The Official Guide to the World between the Wheels

Still alive

Last weekend I took a litle time in the morning to have breakfast and ride with my good friend allieb. We hit up a small group "fun race" at North PArk where she meet some of my friends before we rode almost a complete outside loop of the PArk. This girl rocks and managed to get herself over most of the logs. Sunday I spent 4 hours on the road with Timmy before he convinced me to troubleshoot some wiring at his Estate. (how he got me to do this I don't know).
Training with Eatough Coaching is going well so far. Just when I thought it would take some of the fun out of riding i realized that it actually added a differant dimension to riding. Sure there are days i miss out on some social gathering rides but many days i have a particular goal and its something to accomplish and gives my riding some structure. I may have to get up at 5:30 a.m. on a saturday to get my scheduled ride in but after that nothing is stopping me from jumping on one of my other 12 bikes and lets say...cruising to watch some Bike Polo and then riding to a family picnic. Oh yea riding is still FUN first and so far i'm liking whats happening. Again i think the guy who has sacrificed the most is Timmy Lyons because he's always changimng his plans to fit my schedule. Thanks once again Timmy.
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How do i find them?

All i've i got to say is that i hope everyone out there reading this has friends like i do. Since hooking up with a coach my riding schedule has changed drastically and thankfully my riding bud has been very accommodating. Given the choice of riding solo or riding with someone Timmy has been kind enough to tailor some of his rides to fit my coaching schedule. What a great friend! We spent a beautiful sunday riding 3+ hours as I was told to do at a moderate pace. Sure he could have gone anywhere and ridden however he wanted but he decided to help me out and keep me in check during my ride. To that i must say Thanks.

*stork
<<<< timmy after a hammerfest in the woods!

Lonely Days ahead

Little by little the season has crept up on me. I seemed to have overlooked/ignored its coming and simply have kept riding as i wanted. This is not good for racing...but it has been great for for my overall well being. I love riding and the freedom that comes from being able to attend any ride any day that i choose has been great. Sadly I must now stop that. Recently I've decided to actually take training seriously. This is a major change for me especially since i've always said "I don't train, I simply ride!"
With this change comes the challenge to see what differences it will make and whether i can stick with the scheduled rides and training.
For the most part i have always been against the coaching/trainer thing because every individual i've known that had one always missed out on rides and events based on their "schedule" This seemed to go against the fact that i was doing this for FUN, which meant if you wanted to ride then go ride. Well I must go back on what i said and figured the best way to see what you get from a coach is to hire one and try it.
That leads me to this guy. He's been a friend for years and our paths cross yearly at events. Sitting around at the Mohican 100 a few weeks back we got to discussing how i ride and what little training i actually do & he along with another mutual friend Chris Beck thought they could get my wasted junk miles to become viable training miles. All in all making me a more efficient rider/racer and still keeping the enjoyment in it. This venture has so far been very exciting and i must admit that I'm stoked to see where this takes me. Having people like Chris & Chris guiding me can only make things better. Most likely you would have never read about me and a coaching service but given Chris's record and a showcase full of championships how could this possibly be bad??  The great thing about Eatough Coaching is that the man himself is guiding you not someone behind a computer who read a book and passed a test. This guy has has passed  a few tests...24 hour & 100 mile tests many many times!

Well stick with me this season to see just how this works out but remember that the coaching can do nothing if I don't follow their input and guidance. It's only as good as I make it, and i will only get out of it what i put in! I'm off to train!

*stork

The Race (Mohican 100K)

So the word is out that I won the 100K Mohican race this past weekend but not without a little controversy. So let me explain.....

Our race started in Loudenville around 7 and as always I came for a good time with little expectations or goals of placement. I simply wanted to finish this year without cramping which has happened to me the past 2 years. We immediately pegged the pace and for some reason I i felt good enough to maintain with the group pulling away but only for a short time before getting dropped and setting in on a comfortable pace. Riding in a small group through the single track another pittsburgh racer (Steve Cummings) came around me and turned the screws a little more. Smart racing has taught me not to worry but ride your pace in such a long race. This is what I did. I then rode many miles with my good friend (& local Mohican trial rider) Steve Twining. Letting him lead the way around the single track was a good option and pushing him on the climbs helped us both. I had a great time riding with Steve and we politely worked each other over a little with our strong points until hitting an aid station where Steve needed more time to refuel and I wanted to get back on course as a group rolled through. We said our goodbyes & good luck and parted ways.

 

I then worked to catch the group and managed to only get by a couple people before hitting the road sections. Turning up the heat and pushing the 44/11 i did reel the larger group ahead into sight but was never able to get close enough to catch a wheel. They would pull huge gaps on the flats and rollers while I would work & work by myself to keep them in my radar. A short time later we rolled through the 3rd aid station where the 100 mile & 100K split. I was told that i had been chiseling time off the gap to the group ahead while adding time to my pursuing counterparts. 15 some odd miles to go and only one other rider out front. I also knew his strong points were hills which followed but the ending of this years course was taking us back over a little more than 5 miles of the Mohican trail that we had started out on which left me feeling confident that I had a chance of catching him. Railing around and into the Campgrounds where the course then narrowed back into the single track i was feeling happy about the day on the bike and had yet to feel the slightest cramping (which was a major goal for me this year---no cramping). True to form I blissfully carved my way through the 5 mile loop of trail but never managed to ever see Steve who should have been out front. Thinking he must have really just kicked it up I rode my pace as normal and came across the finish smiling while assuming I had taken a solid 2nd place. I was very happy with this since I rode well, felt well and had fun.
Oh but wait...there sits Bob Myers immediately asking me what happened??
"What do you mean?" I asked.
Bob says "well 2 guys finished 20 mins ahead of you".
"Impossible!" i said.
I stated that they had to have skipped the Mohican trail because there was no way the lead guy put that much time on me in such a short distance and the other rider was more than several minutes behind me and another rider was between us. He had not passed me or the other guy. With some sorting out the promoter realized an aid station had set up in the wrong location and these two guys had in fact not ridden the 5 mile loop. Now Steve (who was actually leading) rode down the correct trail a little ways before turning around thinking it was wrong but the other guy had missed it all together. The promoter took some responsibility but had they read the course directions (a stack of them were printed off and sitting beside registration) they would have known we were to double back onto the starting single track. Also the rider following me and several others all made the correct turns without someone there to guide them. Both riders were disqualified. I do feel a bit "short changed" not having the chance to reel in the lead guy but this is how racing goes and i'm sure he feels the same not knowing if he would have maintained the lead or gotten chased down by me. Never the less I was the days winner and slow, steady & smart racing can win.
Thanks to all my supporters..Fisher, Bontrager, Deans Dairy, The Heart Center at Butler, Smart wool Socks, Trek of Pittsburgh, Boone Ti, Bob Myers & Jerry Bliton. I also want to add a thanks to Steve Twining for leading me through the single track so quickly.

*stork

Equipment used:

• 2009 Superfly
• Stork Fork (re-worked Fox G2)
• Bontrager XDX Tires
• Rhythm Comp 29er Wheelset
• FSA K-Force Light 44T/29T crank
• Time Pedals 
• ESI grips
• SRAM drivetrain and XO Twist Shifters
• Bontrager RXL Shoes
• Trek Circuit helmet (new in 2009)

Mohican 100 2009

Saturday found me at Mohican Forest racing the 100K (60 mile course). I really don't train for or feel like I'm an endurance racer/contender but I like this particular event because it brings together a group of friends that i rarely see especially all at once. This weekend usually offers me the opportunity to sit and talk with the top Pros from the Trek family which provides me with great insight on things like tire choices and nutrition tips. I got that chance again since I had dinner with Chris Eatough, Jeff Schaulk, Chris Beck, Bob Myers, Jerry Bliton and my riding bud TJ Platt. I also get to see many other people I've raced with over the years since the Mohican pulls in such a large group of racers. All in all its very enjoyable catching up with everyone.
Above is a photo of Michelle Johnson & Jeff Schaulk talking after the race. It shows just how great the Pro really are. He just hammmered out 100 miles yet he's discussing race situations and trail conditions with the local level crowd.
In addition to the Trek crowd I also got to catch up with Jeremiah Bishop who now races for Cannondale (and also won the Mohican 100 this year) and i saw Brandon Draugelis (riding bud at Blue Knob) who had a career highlight finish in the top 5!! Way to go Brandon!!
Well more to come later about the race and the day in the saddle......
*stork

Do we really need to know?

another clip from Geek and Poke

Holiday Wknd

It still seems like I'm always behind on posting & once i get to it the stories seem like old news. Well this past holiday weekend found me doing lots of riding and even downtown pittsburgh a few times. Friday - I meet up with Gray after her shift at the Shadyside Trek store and we rode to the south side for a little food before meeting up with Thomas for ice cream. I then left them at the ice cream shop and had a few other stops to make before returning home. I "heart" riding in the city at night!
Saturday - I slept in (much needed) and in the afternoon headed over to Vultures Knob for a small cross country race. I saw lots of friends there and it was well worth the drive over. I've been needing to get my "race legs" and this was a start. I felt horrible for the beginning but eventually started to feel better (not great but better). I did get crashed out in a turn but managed to get back up and continue. Hopefully this is not a sign of the summer racing season for me! Taking the top spot (Vet Open) was a bonus and wasn't expected at all. Since the venue is under new direction and building lots of great trails I returned my winnings for funding of future projects. (get a little..give a little)
Sunday - i awoke early and drove with my Mom up to Corsica (near Cooks Forest) where my Dad has a camp. Drank some coffee with the family and then headed out for a 3 hour ride around Clarion, Cooks Forest, Segal & Corsica. What a beautiful day...and it was so nice after finishing up the road ride I changed into some fresh clothes and hit the mtb trail at Bear Town Rocks for another 15 miles of pedaling. It was slow but enjoyable!
Monday - I ended up at the ShadySide Store working on MJ (Michelles) bike which she thought needed a cassette. Once started on it I saw the need for a new tire and a new derailleur. All because of her poor maintenance program. Chris (shop mech) and I fixed it up then ganged up on her about cleaning stuff instead of replacing parts! I think it may have actually sunk in this time (after 5 years!!!!). Her & I then took an urban ride to the South Side for dinner and a trip to REI. Returning to ShadySide we stopped for ice cream before calling it a day. I had a good time spending the afternoon with her and only hope we got thru to her on the cleaning thing! ;-)
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Full report (29.3 Team Issue Tires)

here it is....the full report on the new Bontrager 29.3 tires I've been testing out.

*stork

Demo Day Rides

After my morning ride I hung out at the Demo site catching up with everyone and Timmy rolled in ready & eager to rip up the trails. We invited (or actually got invited by) Brian DelVecchio to get a first hand tour of a few "unknown" trails (unknown to us). In retaliation we offered to show him a few "rouge" trails that we knew of. I would have pictures but at Brians request I was instructed to delete all photos of him. He wanted no incriminating evidence of him riding rouge trails in the park especially since he's the official Trail Stewart there. Never the less let me tell you he was riding them. Although he claims to be riding them to review and report on their status. Whatever..... he was enjoying all of them!

Moving on I also got another ride in later after the Demo Tour cleaned up.This time Don, Michelle, Dave O'Connell and Chris Garrison all made the ride. We had a really good time for almost an hour of riding. Chris & Michelle decided to "trademark" a gesture for people answering their cell phones during a ride because Don did so. Just as the two of them were laughing and making fun of doing this Chris's phone actually rings! We did not go easy on her especially since she actually pulled it out and answered it "this is reeeeaaaly not a good time", she said into the phone and immediately hung up.
The trails were still really dry and our group had a good time. It was nice actually getting to ride with Dave & Chris for once. Mostly I only get to help them around the Demo trailer.  Add to the mix Don & Michelle and it was very pleasant.

*stork

--Disclaimer: no illegal trails were actually ridden by the groups I rode with.

First rides

Before Sunday mornings Demo I took Gray out for her first mountain bike ride. Thanks to Brandon at the Robinson shop for setting up my Paragon from last year for her. He trimmed it out with white cables and some XO trigger shifters, adjusted the saddle and the fork & installed a new chain. Nice job Brandon.
I picked her up early and we rolled over to the park. She did really well & i was very impressed with her agility through some of the tougher sections. I never saw her walk a section which says quit a bit! I then made the mistake of taking her out a little to long for her first mtb ride and one wrong turn down a steep off camber may have just been enough to snuff out the flame I had tried so hard to light! I'm now not very sure I'll get her back out on the fat tyres anytime soon. (Hey I never claimed to be a smart guy!) A ride that had started with a smile and laughing ended in a slight frown and a few sore body parts. Never the less I should have kept it shorter and easier but i can't go back now. Hopefully she'll forgive and forget and the small flame for mtb riding will still be burning enough to get her back out there. 
Anyway in the meantime I'll stick to the road with her more than the dirt untill she's ready to try it again. That is if she's still talking to me.........Gray are you out there???? Gray??

*stork