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