006-07:00

My stone-cold homie has a new ride

Gabe took delivery my Ti Fatback today and we immediately drove to Horseshoe Canyon to break it in properly for him. I am stoked that this bike will stay in the family and doubly stoked that Gabe now has a Fat Bike. It is always good to have more Fat Bike riding buddies. The bike fits him perfectly and he was immediately "sending it" on the downhills.

Our ride today was 20.8 miles with 2,550' of climbing and took us 2:58:00 moving time. Conditions on the groomed snowmobile trails in Big Holes are as good as it gets right now and I plan to go back tomorrow and climb to Relay Ridge and then rip down the 508 Trail...which may be the best snow bike downhill on the planet. The "Year Of The Fat Bike" continues. Viva La Fat Bike!

Detailed post on the 2012 Fatback build still to come...

Teaser

2011-12-30T17:11:00.003-07:00

Build should be completed tomorrow followed by an immediate shakedown ride.

A Christmas Day Tradition

2011-12-28T09:54:00.001-07:00

As a kid, I looked forward to Christmas day for lots of reasons. Of course opening presents was at the top of the list, but Christmas day also meant staying in my pajamas a little later, eating too many fresh cinnamon rolls, and driving my Lionel train around the Christmas tree.

As a married adult with no children, I still look forward to Christmas day but we have adopted our own traditions. A recently adopted tradition is to enjoy a Christmas Day snow bike ride with good friends and our loyal four-legged companions. This year our friends Brandon, Sarah, and their pup Siena joined us for a midday snow bike ride in Horseshoe Canyon. Santa was good to us this year and delivered fresh grooming followed by single-digit overnight temps that firmed up the trail nicely. As you would expect, we had the trails to ourselves and enjoyed the exercise, the company, and simply being outside on a crisp bluebird day.

Wishing you a FAT Holiday Season.

Training while sick - The "gray" area

2011-12-27T14:02:00.006-07:00

Michelle came down with a cold last week but fought it off very quickly by getting quality rest right when she felt the cold coming on. I thought I had dodged the bullet but I woke up yesterday with a sore throat and felt "blah". I woke up today with more of the same but now I also have head congestion. I don't feel horrible but I am definitely not 100%. For me, this has always been a "gray" area in regards to training.

When you feel a cold coming on, do you:

A) Exercise anyway and if/when you feel horrible, then take a break
B) Do something mellow like riding the rollers for 30' or walking outside
C) Stop exercising altogether in an effort to shorten the duration of the illness

On one hand, I don't have an "A" race until May this year so I can probably afford a couple of days off. On the other hand, I hate the thought of losing fitness when I have put some quality work in during the month of December.

The Mayo Clinic website offers this typical recommendation for training while sick:

"Mild to moderate physical activity is usually OK if you have a garden-variety cold and no fever. Exercise may even help you feel better by opening your nasal passages and temporarily relieving nasal congestion.

As a general guide for exercise and illness, consider this:

Exercise is usually OK if your signs and symptoms are all "above the neck" — symptoms you may have with a common cold, such as runny nose, nasal congestion, sneezing or minor sore throat. Consider reducing the intensity and length of your workout, though, or you may feel worse. Instead of going for a run, take a walk, for example.
Don't exercise if your signs and symptoms are "below the neck" — such as chest congestion, hacking cough or upset stomach.
Don't exercise if you have a fever, fatigue or widespread muscle aches"

- Edward R. Laskowski, M.D.

In contrast, reading Joe Friel's Blog make me cringe at missing even a single workout and fuels my paranoia:

"When there is a break in training for a few days fitness is lost and you have to step back in training and begin over again. Many athletes experience this once or twice each season and as a result never realize their full potential."

- Joe Friel

I am not known for my patience and even during the "off season" I struggle with missing workouts. Part of it is simply that I like to train. However, in the back of my mind is this lingering fear that a week off the bike will override every bit of training that I have ever done in my life.

I know, it is ridiculous.

Late Edit: The rest of the "Missed Workouts" article from Joe Friel's Blog can be found here.

My First Nordic Race

2011-12-23T09:34:00.004-07:00

December 10th Targhee Tune-Up Nordic Race Report

It all started with an email on Thursday from my friend and summertime mountain bike rival, Mark Llinares:

(Read out loud with your best British accent for effect)

“Sir

Targhee Tune up Nordic race is on Saturday, its 10K of suffering. I have an idea. You do that and I will do the Togwotee Winter classic- on a bike.

Marco”

I have been bugging Marco to rent a Fat Bike and do the TWC for two years. Now he was offering to try it if I skied a measly 10K. What choice did I have? Did it matter that I hadn’t been on skate skis yet this year? Or that my skate skis were hanging in the garage with a coat of storage wax from last winter and needed some proper attention? Or that the Targhee Nordic track starts at 8,500’ and is almost never flat, meaning that it punishes those with poor technique?

It’s only 10K. I can do anything for 10K…famous last words.

Melissa, Anna, and Katie pre-race

Friday morning I scraped the storage wax off and applied a fresh coat of Toko S3 Red. No fancy wax for me. Friday afternoon I headed out to Teton Canyon for a short skate to see if I still remembered how these things work. Teton Canyon is mostly flat and straight so it can give you the false impression that you actually know how to skate ski. I left Teton Canyon Friday afternoon with supreme confidence that I could survive 10K at Targhee.

Saturday was a gorgeous bluebird day and the temps were mild. A small crowd of hardcore Nordic racers were milling about the lower parking lot and working their way up to the start area above the resort. There are two very rude hills to climb just to get to the start area and I was questioning my sanity on the second hill only 12 minutes into my skate. Yikes! In hindsight, I should have ridden my Fat Bike to the start line with my skis on my back.

I won’t bore you with a play-by-play of my 54 minute suffer-fest...and I did suffer. What little technique I had deteriorated quickly as I blew myself up on each hill. Poor technique means wasted energy which leads to a higher heart rate which leads to even worst technique...it's a vicious cycle. Near the end of my second lap I was duck waddling up a steep off-camber pitch when I heard a voice yelling “Stop. Stop. Stop.” It was Mark Llinares. Mark had already finished and was skating his “cool down” when he saw me in my most pathetic state. Mark skied over and immediately jumped into instructor mode. His simple tip of committing to the outside ski made such a difference and we worked on this for the remainder of my lap. This simple lesson was well worth the entry fee.

Thankfully, I am at point in my life where I am not embarrassed to be at the tail end of a race. I was in fact dead last. Despite being last, I had a great time and learned something so it was a huge success. I have a month to practice before the Spud Chase at Teton Springs.

FAT Double Header

2011-12-18T16:40:00.003-07:00

The highly anticipated “La Nina” winter has been a no-show as of December 18, 2011. Don’t get me wrong, I am not complaining. We got just the right amount of snow in late November followed by cold temps and the snow biking is goooood. On a side note, the NWS recently published an interesting read titled “Where is La Nina”?

It was a bit chilly Sunday morning along the Teton River

Saturday at Grand Targhee
A flurry of emails circulated on Friday and the planets aligned for an informal snow bike gathering of epic proportions Saturday morning at Grand Targhee. There were 18 snow bikers enjoying the great conditions on the Targhee Nordic track. We had everything from casual riders to small groups of hammer-heads trying to drill each other into the snow as if it were the Tuesday Night World Championships. It was awesome to see so many snow bikes out on the trails Saturday and everyone was smiling.

Sunday Teton Valley Combo Ride
I wanted to ride for about five hours on Sunday but I also wanted to ride with Jordie, Lis, and M. No problem. I simply started my ride at 8 am and rode for almost three hours before meeting them at the end of Horseshoe Canyon where we began our “planned” ride of the Horseshoe snowmobile trails to Packsaddle and back. The trails have not been groomed yet this season but the snowmobile traffic has packed them down nicely and the riding was great. It was slow and techie in spots but 100% rideable. We are experiencing an inversion in Teton Valley right now so temps were 9F when I left my house, much colder along the Teton River, and then warmed up into the high teens as I climbed up to Horseshoe.

Michelle riding the Targhee Nordic trails

Brandon and Sarah climbing towards Rick's Basin

Sunday's Combo Ride Route

Training For A Frozen Epic

2011-12-15T09:42:00.003-07:00

Cross-Post from XXCMag.com Blog

The season of Fat Bike racing is upon us and many folks are eagerly preparing for one of the winter ultra events such as the Arrowhead 135, the Susitna 100, or the “Big One”, The Iditarod Invitational. Training for a Frozen Epic is much different than training for the typical 100-mile endurance mountain bike race because there are far more variables involved. Your success will depend on your ability to deal with changing conditions while out on the trail. This article assumes that you have the necessary fitness to pedal your bike the required race distance and will focus on the less-obvious aspects of preparing to race your bike 100+ miles on the snow.

If you played high school football, you probably heard your coach say “practice like you play.” In other words, how do you expect to perform at 100% during the game if you lollygag your way through practice? Adopting the same philosophy while training for your frozen epic will prepare you for anything the race may throw at you. Let’s talk about three aspects of preparation unique to racing frozen epics; riding a loaded bike, pushing your bike in soft snow, and dealing with extreme cold.

Riding a Loaded Bike

In all three races mentioned above, racers will carry overnight gear, emergency clothing, possibly a stove, and extra calories for the duration of the race. A loaded fat bike will weigh 15 to 25 lbs more than that same bike in “everyday” mode. Obviously a 50+ lb. fat bike is going to handle much differently than a 30 lb. fat bike, and it’s important to get used to this before race day.

I personally prefer more weight on the front of my bike

The cockpit can get crowded quickly when loading a fat bike

In addition to simply getting used to the overall weight, training on your loaded fat bike will teach you how to distribute your load and whether you prefer more weight on the front or the rear of the bike. Here are a few things to consider when organizing your gear:

Does your seat bag or rear rack allow you to get on and off the bike easily in soft snow?
If you strap your sleeping system to your bars, do you still have room for your pogies, lights, and any other gadget you need?
Will your load stay in place during a high speed descent on a bumpy trail or a crash?
Can you access the most important items easily?

Ride your fat bike “fully loaded” as much as possible before your race, and tweak your packing system each time as you figure out your preferences.

Pushing Your Bike in Soft Snow

In a perfect world, snow bike races would take place on firm, groomed trails in 10F sunshine with no wind. The reality is conditions are different every time you head out on your fat bike, and often times they are not favorable for riding. Pushing your bike at some point during a frozen epic is almost a given. Being forced off the bike to push may be the result of wind, fresh snow, warming temps, a steep hill, or sugary snow that has been churned up by a herd of snowmobilers. Regardless, if you are mentally and physically prepared to push your bike, you will be at an advantage.

Head out immediately after a fresh snow to get some quality pushing practice

Here are a few suggestions for preparing to push, and for pushing your bike, during the race:

Dedicate some pre-race training time to pushing your loaded bike and think about a few things such as:

How is your posture? Can you maintain that posture for a long time?
How are your feet? Will pushing for a long time result in blisters?
Does any part of your clothing or boots rub on your bike or gear?
What modifications can you make to your bike that would make pushing more efficient?

Push with a purpose by taking long and efficient strides. The pushing is part of the race too so use it to your advantage. I am guilty of shuffling along with my head down and moving too slowly at times.
Use the time pushing to catch up on hydration and calories.
Never stop moving forward.

Dealing with Extreme Cold

Racers are likely to experience extreme cold at any of the winter ultra events. To keep things simple, let’s define extreme cold as 0 to -40 degrees Fahrenheit. At these temps, typical tasks become a little more challenging. Experienced winter ultra racers will watch the weather for an arctic cold snap the way skiers watch for snow in the forecast. Nothing can prepare you for the extreme cold like being out in it.

By cutting a hole for my mouth, I can easily eat and drink while the Fog eVader funnels my breath away from my glasses.

Here are some basic yet important things to consider when preparing to race in extreme cold:

Will you race with insulated water bottles or a hydration pack? If your hydration hose freezes, what will you do? Have you practiced thawing the hose out while on the bike? Consider using a combination of both systems so you have a backup option.
If your balaclava or facemask totally covers your face, how will you eat and drink?
Will your glasses fog up and then freeze? Can you race with goggles instead of glasses?
Do your clothing layers breathe? At -20F, trapped sweat can freeze on your base layers and form an icy layer against your skin.
Are you prepared to change a flat at -20F…at night? There is nothing fun about this task but flats do happen and often at the worst possible time. Consider carrying your pump on your body instead of in your frame bag so the pump seals are warm and work effectively. Add baby powder to your tires to reduce friction between the tire and tube. Lastly, check your valve stem’s lock ring and make sure it is snug but not overly tight.
Choose your food wisely. For example, Original Clif Bars are delicious at room temperature but when frozen they are like chewing at hockey puck. In contrast, dark chocolate covered almonds are delicious and edible regardless of temperature.

Fitness is only part of the equation when racing a frozen epic. Load up your fat bike, pray for a cold snap, and get out there and practice!

Grand Targhee is first ski resort to promote snow biking

2011-11-30T07:31:00.006-07:00

Cross-post from the XXCMag.com Blog

Grand Targhee Resort has become the first ski resort in the country to promote snow biking. Beginning this ski season, Grand Targhee will allow snow bikes on their groomed Nordic Trails as long as riders purchase a Nordic ticket for $10 per day or a Nordic season pass for $115. Grand Targhee is also hosting their first snow bike race on Sunday, January 15th to coincide with Teton Valley’s Winter Festival.

I have to admit that for the past two years I have considered donning a black ninja suit and poaching Targhee’s Nordic track at night just to experience the undulating terrain that we enjoy all summer on our mountain bikes…but I resisted the temptation. Now it is perfectly legal thanks to Grand Targhee’s Andy Williams.

Grand Targhee’s 2011/2012 winter season opened on Friday, Nov 25th so we rallied a posse of snow bike enthusiasts and headed up to Targhee to experience the Nordic trails on fat tires. The first thing that popped into my head as we left the parking lot and jumped onto the freshly groomed Nordic Connector Trail was that I felt guilty for riding on such pristine corduroy. That guilt quickly faded and turned into perma-grin as we climbed up to Rick’s Basin under bluebird skies and mild temps.

Melissa Davidson on the Snowdrift Loop

What is the riding like? My face is still sore from smiling so much. There are 6.15 miles of Nordic trails with 700’ of elevation gain available to snow bikers at Grand Targhee and the loop took us just under an hour to ride at a moderate pace. The trails are almost never flat and wind through numerous Aspen groves. The views do not suck either.

Check out the little snow bikes on the trail map

I applaud Grand Targhee Resort for their forward thinking and willingness to try something new. As long as snow bikers follow the rules and respect the trails when conditions are soft, I feel as if snow bikers and the Nordic skiers can coexist peacefully on the trails. When I head to the “Ghee” to ride the snow bike, I plan to also take a pair of skate skis with me just in case the trails are too soft to ride. It never hurts to have a “Plan B”.

Revisiting the Togwotee Winter Classic 100-Mile Route

2011-11-23T09:59:00.008-07:00

When I started organizing the Togwotee Winter Classic races back in 2007, I envisioned a 25-mile race and a 100-mile race. As I prepared maps, scouted the trails, and rode the entire 100-mile route on a snowmobile, I feared that I had created a monster that couldn't be tamed. Was it simply too difficult?

As race day approached, my stress level increased as I worried about racers biting off more than they could chew. Mother Nature made it a mute point and dropped so much snow in the days before the race that nobody attempted the 100-mile route that year and it took most racers over six hours to complete the 25-mile loop. I have not offered the 100-mile race option ever since.

To complete the 100-mile loop would take a strong rider with winter camping/survival skills, careful gear selection, and a good (cold, calm, & dry) weather window. No other snow bike race in the world has this kind of terrain and this amount of climbing. This route scares the crap out of me but I can't stop thinking about it. Is it time to reinstate the 100-mile option again? Maybe...

5th Annual Togwotee Winter Classic Date Announcement

2011-11-17T16:00:00.005-07:00

The 5th Annual Togwotee Winter Classic will be March 3rd, 2012. Save the date and book your cool log cabin at Togwotee Mountain Lodge.

Can you believe we are on year number five of the Togwotee Winter Classic? How cool is that? Let's blow the lid off of this thing and fill it up this year! Maybe Chris "The Viking" Erickson will come out of retirement. Maybe we entice some of the snow bikers from the great state of Montana to come down for this one. (I am limited to 50 racers or less per the Forest Service's definition of an "endurance event")

We will only offer one snow bike race at Togwotee this year so please make plans to join us. I will be helping Andy Williams put on a new snow bike race at Grand Targhee on Sunday, January 15th. (More info coming soon on this new race) The Grand Targhee snow bike race will be held on the Rick's Basin Nordic trails with plenty of climbing and descending each lap. In addition to the snow bike race, there will be snow bike demos happening around Teton Valley as part of the TVF Winter Festival.

Snow Bike Etiquette

2011-11-15T14:46:00.003-07:00

Cross-post from the XXCMag.com Blog

The 2011/2012 snow bike season is just ramping up here in the Tetons and therefore it seems like the perfect time discuss snow bike etiquette. Why is etiquette a topic for snow biking? Anytime more than one user group share the same trails it is a good idea to have etiquette in place to keep all parties safe and smiling while enjoying the trails.

The two types of trails I ride frequently are groomed Nordic trails and groomed snowmobile trails within the National Forest. With both types of trails, there is a primary user group that pays for the grooming of that trail. In Idaho, the state oversees a snowmobile trail grooming program that is funded by the sales of annual snowmobile stickers. Our local Nordic grooming program is funded by a non-profit organization, Teton Valley Trails & Pathways, which raises money through memberships, donations, and special events. As snow bikers, we reap the benefits of these grooming programs and have a symbiotic relationship with snowmobilers and/or Nordic skiers. Without the established grooming programs we would be relegated to snow packed roads for our winter riding fix.

Recommended snow bike etiquette for snowmobile trails
- Flashing white light on handlebar, day and night
- Flashing red tail light, day and night
- Always yield to snowmobiles
- Pull over and stop to let snowmobiles pass
- Call your local grooming district and ask whether you can make donation equal to the amount of the annual snowmobile sticker as a gesture of goodwill

Having a flashing light on the bars and a flashing red taillight is cheap insurance when sharing the trail with loud machines that can go 70+ MPH. A snow biker can hear snowmobiles coming from a long way off but they cannot hear us. My two favorite lights for making myself visible while snow biking are the Princeton Tec Push and the Princeton Tec Swerve. Both lights are easy to mount, run on AAA batteries, and are visible day & night.

Recommended snow bike etiquette for Nordic trails
- Do not ride if the Nordic track is posted for skiing only
- Do not ride if the snow is too soft
- Give skate skiers a wide berth
- Do not ride in the classic ski tracks
- Make a donation to the club or organization who grooms your local Nordic trail

This pic shows groomed snow that is firm enough to support snowmobiles, snow bikes, and Nordic skiers

How soft is too soft to ride? As a general rule, if you have to get off and push your bike, the snow is too soft and you absolutely shouldn’t be on the Nordic trails. If you are leaving a trough deeper than an inch or are having a hard time riding in a straight line, it is probably too soft to be on the Nordic trails.

The act of making a donation to a grooming program does not give a snowmobiler or Nordic skier the right of exclusivity. However, it is important that snow bikers take a “let’s get along” attitude and be respectful of the established grooming programs. Making a small donation to your local Nordic club or purchasing an annual snowmobile sticker can go a long way towards establishing goodwill.

25 Hours of Frog Hollow Video by Chris Miller

2011-11-11T13:14:00.000-07:00

25 Hours of Frog Hollow Race Report

2011-11-09T12:34:00.010-07:00

Pre-Race
I was nervous prior to the 25 Hours of Frog Hollow and I am not just referring to the hours before the start. I had pre-race jitters starting the Tuesday before this race. WTF? Maybe it was because my last 24 Hour Solo didn’t go so well. Maybe it was because the weather forecast was looking a little ominous. Maybe it was because I had high expectations for my performance. It was probably all of the above.

My pit location was excellent and right on the course. As an added bonus, I was setup next to friends Jonathan Davis & Eszter Horyani who were racing Duo-Coed. Pitting next to friendly faces is always nice and can provide little bursts of stoke throughout a 24 hour race.

The two hours before the race were anxious with last-minute pit setup, organization, and trying to guess what the weather was going to do. We had rain turn to light snow 30 minutes before the start and it looked as if the race could turn really epic…and then it cleared up. Literally minutes before the start, the skies cleared and a cold north wind began to blow.

I had a two-part strategy for this race because I knew I would have great support later in the race. Dave & Lynda offered to support me from sunset Saturday through the finish Sunday morning so I needed to be self-sufficient from 10 AM until about 6 PM. I pre-mixed eight bottles of Carbo Rocket, made a thermos of hot tea, and left plenty of snacks & gels within easy reach to minimize my time in the pits.

Eszter and I discussing the lovely weather

The Early Laps
I am not a fast starter and I intentionally settled into a conservative pace and governed my HR during the opening laps. I know that if I go too hard early, even for short bursts, I will pay dearly for it later. However, even with my conservative pacing, the “warning light” came on very early as my lower back tightened up and I immediately had flashbacks to February’s Old Pueblo DNF. Lower back pain in endurance races continues to be my “crux” and a mystery I have yet to solve.

The moisture just before the start of the race left the JEM Trail in super-hero condition and I was “en fuego” every time I began the JEM descent. In fact, I was pretty confident that I was the “best mountain bike racer on the planet” every time down the JEM. Euphoria does funny things to the brain. Ha!

Out of the saddle, trying to stretch the lower back out early in the race. Photo by Miller Perspectives

The Transition
After completing Lap #7, I rolled into the pit and Dave & Lynda were there and ready to rock. It was about 6:30 PM and it was time to add lights. Their stoke level was high but I was in a bit of a funk at the time. I was getting cold, my hands were numb, and I was kind of down on myself for my performance up to that point in the race. Basically, I was calling for the “Whaaaaaa-mbulance” for no good reason. I am not sure of my standing but it was nowhere near the top. Seeing Dave & Lynda definitely picked up my spirits and I let them to know that I was absolutely committed to seeing this thing through. This particular pit stop was the worst of my race and I fumbled around trying to decide what layers to put on and how to warm up my hands. When you look at my splits, Lap #8 is the worst and includes this sloppy 16’ pit stop.

Every minute counts

Own The Night
I love the night laps. My Lupine Betty lights turn the darkness into daylight and I simply enjoy riding at night. My pre-race planning was also paying off as I had changed into my Lake winter mtb shoes and installed Moose Mitts on my handlebars which allowed me to wear regular mountain bike gloves under them and have full dexterity despite the below-freezing temps. I was able to keep it rolling through the night with minimal stops in between laps to sip hot tea and eat one or two of Michelle’s homemade peanut butter chocolate chip bars. Three things absolutely kicked ass all night long:
1)My pit crew
2)Moose Mitts
3)Michelle’s peanut butter bars

Actually, there was a fourth thing that kicked ass during the night: The Fire Jump. Team Honey Stinger built a little kicker on course next to their campsite and lit a small fire on the backside of the jump. I hit that jump every lap throughout the night and there was usually an appreciative crowd on hand armed with cowbells. Nice!

By the early morning hours it was evident that the cold was taking its toll on some racers. I saw racers walking their bikes because they were too cold to ride and I saw many dark camps where it had been festive earlier in the night. These early morning hours were when I made my biggest gains in the standings and I had moved into 3rd place by 5:00 AM. It might have actually been earlier but the results being displayed in the timing tent were not always accurate during the event.

The Fire Jump

Sunrise to the Finish
My last three laps were the best of my entire race from a mental standpoint. I was proud to have overcome my early race funk and self-doubt, I was stoked to reward my rock-star crew with a big effort, and it was looking really good for a podium. Sure, a lot of body parts hurt at this point but I was riding on adrenaline and it was easy to push the pain to side and smile. Plus, I was still feeling like the “best mountain biker on the planet” every time down the JEM Trail. Ha!

I should be stoked with 2nd place right? Normally the answer would be "Hell yeah!" There is a part of me that is disappointed with 2nd place this time. I have never won a bicycle race of any distance or discipline. I have finished 2nd or 3rd many times. To lose a 25+ hour mountain bike race by three minutes stings more than a little. Let’s just say that I won’t have to look far for motivation this winter while riding the trainer in the basement.

Coming into the pit prior to my last lap

Dave Harris gives the bike some love one final time

My Raynaud's was a challenge throughout the entire race and I had to warm my hands by the fire at times in order to shift & brake

Men's Solo Podium; Me, Bill Martin, Tim Lutz

Coach Lynda and her athletes; Jonathan Davis & Eszter Horyani (1st Duo-Coed w/25 Laps), Me

25 Hours of Frog Hollow Quick Report

2011-11-06T14:50:00.002-07:00

Wow, that was an emotional and physical roller coaster of a race. This could potentially be a long race report.

Quick Stats
Place: 2nd Solo Male
Time Riding: 25 hours, 15 minutes
Miles: 256
Climbing: 18,600'

I could not have finished this race without the incredible race support from two good friends and mentors, Dave Harris & Lynda Wallenfels. We had snow 30 minutes before the race started, a soul-crushing north wind for the first 6+ hours, and then bitter cold from sunset through the finish. There was a lot that "could" go wrong in this race.

A quick warmup next to the fire with hot tea before heading out for my last lap

Full report to come...

T-Minus One Week

2011-10-29T19:08:00.002-06:00

This year I am extending the Endurance MTB race season a bit and racing the 25 Hours of Frog Hollow next weekend...Solo. ALL. NIGHT. LONG. Sing it with me! (JenyJo might be the only one who gets this).

Race preparations are in full-swing and yes, there are spreadsheets involved. My stoke level is high for this one and I am looking forward to ending the MTB race season with a big effort in desert. Let's rock.

2011 Giant Glory 0 For Sale

2011-10-24T16:06:00.011-06:00

For Sale: A very nice Giant Glory O Downhill Bike, size large, with a few upgrades. This bike was used very lightly on Teton Pass & the Grand Targhee downhill trails. There are a few scuffs on the frame and fork legs from riding the lifts at Targhee.

2011 Retail Price: $5,700
Asking: $3,600
Shipping: $75
Payment Methods: PayPal, Cash, or personal check if I know you
Email me at "dave dot byers at coolersoft.com" with questions.

(Full specs are below the pics)

2011 GIANT GLORY 00

SIZE: Large
COLOR: Smoke/Gold
FRAME: ALUXX SL-Grade Aluminum, 8" Maestro Suspension
FORK: Fox 40 RC2, 203mm Travel
SHOCK: Fox DHX RC4, (Upgrade) RCS Titanium Spring

HANDLEBAR: Giant Contact AM, 750mm, 31.8
GRIPS: Oury Lock-Ons, Twenty6 GasCaps, Gold
STEM: (Upgrade)Twenty6 F1 Stem, Gold
SEATPOST: Giant Contact, 30.9, (Upgrade)
SEATPOST CLAMP: (upgrade) Twenty6, Gold
SADDLE: Fi'zi:k Tundra2 (Giant LTD Edition) w/ Manganese Rails
PEDALS: (Upgrade) Twenty6 Ti Prerunner Pedals, Gold

SHIFTERS: Shimano Saint
FRONT DERAILLEUR: MRP G2 Guide, Custom for Giant
REAR DERAILLEUR: Shimano Saint, Top Normal
BRAKES: Shimano Saint, [F] 203mm [R] 180mm
CASSETTE: Shimano Saint 11x28, 9-Speed
CHAIN: Shimano HG-93
CRANKSET: Shimano Saint, 38T
BOTTOM BRACKET: Shimano Saint, External

RIMS: DT Swiss EX-500
HUBS: Shimano Saint [F] 20mm Thru Axle, [R] 12mm Thru Axle, 32h
SPOKES: DT Competition, 14/15g w/ Alloy Nipples
TIRES: Maxxis Minion DHF 3C / DHR 3C 26X2.5 (currently setup tubeless)

Link to Giant Bicycles page for the 2011 Glory 0

Works Components 1.5 Degree Headcup to the rescue

2011-10-19T09:04:00.011-06:00

The Giant XTC Composite 29er has been in my stable most of the summer but I have only ridden it sporadically and have not mentioned it on this blog. Honestly, I just didn't love riding it so I haven't talked about it.

The XTC 29er has always felt twitchy to me and going back and forth between the rock-solid AnthemX 29er only highlighted this aspect of the XTC 29er. In my opinion, Giant made a mistake with the geometry of this bike. Giant put a steep 71.5 head angle on the XTC 29er AND they used very short chainstays. The result is an overly quick handling bike.

This is where the Works Components 1.5 Degree Headcup comes in. Basically, the 1.5 degree headcup changed my head angle from 71.5 degrees to 70 degrees, lowered the BB just a fuzz, and tranformed the XTC 29er from the "anti-fun bike" to a bike that I enjoy riding. I had the choice of a 1.0, 1.5, or 2.0 degree headcup. (More after the pics)

The Works Components Headcups are sold as a complete headset including star nut & top cap

The 1.5 degree offset is machined into the cups so there are no moving parts to creak & pop

Just line up the headset and press it in. Simple.

My complete XTC, pre-Works Components Headset

The massive downtube makes the XTC Composite super-stiff and responsive. This results in excellent power transfer AND an unforgiving ride.

I would guess that UK-based Works Components sells the majority of their offset headcups to the gravity crowd as it is pretty common for a downhiller to want to slacken their bike by a degree or two. However, I think you will start to see more offset headsets on XC, trail bikes, and even cross bikes, as they are a great tool for customizing the ride of your bike.

Why the Works Components Headcup vs. a Cane Creek Angleset? I did a lot of research on the Cane Creek Angleset and I kept reading the same thing; they can be noisy and finicky. I wanted quiet and simple. Whereas the Cane Creek Angleset is adjustable, the Works Components Headcups are machined to a specific degree of offset. I am a huge fan of the Cane Creek 110 Series headsets but for this project I decided to go across the pond.

Sneaking one in.

2011-10-17T10:36:00.006-06:00

Quick Stats:
- 53 Miles
- 6K’ of climbing
- 6 hours of moving time
- 3 weeks to 25 Hours of Frog Hollow, Solo

It was very quiet on the Ridge Trail Sunday morning

I watched the NWS forecasts all week knowing that I had some serious riding ambitions for the weekend and as Sunday crept closer, the forecast looked grim. The glimmer of hope was that the “heavy stuff” wasn’t supposed to come down until after noon on Sunday.

In hindsight, I should have mounted the lights and started really early. Instead, I enjoyed breakfast & coffee with M and was riding by 8:30 AM. The first three hours was some of the best mountain biking I have done this year. Crisp air, tacky trail, lingering fall colors, and zero people made for a perfect morning on the bike.

I parked at Phillip’s Canyon TH so that I could do a couple of big loops and have the option to grab more layers and/or raingear when I needed them. This proved to be a good plan. I got lightly rained on 3.5 hours into my ride and then with 1.5 hours to go, the skies parted and I got shelled. No big deal. I would like to find some good shoe covers with a tight seal above the ankle though.

Much of the trail was covered in Aspen leaves but there are plenty of fall colors left

I just had to stop and give this guy some head-scratches

No trails were harmed during this ride

2011 Moose Cross - Bigger. Faster. Awesomer.

2011-10-11T10:11:00.016-06:00

The 4th annual Moose Cross Cyclocross Festival is in the books and it was the best yet by far. With two weeks to go, I have to admit that I was nervous that it wouldn't come together but our team rallied as usual and our volunteers stepped up big-time. We could spend a lot less time on the event and put on an "average" cyclocross race but that is not how we roll. We want the racer who travels from Missoula, MT or Boise, ID or Elko, NV to leave Victor feeling as if it was worth every hour they spent in the car to get here.

THANK YOU to all of the racers, volunteers, spectators, and my fellow Victor Velo Board members. It takes a team effort to pull this off each year.

Why do we do it?
Victor Velo exists to promote healthy lifestyles and economic development in Victor, ID by providing diverse cycling opportunities.

Every cent of profit generated by our cyclocross races goes back into Victor Velo and specifically the Victor Bike Park. We try to make our races affordable and attractive for both locals and the traveling racers. This year, every racer got a free entry into Oktoberfest, a Moose Cross t-shirt, and a yummy Tram Bar.

JayP leads out the kid's race. Kids, don't follow JayP's example and ride with a sucker in your mouth. Photo by Chris Larson

This little ripper exemplifies the Moose Cross stoke. Photo by Chris Larson

It wouldn't be Moose Cross without Peeto on the mic all day. Photo by Chris Larson

The Men's 1/2/3 leaders railing the "Narrows" section. Photo by Chris Larson

Frank Gonzalez, John Curry, and Owen Gue broke free early. Photo by Chris Larson

The chase group in Saturday's Men's 1/2/3 race. Photo by Chris Larson

Gabe "Fiddee Cent" Klamer airing Sunday's mini barriers. Photo by Tracey Petervary

Tim Kelley, always a Fitzy Teammate at heart, runs the railroad ties. Photo by Tracey Petervary

Frank "The Tank" Gonzalez won Saturday's Men's 1/2/3 race. Photo by Chris Larson

BC/DC rocked Victor's ice rink following Saturday's racing. Their version of "Thunderstruck" was especially good. Crappy pic by me

A few closing thoughts:
1) We are better race organizers than we are race promoters. Doing a better job at promotion is the only way we will continue to increase our racer numbers.
2) Seeing many racers attend their 4th consecutive Moose Cross was very cool.
3) Moose Cross + Oktoberfest + Live Music = Good Times!
4) As we do every year, we are already making notes on how to improve the race next year.
5) Timing and results still kick my ass but for the first time in the history of Moose Cross we had results online Monday morning. Woot Woot!

6 Hours of Frog Hollow Race Report

2011-10-05T16:13:00.003-06:00

Technically, I should say that this is the 5 hours, 1 minute and 30 seconds of Frog Hollow race report because that is exactly how long I raced.

The Start/Finish area of the 6 Hours of Frog Hollow. Photo by MTBRacenews.com

The Frog Hollow course reminds me of the 12 Hours of Mesa Verde course in that is fast and flowy in places, and chunky and techie in other places. The course keeps you on your toes and rewards you for being smooth. The highlight has to be the JEM Trail descent where you are rarely going in a straight line and have lots of opportunities to catch a little air.

My strategy was very simple: Go as hard as I thought I could go for 5 hours in order to make the cuttoff to go out for a 6th lap...even if that meant that I was totally wrecked for my 6th lap. My strategy almost worked. Although the race runs from 9 AM to 3 PM, the race rules state that you have to start your last lap before 2:00 PM.

I came in after my fourth lap at 1:01 PM so I knew I needed to uncork a fast lap and I felt like I had it in me. I pushed hard on the opening climbs and about one third of the way through the lap I spied the 2nd place solo male. He still looked good on the bike so I stayed on his wheel for a bit but when offered to let me by, I went. And he stuck to me like glue. I didn’t want to look back and make it totally obvious that I was very concerned about shaking him so I played it cool and focused ahead, pretending that I was riding by myself. I was also racing the clock so I attacked on the next climb and tried to keep the pace high before the JEM Trail descent. I never let off of the gas but in the end I needed another minute...I guess I shouldn’t have lubed my chain after Lap #3. Ha! I came through the timing tent after my 5th lap at 2:01 PM and therefore I was done, 2nd place Solo Male. I really wanted to do six laps but it would not have changed the final standings at all.

I kept the fueling simple and drank Kiwi Lime Carbo Rocket in my bottles and took EFS Gel for some extra calories. No electrolyte pills needed despite the warm temps.

This was a fun race and a great tune-up for the 25 Hours of Frog Hollow on Nov 5-6. To get a feel for the course, check out the short 6 Hours of Frog Hollow YouTube Video put together by racer Troy Allison.

Big Ride Sunday - September 25th Edition

2011-09-26T06:39:00.007-06:00

After spending two full days working on the cross course, setting up for the race, running the race, tearing down the race, and then unpacking race supplies, I needed to get my mojo back. I headed out Sunday on a solo mission to ride some of my favorite singletrack and maximize my pedaling time.

Ride Stats:
- 49 Miles
- 5,407' of climbing
- 5:40:42 Moving Time
- 267 TSS

Route:
Parked at Phillips Canyon Parking area
- Descend Jimmy's Mom
- Descend Candyland
- Descend Old Pass Rd to Wilson
- Take Fish Creed Rd
- Climb Ridge Trail
- Descend Snow Tel Trail
- Turn Right on Arrow Trail, ride to end
- Flip it around and ride Arrow Trail back to Phillips parking area

Do it all over again.

The colors are close to peaking on top of the Ridge Trail

Crater Lake in the morning light

The trail beavers have built a cool new bridge (with high consequences if you fall) at the end of the Arrow Trail

My little camera didn't quite capture the intense reds on the section of trail but it was quite stunning in person

Lots of variety on this ride

New and Improved Local Ride

2011-09-19T20:18:00.008-06:00

It feels a little like Christmas when I discover a so-so local trail has been re-worked and now deserves to be added back into the rotation.

Spooky Trail was one of the first "real" mountain bike rides I ever tackled. My buddy Rick introduced me to Spooky Trail and was patient as I lost weight, became more fit, and learned how to ride a mountain bike. He used to wait for me...a lot. We used to do out and back rides on Spooky Trail and back then I thought we were "gettin' epic"! I chuckle now when I think about where we used to turn around during our after work out-and-back rides.

To go beyond Spooky & Corral Creek used to mean encountering increasingly rugged trail and guaranteed hike-a-bike due to loose, steep, and rutted trails. The Forest Service has rebuilt the trail beyond Spooky (Trail 077) into an ATV super-highway but I am not complaining. They added switchbacks, huge water bars, bridges in key spots, and turned a slog into a cool out-and-back ride. I don't mind a wide trail when the scenery is as gorgeous as it is in the Big Holes.

The final climb to Piney Pass

This ride used to be a slog with great views as the reward. Now it is a fun ride with great views as a bonus.

Michelle shredding the wide track

Rick and Michelle on Trail 077

We had perma-grin the whole ride

The Corral Creek singletrack is a great descent early in the ride and a moderate climb on the way out.

Giant AnthemX 29er Long Term Review

2011-09-15T11:23:00.006-06:00

Back in May I posted a Short Term Review of the Anthem X 29er and since then I have raced and ridden this bike a bunch. Most recently I raced it at the Pierre’s Hole 100 and I rode it exclusively while training for the Park City Point to Point.

My initial impressions of the bike have held true and I find myself liking this bike more as I ride it in different conditions. Since May I have been able to experiment with suspension setups to dial-in the ride to suit my preferences and course conditions.

Race ready, it weighs just a fuzz over 24 lbs

SRAM 2 x 10 drivetrain

The ENVE wheels are nice and stiff and the IKONS with EXO sidewall have held up well

A little more ENVE bling for the cockpit

My general thoughts on suspension
If I have a bike with 100mm of travel, I feel that I should be using all 100mm of travel on any given off-road ride. I also want my bike to ride high in its travel while pedaling but become active on medium to large bumps.

Fox RP23 Rear Shock Setup
I have settled on 5 PSI over my nekkid body weight (166 lbs + 5 = 171 PSI) as the best combination of efficiency and comfort. I run the RP23 on ProPedal #2 almost all of the time unless I know that I have a long rough descent ahead of me. For the Pierre’s Hole 100, I ran 5 PSI more than normal because of the long pavement climbs but this would be too firm for everyday riding in my opinion. However, at Pierre’s Hole I also made it a point to flip the ProPedal lever to “open” for the Mill Creek & Bustle Creek descents and it was smooth like butter! Lastly, if you ride with a loaded Camelbak most of the time, I would recommend 10 PSI plus your nekkid body weight to compensate for the additional weight on your body.

RP23 Shock with ProPedal set to "2"

Fork Setup
I am running a 2011 Fox F29 FIT RLC on my Anthem X 29er. I have found that Fox’s factory PSI recommendations are on the high side. In other words, if I run Fox’s recommended 80 PSI (155 – 170 lb rider weight), I don’t get full travel and the ride feels harsh. I am running 70 PSI and I set the Low Speed Compression knob on +1 or +2 clicks which is not much at all.

Anthem X 29er vs. Hardtail
Will I ever race a hardtail again? Of course I will…I think…maybe. I find myself gravitating to 100-milers, 12 Hour, and 24 Hour races (and maybe longer) and therefore comfort will always be part of the equation. I felt less beat up after the 12 Hours of Mesa Verde and Pierre’s Hole 100 races this year than I felt last year after riding my hardtail and I have to believe this reduces my recovery time. While pre-riding the Park City Point to Point course I was confident that I would be faster on my AnthemX 29er than a hardtail…and I knew I would enjoy myself a lot more.

But which is truly faster overall? Fat Cyclist did an interesting pre-Leadville test-run on two very nice bikes. (Superfly 100 Vs. Stumpjumper: Fight!) I thought his test was excellent and his results did not surprise me as I have suspected a FS would be as fast as a hardtail on most courses. The Anthem X 29er has the right balance of snappiness and comfort and I feel as if I am faster on this bike than any other bike in my garage currently.

Other Stuff
I hate a noisy bike. I am happy to say that my Anthem X 29er is quiet and I haven’t had any issues with the pivots or the bottom bracket.

It’s not carbon. The aluminum Anthem X 29er is competing with a trio of carbon FS 29ers in the endurance race bike market: The Specialized Epic 29er, the Santa Cruz Tallboy, and the Trek Superfly 100. As I mentioned in my Short Term Review post, the AnthemX 29er frame was only .09 lbs heavier than my carbon Santa Cruz Tallboy frame. I don’t have frame weights for the Epic or Superfly 100. Retail price of the AnthemX 29er frame is a $1000 less than a Santa Cruz Tallboy frame. Having said this, if Giant were to release a carbon AnthemX 29er with the same geometry and suspension design that also saved ½ – ¾ lb I would be all over it.

I really like having the open front triangle. The main advantage is that it is super easy to get to a water bottle. Another advantage is that I can use the front triangle for storage if/when I want to run a second water bottle cage on my seatpost as I did in the Pierre’s Hole race. I strapped a tube, lever, and CO2 inside the front triangle and it was out of the way and secure.

One criticism I have read about the AnthemX 29er is that the chainstays are too long. Personally, I don’t think that short chainstays are the absolute “key” to a good 29er. This myth gets perpetuated too often in my opinion. The plus side of longer chainstays is that the bike is very stable at speed. I love hauling ass down long fire road descents (think Laramie Enduro) and therefore I like a longer wheelbase. Riding a bike with short chainstays and a short wheelbase recently (Giant XTC Composite) has proven this to me.

Final thoughts
In a nutshell, this bike is simply fun to ride. Weighing in at 24 lbs, I don’t feel as if I am taking a big weight penalty to race the Anthem X 29er instead of a 29er hardtail. In fact, my old Niner Air 9 hardtail weighed almost 24 lbs as well. The combination of good geometry, low weight, a solid suspension design, and proper shock setup make this bike feel fast. I believe that the AnthemX 29er leaves my body feeling more fresh at the end of an 8, 12, or 24 hour race and this can make a big difference in how quickly I recovery. With my recent decision to extend my season and race the 25 Hours of Frog Hollow, Solo, this bike is going to see more race action this year.

Grand Targhee DH Race

2011-09-12T15:50:00.002-06:00

Grand Targhee Downhill Race.
September 10, 2011.
Upper + Middle + Lower Sticks & Stones Trail.

I am a downhill racer! Note, I did not say that I was a fast downhill racer. I had visions of sneaking up to Targhee several times during the week prior and dialing in my lines so that I could unleash my fury on the 40+ Sport Class come race day...yeah, that didn't happen. I did one practice run in on Friday afternoon and then one practice run on Saturday morning before the race. Two DH runs since last summer is not quite enough time to be "race ready" but what the hell. My main goal was to have fun and not bust myself up in the process. I got spanked but had a blast.

A couple of random post-race thoughts:
- Ergon GP1 grips work for DH too. My hands were cramping after one run on Friday so I put my favorite endurance race grips on the DH bike and no more hand cramps. Sweet.
- Being clipped into the pedals is for me.
- A 10+ minute downhill run with some pedaling at the end is hard! I was cross-eyed at the end of my runs.
- Smooth is fast...I need to work on that.
- Lower Sticks & Stones is a GREAT trail.

Park City Point to Point Race Report

2011-09-04T07:37:00.005-06:00

DNF. Major Bummer. I raced hard on adrenaline for about two hours and then all the energy simply left my body. I felt like I was going in reverse and was wobbling all over the trail. I pulled out at Silver Lake, Deer Valley 3 hours into the race.

At the start with my fast homies Adam Meyer (1st, 20-29), Mark Hershberger (1st, 50+), Trever Bushnell, and Fiddee Cent (2nd 20-29). Nice work fellas!

I don't recommend trying to race immediately following a week with the flu. On Wednesday I almost pulled the plug based on how I felt and in hindsight that would have been the "smart" thing to do. Another lesson learned.

On a positive note, I did get to see a lot of friends and witness some incredible performances. Lastly, I got a sideline view of the finely-tuned machine that is the Park City Point to Point. This race seems to step it up a notch each year.

Are you ready?

2011-09-01T22:00:00.000-06:00

You gotta be kidding me.

2011-08-29T20:20:00.004-06:00

Who gets the flu in August...right before their last “A” race of the season? What are the odds of this scenario happening two years in a row? Un-freakin’-believable.

Last year I came down with the flu the day before the Park City Point to Point and was unable to race and I have been looking forward to a rematch ever since.

Then it happened again yesterday. After a pretty normal Sunday consisting of a short ride, some quality time in the man-cave working on bikes, and an excellent grilled chicken fajita dinner at home, things went very bad. I will spare you the details but very frequent trips to the bathroom were involved...all night. Sweet.

Random note: Carbo Rocket goes down pretty well when you have the flu and has tons of electrolytes.

TUESDAY MORNING UPDATE: Got a good night of sleep. Feeling better and the body aches are gone. Still no appetite though.

Park City Mini-Camp, Days 2-3

2011-08-21T19:39:00.006-06:00

The plan for Day 2 was to ride the remainder of the Park City Point to Point course from Tour Des Suds to the finish at The Canyons. This would have been a very solid day in the saddle. An untimely "incident" resulted in a shortened day and left a hunk of the course unexplored. Oh well, that just meant that there was more to ride on Day 3.

A few Day 2 random thoughts:
- I love descending Team Big Bear!
- TG is overgrown and will pucker you up at race speed
- When they built TG, 500mm wide "Euro" flat bars must have been the rage 'cause my 700mm wide bars do not fit between the trees. Not even close.
- The new section of Mid Mtn Trail could make you reconsider your tire choice

John's Trail, Aspens, Greatness.

Day 3 came with the added bonus of riding with Dave & Lynda. Woohoo! Since they were in the "neighborhood" after racing the Draper SuperXC on Sat, we hooked up for a ride today. Most excellent.

A few Day 3 random thoughts:
- The new Round Valley route rocks! (we rode this first)
- The Drift Road + The Steps climb, in the sun, is gonna hurt
- The Crescent Mine Grade descent, with the grass cut short so you can see where you are going, is friggin' awesome!

There typically isn't a lot of stopping involved when riding with these two but I had to get at least one pic at Shadow Lake

Be careful where you step off the trail to pee. Look at the stickers stuck to my Point6 socks!

When you see the Orange Bubbles, you are in the home stretch...finally

Park City Mini-Camp, Day 1

2011-08-19T20:36:00.010-06:00

The 2011 Park City Point to Point is only two weeks away so it was perfect timing to hold a "mini-camp". The goal is ride a bunch and to see the entire course because there are a few changes for 2011. And of course we need little reason to come to Park City and ride. Today did not suck.

Climbing Gamble Oak early in the course

Michelle was a blur on the Deer Crest singletrack

Bowhunter! Remote, overgrown in places, and one of my favorites

This dude tried to steal my Honey Stinger Waffles!

Great views of Jordanelle Reservoir if you can stop staring at your stem cap long enough

I was really wishing that I had my rigid singlespeed at times. Ha!

A new section of Mid Mountain Trail

2011 Pierre’s Hole 100 Race Report

2011-08-10T13:05:00.005-06:00

To say I was stoked to land on the podium at the PH100 would be a huge understatement. Unlike 2010, I definitely respected this race and prepared accordingly. I had a solid pacing & fueling plan that I felt would allow me to finish in 11 hours if I had a good race.

We got a huge break the week before the race and Mother Nature dropped some much needed rain on the course. Prior to the rain, some parts of the course had a 1-2” layer of “moon dust” on top of it. In addition, Grand Targhee’s Trail Crew put some serious work into Mill Creek and other parts of the course that were riding a bit rough and the end result was perfect conditions on race day. When Mill Creek is tacky it is one of the best descents we have.

Gettin' my suffer on up the Dry Creek climb

Lap 1 – Be Conservative
Lining up near the back of the pack felt a little weird but I simply did not want to get sucked into “racing” up the first climb. I wish I could go hard at the very beginning of long races and then recover but I simply cannot. It’s neither my style nor my strength to pin it off the line. The result of lining up near the back and keeping a lid on it during the opening climb up the lower cat track was that I was stuck behind a slower group on the Mill Creek descent. Oh well.

As we hit the pavement for the first time I realized that my hands were completely numb. The colder air had settled into Teton Canyon and the temp was probably 10 degrees colder than at 8,000’ where we started. Most folks were not too affected by the cold but my Raynaud’s left my hands useless. To shift my rear derailleur, I had to reach across the bars and push the SRAM paddle with the heel of my left hand.

Note to Self: You don’t pedal with your hands so stay on the gas and quit whining.

Every time the trail got a little rough, which was pretty much every downhill, I was hearing a new rattle on the bike. I thought I went through my bike pretty carefully pre-race so I chalked it up to the stuff in my Mountain Feedbag rattling around. Near the end of Lap #1 I realized that my seatpost-mounted bottle cage was about to fall off. Doh!

Note to Self: You have a 3mm hex wrench in the pit. Don’t think about the little rattle and fix it when you stop.

JayP helping me at Aid #1 with a loose bottle cage

A small side-effect of the cold temps and my numb hands was that I did not eat or drink as much as I had planned. I wanted to get through (3) 24oz bottles during the first lap but I ended up only drinking about 1+ ¾ bottles and I think this would hurt me a little later in the race.

Lap 2
JayP was at Aid #1 as I came through to begin Lap #2 and he tightened my bottle cage bolts while I replaced bottles. Thanks again JayP. I took a couple minutes to do some violent “windmills” with my arms in an effort to get some blood to my fingers and it definitely helped.

By Lap #2 the traffic had already thinned out and I was able to “send it” down Mill Creek.

Note to Self: I really wish I had ridden my hardtail…NOT. My FS AnthemX 29er and I are “En Fuego” descending today.

Aid #2 was rocking out with loud heavy metal as I rode through but I didn't need to stop. The crew from Habitat in Driggs was running this aid station with full mechanical support and a high stoke level. Thanks guys! My mantra for the lap was “stay on the gas, don’t forget to drink”. Have I mentioned how much I like Carbo Rocket 333 Orange? Mmmm, delicious.

Lap 3
After a quick stop at Aid #1 with help from JayP and Michelle I was off to climb Lightening Ridge. The climb went by really fast because I couldn’t wait to shred Mill Creek again and was mentally scheming where I could improve my descent time. I guess I got a little too “radical” on my descent because I overcooked a corner and plowed into the brush at full speed. While plowing through knee-high brush I heard a “pop” followed by the sickening hiss of air escaping from my front tire. I also felt Stans fluid spraying my legs…but then it stopped. Awesome! The Stans did its job and I didn’t even have to stop. I did lose some air but I knew I could make it to Aid #2 where there was floor pump waiting.

Note to self: Swap out your front wheel with your spare when you begin your 4th lap.

My long-time nemesis, the inner thigh cramp, decided to show up on Lap #3 after a long hiatus. I haven’t experienced any cramping in races for quite a while and I felt as if my hydration and electrolyte intake was good to this point in the race. Regardless, I had two separate cramping episodes on Lap #3 and the second one took me off of my bike and had me walking to stretch it out before Rick’s Basin.

Note to self: Don’t. Stop.…and quit whining.

Lap 4
Remember that “Note to Self” to swap front wheels? Yeah, I forgot all about that when I went through Aid #1 to begin Lap #4. I had a perfectly good spare set of wheels sitting there and it would have taken about 3 seconds to swap front wheel…but I did not. I was too focused on getting in and out quickly and slugging down a few gulps of delicious ice cold Pepsi.

As I was approaching the top of Mill Creek I could see my fellow Fitzy Teammate Travis up ahead and I wanted to catch him before the descent. Travis is known for his ability to go uphill really fast…but I wasn’t sure about the downhill so I thought it best if I were in front on Mill Creek. I was so wrong. Travis can fly downhill! Near the bottom I heard my front tire “pop” again. Crap! The Stans plug from my earlier puncture had blown out on an impact with a rock and this time it wasn’t self-sealing.

Note to Self: Just deal.

I have been carrying a Tubeless Repair Kit by Panaracer in my pocket for the last couple of years for just such an occurrence. This kit is perfect for punctures that are too big for Stans to seal but it won’t fix a sidewall tear. Plus, it is way faster than putting a tube in. Feeling very proud of myself, I pulled out the kit and proceeded to plug the hole, air it up with CO2, and get on my way.

Note to Self: If you had swapped wheels as planned you wouldn’t be dealing with this so quit feeling so proud of yourself for carrying your stupid little kit.

I topped off my front tire with the floor pump at Aid #2 and commenced “emptying the tank” since it was my last lap. In the back of my mind was the cramping that I experienced on Lap #3 so I was drinking a lot more. The final climb up Dry Creek was tough but I cleaned it and that was a small victory in itself.

My drop cooler at Aid #4 had a little motivation waiting for me; a 20oz bottle of cold black goodness, aka liquid crack, aka de-fizzed Pepsi. The final time through Rick’s Basin was fun knowing that could push it and I tried to grab an extra gear whenever I could. With only about 3 miles to go I punctured my front tire…again. No I am not kidding. I rotated the hole to the bottom of the wheel, shook the wheel a few times, heard the hissing stop, and was back on and riding with a soft front tire. When I crossed the line in 10:45:00 I had no idea what my placing was but I was stoked that I had kept moving through all my mini-adversities. And almost immediately I started thinking about how to go faster…

Can I shave an hour off of my time and take home the belt buckle? I am damn sure going to try. I want that belt buckle now.

More on the race itself later.

Pierre's Hole 100 - Quick Report

2011-08-07T12:16:00.002-06:00

Podium Stoke!

Total Time: 10:45:00
Result: 2nd Place, Men's 40+
Adversity: Numb hands, leg cramps, 3 punctures
Highlights: Mill Creek descent on Laps 2-4, hanging with friends post-race, the coolest "Finisher" prize ever - a handmade ceramic Pierre's Hole mug
Climbing: 14,433' (According to Topofusion)

What an awesome day! Full race report to follow.

Is Your Bike Ready for Pierre's Hole?

2011-08-04T17:18:00.003-06:00

My 2011 Fox F29 has been feeling a little "notch-ee" and I have noticed some sludge-like grime accumulating on the stanchions so I decided to show it some love. I have done a few fork seal replacements now so this was not a huge project at all. I can't believe what a difference it made. In addition to fresh Fox Fluid, I installed Enduro Fork Seals which have never let me down. Typically a fork seal replacement is preceded by the tell-tale oozing of oil down the fork leg but this time my fork simply felt like poo.

Slide the lowers off and wipe down those stanchions

I have never had an Enduro Seal leak on me

The blue Enduro fork seals even match the Fox logo. Sweet.

Pierre's Hole is going to be awesome! Get your bike ready and I'll see you Saturday.

Pierre's Hole 50/100 Recon

2011-07-28T17:29:00.002-06:00

I really like the diversity in the Pierre's Hole course because it exemplifies the riding we have here. We have some great singletrack but we also ride gravel roads, double-track, and pavement in order to link up sections of good trail. You will get a little of everything thrown at you in the Pierre's Hole 50/100 race on August 6th.

This is going to be a hard race. The starting elevation of 8,000', the amount of climbing, and the rugged sections of trail will take their toll on racers. If you don't take care of yourself you will be cryin' for your Momma late in this race. I underestimated the 50-mile version of this race last year and I suffered badly on Lap #2.

Targhee 5 Hour Race Report

2011-07-26T10:00:00.004-06:00

Wooohoo, that was fun! Michelle and I teamed up for the inaugural Targhee 5 Hour lap race this past Sunday and we had a blast. Grand Targhee added a new piece of singletrack late last fall and I didn’t get to ride it before the snow fell so it was brand new to me. We climbed the lower cat track and descended the Lightening Ridge singletrack. The Lightening Ridge loop addition makes the lap about 10 miles and takes roughly an hour depending on how sparkly you are feeling. NOTE: The Pierre’s Hole course will climb the Lightening Ridge singletrack…nice!

Coed Duo Team Byers

The 5 hour lap format was a huge hit and I think this race could easily grow if we can figure out the best standalone date and bump the start time back a bit so the Jackson folks don’t have to wake up at 4 AM. Andy Williams always does a tremendous job with course marking, timing, and awards and this was no exception. Grand Targhee deserves a BIG thank you for continuing to support mountain bike racing in Teton Valley by putting on races and donating generously to the prizes (more on this in a minute).

The race rules state that you have to complete your last lap before 12 PM or it doesn’t count and Michelle and I really wanted to get in 5 laps. The plan was that I would do laps 1, 3 and 5 (hopefully). My first lap was a 54:30 and my second was a 53:42. As Michelle was out on our 4th lap I was getting nervous because I knew it would be close but I was stoked to try and beat the clock. She threw down another consistent lap, we tagged, and I was off with Metalica pulsing in my single ear bud (safety is no accident). I focused on railing the descents and pumping anything that could help me carry momentum. My Giant AnthemX 29er and I were “en fuego”. That last lap went by so fast and I crossed the line in 52:45 and beat the 12 PM cutoff. Team Byers takes 1st...High Fives...Stoked!

Ripping the lower Sidewinder in the early morning light

Michelle was descending like a blur

Speaking of Grand Targhee’s awesome support of races, Michelle and I won two passes for snow cat skiing at Targhee worth $349 each! How cool is that? In addition to giving away four snow cat ski days, there were great prizes from Mtn Khakis and Smith Optics as well.

Come to Teton Valley, ID this weekend...and bring your bikes!

2011-07-19T10:45:00.004-06:00

There are a lot of cool cycling events happening in our little corner of the world this weekend! Blow off any other plans you have made come over to the west side of the Tetons this weekend.

The WYDAHO Rendezvous Mountain Bike Festival is the headliner and includes group rides, clinics, raffles, live music, and the Targhee 5 Hour Lap Race (solo or mixed duo only) at Grand Targhee. This race is going to utilize some sweet new singletrack that was built at the very end of last season.

For the roadies, we have the Grand Targhee Hill Climb time trial Saturday morning starting in front of Peaked Sports in Driggs. This a great event and Peaked Sports is always generous with the post-race raffle.

If you are not into mountain bike racing Sunday morning at the Ghee, zip on over to Wilson, WY and do the Teton Pass Hill Climbs. I would link to it but despite my searching I cannot find any online info. Maybe they should use Athlete360 in the future?

Park City Weekend

2011-07-18T10:55:00.002-06:00

We spent a great weekend in Park City and enjoyed some hiking and riding. While riding Sunday morning I goofed around with the time-lapse mode on the Drift170.

2011 Cream Puff 100 Race Report

2011-07-13T16:48:00.008-06:00

As of July 2010 I had owned a singlespeed for a little over a month but when I finished the Cream Puff on my geared hardtail last year I knew that I wanted to attempt the Puff in 2011 on a singlespeed. I only have two long races under my belt on the SS, and I still have a lot to learn about singlespeed endurance racing, but so far I dig it.

I have to admit that I was a little nervous about how I would feel late in this race. Three weeks prior to the Puff I did a six hour training ride with Fiddee Cent in Jackson and we climbed Ferrins Trail three times on our singlespeeds. On that third time up Ferrins, as we were gruntin’ and snortin’ and thrashin’ our way up the hill with a ridiculously low cadence, Fiddee said something that gave me pause. He said, “I’m gonna pray for you” with an unspoken reference to the amount of climbing in the Cream Puff.

This year’s Cream Puff used the classic 3-lap format which sends you up a long gravel road climb, continues to climb on singletrack into the Jedi Forest, descends a bit, then climbs even more, and finally ends with a ridiculously long singletrack descent on the Alpine Trail…3 times. I have to say that this was by far my favorite course of the four different Puff courses I have raced.

Receiving the coveted "finisher's cap" from Scott Taylor

Lap 1
Trying to keep up with the fast geared riders on a singlespeed during the 3-mile “neutral” rollout on pavement is pretty comical. In hindsight, I should have sought out a 220 lb linebacker-type and just glued myself to his rear wheel. Ha!

My opening climb went great and although I was climbing while standing for most of it I felt like I was within my limits. As usual, my teammate Hami was up the road already and out of sight but I was focused on my race. I yo-yoed with Namrita O’Dea a bit and we broke up the effort with a little chat about her big road trip out west. Even in the cool morning temps I was conscious to drink at least one 24oz bottle of Carbo Rocket per hour plus some EFS Liquid Shot for extra calories. Later in the lap I mixed in a bottle of CR 333 for easy-to-reach calories in the singletrack. The singletrack climbs after Aid #3 were just on the edge of what was rideable for me with my 32x20 gearing but I cleaned all of it which gave me some added confidence. I knew I was having a good day when the trail pointed down at the top of the Jedi Forest and I quickly passed a few riders who had been dangling out in front of me for the past half hour. Descending at the Puff had been a weakness for me in the past and I consciously worked on my cornering before this race. I remember saying to myself, “How freakin’ good is this!?!?” as I was swooping down the Alpine Trail surrounded by giant old growth trees and luscious green ferns. I have to say that the lack of chain slap and overall quietness of the SS doesn’t hurt the descending experience one bit either.

My body felt good and my stoke level was high as I rode into Aid #1 at the bottom of Lap #1. The aid stations are so good at the Puff that it would be easy to get sucked into lollygagging in the buffet line. However, I ignored the buffet and found my drop cooler, grabbed two bottles & a gel flask, lubed the chain, and was out for Lap #2 pretty quick.

Lap 2
Near the end of Lap #1 I passed my teammate Dave Saurman on the descent. Saurdude made a quick pit as well so we rode together on the North Fork Trail and settled into a climbing groove together up Rd 1910. Dave was climbing really well and even mixed up the cadence with some standing climbing. However, I do think it was totally rude of him to ride away from me in his big chain ring when the gravel road pointed downhill for short sections. A polite teammate would have coasted along with me to keep me company since I was spun out.

I did eventually pull away from Saurdude on the way to Aid #3 and I couldn’t wait to shred the Jedi Forest again. Did I mention that I felt really good descending in this race? While flying down the Alpine Trail on Lap #2 I had a flashback to a scene from Talledega Nights:

Susan to Ricky Bobby: You need to grab a hold of that line between speed and chaos, and you need to wrestle it to the ground like a demon cobra! And then, when the fear rises up in your belly, you use it. And you know that fear is powerful,because it has been there for billions of years. And it is good. And you use it. And you ride it; you ride it like a skeleton horse through the gates of hell, and then you win, Ricky.

Is it wrong that I think of random movie quotes as I am descending at a rapid rate of speed in the middle of a race? I digress.

You may or may not have noticed that I have yet to mention my arch rival and teammate Hami. This is where things get interesting. At the very bottom of Lap #2, I saw Hami leaving Aid #1 to begin Lap #3. Hami made it into the select group at the front of the race on the opening climb and I hadn’t seen him since but now we were only three minutes apart. When I saw him at the end of my euphoria-filled descent I couldn’t help myself. I should have just kept my mouth shut. Or, if I had been thinking more clearly, I should have played an Ali vs. Fraser “Rope a Dope” and faked a viscious bonk or something to make Hami think I was on the verge of quitting. Instead, I looked Hami square in the eye and said, “Oh yeah, it’s on!!!”

Hami and I after mortal combat

Lap 3
As I began the long climb I could see Hami ahead in the distance climbing out of the saddle. We were running the same gearing so there was no surprise there. I really wanted to try to chase him down but I also knew it was a long lap and I thought I had plenty of time to make my move. Hami had other ideas and I am 99.5% sure that he wants to beat me every bit as bad as I want to beat him. Near the top of the long climb he found another gear and just like that he was out of sight. For the rest of the lap I was chasing a ghost that I was sure I would see around the next corner…but I never did. Hami threw down a great race of his own and beat me by four freakin’ minutes! Just to recap, in the last 18+ hours of head-to-head racing (Boise 9 to 5 + Cream Puff), that skinny gluten-free singlespeed hardman has beaten me by a combined 5 minutes. This calls for drastic measures. I am not sure what they are yet but rest assured they will be drastic.

What an awesome day of racing!

Team Fitzy Post-Puff

Cream Puff Pre-Ride

Michelle and the North Fork of the Willamette River

Captain Cream Puff commands attention at the pre-race meeting

SS Stoke

2011-07-11T22:45:00.003-06:00

Scott Taylor, aka Captain Cream Puff, still greets every finisher after 15 years

My fourth Cream Puff was by far my best for many reasons that I will elaborate on later in great detail.

Quick Stats:
- Time: 10:49:00
- 8th Place Open Singlespeed
- 4 minutes behind my hero, I mean arch rival, gluten-free SS hardman Hamilton Smith
- No bonks, no mechanicals, no low moments...just pedal to the metal for almost 11 glorious hours
- Longest ride on the SS to date (and my body is feeling it)
- Best course of the four that I have raced

I love the Puff!

Trash Day comes a day early this week!

2011-07-07T13:28:00.003-06:00

Trash day in Victor is usually on Fridays but the Cream Puff week is upon us and I simply cannot let the opportunity to talk a little trash slip by. Since this will be my first attempt at the Puff on a singlespeed, I will direct the trash at my fellow one-gear pushers.

Let me start off by saying that I find it very "convenient" that Fiddee Cent chose to race in Park City this weekend instead of bringing that Kona SS of his to Oakridge, OR. A couple weeks ago I "let" Fiddee Cent ride in front of me, sometimes waaay in front, while climbing Ferrins and I complimented him on his "Ricardo Ricco-on EPO" climbing abilities. My Jedi mind tricks did not work though and he chose to avoid a rematch with me my by signing up for the PC50.

And then there is my teammate Hami. Ever since Hami got his Siren John Henry SS last year he has been on fire and riding it very rapidly all over the west. Most recently, Hami pushed his 32x19 for nine laps at the Boise 9 to 5 and nipped me by one friggin' minute to take second in the SS category! Will Hami try to get in my head and launch himself up the first climb like a missle? Are the nerves in his hands still shot from a dumb experiment with a rigid fork? Will Hami try to see the entire Alpine Trail again on his pre-ride and over-cook himself before the race even starts? So many questions. In all seriousness Hami, I heard that due to so much snow this year they have rerouted the course and a 32x16 is now the perfect gear choice. I would suggest saving room in your kit and don't even bother bringing any spare cogs.

To ramp up the stoke, here is a little vid of the Alpine Trail which is part of the Cream Puff course.

Building the Salsa Selma Ti Singlespeed

2011-06-29T07:39:00.002-06:00

I picked Selma up on Friday afternoon from Fitzy's and immediately built her up in time for my planned six hour ride on Saturday. If you haven't seen one of the new Salsa Ti bikes in person, you should check them out. They nailed the geometry and the welds are gorgeous.

Salsa Selma Ti Build from Dave Byers on Vimeo.

Silence, Please!

2011-06-28T08:11:00.005-06:00

Have you noticed that almost every squeak, creak, and groan from your bike "sounds" like it is coming from your bottom bracket? Fitzy and I were discussing the fine art of troubleshooting mysterious bike creaks last night and we agreed that the bottom bracket is rarely the culprit.

I am currently in the process of chasing down a mysterious creak on my singlespeed and I think I have narrowed it down to the rear wheel. Specifically, I "think" it is the interface between the cassette spacers/cog and my DT Swiss SS rear hub. I tried to address it by greasing the faces of each spacer and the cog but after riding for about an hour the creak started to return.

Has anyone else seen this before?

Rear Hub: DT Swiss 240 SS
Cassette Spacers: Aluminum, DT Swiss (came with hub)
Lockring: DT Swiss (came with hub)
Cog: Chris King SS, 20T
Chain: SRAM PC-1

EDIT: To eliminate other variables, I did the following first:
1) Cleaned & re-greased bottom bracket
2) Cleaned & greased pedal spindles & pedal washers
3) Cleaned & re-greased the chainring/XTR crank interface
4) Cleaned & re-greased the chainring bolts
5) Checked tightness of rear skewer

2011 Knobby 9 to 5 Race Report

2011-06-14T14:30:00.006-06:00

Quick Stats
3rd Place Men’s Singlespeed
Laps: 9
Gearing: 32 x 20
Fuel: Carbo Rocket, Carbo Rocket 333, and EFS Gel, Pepsi
Bike: Niner One9

Single, ready to mingle

This was my first race of any kind on my singlespeed and would be my longest singlespeed ride to date. I am not ready to sell the geared bikes but I really enjoyed racing the singlespeed in Boise and I definitely see more singlespeed racing in my future.

Not only did I race singlespeed, I raced with no computers, HR strap, or power meters on my bike. For a guy who likes to see the numbers, this was a wacky divergence. In the spirit of full disclosure, my decision to race without flight instruments was not a planned one. As Michelle and I were setting up our simple pit before the race she said “I forgot my Garmin” in a somewhat panicked voice. She is hooked on the numbers now too so I gave her my Garmin 500 for the race it worked out great for both of us.

Even after a Friday pre-ride, there was a slight fear of the unknown in the back of my brain because I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel after several hours on the singlespeed. However, I was encouraged when I came through the first lap and the timing tent yelled “48” which meant I had done a 48 minute lap. The real surprise came when I followed that up with a 49 minute lap, then a 50 minute lap…and felt pretty good doing it. The demoralizing part was that I knew there were at least five or six solo singlespeeders in front of me after three laps. Sheesh!

Hamilton is looking lean & mean already

I settled into my groove and went about executing my plan to ride as fast as I could for eight hours. Drink. Eat. Smile. Repeat. Notoriously absent from my view was my teammate and fellow singlespeeder Hamilton. Hami passed me in the first ½ mile of the race and I hadn’t seen him since. My teammate Hamilton and I have a friendly rivalry but it has been on the back-burner ever since Hami started riding his singlespeed exclusively a couple years ago. At around 2 PM I started asking our friends in the pit “Where’s Hami?” “Five minutes” was the usual answer and the gap wasn’t coming down. Had I been suffering like a mangy dog I wouldn’t have cared but I was feeling good and had visions of seeing Hami in the distance and then executing a glorious final hour attack. But that didn’t happen. Hami was chasing his own rabbit in the form of 1st place rider, Mike Shane.

It is so hard to dig down for that extra 5% when you can’t see your adversary. Due to the rolling & twisting nature of the course, I never saw Hamilton or Mike during the final laps but I had a feeling I was closing the gap down just a little. In the end, Hami stayed strong, Mike Shane stayed strong, and the three of us finished within 2 minutes of each other. I am going say that my first SS race was a huge success.

Pretty close race in the SS class

Mike hasn’t officially committed yet but we have a potential three-way rematch looming at the Cream Puff in July and my motivation just got ratcheted up a notch.

The race itself was excellent again and the Knobby Tire guys do a great job creating a festive vibe. Big thanks to Club Ride for donating a pile of great stuff for the raffle as well.

XC Racing, More Rain & Snow, and Single-Mindedness

2011-06-09T09:19:00.008-06:00

XC Racing
The City Creek Pedalfest XC Race last weekend was like one of my favorite Clint Eastwood movies: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. The trails in Pocatello, ID and the race itself were definitely the “Good”. The overall stoke level was very high and I appreciate the fact that the organizers went out of their way to thank several of us for making the drive. This event will be on my race calendar moving forward for a long time and I would highly recommend it. The “Bad”, and more accurately at times “Ugly”, would refer to my performance as a XC racer. Holy crap, going from 0 to 60 hurts! Every time I do a XC race I vow to mix in more of them so that the explosive effort doesn’t feel quite so foreign to me. I do think that racing 2 to 4 XC races early in the season would help my endurance racing as it forces me to work on my bike handling at race speed as well as my race starts.

City Creek Pedalfest Racecourse

Great trails, sunshine, and racing with friends...what's not to smile about?

More Rain & Snow
Yeah, I rode the trainer again this week. Ugh. If I had to pick one word to describe this year’s weather in the Tetons it would be “Relentless”. I can count the number of shorts & short sleeved riding days so far this year on one hand and I won’t even disclose how many “trainer” days I have. Let’s just say that I am very stoked to ride in Boise this weekend where it is supposed to be in the mid 70s with just a 20% chance of a thunderstorm.

Teton Pass Webcam - June 9th, 9:03am

Single-Mindedness
As soon as I finished the Cream Puff last year I decided that I wanted to race it again in 2011 on my singlespeed. And now the 2011 Puff is only a month away! I have been riding the singlespeed a bit but I am getting ready to ramp that up quite a bit and all of my “dirt time” will be on the singlespeed between now and July 10th. To prepare for the Puff, I am racing the Knobby 9 to 5 this weekend, the Cache to Game XC on June 22, and doing several long rides with lots of climbing…all on my singlespeed. My longest singlespeed ride to date is 4 hours.

When I built up my Niner One9 singlespeed last May I put a 32 x 20 gear on it and just rode it all summer like that. Now that I have been swapping between cogs a bit I am realizing that I don’t love the EBB. Mainly, don’t like how it changes my knee-over-pedal position every time I adjust it. My knees definitely notice it. The creaking isn’t so sweet either. Regardless, I do really like riding the singlespeed and I am looking forward to the next month of total single-mindedness.

I snuck in a lunchtime ride Wed before rain hit again. The views did not suck.

Halfway up the Targhee climb, June 8th

Racing in Poki this Saturday

2011-06-01T13:14:00.004-06:00

This will be the second year for the City Creek Pedalfest in Pocatello, ID and I am looking forward to racing and seeing some new-to-me trails. It has been a long time since I have done a XC race but this one is a bit longer than most at 27-miles so I am guaranteed plenty of suffering for my entry.

Anyone else heading to Poki this Sat? I hope some of the SLC contingent head north...its not that far.

The City Creek Trail Network squeeze a lot of trails into a small area

I just registered online via Active.com and I have to admit that I threw up in my mouth a little. I really dislike Active.com and that sentiment was a major motivator for me to start Athlete360.

RANT ON
Sure, I am biased but:

The Athlete360 processing fee would have been $3 instead of $3.95
Athlete360 would NOT have tried to trick you into signing up for magazine subscriptions or joining multiple e-newsletters
While registering via Athlete360 you will never be confused by what is real content and what is advertising because there are NO ADS to distract you. Zero, none, nada.

RANT OFF

For Sale: 2007 Turner Flux Frame w/ 2009 Sid World Cup Fork

2011-05-28T16:48:00.014-06:00

PRICE: SOLD
(Buyer pays actual shipping cost via FedEx Ground with insurance)

- 2007 Turner Flux frame, Small, with Fox RP23 shock
- 2009 Rock Shox Sid World Cup fork, 100mm travel
- Chris King headset, silver

Thanks for looking!

Embrocation 101

2011-05-26T10:43:00.003-06:00

Embrocation. From the Oxford English Dictionary: (noun) A liquid used for bathing or moistening any diseased part; now usually restricted to applied by rubbing; a liniment.

As I think ahead to a weekend of riding in cold & wet weather, I can’t help but think that embrocation will be part of my pre-ride ritual each day. There is something very comforting in looking down at your shiny embrocated legs as they are being pelted with cold rain and realizing that you feel no sting whatsoever.

I started using embrocation during cyclocross season because I wanted to experience every nuance of the cyclocross culture. Applying embrocation has now become part of my routine whenever I ride in the rain and/or cold.

Embrocation is the essence of cycling. One of those things that just makes your world spin. Technically, you could do without embrocation, but that’s not living. Embrocation is the jam on your toast, the honey in your tea. Its hot infusing carrier oils with capsicum at 2:00 in the morning. It’s pure, it’s life, and it’s just plain good. Embrocation used to be just for race day, but lately has found it’s way into the daily routine. Wake, shower, dress, coffee, embrocate, commute. It helps you feel cool on the hottest days and warms through to your heart when the mercury dips. Embrocation is the panacea for a ho-hum day. ~ Pete Smith, Founder of Mad Alchemy Embrocations

In an effort to help those who have never indulged in the practice of embrocating before a ride, I thought I would share a few basics. I call this Embrocation 101.

DO’s
- Apply embrocation using a powder-free disposable glove (Latex or Nitrile work).
- Embrocation is not just for the legs. It works on the feet and feels especially good on the lower back.
- It is perfectly acceptable to wear embrocation under knee warmers or leg warmers. In the wet, you can feel the embrocation creating an impenetrable layer under your soaked knee/leg warmers.
- Choose wisely. If you are new to embrocation, try the “medium” heat before jumping to the “high” or “madness” levels of heat.
- At the end of your ride, use Wet Ones wipes to remove the majority of the embrocation and road grime from your legs. Rubbing alcohol and a paper towel works in a pinch.

DON’Ts
- Do NOT embrocate hairy legs. Your fellow cyclists do not want to look at your sticky, matted leg hair under a layer of embrocation.
- Do NOT apply embrocation before stepping into your bib shorts. Always put your bib shorts on, roll the legs of your shorts up, and then apply embrocation below the legs of your shorts. This will prevent embrocation from accidentally being spread to the genital area as you pull your short into place…which would be bad. Very bad.
- Do NOT double-dip into your friend’s jar of embrocation. This is not as bad as double-dipping into your friend’s jar of chamois cream but it is still considered bad form.

Climbing

2011-05-22T19:47:00.003-06:00

Phew! That one hurt a little.
- 6,200' of climbing
- A little over 4 hours in the saddle
- 273 TSS
- The "key" = hold back a little and don't go above L4.
- Number of cars that passed me on the climb in four hours: 4 (Offseason baby!)

3.5x up the Targhee Climb

Driggs to Targhee via Ski Hill Rd

Giant AnthemX 29er Short-Term Review

2011-05-20T16:09:00.016-06:00

Just before the 12 Hours of Mesa Verde I decided to sell my Santa Tallboy frame and try the new Giant AnthemX 29er. I bought a large AnthemX 29er frame from Fitzy’s and moved all of my parts over from the Tallboy frame. It was an easy swap and I was able to get the new frame built up in time to take it to the 12 Hours of Mesa Verde where I completed five laps on it (plus two laps on the singlespeed). The bike immediately felt comfortable and being able to crank out 80 miles on the first outing is good sign.

Specs:
100mm of travel front & rear
Fox RP23 Shock is standard
Sold as a complete bike or frame only
Tapered head tube

Q) Aren’t aluminum 29er full-suspension bikes heavy?
A) The AnthemX 29er frame was only .09 lbs heavier than my carbon Tallboy frame. The complete bike weighed in at a very respectable 24.2 lbs.

Q) How does the Maestro suspension compare to the Tallboy’s VPP suspension?
A) I am not an engineer or a suspension geek but I do like the way the AnthemX 29er rides “taller” in its travel. It makes the bike feel snappy and also gives you the feeling that you are using more of its travel on bigger hits. I haven’t felt the need to run the Fox’s ProPedal setting higher than “1” to compensate for pedal bob.

Q) Can you run SRAM 2x10 on the AnthemX 29er?
A) Yes, there is plenty of chainring clearance to run a 24t, 26t, or 28t in the front.

The AnthemX 29er has an open front triangle with a ton of room. If and when you are mentally blown in a race, it will still be easy to reach down and shove a bottle into its cage. This may seem like a little thing but I have already come to appreciate this feature.

I am stoked that the Fitzy Team now has a great option for a full-suspension 29er race bike. On top of that, the AnthemX 29er might be the best value out there for a full-suspension 29er.

12 Hours of Mesa Verde Race Report

2011-05-11T07:57:00.004-06:00

Quick Stats
Place: 11th Solo Male
Laps: 7
Laps on the singlespeed: 2
Miles: 114.8
Self Grade: A-
Favorite Race Moment: All 7 times through the Rib Cage!

Air time in the Rib Cage

Racing the 12 Hours of Mesa Verde never leaves me wondering whether I should mix it up and do something different the following May with my race schedule. This race is just too fun and comprises everything I look for in an event; fun people, the best lap-race course on the planet, and solid race organization. I love it.

Back in January when I signed up for this race, I circled it as an “A” race and I really wanted to go faster than I went in 2010. My goal changed in late March when I got sick for three weeks and missed out on a block of timely Mesa Verde training. In the four weeks leading up to Mesa Verde, I did a pile of aerobic-paced riding to try and rebuild my fitness foundation. I really wasn’t sure how my race was going to go other than I was going to do everything humanly possible to ride for 12 hours straight and have fun. I definitely wasn’t going into this race “peaking and rested”. I am stoked that the diesel engine came back to life and I was able to lay down a solid race.

16 Miles of pure greatness

Set Yourself Up For Success
Odds are good that at some point over the course of a 12 hour race something will go wrong. Wrap your brain around this fact and be ok with it. My pit layout was simple and efficient this year which is especially key when racing unsupported as I was. I could roll in, refill the Osprey bladder with Carbo Rocket and cold water, grab a handful of the snacks I craved, slug down a bit of cold water, lube the chain if needed, and be out of there within minutes. I also had tools and spares of key items laid out so I wouldn’t have to dig for them. NOTE: I estimate that at Mesa Verde a dedicated support person is worth 15-18 minutes to a solo racer over the course of 12 hours if the team executes the transitions perfectly.

Drink
The high on Saturday was 80F. 80F doesn’t sound that hot right? But 80F @ 6,200’ elevation with a hairdryer wind will suck the moisture right out of you. I drank 48-56oz of Kiwi Lime Carbo Rocket every lap (1:36:00 to 1:45:00) and I think this was a key ingredient to my solid race. Oh yeah, and a few Pringles too.

To singlespeed, or not
I had a blast pre-riding the course Friday on my Niner One9 singlespeed with a 32 x 20 gear. I am sure that there were plenty of manly-men pushing a 34 x 19 or something similar and ridiculously tall. However, this gear “seemed” like it would work for me if I chose to ride the singlespeed late I the race. Plus, LW said she used this gear at Mesa Verde two years ago, and she is really fast, so I went with it. My plan was to ride two laps in a row with gears and then ride two in a row on the singlespeed. After that I was simply going to ride whatever sounded more fun…and I chose gears. My singlespeed lap times were solid, and I had fun, but I am not sure that I am a singlespeed racer yet. Sure, I like riding my singlespeed for some variety. I am just not sure whether I like “racing” it as much as I do my geared bikes. I think I need to just pick one for a given race and stick to it.

Lower Back pain
After lap #2, lower back pain was starting to affect my attitude and my speed. Thoughts of my lower back issues at Old Pueblo crept into my brain briefly. I switched to the singlespeed (which I had planned to do before the race) and I noticed that the required standing while riding the singlespeed helps stretch out my lower back quite a bit. Later in the race I used this same technique on my AnthemX 29er with some success. I would shift to a harder gear and stand more than I normally would while climbing to take some pressure off of my back. This is not as efficient as spinning up a climb while seated but it helped my lower back and kept me racing. Honestly, I was hoping that my recent stretching and yoga would make a bigger difference than they did. There are no magic bullets.

The Finale
I was really hoping for a good battle to push me at the end…the mini “race within’ the race” that I often find myself in. My race standing put me in a weird no-man’s-land though because I hadn’t seen a solo male racer in two laps. So I raced myself. Technically, I was racing my last year’s finishing time of 6:49 PM and I emptied the tank on my last lap to beat it. I ended up finishing at 6:46 PM...nice!

Final Random Thoughts
- A new rule this year stated that you had to start your last lap before 6 PM. The old cutoff was 6:30 PM. The laps are long so I understand why they did it and I don’t blame them. This rule will make it even harder for me to achieve my goal of 8 laps…but of course I will try.
- Carbo Rocket and EFS Liquid Shot continue to work really well for me as my primary fuel & electrolyte replacement. No stomach issues!
- The new AnthemX 29er is the shizzle…more on this later.
- Getting pre and post race text messages containing inspirational quotes from “Talledega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby” is awesome.

2011 Santa Cruz Tallboy Frame - SOLD

2011-05-10T10:07:00.008-06:00

5/13/11 UPDATE: SOLD

I am selling my large Santa Cruz Tallboy frame with a Cane Creek 110 tapered headset. I would prefer to sell it locally but I will list it on Ebay this Sunday, May 15th. Please pass this along if you know someone who might be interested.

Asking $1,800 for frame and headset. Retail is $2556 ($2,400 for frame + $156 for headset)

I bought the frame new in late September 2010 and rode it through October 2010. Then winter came…and is still here in Victor, ID. It was ridden three days in St. George in January and two more days in April. I think it has less than 12 days total on the frame. There is a scratch on the left rear chainstay where the brake rotor dinged the frame during a wheel swap. There are also minor cable rub marks on the head tube and a mark where the front derailleur was mounted.

I will accept cash, check (from friends), or PayPal. If you pay with a credit card using PayPal, an additional 2.9% will be added to the price.

Let's Get It On!

2011-05-06T19:55:00.005-06:00

We're racin' bikes tomorrow! Woohoo!

New for 2011, they are doing LIVE Results!

Michelle and I are both racing solo and we had a great pre-ride of the course today. Not to rub it in to my homies back in Victor & Jackson, but it was really nice to shred singletrack in the sunshine today.

The Fitzy Team has a new race weapon in the quiver this year...and I really dig it so far. Yeah, it's aluminum and it's pretty light.

Around The Rock ITT

2011-04-27T09:27:00.002-06:00

I can't seem to get this ride out of my brain so I am just going to have to do it once and for all. Mid June might be a perfect time to tackle this one if the snow on Grassy Lake Road has melted by then. New adventures in your own backyard are always fun!

The "Rock" refers to the Grand Teton

The Stats:
- 150 Miles
- 9,100' of Climbing
- 20% Dirt Roads
- Includes Grand Teton National Park Rd.
- Skirts the South boundary of Yellowstone on Grassy Lake Rd.

Solo Mini-Camp

2011-04-25T14:34:00.006-06:00

GOAL: Squeeze in three quality rides on desert singletrack for my physical & mental well-being
RESULT: Mission accomplished

Hurricane Rim Trail

I spent a lot time driving between Friday and Sunday but the end result was totally worth it. I powered down to St. George and was able to ride Friday afternoon, Saturday, and early Sunday morning before blazing straight home again.

Friday’s ride in the sunshine blew out the cobwebs after a long time away from dry dirt and put a big smile on my face. I drove straight to the Cove Wash Trailhead and rode Barrel Roll + Rim Reaper/Rim Rock/Rim Runner. I LOVE those trails. However, the highlight of Friday was dinner with the new AZT 300 Champ, Lynda. It was great to hang out with Lynda and hear all about her incredible race first-hand. Check out Outside Magazine’s Blog about Lynda’s AZT 300.

The desert flowers are just a few days away from going off!

A few random thoughts from the weekend:
- Ergon GR2 grips ROCK on the singlespeed
- Crashes hurt less if you are listening to good tunes
- It wouldn’t be a trip to the desert for me without a little rain
- I am not sure I will ever clean the entire Barrel Cacti descent
- If you ride begin your ride at 6:20am on Easter Sunday in St. George, you will have the trails all to yourself.

Groovy Jem Trail singletrack

This is gonna hurt a little

2011-04-20T10:51:00.002-06:00

Being in my backyard, I am not sure why it took me this long to sign up but it's now official. I am in for the 100-mile version of Pierre's Hole!

This is going to be a gloriously hard and fun event in 2011! Targhee is such a great setting for a race and August is our best shot at good weather. You can sign up and/or keep and eye on the roster at Athlete360.com.

The MVP Of My Closet

2011-04-17T19:03:00.003-06:00

This is the time of year when the climate differences between cycling-centric communities becomes very apparent. While in Tucson they have been riding in 90+F temps, the CO Front Range has been on dry dirt for a long time, and Fruita & Moab are hitting 70F on a regular basis, we are still stuck in Spring + Winter = Sprinter. Not complaining (ok, a little) those are just the facts.

Taken out our back door Thursday afternoon. I predict May 25th for a total meltoff in our yard.

There really are no bad days to get outside for a ride…there are just poor clothing choices. Let’s take today in Victor, ID for example. At 9AM it was 37F and raining with some wind. This weather used to send me to the trainer every time but now I simply accept that a little extra bike cleaning may be necessary. One of the key elements to my arsenal over the past two years has been the vapor barrier vest. Think of it like a greenhouse for your body.

The RBH Designs LiteWorks Vest.

The RBH Designs LiteWorks Vest weighs so little and is so thin that I can wear it under anything. How many times have you been on a cold wet ride and the moment you stopped moving (ie, expending energy) you start shivering? This is how I know that the vapor barrier vest makes a difference. The moisture between the vest and your body warms up and stays warm and also prevents your insulating layers from wetting out. Originally, I bought the LiteWorks Vest to wear for very cold snow biking but I am finding that it works on cold road rides as well.

Our forecast for the next week is not super-sweet so I have a feeling that the MVP of my closet will see some more use this season.

Ctrl-Alt-Delete

2011-04-08T07:13:00.002-06:00

...and Restart. It feels as if I am starting over from square one with my training this season. As I jokingly told Lynda on the phone, at least I won't have to worry about a mid-season burnout. Ha!

The timing of getting sick, as if there is ever a "good" time to get sick, was particularly bad for me because it came after a recovery period following Old Pueblo and just when I was about to ramp it up again, whammo, I got sick for nearly three weeks.

My first "training" ride in almost three weeks...Variable Cadence. Check out how my HR creeps up when my cadence goes up. Can you tell I am a masher and not a spinner?

A couple of significant changes to my routine will be the addition of regular Active Isolated Stretching sessions as well as Yoga. My experience with Yoga so far is worthy of its own post but for now I will simply say that Yoga is not easy for me.

Quality Time in the Man Cave

2011-04-02T17:39:00.012-06:00

Since I am still fighting this cold/sinus infection (don't get me started), I decided to crank up the propane heater and spend some quality time in the Man Cave working on a few bike projects.

Project #1 - 100mm Rims on the Fatback

The six largest cogs on the cassette are spaced way right, I added some longer limit screws that I found at the hardware store, and I added the Problem Solvers Universal Derailleur Hanger.

In order to gain a little more drivetrain clearance, I had to tweak a couple things on the FatBack. A 100mm rim is definitely pushing the envelope of the widest rim I can run on this frame with its 165mm spacing but I think the extra float is well worth it. I can live with six cogs in the rear since I have three chainrings in the front. The key piece to this puzzle was the Problem Solvers Universal Derailleur Hanger because it creates space between the frame and the derailleur and provides a tab for the B-Limit screw.

There is just a fuzz of chain run in my largest cog. The only option left to try is to go to a custom 150mm wide spindle Phil Wood BB.

Project #2 - Tear down, clean, and rebuild M's Tallboy

The True Grit race last weekend left M's Tallboy in bad shape. The parts that need replacement: Bottom Bracket, Brake Pads, Chain, Shift Cables & Housing. I guess it could have been worse. On a side note, I love DT Swiss hubs for the fact that it takes all of five minutes to pull the rear hub apart, clean, and re-grease it.

The St. George mud & grit managed to get into every crevice.

A simple wash wasn't going to cut it after this race. Even the derailleur pulleys needed to be taken apart and cleaned.

I have never seen brake pads look this bad.

Project #3 - M's new frame bag

Ok, this wasn't really a project but I wanted to take a couple of pics and give a huge thanks to Eric at Revelate Designs. I asked him to match the pink Dogwood Designs pogies and he procured the matching fabric and built Michelle a sweet frame bag. Thanks Eric!

The bent top tube of the FatBack take a unique frame bag.

Have I said how much I dig the Aluminum FatBacks?

Project #4 - Convert the Niner into "Combat" mode

With our wonderful Spring weather (said with a sarcastic tone), I prefer to ride the Niner with fenders when its cold & wet outside. I took the rigid fork from my singlespeed and stuck it on the Air 9, added two fenders, and then mounted up a pair of semi-slick WTB Vulpines. This will be my road & gravel training machine for the next couple of months.

Tech Tip: The Park DAG-2 is a tool you should own. The rear shifting on my SRAM XX has been a little janky and I finally pulled the rear derailleur off and used the DAG-2 to check the hanger. Doh! My hanger was bent outward and this was the cause of my less-than-sweet shifts. The DAG-2 allows you to perfectly straighten a bent rear derailleur and eliminate that variable when you are troubleshooting poor shifting.

Fenders are a key accessory this time of year.

Our St. George weekend didn't go exactly as planned

2011-03-29T12:33:00.011-06:00

The pic that is mising from this post is of Michelle and/or her bike after the True GRIT race had been called off and Michelle was covered in mud and shivering at the finish line. With Michelle borderline hypothermic, it didn't seem like a great time to break out the camera for a Blog pic. Let's just say that I have never seen so much mud stuck to a bike.

You can read the full scoop on the True Grit race over at MTBRaceNews.com.

It was a frustrating weekend on two fronts: Michelle didn't get to finish the race and my head cold morphed into a sinus infection.

Michelle was riding well and actually dressed appropriately for the weather but the sticky red clay-like mud was just too much. She said that at one point she was literally dragging her bike because the wheels wouldn't turn and it was too heavy for her to lift. Yikes!

I was hoping to rebound from my cold and get some quality riding in. After a short 1.5 hour ride on Friday (I felt pretty good), I woke up Saturday feeling worse and things went downhill from there. Today is Day 12 of being sick and I think I have at least a couple days to go before I can think about training again. The 12 Hours of Mesa Verde on May 7th officially has gone from an "A" race to a training race for me.

Michelle on Zen Friday before the race. Photo cred to Dave Harris.

Me with a little body English on Zen. Photo cred to Dave Harris.

The storm was already building Friday and we finished our pre-ride just in time.

Dave Harris was rockin' the Milk Money with us on the Zen Trail Friday morning.

Lynda, being the wily veteran that she is, stole DH's down vest to stay warm before the start.

Look how clean and happy everyone is. Yeah, that lasted about 30 minutes and then Mother Nature threw a tantrum.

So there I was...

2011-03-21T12:00:00.002-06:00

A)...lost in the Congo.

B)...shredding slickrock in Moab.

C)...riding the Teton Valley back roads in 36F rain/snow mix while heavily embrocated.

D)...huddled under a blanket within arm’s reach of Kleenex all weekend.

While Option A would have made for an excellent Blog post, I was definitely day-dreaming about Option B, and I had planned on back-to-back four hour rides fulfilling Option C, but in the end I was relegated to a sniffling & grumpy version of Option D.

Is it just me, or do all cyclists feel as if they are getting fatter and slower by the minute while lying around with a cold?

I have a couple more days before I start to get nervous about the longevity of my uninvited viral guest. We are heading to St George this coming weekend where M will race the True Grit 50 and I plan on simply riding glorious dry dirt in the sunshine.

Oh well, nothing epic to read here today, just move along to Adam’s or Scott’s Blog. Ha!

Togwotee Winter Classic, Race #2 Report

2011-03-13T12:41:00.005-06:00

...fast forward to mile 29 of the 35 mile race. I was roughly 3 ½ hours into my race and as the CD Trail climbed up to its intersection with the V trail I got a glimpse of 2nd place. I hadn’t seen Bryan since the opening few miles of the race but I had closed the gap to 400 yards with 6 miles to go. I kept my pace steady and began strategizing my final attack. The term “attack” is relative on a snow bike since we are barely going 5-6 mph uphill despite being redlined. Bryan was not slowing down so it took me 5 miles to close the gap down to 25 yards and I didn’t have much left in the tank as we turned onto the final straight along the highway towards Togwotee Lodge. I tried to slow my breathing and recover for just a minute before making my final move. With 100 yards to go before crossing the highway I dropped two cogs and closed the gap down to five yards but Bryan responded and had enough juice left to burst ahead and ride into the lodge two seconds ahead of me. It was an excellent finish to a great race. I haven’t pushed that hard for that long in a while and it felt good.

And they're off!

I was excited for this race for a few reasons. I was coming into the race somewhat rested since my race at Old Pueblo only lasted 9 hours instead of 24, and I was anxious to see how my lower back would feel after a couple weeks of focused stretching & some yoga.

As usually, the early pace was fast and it took me about ten minutes to settle down and get into a groove. I also stopped early to let some air out of my tires for improved traction on the climbs. Our local fast-guy, Carey Smith, set a blistering pace and was soon out of sight. Strung out behind Carey were Bryan Safarik from SLC, Hamilton, and Bergy, followed by me at distance. Bergy and I passed Hamilton before the V Trail and traded positions early on the K Trail until I stopped again to let more air out of my tires. Every time the trail straightened out I could see Bergy ahead hammering in classic Bergy time-trialing style but I was determined to catch him. Near the end of the K Trail I finally caught up and we rode together for quite a while until I was able to pull ahead on a sustained climb.

My fueling was perfect. I mixed 8 scoops (800 calories) of Carbo Rocket 333 with 75 oz of water in my Osprey bladder and I took in roughly 400 calories of EFS Gel. I drained my pack with 20 minutes to go.

In their first real test, the 100mm rims rode great. However, I have some more work to do to gain the use of my 34T cog in the back but the additional float and stability with the 100s is probably worth it. I only had the use of five out of six cogs in the rear for the race and it would have been nice to have more gears. I’ll have more on the 100mm rim project later this week.

My average HR for the 4:15:00 race was 159 and I spent a lot of time above 170!

Full results and pics are posted on the Togwotee Winter Classic website.

The 100mm experiment

2011-03-06T16:08:00.011-07:00

Snow bikes were invented to provide more floatation than a standard mountain bike. It stands to reason that the wider the rim, the more floatation you will achieve as long as you have a tire that will take advantage of the rim width. My first snow bike, the Wildfire, had 65mm Large Marge rims. My Fatback came with 80mm rims. In my quest for more float, I just had Fitzy's lace up a set of 100mm FlatTop rims.

The old 80mm rims next to the new 100mm rims

The project is not quite as simple as relacing the hubs to new rims which is why I call this an experiment. The 100mm rims take up a lot of real estate in the rear of the bike and I am going to lose a couple of gears in the process. I am hoping to keep 7 gears but I may end up with 6 in the rear to go with my triple in the front. The FlatTop rims themselves are very average in quality so I am not sure about longevity. I will post more on the experiment once I dial things in a bit more.

Fat wheels bolted to a Fat fork. Phat!

Today was my first ride on the 100s and they are very stable. The additional width and change to the tire profile is noticeable. We were relegated to backroads but we did ride through 6-8" of fresh snow on the unplowed section of Stateline Rd and I broke trail easily. Sweet!

I really wish my Endomorphs would last more than one season. Running them at 4 PSI wears out the sidewalls long before the tread.

We had a great ride on Teton Valley backroads and were stocked that the precip remained frozen and didn't turn to snain...or worse. :)

This guy didn't wave back or smile when we said hello so we will call him 'Crusty' from now on. He did have a cool snowblower tractor though.

M wasn't having any fun at all.

Riding & Smiling

Even more smiling...

Yeah, we still have a LOT of snow here Teton Valley.

Rebuilding

2011-03-01T10:33:00.003-07:00

After the marathon two-day drive home from Tucson, AZ and the subsequent cleaning/unpacking of gear, it was time to address my back issue. My approach to fixing my back will be no different than researching a new piece of bike gear. I will gather as much info as possible, obsess over the pros & cons (there might be a spreadsheet involved), and then move forward with confidence.

Step #1 – Gathering Information
I took the first step before leaving Tucson when I made a Thursday afternoon appointment with Jen Fisher of Teton Therapeutic Massage. Jen has worked on me occasionally for a few years now and knows my normal hotspots. My visits to Jen are often “rewards” to myself after an endurance race and therefore she is used to seeing me sore. However, on the Thursday following Old Pueblo Jen bluntly said “you are a mess”. She was referring to my overly tight hamstrings and the lack of natural curve in my lower back. At the end of the session Jen handed me a Yoga schedule and told me directly “you need Yoga in your life”. Jen is by far the best massage therapist I have even been to and I respect her advice.

The Flat Back posture is often caused by muscle imbalance and/or tightness

Step #2 - Yoga
In a strange bit of fate, the Yoga Tejas studio in Driggs was offering a Beginner Intensive 5-night class starting the following Sunday night. I took it as a sign. My resistance to doing Yoga was due in part to feeling like I didn’t know how to do the poses correctly and therefore I felt like I was wasting my time. A bad first impression of Yoga was also lingering in my brain. I took my first Yoga class in Jackson last summer and walked out of it feeling like Yoga was way too hippy-dippy for me. A 5-night class would either get me on the right track or would prove once and for all that Yoga is not for me. After only 2 of 5 classes I already see the benefit. I really like the teaching style of Bridget Lyons and the pace of the class is quick and athletic.

Step #3 – A.R.T.The morning after Old Pueblo I received an email from my friend and pro cyclist Amanda Carey urging me to go see a woman in Jackson who practices A.R.T. Amanda had received several A.R.T. treatments for a back issue as well and recommended Josie highly. Josie works out of One to One Wellness and after a lengthy follow-up conversation with Amanda I made an appointment to see Josie on Monday. The One to One Wellness facility oozes energy and I immediately felt comfortable there. My first treatment was, well, intense. I almost launched off of the table several times when Josie dug into a problem area. Ironically, Josie was the second woman in less than a week to tell me “you are a mess”.

One of the best explanations of A.R.T. I have found is HERE.

This week is less about the bike and more about rebuilding my body so that I can begin training again without pain. I have plenty of time to ramp it back up before the 12 Hours of Mesa Verde in early May.

Lastly, GO PETERVARYS!!!

24 Hours of Old Pueblo Race Report

2011-02-24T15:52:00.004-07:00

When I visualized my race at Old Pueblo while riding the trainer in my basement or riding the snow bike during the months prior, I saw things transpiring very differently. I visualized myself executing a solid race, one lap at a time, and completing 16 laps sometime before 1:30pm Sunday afternoon. I expected some adversity. I did not foresee having to pull out of the race early as a result of lower back pain. By my 6th lap, the pain in my lower back was shooting down into my legs and I could barely turn the pedals over. It was actually making me nauseous. My race was over only 9 hours into it.

Nearing the end of the run, slowed by the thundering herd, Photo by LW

So what happened? I have been thinking about the “why” since Sunday morning and I can’t put my finger on it. My bike fit has not changed and I rode the exact same bike that I rode last year at OP. My training since Nov 1st has been solid and very, very similar to what I did last year leading up to OP. Could I have stretched more during my training? Sure, but who couldn’t say that? My lower back has been a limiter at times for me in the past but it has never forced me to stop riding. Now I will dig into the issue like a rabid badger and try to address it on a more permanent level. This will not happen to me again.

My Six Laps
The Le Mans start for OP is awesome! It is somewhere between ¼ and a ½ mile long and the chaos at the bike rack is crazy. Most cyclists can’t run ½ mile. Then, people can’t find their bikes. Then, some people find their bikes but can’t ride them because they are in the middle of the thundering herd. I had Michelle hold my bike at the very end of the line of bikes so that I would run farther but when I got to my bike I knew that I would actually be able to ride it.

The carnage on the first two laps was amazing. I saw at least four people get loaded onto stretchers/backboards and too many flat tires to count. I guess when you have 1850 people in a race, the law of averages say that crashes are inevitable. Despite the carnage around me, I was calm and rode at my pre-planned pace.

Did I mention that I LOVE the Old Pueblo course? It is such a contrast to anything else that I get to ride all year that I just enjoy every aspect of it.

From an execution standpoint, my first six laps went very well. Despite 40 mph wind, dropping temps, and sideways rain, I was on pace with my lap times from last year. I stopped after my 5th lap to add my rain layers and prepared myself to battle the elements into the night and once I got “suited up” I was very comfortable. This made the lower back issue especially frustrating because I felt as if I was prepared as well as anyone for the epic weather.

Speaking of wind, can we take a moment of silence for the many, and I mean many, EX-Up tents that died at Old Pueblo this year?

I will have more later on stuff that worked, stuff that didn’t work, and other random post-Old Pueblo thoughts.

All Day. All Night

2011-02-18T18:41:00.003-07:00

Sing it with me...ALLLL DAYYYY & ALLLL NIGHHHHHHT! Let's do this.

You can follow the action HERE.

And just for fun, let's make it REALLY interesting

Race week is here!

2011-02-14T09:59:00.006-07:00

The 24 Hours of Old Pueblo is less than a week away. The bikes are prepped, my nutrition is organized, various gear piles are laid out, and I already have intermittent butterflies in my stomach.

My ride scenery is about to change from this...

...to this. And that makes me happy.

How to get Fat!

2011-02-10T17:40:00.002-07:00

Coach Lynda and I co-authored an article on snow biking for XXCMag.com and the issue is now available online. I love to spread the snow biking stoke and I think the article turned out great.

The FREE eMag is located HERE. I have been a fan of Jason's magazine for a while now and I like the concept. You can view it for free online, download your own PDF copy, or order a sweet color magazine for your collection.

Teton Valley's best snow bike ride

2011-02-06T15:03:00.006-07:00

The Horseshoe Canyon to Packsaddle snow bike ride is my absolute favorite in Teton Valley. The ride has rolling terrain, lots of forested riding, and gorgeous views of the Tetons. It can be a two+ hour out-and-back or it can be turned into an epic when conditions are right. During the summer this route is simply a dusty Forest Service road that we use to access the northern end of the Big Holes but it drastically changes character in the winter.

A combination of recent grooming and single-digit temps made for excellent riding today and we had the whole trail to ourselves. The snowshoe hare, moose, and deer tracks in the snow tell us that this trail sees more visitors at night than on most days.

M was all smiles beneath her many layers

Kenai loves snow biking...but he doesn't really love the jacket that his momma makes him wear

If you snow bike on a groomed snowmobile trail network, please show your support by buying an annual sticker

The Fat Fork's maiden voyage was most-excellent. In addition to being fat & sexy, it rides great.

Feeling a little Fat

2011-02-05T16:40:00.002-07:00

This item falls squarely into the "bike lust" category. I didn't "need" a new fork for my Fatback but when I saw pics of Speedway Cycle's latest creation I couldn't help myself. And now that it is here, I have absolutely zero buyer's remorse. It is FAT and it is sexy baby!

818 grams of Fatback carbon sexiness

Due to sleeping in late, (which felt really good by the way) I didn't get the fork installed before my ride today but tomorrow it will see its first real action.

Darby Canyon got 3-4" of snow last night and was slow but 100% rideable. This may be the last pic you see of the skinny steel fork for a while.

Great article by Fitzy in the JH News & Guide

2011-02-03T10:58:00.002-07:00

In this Guest Opinion article, Fitzy makes an excellent argument for allowing snow bikes in Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park. Back in September of 2007 I wrote a Blog post expressing my disappointment that snow bikes did not get included in the Yellowstone Winter Use Plan. The National Park Service is about to revise the Winter Use Plan again and my fingers are crossed that snow bikes will be included.

Jackson Hole News & Guide Guest Opinion Article from Feb 2, 2011

Camp Lynda - Day 3

2011-01-30T18:59:00.005-07:00

I realize that I jumped from Day 1 to Day 3 but right now my brain is mush and therefore an accurate recount of Day 2 is just not going to happen. However, since I just completed Day 3, I think I can remember the highlights.

Day 3 Quick Stats:
6:25:00 Moving Time
TSS: 381
73 Miles
5,138' Climbing

I have a men's t-shirt idea for a future Camp Lynda: "I got 'chicked' at Camp Lynda" I sincerely mean that as a compliment. It was a pleasure to ride with so many fast ladeez this weekend.

After a short prelude, Day 3 kicks it up a notch with Starvation Point

This part of the route is very remote, and very redneck

Day 3 Profile

Today was all about quality work on the bike but there was just enough fun singletrack and great views mixed in to keep it fun. That's it for now, I need to eat again.

Camp Lynda Day 1 - Vitamin D is good!

2011-01-28T15:40:00.003-07:00

By the end of today's ride, I was wearing shorts and a short sleeved jersey. That makes me happy. Camp Lynda was due for a good weather year and it looks like we finally got it. Yeah! Sure, snow biking is fun but a big fat dose of Vitamin D sure felt good.

M was wearing the perma-grin in the desert sunshine

The crew gathered in the Starbuck's parking lot pre-ride

In addition to great weather, the people always make Camp Lynda a good time and I met some new friends today who I have only known via Facebook or their Blog.
The legs felt pretty good and I kept the effort in check knowing it is only Day 1 of 3.

The Day 1 route was an out-and-back (except for those of us who followed Jeff Kerkove too closely and got extra credit)

Idaho bans snow bikes from groomed snowmobile trails – Part 1

2011-01-23T19:36:00.004-07:00

Imagine how you would feel if your favorite piece of singletrack was suddenly closed to mountain bikes but remained open exclusively to motorized use. Would you be pissed?

Our Caribou-Targhee National Forest District Ranger, Jay Pence, knows that I am a snow biker and forwarded an email to me on Thursday that made my stomach hurt and my ears turn red with anger. The email was from Troy Elmore who works for the State of Idaho as the Off Hwy Vehicle Program Manager. In the email, Troy explained to Jay that although the Forest Service Winter Travel Plan would allow snow bikes on the groomed snowmobile trails in the winter, the state statute listed below makes it illegal:

The following Idaho State Statute was passed in July, 2009 as part of Senate Bill 1061.

Idaho Statute 67-7112 - Groomed snowmobile trails. Any all-terrain vehicle operating on groomed snowmobile trails during the winter snowmobiling season when the trails are groomed shall be registered as a snowmobile under the provisions of section 67-7103, Idaho Code. Counties shall have the option to allow all-terrain vehicles, if registered, to use snowmobile trails in the county. No other vehicles shall operate on groomed snowmobile trails unless specifically allowed by the county. Violation of the provisions of this section shall be an infraction.

Why am I just finding out about this now? Good question. For the past four years that I have owned a snow bike, I have made it a point to read the Winter Travel Plans in the National Forests that I recreate in. After all, the trails I snow bike on are located in the National Forest. It makes sense to check the FS regulations right? In their Winter Travel Plan, the US Forest Service correctly differentiates between “motorized wheeled vehicles” and simply “vehicles”. According to the Forest Service rangers I have spoken to, snow bikes were an acceptable use.

Caribou-Targhee National Forest Winter Travel Plan Matrix

I will admit that I don’t go out of my way to read through the Idaho Statutes so I wouldn’t have found this on my own. There are no signs posted at any of the winter trailheads indicating that snow bikes are illegal. In addition, every interaction I have had with snowmobile riders while snow biking on groomed snowmobile trails has been positive.

So what is the big deal? The driving force behind my first snow bike purchase four years ago was being able to ride the network of groomed trails in the Big Hole Mountains during the winter. The state of Idaho has more miles of groomed snowmobile trails than any other western state and the majority of these trails are located in the National Forest. The trail grooming program is run by the state and funded by the purchase of an annual snowmobile sticker that cost $33 in 2010. Many of us, the local snow bikers, have been buying the Idaho snowmobile sticker for the past few years as gesture of good faith.

So where does that leave us? The line in Statute 67-7112 that reads “No other vehicles shall operate on groomed snowmobile trails unless specifically allowed by the county” gives us a glimmer of hope. County Commissioners can still do the right thing and create ordinances that specifically allow snow bikes on groomed snowmobile trails. But will they?

More to follow in Part II...

T-Minus 30 Days

2011-01-20T17:06:00.003-07:00

The 24 Hours of Old Pueblo is only 30 days away!

Between now and then I will be focusing on staying healthy, dialing in my gear, and of course some training. Speaking of training, the last big block will take place at Camp Lynda 4.0 and I can't wait to ride dry dirt and see my desert dwelling friends.

Doing a "Michael Jordan" through the timing tent at OP in 2010

The battery runtime testing has begun, small piles of gear are being accumulated, and food shopping lists are being made. I had a really good race at OP in 2010...but I can do better. I am keeping a lid on the plan for now.

The Togwotee Winter Classic Race #1 Video

2011-01-13T12:08:00.000-07:00

2011 TWC Race #1 from Dave Byers on Vimeo.

Watch it full-screen and turn the music up!

2011 Togwotee Winter Classic, Race #1 Report

2011-01-11T13:50:00.005-07:00

Quick Stats:
5:28:00 Elapsed Time
34.5 miles
3,536’ of climbing
174 Max HR
153 Avg HR
21.8 MPH max speed
6.3 MPH average speed

Topofusion track file with speed shading. Blue is slow, yellow is 15+ mph

Given the talent who lined up for the 2011 TWC Race #1, I should have been more prepared for the pace at the start. A warm up of any sort would have been nice since the course climbs 1,000’ in the first hour of the race but I was also wearing the “organizer” hat on this day. At the sound of “Go”, the usual suspects were off like we were racing the 4th of July XC race at Targhee and I tried to match the pace, but I know better, and within 20 minutes I settled into my groove and watched the leaders go up the big climb and into the distance. I will continue to look for some fast-twitch muscles and a better VO2 Max on Ebay.

Fast forward two hours to the K Trail. The K Trail was uncharted waters for this race and added 10-miles to the traditional distance. As we all learned, the K Trail is an evil bitch. From a distance, she is beautiful. But she will lure you deep into her bedroom before revealing her true identity and then it is too late to turn back. Nobody wants to push their bike back up the initial descent of the K Trail and therefore, once you drop in, you are committed. Speaking of the initial K Trail descent, I Fred-Flinstoned my way down that thing with one leg sticking out as a rudder. As I pushed my bike through a sugary-soft section of the K Trail and realized it was snowing sideways I had a low moment. Did I bring enough stuff for an epic slog of this magnitude? How long will it take me to push my bike all the way back to Togwotee if it keeps snowing like this? Are my friends ever going to speak to me again after this? My “moment” was short-lived and I have been there before so I simply ate some chocolate, drank some Carbo Rocket, and slogged onward. Fortunately the squall only lasted a short time and the trail got markedly better as we descended into the river valley.

This was true snow bike racing. We had sections of firm & fast middle-ring riding, sections of soft, barely-rideable trails, and short sections of pushing our bikes. We also had temps in the 20s, clouds, snow, some wind, and a little sunshine during the course of the race.

I knew that my low “moment” had cost me some time but I had hoped that by staying on the gas up the final climb on the CD trail that I might catch my nemesis, “The” Dave Saurman. It was not to be. Dave finished 10 minutes in front of me after laying down a very solid race. And so the 2011 season begins…

I was trying to smile through my suffer-face near the finish

A few notes on gear:
My layers were perfect and by simply changing headwear throughout the race I remained comfortable

- Sugoi bib shorts
- Toko softshell pants
- Craft Pro Zero Extreme base layer
- RBH Designs NTS Vapor Barrier vest
- Cloudveil lightweight softshell
- Smartwool ski liner socks
- RBH Designs Vapor Barrier socks
- Bridgedale Summit Knee sock
- New Balance hiking shoe - 2 sizes bigger than my normal size
- Neos Navigator 5 Overboot XXL
- Various headwear throughout the race depending on the temps

Somebody got FAT over the Christmas Holiday

2011-01-07T10:43:00.008-07:00

And FAT is sexy baby!

Michelle's new 16" Aluminum FatBack

Build Highlights:
- 70mm Uma II Rims by Speedway Cycles
- 170mm Rear FatBack Hub by Hadley
- 135mm Front Fatback Hub by Hadley
- 100mm FatBack Crankset by E.Thirteen
- Steel Fatback Fork
- Sexy pink Ti pedals by Twenty6

The rear brake is tucked away nicely

Pink!

The bent top tube allows for plenty of standover

Clean cable routing

170mm rear spacing

2010 - A year in photos

2010-12-31T15:28:00.002-07:00

I am totally copying Lynda and posting my own "Year in Photos" from 2010. It was a great year of racing bikes and spending time with friends.

Snow Bike video from Christmas Day

2010-12-29T12:27:00.002-07:00

Christmas Day Snow Bike from Dave Byers on Vimeo.

Melissa, Jordan, and their two new Salsa Mukluks, joined Michelle and I on Christmas Day for a great snow bike ride on the snowmobile trail from Horseshoe to Packsaddle. Cold temps overnight left the trails firm and fun!

The Togwotee Winter Classic Race #1 is less than two weeks away!

2010-12-28T11:34:00.003-07:00

Check the Togwotee Winter Classic website for all of the details.

Be sure to email me to reserve your spot because this is shaping up to be the biggest TWC ever! And its FREE!

T-Minus 60 Days

2010-12-20T09:21:00.002-07:00

The 2011 24 Hours of Old Pueblo is only 60 days away and therefore Sunday, Dec 19th was one of those key training days that are “non-negotiable”. In other words, no matter what the weather does, I will ride. The last couple of years of focused training for endurance races have taught me that quality six hour rides at key times in the schedule are probably the most important thing I do training-wise. Sunday was one of those planned “quality” days.

As I watched the forecast leading up the weekend I knew that Sunday was going to be a test of my cycling resolve. Snow was in the forecast for Sat night through Sun and the little voice in the back of my head that says “let’s go skiing” was now yelling at me…so I ignored it and intentionally did not check the snow totals Sun morning while drinking my coffee. Mother Nature followed through and dumped fresh snow on the Tetons all day on Sunday but threw a nasty little curveball at me along the way. At hour 4.5 of 6, she decided to really test me and raised the temp to 35F. The big beautiful dry flakes that had been falling all day quickly turned to a slushy rain/snow mix and began to thoroughly soak me. Perfect. (Insert sarcasm here) I am becoming wise to Mother Nature’s tricks these days and had grabbed my Montbell rain shell on my way out the door and tucked it away in my frame bag just in case. Ha! Needless to say, it saved my ass.

Random Notes from the Ride
- 62 miles on snow-covered back roads in 6:03:00
- 1 bottle of Carbo Rocket 333
- Osprey Bladder filled with Kiwi Lime Carbo Rocket
- 800 calories of EFS Gel
- 1 of the Best Cookies in the Galaxy
- Handful of dark chocolate covered almonds
- A random mix of Metal, Hip-Hop, Techno, Grunge, and a dash of James Brown
- Zero moose sightings

Snow Biking Teton Valley Backroads

2010-12-14T16:57:00.003-07:00

Saturday was a planned long-ish ride so Michelle and I headed out on the snow bikes, rode together for a while, and then finished up our respective rides separately. I am still learning the Drift HD170 camera but it is fun to play with and see what comes out. I have a LOT to learn in Final Cut Express as well so bear with me on the editing.

Dec 11, 2010 Snow Bike from Dave Byers on Vimeo.

Fenders

2010-12-13T15:57:00.004-07:00

There are lots of backroads that stay frozen in Teton Valley but even at 20F, sunshine will melt out the pavement sections and create slush-soup. I was about to "MacGyver" an existing fender butI think I have found the solution to slushy pavement sections.

The Fatback might need a set of Woody's Custom Fenders.

Sure, snow biking is fun...

2010-12-07T07:48:00.003-07:00

...but a little variety never hurt anyone. Ha!

Teton Pass Dec 3rd from Dave Byers on Vimeo.

My first attempt at a ski video using the Drift Innovations HD170 camera mounted to my backpack's shoulder strap. The video was shot in 720p in wide angle (170*) format.

Cross Training

2010-12-06T08:15:00.006-07:00

The 24 Hours of Old Pueblo is squarely in my focus these days and I will ramp up my training time as we get closer to February. This past Saturday’s training day called for a 5 hour “adventure” at a moderate to hard effort. Given the snow that fell on Friday, a BIG ski day was in order and Mike Piker was willing to join me.

Quick Stats:
Climbing: 6,600'
Moving Time: 4:47:00
Total Time: 5:57:00
Calories consumed: Not nearly enough

Our plan was somewhat loose in that we would let the weather and snow conditions dictate where we went. The top of Teton Pass was unusually calm Saturday morning so a hike up the Glory bootpack was a great way to kick off the day. Mike summarized the Mt. Glory bootpack climb perfectly. “It is like a hard 45 minute interval, but with an awesome payoff.” I don’t have many Glory hikes under my belt yet so it was a nice change to stand on top in light winds. It seems as if every time I hike Glory the wind is absolutely nuking at the top. With such moderate weather and good snow we decided that a second Glory hike was in order so we grabbed some water at the truck and headed up for round two. The snow in the trees on Second Turn was delicious!

NOTE: I am always amazed at how much I sweat hiking up Glory. Within ten minutes of beginning the hike I am literally dripping sweat from my uncovered head all the way to the top.

Our two Glory/Second Turn runs ate up about 2.5 hours of moving time (I stopped my Garmin 310XT timer whenever we stopped) so I had some more work to do. I threw on the skins, grabbed some more calories, and headed south to Edelweiss with a loose plan of doing laps there for the remainder of the afternoon.

NOTE: It is more difficult to accumulate moving time when yo-yo’ing shorter ski runs. Peeling skins at the top and putting them back on at the bottom takes time.

Despite being late afternoon, there was plenty of untracked snow left in Edelweiss Bowl so I was content to make a couple of runs there and use the existing skin track for my trips back up. With each run down my legs were screaming a little louder and letting me know that they weren’t used to long ski days yet. I finished off the day with great run down The Nose and then skinned back up to the parking lot where just a few cars remained.

NOTE: Bringing dry clothes and hot tea for the drive home was a good call.

Overall, this was one of the harder efforts I have done in a while and I tried to keep the foot on the gas any time I was going uphill. I could have done a better job of eating and drinking and that is something I will have to get better at if I want to do any truly epic ski days.

TECH NOTE: The Garmin 310XT does a poor job capturing ski files. It works fine for running but struggles with the start/stop nature of backcountry skiing.

151-125-138

2010-11-29T20:19:00.002-07:00

Would these skis make my butt look big?

Voile Drifter Skis

Bam! - It's Snow Bike Season

2010-11-27T17:28:00.006-07:00

Michelle and I had visions of riding red dirt in St. George, UT over Thanksgiving but Mother Nature had other ideas and gave us icy roads & blowing snow. We decided to stay home and busted out the snow bikes instead (skis tomorrow). It only took one ride to get back in the groove and remember all the little tricks to stay comfy on the bike when its cold outside.

More snow began to fall this afternoon

Kenai loves snow biking!

It is very mid-winter-like for Thanksgiving weekend

The Osprey Hydraform Reservoir is working well so far this winter

Thursday's ride in single-digit temps shed light on a new piece of snow bike gear. I started using the Osprey Hydraulic Reservoirs this summer and really like them in my mountain bike packs so I thought I would try it out in the winter. No freezing yet...I am very excited and optimistic about this. Even when using all the known tricks, I still manage to freeze my Camelbak bladder at times.

Snowy Singletrack Adventure

2010-11-15T11:21:00.008-07:00

Astute readers will quickly realize that I chose the word “adventure” rather than "ride". There was a lot of excellent riding involved yesterday but there were also some hike-a-bike sections through 8” of snow on the higher reaches of our route. A little hike-a-bike was a small price to pay for the excellent frozen singletrack riding we enjoyed.

Three of the four amigos

I met up with Mike, Gabe, and Mark in Jackson and a few flakes were beginning to fall as we began our ride with temps in the low 30s. The temps dropped and snow fell steadily throughout the afternoon but the steady effort kept us warm. Tree covered sections of the Hagan and Ferrin’s trails had about an inch of snow on them and climbing traction with the studded tires was excellent. Once we got above 7,500’, anything exposed had too much snow to ride so we would “connect the dots” of rideable sections with short hike-a-bikes. Winter MTB shoes were an excellent accessory to have on this ride. I even broke out the Moose Mitts to ensure that my hands stayed toasty. The sections of trail with deeper snow begged for a true snow bike but the regular mountain bike was a blast on the singletrack in the trees. Note to self: Ripping snow covered singletrack is waaaay more fun than grinding out miles on frozen Teton Valley back roads.

My desire to ride is still much higher than my desire to ski. I am sure the ski stoke will kick in eventually but for now I want to be on the bike when I can and yesterday just fueled the bike stoke even more. With tonight’s forecast of more snow, the next ride may require much fatter tires.

Mike broke trail most of the day

Gabe and his questionable footwear choice

Moose Mitts, Lake Winter Shoes, and a rear fender...this was not my first rodeo

Near the end of the ride Gabe shared that pushing his bike through the snow is not his favorite passtime

We actually rode more than I thought we would. Good times!

The Cube Cyclocross, Race #2 this Saturday

2010-11-10T13:44:00.002-07:00

I am looking forward to another weekend of cross racing close to home this weekend. Race #2 of The Cube Cyclocross in Rexburg is this Saturday. Who is with me?

Fiddee Cent had a strong race last weekend

Some serious questions will be answered this Saturday:

- Can Dave Saurman still ride a bike after surfing in Mexico for the past week?
- Will Fitzy's early-season form continue?
- Will "Medium" embrocation be enough, or will it be a day for the "Madness"?
- Will Michelle make her cyclocross season debut?

Victor Velo is loaning the City of Rexburg some of our course supplies so look for the course to be "PRO" this weekend.

CX Racing in Rexburg

2010-11-08T14:48:00.003-07:00

“Holy shit, racing bicycles is fun” I say to myself as I look ahead at third place.
With two laps to go, I sit in fourth, on the wheel of third place, planning my attack.
And then I lose concentration in the singletrack, bobble a turn, and almost wreck.
The gap is now 25 yards.
Focus.
The off-camber grass suits me and I ride smooth, gaining on my nemesis.
I dig deeper to grab his wheel before we hit the pavement.
Stay focused through the singletrack this time.
We exit the singletrack wheel to wheel.
At the left-hander onto the grass, I make my move.
Attack the last barrier, don’t stutter-step the remount, pedal!
Don’t look back.
A glorious third place effort.

Let's Talk Tallboy

2010-11-04T07:45:00.009-06:00

My new Tallboy has seen action for about six weeks but since the weather has caved, and our singletrack season is over, I thought it would be a good time to post a short-term review.

The Specs
- Large Tallboy Frame with Fox RP23 shock
- Cane Creek 110 Mixed Taper headset
- Stans 355s laced to DT Swiss 240s by Mike C.
- Fox F29 100 FIT RLC w/15mm axle
- SRAM XX Drivetrain with 39/26 Front and 11/36 Rear
- Magura Marta SL brakes
- Thomson Masterpiece Seatpost
- Thomson X2 Stem
- Edge Mtn Riser Bar, 700mm wide, uncut
- Ergon GP1 Leichtbau Grips
- WTB Silverado Saddle (still not sure if this is my saddle Nirvana)
- Time Atac XS Ti Carbon pedals

The tires obviously affect the overall weight, but with semi-lightweight 600g tires my Tallboy weighs 24.3 lbs. This is a huge improvement over my 2008 Turner Sultan which was close to 27 lbs. Bikes like the Tallboy, the Trek Superfly 100, and the Specialized Epic 29er have made full-suspension 29ers a viable race option.

The Ride
I dig it. If I had to choose one word to describe the ride, it would be “snappy”. It rides with the kind of snappiness that will make it tough to choose the hardtail next season. Four inches of travel is perfect for endurance racing and definitely smoothes out the bumps nicely. This bike will take the edge off of trail sections like Tuffy’s Rim during the 12 Hours of Mesa Verde and the Bustle Creek descent at Pierre’s Hole. The wheelbase is a bit longer than my Air9 hardtail and tight switchbacks are a little trickier but the low BB helps. Speaking of low bottom brackets...

Shock Pressure & Pedal Strikes
A lower BB for better cornering was part of my criteria for a new bike. The claimed BB height on the Tallboy is 12.8” but a rider’s weight effectively lowers the BB by about half an inch once you factor in the sag. Too little PSI in the shock means too much sag, which results in a BB that is too low, which results in lot of pedal strikes. At first, I was running too little PSI and whacking my pedals on a lot of rocks. Five PSI either way changes the ride quite a bit on this bike. At 168 lbs (no gear), I am running 160 PSI in the shock with the ProPedal on 2 and that seems to be the best balance between a comfortable ride and a firm pedaling platform. The ProPedal helps the bike ride higher up in its travel and keeps the BB where it should be.

The Drivetrain
I was really enjoying the SRAM XX until I went for a ride in the Big Holes where I was missing my 22 x 34 option on the steepest climbs. I did several big rides in the Big Holes in October and at some point during each of those rides I was wishing I had another cog in the back. However, the Big Holes are a unique place in that the trails tend to go straight up and then straight down. If I decide to race the 100-mile version of Pierre’s Hole next summer I will definitely have a triple chainring on the front of the Tallboy because of the relentless Dry Creek climb. However, the 26 x 36 is plenty for the Cream Puff, Mesa Verde, and Old Pueblo.

I have to admit that I was expecting more out of SRAM XX. It is a nice drivetrain but my “old” 9-speed setup of XTR cranks, XTR front derailleur, XO gripshift, and XO rear derailleur shifted every bit as well. SRAM would score points with me if they would hurry up and release a 10-speed gripshift.

Miscellaneous
I am a BIG fan of the Shimano 15mm E-thru axle on 29” forks. I admit that I didn’t think it was necessary at first but now I am a believer. The steering is crisp and precise and the big fat quick release is genius because the axle tension is the same every time and makes wheel removal and installation a no-brainer.

15mm E-Thru System

If you plan on carrying a water bottle on your Tallboy, flip your shock around and buy a side-loader bottle cage. I was getting really frustrated by hitting the blue ProPedal lever with my water bottle every time I took a drink until I flipped the shock around. The Arundel “Other Side Loader” cage works very well and is easy to load without looking down.

Flip your shock to make room for a 24oz bottle

Santa Cruz nailed the geometry and the tire clearance with the Tallboy. A 2.25 Schwalbe Racing Ralph tire has plenty of room to spare. A pet peeve of mine is to see a sweet mountain bike with crappy rear tire clearance. The built-in chainstay protector and zerk fittings for greasing the BB pivots are nice touches as well.

Zerk fittings are below the BB

Santa Cruz uses a combination of an in-set top race with an external bottom race called a "mixed set" headset

11-36 in the back

Interesting Note: Santa Cruz specs the Q166 SRAM XX cranks but the Q156 clears the chainstays just fine

P.U.B. Expo at Snake River Brewing

2010-10-25T11:55:00.002-06:00

Snake River Brewing has a very cool event planned for this Wed, Oct 27th & Thurs, Oct 28th upstairs at the Brew Pub. The "Pretty Unique Bike Exposition" will display the valley's most unique bikes and each bike has its own story to tell. I can't wait to see which bike is "paired" with Zonker Stout. Yum!

Racing Mother Nature

2010-10-22T17:25:00.006-06:00

This has been the best Fall for mountain biking since I have lived in the Tetons but this weekend's forecast looks ominous. JayP, Hamilton, and I rallied to squeeze one more big ride in before we get shut out.

Looks like pretty good odds for snow on Sunday

Friday's Big Hole Crest Trail Adventure was a great season-ender...if in fact it does end up being the end of our mountain bike season. There are two key turns on the Crest Trail and missing either one will cost you some hike-a-bike. We went 1 for 2 today. Doh! Now I have those two sneaky turns on my GPS though. Ha!

Quick Stats:
43.7 Miles
4,650' Elevation Gain
4:29:57 Moving Time

Our ride began and ended at JayP's in Victor, ID

JayP and Hami at the top of South Fork of Horseshoe

Scary Tree

JayP flatted near the end of the ride. Most Big Hole group rides typically involve at least one flat

More BIG Adventure in the Big Holes

2010-10-17T08:36:00.005-06:00

The incredible weather we have had during the month of October has inspired me to leave the cross bike in the garage and bang out as many mountain bike rides as possible (8 rides in the last 8 days) before the snow flies.

Troy Olson shares my passion for fall riding and isn't scared of a little hike-a-bike so we planned to explore Calamity Creek and complete a missing piece of my Big Holes riding puzzle. I had heard good things about the Calamity Creek trail but due to its remoteness I had never ridden it.

Troy Olson on the sweet Calamity Creek singletrack

The South Canyon Creek descent is long, technical in places, and gorgeous

The route in TopoFusion

Quick Stats:
30.3 miles
5,890' of climbing
5:10:00 moving time
Multiple steep Hike-a-Bikes

The Route:
Park - South Fork of Horseshoe Trailhead
Climb South Fork of Horseshoe Trail (219) to Elk Flats
Take South Canyon Creek (226) downhill, continue past North Canyon Creek junction
Take Carrlton Cuttoff Trail north (you WILL hike your bike a bit)
Turn right at Calamity Creek (224), prepare to smile a lot
Turn right at North Canyon Creek (227)
Merge onto Relay Ridge Trail (225)
Turn left on (219) and ride South Fork of Horseshoe downhill back to trailhead

Trail Notes:
-The South Fork of Horseshoe goes up quickly, a warmup spin is advised.
-South Canyon Creek should ALWAYS be ridden as a descent, not a climb. I think it is the best descent in the Big Holes and keeps you honest with root drops, tight turns, and rideable creek crossings.
-Take a rag and chain lube. South Canyon Creek has many deep creek crossing, springs, and muddy sections.
-Carrlton Cuttoff is a solid hike-a-bike.
-Most of Calamity Creek (heading east) is sweet singletrack climbing at a reasonable grade. You will enjoy it unless you burned too many matches to get here.
-Packing iodine tablets and a first-aid kit is not a bad idea.
-Finishing the ride with a return trip down the South Fork of Horseshoe is greatness. For some variety, you could descend Long Ridge instead.

This ride proves yet again that rides in the Big Holes should not be measured by mileage. As I sit here sipping coffee, I am feeling the effects of yesterday's ride.

Blowing the needle off the Fall Fun Meter

2010-10-14T15:40:00.002-06:00

If Mother Nature keeps giving us sunshine and dry trails, I will do my best to ride the snot out of them until she decides to shut us down.

ROUTE: Home to Spooky to Big Hole Crest to Drake, down Drake (techy greatness) to home

Why have I never done this loop before today? Dumb. Ok, so there is some hike-a-bike involved but there is also some very sweet trail and the Drake Creek downhill is long and technical. Nice.

Quick Stats:
15.66 Miles
2,100' of climbing (with a little hiking thrown in to build character)
1:45:00 moving time (20' of this was on Pine Creek Pass pavement)