A Real MTB Race - WORS #11 Bear Paw

I'm not sure why but when it rains and gets muddy people tend to call it a "Real MTB Race."  In my opinion anytime your on knobby tires hitting dirt, rocks, roots, and single track it's a "Real" MTB race rain or sun, but I do see their view of yesterdays race.  I left the UP in the morning deciding to skip the day's before pre-ride.  We left a sunny morning behind and as soon as we hit Wisco the rain started and never really stopped.  As I dressed it was a small drizzle but just before the start the rain increased and only got worse as the race went on.

I consider myself a fairly prepared person.  I travel with extra gear and tools that a bike or rider may need during a weekend.  I always travel with 2-3 sets of tires and I was sure glad I traveled with my Mud tires yesterday.  An hour before the race as the rain increased I told my dad we need to change to a mud tire.  The sport and citizen riders were coming in caked in mud.  Not just a film but an inch think.  We mounted up a pair of Bontrager MudX and I was extremely happy how they mounted so easy.  This last hour choice was the difference in my race.

I mentioned I come pretty prepared but I did forget one thing yesterday and that was my supply of Power Shots and electrolytes.  Come to find out I wasn't the only one and Big D and Krayer form 212 did also so we went to the one guy that we knew could hook us up.  We hunted down Power Bars Nathan Guerra and we dug into his stash of Power Shots like kids on Halloween.  This would have been a site for Power Bar, a bunch of Elite riders hoarding their shots.  Thank you Nathan.

The start hits a corner right away and a deaf dog could of heard us coming around it as the breaks squealed from the rain that drenched our equipment.  To the 4 step climb Nathan, Cole, and Eppen got a small gap.  Big D and I were close behind.  Right before the first single track we almost connected but exiting they had lengthened their lead.  It was me and Darrin and I figured we could work to possibly bring them back especially in the conditions when a rider can go down at any time.  But their was no working together as the rider behind didn't dare draft because he would be sprayed with a never ending rooster tail of mud.  As we started more single track I was actually surprised at the speed we were able to go and I was happy with the pace Darrin was riding, he was moving well in the mud.  Then the hills started and his rear tire was sliding back and forth and this is when I noticed that the MudX had a huge advantage.  As he spun out I dug in.  At the top of the climb he dismounted and I continued to ride.  The more I cornered on the MudX's the more confidence I gained and before I knew it I was riding alone.  Nearing the end of the first lap I was gaining on a rider and to my surprise it was Nathan.  He was experiencing the same problems as the others and could not keep his tires stable.  I followed him and was amazed at his skill with no tread has he drifted the corners and managed to keep control and at the same time noticed as he drifted I dug in.  Starting the 2nd lap he made me work hard on the two track.  When his tread was clear he was riding strong and fast but it was a repeat of the 1st lap, we starting the climbs and I was able to dig in and got away during his dismount.  At the end of the 2nd lap I noticed Eppen and I now figured I could battle for 2nd.  I rode a really smooth and good 3rd lap but he point time on me. Nearing the end of the 3rd I thought I heard specators talking about laps.  Come to find out they were telling me it was the last lap.  At the lap intersections the officials pulled us off a lap early and I rolled in 3rd place.  I would have been alright doing another lap but I can see why they pulled us as the conditions were getting worse by the minute. 

My highest and strongest Elite WORS finish.  Ironically it came on a course that took some skill because of the mud and I'm not very skilled compared to the other top riders.  This was a very proud moment for me.  It was a season goal of mine to get on the top 5 steps of the podium this year.  It was all made better by the congratulations of the other riders especially the 212 guys.  They made me feel so good about it and I can't thank them enough for making it special for me.  It was also special to share it with my parents as they were 2 of the few fans that stood on the course the whole time as it down poured.

Here is the inteview after the race.  Claire gave me a warm rag to clean up with and you can see in the video I kept using it to keep from shivering.  Thank you Claire for the interview and especially the rag.

Cyclocross Opener - Shermancross

I built up my CX bike this past week which happened to be my first complete bike build.  With the help of Quick Stop Bike on a few things I did everything else including build a wheel.  A bike has a lot of moving parts and it's nice to know a bit about them since I ride them everyday.

My CX bike is a Felt F15X.  It is a aluminum frame with a carbon seat stay.  Here is what makes up my bike this year:

• Fork: Easton EC70X
• Wheel: Felt RXR2
• Tires: F: Maxxis Mud Wrastler R: Maxxis Raze
• Bars: Deda Newton
• Stem: Bontrager RXL
• Shifters/Levers: Shimano Dura Ace
• Crank: Sram Force
• Seat: Bontrager Evoke 3

The bike comes in at 18 lbs.  Not the lightest of CX bikes but I love the setup and feel.  

Since I built it up I figured I better race it.  I was excited for the start of the CX season and this year it was starting with a new race in Houghton called Shermancross.  It was under the lights and one of the best CX courses I have ever done.  It was set up as a traditional cross course with open sections all the time, grass, pavement, off camber, dirt, run ups, barriers, 180's, and required a full on pedaling all the time.  Better yet, under the lights of Sherman Field.  

This was a different year but same story.  What do I mean by that.  It was the Tyler two punch.  Last year Tyler Jenema (Mafia Racing) and I had some good battles up front in the UPCross series.  He's an awesome CX rider and has amazing barrier skill and has the ability to stay hard on the pedals all the time.  This ability makes for a hard cross race and I can always expect it to be a true race.  It's one thing I really enjoy about CX, the constant battle of competition.

Tyler J. got the hole shot and created a line instantly.  This was good enough to stretch 4 of us on on the first lap.  I noticed Tyler J. and I had a small gap up the back side so I added an attack to lengthen it.  This repeated for 3 laps.  Tyler J. would pull on the flats and I attacked the up hill.  3 laps in we had our break.  There on forward we shared the work and always kept the pressure on with exception to the pavement track section where we would recover a bit with a lead.  The course had a run up section and I noticed Tyler J. was riding it every time whereas I had run it and would create small gap afterwards.  He then created another small gap over the next barrier.  I took note of this and made sure I was positioned well in the last laps.  2 laps to go after the run up I was attempting to close and I washed out on rocks.  He noticed and took advantage.  I worked hard to bridge and finally closed it going up the back side.  I sat in on the track trying to recover for the last lap which I knew was going to turn into a sprint.  We slowed up on the last lap waiting for each other to make a move.  Just after the back side hill I attacked before a 180 and barrier.  This allowed me to come into the last 100m on front and I was able to hold him off with a sprint.  An perfect way to start out the season, a good battle and a win.  

This is a race that deserves big attendance.  I hope the word spreads for next year and this becomes a traditional start to the UP CX season.

The first CX race is always a shock to the body.  I took a rest week prior to the race and it felt good to open it up again except for these damn Hip Flexors that took a beating on he dismounts.  I feel rested and ready to finish out the season.                  

CX Season

With the near freezing temps this morning and the first CX race this weekend I feel its appropriate to post a picture of my almost finished cyclocross bike.  I am choosing to ride the Felt F15X.  My sponsor Quick Stop Bike will have the rest of the product today.  I'll have more detailed component listing when its finished.

Packer Game and WORS Treadfast

My weekend started early with a trip to the Packer game on Thursday afternoon.  A couple weeks ago my dad offered to take me and my brothers to the home opener.  I knew this was going to be an awesome game to go to but it turned out to the best atmosphere/football game I've ever been to.  The concert had shoulder to shoulder crowds in the parking lot to watch Maroon 5, Kid Rock, and Lady Antebelom.  The stadium had defining screams from ready for football fans.  And a last second win by the Packers and a banner unveiling to top off the experience.  It is hard to explain in words the excitement and atmosphere that was  in that stadium from start to finish.  It was electric.  Out of all my experiences the 4 jet fly over topped it all.  I happened to catch most of it on video, which does not do it justice, but I had to cut it off early because I couldn't help but take part in the craziness around me.  The jets rumbled the stadium and created a scream from the crowd no touchdown or play could ever duplicate.

This video is us impatiently waiting for the fly over.  Turn your volume up for the end of the video to hear the jets.

 

After the Packer game, instead of driving back up North 3 hours and then coming back down Saturday I decided to stay in GB and continue onto Lake Geneva early to save 6 hours of driving.

We arrived fairly early on Thursday and my parents and I discovered downtown Lake Geneva.  We had no idea such a beautiful place existed.  Last year I went to the resort, raced, and drove home.  I never got to experience all of Geneva.  This year we stayed right on the water and we loved every minute of it.

On to the race.  I was excited to race but I wasn't sure how it was going to go.  I think I was excited because the course is quite enjoyable but I was more so because I had planned rest week that started immediately after the race.  It has been quite awhile since I've taken an extended break and I was mentally ready but more physically overdue.  So that left me doubt in the legs but I was still excited.

At the top of the first climb.

The legs didn't feel all that bad up the first climb but they got to me a bit on the 2nd.  On the 3rd climb, which comes in the first 3 min of the race, I didn't quite have what it took to match the attacks of Guerra and House.  Knowing the difficulty of the day to come I quickly put it back to a pace I could handle which happened to be right behind big "D" in the 3rd group.  After time to settle I noticed that the legs were responding fairly well and better yet they were climbing with power.  The single track was a bit tough for me but I found myself bringing back any time on the climbs which this course offers it's fair share.  On the start of the 2nd lap I was alone with Shriver.  He was riding well and I stuck a wheel until he slowly pulled away and I decided to go back to my pace.  I kept a small 10-15 gap on Darrin and by the end of the 2nd lap he had pulled me in on the more technical of the single track.  This ended being the best thing that happened to me that day.  Up to that point I was on my own and struggling to stay calm in the single track which was costing me time.  He caught me and encouraged me to stay calm.  On the start of the 3rd lap I rode my pace up the 3 climbs but slowed at the top of the "Cap" as I knew his presence in the single track would only help me stay smooth.  I gave him the lead and he was my lead wheel for most of the 3rd lap.  He gaped me several times on the more technical stuff but I was always able to bring in back on the incline.  I owe him a huge thanks as he kept me smooth and calm through the 3rd lap allowing us to put a bit more time on the chasers.  Thanks big "D".  The final lap he gave me some confidence to keep climbing strong and I rode the last lap by myself.  Following his wheel the prior lap allowed me to use a lot of the same lines and stay calm.  I rode in solo for 8th place.

It's becoming a common theme to say this but again, the field was strong.  N. Guerra won by 3 minutes! over 2nd place which happened to be Cole House who won the race before.

Full Results

Copper Harbor

This is a race I have skipped over the past couple years.  I have used the long Labor Day weekend as a rest weekend to make a final run to the end of the season.  I had the same plan this year but Chris P. begged and pleaded that I go.  (Ok, he didn't beg he just asked (: )  So I gave in on Sunday morning and decided to make the drive up.  I really didn't feel like doing a training ride by myself and figured that the race would be a good way to get a training day in with a bunch of cool bikers ;)

My brother Zach was nice enough to make the trip up with me.  We got a late start and didn't show up until 1:05.  That is 5 minutes after registration had closed and 55 minutes before the race.  They let me register and by the time I got ready it left me enough time for a 8:30 min warm up in.  I wasn't too panicked about the short warm up as the Fat Tire is one of the few races with a roll out giving the legs at least a minute or two more.

The course was a bit different this year and started going up the pavement of Brockway Mtn.  A 2 mile climb with gradients up to 20%.  The reward was going downhill on the flow trail for over 10 minutes.  Ben K. wanted nothing to do with a tempo pace up the climb and he had a large gap at the top as us others paced ourselves up.  At the start of the next climb a course marshal had told us he had a 1 minute gap already.  Knowing it was over a 2 hour race no one in the group of Chris P., Brian M., Todd M. and myself felt like chasing quite yet.  Not too long after we passed Ben K. looking up from a ditch.  He had an unfortunate crash which knocked him out of the race.  It now stayed the 4 of us for awhile as we worked a good pace up hill and cruised the downhills.  It was common to hear a sarcastic voice, "That was no fun!" as we finished the downhills expressing how much fun we were having ripping downhill.  On the way back up to the Mtn. Lodge the 2nd time we had me, Brian, and Chris.  Starting downhill on the red trail to the finish we met a lot of lapped riders but we were still able to keep a decent clip.  On the last section of grassy downhill Chris P. opened it up and Brian followed.  On my hardtail I was reluctant to keep the same speed and figured I could catch them on the upcoming pavement.  When we reached the pavement they both had a 15 ft. or so gap.  Chris looked back and that was my "Oh Shit" moment.  I knew they were taking off.  They took off and I chased as hard as I could but they were sharing the load up front.  To my surprise the finish was just around the corner and I rolled in 9 seconds back for 3rd overall.

I was really happy I went and had a lot of fun on the trails.  Chris P. pulled off the win and he deserved it as he acted as our trail guide for a majority of the race.  Thanks Chris.