Learning to ride...

In 1990, I had the opportunity to work with a few (ok, 4) juniors who wanted to be part of the Pinnacle team in Los Gatos. Two of those kids grew up to be great racers and are still racing today.

In 1998, I took a job at Union Hill School that is literally sandwiched between the two parts of Empire Mine State Park (which is full of trails). At that time, I started the Union Hill Mountain Bike Club (UHMBC). Several of the students who have come through our program have become top-notch racers: Chris Thibodeau, a Super-D national champion; Dezmin Wilder, one of the top 24-hour racers in the country; and several others racing for colleges across the United States. But, I think my biggest accomplishment continues to be my success in getting kids excited to ride bikes. We have a great time riding the trails, greeting hikers and horseback riders, and talking about and practicing riding skills.

However, my experience this past Tuesday was a first for me. An 8th grade boy (14 years old) approached me last Thursday after class. He was visibly nervous.

"Mr. Ross?" pause..."I was wondering if ... I know this is going to sound silly ... I was wondering if you would help me learn how to ride my bike?"

Now, I have had several students want to learn how to mountain bike, but his demeanor was such that I asked if he meant off-road or from scratch. He explained that he used to ride with training wheels, but as he got older he was embarrassed and stopped riding all-together. Several years ago, he received a mountain bike for Christmas, and several people along the way said they would help him learn to ride ... it just never worked out. So, we set aside the next Tuesday afternoon to begin the process.

On Monday, he expressed that he was very nervous, and on Tuesday, he was doubly so. During class, whenever the other students were busy doing something else, he would come over and say, "I am so nervous Mr Ross. Do you think it will be tough? Do you think I can learn to ride?" I simply replied that we would give it a shot and with good balance, he should learn rather quickly. His mother brought in the bike, which had the original tags and the funky sign thingy in the spokes. It had been sitting so long, that the cables would not shift and several of the bolts were showing rust. The rims were out of true and the brakes were rubbing as well.

But, nevertheless, we met after school and headed out to the flattest section of blacktop we have, complete with basketball poles that provide great obstacles, or targets ... however you look at them.

After getting the helmet set and giving him some initial instruction (brake use, leaning and turning the wheel, putting feet down if starting to fall), I taught him how to get on the bike without falling over. We were at the top of the blacktop heading down a slight decline...perfect for working on straight line balance. I gave the word and he rolled forward getting his straight-line balance fairly quickly as his speed increased. I had him grab the brakes and he lurched to a a stop. I was about to tell him what "feathering" the brakes meant, when he started in:

"No way!! I did it!! No Way!! No Way!!"

Me: "Easy there, turbo! That was really good but we have to work on turning the bike now."

We then worked on leaning and turning the bike, then focusing on where he wanted to go (not into the poles) and turning his head, and finally starting with the comfy pedal forward. Within 20 minutes he was riding on his own around the whole playground.

Remember, this is a 14 year old. While riding ..."Mr. Ross! I am doing it! I am riding! Wow, I can't believe it! Was it that easy all along?! Look! I am riding! Wow! I can see why people enjoy this so much ... why you enjoy this so much!"

That last sentence really got me. I do love riding, and I love sharing that with anyone I can. It is rare, however, to connect with a student on such a level. Asking me to teach him and riding around on our campus in front of other people was a huge risk for him, a risk that led to an indescribable sense of accomplishment. That student will forever remember the person who taught him how to ride a bike -- a teacher who gave just a little extra time that may equate to a lifetime of joy on two wheels. And for me, it reminded me of the joy my bike brings. Amazed and humbled, I went home and rode ... cherishing every pedal stroke.

Cheers,

Chuck

Ashland Super-D...

Wow, what a time it has been this last month. After the Tour of Cali, things really went crazy with the end of school...we are a 2 teacher household, so the end of school is like tax season for a CPA.

In there were a couple of epic rides, however. One was the 50-mile endurance ride that benefited Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Nevada County. We ended up raising about $8,000 and got to ride Pioneer trail and the South Yuba trail almost in their entirety. The next ride was a 40+ miler on the North Yuba Trail, leading to Downieville and eventually up most of 3rd divide, only to turn around and head back...beautiful epic ride for sure.

Then, there was this past weekend in Ashland for one awesome Super-D. 12 miles of speed on a fast fun course. It started Friday afternoon...after setting up camp, my wife drove me to the top of the mountain for a practice run. It was a bit chilly and I heard reports that it was snowing at the top the day before. Armed with my helmet cam, I started onto the course. The first section of fireroad was really fast with some water bars built in just to keep you on your toes. After a hard left, the trail went into a straight wide singletrack that was a bit loose and rocky at times. Then, after a hard right, things got a little more twisty. A small rock drop between a couple of trees dumped you into the start of the major uphill of the race...a half mile (or so) of consistent hard climbing. I suppose if you shoved it in the granny gear, it would be much more friendly, but at a fast pace it was painful! On top of that, the next section was rolling and still required you to be on the gas. Then on to another fast twisty fireroad that dumped you onto "Catwalk"...a really windy singletrack with a lot of jumps and switchbacks. The latter part of the trail reminded me a lot of 3rd divide in D-ville. After that, more singetrack lead you to BTI, which was downright scary the first time down. It consisted of bermed corners and switchbacks with water bars (shaped into doubles) all the way down. Add to that a ton of braking bumps and you have the perfect end to a not-to technical, very fun, very pedally super-D.

That night, Chris T. and I went over the video. My race date had changed to Saturday, so one run was probably the best I could squeeze in. The video helped, but nothing can do that course justice like riding it....several times. I headed down to bike shop to pick up my packet and start time at 10:30, and they told me that my packet was at the top of the mountain ...for another 30 minutes only! Oh, Crap! We hopped back in the car and I did my best impression of Dale Earnhardt Jr. on the way up. Made it with a couple minutes to spare. Then, down the hill again to get my race gear from the campsite, then back up to the start. My wife is a very patient woman, for sure. I got ready for my start at 1:29.

I guess it is here where I note that I have only ever done one other super-d...the state champs last year. And, this was, well, a bit different. My heart-rate jumped to 130 on the line (wasn't sure if I should have worn the thing at that point) and I was off, sprinting down the first fireroad. Before going any further, I need to mention that I now know why they make bikes with 5 or more inches of travel. My Blur LTc with my 150mm fox fork was SO comfy at speed. My 2.4 Mutano Raptors (btw, if you are looking for a great D-ville tire, look no further) were ready to take on more than I could dish out...the first hard left made me realize that. I scrubbed way too much speed. After getting going again, it was pure fun, hard right and punching it. Then the climb...I locked out the fork and flipped my rear shock to pro-pedal, off I went. 180, 181, 182...my heart-rate was way up there and my legs were burning, but I saw the person just up the trail that started before me by a minute...the chase was on. I tried to stand, but my legs, lungs, and heart let me know that that would not be tolerated, so back down I went. I passed my minute-man about 100 yards before the top.

At the top my legs felt really heavy, but I pushed on through the next rolling section determined to keep my minute-man behind me. In the process, I caught my 2-minute-man, so i was gaining confidence. "Keep it smooth" I kept saying to myself. The next section of fireroad was amazing and fast...I was spun out the entire time which was good. Then on to catwalk...the trail that I felt so inept on the day before. I tried to keep it smooth and roll through all of the corners fast, but I know I lost time there. Still, it was a blast, being the most like 3rd divide of all of the trails.

My one major mistake on the whole course came at the beginning of BTI. The trail was open and fairly straight and I think I was doing close to 35 or so when I shot straight onto a single track uphill. I realized after about 50 yards that I was on the wrong trail!! There were no markings anywhere, but the main trail was below me...so straight down the hill I went. Crap!!! The rest of BTI was much smoother than the day before and I even jumped several of the small doubles. The finish was rather anticlimactic, and I knew I was around 39 minutes with my time. The winning times from last year were around 38 minutes, so I had prepared myself mentally for not taking home the gold. The winning time in the class younger than me was 37 flat! Wow. I learned later that I had beat second place by about 10 seconds. I am so lucky. I also learned that the times were about a minute slower this year due to a different finish. Cool. I can live with that. : )

Weir won the whole thing and Jason Moeschler got second a mere 1 second behind. Kudos to those guys. To top off the whole weekend. I got to do a group ride with about 25 people including Jason, Mark, and Adam Craig. Matt Wittler showed us some amazing trails just North of Ashland...the final one being a roller coaster of single-track that I am still smiling from. Thanks Matt!

A great weekend. Now, on to Downieville!

Cheers,

Chuck

I'm in love...

I am just coming down off my cyclist's high from the weekend here in Nevada County. Anyone else feeling this way? First of all, kudos to all that helped put on one of the numerous bike events this weekend. Of course the Tour was a huge deal, but our county was brimming over with cyclists, both road and mountain.

A couple of weeks ago, I decided to forego the Ashland Spring Thaw in favor of doing the local Loma Rica race to help benefit YBONC. Let me put it this way...it is like Pittsburgh Mine road (steep), an NID ditch (smooth), and a dual slalom course had some bizarre love triangle and VOILA!, the Loma Rica course was born.

The course goes something like this...flat start, right turn (ball bearing rocks) onto first climb (a little choppy and fairly steep ≈15%), twisty turny banked fun single-track downhill, slight climb, twisty turny fun single-track through the trees, longer very steep climb (up to 36% I've heard), NID ditch, twisty turny banked kinda-technical fun single-track through the trees, onto the old horse track, past the ranch, and back to the start-finish...yeah baby! Holy-pick-the-bugs-and-dirt-outa-my-teeth Batman! 5 miles of pure pain/fun. It is one of those courses that your heart-rate never comes down because you pedal out of each corner...gotta go fast. ;)

The race went something like this...start, right turn into climb 1, Alex Smith (cat 1) and Katerina Nash (uber-amazing World Cup Pro woman) go flying by me on the first climb. I close the gap on the downhill, but they still pull away. Then Chris Convis (one of my former Union Hill mountain bike club members) passes me on the long steep climb..."cotton pickin whipper snapper"! But then I close the gap on the downhill and he crashes in front of me and I pass..."oh, I guess he is a good kid after all". By that time, I had had so much fun on the downhill, that all I wanted to do was get to the top again! The rest of the race saw no more passes for me...Katerina and Alex slowly put time on me each lap, but I was ok with that.

The bottom line was this, I felt ok, won my class, and had so much fricken fun! So much fun, in fact, that I talked Chris Thibodeau into riding the course a couple more times with me after the race. Then I put in another hour spinning on the way home. All in all, about 41/2 hours worth...beautiful.

I see a long and loving relationship with them thar trails. ; )

Cheers,

Chuck

Shasta Lemurian...

9:45 pm - set the alarm for 4:45am in order to leave by 5, in order to get to Whiskeytown by 8, in order to start at 9am.

3:45am - woke up and couldn't go back to sleep...off I went! Out the door by 4:45 with my oatmeal on the passenger seat (which I ate while filling up with gas). Driving at that time is so surreal...no other cars. Thank goodness I don't get sleepy driving before races...the way home is another matter, however.

The thing is, Shasta Lemurian is a REAL mountain bike race. It takes you up two good sized climbs and down several technical, rocky, rutty, twisty, steep sections...pure bliss. Well, the last climb isn't so much, but once at the top, the "couch" downhill is your reward. : ) That is worth being a bit tired.

It was a bit chilly (very windy) at the start, but I ditched the arm and leg warmers knowing that it was going to be around 80 degrees...which, btw, I am ready for here...done with the rain...want sunshine and warm, even hot temps. The race warmed me up quickly, however, as I tried to move up in the pack before the trail started.

My legs felt good, but not good enough to keep up with Rich Thurman, a guy who races Cat 1 at races like Sea Otter, but pro at smaller races. I really wanted to keep him in sight, but wanted even more to not have a cramping and bonking repeat of last week at Sea Otter. He owns this course, so I just let him and a bunch of pros ride away and kept my HR under 175...smart in retrospect. A lot of people passed me, but I passed them back on the first sketchy fire-road downhill...scary (ball bearing type rocks over dirt). Then, the first big climb started...a grunt of about 1200 feet. The best part of it is the downhill on the other side, and I had way too much fun, passing the small group that went by me on the climb.

There are several creek crossings, and they were all running full and cold, with the snowmelt from the peaks above. I found myself with numb feet on several occasions during the race. But the hard parts are the entry and exit to each of the crossings...very rocky and choppy as you enter, and mostly hike-a-bike afterwards.

The second never-ending climb goes up a total of about 1500 feet, and I felt pretty good, but lacked the pop I have felt at different times. I did catch up with my buddy Kenny Burt (on a hardtail...what a stud). The last downhill section is called the "couch" and is knarly with very deep ruts and some small drops. I again had a lot of fun, fully enjoying my Blur LT. I found myself smiling on one of the last little uphills of the day. This race is so hard, but so fun!

I ended the race with a time of 2:22, about 4 minutes faster than my fastest time here and won my class. I kinda feel like I got second, since Rich beat my by 6 minutes. But, the race was more about having a great time than anything. The organizers have it together...enough bathrooms, a great registration system, killer technical Tees, a great, well-marked course, burritos after the race, quick results...truly awesome. Thanks to all who volunteered and put on this race!!!

Cheers,
Chuck

Sea otter...day 2

Saturday was another beautiful day at Sea Otter. My wife and I decided to spend the day cruising the booths and checking in with people. We (and by we I mean I) also wanted to watch the pump track competition, the short-track (featuring Jason Moeschler and Nate Byrom), some trials riding by Ryan Leach, and the Dual Slalom.

After checking out the booths for a while I went by the WTB booth to hang out for a while. Jason was helping people out, but was gearing up for his short-track race. Weir was there being interviewed and I got to catch up with Kenny Burt, a long time buddy of mine. We kicked back in the shade a bit in the tent (I felt like I was one of the cool kids : ), then decided to get some lunch.

Next, I caught up with Kervin from Rotor. I was in dire need of some nice cranks before Otter and he helped me out immensely. The 3D cranks are aluminum, really light, and very stiff. Frankly, I was concerned with my carbon cranks getting slammed by rocks on trails like D-ville. If you are in the market, give the 3Ds a shot. They worked flawlessly.

On the way to the Santa Cruz tent, we watched the pump-track finals. How cool!! These guys were pumping through rollers, the berms, and when they had enough speed, were jumping from berm to berm. Sick!! Having never seen a pump track competition before, I was amazed...they made it look so easy. Of course, it makes you want to build a pump track in whatever yard you have after seeing that...wonder what my wife would think?

On to Santa Cruz. I think it is pretty obvious that Santa Cruz is on a roll right now. They worked on improving their suspension designs for a long time, and stuck with aluminum. Then, when the time was right (I am sure there is more to it than that) they designed a carbon blur xc. Then the carbon LT, and now the Nomad! The Carbon Nomad is completely bitchin if you have not seen it. I am very impressed with the attention to detail that Santa Cruz has shown in their recent bikes. I waited a bit to talk to one of the busiest guys at Sea Otter, Mike Ferrentino. It is always good to catch up with Mike...who wouldn't want to talk to a celebrity! : )

On the way to the Short-track (and on the other side of the mountain bike spectrum from Santa Cruz and WTB) we stopped briefly to talk with Scott Tedro and Ty Kady of Sho-AIr fame. It was great seeing them, as they hang out in SoCal and I am a NorCal boy. Ty is rippin it up after taking some time off and talked of training 8 hours a week...hmmmmm...maybe I have this all wrong. Perhaps less hours is what I need to do. I am sure my wife would be happy. Scott is busy as always, but is as gracious as ever. Perhaps one of these days I will get back down to SoCal to enjoy some korean bbq with those guys. : )

On to the short-track...a very twisty, choppy little course. From the gun, it was Todd Wells...that guy moves!! As Nate and Jason came by, we yelled for them. We had a great place to view from and could see the whole south side of the course. The race lasted all of 30 minutes, and was a mass of confusion with so many pros (About 75) going at once. Soon, lapped riders started getting pulled, and about 20 were on course. Very fun to watch, but when it was done, so were we...off to the trailer and some dinner.

Sea Otter is usually awesome, and this year was no different. I got to catch up with a lot of old friends in one place. I think that is really what Sea Otter is to me. At first, I was upset at having to race on Friday. It worked out great, however, since my wife and I got to really enjoy the Otter with no pressure on Saturday.

Up next...Shasta Lemurian!!!

Cheers,
Chuck

Sea Otter...

Sea Otter…the experience. I think as I have gotten older, Sea Otter means more than just racing to me. It is the one place you know all of your buddies will be. It’s a reunion of sorts. This year was no different.

Megan and I packed the trailer and headed down Thursday night, arriving at 10 pm at campground B just above the main venue. Pretty sweet to be camping at Laguna Seca…that way you don’t need to go in and out of the venue in the insane race traffic if you don’t want to.

Friday – Race day. I got up and started eating immediately. Then, knowing that my race was at 2pm, I went over to ride the end of the xc course and scope out a good place for Megan to hand me a bottle. With no cage on the Blur LT, I decided to carry one in a pocket on my back…mistake. After checking everything out, I went to the expo area to visit the WTB, Santa Cruz, and Rotor booths.

After doing my last minute bike cleaning, I got ready and headed down to the start area. My class was stacked with guys like Dario Fredrick (current national champion), Rich Thurman, Brian Rouse, Mike Heilaman, Todd Booth, and Ben Capron. Amazing depth. I took confidence in the fact that I had been riding a lot, and decided on my race strategy: don’t lead, stay in the top 5, and go with what I thought would be the winning move.

At the whistle, we shot off at a good, solid, but not breakneck pace. It felt vaguely like a road race, as we were on the Laguna Seca racetrack and several people came up on the outside, swallowing us up into the middle. By the time we exited the track and hit the trail, however, the usual suspects were at the front. One guy (I think his name was Steve) shot off of the front while several of us held back a bit. I kept my eye on Dario, as I knew he had won several big races lately. Sure enough, Rich Thurman and Dario started the chase for Steve…I followed down a very fast fire-road descent, then onto some fun single track.

That is the way it stayed for much of the first lap, until Dario and I dropped Rich on a single track uphill. The uphills were very rolling an very choppy with several steep pitches, but my new Rotor cranks with Rotor rings seemed to be making my job easy. My Blur was handling awesome with new WTB Vulpine tires at 28lbs…I was very confident and took the lead on a downhill section. Dario followed my line (even complimented me) and we ripped the section before the “climb home” as it is called. The climb takes you up about 800 feet (although it feels like 1500 or more) on open fireroad and you can see the whole dang thing! Total mind-job! We cruised up trading pulls, and caught Steve finally.

Entering the second lap, my wonderful wife handed me a bottle and off we went. Riding with a bottle in the pocket is not something I will do anymore, as I had to keep taking my hands off the bars to get it into my jersey pocket! Oh well.

We started with the long downhill, and my legs immediately let me know they hated me when we entered the first uphill of the 2nd lap. I recovered and started to get my rhythm back when Dario put in a big effort. I was sitting in 3rd Dario was 2nd, and Steve was 1st when Dario passed and went hard. I had no such acceleration in me, so I gradually pulled past Steve and chased. The gap stayed at about 7-8 seconds until about ½ way through the lap, then my legs started to twinge…cramps…crap. I backed off a bit to try and work through them, and finished off my bottle by the beginning of the climb home. The cramping went away, but my legs were dead, not being able to push nearly the gear I had during the first lap. The climb home was too long…Brian and Todd went by me very fast just a bit into it, then Rich and Mike.

I held onto 7th place, which wasn’t bad, but I was a bit frustrated. Todd ended up winning. Kudos Todd!!! He gets 2nd a lot, and deserves to get this big win. Like I told my wife, you can go out hard to win this race, or you can reserve a bit and take the chance of someone getting away. I went out too hard and payed the price. But, I have to admit, the singletrack was sweet. : )

Looking forward to relaxing and enjoying the festival tomorrow!

Cheers!
Chuck

pushing the limits...

Most of the NorCal riding I do is a mixture of single-track and fireroad...sometimes smooth, sometimes rocky. But, one thing I rarely do is a lot of off-camber riding. Being on Spring break, I decided to give Jason Moeschler from WTB a call to see if he could ride. My friend Chris Thibodeau and I ended up making the drive to Novato to ride on Tuesday with Jason and Mark Weir...here is what went down.

First of all, in case you don't know who Jason and Mark are, they are pro riders who work at WTB and do all of their testing at "the ranch". The ranch is very off camber in many places, making it a great place to test WTB tires...and that is just what Mark and Jason do. Looking at the videos on the WTB website may give you an idea of what it is like, but riding is different than watching. ; )


With a lot of rain last weekend, the ranch was sure to be muddy, making traversing the trails a bit, uh, tricky. The first loop we did climbed about 700-800 feet up a mixture of fire-road and switchbacks on the face of grassy hills. I have never ridden anything like this, so I just rode up behind Jason, following his line. About half-way up I realized that if I slipped, I wouldn't stop until I tumbled into the nursing calf 400 feet below...eyes forward, stay balanced, keep the speed up a bit. At the top, we stopped to talk a bit and take in the amazing view. The visibility was so good, that we easily saw downtown Oakland. Jason was nice enough to tell Chris and I what to expect on the way down: Let's see if I can get this right...off camber and not so muddy, off camber and really slick, hop over a log, into the woods, more off camber, up an embankment, 4 foot drop onto a fire-road, then into some loamy drift-all-the-way-around-the-corner stuff, exiting into a field with some knolls that sent you airborne whether you wanted to be there or not at about 25-30 mph. Fun, fun, and more fun...totally out of my element being challenged by stuff I never ride and loving it!!!

Round 2: Looking across the valley from the top of the 1st course we did, you could see a taller ridge-top knoll with a trail straight down the face for about 300 yards...so we climbed to the other side of the valley to do that downhill. Our first time up, we walked the downhill to clear limbs...a winding single track with berms, some jumps and multiple lines...these guys have worked hard on building these trails! Then, we ascended the last section and took a break at the top. Jason told us to just let go of the brakes on the first section straight down the hill, right before Mark told us he had hit 54mph on it at one point. Uh, ok. So, we began...after about 50 yards, we dropped in. It was one of those moments where the person 20 feet ahead of you drops in, and by the time you get to the edge, they are 200 feet down the hill...after a brief sphincter puckering moment where I held on to the brakes, I let them go...holy sh!!!!! Instant 40mph in a straight cow-hoof chopped line (lovin my BLT!), then veered onto a series of whoop-filled knolls, down a slightly off camber section and into the woods...berm, straight, pedal pedal, berm, straight pedal pedal, across a road, through a creek, done. OH DANG!!!! Bugs, and cow crap, and mud in the teeth. So Friggin fun!! We just had to pedal up and do it again. The climb had one steep pitch after another and went up about 1000 feet I think. Mark is an animal, pushing his single 36-tooth ring up that thing...us mere mortals had our "3-ring or 2-ring circuses" as he called it. But, it was so worth it...you know, one of those climbs that was really tough, but you were so excited to go down again it didn't really matter.

I remember the first time I went down the Kamikaze at Mammoth...it was so fast that it pushed me to another level in what I was comfortable doing. That is what this ride was like and why I wanted to ride there so badly. Not that one ride is going to improve my downhill skill, but I learned a lot about myself, my bike, and in this case, my tires. Thanks to Mark and Jason for waiting for us so patiently. Very cool experience.

Cheers,
Chuck

Been a while...

...but for good reason! I have been enjoying the weather and training/riding/having fun as much as possible. Add to that a host of school activities and projects to grade and you have...life! : ) Yes life does happen, but it has been happening sweet. I have been trying out some new rims and hubs from WTB...TCS. That stands for Tubeless Compatible System and it is unbelievable.

The specs...the xc rims are going to be fairly light, perhaps around 360 grams. That is not as light as Stan's, but they have steel eyelets and have been put through some pretty serious terrain...they are strong. The hubs are just in the testing stage, but roll ever-so-beautifully.

I think the best part about these wheels is the ability to mount WTB's TCS tires by hand or sometimes a lever, and then air them up with a floor pump. Amazing!!! I can't tell you how many times I have tried, in vain, to air up tires with a floor pump using Stan's rims. Frustrating!! This past year at the California State Champs in SoCal, Chris Thibodeau and I tried for hours to air up some tires on Stan's rims. For background sake, I have been using Stan's since when they first came out...2001 perhaps? I know how to get them aired up, but I didn't have a compressor and exhausted numerous CO2s in the process. Now, if I am heading out for a road or mellow mountain ride, on go the TCS Vulpines. More aggressive off-road? On go the Weirwolf's or Mutano's. All I need is a floor pump. Sweet.

The ride...I love to train in Auburn. There is a bit of everything there...steep climbs, long climbs, long steep climbs, fire roads, off camber singletrack, rocky trails, swoopy trails, better-pick-your-line-right-or-you-will-be-bloody-and-poison-oak-infested trails. Good stuff. I have had a couple of great rides out there lately. Both were about 30 miles and both integrated the "Oak Tree" super-d course a couple of times...yeah, it is that fun. : ) One I did on the new TCS Mutano's (2.4front, 2.2 rear). I have never gone that fast down those trails, period. I ran them at about 30lbs and felt like I was on a road bike carving highway 49 down to the confluence (or highway 9 down to Saratoga for bay area folk). Unbelievable! So much fun, yes, I had to do it a 2nd time.

The second ride out there was on the new 1.9 TCS Vulpine's. Looking for a bit more bite, I aired down to 28lbs. I was a bit concerned of bending the rims or tearing the tires on the sharp rocks of the confluence trail, but off I went. I was a bit timid at first, but went all out the 2nd time around. The tires had their limitations as pure XC tires do, but when I dared to lean them over to the side-lugs, they hung on surprisingly well. The rims and tires handled the terrain without a hickup. I was very impressed. These tires can hang with the best XC tires out there and are made to be run tubeless. Can you say Sea Otter?

So, that is what I have been up to...riding hard and getting ready to race. My plans have changed a bit...I will now doing the oh-so-fun Napa Dirt Classic before heading over to Sea Otter. And, I will not be doing the Shasta Lemurian. Daddy duty. ;)

Can't wait to race and rip it up on the best handling bike I have ever had.

Cheers,
Chuck

Learning to ride...

Last weekend was a big weekend for my DD. For her 6th birthday, she got a bike...without training wheels. She had been ducking the inevitable and would choose to ride the scooter instead of a "two-wheeled" bike when we went to the local school, but the new bike did the trick. : ) At first, she would put her foot down, scared that she was going to fall over. Sound familiar to anyone with kids? Then, after she realized that Daddy had her seat and would not fall over, she started to pedal, checking often to see if I was there.

If you have ever weened a little one off of training wheels, you know the amazing feeling when they finally start to gain that balance. She did just that. We worked on starting from a stand still and eventually, I let go...she was pedaling! My little girl was pedaling on her own!! After that we worked on turning...leaning and steering a little, instead of staying straight up and steering a lot. She picked that up very quickly.

I was so inspired, I decided to take a spin on her new bike also...


This weekend, I decided to take my new bike out for its first real off-road ride. I got loaded up on Saturday and headed to Auburn. Rain was threatening, but it looked like it would hold off. After reaching the trailhead, I realized I forgot my camelback with my food, water, tools, everything!! I had a water bottle and thought about just doing a bunch of little laps, but called it and headed home to do a road ride. On the way home, it poured down rain, and my day outside turned into a 4 hour trainer ride inside with some old kung-fu movies.

But, the weather cooperated today and I did get out. I ended up doing about 35 miles and 4 hours in Auburn on a beautiful sunny day. The bike climbs really well, especially up technical sections. I am still getting used to how active it is, however... standing is less to stretch out the legs and more to get up steep or rocky sections. I was amazed at how comfortable the bike is and at how comfortable I was on the bike...if that makes sense.

I rode up to Foresthill Divide, encountering some muddy sections, but not too much, and the Trails on the South and Western facing slopes were really nice. Most of my riding was done with my Talas fork in the 130mm mode, but I opened that bad boy up to 150 when I reached the Confluence trail that the Oak-Tree Super-D will be run on...WOW! Holy mud-in-the-teeth Batman! This bike flies downhill. I had so much fun, I decided to do a little more...up Clementine again and down a trail in Mammoth bar called Wagon wheel (I think). I have been down that trail several times, but never, ever like this. The WTB 2.4 Mutano raptor up front and the 2.2 version in the rear, along with my sweet Santa Cruz suspension had me going way faster than ever before. Then, of course, I climbed out and did the oak-tree super-d course again just to drive home a point....I was learning to ride all over again...leaning into the turns on my new bike just like my little girl...and I was lovin it.

Cheers,
Chuck

training days...mountain bike style

...putting in more time. We have been blessed the last week or so, with some wonderful weather here in Grass Valley. The last couple of days, it has reached the upper 50s and low 60s...nice weather, considering that a week from now, it is supposed to rain for x amount of days again. I have to admit, I am fair weather rider. Or, should I say, I love the weather that CA has to offer, and I love riding in that weather.

Needless to say, I have seized the days here and there where I can get out into the sun (between teaching and hanging with my wife an 3 kids). I built up the Santa Cruz Blur LTc to where I can ride it, although I am waiting for a few more parts to finish off the build...more on the build later. Does it have the blinding acceleration of a road bike? Well, no. That said, I think that I may have stumbled onto something great here.

For years, I have trained on a road bike on the local roads, and ridden the awesome local trails mostly on the weekends. I changed my cranks to 172.5 mm on all of my bikes, and off I went. But, let's face it, the position while riding a road bike is very different from riding a mountain bike. This year, I will be doing mostly all of my training and racing on the Blur LTc. Here is what I think I know so far:

Comfort - A whole new level of comfort. The local rough roads? Like Buttah! 700x23c tires at 110psi? NOT! I am running WTB 26x2.0 Pathways with a kevlar belt for puncture protection, which at 50psi, really help with the tiny bumps.

Flexibility - The Pathway tires allow me to to a bit of off-road riding if I wish, also. I have taken them onto some trails and have been pleasantly surprised with how they handle corners. Don't expect to climb anything wet and too steep, but overall, they handle well. I am planning on throwing on some WTB Prowler MX 2.1 tires for some longer pavement/rougher trail rides.

Safety - Although the bars are wider than a road bike, I can go way inside of the white line with this bike. I know the tires and suspension can take the extra gravel, glass, dirt, mud, sticks, rocks, and whatever else is to the far right of the road. Nevada county gravels the roads during winter months...gravel that collects with sticks and mud. My bike gives me a measure of security if I need to dive to the right for some reason.

Training effect - How many times have I cramped mercilessly at Sea Otter? Well, too many. This year, I am looking forward to mountain biking more and cramping less. But, the big thing is that I will be doing all of my training in the same position as my racing position. It won't matter if I am on the road or the trail, or any combination thereof, I will be very used to this bike and strong when I need to be.

By now, a lot of people are probably crying foul. Mountain bikers are probably screaming "blasphemy!" at the screen..."A Blur LTC on the road?" At the same time, road riders will probably smirk at me as they see me on the road. They will probably figure that is the only bike I own..."that poor guy" they will think to themselves. Well, I will offer assistance as I pass them later as they fix their flat. And, I hope that the mountain bikers know that this bike will see its share of Downieville, Tahoe, and Colorado trails this year...don't worry, I will feed the beast what it craves. : )

Cheers!
Chuck

In remembrance...

Yesterday, a friend of our whole cycling community was killed while riding his bike. Jim (Jimmy) Rodgers used to be one of the owners the Tour of Nevada City Bike Shop and has been integral in forming local cycling teams and clubs.

I got the chance to ride with Jim in mid-December...what a great ride it was. We talked about the junior mountain bike club I have at Union Hill School, bikes that we have, had, and want, and riding in general. What a great ride that was. Jim was the guy to always greet you with a smile, no matter where you were. He had an infectious smile that just warmed your heart...genuine, he was always glad to see you.

It is Jim, and many like him, that make our sport what it is. Cycling is so much more than just riding a bike...it is fun, in the most basic sense of the word. Jim loved going out on group rides. He was the one to introduce himself to anyone new and strike up the conversation. How many friends have you made doing something you love to do? In my 20 years of cycling, I have made countless numbers of friends...friends that I don't see but 1 or 2 times a year on the starting line. But, we pick up right where we left off...talking about life and, of course, bikes. And, let's face it, making friends, and catching up with them once in a while, is fun.

Then, there are those times (most of the time for me) where you ride alone. Many would consider this a type of lonely unending torture. For me, it is bliss...a sort of meditation in the turning of the gears. How many times have I passed Jim, out on a ride of his own, we acknowledging each other with a wave and a smile...we acknowledged each other as friends, but also in the sense that we were doing what we loved.

As so many of Jim's teammates have expressed, our hearts have broken to know that we have lost a person so dear to us and the local cycling community. He was the best we had to offer...a gentleman cyclist that enjoyed every ride and the people on it.

Jimmy Rodgers will be missed. I hope his memory not only inspires people to be involved in the cycling community, but also inspires local cyclists to enjoy every ride...to have fun doing what they love.

Godspeed Jimmy,

Chuck

Putting in time...

There comes a time for every bike racer, where you have to put in miles, or hours, or kilometers (if that's how you roll) on a trainer or spin bike. For me, it is hours. I have spent countless hours over the years, sitting on my spin bike just killing time...easy, boring, and seemingly pointless hours.

My time usually goes something like this:

First 10 minutes...adjusting the tension on the flywheel (or gears if I have my bike on a trainer) trying to get the resistance and cadence just right.

10 min - 20 min...why is this getting harder? I haven't increased the tension (specific to my spin bike). I have documented this phenomenon. At 90 RPMs, I will be putting out 175 watts just easily spinning along, then, BAM! the watts shoot up to 215 and my heartrate goes up 15 beats. Ok, so maybe it is not BAM!, but it definitely happens. And, it is not as gradual as boiling a frog... I have determined that the steel flywheel starts to heat up and expand, therefore increasing the pressure of the pads ont the flywheel...yep, that must be it.

20 min - 21 min...determination that I'm a friggin training nerd.

21 min - 45 min...fired up about how much this one workout will help me and hurt my competition. This is accompanied by the overwhelming urge to stand up every 10 min due to pain in the sitbones or numbness in left leg...

45 min - 46 min...determination that this pain and numbness must be directly proportional to the amount I am improving.

46 min - 1.5 hours...no man's land. During this stage of the trainer/spinner ride, profuse sweating begins to occur. If the intensity is high, this sets in earlier...but hey, this blog is about LSD: long slow distance. No man's land is daydream time about past races, future races, winning future races, winning future races by large margins, winning future races by large margins over insurmountable odds, winning future races by large margins over insurmountable odds against an unbeatable opponent...Leadville against Lance or something of that sort.

1 hour 30 min - 1 hour 31 min - realization that you are starting to smell like sweaty bike clothes that have been sitting in a duffle bag for a day or two...

1 hour 31 min - 4 hours...I think my limit these days is probably close to 4 hours on a spinner, less if riding a bike on a trainer. After 1.5 hours, you need a movie. Action flicks that keep the time rolling by are my favorite. Good bike vids are also helpful...like the 2005 Tour de France or any one of the several Paris-Roubaix races (let's face it, watching Paris-Roubaix just makes you glad you are not bouncing on the cobbles at 30mph in the pooring rain). Approaching 4 hours, even while engrossed in a good movie, the stench of yourself starts to make an impact. You may find yourself smelling vinegar...the sit-bones go past pain into a sort of numbness....you can't find a comfy hand position...

4 hours or more - you start to wish you were bouncing on the cobbles at 30mph in the pooring rain...

Cheers,

Chuck

Santa Cruz Bicycles

How often do you get the chance to pick up a frame or bike from the company that makes it? My guess is, not often, if ever. Today I took the day off to do just that. My wife and I drove (in some nasty weather) from Grass Valley to Santa Cruz to pick up my new Blur LT carbon frame.

This post is not about the frame, however. It is about the experience of visiting Santa Cruz, the company. If you don't know, Santa Cruz Bicycles is located off of Bronson Street in Santa Cruz, California. They occupy several warehouses where they manufacture, design, and store their many types of frames. The front office is plastered with memorabilia...Syndicate junior team jersey, Steve Peat World Cup Jersey, Decline front cover with Steve Peat (I think) on his DH bike, and a poster of the original Tazmon...takin' me back!

Soon, Juliana Furtado (who handles sponsorship) showed us to her office. If you don't know, she is one of most dominant mountain bike racers of all time (and mountain bike hall of famer), with several world championships and national championships to her credit if memory serves me. What an honor for me. After taking care of some business, I got to talk to Mike Ferrentino, a buddy of mine who wrote for Bike magazine and spent a lot of time in Downieville riding his single-speed and I think just promoting the mountain bike lifestyle there...an all-around great guy. We caught up a bit, and I met Scott, who shares the office with Mike.

After having experience with bikes, bike shops, and multiple bike companies, I think I can sum up my impression of Santa Cruz bicycles in two words...passionate and focused. I could put in a bunch of fluff about how nice they are...they are. But that is not what keeps a bike company in business. Being passionate about the design of a frame and about mountain biking itself is key. That is great...but if the company can't stay focused on that, they've got problems. Sure, there is marketing, and manufacturing, and design...the list goes on (that is also where being focused helps). But, this company has something that I don't see all that often...they have small company feel (passionate) with a larger company's volume.

I was impressed and proud...impressed with how Rob Roskopp has surrounded himself with such great people, and proud that I get to represent such a company.

Cheers!

Chuck

Technobabble...

I am sure most cyclists love their bikes like I do...I'm not talking an unnatural sort of perversion, but a healthy respect for the technology involved in designing and manufacturing frames and components. I have had road bikes, cross bikes, and mountain bikes... carbon, steel, aluminum, and titanium frames... fully rigid, front suspension, and full suspension. But, there is one thing that is always constant...I analyze (and overanalyze) my bikes. I think this is part of the sport.

Every rider wants their bike to perform like the proverbial "extension of their body". I have had a couple of bikes that felt this way straight out of the box. One Bontrager (pre-sloping top tube) in particular felt just right from the day I built it up...one of those I never should have sold. My first Phil Wood SS...same thing.

But, there are a lot of factors thrown at serious racers these days. Many riders train on the road most of the time in order to get in hours, and get on the mountain bike rarely in comparison. So, my question is, how are you supposed to race well on a bike you spend relatively little time on? And, quite frankly, riding on the road is not what I want to do...I have more fun on the mountain bike! Several years ago, I changed the cranks on all of my bikes to 172.5s. I knew that training on the same length cranks would at least give me some consistency. Although, my spin bike has 170mm cranks...ok, too much analyzing Chuck! But, there has to be something to this. Look at Mark Weir and Jason Moeschler. These guys ride there mountain bikes a lot...they do the "Hell-Ride" at Downieville, often a few weeks before the Downieville Classic. They also turned their respective bikes in single-speeds a couple of years agofor the SS worlds in Napa. They both are not only strong, but they know how to ride their mountain bikes. They are comfortable with them and have strength in that position. Don't get me wrong, Jason also rails on a road bike...top 20 I think in last year's Nevada City Classic where Lance and Levi brought a different level of competition.

Like I said, I overanalyze sometimes...but I think that these guys both do something right. I have chosen to ride on my mountain bike full time this year, to not only get used to the position, but also to have fun! That is what it is all about right?! I have done a few rides on a hardtail I have, but just picked up some sweet stuff from Santa Cruz that I will be building this weekend with any luck. My rides on the road have been nice...not so worried about flats, better traction with my 2.0 WTB Pathway tires on our local gravel infested roads. And, with some steep (20 degree +) downhills around here, the more rearward position plus the Formula R-1 brakes are nice. All in all, comfy. The G---t against the garage is my current "road bike", but the other pic shows my new machine...a Santa Cruz Blur LT carbon Frame (medium), Fox Talas 150 fork, R-1 brakes, plus some SRAM XX goodies I picked up. Not shown are the Lightning Cranks, and WTB saddle, tires, and wheels. I should have the WTB stuff posted in the next week.

From not so humble beginnings...

Should be an epic year with great rides and races! Be honest, sometimes it is about the bike...and this one is going to be bitchin! Let the fun begin!

Cheers!

Chuck

Quiver...

I always thought that if I won the lottery, I would build a separate garage just for all of the bikes I would have. If you love bikes, you have thought of it. My quiver would consist of six bikes. The first would be a great all-mountain bike...specifics later. The second would be a light 100mm full suspension bike...like the Santa Cruz Blur XC carbon...dead sexy and with a great suspension design. Then, I think a steel hardtail single-speed would have to be purchased. I might go with a Niner 29" rigid, or maybe go back to my SS roots with a Sycip frame painted yellow like my Phil Wood Kiss Off. If you haven't ridden a SS, don't even try to understand. Then, since I already said I would get six, I would pick up a Cross bike, a road bike, and a really light hardtail mountain bike (not that I have a use for one, but because I am a tad weight-weenieish).

But, alas, I have not won the lottery. I kinda feel like I have, however. I just received word that Santa Cruz is going to sponsor me. Yep, Juli Furtado (yes, THE Juli Furtado) emailed me with the information. After I stopped jumping up and down in the living room (my kids had no idea what the heck was going on and my wife came running in to see what was wrong) I composed myself and sent an acceptance email.

So, my quiver...the Blur LT carbon. That's it. The basic spec goes something like this: WTB hubs, saddle, and tires, Fox fork, XX rear cassette, derailler, and shifters, and Formula R-1s. I have made the decision to train (road, mountain, and any combination thereof) and race (super-d, xc, and even short-track) on this bike for reasons I will get into in a different post, but I can't think of any other bike that can do so much so well. The engineers at Santa Cruz have been very busy making this bike efficient, plush, strong, and light all at the same time. I have to admit, I made up my mind a while ago on this bike...then I actually got to ride one...I was floored.

I got my quiver all figured out.

Cheers!

Chuck

21 years and still going...

21 years ago I threw a leg over a Marin Pine Mountain and raced at Grant Ranch in San Jose, CA. A couple of hours later, I finished...all I remember was being last in the beginner class, but I still got a medal...sweet. Very soon thereafter, I bought a Cannondale frame with a rigid "pepperoni" front fork and built it up piece by piece, rode it twice (one time taking a horrendous crash), and then it got stolen.

The insurance claim landed me what I consider to be my first "real" race bike...a Bridgstone MB-O (zip). Mavic cranks and hubs...Ritchey rims, stem, tires and seatpost...and a suede covered turbo saddle that, to this day, is the most comfy thing I have ever ridden. The 4 lb. steel frame (Ritchey tubing) was ultra light at the time, but the head tube did not stand up very well to the first Rock Shox when they came out. I wish I could find my picture of me in mid-air doing the Kamikaze at Mammoth on this bike...the blonde locks of my mullet blowing in the wind. Ah, those were the days. Perhaps the mullet will make a comeback...or not.

I rode in the early 90's for Team Pinnacle out of Los Gatos, CA, then moved on to our arch rival's team (Britton Bike Shop) when Pinnacle folded. For a number of years, I rode unattached and not very seriously, trying my hand at off-rode triathlons and bi/duathlons. Then, in 1998 I think it was, I met up with my buddy Brent (the former owner of Pinnacle) who was working for Phil Wood at Sea Otter. I was racing single-speed for the first time... and go figure, Phil Wood had just come out with a single speed to show off their beautiful SS hubs. Until 2002, I raced for Phil Wood very seriously, picking up a national title in 2001 at Big Bear. The highlight for me was the 3-hour SS worlds in Downieville in 2002. Amazingly hard course with world-class competition...Travis Brown won and I was the first non-pro racer coming in about 8 minutes later in 5th place. That was something to be proud of.

After taking a couple of years easy, during which my son and daughter were born, I returned to racing as a 35-year old on Sierra Express Racing Team. Over the past 5 years, I have raced at the local and national levels. I have tweaked my training and had God-knows-how-many bikes. In 2008, I raced for an amazing Sho-Air team in Southern California along with Johnny O'Mara, Ty Kady, and a host of other great riders. What a blast!! Scott Tedro really made that year a great one for us all, and continues to promote mountain biking around the country...props to Scott!!

In the last few months, I have changed my philosophy a bit on mountain biking in general. After talking to my buddy Jason Moeschler, I realized that I was missing some of the fun of mountain biking. This year, I am focusing on some really fun races, and am giving the National Championships one more shot at the 40+ level. I have never raced in Colorado, and would like to do that at least once before I back off of my training. Having re-married, I now have 3 kids. At 7, 6, and 5 years old, they need their dad more than I need to be racing and training so much.

So, with this one last year of hardcore training and racing, I am blogging...something I have never done before. I will be discussing my thoughts on workouts, training methods, nutrition, and just having fun with the sport I love.

Cheers,

Chuck