Primed and ready

Well, the race we all look forward to in this area is just about upon us. The Wilson Fat Tire race is just 5 days away (May 2nd). This is really a top notch trail and needless to say that I am very lucky to only live 45 minutes away.

I have been able to ride Wilson numerous times over the past several weeks in preparation for this event. Linda, my cute little biker wife, has also been putting in alot of seat time. This will be her first time to race Wilson and only her second MTB race ever. She has been riding extremely well and I think she has put herself in position for a good finish.

As for me, I am primed and ready. I have never felt as comfortable on that trail as I do right now. All the new stuff that Bob put in has really turned out sweat and for those who have not ridden at Wilson in the last 6 months, you are in for a real surprise. For my last several Wilson rides, I have really turned up the intensity and pushed myself to the edge. My times have been getting increasingly faster and tonight I shattered by record time and set a new personal best. I feel very good about where I am at. I will be racing in the Cat 2 category and this category and my age class are always the most competitive from top to bottom and it usually has the most riders. It is loaded with outstanding mashers so I really don't expect to compete for a podium spot. However, for me it is all about improving and seeing just how I stack up against my peers. The Great Bend area has a large number of really good riders and spending time on the trail with these guys has made me a much better rider.

Looking forward to seeing everyone this weekend and hope we all have a safe race. Until next time, stay "Clipped In and Crankin".

Squeezing in a ride or two

Well this past 2 weeks have been full of non-biking activities. The work load at the office has really picked up and I have an increasing number of family commitments. All of this has put a dent in my free time and caused me to miss both the "Lawrence River Trail" race as well as the "Battle at the Bird" race in OKC this past weekend. But, even with everything I have going on, I have still have been able to squeeze in a ride or two on the local Ark River trail as well as Wilson. A little seat time is better than no seat time at all.

My recent rides at Wilson have focused solely on getting Linda more comfortable with the 8 mile beginner loop. She is progressing nicely as we inch closer to the Fat Tire Race held there in afew weeks. Her confidence level is getting higher and she is a much better rider than she gives herself credit for. This past Sunday we were joined on our Wilson ride by Sandy Gilmore-McMullen and Karen Copeland.

I did have abit of a set back one week ago with one of those "how did that happen moments". On one of those Wilson rides, as I headed towards the base of tower hill, I reached the first road crossing and intentionally went air born as I jumped from the trail to cross the asphalt road. Not sure how or why it happened, but when I landed, my front tire was not lined up and I went down immediately. Needless to say, the human body is not built to handle a collision with asphalt at 20 miles per hour. The helmet really saved a serious injury but unfortunately my ribs really took the brunt of the impact. Luckily, the Superfly had no major damage. As many of you know, sore ribs are not much fun.

This week finds me in Perryton, Texas doing some business so I will miss that fantastic Tuesday night river ride. I will have to really pick up the pace the end of this week to make up for the 3 days off from riding. I need to find a job that pays me to ride my mountain bike. If anyone knows of anything please let me know.

Until next time, stay "Clipped in and Crankin".

Settling In

We have really been blessed with some great riding weather the past 2 weeks. This has helped me settle in to a good solid riding routine. It has been abit windy at times but one of the nice things about our local Ark River trail is that when the wind howls you don't even notice it down on the river. During the past 2 weeks I have been able to get in 6 rides on this trail for about 130 miles total. I have also worked in 3 plus laps at Wilson for another 60 miles.

The Tuesday night river rides are pretty intense with myself, Doug Chambers, Jon Shank and Jeff Stevens. Those guys are top notch riders and it has really raised my skill level with them pushing me to the limit for 25 miles each ride. These rides usually end with about 30 minutes of night riding which is a real blast. My two new Ameoba light set-ups have really enhanced my night riding ability.

Tomorrow Linda and I are headed up to Wilson and we will focus on getting her ready for the up-coming Fat Tire race which is being held there on May 1st. We will be focusing on the Cat 3 portion of the trail since that is what she will be racing. I look forward to riding Wilson now more than ever since I have my new Superfly 100. That is one sweet ride!

Well, that's all for now. Until next time, stay "Clipped in and Crankin".