What's New?

Well, I finally got around to updating. Riding has been going well. I have split the time between the cross bike and the mountain bike. I spend half of my time going pretty long on the cross bike for Dirty Kanza training, and tossing in a couple of trail rides to keep some level of skill. Last weekend was race number two on the year. A bunch of us went up to Smithville lake, north of Kansas City for the Bone Bender. It was a 6 hour mountain bike race. The course was in excellent shape, and it was a lot of fun. I was quite surprised by the number of riders that showed up for this event. It is only the second year for this race, and it was reported that there was around 300 riders! The event started with the traditional Lamond's start. I got my usual terrible start for this type of race which made for a very congested first lap. After the first lap I settled down into a nice pace for the day, and felt Strong until the finish. I noticed that their was a noticeable improvement in my fitness from the first race, and was quite happy with the people that I was surrounded with at the finish of the day. After a long afternoon on the bike, I put down two NOS before the trip home, and boy, they put some fuel into the tank and the ride home was a breeze. If things continue the way that they are, I should end up being a pretty good season. Up next on that schedule is the Wilson Lake Fat Tire Festival this weekend. It is always a great event that is held on some of the most awesome trails within a day's drive from home. Their is also a high level of competition, due to the face that the Chambers family puts on this event.

I am still trying to get some quality miles in for the Dirty Kanza coming up on June 5. The event has grown to the point that their is a elite field that show up to toe the line. I am really excited to see what I can let loose that day, now that I will be competing in the Masters 50+ division. Stay tuned to see how things progress!

Peace Out!

No News

Well, their is not much going on this past week. Since Arkansas, I have just been getting in some regular miles. It took about a week to totally recover, but since then things have been good.

I am starting to get excited. This coming weekend a lot of us Team High Gear members are going to Smithville Missouri to the Bone Bender 3/6. Looking at the weather, it looks like it will be dry with the temperatures in the mid 60's. Quite nice for this time of the year!

Should be able to get some good mileage in the legs for the Dirty Kanza that is coming up June 5! Oh yea, the new kits came in this past week and they are REALLY sweet!!! Shawn down at IM Designs always does a super cool job. Check back next week for the results of the bone bender, and pictures of the new kits! Till then, get out and enjoy the awesome weather!

Peace Out!

Well, here we go again. The same old song and dance......I am just plain LAZY about updates! Having a lot of fun on the bike lately though. A bunch of us Team High Gear members went to Arkansas for the Ouachita Challenge last weekend. Being the first race of the season, you just don't know what to expect. For the most part the team did well. As for myself, I felt good the entire day, and felt like except for on little error, I rode well on the day, climbing sections that I was not able to climb last year, and actually feeling good when I crossed the finish line, unlike last year when I was totally trashed!

I am a little confused about my performance. When I crossed the line I felt like I did really good. When looking at the numbers the next day, they were OK, but not what I was expecting to see. As for the course, it was 5 miles longer with 400+ more feet of climbing. My average speed was pretty much what it was last year. My average heart rate last year was 163, this year it was 160. The big difference was in the final placing. Last year I placed better, but I was still in the top 50%. I think part of it was the field was extremely stacked with HIGH quality riders. The plan was to keep a closer eye on what zone I was working in for the day so I did not hit the wall again. I was able to do this. Could I have worked harder on some of the climbs? Probably. Could I have been able to place better? Maybe. But that is all water under the bridge. The main thing is that I felt good about myself out their, and rode strongly this year. I am content with what happened, and look forward to returning next year. This is one kick butt race, and am up to giving it a try again.

As for the rest of the team, Aaron Elwell was a BEAST. He crushed it on the day, and just missed out on a sprint finish to finish third on the day! That is awesome considering the riders that were their. Garret and Tim also did extremely well, placing around the top 50 riders on the day! Dusti did well also placing in the top 74, and Dustin and Randy were right their with me putting in a good showing. Especially Dustin. He did the race on a rigid single speed! Don't know how he was able to pull that one off.

Well, their are a couple of more race opportunities that are coming up in the next couple of weeks. Both within a few hours drive from here, and I an looking forward to getting in a little more work in on the local scene! Check back again for the newest 411!

Peace Out!

The OC....and this's and that's

Well, I have returned! You may ask, why has it took so long, is it because you were busy....partially. Was it because I was lazy? For the most part. Since it has been a while since the last post it may seem like I am rambling. Well, that is kind of what will be going on for the most part. Their is a lot of ground to cover in a short period of time.

To begin with, I have been fine tuning everything for the Ouchita Challenge . As for the training, in the last week and a half I have shortened the time on the bike, but increased the intensity. It has been going pretty good. This week I am taking it pretty easy to rest the body a little, and I am in the process of fine tuning the bike, and gear for the big trip to Arkansas. We will be leaving on Friday morning!

As for the bike, I have replaced the chain, cassette, and all three chain rings. I have also just put on some new tires to try out. They are the Bontrager Mud X TLR 29. I chose these tires because they are specifically designed for muddy conditions, the Mud X's dual compound tread is suppose to be fast rolling and provide exceptional grip on wet roots and rocks, which is what this course is all about. They are also tubeless ready, So I will be running them with Stan's. I have a new wheel set ordered that I had hoped to use, but only the front rim has showed up so far, so this will have to wait.

I have also been breaking in my new Bontrager RL Mountain shoe, my awesome new Trek Circuit Helmet, and some new Bontrager Rhythm Comp gloves. So far I really love the new gear! The BIG test will come this weekend.

Also, we are not going to have our new kits in time for this weekend, but news on the street is they will be here when we return from Arkansas! I can hardly wait. Shawn Honae down at IM Design Group has designed some super cool stuff for us this summer. If you know Shawn, he is the "MAN" when it comes to coolness! If you are in need, you need to go give him a visit.

In other news, a local scribe/photographer and fellow cyclist has just launched a new magazine! It is super cool, and you should take some time to check it out. The concept is about finding and pursuing adventure in your life. The main focus of the first issue is on cycling, and their are some awesome articles in their by well known local riders. The magazine is call the "Adventure Monkey". You can download the first issue for free here!

And if this is not enough news for you, I have one more thing......and it is REALLY big! High Gear Bike Shop is almost finished moving! On this past Saturday they closed their doors for the last time in their old shop, and moved all of their stuff to the new shop. it is huge....they have a lot more stuff.....they now have an official place to just hang out to visit....and the doors will be open this week! I am so excited I can hardly stand it. You really need to go down and check this place out. It is really awesome!

Well, My fingers are getting tired so I will let you go. Tune back in next week to see how team High Gear did at the OC! until then.

Peace Out!

Let the fun begin!

Well I am making an attempt to become more regular with the blog updates. This week has been a good one. I only had to ride the trainer once. All other days were spent outside. This makes for a very happy biker. It is still a little on the cool side, but the weather seems to be getting better, and the forecast for the upcoming week is very promising.

This week I began to throw a few mountain bike rides in to begin getting ready for the Ouchita Challenge in four weeks! It is so exciting to see the first race of the year quickly approaching. The rides have been good, and I have been able to pick up the mileage a little.

To top it off, their was a group ride yesterday. It was the largest of the year so far, which makes for a good time. Their was Matt, Garret, Chris, Randy, Jed, Tim, Jim came down from Lennexa, Dusti came from Maple Hill, Then a couple of new guys, Scott and Eric. For most of the day the pace was pretty chill and we all got to visit and catch up, then about mile 30 or so the pace stiffened and we got into a pace that produced a pretty good workout for the remainder of the ride.

This week I plan to put more miles on the mountain bike. Since each bike works you a little differently, I need to start getting use to the HiFi because the race season will be here before we know it.

The review for the week? My weapon of choice for this summer! The Gary Fisher HiFi Deluxe 29er. This is the most awesome bike that I have ridden in over a decade. If you are into the all day trail riding or endurance racing, you need to pick yourself up one of these! Is it the lightest bike? No. But many of the qualities that it does have, more than makes up for it.

As for climbing, it does a good job. I use to ride a GT Zaskar LE for a long time. It was a super light hardtail. You may find it hard to believe, but I feel that I can climb better with this bike. Sure the other bike was lighter, but with the 29 inch wheels, and the rear suspension, the rear wheel is glued to the trail. One of the problems with the other bike was the loss of momentum when you try to roll over things, and it was pretty easy to spin out on the steeper climbs. The HiFi is also extremely stable at low speeds, so you never feel like you are out of balance.

Going down hill their is no comparison. the 29er full suspension rules! In many races, I have come flying up behind other riders on a 26 in hard tail, and had to slam on the brakes, because they were getting thrown all over the place. Once you find a good passing place, they are nothing but a memory! You just let loose, and when you look back, they are no where to be seen.

Sure, you can find a lighter bike, but if you are into the long events, the comfort of the large wheels, and 100mm of travel front and rear make the day such a pleasure. Believe me, what you might sacrifice in weight in the climb, you more than make up for when you point your bike down hill, and the fatigue that you are spared from, by not getting beat to death on the trail.

Slow again

Well, It has been a while since the last post, again! No excuses, I have just been a lazy bum. Things have been going well and their is very little to report on. The training is going well, but I am beginning to get a little bored. I have at least been able to get outside quite a bit lately. On Thursday it was so dry that I actually saw a little dust on me after a nice gravel road ride. I was really looking forward to getting out on the trails for a little ride, but then, the next day it rained all day, snowed on Saturday and Sunday, and everything is frozen again today. So much for the trails until at least the weekend. I am so ready for the racing season to begin.

In other news, The new High Gear bike shop is coming along nicely. I got a look at it on Sunday, and it is going to be really cool! I can hardly wait for it to open in 3-4 weeks from now. You will really need to go down and check it out. It is A LOT bigger than their old shop, and they are going to be caring a lot of new stuff. It is a major expansion.

Today's product review: the Bontrager's XDX. I used this tire the entire summer last year. I really love it. This is one of the best all around tires that I have ever used. It is a fast tire that performs well on a variety of terrain, Bontrager's XDX uses small, closely spaced, well supported knobs to deliver superb traction in loose or dry conditions. Siping on the outer knobs improves traction on wet, slick surfaces, and the Tubeless Ready technology lets you enjoy all the advantages of tubeless while saving nearly 100 grams per wheel. Some of my favorite features are the rounded profile, and the 2.1 width. these features allow the tire to glue itself to the ground, and is very easy to handle in tight fast corners.

Well, if the cold is getting to you, and you are in need of riding partners, you might like to try out a few of the spinning tires down at Emporia Fitness. My team mate Garret leads the class, and rumor has it that if you want, he could work your butt over pretty good. Might be something to look into until the thaw! until next week, stay warm, and keep the rubber side down.

Peace Out,

Mike

Let the LONG miles begin!!!

Well, I have once again been a little slow with the post. Sorry, but I have been extremely busy finishing up a project on my house. But, I am happy to announce that it is done, and I can focus all of my efforts to training!

Since my last post about a week and a half ago, I have been able to keep up with the training pretty much, despite all of the construction. Even with all of the business I have been able to get in 2-3 hours a day on the bike. The only problem is that I have only been outside a couple of times. Now that I will be having all of this free time I can start getting out pretty much every day. I will be able to finally start getting in some much needed LONG rides! The clock is ticking, and we now have 7 weeks until the Ouchita Challenge! I am really starting to get excited.

Some good news, team kits have been ordered, and are going to be really cool. They should get in about a week before the first race!

The final order of business for the day is the product review. This week I am going to talk about the Trek XO1. It is an cyclocross race bike, but I use it pretty much for training since I don't race cylcocross. The XO1 is an awesome bike. It is pretty much a road bike on steroids. It is great for many reasons. First, when conditions are bad, you can put on some skinny tires and use it as a road bike. The geometry, and drive train (cassette, rings, derailleurs, shifters, etc.) are the same as a road bike, so you can get out and put in some quality miles and not have to worry about mud.

Second, unlike a road bike you can take this bike on gravel roads, and even a little off road riding, as long as it is not to extreme. I love to take this bike out on some REALLY long gravel road grinders! All you have to do is put on some knobbies and you are ready for some action. This bike has some off road brakes, welded instead of lugged, and has better tire clearance so you can use some wider wheels. The beauty of gravel roads is the lack of cars. I can head out into the flint hills into the middle of no where on the gravel and minimal maintenance roads and not see a can for literally hours.

If you are wanting to put in some quality training, and not deal with cars, and not wear out your nice race bike, I would recommend that you go down to High Gear and have Matt hook you up with one of these! They are awesome. I know that for the next 4-5 weeks, I an going to put some serious mileage on mine. Until next week, train hard, and keep warm out there.

Peace out!

Mike