The Big Tease

This time of year Mother Nature can be a real tease. We started the week with temps in the 60's and hopes of a great weekend of riding and we end the week with snow, wind and freezing temps. In addition to the training regiment, the race season is also feeling Mother Nature's wrath. The Battle at the Bird race in Norman scheduled for today has been postponed until later in the season. I have also heard that next Sunday's race scheduled at Lawrence will be postponed and I received an email from the Roman Nose 50 last night and it is looking like they may have to postpone that race also but they will not make the call until Friday.

Well, at least we did have afew days early last week for some serious riding before the weather turned bad. Two great rides on the Ark River trail, Tuesday and Thursday night, were just what I needed. I have said it before, we are really fortunate to have this 24 mile ride right at our finger tips. Bicycle Magazine spotlighted this trail last fall and here is the link to the web article,
http://bicycling.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewTrip/569408

Tuesday night was a pretty intense 25 mile jaunt on the West side. Myself, Doug Chambers and Jon Shank headed out with about and hour of daylight remaining. Both Doug and Jon are very outstanding and experienced riders and having those two on my tail really pushed me to the max. It didn't take long to reach the water crossing and then after a short stop for some mechanical repairs we were on to the Dundee bridge where the single track ends. Going on west, a ride over the bridge puts us into a really fun area of fast double track filled with lots of tight banked turns where it is just peddle as fast as you can for several miles until we reached the diversion dam and our turn-around point. After a quick recharge with a Clif Bar and a check of the my sweet Amoeba light set-up we were off again, retracing the trail back towards town

Thursday night ended up being a "chick night". Doug and I were joined by Morgan Stevens, Sandy McMullen and my lovely wife, Linda. We pulled out of the bike shop and hit the tight twisty east loop first. This part of the trail really helps you work on your balance and tight turns. This was the first time that I had my new Superfly 100 on this section and I was pleasantly surprised at how much easier it handled than my Paragon on this type of trail. After a spin through the East Loop, we headed for the West trail. A ride through the river bank section took us across the water crossing and then onto the "pinball section". Since everyone didn't have lights, this was our turn-around point. Thursday night rides are definitely much more laid back than those on Tuesday. But, they are equally enjoyable as it is always nice to have the ladies with us.

Well, that's it for now. Hopefully the snow will melt and the trails will dry out quickly this week. I need to get afew more rides in before heading down to Watonga to do the Roman Nose 50 on the 27th. I guess we will find out on Friday if Mother Nature will let us hold the race. Until next time, "Stay Clipped In and Crankin".

Spring is in the air

Wow!!! Is it ever great to get this winter behind us. It has been awhile since we have had a "real" winter but this one will go down as one to remember. Another real positive thing is the time change kicking in which means more riding time during the week.

We kicked off the 2010 race season down at the "Hills of Hell" race in Lawton, OK on March 7th and it was most definitely a hellish event. Doug Chambers and I headed out from Great Bend on Friday night and after a stop in Wichita to pick up Cameron Chambers and Dustin Burgardt we rolled into Lawton around 12:30. After a short night of sleep, we hooked up with Steve Dutton, Jon Shank, Bill Clinesmith and Chris Chambers and headed out Saturday morning to the race venue for a pre-ride. We had heard the trail was around 22 miles in length but about an hour into the pre-ride we took a wrong turn and ended up back at the start after just 12 miles. The trail was poorly marked and it appeared that they had added alot of trail just so they could say the trail was longer. Most of the new stuff didn't really make much sense and it is obvious that the people who marked the trail didn't really have much MTB riding experience. Cameron was able to get some decent video with his new helmet cam and we headed back to the Motel to watch the action and the evening ended with our traditional Saturday night dinner at Luigi's where we filled up on pasta.

Race day started with a carbo-charged breakfast at Cracker Barrel and as we were heading back to the motel to get loaded up it started to rain. None of us were very pleased with the trail lay-out and now that it was raining we were thinking about aborting and heading north to Roman Nose or Camp Horizon for some dry riding. After afew phone calls and some discussion it was determined that Horizon looked like a good spot so Steve, Jon and Dustin headed that way while myself, Doug, Chris and Cameron went to the race venue where we would make a decision on our plans. After an hour of watching it rain we had almost decided to join the others at Horizon. But, Cameron had not said much during this time and with just a half hour before the start of the race, he made it clear he wanted to race even if the condition were not going to be good. His decision to race was just the prodding that other three of us needed and we were off to get our timing chips and to get lined up at the start line.

The weather had really taken a toll on the number of riders with only around 80 of the original 125 or so riders taking a position on the line. This is a far cry from the almost 1000 racers that this race has seen in the past. After the traditional cannon shot, the race was on and we shot off the line headed for the first hill. As expected Cameron took the lead and was never really challenged. As the rain continued to fall I was surprised that the rocks really didn't get that slick. But, the mud was 6 inches deep on many parts of the trail and it was hard to tell just how deep the water was in many of the numerous creek crossing. After 2 hours on the trail, I topped the last hill and headed toward the finish.

At the finish line, I met up with Cameron, Doug and Chris. Cam won the race pretty easily, Chris ended up 12th, Doug was 13th and I crossed the line in 25th place. Considering my conditioning was not the best because of the poor training weather, I was happy with my finish. All of us agreed that we were very glad we stayed and raced even though the conditions were telling us not to. After hosing off the bikes and a quick shower, we loaded up the trailer and headed north. It ended up being a great trip, the riding may not have been the best but 3 days with the Chambers Clan is always enjoyable. Until next time, stay "Clipped in and Crankin".

Back in the Saddle again

Wow.....its been so long since my last post I actually forgot my password to log in and blog. Since Christmas my daily life has been in total chaos thanks to a major remodel here on the home front. The word, "Chaos", (derived from the Ancient Greek Χάος, Chaos) typically means a state lacking order or predictability. Man is that ever true. Trying to live in your house during this type of project is a real stress builder and will quickly put an end to your daily routine. Luckily it is complete and just in the nick of time.

The remodel project was a huge drain on my free time and that coupled with the extremely wet and cold weather really put a crimp into my training and riding. But, as the song goes, I am "Back in the Saddle Again". Lots of things have happened in my biking life since my last posting including a sweet new ride (Superfly 100) and the first racing road trip of the season (Hills of Hell). Nothing like a afew days of riding and camaraderie with Team Chambers to get everything back in focus.

I will have another post very soon updating the recent events and commenting on the 2010 season which is upon us. Until then, "Stay Clipped in and Crankin".

Frozen Water Bottles and Chili

Greetings to all in 2010! Just finished riding in the annual Golden Belt Bicycle New Years Day Bike Ride. Just a little ride that Doug Chambers puts together to help kick off the new year.

Fifteen hearty souls braved the cloudy 20 degree Kansas weather for a mountain bike ride on the Arkansas River trail at Great Bend. We headed down Main Street to the river trail and whenever I make this short trek I always think how fortunate we are to have such an awesome 30 mile trail just 5 minutes from our local bike shop.

We sprinted up the river dike and shot under the 281 highway bridge and headed out to do the "West Side" trail first. As is usually the case, once the trail dropped into the trees, the wind was gone and there were no more thoughts of how cold we were. We really were not sure what the trail conditions would be but considering all the snow we have had recently they were in great shape. There were small patches of ice and snow but the extreme cold had really firmed things up nicely and the mud was hard as concrete. The group rode at a brisk pace and we made it out about 8 miles to an area that runs north of the tree line with an open field bordering on the right. Unfortunately, the recent wind and snow had created numerous drifts in this area and we were forced to turn around. We retraced our path back to the 281 bridge then headed east to do the "East Loop".

As we headed east we were riding face first into an unusual easterly wind and we were again reminded that it was indeed January. The "East Loop" of the Ark River trail is definitely designed for the patent rider. This section has some of the most twisty and tightest trail that a rider will ever see. It is heaven to those riders who have good bike handling skills. After finishing the loop, with the wind at our backs, we headed back to the bridge and then the short ride back up Main Street to the Bike Shop. I say it again, we are very lucky to have such a sweet trail right in our backyard. This trail was featured recently in a trail blog in Bicycle Magazine. I will do blog post on this in the near future

Once we returned to the shop, we had some of Doug's famous chili waiting to warm us up. The chili and conversation is always a highlight of the ride and this year we also enjoyed some homemade cinnamon rolls fresh from the oven of Teresa Dutton.

Another successful New Years Day ride is in the books and it was indeed a great way to kick-off the 2010 bike season. We have finalized the race schedule for 2010 and I will be posting that within the next week or so.

Until then, stay "Clipped In and Crankin".

2009, what a year!

It is hard to believe that 2009 is coming to a close. That old saying is definately true, "the older you get, the faster the years go by." Here is a quick look back at just afew of the 2009 highlights.

The year began with a couple of group trips down to Oklahoma. The first trip took us to Roman Nose and the other to Lake Murray. Both of these trails are really sweet rides but Roman Nose is the real deal and has become a real favorite of mine. The race season kicked off in March with the "Hills of Hell" at Lawton, OK. That is always an enjoyable trip but it was abit dissapointing this year because the course had been shortened to about 8 miles. Fortunately is sounds like they will have this back to a 15 mile layout for 2010 and we are already gearing up for that ride. I competed in several of the "Tour De Dirt" Series races. Even though I only raced in 4 of these events, I was still able to accumulate enough points to finish 5th overall. In these four events, I took 2nd at "Roman Nose", 2nd at "Tour De Lizard", 1st and "Red Dirt" and 4th at "Lake McMurtry". Congrats to Marty Desmarteau for winning the class. I plan on making it to 7 or 8 of the 10 races in this series in 2010. The month of May had us cranking in the always tough "Wilson Fat Tire Race". This is an exciting 15 1/2 mile layout and brings out a big crowd which includes most of the top riders in Kansas. I was able to shave almost an hour off my time when compared to 2008. I have logged many miles on this loop in 2009 and find my self craving this trail almost weekly. Bob Nicholson does a fantastic job maintaining this trail and now has added even more singletrack and has increased this to a 17 mile loop. Rode the "Cramp Alexander" race in Emporia in July and took first in that great event. Linda and I teamed up to race "Cruise the Blues" in late August and we brought home first place. I was able to race in my first 24 hour event in October and was it ever a blast. Teamed up with Brandon Kuhn and did the "24 Hours of Moab". In addition to the race we were able to ride the ultimate trail, "Slickrock". That was a great experience and one that really gets your competative juices flowing. The "Chamber of Horrors" ride on November 1st on the Arkansas River here at Great Bend is a ride, not a race. But, it is 40 tough miles with some great riders and is a must event each year. The year ended with the always tough "Coronado's Challenge" at Lindsborg just before Thanksgiving. This gruling 4 hour race is a good benchmark to tell just how much I have progressed throughout the year. In 2008, I finished 3rd in my class and this year I was able to bring home a first place while completing 5 laps.

Those are the highlights of 2009 and yes indeed it was a great year. We are currently putting the finishing touches on the 2010 race schedule and I will post the details on that in the next week or so. It is shaping up to be an unbelievable list of challenging events and it definately helps to keep me focused and training hard.

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

Maybe we don't have it so bad

Doug and I talked about riding outside tonight but in the end we both agreed there was probably still to much snow on the trail and the dirt roads are pretty muddy. For those of us who love to ride mountain bikes, this time of year is difficult. Spending hours on a trainer is pure hell but it is a necessary evil if you want to keep your fitness level up. Tonight I was doing some blog surfing and ran across an interesting read. This guy is a mountain biker living in Alaska. Yes...I said Alaska! I guess maybe we don't have it so bad here in Kansas and perhaps I just need to suck it up and ride. Oh well, looks like the weather this weekend will be decent so hopefully I can get in a ride on the Arkansas River trail one day and a Lake Wilson ride the other day. So, next time you think it might be to bad outside to ride, just think about the guy in Alaska.

Here is the link to Bicycles and Icicles blog:
http://alaskabikeblog.blogspot.com

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

Blanket Race = Round #1

Perfect fall weather greeted a total of 24 racers at the first race of this years Blanket Series MTB race which was held on Sunday, Nov. 29th. The venue for the race was the Lake Barton trail located just north of Great Bend. The course layout isn't very technical but the tight twisty forest trail definitely keeps you on your toes. The race starts with a 1/4 mile all out sprint of wide open grassy trail and big sweeping turns. Once you drop into the 2 mile forest loop, there are only afew good spots to pass. So, the start of this particular race is critical. As expected, Doug Chambers jumped out to a quick start and had the lead as he entered the tight forest section of the trail. Hot on Doug's wheel were Jon Shank, Brad Smith and Dave Nily. I had a decent start and found myself crank to crank with Morgan Stevens. I was able to gain a slight edge and my momentum carried me past her just before we entered the forest section. As the racers wound their way through the first lap of the forest section, Doug had began to create some distance between himself and the other riders. I managed to work my way up to Gary Mick who was running in 7th place and after riding his wheel for several minutes I was able find a space to squeeze past him just before the climb up the dam. After scaling the dam,riding the crest and dropping back into the old lake bed, I picked up some decent speed and headed towards the half-way point of the race. I finished out the first lap and was about 1/4 of the way through my second lap when Steve Dutton caught me. I was abit surprised to see him since I am usually eating his dust. However, Steve had busted his seat mount during a pre-race lap so he had been nursing his saddle up to that point. Steve was content to let me set the pace until the half way point of the second forest lap and I sensed he was ready to make a move so I eased over and he accelerated past me. Steve was able to create good space between the two of us and as we exited the forest and began the 1/4 mile cruise back to the finish line I had hoped to close the gap. However, he had no intention of that happening and was able to maintain a comfortable buffer between us. Crossing the finish line, I found myself in 8th place and I was happy with that considering how talented the seven riders ahead of me are.

Here is a final run down of where everyone finished and their race times:
1) Doug Chambers/20:45, 2) Jon Shank/21:05, 3) Brad Smith/21:24, 4) Dave Nily/21:36, 5) Jeff Stevens/21:51, 6) Brandon Kuhn/21:57, 7) Steve Dutton/ 22:08, 8) Mike Johnson/22:22, 9) Gary Mick/23:35, 10) Morgan Stevens/23:42, 11) Bob Nicholson/24:10, 12) Dodge Nily/24:43, 13) Alex Moyers/24:45, 14) Mark Flynn/25:00, 15) Ron Leiker/25:12, 16) Jim Lemen/25:13, 17) Wes Miller/25:28, 18) Danny Reimer/25:29, 19) Brian Holdsworth/25:43, 20) Austin Jacobs/26:15, 21) Paul Jacobs/26:36, 22) Ernie Garza/30:31, 23) Joni Stuckey/30:33, 24) Emma Flynn/31:58

Race #2 was to be held this past weekend at Coronado Heights near Lindsborg. However, the large amount of snow and ice reduced this race to pretty much just a ride and only a very limited number of participants was on hand.

Race #3 will be held at Lake Wilson on Jan, 17 with race #4 being held at the East Loop of the Ark River trail at Great Bend on Jan. 31.

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