Tall Tree Cycles Ride Log

Low Pressure Wednesday race 1.5

2012-01-29T09:44:00.001-05:00

Here is a repost of what is on the LPP blog, sounds like fun!

Tricia Spooner and Tall Tree Cycles had a fat bike demo yesterday at Mooney's Bay. Overall, it was quite successful, with about 50 people signing up to try out the bikes on a course that was twisty, well-packed, with a gentle rise and climb. While at the demo, someone (can't remember who: Matt, Sean?) suggested that the course would make for a fun gathering/race. Someone suggested a Madison so I am thinking ...

Low Pressure Wednesdays #1.5: Assured Madison Destruction!

The rules: -Two people, one bike. That's right, you share a bike (think of it as the demo day continued). Find someone with a fat bike or a mountain bike with wider tires, find a seat height that mostly works for both of you, and pedal! If you don't have a partner, or want to partner up with a fat bike, show up early and we'll see what we can do. But just in case, bring your own bike.

-Body contact is allowed (we have a score to settle, Mr. Johnson). Rest assured, you are not going to hit anything: the course is on an open field. That said, don't come with the intention of playing smash-up derby; that shit will get you thrown to the curb.

-Race is 45 minutes and a lap.

-Have lights.

-Race starts at 8 pm. Every team throws in a toonie, winners takes all, unless someone's bike get damaged. Meet at the 1st parking lot in from Riverside and Ridgewood intersection.

Low Pressure Wednesday Kick-off

2012-01-26T08:00:00.000-05:00

Last night about 15 riders assembled at Hampton Park ready for what Grant had on tap: whisky, a jug of hot tottie, and an exciting race course. Blinding lights mounted to heads and bikes, we toured the course and quickly became befuddled by many an unmarked turn. Ok, cyclocross meets Itidarod meets orienteering, I can get down with that, even if some refer to me as Surch and Rescue. Not because I do the searching and rescuing....

The format was simple: clomp to the centre of the baseball diamond, stand there. Wait for a false start, then go again for the real start that seems false. Jump the fence. Get on your bike. Proceed to stunt #1, the skinny, a bench ride. Sweet, ride that and you save doing the ride-around. Out into a field, tight turn, try to ride a ribbon of grainy snow; extremely challenging. I think Rob alone cleaned it. Turn, turn, drop into the pool and hit the snow ramp to exit. Head into woods, singletrack, down a bank, back up, more singletrack, descent to a bumpy ribbon shortcut, icy road climb, singletrack, down and up the same bank again, singletrack, wide open through the park back to the baseball diamond. Rinse (every other lap, whisky or hot tottie), repeat.

After a slow start, my heart rate was spiked and stayed that way, 84% of max acerage the whole time. Why? 'Cause Rob, Neil and Jim were pinning it, and I didn't want to navigate! Or get dropped; lets be honest.

Jimbo's vintage Stumpjumper with DH tires rolled well, but he might have succumbed to ice, as Rob, Neil and I shed him after a lap, and continued on with Martin in pursuit. Somewhat surprisingly, we all stayed upright, though Neil managed to come off the pace one way or another. Next time lets start at the back, ok guys? I don't want to taste blood in the winter.

While Neil took a shortcut through the ball diamont to regain contact, Rob waited for me to tie my boot, and we were off. Neil came unhitched again (heart-rate monitor malfunction, he claims), so Rob and I headed into the last two laps together, Rob leading. I knew it would be extremely difficult to come around for the finish, but tried anyhow, crashing and bashing over ice ruts as Rob powered on. He nipped my by 6", then dynamically dismounted and hopped over the fence while I did my best not to run him over. WTF? Ohhhhh, LeMans finish too. Right, didn't catch that. Rinse.

Martin came in next, followed by the rest, all smiling. Definitely a success, and I'm sure everyone is looking forward to the next race.

Video By Yariv

Photos, snapped by Will, can be found here.

Keep an eye on the event site, http://lowpressureproductions.blogspot.com/ for more.

Don't forget about the Fat Bike Demo on Saturday at Mooney's Bay!

Its Time to Rock

2012-01-22T08:27:00.000-05:00

Fat Bike Demo Event

2012-01-19T12:18:00.001-05:00

Tall Tree Cycles and Tricia K. Spooner, Investment Advisor CIBC Wood Gundy invite you to attend the Fat Bike (aka Snow Bike) Demo Day.

Date: Saturday, January 28^th

Time: 11:30 - 3:00pm

Where: Terry Fox Athletic Facility, 2960 Riverside Drive

Pre-registration is required.

Please email tricia.spooner@cibc.ca to reserve your time slot or with any questions.

Low Presure Productions

2012-01-09T15:58:00.003-05:00

Here be the latest fat tire blog. It's local, and hosting a very cool night time fun race series.

Have a look, tell your friends and spread the word!

"Honey, do these tires make my butt look big?"

http://lowpressureproductions.blogspot.com/

Need Stuff?

2011-12-28T13:33:00.002-05:00

Eastern Ontario CX Upper Canada VIllage

2011-11-24T09:00:00.000-05:00

Mike ripping in Upper Canada. (photo: Graham Page)

I've lived in Ottawa most of my life. I grew up here, but it took a cyclocross race to get me to Upper Canada Village for the first time. Not that I didn't want to go as a kid; I simply never did. In hindsight I can't understand how that happened, or rather didn't happen...better late than never.

Despite the Village being closed for business on Sunday, I still got a chance to get a sense of the place, and I look forward to going back with my family. It would be nice to race there while the place is open, but I suspect they are too busy for that to be safe for the kids running around.

Those of us visiting the Village for the first time to race didn't know what to expect from the terrain. I was surprised, pleasantly, to see a fair sized hill in the centre of the course with a fast downhill into a hairpin that looked fun. The course looked expansive, though didn't feel that way once riding. Following a good sized B field, a small A group lined up just as the clouds positioned themselves for a dousing. As we were about to launch the rain began.

With Steve Proulx racing the Anvil in Nepean, my next closest competitors in the Masters A field were Craig "Smoking Guns" Hawkes and Charles Plamondon. Both were vying for big points, as was I, so I knew I'd have to ride well. Neil and Imad would surely apply pressure from the Senior group, and I'd aim to go with them and work hard to stay out of trouble.

Off to a good start, Neil forgot or ignored my advice to cut the first turn by using the dirt shoulder, allowing my to come up his inside and lead the pack into the first section of grass. My pace was clearly not as fast as that pressed by the usual suspects at the front, which meant the field was still pretty close over the first half of the lap. Neil and Craig were in tow, while Charles, Todd, and Marcel (among others) chased. On either lap one or two, Neil attempted to remount on a hill with a barrier at the base, and erred (his chain dropped). I pressed the meat hard and created a gap with Neil and Craig about 5 seconds back. With a fair bit of wind along the St. Lawrence River gravel road, I'd planned to try to avoid pulling into the wind solo a lot, but now I had no choice. I accepted the race would hurt more than I had hoped, put my head down, and rode. Nearing two laps to go, I committed an unforced error approaching a set of double barriers; I failed to unclip and ate it. My bike landed on my ear, but everything was A-ok, so I was able to get back on and keep going without delay. However, Neil was now on my wheel, and I'd have to fight.

After pulling for a bit, then changing positions and following Neil through the wind, he outpowered me on the first run-up, only to have me close by taking a drier line up to the second hill-mounted barrier. Right on his tail, I was careful not to position myself in such a way that I'd hit him if he slid out. He held his lines, leaving me little room to make a move, until rolling onto the flat pavement we'd started on. Since it had rained hard for a good half hour, I was not confident about taking my dirt line, figuring I might sink in enough to slow down rather than gain ground. Heading toward a 90 degree turn onto an uphill paved path, I attempted to get in front, but Neil closed me down. We headed up the hill, Neil in the saddle, my watching. I couldn't tell whether he was tired or waiting, so I went again, attempting to get to the hairpin turn at the top first. Neil countered, and held even with me, him on the left, me on the right. This placed me on the outside of the turn, the weaker position. Nevertheless, I kept my speed up all the way to the top, and tried to turn. But Neil wasn't giving up any ground, which meant I ran out of room to turn and wound up augering into one of the course stakes and tape. Full stop, Neil was off, and I was off the bike to turn it around and finish off. One turn to go, there was not a change I'd catch up, so that was that. My gamble didn't work out, but it was fun trying. Next time perhaps I'll have the presence of mind to ease up and dive under....

Todd finished 3rd Master, his best result to date, after Charles Plamondon, followed by Jamie and Jim in 4th and 5th (also top finishes), and Andy came in mud covered 10th, grinning. Earlier Tanya and Mike battled it out to strong finishes, 3rd and 2nd, respectively, gaining valuable points for the overall competition. The course had become greasy, and was fun all around. It turned out to be a power course, but the effort was pretty steady, with the only spikes coming on the two hill run-ups. I look forward to racing at the Village again.

While we were racing in Upper Canada, Rob Parniak hit up the Anvil at the Nepean Equestrian centre....and won the Master A race! Congrats Rob, way to go! It was a great deal for Steelwool and Tall Tree riders.

Next up is the final race of the season, #10 in Almonte. With snow on Wednesday and rain to come, I suspect we'll get another taste of classic cyclocross conditions come Sunday. I'll be gunning to secure the series victory, and Rob could take the third spot if the stars align. Meanwhile Mike's in the running for the Master's B second place spot; I'm not sure whether its mathematically possible for him to overtake Jay Heins. Thom and Will will be there with their tent, coffee and pastries for folks to enjoy, so keep an eye out for them. It ought to be a great cap to the season, so c'mon out, and don't forget your cowbell!

2011 Ontario Cyclocross Nationals

2011-11-23T09:00:00.000-05:00

Ride with Rendall brought the Ontario Provincial Cyclocross Championships to Ottawa this year, building on two years of races held at the Nepean Equestrian Centre. Featuring a whole lot of tape and a whole lot of turns, the Hammer and Anvil tracks are all about cornering and accellerating. With virtually no cruise control sections on the track, racers were out for a hard hour of racing.

A dry day with a good bit of wind, Saturday delivered the fastest CX track conditions I've encountered. While I'd normally think tire like out Clement PDX tubulars would be just right for such a twisty course, the grass was so dry and grippy I think a file tread with a side knob would have been better. Pre-race, Rob commented he'd added air to account for the extra grip; he didn't want to roll a tire. I left mine alone, as they felt fine in warmup. As it turned out, my rear tire squirmed around so much I thought I had a slow leak!

All of our male riders lined up for the Masters A (30-39) start at 1:30pm. Hours later than usual for us, it felt off having so much time to fritter away before the race. To his chagrin, Iain lined up with the Senior field rather than the Masters, having to default to his road category. A minute after they went off, so did we.

Andy heads into the difficult off-camber turn.

Jamie, same place

The pace off the start was fine, though I seemed inept at clipping in, losing some ground I'd have to make up. Peter Moog was in the lead, followed by local John Fee and Jon Barnes from Toronto. I sat in fourth and tried to be patient, watching carefully to see whether Fee would stay on Moog. I slipped into third spot somehow, and found myself narrowly avoiding going down on the most challenging offcamber turn when Moog slid out. I dismounted and ran, trying to get onto his wheel as the other two were delayed. Moog was elusive, and I was unable to hold his wheel, so I worked alone, lap after lap, moving through the back of the Senior field. A rival from T.O., Tristan Smith, shod with a chest-mounted video camera, was closing. With about 4 laps to go (of 9), he caught me, then played it smart and sat on my wheel until he was ready to attack. I went with him, but ultimately clipped a pedal and saw him open his gap enough that I could not close. On I went, only to realize late in the race that Barnes and Fee wwere chasing hard and gunning for my podium spot! Heading into the final lap I buried myself, and kept the pressure on at 100% effort to keep them at a distance. The race had been gruelling, working in the wind alone for much of the time and never really feeling good. I couldn't let 3rd slip away....It felt good to step onto the podium after a near miss at Nationals.

Rob finished a strong 8th, followed by Jamie and Andy in 12th and 13th, and Tanya 7th in the Masters A field. Iain took 9th in the Senior field, a solid result for a guy who's pretty green on the cross bike!

Thanks to Greg, Mark, Chris and Mike for coming out to support our racers. I can't overstate how much it helps to be urged on out there when we're suffering. Thanks to Ride with Rendall for putting on a great race, and all the folks from out of town who came to compete. The more the merrier! Congrats to all the Provincial Champions!

Jamie Over the barriers.

Jamie powering out of the off-camber

Matt, mid off-camber

Rob powers up and out

Matt, cooked....

Thanks for the hand-up Chris!

Moog #1, Smith #2, Surch #3. See the Steelwool cap? Available now at the shop!

Kingston 'Cross 2011

2011-11-14T09:00:00.001-05:00

Todd shrugged off the damage he took to his hand during a crash on gravel. Turns out my electrolyte drink served as an effective cleaning fluid. Gnarly.

Four hours in t he car on Sunday was worth it. While many Ottawa-based CX racers are finding it challenging to find the extra time required to drive to some if not all the out of town venues, those who made it to Kingston on Sunday were welcomed by many spectators and an excellent race course. Featuring long 10 minute-plus laps, the course had it all. A few features were striking, including a long stair run-up and serpentine descent. This was a course for those who could dismount well, with five forced leaps off the bikeI In fact gamut of skills were necessary on this track. Post race conversation among our Tall Tree/Steelwool folks confirmed the 'most rockin' feature had to be the roll in we were hitting full speed and pumping to keep the wheels planted. If hucking was desired, hucking could have easily been accomplished. The drop allowed confident riders to carry more speed and gain a second or two with no extra energy; outstanding.

While the A race went down with no significant injuries, unfortunately the same can't be said for the B race. Sadly, one of the men in the race took an awkward fall in the snaking desent and fractured his leg. I don't know specifically who it was, but wish him well in his recovery.

The A race was fast and furious. Imad led us out over the first lap, to be superceded by Osmund. I managed to get past Steve Proulx on the second lap (first full lap), and pulled away with Neil, to have Doug VdH bridge up. Meanwhile, Steve, Marc Boudreau and Matteo formed a chase group and drove hard to close. After slipping back from Neil and Doug, I maintained a tenacious mental game and fought to stay close and not allow the chasers to bridge. Many a spectator recommended the same tack, thus preventing me from letting up, easing the pain, and letting the others come to me. The dismounts were hardly more than flail-fests, but I was determined to drive hard, which meant I was nearly blowing up, but pushing on, a few times every lap. With two to go, Boudreau pulled away from Matteo, and Steve was nowhere to be seen. Marc was closing the gap, so I kept the pressure on and kept hime at bay until I caught Neil on the last lap. Neil was clearly recovering (from Doug's repeated vicious attacks, he'd later tell me), and I didn't want to make a dangerous pass, which allowed Marc to get on. Neil faltered leading into the stair run-up, leaving Marc and me to duke it out. Totally gassed after the stairs, Marc had the door wide open to pass, which he promptly did, allowing him to lead into the snake run downhill. Turning onto the uphill finish on Marc's wheel, I knew I didn't have as much, let alone more than he had to give, so away he sprinted to third overall, leaving me in 4th, 1st Master A. No regrets, Marc rode a blazing final lap, an excellent display of skill and power. Bagged but smiling, I was yet happier to see my team-mates roll in with strong finishes too, with Iain in 4th, Rob 5th, Jamie 6th and Todd in 8th. The guys are all motivated by the overall points ranking, and Sunday's results might well have solidified top 10 finishes for all of them. We've got two more races to accrue points; its great to have the overall as a motivator!

Mike finished a strong 3rd in the B race, Anna 6th, and Tanya 5th, excellent! Everyone is riding consistently right now and many are still improving each race. Bring on Provincials on Saturday, and Upper Canada Village on Sunday!

Double Bill: CX Nationals and Perth CX Weekend Bonanza

2011-11-08T08:51:00.000-05:00

This past weekend marked the first of two double CX weekends on my schedule this season. I love doing races back to back, but its surely a good thing I don't have opportunity to do that every weekend. If I were flying solo it wouldn't be a big deal, but it must be awfully tough for those with families. I'm happy to take in a couple each fall.

Saturday's race was event I've been 'focusing' on all season. After welcoming my son in March, my plan was to take things as they came with road and mtb racing and try to be in good form for CX. Nationals would be in Toronto, mid-season, so I'd have ample time to tune up. As the weeks progressed through October, it became more challenging to get adequate training in outside, so I hit the trainer to do intervals. Hopped up on a colleague's dad's home brewed echinacea and goldenseal tincture and regular doses of vitamin D, I was staying on top of the multiple bugs entering my system via ample exposure to my kids. Friday involved more Toronto driving than I'd curse anyone with, but I felt good if not a bit mellow come Saturday morning.

Last year's Nationals, also in Toronto, was rather lackluster for me. I was coming off walking pneumonia and not at my best. Jamie was going well though, and I think we rode a bit together, if memory serves. This time round we were once again the two Tall Tree riders representing, though this time flying the Steelwool colours, given the launch of the Truffle Pigs we're on. Jamie's still ramping up, after a busy foray into home renos over the last couple months, and was hoping to improve on his 12 place finish from 2010. I'd come 7th, and was aiming for at least a top 5, if not a podium. You have to aim high.

Steve, who recently returned to Toronto, his hometown, to take up residence, was on hand helping us out with logistics (taking our jackets and knee warmers) and taking photos. He'd be one of many with Ottawa ties to cheer us on along the course.

The morning had broken cold and clear, frost covering the ground and rapidly melting as the sun cast its glow over the hill and flat grounds of Pine Point Park. We couldn't tell how deep the frost penetrated, so we could only speculate about how the course would evolve over the two hours of racing preceding our 11 am start. Riding from 8:00 until 8:45 gave us a rare opportunity to experience what the local B racers often undergo. Slippery, but fairly predictable.

The race course would have to be characterized as 'turny.' Turns dominated its design in terms of handling, but at the same time, a medium sized hill also featured heavily, as racers were routed up it three different ways. One approach was a steep bank that Rob Orange impressed many on by riding up, while most others ran. I ran, after never making it in practice. The other two ascents were different, one switchbacking with a kick at the end, the other a straight run up with the same kick. I can honestly say the hill was not my favourite feature. Perhaps if I was 5 or 10 pounds leaner I'd like it more. Perhaps not. The other aspect of the course that was significant was the long flat straights on the backside. There was little wind in the morning, which made these less difficult for strung out riders than they could have. Overall, the course was well balanced by these three main components.

I won't go into gory details, but suffice it to say that our Master 30-39 race was high paced and painful. Jamie drew a front row call-up, and I say in the second. Too much traffic off the start required a 100% effort on the second straight to move up to the front. Heading into the woods, a singletrack, no passing sector, I was third. The Albertan in front of me was clearly strong, but braked in every turn as the man to beat, Peter Moog, National Champ three years prior, didn't brake, and pulled away. I spent a great deal of effort trying to get by, and did, then tried to claw my way to Moog. I was at the limit, erred, went down, and the next two, both Albertans, went by. From there, I was not able to close the gap that opened, and only narrowed it to 4 seconds, despite my best efforts. Jon Barnes took over the pace making, rode strong and skillfully, but we didn't make up ground. After he, like many, went down on a greasy turn on the backside of the course, I had to go hard, and this proved decisive, as I opened a gap and rode out the last lap to claim 4th spot. In hindsight I could only wonder whether I ought to have never chased Moog in the first place. Looking at the lap times, I think it was the right move, it simply didn't work out. Hopefully Nationals will fall in Eastern Canada next year, and I'll get to try again. Congrats to Mr. Moog, Chris McNeil, and John Clark for their podium performances. Moog took his fourth National Champion jersey home (in a row), quite a display of dominance! Thanks to Jon Barnes for riding like a gentleman. I dedicate my 4th ahead of Jon to Rob Parniak.

Jamie improved on last year's result in 11th spot, despite coming in with perhaps less form. Experience counts for an awful lot. Next year it'll be a top 10! If we go.

That's enough for now, I'll post photos from Perth on Wednesday.

A mid-season reflection on ‘Cross

2011-10-28T17:37:00.002-04:00

Cyclocross season 2011 brought with it some changes, no more races in Ottawa which meant a bit more driving and perhaps (hopefully not) less participation. The first race of the season was held at the first time venue of calabogie peaks. Last event there was likely the off-road tri I did about 4 years ago. The day was beautiful and sunny, the course was a delight for most - although some professed to have a hate-on for the sandy sections, while I despised the loose hill climb with no toe spikes. I expected to have a mediocre race (and season) due to the type and amount of athletic endeavours in which I had partaken as of late. Surprisingly found myself up with the almost top guys of Belinkey and Heins only to have dropped a chain and 50 m just prior to the last lap. Somehow I summoned a suitcase of courage and bridged the gap on the flats to eventually sneak David (who did a LOT of work throughout) at the finish to take 3rd.

Race 2 was the always fun madison at the familiar and typically mtn bikey venue of Almonte. Noah and I were teamed together and we seemed to keep a great pace with some of the other Tree teams of Grant and Matt, Rodd and Alex; and while Andy took a bit out of Noah I managed to keep Jim in my sights. The weather was a contrast to the previous week, coolish and grey with a few spittles, but a dry race.

Race 3 brings us to what was last year a very bumpy frozen Renfrew fairgrounds. This year still had some bumps but was a bit more forgiving...the Clement PDX seems to have aided as well. A group of green Trees were up early to set the course. While not my favourite course I do find it fun with the spectator stands to wind up and around...and later to observe from. A great start again for me but somehow on a second lap remount my pedal came out of the crank-arm. It must have worked loose on practice laps and ....This dropped me from Jay’s wheel in 5th to about 45th place as I tried to put the pedal back in by hand then failing that one legged it along the back stretch and bumpy grass to eventually reach the parking lot where I got a wrench from Andrew Olive. A couple minutes later I was back in the game and passing people left and right....kind of a surreal experience. Managed to put in some solid lap times that would have otherwise put me into contention for the top 3 again but alas only made it to 20 or so. Another lovely day was had.

Race 4 took us to Logos Land Christian retreat....which kept me thinking of dismounting over lego barriers. Never heard of this place before but it seemed to be a hit with all who partook. This was an exceeeeedingly long course but it was shaping up to be another dry day after imminent threats of a deluge prior. The base here is very sandy which was quite forgiving and would result in a pretty manageable course even in wet conditions. The length of each lap was daunting and after a start right at the back of the pack due to an ill-timed pee break as Bob was speaking prior to the start, I had to hammer through the field in desperation. Withing the first lap I caught Dave Munden, J-C and a few others to ride with. We did a lot of leapfrogging though the course as it contained such a wide variety of open flats, twisty woods, sandy ruts and a couple of hard grunts. Dave washed out at the little stream section before the picnic table section and this was the opportunity for J-C and I to hammer some distance. Eventually we came to Chris Olsen riding backwards and the three of us did some leap-frogging over the last lap. On the last hill after the barrier then 180, J-C put the quads to the rods and rode away from me. I had nothing left to hang on and just concentrated in staying ahead of Chris for another 3rd place finish.

Finally race number 5 brings us back to a challenging Renfrew course at Mah-ta-way park. A few cool mtn bikey elements along with a lot of flat power sections were augmented with a tricky off-camber greasy ditch section. I managed to ride this one on the low part, while others had success with the top. Many had difficulties here. This time the ladies started 2 minutes ahead and as suspected we were clamouring to get space in the ditch and again at the steep dirty climb into the forest. Traffic on the first couple of laps negated riding this climb but after than it was a go...at least for a few of us. Apparently many in the first race were not successful or not even attempting to ride it. The slick dirt however seemed to serendipitously dry out a fair bit for the second race. The forest is lovely and even though your are still hammering for the first 50 m into it there seems to be a tempered reprieve - if only for a fleeting moment - before the VERY tight switchbacks down. With the addition of Andy Leger, Marc the point, and Old man Orange the top end of the field had some stiff competition and some points defrayed. A 6th place sounds a bit slack but was actually a pretty solid race, tho with a 15 second lead on Belinkey and J-C coming down the last gravel road they almost caught me at the steep run-up to finish. This was again a beautiful warm sunny day...very un-crosslike !

So after five races the series seems to be going pretty good for everyone. The Wooly Trees are experiencing some great results and everyone seems happy with their new steeds. Will have to wait til next year and a smaller size to join that club....I’m having better results than expected and more importantly, a lot of fun so far. This weekend will be a Halloween break but next up will be Perth...a really fun course last year so I look forward to that...and the rest !

Renfrew Ma-Ta-Wey Park CX

2011-10-24T20:39:00.000-04:00

Ouch. Terrific course, long laps, and a death march uphill finish. A bit of barfing, plenty of maxed heart rates, lots-o ripped lungs, and the odd heinous muscle spasm. Glad to see an extended off-camber section, a taste of Europe, and a great variety of turns to test technique. My nemesis, Steve Proulx, crashed in front of me going through a ditch, which led to me stomping on his Zipp front wheel....eeee. Steve's tire rolled, yet he still managed to get back up to me, pass me, and ride away. Respek. I'll have to get faster, maybe pedalling harder will work? Yep, its probably just that. Or more beet juice.

Aarg, I be Captain Pegleg, where be my treasure?

This is called child's pose, aka, the fetal position. Assume this and you know you've left it all on the course. Own it.

Logos Land CX

2011-10-19T22:20:00.002-04:00

Logos Land. An odd place, and a terrific cyclocross venue. The property was expansive, and afforded Bob and company room to create a 10minute plus lap, long for CX. The terrain varied, and favoured a well rounded racer, particularly those who could climb. We'll be fortunate if we're invited back to race again, and I'm sure all will be eager to see how the course will be laid out.

Double Cross III Redux

2011-10-12T12:15:00.001-04:00

The Rock, Meech Lake. We used to ride down this...now its deadly.

Most Ottawa valley residents have likely noticed a fair bit of anomalous weather of the last couple decades. When I was a kid, the seasons seemed to turn over fairly consistently, including winter, which I tracked carefully due to my hockey obsession. Spring tended to really be in full swing around Easter, and summer was summery. Fall was nice for a bit, then gray. Then we got hit with the ice storm, a few winters with little snow, a winter with MASSIVE snow, the warmest March ever, a summer/fall with the most rainfall ever, and just this past weekend, the warmest, most beautiful Thanksgiving weekend ever. At least, that I've heard of. So sometimes climate change sucks for us in the valley, and other times it rules. This Thanksgiving weekend it ruled.

After a great CX race in Renfrew on Sunday, a bit of swapping was required to get bikes Double Cross ready. With the forecast calling for nothing but sun and temps in the high 20s, water bottle cages had to be mounted. With many leaves down, and plenty of rocks on the route ahead, carbon tubulars and the like were puled off, and aluminum rims shod with higher volume tires thrown on. Unless you are a honch like John Large, in which case 28c slicks would do. Pack the saddlebag with treats, and off to Gamelin to assemble.

The before-math.

Sunday saw an outstanding turnout for the ride. Despite many potential riders having other holiday commitments, 50-60 folks showed up at the gate, ready to donate to Bicycles for Humanity and take in a terrific ride. After pulling in an incredible $465 in donations for B4H and distributing cues to all the riders, we were off shortly after 9.

Rolling out on the Gatineau Parkway before it became a parking lot. Maybe tour buses instead of cars would make sense?

We set a mellow pace down the Gatineau Parkway to start, and kept that up until Scott Road, when Pascal, functioning as ride marshal, let us know that the riding was getting dicey in the back, so we ought to pick it up and string it out. So we did, and I think that helped smooth things out. The front group continued a quick pace once we hit the trail, and continued on, making good progress, while groups naturally formed behind. Before we knew it, we were all reconvening at Pipolinka, and enjoying coffee, soup, sandwiches, empanadas, and baked treats. Phil and his crew were ready for us, and I think everyone enjoyed their fare.

Alex.

Steve was in the house, glad he made it. Jamie on the left.

Pipolinka!

Steelwools were in ample supply. Truffle Pigs flank Steve's Rover.

Aarg, the cougar was all over Buffalo Rider's back...

Ahhh, the valley....

Once all the other groups had rolled out, our green machine hit the road. Once on trail again, we were all treated to fresh sand (!) dumped on the steepest pitches. With much effort, the first few were rideable, but the last was impossible. None of us could conceive of a reason why the NCC's contractors would think it wise to dump masses of sand on steep pitches of trail. It is dangerous going down - imagine trying to steer around a family with a dog in sand - and it is generally almost impossible to ride up. Plus, it will not be a stable surface to weather rain. I hope more work will be done to these sections to make them both rideable and safe. Building them up into ridges, like on Penguin, would not be wise, so I hope that is not done. Trails like that are deadly.

Alex and Iain, soaking up the sun.

Wrapping things up, many folks caught up with each other at the gate and either rolled home or headed out for a drink on a patio. We can only hope for weather half as good for next year's ride. We'll very likely maintain the same route, as it seemed to balance all the elements we want (distance, smoothish trail surface, limited foot traffic, scenery, interesting trail features) the ride. We do have longer CX bike routes that might appeal to the more adventurous out there, so if you think you'd be interested in tackling an epic route next summer (also self supported, yada yada), let us know.
Thanks go out to Greg Cosgrove for another great poster, and of course, to all the riders (not least Greg from Kingston!) for coming out to make the ride so much fun. An extra big thank you to everyone for your generous donations to Bicycles for Humanity. The $465 will be very much appreciated by the fine folks there; shipping bikes to Africa is expensive!

Double Cross III: Thanksgiving Monday!

2011-10-06T11:15:00.001-04:00

All right folks, bust your fattest CX tires out and get ready for the best CX ride of the season. Featuring road, trail, and Pipolinka, the route is an 85k loop.

UPDATE: GPS trace of Monday's route is up: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/752708

When is it again, where?
Thanksgiving Monday, October 10, 09:00, Gamelin Gate of the Gatineau Parkway. 09:00 is the departure time, so please arrive early enough make a donation to Bicycles for Humanity and receive your cue sheet.

So is it a race?
No, Double Cross is an un-race. Ok, so what the heck is that, you're asking? Think our Ride of the Damned format. Like the Ride of the Damned, Double Cross is all about creating the context where teams - in this case of 2 rather than 5 - can do whatever they feel works for them, be it ride full on, or more conversation pace. Its up to teams to decide what they want out of the ride. We provide the route and let everyone loose. There are no prizes for placing. Whoever finishes first will simply be finished, first.

Why teams of two?

Good question. Teams afford riders some security in the case of a mechanical, biological, or navigational. With this being an offroad ride on cross bikes, flats are a real threat. Teams of two means not too many folks are held up waiting for flat fixes, and its a lot easier to find one friend to team up with for a ride like this than more. It is fall after all, and a lot of riders have called the season a done deal. Ideally, you'll want to pair up with someone who you can ride your comfortable pace with. If your partner likes to bring along lots of spare tubes and tools, or say, cookies and whisky, that's good too.

Last year a we rolled as one big group in neutral start fashion to the Pine Road trailhead. At least that was the idea. This time we won't require a neutral start. Groups can form organically once we roll out. If teams decide to just ride their own pace, there will likely be some natural grouping along the way for various reasons. The issue with maintaining a large group is that everyone waits for every issue to be resolved, be it a flat or otherwise. So the whole ride takes a lot longer than necessary. If teams want to hang with other teams, I advise you to make your intentions very clear so everyone knows the plan.

If we have an odd number we'll form a team of three. Lets preserve the spirit of the ride.

How will the route unfold?
After some route testing over the summer, we've improved on the 2010 route to reduce pinch flat areas, including some of the areas degraded by heavy rains.

We will all roll from the Gamelin Gate to Mine Road. We'll work our way over to Scott Road, then Highway 105, which we will follow until the split to River Road. At this point, we'll continue on the 105 to Pine Road, turn left onto it, and continue straight onto the trail (#50). We'll take the 50 all the way to Lac Phillipe, then ride along the lake to P19. From there we'll take the 51, followed by a right onto the 53. This will lead us to the 53/52 junction, where we'll head left and downhill under the Highway 5, past Le Moulin, and deliver us to Pipolinka's door. Think of Pipolinka as a lunch stop in a randonnee or century ride. No rush, enjoy it.

When each team is ready to roll, head toward the Gatineau River and turn Right on River/side Road. Ride toward the train tracks, and as you reach them, head up to the Right on Rockhurst (stiff climb). Stay on Rockhurst, cross the 105, and continue straight as the road becomes Chemin du Lac Brown. From the Brown Lake cabins, head up the 57, and connect to the 52; turn left. Follow the 52 to the 50, turn Left, then follow back to Pine Road, and retrace your track back to the Gate, or wherever you need to go from there.

Now, there is an option for more dirt that can be exercised if desired. Rather than taking the 50 all the back to Pine road, teams can opt to head right, onto the 36. This section is rougher than everything else, so know that. It spits you out at O'Brien beach. Rather than having everyone take this route, which would simply be too much for many, I've factored it as optional. There might be faster teams and groups who'd like to meet up with slower ones at the end. This is totally doable by taking these two different last legs.

Please familiarize yourself with the map. We won't be providing any. Like a randonnee, some preparation is required on your part to know, as a team, where you are going. If you are not familiar with the trails in the park, this is a good opportunity to put your navigation skills to work. Its very hard to go wrong with this route, and there are maps around in the park to refer to. You can print the map above, or purchase one from any of the NCC information centres, or World of Maps on Richmond Road.

What happens at the end?
Nothing is prescribed here, many will be heading to Thanksgiving dinners. Those who don't have commitments after the ride may want to catch a drink and food afterwards. This will likely largely depend on the weather. In the event of rain, most will likely want to get home and into warm clothes. Its probably best to play it by ear and make plans on the fly.

If you bring a camera along, be sure to send a link to your photos afterwards. We'll put those up on the aftermath post.

Note:
Please remember that this ride, while free, is also an opportunity to devote some dollars to a good cause, Bicycles for Humanity. At the gate, Tall Tree Tanya (The Vegan Vagabond), will be collecting donations and handing out cue sheets. This will be your opportunity to make a donation. If you want to make a donation that is sizable enough to require a receipt, don't expect one, I won't have any. Such donations can be made online. Bring bills if you can, they're lighter!

Please feel free to post questions in the comments, or email me: talltreerides@gmail.com

Eastern Ontario CX #2: Almonte Madison

2011-10-03T11:09:00.001-04:00

Sunday's Madison in Almonte featured a challenging course with many difficult turns. While the typical wooded sections were left out, the course was far from easy. The classic off camber hairpin on the 'big hill' was perhaps harder than other year's I've ridden it, or perhaps I was simply lacking poise. Off the start I led the pack into it and promptly slid out…

Will and Thom were out with the pop up tent and hot coffee for all. If you missed out, make sure you find them next time. Will snapped a slew of great photos, while Jamie christened his new Truffle Pig team bike. It was also a first time out for our new Steelwool jerseys. Our official Steelwool CX team consists of Anna, Jamie, Rob and myself, so all but Rob (who was out of town for the weekend) were flying our blue steel kit. Fingers crossed that our skinsuits will show up soon, for full race effect…and warmth.

About to slide out...

Radical Iain Radford!

Noah

Alek

Grant

Anna

Martin

Kent

Matt

Mike

Rodd

Matt

Jim

Jamie

Noah

Grant

Anna and Andy

Kent

Jim and Rodd

Matt

Rodd

Tanya

Kim, first CX race evaaar!

Katy's first race evaaaar too!

Jamie's Truffle Pig...hot!

Matt's TP, long!

Improved mud clearnace over the prototypes, excellent!

Clement PDX tubulars mounted to carbon rims; light, responsive, and grippy.

Kent's outstanding handmade out for its first ride.

Eastern Ontario CX#1: Calabogie Peaks

2011-09-27T13:14:00.005-04:00

The drive to Calabogie was beautiful. If the road was wider, this would make for gorgeous riding. With no shoulder, its a little risky with a group.

CX season arrived on Sunday in the Ottawa Valley with our sojourn to Calabogie Peaks for the first race of the Eastern Ontario cyclocross series. Traditionally a predominantly Ottawa-based series, 2011 marks a departure from the norm, due to the City of Ottawa's opposition to cyclocross-induced 'damage' to city parks. The epic rain the region received last year set up the conditions for a couple muckier races than usual, and the City responded with the revocation of the Series' permits for the rest of the season's races. Bob Woods and Ian Austen worked hard to salvage the season, and their admirable efforts kept us racing without a single missed race. This season, after a summer of being ignored by the City, the Series resumes at some of the venues that have welcomed us for years, along with new ones that are happy to have cyclists visit. It feels good to be welcome.

Welcome indeed we were at Calabogie Peaks on Sunday. After a beautiful leg from Highway 17, resplendent with fall colours, we arrived in time to join Thom and Will at the Steelwool tent to see the first race get underway. A very large field impressed upon me the enthusiasm for CX the region. While I am aware of a number of people who have to abstain this year due to the lack of time to spend on the extra travel, there were still many, many riders out to race. The accessibility of the Ottawa venues have been a big part of why CX has grown so vigorously in Ottawa over the last 5 years, so it would be a shame to see that momentum lost due to the biased perspective of a City official.

Steel with a pinch of carbon. Mmmm.

On to the racing. The main feature of Sunday's course was sand. In addition, rocks were strewn throughout, which led to a few flats in the first race. Seeing this, we added a bit of extra air to protect the tires, which provided a rougher ride than usual. The sandy turns required aggressive technique to muscle through, and rewarded commitment. The tarrain at the base of the hill was well utilized, featuring a good mix of long straights, tricky loose turns, a quick uphill barrier, a barrier to run up, a sandy double barrier, two climbs, and a sand death spiral. Laps were perhaps medium length, about 7 minutes, so we races 9 laps.

Despite the drive, a number of kids made it out to race, and the first race was a large field of 80 or so riders.

The first race featured four Tall Tree folks: Anna, Alec, Grant and Mike. Alec and Grant were newbies, Anna and Mike vets. Both Anna and Mike were up in the mix dicing it out. Anna battled Jenny and made her move at the right time to take 3rd spot, and Mike was poised for third (by my estimation) until he dropped his chain on the death spiral. He fought back though and caught back up to Bilenky and Heins, a valient effort. His last lap was lost into the ether though, so its hard to say where he actually landed (edit: 3rd). Grant and Alec had a great first race, with perhaps a few foibles. Alec started out mellow, but impressed everyone with his hard charge over the last couple laps, throttle wide open and flying. I can't wait to see him out there on Sunday with a faster start.

Perfect fall weather, plenty warm for short sleeves.

Anna starts her run to 2nd place on here NOS Michelin Muds, possibly the best CX treads ever.

The A race begins. Rob leads Todd into the double barriers, technical due to the sand.

Race two featured a big field as well, and lots of talent. The opening straight was long enough to get into the tiop 6 without much fuss, and I settled in there approaching the uphill barrier. After remounting, Neil crashed directly in front of me, and I could only ram his front wheel. Apparently, this drove his big ring into my lowe leg, and tore me up. The pain was not over the top, but as I took myself off the ground, and tried to bet racing again, I wasn't sure whether I'd have to stop for stitches. I figured it wasn't bleeding enough to really worry, so I concentrated on regaining my position. Obviously, this required a lot of effort, but I managed to get back to the top 7 or 8 before too long and focused on keeping the pressure on despite feeling the urge to quit. With the course doubling back on itself many times, it was easy to see our other riders and give a smile when possible. Many of them were able to actually speak words of encouragement to me, which was certainly appreciated. On top of that, many others were out to support us, and their words of encouragement helped every time. Ultimately, I ended up duking it out with Duncan Beard, my main rival from last year. With about 4 laps to go, Duncan made a good passing maneuver and gapped me. I was still recovering at this point from earlier efforts, so I had to sit tight. I held the gap, but his body language showed he was under pressure. On the second last lap we were together and Duncan was sitting on my wheel, ready to pounce. I attacked the descent after the longer climb, hit the turn fast, maintained the gap on the run up, then hit the bunker turn full pin, solidifying the gap. Then it was full gas to try to increase the space between us, and careful riding from there to hold it. Thinking Duncan was the top Master A rider in the mix at this point, I thought I'd pulled off the win. It wasn't until after the results were posted that I saw Steve Proulx is also racing MA now, and he was up ahead. Steve's really fast, so I will have my work cut out for me chasing him around! I love a challenge.

Jamie motos the technical descending sand turn, a great feature....

....while Matt stays in the pedals. I found the drops worked best to power through this later on.

Todd prepared to dismount for the barrier and run-up.

Pascal powers out of the tough sand trap turn.

Rodd heads into the tricky sand left hander. There was one packed line here on the inside, and lots of deep stuff everywhere else.

The rest of the Tall Tree racers put in good races, though Rob suffered a pretty debilitating mechanical when his front brake lever slid down and pulled his cable enough to lock up his front brake. OTB (over the bars). Iain was out for his first CX bike CX race experience, and he was mighty quick. With a little time he'll be gunning for the front of the MA field, I'm pretty certain of that. And he's already keen on tubulars!

On the tech side, a bunch of us were rocking the new Steelwool Truffle Pig frames with ENVE forks. These frames are the production version of the green striped one I races last year (Andy is on it now, and Todd still has his with the same paint). The new frames feature tweaks to the geometry, fittings, and tubing to optimize performance out on the cross course. So far so good, everybody is LOVING the bikes, and they look mighty fine too. Steel is indeed a competitive frame material! Come check them out at the Steelwool tent on Sunday in Almonte. We'll have free coffee and food too!

Results @ http://www.cyclocross.org/

More photos at our flickr site

Double Cross rolls Thanksgiving Monday, Oct 10, @ 9 AM. Poster and more info to come.

Cyclocross Begins!

2011-09-22T11:46:00.000-04:00

Joey is indeed ok folks. Lets see if any of us can top his air time!

Can you smell it in the air? The Eastern Ontario Cyclocross series kicks off on Sunday at Calabogie Peaks. Race one starts at 9am, race two at 10:30. The Tall Tree Cycles crew will be out in force on all manner of CX bikes, from singlespeed to flat-bar multispeed crossers, and everything in between (except snow bikes). The brand new Steelwool Truffle Pig will make its debut, respendent in team-edition livery. Thom and Will will be on site with a pop-up tent with CX product for perusal.

Public service announcement: remember to register for the race/series by midnight tonight; no on-site registration will be possible (online registration link on the site below). Also, please sign up to volunteer for course set-up on the spreadsheet linked on the http://www.cyclocross.org/ site. Bob and Ian rely on volunteers to make the races happen.

Bring your cowbells and come ready to be rowdy!

A possible reprieve for Beaver Pond ??

2011-09-20T16:22:00.000-04:00

From the Ottawa Citizen website today:

OTTAWA — A wetland in northwest Kanata that’s connected to the South March Highlands forest is provincially significant, the Ministry of Natural Resources has decided, in a ruling that will certainly delay and could theoretically halt contentious development plans for the area.

The Kizell Drain Wetland Complex, which feeds into a large pool called Beaver Pond east of Goulbourn Forced Road, is home to “threatened” Blandings turtles, says an evaluation produced by the City of Ottawa and now approved by the ministry. The turtles are enough to meet the standard for provincial protection, the city says and the province agrees.

This matters because property developers aren’t allowed to use provincially significant wetlands to drain run-off from land they plan to build on. And the Kizell Complex is part of the drainage plans for the South March Highlands projects of KNL Developments (a joint venture of Urbandale and Richcraft), plans for which part of a KNL-owned forest was razed last winter.

Reaction from those who protested the clear-cut last year was exuberant: “If the city were to respect provincial environmental protection laws, this would stop KNL cold,” wrote South March Highlands activist Paul Renaud in a letter to supporters. “KNL cannot proceed with any of the subdivision development phases without dumping more storm water into either Beaver Pond, or Kizell.” If the city had properly monitored the situation last year, he wrote, the cutting would have been stopped.

At City Hall, the response was more subdued.

“Some of the residents think this will stop it cold. I don’t think it will,” said Councillor Marianne Wilkinson, who represents the area where long-term plans call for 3,000 homes to be built. But she said, “at this point, they can’t go ahead.”

Instead, KNL will have to devise a new drainage plan, probably using the nearby Shirley’s Brook, Wilkinson said. That’ll likely be a pain for the builders (“The area’s a bit tricky for drainage anyway,” she said), but still possible.

Beaver Pond and its immediate surroundings are being given to the city as part of a long-standing deal — reached by the former city of Kanata when Wilkinson was mayor, long before KNL bought them — to trade 40 per cent of a large piece of privately owned land to the local government in exchange for the right to develop the other 60 per cent. “The actual wetland was being given to the city anyway, so that doesn’t change,” Wilkinson said.

The Citizen’s call to Mary Jarvis, the director of planning for Urbandale and the lead spokesperson on the development project, wasn’t immediately returned.

Correspondence between the city planner doing the wetland evaluation, Nicholas Stow, and provincial environment official Shaun Thompson, does show a significant disagreement on certain details. In Stow’s reckoning, the wetland would still qualify for provincial protection even without the turtles, but only barely: without the turtles, the property scores exactly 600 points on the 1,000-point scale the province uses, and it takes 600 points or more to meet the standard.

Thompson doesn’t agree, revising downward several of Stow’s scorings. Stow awarded points for the interest in the area expressed lately by Algonquin aboriginals; Thompson wrote to the city that he couldn’t confirm any details with the Algonquins of Ontario and takes the points away. He also takes nine points off as a result of “minor errors” in calculating the wetland’s hydrological importance. On the flip side, he finds that Stow didn’t give enough points for the turtles, though the “special features” category allows a maximum of 250 points and the Kizell Drain Wetland got 250 points anyway. In the end, the only difference between the two evaluations is whether the wetland is provincially significant without the turtles.

Westboro Bike Show - Friday September 23

2011-09-20T15:07:00.000-04:00

Tall Tree Cycles wants you to show off your rides!

Friday, September 23rd, 5-11pm, Tall Tree Cycles - 255 Richmond Road.

A celebration of bicycle design and creative expression, four categories will be open for entry and display:

1: Vintage (pre 1990)
2: Custom or hand-built bike (made by hand and one-off)
3: Urban Bike (anything urban, cargo, fixie, folding etc.)
4: Paint/Colour (have an amazing paint job or maybe your parts are super colour-coordinated?)

Enter your own bike to show it off and a chance to win some sweet prizes! Don't have a bike to display? Stop by to check out all the sweet rides, enjoy the live DJ, and perhaps partake in a cool libation.

We'll have a great stock of Mission Workshop products on hand for perusal and purchase. We'll also have exclusive Bike Show night deals in effect, to be announced on site!

Please pre-register your bike in one of the following categories by September 20th (one bike per person and spaces are limited).

Come take a shot at the prize for best in show!

Email info@talltreecycles.ca to register! (Submit a photo and description please!)

Holiday Ramble

2011-09-04T23:40:00.003-04:00

With the end of summer nigh and my 2 weeks vacation winding up I took the opportunity to spend some quality time with my sister who was car camping in Bon Echo. Since a couple of other Tall Tree’ers had ridden out there earlier this summer I decided I would spend Friday riding the roads and old rail trails in the area. Having picked up a copy of Eastern Ontario Recreational Trails map I was intrigued by the road, off-road, and rail trail routes identified and wanted to see what was off the beaten track in a new area.

Google Earth image of the route here. (Not sure if there is a way to actually link or insert the google earth kmz file).

I started at Marble lake (westernmost point on the route pic) and enjoyed some rolling terrain heading south towards the 7. Road surface was mostly good and traffic along this route quite light. Passing the 7 after about 1 hr of solid riding I continued south through the quaint little burg of Arden then promptly hung a left onto the TransCanada Trail (Central Frontenac trail). The surface is mostly good crushed rock with some sections, particularly the lower lying areas, a bit bumpier with some rocky fill. The trail is actually kind of cool, winding though various forest groves and wetlands. Plus there are small communities of houses along the route….now with road access but I imagine it was the rail line that was the lifeblood years ago. Coming around to beautiful Sharbot lake (the lake) then the town - took me a little longer than anticipated at less than halfway my planned 120 route and already 2.5 hrs in. I stopped at the local Fresh Mart for provisions and a quite evidently “rural” type commented about my being “out for some exercise” and having a cord of wood that needed chopping and stacking. He was not being rude with it but went to great lengths to expound as to the “quality workout” that it would give me. I happily informed him that I’ve spent many a time chopping and sawing wood over the course of my active outdoor life. Seems some people must think we ONLY ride for exercise and do not grasp the concept that it is actually an enjoyable avocation

Moving along I had hoped to head north on the K+P trail but ended up continuing west as the main trail showed no evidence of a turnoff and I had not crossed the 38 through Sharbot Lake (or so I thought - apparently I went “under“ a nondescript bridge - even drove back after to figure out how I got west without crossing the main road). Cost me about 5 km before I realized that I should have hit the #7 and found a side road to jog up then back about 4 km on the 7 (not particularly recommended). Could not find the K+P trail access, and it did not matter at that point as the clock and weather were closing in on me so I sought the safely identifiable road route. Going north on the 509 was fine - good road, little traffic then eventually a west jog on Ardoch road proffered a variety of shield country standards as well as homesteads, small farms and meadows. By the time I arrived at Ardoch and soon to head back east along the 506 I was fighting a massive headache and raging sore throat and time had ticked much faster than the miles - I just wanted to be done. The last 25 or so kms were uneventful save for my increasingly weary body and a few trucks towing boats who just loved to whiz down the freshly graveled sections catapulting stones (inadvertently I’m sure) at the struggling cyclist in the opposing lane. Some nice views again coming back towards Marble lake and finally after almost 5 hrs in the saddle I was happy to be back.

While it might not be a “cycling destination”, anybody heading out to that area might want to bring their CX or touring bike, pick up a 5$ trail map and do a bit of exploring…or…rambling.

D2R2 2011: Hot Bikes

2011-08-31T07:00:00.002-04:00

D2R2 is like a rolling handmade bike show. I've never been to any cycling event populated by so many folks on incredible handbuilt bikes. Independent Fabrications are run of the mill at D2R2, while we rarely see them up in Ontario and Quebec. There are many randonnee bikes out on the routes, lots of cyclocross bikes, and some allroad bikes too. Not to mention the mountain bikes!

A colourful Geekhouse CX bike at the lunch stop.

Sylvan Cycles' laminate wood bike, constructed from local, sustainably harvested wood. Back in 2009, I met John field testing a prototype, and this year I saw three out there, garnering lots of attention.

One of two incredible Ellis creations. These struck me as allroad bikes, not converted cross bikes. Di2 equipped, with TRP v-brakes.

Ellis #2. Looks fun!

Lots of mtbs out there on the 180k route. This Moots YBB had a couple CO2 cartidges mounted in a novel manner.

Pascal pulled me over to see this CX bike. It wowed both of us, definitely our favourite of the day. Paul's Touring cantis in red, not common. The paint was awesome. The model was Supercross, but I cannot recall the builder....

D2R2 2011: By the Skin of Our Teeth

2011-08-30T11:39:00.001-04:00

Dawn. This field is now foot deep mud.

This year's edition of D2R2 was bookended by tragedy. Rodd, the man who first came across the event on the interwebs back in 2006 was poised to ride D2R2 for the first time, but a fixed gear crash put an end to his plans, and set him on a road to shoulder recovery. Jamie, looking forward to returning for his second crack, had to pull the plug to deal with a house purchase fiasco. Most regrettably, Steve, who missed the 2010 D2R2 due to his grandmother's passing, informed us a week before the event that his father had passed away unexpectedly. Everyone was in a state of shock. We'd ride without our comrades, but we'd wish they were there with us. Fortunately, at least for our group from Ottawa, the ride itself was free of drama, misfortune and suffering. Unfortunately I cannot say the same for Franklin County, which was hit very hard by Irene over the course of Saturday night and Sunday. While we were fortunate to enjoy great weather during the ride, the area took an absolute beating afterwards, carrying significant consequences for locals. We barely made it out Sunday morning before the carnage began.

http://edition.cnn.com/2011/US/08/29/irene.vermont/
http://www.wwlp.com/dpp/news/local/franklin/state-police-shut-down-section-of-i-91

Rolling out at daybreak.

Rest stop #2, atop a pretty long climb. I noticed these sunflowers in 2009, but didn't in 2010 or this time around until Pascal mentioned them. Then we posed the bikes.

With all the regrets this year, our group was small: Pascal, Andy and Nathan Underwood, the lone wolf, riding the 180k , and Chris the 115. Nathan and Andy were first timers, Pascal a second-timer, and myself rounding out my third Dirt Rando. Chris was on his second Dirt Rando. Nathan would be our strongest rider, and on a 38x28 low gear, he'd have to climb at a faster rate much of the time. Pascal and Andy were on low gears, 34x34 for Pascal, and 26x32 for Andy. I'd intended on rolling a 34x32 or 34 so I could climb beside the the other guys, but I didn't make it happen, so I'd have to climb faster some of the time to prevent grinding too much.

Andy started with three bottle, ended with two. He suffered our only puncture, likely on the rock that knocked his bottle out.

Chris was riding the 115, and unwittingly ended up riding for a longs ways with Richard Sachs, Mike Zanconato, and a bunch of other Velocipede Salon regulars. He even pulled RS back to the group at one point, legend!

Lunch stop, an amazing location. I suspect this river was raging hours later.

Looking out form the lunch spot, a veritable handmade bike show. We'll do a post dedicated to the bikes of D2R2.

Our ride unfolded beautifully. I won't provide a blow by blow, as that'd be boring. I'll try to highlight a couple things that struck me as noteworthy.

A few key changes to my equipment allowed me to enjoy the ride without anxiety. First, navigation. Grant was kind enough to entrust his Garmin 705 to me, which I managed to load up with four separate stages of the route. While the tracks I used contained many extra way-points that causes the unit to beep incessantly, irritating everyone around me, and me, I only erred on a few turns over the whole day. The difference between navigating with the GPS versus cue sheets is not night and day, not staying on track versus getting lost. Rather, I found the difference pertained more to the flow of the ride. Rather than slow for turns I might or might not have to make, I was able to carry momentum most of the time and enjoy the sensation of leaning in and getting the lines right. Or not. In some cases my line choice did not work out, and a foot had to come out to allow for a correction. Pascal got a good laugh on one occasion, when I locked up my back wheel of pavement for a second as I mangled a turn.

Nathan on the left, Matt on the right, one of the many beautiful covered bridges on the 180k route.

This bridge was ancient. I hope it weathered the storm.

Pascal through a beautiful wooded section. Most of the 180k route ins in fact wooded, which means wind and sun are not big factors.

The Little Big House, gallery, and the final rest stop of the route, atop Patten hill, one of the most difficult climbs. The scale of the house is way off, lending an Alice in Wonderland aesthetic. Looking at it, you cannot tell how high the door is. Lucky for me, a woman entered while I was looking, and I got the scale. The door knob was at her head height, and she was about 5'10", so I put it at about 9" tall. This is without a doubt the most fascinating sight on the route. This stop features restorative watermelon, pickles, pretzels, and more. It is my favourite stop on the ride.

Processing the day's events, it struck me that the experience was rather unlike my first two. The first D2R2 has to be an eye opener for most, an epiphany for many. That was certainly the case for me. The second was about doing it with a degree of familiarity and seeing how it felt in comparison. This third time, there were no question marks penciled in beside climbs: would I make Archambault, Hillman, Patten? Yes, I would, my preparation was all there, I'd be fine. The question was: would I ride the whole route well?

Indeed, the climbs of the route leave an indelible impression on the mind and body, in part because one spends so much time going up them. Pain is hard to forget. In contrast, the descents are a blur, and if taken in full flow mode (flow state, of complete in-the-moment-ness), one's ability to recollect more than an impression is challenging. This is somewhat of a paradoxical situation. If one hopes to execute their riding skills to the fullest on the epic (yes, I said 'epic,' and I mean it) descents of D2R2, a flow state of un/consciousness is the best way to do that. In such a state, one processes information and reacts in the most direct manner possible. This mode of cognition bypasses the part of the brain that forms memory. This is why people say, after narrowly escaping harrowing situations: "Its all a blur." It is, very little memory is retained from the flow states that manifest when we find ourselves in life or death situations.

Pascal and Matt descent. Sight lines are long on these old carriage roads, so you can let the bike run if you like. I like.

Some of the descents of D2R2 are so intense at high speeds that they literally become a blur. However, I don't think I actually entered a flow state for any of them. Do I want to, knowing I won't remember them if I do? Its probably unwise to say 'no,' since flow states tend to allow us to perform better than we could otherwise. They don't allow for indecision, hesitation. Bringing this back to navigation, a GPS that only beeps before an actual turn off the present course would help one maintain the focus required to flow. Ultimately, this is safer than the alternative.

This brings me to my focus for future D2R2s: riding the descents flawlessly. I will make the climbs; my test will be the descents. Riding them flawlessly will require taking the right lines, entering sections at the right speed, and minimal braking. This will be my personal D2R2 challenge. Proven this year, 35c tubeless tires support such riding; all my equipment was dialled for the descents, including my cantilever brakes. Yes, cantilevers can provide enough braking power to ride at high speeds, at least in the dry.

Matching team socks, courtesy of Alex's ordering coordination. To my surprise, they stayed rather white.

So, coming out of D2R2 2011, two things, perhaps lessons, are at the forefront of my thinking as I look ahead to the 2012 edition. First, a GPS unit with one continuous track and correct waypoints is a must (for me). Second, I will have to run lower gearing so I can climb beside my buddies. Both will support flowing through the route in more seamless manner, which is the main challenge if elapsed time is of marginal concern. Speaking of time, we rolled in after 9:45 on the road, at exactly 4pm, our projected arrival time. Neat. An hour later, the rain began as we plowed through great food and beer under a the cover of one of the circus tents. With luck, we'll share our celebratory meal with our comrades who missed out this year, plus a few more newbies. The smiles make it all more than worthwhile.

Many thanks to Sandy and all the fine folks who make the 2011 D2R2 not only possible, but an outstanding event. The vegan food options were very much enjoyed and appreciated, and it was truly heartening to be greeted and cheered on by so many volunteers out there making the event happen. Given the devastating impact of Irene, we will be more keen than ever to return in 2012 and spend out Canadian money in Franklin County.

D2R2 Bike Shakedown Part 2: The Rover

2011-08-25T08:48:00.008-04:00

Steelwool Rover Prototype (1 of 2)
All dolled up for D2R2

D2R2 is a special ride. So special in fact that a non-racer-type like myself obsesses over the preparation in a similar fashion, I’m sure, to how some PROs do over Paris-Roubaix. Get the body tuned, get the gear sorted out; these two together seem to help prepare one's state of mind.

Last year I rode D2R2 on my Pinarello Cross bike, equipped with a hodge-podge 9 speed 11-34 cassette, compact-double crankset and Grand Bois Cypres 700X30 tires (they call them 32s now). I made all of the climbs and did not get any flats. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, it was the Best Ride Evar. Does that mean that I should just do everything the same this year? Well, no.

This year I shall be riding my lurvely prototype Steelwool Rover. While Matt’s Truffle Pig is a full on cycloross racing machine that can pass as an all road bike, this bike is the opposite despite looking rather similar and sharing a very similar tubeset. With an even lower BB and lower trail steel fork, the Rover is more polite - a gentleman if you will. Not always in a hurry, willing to take care of a tired rider on a long slog on the road or in the gravel, but perfectly capable of throwing it down at the Wednesday Night World’s. Sort of James Bondish: He wears a tux, but is packing heat most of the time. I have never felt beat up on this bike, nor have I wished for more snap when sprinting for the sign at the end of our loop. It always seems to do what you want it to do. Like a dog (possibly named Rover, but who knows) eager to please his master. I’ve even taken it on the double track in the Gatineau park, with big tires of course - thanks to all that clearance. And I know our good buddy Steve, aka The Colonel, has taken his identical bike touring with racks and panniers front and back (or maybe it was just front racks and a trailer?). Whatever, this thing is versatile.

For this weekend’s big event, I have replaced the full Sram Force 11-28 setup with a 10 speed X7 derailleur and 11-34 cassette. The shifting is pretty much as precise as with the Force RD, but now I have a 1-1 gear ratio, just what I need for those double digit grades. I’m running Stan’s Alpha rims but was not in the mindset to sort out a tubeless setup like Matt’s. Instead, I went with good ol’, enormous 700X35 Panaracer Paselas.

Now THAT's a cluster. 10 Glorious gears of climbing bliss

Paselas on the Rover: It's getting a little tight around the chain stay area, but hey, we're talking 35s here.

Matt and I switched front wheels last Sunday for about and hour and while his custom shaved Stan's Raven felt mighty quick and supple, the Paselas felt great, not slow or ponderous. People! Can we stop being scared of big tires and get on with it? They offer so much potential to your boring weekly group ride down the same old paved roads to the same old antique dealer and bakery. I find it ironic that our society has embraced the over-equipped SUV to go to work or the grocery store but insist on running 23mm tires pumped to 120 PSI on our velocipedes.

But I digress.

So I gots me the gears and the tires. That should help me climb and descend with some confidence. This brings me to a Rover highlight: the brakes. My prototype is equipped with Paul’s Racer M centerpulls. Not only do they offer ridiculous stopping power and modulation, they do it while leaving a whole bunch of room for big tires or for fenders… which I removed in June this year, I think. Gahd.

The stop-tacular Paul's Racer Ms leaving a generous amount of clearance for the Paselas. Hmm, cordless phones and touring tires - the strong points of Panasonic...

Certain members of the Tall Tree crew have been talking about this weekend for months. We’ve ridden hundreds of KMs, climbed thousands of, um, Ms, spent hours carefully considering how we should setup our velos. Heck, I even made a batch of homemade granola to start the day with. Andy will be the newbie but the rest are returning this year with a D2R2 already under our belts. (this is Matt’s 3^rd) We’re dealing with known knowns this time. But it’s a big day and a lot can happen. Will it top last year’s “Best Ride Evar”? We shall soon see.

Stay tuned.

D2R2 Bike Shakedown: Phat Tires, Low Gears, and Sweet Steel

2011-08-22T12:38:00.000-04:00

My D2R2 machine: Steelwool Truffle Pig (58cm) built with Columbus Spirit-for-lugs tubing.

The Deerfield Dirt Road Randonnee begins at 6 am on Saturday, just as dawn breaks. The first climb of the day's 15, 000 feet of vertical gain will commence almost immediately, some two kilometers into the route. Comrades on wheels will look around, glance down to each other's cassettes, and ask the inevitable question: "So, what gear are you running?" Naturally, the question will pertain to the ascending, rather than the descending capacity of each bike. Each rider's gearing choice says something about their perceived fitness and desired pace. Sometimes the answer communicates an utter lack of research. 39x23, for example. That gear could also indicate ill placed bravado. Its always fun to watch and find out!

The second inevitable D2R2 question is in fact more about the descending capacity of the bikes in use: 'So, what tires are you running?' Whereas bikes geared too high either can't be climbed up some of the steeper pitches, or force riders to burn too many matches too early in the 180k route (and I'm sure this applies to the 115k route that gains 10,000ft!), bikes shod with ill suited tires deliver a double whammy punch: 1) they beat the heck out of their riders, wearing them down and compromising their ability to produce the power they need lat in the ride; and 2) they puncture. Its not so much that skinny tires are deadly, as the descents do not tend to feature hairy turns (well...depending on perspective). Rather, the roads are rough, and fast. Even on good tires, like the Grand Bois in 30c, I flatted four times in 2010. In dry years, there are many opportunities to pinch flat. I decided then to come back with bigger tires, tubeless.

This past Sunday, Pascal, Rodd, Todd and I set out for a final shakedown ride. While Rodd and Todd won't make D2R2 this year, regrettably, they were happy to join Pascal and me for a good dose of dirt. We rolled together to Wakefield via Cascades, enjoyed a new loop of dirt road just before the ski hill, then paused at Pipolinka for a snack before splitting up so Pascal and I could put in another 110k of trail, dirt road, and pave. About 165k total by the end, Pascal and I worked in lots of rough testing for our wheel and gearing setups, and put our legs to work. All systems performed brilliantly. Here's what I'm running, perhaps Pascal will post on his gorgeous Steelwool Rover.

My prototype Steelwool Truffle Pig cyclocross bike has been a trusty steed since I built it last fall. Shod for cyclocross, then general road use, I've raced CX on it, spring classics, 15 and 40k time trials, A-loops, and about 4000 kilometers on the road, paved and otherwise. It has been stellar. For D2R2, I didn't need to change much. The main modification I've made over the course of the season is 'shaving' my Stan's Raven tubeless cyclocross tires.

Here's how the Raven started out. 35c, with low knobs, and a fairly square profile. Great on trails, but a bit slow on pavement, and sluggish out of the saddle.

Here's the revised Raven, with side knobs cut off. This rounds the tire out significantly, which makes them feel much more predictable on harder surfaces, and feels much better out of the saddle on pavement. 42lbs front, 45lbs rear pressure.

My garage floor scattered with knobs and sealant. I'm using Stan's sealant within the tires, and they seal well. Difficult to mount on the Stan's Alpha 340 rims, I removed the valve cores and used my compressor's blower nozzle to air them up. This moved air in faster than through the valve.

I must have lost what, 15 grams, per tire!

Snub nosed cutters, for lack of a better name, worked nicely.

Gearing is the same as I've run on this bike all year: 50/34 and an 11-28 cassette. I find this range works well for me on all the terrain I ride. I will work hard on some of the climbs at D2R2 in this climbing gear though, no question. I used the Lizard Skin finishing strip to fashion a matching chainstay guard. It has held up pretty well through 6 months of use.

My SRAM cranks are shod with Shimano SPDs. Road shoes and pedals would be a liability at D2R2,.

Ready to roll. The bike's curved seatstays provide about 10mm of passive suspension, which can really be felt on rough, frozen CX courses and washboard on dirt roads. Once in a while I bounce out of a pothole, exciting! The bike's low BB (75mm drop) provides very stable handling in all situations, even at 80kph on gravel! The bike's roadish geometry (72.5 square for the XL), which will be 73 degrees square for the XL in production, makes for a very versatile machine. The Spirit for lugs tubing provides a notably quicker ride quality than my Columbus Zona Steelwool Secteur 18, which has very similar dimensions.

The Secteur 18, my 2010 D2R2 steed, is a great rough road bike, buy won't fit 35c knobbies.

D2R2: Dust to Dust

2011-08-16T10:00:00.002-04:00

The Deerfield Dirt Road Randonnee fast approaches. Featuring about 15,000 feet of climbing over 180km, D2R2 travels ancient carriage roads spanning Massachusetts and Vermont. Virtually absent of flat ground, the route has riders either climbing, descending, or turning. In other words, there is always so much going on, the miles just fly by. That is, if one comes prepared.

True to Boy Scout form, we Tall Tree D2R2 riders - Andy, Chris, Pascal, Steve, and yours truly, are preparing. If all goes to plan, preparation will meet opportunity, and we'll enjoy an outsrtanding ride on the 27th. This past Sunday, we rolled out of town bright and early for a bit of physical preparation. I'll do another post soon on bike preparation.

Sunday was a mountain bike day. While D2R2 is generally ridden on road and cross bikes, many of the ride's climbs are have more in common with our offroad trails' climbs than those we can access on roads in the area. Yes, there are some great climbs around, but they are not generally close enough to each other to simulate D2R2. In contrast, the ride from town to Wakefield is pretty similar.

Sunday's route, below, makes for a great endurance ride. Its steady, and generally pretty fast. The climbs vary in terms of technical features, never harder than moderate. However, the steepness of one or two is challenging, same as D2R2's infamous wall. The loop we put together helped lock down this Fall's Double Cross route, which was a nice side benefit. Following a stop at Pipolinka for snacks, we headed south and up one of the steepest road climbs in the area toward the 105, then off roaded past the Brown Lake cabin and back along the 52, ultimately spitting out at Pine Road, and heading back along the 105 from there. All in, we were at about 105k total for the ride, in under 6 hours total, perfect preparation.

One Dimensional Man's Bike

2011-08-09T18:11:00.000-04:00

'Thought bike' (Wired)

I'm guessing most reading this have heard of electronic shifting for bicycles. The technology is not new, but has in fact been in use since the early 1990s. Mavic's ZAP system introduced the bike world to electrified shifting, and their components were raced in the PRO peloton for years. In fact, Chris Boardman used the system for eight seasons. It was relatively simple, featuring a couple toggle switches, albeit for the rear derailleur alone. However, the second iteration of ZAP was wireless, and fraught with problems. The project died.

Fast forward to 2009, and Shimano releases Di2, the electronic Dura Ace group. Having learned from the ZAP project, Shimano came pretty close to nailing Di2. The system is already in wide use in both the PRO peloton and the amateur ranks, and with the release of the electronic Ultegra group, the technology is nearly certain to secure a stable foothold in the market.

For all the success Shimano has seen with their electronic shifting system, many a consumer will still ask themselves: 'Do I want this...do I need this?' Sure, some will gravitate toward electronic systems for their wow-factor alone. Others will perceive an opportunity to increase performance. While Di2's performance is not night-and-day better than conventional Dura- Ace, riders do report it is very precise, some going as far as to say it is the 'pinnacle of shifting technology.' Tubulars perform better than clinchers too, but its up to the rider to decide whether the performance gains these technologies offer outweight their added cost, complexity, and when things go wrong, inconvenience?

For my riding, electronic systems are not justified. That is, for a regular road bike or mountain bike application. However, if I were taking time trialling very seriously, I could see myself attracted to using a toggle switch on the aero bars. This would eliminate the bar end shifters on the bars, and actually make shifting easier. I doubt the aerodynamic savings would be significant, nor would the ease of shifting be drastically improved; however, there would be gains. At least there is a rationale for using this technology.

While bike companies are working on integrating elecronic shifting systems into road bike designs, others are dreaming up novel ideas for how to apply these technologies in yet bolder ways. One recent example had me checking the story's date to see whether it was recycled from April 1. Why? Because the project featured in the story is ludicrous: Toyota Prius Bicycle.

Posted on Bikerumor.com, the Prius X Parlee (PXP) is indeed the answer to the question NOBODY was asking: 'What if I could make my bike shift by merely thinking it?' Well, nobody except Toyota. Esenially, they worked with Parlee and Deeplocal to develop a super aerodynamic road bike for non-racers that can be shifter via iPhone or brain waves. All you need is you charged iPhone, a backpack of electronic gear, a helmet with neurotransmitters installed, and Di2. This 'mash up' was constructed from off the shelf parts - save the custom, wind tunnel tested Parlee - and does in fact work. But was anybody asking for it? Nope.

The reason nobody was thinking this question is that shifting is already easy, especially with Di2. An experienced rider, you know, the type who actually needs ultra precise shifting, doesn't need to think, 'shift up.' They just do it. Its called neural conditioning, or habituation; its second nature. Toggles can be placed at the hood, in the drop, or on the flat of the bar - wherever hands sit. Is hands free shifting necessary in any way?

Putting the question of whether there is any rationale for developing a cybernetic shifting system aside, we can consider the 'Prius philosphy' that underpins this project: aerodynamics, innovative design. Ok, neat idea, transfer those ideals. What about low carbon footprint, and energy conservation? Somehow those qualities of the Prius (and yes, those are perceived, as embodied energy and life cycle considerations might paint a different picture) don't come through in the PXP. Instead, we have a bike that requires a lot of electronics to perform a function that was carried out by downtube shifters for generations. In other words, its an environmental abomination. The bike's aerodynamics are moot under a rider who needs cybernetic shifting for lack of bike handling skills and training; one does not benefit much from aero frames below 30kph. So the inevitable question arises: is 'can' synonymous with 'should'? In other words, just because we can build a cybernetic bike, should we? Is cycling, or, more broadly, life, all about making everything easier? If so, to what end? Do we really want to be steered? Is this a paradigm example of technological rationality?

Vintage Bike Fair: Sunday in Perth

2011-08-05T12:16:00.000-04:00

Tanya just alerted us to Sunday's Vintage Bike Fair in Perth, put on by ECOTAY, an intriguing local education organization. Looks like fun for the whole family. Get the low-down from the Ottawa Citizen, of the ECOTAY site.

Sur la Plaque

2011-08-02T14:30:00.004-04:00

Sur La Plaque: French for “Put that thing in the big ring, f@$%tard.” (Literally, to move sur la plaque means to move onto the plate, or the BIG RING.) - Velominati

Last season I heard a lot about time trials from Rob, David and Neil. When Alex joined our cabal this spring, another voice chimed in: time trials are cool, you should try. BMX Jim and I were in the same boat in early June, total neophytes, but keen to try. So off we headed to a Thursday night OBC TT, where we joined forces with Alex for a team effort. It was fun enough to draw me back for more.

So I've continued, taking in four more Thursday night 15ks, in addition to our Hell Climb and a 40k out near Calabogie. Almost every outing has featured a different bike set up. First, I was on my Steelwool Truffle Pig, a cross bike with pretty standard road geometry. Sure, the brakes stick out, but the bike pedals really well. Going Merckx style (no aero gear) on the TP was a tough ride. I went a bit too hard on the way out, which tends to be the faster direction, then suffered on the return. I gave up hope of meeting my goal and defeated myself, only to realize I wasn't doing as bad as I thought. Then I put it 'sur la plaque' and got down to business. Sure, I was already in my 50 (I can hear TT folks snickering), but you get the point. Not so much a lesson as a reminder: don't give up, you can push harder.

After the TP ride it was time to try the ol fixed gear, also Merckx style. I rolled out my Steelwool Limited the day after the Hell Climb, still tasting the previous night's gruelfest. Geared with a 48x15, which was too tall for the Hell Climb, I was faced with a gear I knew would be too 'short' for the flat 15k course. Whatever, rather than obsess, run what you brung. I figured the gear would limit my output going out, but possibly serve me well on the return. What I didn't factor was the challenge I'd face simply controlling the bike in an 'aero' position at 48-50kph.

With a Merckx set up, i.e., a regular road bike, you've pretty much got two 'aero' options: on top of the hoods, and phantom aerobars. Well, ok, there's also the super aero position, but its risky, and requires a front rack, which I don't personally have on my fixed gear.

For a t-rex like me, holding the hoods position for extended periods of time is hard to pull off, as I am weak in the upper body. While the lack of bulk is an asset most of the time on the bike, the triceps could use a bit more strength to support the upper body while on top of the hoods. Simply doing that more would likely help. Anyhow, it was not possible to stay on the hoods all the time, nor even desirable, as this position is more open to wind than the phantom aerobar position. However, at 47 or so kph in a 48x15, I lack the souplesse to control the bike well. Add sweat to the equation, and you've got a squirrely t-rex on a bike. So the first fixed gear TT revealed some clear areas to improve: gearing and actual aerobars.

With Alex herding cats heading into the following Saturday's 40k TT put on by the Almonte Bicycle Club, I was motivated to take a crack at this TT thing with a bit of gear. Alex stepped in with a clip on aero bar and a Rocketeer helmet from Giro. After suiting up my Truffle Pig, I had one of the most bizarre looking TT bikes going I'd ever seen. However, its only partly about the bike, and I like to run what I brung, so away I went. Alex helped me out further by lending his deep section carbon back wheel on site at the mention of my structurally compromised rim. The gear served me well, as I was nearly able to reach my goal of coming in under 57 minutes, stopping the clock at 57:23. The aero bars took a bit of getting used to, and were certainly higher than desirable, but the ride was great. I think this distance favours me over the shorter one.

Next up was take two of the fixed gear, this time running aero bars, Rocketeer helmet, and a 52x15. Following a hard Wednesday night loop, I knew my legs would not feel terrific, but again, run what you brung. This TT was certainly sur la plaque. WIth the bigger gear and aerobars, I was able to ride a good rhythm to the turnaround, and was pleasantly surprised to see the speed stay in the mid 40s most of the way back. Heading into the last 3k I started doing the math. I was aiming for a sub 20 minute time, the benchmark for folks with aspirations. As I got into the last 2k I knew I'd have to ride 60kph to pull it off, and that certainly wasn't happening! Nevertheless, I rode au bloc in an effort to get as close to 20:00 as possible, and in so doing, surely took a year off my life. Excruciating. 20:22. Those are 22 loooooong seconds. 22 seconds I have to find a way to cut. Unfortunately, the next outing on the same rig was was 20 seconds slower, and demoralizing emough to convince me to try my geared Steelwool road bike, the Secteur 18, now that its back in fine form.

Last up in a train of TT mayhem was the Gatineau Challenge, kindly put on by the OBC folks we owe so much to. Opting to use my recently reconstituted Specialized Roubaix, I left the aero gear at home and went basic, thinking I'd want to stand a good bit, and I'd be ok in Phantom Menace mode. As Sue Schlatter rolled away on her full TT bike 30 seconds ahead of me I wondered whether I'd made the right decision. After nearly catching her wheel on Pink (and hitting the climb more worked over than ever before), I saw her pull away on the descent, and suspected I'd made the wrong call. Whereas typical loops don't require us to use 53x11s on the way out much, I was in that gear a couple times for certain, confirming my 50t would have been a bad move. As I progressed up Blacks, the sustained climb, I reeled in Sue and passed, only to have her pass me back on the descent, and hold the gap to the line. There simply wasn't anything I could do to make up ground on the descents or flats. Sue is an amazing rider. In the end, I clocked 32:03, second behind Iain Radford in the 30-39 category, a good ways behind Doug, Aaron, and the other hammers in the elite group. Never before have I hit all those climbs so bagged! If its run again, I'll be on aero bars and a speed helmet for certain. Ouch.

Ugh. Photo: Jeffrey Flurry

After an A-loop of the Gatineau Parkway on the Roubaix following the Challenge TT, I'd made up my mind: back to steel. There is nothing like chasing wheels on climbs to get a sense of whether your bike is working with you. After two years of riding steel bikes exclusively, I missed the 'planing' I get out of my steel bikes while aboard the Roubaix. Yes, the Roubaix is a great bike, but when push came to show, I missed my steel bikes while fighting on the climbs. So I pulled the new parts off the Roubaix, and my Secteur 18 is now back in fine trim, poised to take on whatever I can throw at it. This week it will be the A-Loop, followed by our group ride on Wednesday night, then the time trial with clip ons on Thursday. Soon enough it'll be time to give the Provincials time trial a shot in Rockland, then its off to the Deerfield Dirt Road Randonnee (D2R2) in Massachusets. Lots of riding left to do!

Tall trees in Vancouver

2011-07-18T13:45:00.002-04:00

Like other enthusiasts, every trip is a reason to ride somewhere new. Weddings, cottages, whatever there will be a window of opportunity. And now that Westjet only charges $22 per trip for your bike, it opens some possibilities. All you need is a bike box under 62 inches. Mine was 66 and they let it slide on the way there but got me on the way back. Nonetheless, $100 for 170km ride is a fair price. Family away, ride every day.

First up was a proper mountain climb. The North Shore Mountains are just 8km from where I was based near Commercial Dr. Mountains 8km away: I guess that’s how you become a good climber. So off to Mt Seymour, across the perilous Three Narrows bridge, a narrow steel cage that soars and sways above the narrows below.

I have only climbed 4 mountains in my life so in my brief window of comparison I can say Mt Seymour is 13 km at 6.9% but is not incredibly hard. Its an engineered highway so there are only 3 or 4 switchbacks and no sustained crazy pitches that put you over the edge. Long pleasant stretches at a reasonable gradient.

That said, 13km is an honest 13m, no flats, no false flats, no breaks, just stretches of 5-6% with the periodic ramp of 8-9% to put the sting in your legs. Desperately hungover the night after a wedding is no way to start but I took it easy on the first 3-4 km and felt surprisingly good. 5-6km tempted me to push it, but thankfully I didn’t because km 7-9 were steeper and felt like the stations of the cross.

But after the midway point, the magic mountains take effect, gravity lets go and as you reach the top that second wind comes and the speed goes up. There was even the odd standing climb. The North Shore mountains aren’t huge, but they’re rocky, they have snow on top in June (lots, 10 foot base maybe!) and people are skiing in shorts on a 25 degree day.You then realize what BC has that you do not but you enjoy it and don’t mourn it because after you leave the sky seals up again and its a grey tomb for another 6 months of drizzle.

The descent is long straight stretches on good asphalt so there is as much speed (and braking) as you want. The road back to Vancouver on Mt Seymour Blvd is perfect: pristine asphalt, huge rollers that mostly go down and a nice ample bike lane.

I did feel slightly bad riding a road bike in one of the meccas of mountain biking, but I just would have hurt myself.

I don’t miss the ever present dread of being in Mr Grizzly’s neighborhood. Plenty of warnings for 'Aggressive Grizzly in area'

Next up was a ride with Tall Tree Alumni, Ariel. We aimed to meet up for something easy, the classic Vancouver loop around UBC.

Point Grey, UBC Point with Marine Drive to Horseshoe Bay in the background

But Vancouver rides are never easy, a simple ride down a city street and there is an 20% hill or a big 500 meter ramp. Its hilly everywhere in the city. We met in the south of town and rode down to UBC. Nice spacious boulevards lookouts, easy riding. Ariel showed me all the places he ambushes local roadies and unleashes his EI earned strength. 80km for me, 100km for Ariel. A coffee on the beach, a sunny BC day with a Sunday gravel regular. I think we take for granted the friendly sight of a matching shirt so I bet that was nice for him. One of the more disheveled residents commented on our lovely matching shirts and asked who had the bigger unit. It seemed like a good opportunity for a ‘soup kitchen’ but I didn’t know if Ariel was cool with it so I let it pass.

And there he is full flight on one of the many urban cycling arteries, kid is looking good, staying strong, we’ll miss him at D2R2. But we’ll ride again!

I had big plans to try out the new bike lane on the Sea to Sky highway and a ride along Marine Dr up to Lions Bay but 2 good rides and long nights left me a little spent so it was a couple laps around Stanley park up to Prospect point. A great little climb and you can’t miss out on the seawall.

Float planes, mountains and ocean, yup its a nice town.

That’s it.

The “ULTIMATE” XC……

2011-07-12T00:11:00.012-04:00

OK the name of the event may be a bit of a misnomer, this is not an XC race and is in fact essentially an enduro off-road stage race. The really hardcore adventure racing crowd was doing the real ultimate…about 60 k paddle, 58 k trail run and 100 k mtb. Others would come out just for one day of the various 3 days of events. I, being in reasonable endurance shape but not with any uber-endurance under my belt….and wanting to enjoy social time (and beers) in Tremblant, opted for the demi-course, 21 k paddle, 21 k trail run and 50 k mtb….enough but not too much ! While I’m not in much of a race mode this year I was kind of keen to do a few more AR style races and get back to my roots…this one had a great rep and lots of friends signed up made it hard to pass up.

I stayed in a room with 3 friends, 2 doing the long race having to get up at 4 or 5 am, and Steve Mayer, a fellow multi-sport athlete and a very close competitor in fitness and ability in many of our head to head events. I decided to enjoy a swim at Meech Thursday night since the short paddle did not start til noon on Friday, and in typical Mike fashion, ended up arriving at Tremblant at 11 am rushing around to get my race kit and drop my kayak off at the beach and re-park. After a bit of frenzy I actually even had time to demo a race boat but in the end opted just to use my own kayak.

Off the gun went on a lovely sunny calm day with narry a wave in sight. The 7 race boats (all 1-dayers) were gone like rockets while Steve and I rocked the front of the “slow boat” flotilla. After about 10 minutes of same pace paddling I suggested that we work together but he promptly poo-pooed that idea saying “this is a race - no working together“…..musta been the triathlete in him. So about 50 meters ahead was a dude with a cool outrigger kayak and marathon paddle (canoe style). He was given’er and I decided I had a bit more jamb than Steve so did a series of about 3 or 4 jumps to slowly bridge the gap and eventually got to suck his wake for the last couple km to the turnaround. I had to work VERY hard to bridge and haven’t upper body sweated like that since….never mind…

At the turn I decided not to stop to keep my distance on Steve but I forgot that I had left the skeg down making for a very wide and inefficient turn…lost my rabbit and Steve was closing in. Eventually got back on track and now there was a slight headwind - just enough to make one work harder but also aided in the cooling as it was now smoking hot midday.

After a couple K into the second half I caught outrigger boy and shortly thereafter Steve caught a second wind and me. We had dropped everyone else behind us and paddled together taking it slightly easier for a while. But as the last couple K approached it was time to get competitive again and I slowly….veeery slowly peeled in front of Steve gaining about a 100 meter gap. The end just did not want to come and I was now killing myself with everything to keep as much lead as possible. Crossed the line in about 2:20, and 40 seconds ahead of Steve. Victory on day 1 !

Great afternoon to enjoy and watch the full racers come in…also to nurse some SERIOUS rashes from moving a bit in the kayak seat….all around my lower back and sides…..I was a bit worried how this would be with the next day’s run and a water bottle belt.

After a semi-reasonable sleep it was trail run time..and by the 10 am start things were already hot and humid ! Steve is a comparable runner to me, runs smart and probably does a bit more trail running so all things being equal he might have a slight advantage on me today. I was feeling Ok at the start tho was a bit tired from the hard effort Friday. The first 6 k is a “flatter” undulating section mostly south east of the main parking lots. Steve led out a blistering pace with only a few of the many many one day racers in front. I had little choice but to stick to his heels and we were ahead of some of the guys we trail run with here who I know are uber-fast. I cautioned Steve (in a vain attempt to slow him down) that we still had 50 hard k on the mtb to save some legs for…but he would have none of this slackitude and we pushed on to a 25 minute at the 5.5 k mark….blistering fast for trail - especially when there is 15 more to go and BIG climbs !

At this point we loop back down and into the village similar to the Canada Cup finish then out along the gravel climb of the Cup start. At this point Steve had 100 m on me and I was starting to suffer from the outset pace which I knew was going to do me in. We crossed the creek and went up up up through the forest….by now I was walking anything that looked like a hill…I tried to keep it going…got chicked once, then twice and finally got my act sort of together but just could not recover and was suffering up the steep kickers and trying to pull some flow through the flatter sections on the way up. Finally we hit the downhills, which were very technical. Not usually an issue for me and I can normally blow past A LOT of people on technical downhills. I figured I was likely at least 10 minutes behind Steve now and just had to rely on speed, agility and no mistakes on the way down. My feet were on fire and I felt every little rock underneath them - and you know there are lots of rocks there ! I grimaced in pain all the way down like my socks were made of sandpaper and quad were being smashed with baseball bats. Finally sweet relieve (almost ) as I hit the village, but still had a good chuck to go all the way down the cobbles then back up slightly to the beach for the finish. Came in about 2:10 and managed 12th overall out of about 130 day racers and second in age cat. Steve bested me by a solid 6 minutes which was a few more than I would have been comfortable with. The competition would come down to Sunday and who still had legs, skillz and mechanical serendipity. Saturday night brought an invitation to dinner with a group of friends that were there for the trail run only at the summer house of a one of them. Later it was a hot tub and (for me) and illicit cool water leg bath in the stream and the bottom of the village gondola.

Sunday morning came early but I generally felt good as we pack up to check out and shuttle drive to the remote start. There was some massive crazy road event going on right at the village base which had us a bit concerned as we had difficulty getting out and the RD had not mentioned anything about this to us. We made it to the remote start on time (just) and I was fiddling with getting my shyte together on the bike and just made it to the start line in time. At the start another competitor (JR) who is a very good mtn biker from Quebec and in 3rd place overall about 20 minutes behind me and 25 behind Steve, took off like a shot. I was not really paying attention til I saw Steve chasing him anxiously. I told him “today I’m just going to ride my pace” and not get sucked into going too fast off the hop. Well the old man’s pace kept up with the front bunch for the first km or so then with a few very small hills I seemed to surge a bit and gradually passed some day racers, Steve and JR.

The opening was mostly wide or double track, very fast and easy. I just kept a steady moderately easy tempo after passing and figured a group of 4-5 was right on my wheel but when eventually looked back there was a 30 m gap or so…I thought WTF, how could they not hang on?? So I just kept the same pace so as not to overexert too early and figured they would eventually bridge. But I was wrong….perhaps they were tired but the gad had widened to 60-70 meters as far as I could tell whenever a long straight would appear. Now we are not even10 k into a 50 k race that was to get progressively more difficult, but my spidey senses told me that this was my opportunity to put some real time in the bank so I moved up to a high tempo and pushed any of the climbs to just shy of red zone. The course between the start and Tremblant was a quite fun variety of moderate climbs, a little technical, some fast double track, and twisty turnys. Then the climbs and descents become progressively longer and steeper. After one long such climb appeared a baby-head filled never ending descent, not steep enough to go slow and too steep to go slow…..so it was an all out bounce fest. I stopped counting how many times the rims bottomed out and I was very happy to have had the UST Rocket Rons on. Then at one point I got thrown of line and landed hard on something, and gradually began to feel the sqishy wobble of a flat front….damn that DH was just too long !! I knew I had a few minutes lead but felt I could not afford to lose anytime and in a bit of a hurried panic tried to pump up the tire thinking it was just a burp, no there was a cut somewhere. Now I had to fiddle with going from tubeless to tube all while dripping like a waterfall and getting eaten by the first bugs I had noticed all weekend. 8 minutes in JR passed me and briefly stopped asking if I was Ok - I told him I should be and he wished me luck and flew off. 3 minutes later I was on the road again but very nervous now about the rocky course and my penchant for pinch flats with tubes.

A few minutes later coming out of the forest we were at the back lower part of Tremblant and I could see a few riders in the distance, one being JR. After passing the uphill feed station and grinded my way up what was to be a 1 hour climb and passed JR surprisingly shortly. He was shocked also that I caught him that quick but I guess I had my hill climbing legs that day. Riding together and chatting briefly (apparently Steve was now at the bottom and saw us up in the distance), I took off and continues my moderate to high tempo up the climb in the blistering sun. There were a few aid stations but the volunteers seemed often clueless standing around staring instead of getting drinks and food ready or providing any info. Thankfully one girl had ran up after me on one climb with a couple of gels that I was shouting for coming into the station. It was to be a day where hydration and nutrition was a factor and on the last open climb I felt the familiar twinge of cramps as I had missed some refills and was likely low on electrolytes too. They were not debilitating so I just slowed for a while to regain control while downing some salt pills and a gel. Still a long way to go near the summit I crossed paths with Cameron from Beechburg (Rob knows him) and great guy and we were chatting as we leapfrogged each other between the ups and downs. He knew I had no tube left and was leading the 50 k race as well as the 3 day total so said to stick with him and he would toss me his tube if I got a flat. He was not too worried about himself as he was in about 15th place of the 100 km day racers. The downhill was crazy fast as I tried to keep him within some semblance of my sight, then every once in a while there would be an uphill jog and I would eventually catch him. After a little more of this and with about 7 k to go we figured it was all downhill and he gave me the tube and told me to hammer. Unbeknownst to us there was a few k of fresh cut trail that required a lot of walking as some was too technical or rough for either of us at that stage.

Finally out we came, a few km longer than expected and with a few additional climbs that left Cameron a bit farther back….but the light at the end of the tunnel was in sight (figuratively). I was absolutely destroyed from pushing the climbs, killing the downhills and wacking the bush. One last long and convoluted roll through the village and back up to the beach for a finish of about 4:20. That was good enough to take first place on the bike of all the one day racers and first overall by about 15 minutes on the 3-day. JR came in about 7 minutes after me for 2nd on the day and 3rd overall while Steve came in about 20 minutes back for second overall.

I was feeling a bit dizzy with the dehydration and heat so took the offer of a liedown in the shade of the medical tent and slurped a coke and some salts while waiting for the awards. I did take a few sips of my requisite beer while on the podium for the day and 3-day wins but decided to forgo my full beer allotment.

Lots of great heavy metal came out of this with a couple of medals and one big-ass cycling trophy, plus swag of 2 camelbaks and 100$ to spend in Intrawest shops, (that day of course). So after hanging out and watching other friends come in we hit the village up for some shopping and departed for home about 5 pm. A very long and full weekend of great racing and a really fun event. The organization and pretty much everything (save for some lackluster aid station volunteers) was top notch. Beautiful location, terrain and course, excellent facilities, great friends and summery weather made this pain a real pleasure !

My Tour de France

2011-07-10T18:00:00.008-04:00

I am currently on holidays in France for two weeks with my wife and children. We spent the first week staying in a mas (farmhouse) in Provence with my wife's family enjoying excellent weather and even better cuisine. Luckily, I was able to rent a bike and sneak in a few rides.

Renting a bike here is quite painless and I ended up with a well fitting Cannondale Synapse outfitted with a Shimano 105 triple-chainring and Mavic wheels. Not too shabby until I realized that my brother-in-law was assigned a Cannondale Super-Six. Oh well, he would need the lighter and stiffer bike being 5 inches taller and 70 pounds heavier than I am.

Resetting the bike computers

After a brief sortie into Les Alpilles for a warm-up, we set out last Tuesday to climb Mt. Ventoux. This venerable climb has been a mecca for cyclists and was last ridden in the 2009 Tour de France. It sits at the northern boundary of Provence and from the top, you have a clear view of the alps as well as the Mediterranean. While geologically part of the Alps, it really stands alone and is visible from most of Provence. Most people are well familiar with the moonscape appearance of the upper reaches, but the lower part of the mountain houses beautiful forests. It has been lovingly described by Graham Fife in his book, "Great Climbs of the Southern Alps" if you would like more information.

The view from Sault

My cycling partner for the day was not an experienced cyclist, so we chose the easiest route to the summit from the east via Sault. After a short descent out of Sault, we slowly started climbing through fields of lavender and vineyards. The odour was amazing. This soon gave way to a winding road through mixed forest. The first 20 km were very mild and I enjoyed dancing forwards and backwards from my brother in law to snap pictures and take in the view.

The lower slopes

After Chalet Reynard at 20 km, we joined the more difficult southern route and began the final 6 km ascent through the lunar landscape. By this time, it was hot and the road went steeply up with the gradient never falling below 7%. In addition, the mistral winds for which Ventoux is famous for were gusting quite strongly. I received permission to go forward alone without my riding partner for the last 5 km as I was on a mission not not use the small chainring on my triple crankset. The gradient was not an issue, but the wind gusts were enough to almost stop you in your tracks as you rounded the corners. Despite this, I never felt in trouble and sprinted up the last steep section to the summit where I was greeted by hundreds of other cyclists and tourists. I took in the views for a short time and then headed back down to pace up my brother in law, this time using the granny gears. When we were both safely at the top, I checked out the gaudy souvenirs (I'm a proud owner of a Mt. Ventoux snow-globe complete with cyclist), the candied fruit stands, and the fresh sausages!

Final destination

Looking back down the south side

Tom Simpson memorial

The road is well marked with distance, altitude, grade (sometimes a bit discouraging...)

Looking down off the south side

Looking down off the north side

A new energy bar replacement? Fresh sausage!

The candied fruit was more to my taste

The summit looking northeast with the Alps in the background

While waiting for the rest of the relatives to reach the summit by car, I descended a short way down the north side and climbed the last 3 km up sheltered from the wind. Then it was a quick 25 km descent back to Sault before a relaxing lunch of pizza and rosé.

There is excellent riding in Provence including the rugged Luberon and Alpilles hills. Towns are close together and cyclists are almost always spotted in the cafés around the central square enjoying a coffee and pastry. Renting a high quality racing bike is easy and the opportunity should not be missed if in the region.

Hell Climb for Cancer 2011 - The Aftermath

2011-06-30T15:46:00.002-04:00

Indubitably!

Results

The Hell Climb for Cancer on Wednesday night was an unqualified success! Over 60 riders came out, despite threats of rain, to take on the 6.2 km ascent from P10 at the base of the Fortune Parkway to Champlain Lookout. Some sported their regular road bikes, while others ditched gears in favour of fixed wheels. Then there were the folks on snow bikes (!), BMXs, a tandem, a box bike, long bike, kids bike, trail-a-bike, mountain bike, and of course, Will, on his Moulton folding bike. Zany! The mood was electric in the parking lot, with many a rider sporting costumes, ranging from sassy (Mike's french maid outfit) to metal (James', Rob's and Mark's outfits), with a whole lot in between. A great number of riders definitely took up the spirit of the event and ran with it, which was a real joy to see.

In Anna's words: "Thank you to all participants who came out for the party up the mountain! You raised an astounding amount: $1300 from cash and online donations! Incredible! Your generosity and enthusiasm blew me away. This money will be a long way for the fight against cancer and researching a cure."

Indeed, the cycling community really stepped up to support Anna's Ride the Rideau fundraising campaign, very heartening. It feels good to be part of a community of supportive, passionate people. If anyone who missed the opportunity to donate in person would like to do so online, click the link in the line above.

Tricia has likely never looked this menacing before.

We couldn't have done it without the support of numerous local businesses, and the generous efforts of our volunteers. A big thank you goes out to The Cyclery, Kunstadt, Bushtukah, Phat Moose Cycles, Tall Tree Cycles, and Danielle Pratt for their generous prize donations. It was great so see a better prize spread than most of the fancy races I've been to! No less, thank you to our volunteers: Deb, Danny, Charlotte, Neil, Rob, Pascal, Mark, Alex and Greg! Everybody was learning on the fly, and I think all did a spectacular job!

Martin forgot the milk, but took his dog for a helluva ride!

Results are up, still somewhat unofficial, as there are a couple times that look like they might need to be revised. Click here to view them.

Lots more photos going up on our flickr page, I'll post more here asap.

Americana

2011-06-30T10:14:00.000-04:00

(all photos stolen from Whiteface Lake Placid Facebook)

So far this season has been going pretty much like any other mountain bike season: three Ontario Cups, two Canada Cups and a couple of early season "road" races. Two third place finishes, two fourths and a second. Same old races with the same old results. Tremblant and Hardwood Hills stand out for their excellent courses and the others... well... all I can really remember is the usual beating from Jon Barnes. And then last weekend happened. Dave and I (along with Cyclery Vince and his wingman Swat Team Sean) travelled to Lake Placid for The Race of the Year So Far. The event was billed as an official Leadville 100 qualifier starting and finishing at Whiteface Mountain with 100km of racing in between.

I will admit that I was a little put off by the Leadville association. I'm getting a little tired of Leadville being referred to as "the World Series of mountain biking." I guess that makes former winners Lance Armstrong and Levi Leipheimer the Barry Bonds and Mark McGwire of mountain biking? Maybe the analogy's not too far off. Anybody who follows XC racing at all knows that Leadville is hardly representative of the sport's top tier. Plus I'm a grump. Like the punker kid in high school who hated when his favourite band got popular. Why, they started showing up on TV! And playing his town! The horror! It's irrational, I know, but Leadville-mania rubs me the wrong way. Gravel road race on a mountain bike? Whatever! And now this qualifying series. I can just see the Leadville marketing people sitting around a board room table saying, "Look there's this Hawaiian Ironman... it's like heaven for triathletes. They're dying to get in and will pay any price. We could TOTALLY do that with Leadville!" High fives all around.

Those early misgivings went out the window when we arrived in Lake Placid and I found myself thinking, "no matter how this race actually turns out, 100km on a mountain bike in a place this beautiful can't be bad." The Whiteface/Placid area was overrun with bicycles on this weekend. Hundreds of eagerly training triathletes, downhillers at the ski hill, a road race up the mountain, a welcoming party at a local pub for racers. It really felt like something special before we even got to the start line.

The actual race drew a decent field of around 230 racers including one of America's fastest XC dudes Jeremiah Bishop and his Cannondale teammates. Things started at 6:30am with a speech from the legendary Dave Weins, the playing of the always-inspiring Star Spangled Banner and finally a shotgun blast from the town's mayor (who was inexplicably wearing a Guinness top hat.) Blammo! Mass start on pavement.

Dave and I took a conservative approach to the race as we feared the five significant climbs a little bit. Before the race a fellow racer at our motel said something that stuck with me: in a race this long and hard sometimes you have to let people go. So on the first fifteen minute climb Dave and I watched as a group of about 20 fast looking guys rode away from us. We could have got in their group but it would have required a red zone effort and we figured we should save those for later. Plus we were still going faster than the other 220 or so people behind us.

The defining feature of the race is definitely the Adirondacks themselves. The second climb of the day came after about 1 hour and lasted for around 40 minutes. After an 80kph descent we looped around and came right back up again for another 40 minutes. Another wild descent and we were back at it climbing for 20 minutes or so. All of these initial 65kms took place on roads. Paved roads. Gravel roads. "Seasonal Jeep roads." Normally I'm not thrilled about riding my mountain bike on roads but this was different. These roads weren't some crummy doubletrack under a hydrocut as is so common in marathon racing. These were quiet country roads that took us to the top of mountains, past the most charming American scenery and eventually down ridiculously thrilling descents. Before the race I would have been the first to proclaim that this is not "real" mountain biking. Half way through the race I realized it's about the most "real" mountain biking I've ever done -- me and my buddy riding bikes up mountains. Bikes. Mountains. Mountain Biking.

It wasn't all smiles and sightseeing though. We were hammering pretty hard. And making up ground as folks were being spit out of that initial group we let go. In fact we were only ever passed by one person for the last 3/4 of the race. That's always good for motivation.

With about 25km to go the race entered what technical director Dave Weins described as essentially a second race course. The first three hours would be spent on various types of roads and the last hour would be completed around White Face ski resort. This section involved some decent singletrack and some muddy technical features but most significantly it would also have us completing the final difficult climb. In the racer meeting the day before Weins mentioned that he had been unable to clean the entire climb while marking the course. And he's Dave Weins. And we're not. This is why Dave and I opted to stay out of the red until the end of the race.

I think this was a good move as we managed to sweep up more remnants of the lead group as it exploded on the steep, steep ski slopes. This was a slow motion death march like I've never experienced before. Thirty plus minutes of granny gear riding and the occasional bit of walking. Walking using our bikes like crutches with our heads hanging over our handlebars... Dave and I were still making up ground though. We could have hopped in that front group 3hrs ago then melted down on this climb or let them go and accelerated throughout the race. Either way we'd be in the same place: walking up a giant ski hill at the end. Our method seemed like a lot more fun. Following the death march we bombed straight down the ski slope then rolled in 13th and 14th overall. Exhausted and satisfied. Sean and Vince rode solidly and came through shortly after with affirmation their training for the real Leadville has been sound.

On a side note we were beaten by this guy on a cyclocross bike:
This astonishes me. The bike was certainly appropriate for much of the road sections but he must have had to walk up the entire ski hill. And how the heck did he get back down to the finish line?! The descent bottomed my fork out multiple times and had me wishing for more powerful brakes. Jesus. This guy'd be going to the Olympics if he'd get a proper mountain bike! Well done.

This race receives the prestigious David Stachon Fist Pump of Approval.

Hell Climb for Cancer - June 29

2011-06-14T20:20:00.003-04:00

Another stunner poster by Greg Cosgrove

Registration is at P10 (at the gate of the Fortune Parkway) at 6:30 pm.

The Hell Climb is a FUN-raiser event, devoting all revenue to Tall Tree Cycles' team member Anna O'Brien's Ride the Rideau fundraising campaign. Anna needs to raise $1500, so we're throwing a party event to help her get there. Anna actually works as a research scientist in the lab that the Ride the Rideau is raising money for! In 2010, our first Hell Climb raised about $300 for Martin's Ride to Conquor Cancer fundraising efforts. We'll try to top that this year!

On Wednesday, June 29th, we'll all meet up at the Gate (Gamelin) to roll to the parking lot at the base of the Fortune Parkway, P10. We will arrive there at about 6:30, so if riders prefer to meet there, that is fine.

Riders will register by making their $10 (minimum) contribution, at which point they will receive their staging numbers. Riders will go off at 30 second intervals. As this is a grassroots event that is all about combining fun and challenge, we will be using stopwatch timing.

We will have five categories:
Open Men - regular road bikes
Open Women - regular road bikes
Fixed Men - all ages, no gear restrictions!
Fixed Women - all ages, no gear restrictions
Super-Modified - wild and wacky family friendly: tandems, mtbs, trail-a-bikes, kids in trailers...

This year the Hell Climb will turn it up to 11 by encouraging non-team kit, Unafilliated. This means anything but regular team kit is welcome: retro, vintage, costume, stylish, poseur, hideous...whatever. The idea is to have fun with it! Yes, we will have a photo car! We are already hearing that Marco Pantani will make an appearance!

This year's Hell Climb is supported by a slew of generous sponsors: Burro Burracho, Bushtukah, The Cyclery, Danielle Pratt RMT, Kunstadt Sports, Phat Moose Cycles, and Tall Tree Cycles. Thank you to all the sponsors for stepping up!

Prizes will be awarded to the top three and DFL finishers from the Open and Fixed categories. Prizes will be drawn for the Super-Modified category.

Prizes will also be awarded to best and worst dressed. Only riders riding Unafilliated will qualify for these prizes.

Start scheming your outfit!
Homepage for Ride the Rideau:

http://www.ridetherideau.ca/

Video of Anna talking about the fundraiser:
http://www.ridetherideau.ca/stories/#/anna-obrien

If you can't make the event but would like to support Anna's cause, you can donate online at: http://my.e2rm.com/personalPage.aspx?SID=2928214&Lang=en-CA

Mississippi Mills Bike Month

2011-06-10T16:30:00.000-04:00

Bob Woods, tireless organizer and promoter of cycling in the Ottawa Valley, was kind enough to send us an email about the Mississippi Mills Bike Month events that are underway, and continue through the month of June. Here's the rundown from the man himself:Mississippi Mills Bicycle Month is in full swing. It is a month of cycling related activities to promote cycling in and around Almonte. There are wide variety of activities such as Birders on Bikes, a Building Tour on Bike, Stargazers on Bikes, bike polo, bike movie nights, the Tour de Miss, and the new Slow Food Farm Gate Tour.

Bob is organizing the Tour de Mississippi Mills which is coming on Saturday June 18th. It is an opportunity to have a nice ride though the countryside with family or friends. There are four ride options that comprise the Tour de Miss that riders choose to ride:

A2A-Almonte to Appleton Ride- 29 kms;
River to Lake Ride - 55 kms;
The Four Hamlets Ride - 79 kms
or the Grand Tour - 100 kms.

Details of the Tour de Miss and a map are found on our website: www.mmbm.ca

The rides are on quiet country roads through out beautiful Mississippi Mills- not the Paris-Roubaix course! The start is and finish is in "downtown" Almonte (a different location from last year). Registration is $15. and includes a post ride bbq and refreshment.

A new tour this year is our Slow Food Farm Gate Tour, where cyclists will ride to participating organic farms to sample their products that they sell at their farm gate though the season. The farm Gate Tour will be held on June 25th.

Full information about Bicycle Month is on our website at http://www.mmbm.ca/

To Crash or not to Crash?

2011-06-09T14:20:00.000-04:00

Today's post's theme is crashing, and perhaps, not crashing. I will begin with Wednesday night's Sunset Series mtb race, then progressing onto funnier fare.

The Bad
Would the thunderstorm hit us? This had to be the question on everybody's mind. At 28 degrees, I didn't really care. I left home about 10 seconds before the apocalypse began, dark foreboding skies, progressively harder rain, then...wait for it...hail. Sideways rain and 80kph gusts were not really hard core enough as I rode to the War Museum to meet Jim. Nope, this one went to 11. The rain was so intense I could barely see, then the hail came in. I took cover under a tree for a few minutes, and got rolling again once the hail was subsiding. By the time I got to the museum, the rain was pretty much done. Nice timing.

It was clear that Fortune would be greasy in spots, and tacky in others. Roots were the real concern. But crash #1 came not on roots, but on the gravel road one minute into the race. I won't name the rider who dodged a pothole and took out my wheel, he know who he is. I've forgiven him. Hitting the road and rolling, I narrowly avoided being run over by the pack. The guys did a great job of dodging me, thanks! After getting back on, I chased, and was happy to see they's neutralized to let me catch up. Classy.

Racing all the way up the hill, I left me lockout on by accident and ate it again due to rider error...right onto my road rash. Ow. Ok, its not my night, just ride.

All was well-ish, until I punctured my rear tire on the third and final lap. My CO2 was innefectual, as was the pum a kind rider with a flat lent me. After more running, Rob Orange offered help, giving up a CO2, very kind. Unfortunatelty, it only held for 30 seconds, as the hole was either too big to seal, or I simply didn't have enough sealant inside. Not wanting my pain and broken shoe (BOA broke during my crash) to go to vain, I ran the remaining lap out for the points. Whatever, I need to work on my running technique, or rather, lack thereof.

$20 worth of fancy second skin bandages from a late night visit to Shoppers later, I'm on my way to a new layer of skin. The extreme technical difficulty of the expert course last night reminded me of the thoughts I had last year: its too hard for a weekly series. Fine for freeriding, but too gnarly to race all the time. I might sound like a whiner, but I'm thinking: Hey, if some of this stuff makes me cringe and go 'phewf' when I make it through, what are other riders thinking? Is this the sort of racing we really want to do, or perhaps would it be more fun, and more SUSTAINABLE, to tone it down? Perhaps some of the riders who have sworn off racing at Fortune would return? I'm thinking this would support the viability of the Series, and the hill's business in general. Am I alone on this?

Ok, so bad crashing aside, lets take a look at a few fantastic videos on the same topic, kinda. The first is about a tonne of potential crashes in New York, really neat, and the second features a bunch of hilarious actual crashes (no animals were harmed in the making of this video). Thanks to Alex and Steve for these gems.

The Ugly

3-Way Street from ronconcocacola on Vimeo.

The Good

Mallorca - extra pics

2011-06-03T00:08:00.008-04:00

People have indicated that they enjoyed the photo's I included with my Mallorca post, so now that I have many more in my posession I felt I should share. Please take note of the tiny hummingbird in the pic with the flowers....we thought this was some kind of large wasp/bee til we realised it was the smallest hummingbird I had ever seen - very cool !

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Of Truth: TTTTT

2011-06-02T23:02:00.000-04:00

The time trial, or, chrono format in cycling is one that I am both well familiar, yet very new to. In my previous life as a downhill mountain bike racer (though once a downhiller, always a downhiller), I routinely raced the clock. Me against the mountain. Really, it was me against me, controlling my natural drive to attack courses hell for leather. In this genre, such brazen riding doesn't so much lead to blown legs as blown turns and wild flailing crash and burn ground slamming. For some, reigning in the drive to ride with the throttle wide open takes self discipline and tactical thinking.

Back to the recent present, green bastards Rob and Dave have been speaking highly of their experiences at the OBC's Thursday night TTs for a while. Since I don't think Rob and Dave are nuts, I figured I ought to make an effort to get out and try a race or two this year. With Jim and Alex in the mix this year, the pull grew stronger. Alex has been into the TTs for a while now, and Jim has done a couple other races and a couple triathlons. When Alex sent out an email to the team on Monday encouraging folks to come out, give it a shot, and maybe ride as a team, Jim and I committed. Meanwhile, Neil the Defector (I say this in jest, honestly), and Imad agreed to pair up and take us on. Right on, some friendly competition.

Come Thursday night, Rob, Alex, Jim and I assembled in the Aviation Museum parking lot to register and chat with the diverse group of folks about. One OBC vet had his Cervelo P2 out with a for sale sign, $1699. Great deal for anyone about 6' tall. As Rob had told me, the group of folks out for the race spanned a broad range of age and ability, as did bikes range from full on TT wonder bikes to storied bikes like John Large's single speed track machine. Whereas one might expect attitude and elitism to accompany such specialized equipment, I saw none of it. Just a bunch of folks who love to challenge themselves. There is no posing in the chrono, its the race of truth. As Rob put it, there's no hiding in the pack and saying you were 'right there.' No, you lay it down to the best of your ability and reveal all.

Jim, Alex and I set out about 20 minutes after the first rider, aiming to simply ride as well as we could as a unit. Jim knew he'd be in for a lot of pain hanging on, but he was up for the challenge. No shame, no ego. Just a drive to push hard and improve. And I think that's what we all did. Communication was challenging above 40kph, as the wind noise is so loud. We set out fast, and managed an average right about where I'd hoped we'd be, 43kph, for 21:10 over the 15k out and back course. We were far from a well oiled machine, but for a first attempt, I think we did very well technically. While Jim was put into a spot of bother at a few points, it never crossed my mind that he ought to have been faster or anything of the like. Instead, I took it as Alex and my job to make sure that we paced properly to ensure that Jim's strength was best utilized. So if he was dying while I was pulling, that was my fault, not his. Teamwork is the name of the game. While I see the appeal of hitting the course solo, I think mixing in team efforts will pay off in dividends. For one, any of us can go out and hit the Parkway solo whenever we want. Easy, just do it and time yourself. Sure, its hard to push as hard as race day, but that's part of the mental training. On the other hand, there are not so many opportunities to unleash on the road with a team of 3 or more. Taking up this opportunity achieves a few things.

First, it builds the ever important bonds of trust and mutual consideration between team-mates. These bonds not only benefit the team out on the road, but also transcend the practice of riding and permeate the other aspects of our lives. Second, riding as a team is an opportunity to learn the subtle techniques of effective drafting and rotation. The Aviation Parkway always features tricky wind, and with a team its vital to read it, despite the stress, and adapt. This skill building will certainly translate into smarter riding with any group, and be of particular value in breakaway situations. Third. the team format might effectively counter the pull of the ego to prove oneself. Its not about individual glory, but group effort and success. While I feel like I'd certainly like to find out how I might fare solo, and I will, at the same time I feel like it would be better if, on the balance, if I ride as a team-mate. I feel the allure of the TT, as people predicted I would, after just one race. There are two ways to channel that. I can either start scheming a TT bike, which I really don't want to do, OR, think about how I can encourage other team-mates to come out and ride as a team. As I've stated above, I think there is a lot of merit in riding as a team more often than not. Who knows, perhaps Dave, Rob, and Alex will join some of us non-TT bike riders for a big group effort. I'll put clip-ons onto my Steelwool cross bike. It'd be fun.

If you are reading this going, 'Yeah right Matt, TT might be kinda fun for the really fit folks, but a surely a big sufferfest for the rest.' I really don't this this is the case. Based on the diversity of folks out there, this just can't be true. Everybody feels the effort the same, people simply go different speeds. Vytas, randonneur master, was out there tonight mixing it up, working on recovering from his broken leg sustained last fall. If a randonneur can have fun at a TT, I think there is hope for just about anyone who likes a bit or racing.

So how bout it? Shall we see if we can get a bit of a club/shop/team TTT competition over the season?

Tanya's Transylvania Epic: Stage Three

2011-06-02T09:12:00.000-04:00

Team CF's Selene Yeager is keeping a second Trans-Sylvania Epic title in reach with a second on the Coburn stage.
Photo: © Zachary Repp/TSE 2011 - http://www.aelandesphotography.com/ (cyclingnews.com)

Tanya's holding strong in 7th spot overall after three stages. Here's her rundown, followed by an excerpt from cyclingnews.

"While most of today was spent on gravel roads, it wasn't an easy ride with almost 6000ft of climbing in hot, humid conditions. I've always considered my roadie skills to be a little lack luster, but I pleased to end up closer to the podium times today than yesterday's singletrack intensive course (thank you Tall Tree for all that gravel riding!).

Stage Four is 40 miles of swoopy, buff singletrack awesomeness but will still be very tough with more climbing than any other day."

Another hot, humid day greeted riders at the Trans-Sylvania Epic during stage 3. Both the men's and women's class got off to an exciting start but the biggest change happened in the singlespeed category where Team Dicky's Rich Dillen had a heroic day, upsetting leader Rich Straub (Freeze Thaw/NoTubes/BikeFlights) by five minutes to take both the day's contest and the overall leaders jersey by a mere 35 seconds.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/trans-sylvania-epic-ne/stage-3-bald-eagle-coburn/results

Tanya's Tansylvania Epic: Stage Two

2011-05-31T10:09:00.001-04:00

Boom, Tanya's mug is on Cyclingnews.com!

Here's Tanya's dispatch:

Day 2 in a word: Hard.

In more than one word....tough day climbing pointy rocked singletrack. The rocks were many, the lines were few. Everyone suffered and I was no exception. But it was the expected level of suffering and drama free so I consider it a good day. Reprieve from the rocks tomorrow with a long roadie day but no reprieve from the heat. Another hot one with temperatures in the high 30's with humidity.

Results and story here.

Tanya's Transylvania Epic: Stage One

2011-05-30T09:06:00.001-04:00

http://www.tsepic.com/2011raceresults/2011-results-stage-1-bald-eagle-prologue

Tall Tree Cycles' enduro cross country diva, Tanya Hanham, kicked off Transylvania Epic on Sunday with the Prologue, finishing mid-pack amongst many a pro. Tanya sent a short update to the rest of the team, and is looking for ward to Stage 1 today:

"Excited for a long, hard day tomorrow, of rocks, climbing, singletrack and oh did I mention the rocks? No shortage of them."

Tanya has a couple stage races under her belt, boldly taking on events solo and reporting back with great stories and encouragement to give em a try. Its just a matter of time before she has some company; stage races are getting more and more appealing all the time. Here's a rundown of the race and Prologue from the event's site:

The Trans-Sylvania Mountain Bike Epic is a seven day mountain bike stage race scheduled for May 29-June 4, 2011, an annual fund raiser event for The Outdoor Experience Organization, a non-profit Pennsylvania organization whose mission is to build and create, improve upon, and document forest trails in the state of Pennsylvania for the use of foot traffic, bicycles, cross-country skiers, equestrians and other user groups in order to increase interest in sustainable, healthy, and enjoyable outdoor oriented activities; build outdoor recreation tourism in Pennsylvania; and contribute to improved community health and wellness by increasing availability of fitness-related outdoor recreational activities and enhancing outdoor recreational opportunities.

Prologue
The second annual Trans-Sylvania Epic mountain bike stage race kicked off Sunday with a 12.5-mile prologue in hot and humid conditions, a stark reminder that when a heat wave hits eastern Pennsylvania it’s serious business. Racers agreed that this year’s day one course was even better than last year, maximizing the use of serpentine singletrack found in the area. The major obstacle of the day was not the exposed, two-mile road climb off the start but the one-mile singletrack climb at about mile 5.5. The forest mostly protected it but it’s steepness and sweltering humidity took a tool that effected many racers for the last half of the stage.

Lots more info and stories here

Cycling Paradise !

2011-05-29T23:27:00.008-04:00

If you ever get a chance to go to the island of Mallorca Spain for road cycling don’t pass it up. This is a cycling paradise with great roads, challenging mountains and spectacular vistas !
Friends were registered for an inaugural Half-Ironman in Mallorca so a few others took the opportunity to tag along for the ride…literally. While the beach was mostly obstructed with fat pasty Brits and Germans, the road held boundless possibilities.

While others were getting prepped I rode most of the 90 k racecourse which included a steady climb on so-so (by Spanish standards) pavement but followed by a spectacularly paved and stunningly scenic series of switchbacks back down through a valley and the plains back toward the ocean. After the race a couple of us rode to the farthest northeast point of the island – cap Formentor, more fantastic riding. The following day was a similar, shorter but steeper coastal “recovery ride”….not what I would call recovery for my previously abused racer friends !
The weather was pleasant sunny and warm but not hot for 9 days straight with only one day of a few spits of rain. The house rental was inexpensive and backed onto the beach.

Ensuing days took us to a flatter beautiful rural section followed by the racecourse backwards. Then a 150 km epic ride with three killer climbs including the col de soller which was preceded by a massive 15 k or so furious downhill on pristine road after passing through a chilly mountain tunnel, then the more rugged climb to the Orient – a beautiful medieval tiny mountaintop town surrounded by majestic peaks and valleys. Then there was a trip to the northwest side of the island where the perfect road led from one quaint village to another – all with spectacular views of the ocean. This day was shortened significantly by a 2 hr full European banquet lunch….very hard to climb the two big hills back to our start point with belly stuffed to 2x capacity !

The slightly cooler subsequent day provided the full group the opportunity to ride to the Formentor…needless to say the unprotected drop-offs and winding roads left some with their Ottawa Valley hearts in their throats. The last day before flying home held a lovely flat rural spin of 65 k to get the legs ready for the impending travel flight carnage. But not before completing the 125 km route to the infamous Sa Callobra switchbacks the day prior. The pictures will never do this road justice. Once at the top of the col, a view essentially straight down of myriad never-ending switchbacks presents itself….one after another all the way down to the ocean tourist village. SPECTACULAR is all I can say – one of the best rides I could ever imagine ! After lunch we held a bit of a hill climb competition for the 10 km climb of 9-16% grades….daunting but oh so satisfying after the sub 41 minute escapade. From there a mostly downhill and sunny ride back through mountain passes and vistas to the valley and seashore for one last time.

To conclude – a visit to Mallorca is a must for any cyclist who appreciates the pure pleasure of the road, and the zen of being lost in a magical mountain paradise. All while shared with European drivers who respect riders, great food, favorable weather and Mediterranean charms.

Inspiration

2011-05-26T22:10:00.000-04:00

Inspiration does indeed come in many forms. Take the video above. The concept is simple, but, as is so often the case, the message is powerful: ride a bike and transform your experience of the world around you. See things differently, or perhaps, simply see.

As a parent, I derive a lot of inspiration from kids these days. Last night's kick-off of the Sunset Series cross country race at Camp Fortune marked yet another instance when I have been amazed by the confidence, skill, and enthusiasm of kids out on the race course. At registration, BMX Jim sat alongside his family, while his wife commented on how surprised she was by the number of kids at the hill. 'Yep,' I replied, 'this series really is all about the kids.' And it is. Namely francophone kids from a couple clubs in the region. I think there were as many kids out to race as adults. Out on the course, the kids track branched into the big track near the end of the lap. Two peewees rode in front of me through a short section of singletrack only slightly slower than I normally ride. Amazing! And, they were not phased my my presence, just cool and collected. Incredible! I was simply awed by their poise and skill, and these kids were just about 12-13 years old, riding on some tricky terrain. Inspiring. Later I passed others, both boys and girls, evidently putting the hurt on themselves as they attacked the course. I could see the fire in their eyes, and it was simply awesome. These kids are the future of the sport, and the future looks bright.

I see the Sunset Series as a development program for the kids, so I encourage all of you reading with any inclination to race to get out there and support the series. Even if you can only make a couple races, signing up for the whole series will surely help sustain it. Who knows, perhaps with a little luck we can bring back the party atmosphere the series enjoyed through the late nineties, when folks showed up to race on hardcore hardtails and overweight freeride bikes. Anything can happen, this is a world of possibility.

Canada Cup #1: Mont Tremblant

2011-05-24T10:17:00.002-04:00

This past weekend, Rob, David, Tanya and I hit up Mont Tremblant for Canada Cup #1. Us dudes had raced there before, but this would be Tanya’s first visit. I secretly wished at least one of us would reach the podium.

Mont Tremblant is not for the faint of heart. It’s a place of learning, and sometimes, perhaps often, when it comes to cross country mountain bike racing, the learning is coupled with pain and suffering. So it went on Saturday.

Same course as previous years, with minor tweaks at the bottom of the extended downhill portion, I was not apprehensive about the course. I’d arrived the previous year and raced without a practice lap and fared very well. The question was one of tactics and fitness; would I hold up with only 1.5 hours on the mtb this season? The answer was not what I was hoping for.

At go I found myself flailing and wound up with both feet flat on the ground. Once rolling I made mistake #2, and opened the throttle wide, fighting my way through the pack and to the front. A rider dangle off the front, and I reeled him in, passing, and heading into the woods in first. Rather than adjust my original tactic I’d set out – lead into the woods, then control the pace – I’d forced the issue by chasing, putting in more effort than everyone else to get there. The previous winner passed in the woods and I held on. I had the presence of mind to know I’d have to recover for a bit. This was proceeding ok until I felt my rear tire losing air. I dismounted, heard the hissss, added CO2 as the chase pack of 7 or so streamed by, then got going again. Rob was now ahead, and looking comfortable. Chasing again, I soon realized my lack of mtb time was catching up to me, as was my profound lack of upper body strength. Road riding just isn’t sufficient to prepare one for the onslaught Tremblant delivers. You’re either putting out power to climb, going over or around roots and rocks, navigating bridges, or hanging on through mine fields; there is no respite until you reach the bike path for a shallow descent, then climb through the village.

With the temperature sitting around 24 celcius, humidity around 60%, and too much effort expended early, I was in a sad state of affairs heading into lap two. With original designs on a podium spot, I felt I’d failed, and ought to pack it in. Whenever this happens I think of my friends and family on the sidelines cheering me on, and how I’d feel like I let them down if I quit. So I don’t, and I didn’t. Just ride, and try to improve wherever you can, I thought to myself.

There was little improvement in the woods. Many feet down, near crashes, flailing; gong show. I knew this came down to rustiness, so I didn’t hate myself for it. I just tried to survive. A crash on a mud and rock turn in the open landed my hard on my hip, but with the adrenaline flowing, I didn’t feel it (sure do now thought!). Heading into lap three, Imad reminded me that I was just warmed up, and this gave me a surge of confidence and energy, knowing some of the riders ahead would be fading. I clawed my way up to Rob, only to fall off in the woods. The rest of the time I chased him and a couple others behind him, but didn’t really make up ground. Rolling in a minute back from Rob, I was glad to have made it unmangled, as was he. We collapsed against a shady rock wall and traded war stories about our last hour and a half. Meanwhile, Jon Barnes was enjoying a well deserved victory, proving he is one hell of a rider, once again. Respect Jon, well done!

In the end Rob narrowly missed the podium finishing 4th, with me back in 7th. Tanya rolled in from the expert women’s race in 4th spot, an outstanding result for her first Tremblant experience, and David rilled in 11th in the masters 40-49 race. I’ve not heard what went down in that race yet, as Dave and I barely saw each other afterwards.

Ride of the Damned Prize Winners!

2011-05-16T16:26:00.003-04:00

Well folks, with the help of a random munber generator, I've drawn names for the prizes. A big thanks goes out to Norco and Specialized for supporting the Ride of the Damned and generously providing a slew of prizes. The rest come courtesy of Tall Tree Cycles and Steelwool Bicycle Co. Woohoooo!

Here we go, wait until you get to the bottom to find out who won the GRAND PRIZES:

Axiom Corker Multi Tool 40 Nick Vipond
Axiom Corker Multi Tool 6 Pascal Marais
Axiom Corker Multi Tool 10 Jamie Pold
Axiom Corker Multi Tool 43 Rob Kerr
Axiom Corker Multi Tool 13 Peter Schuck
Axiom Corker Multi Tool 55 Katy Chancey
Axiom Corker Multi Tool 3 Rock Clancy
Axiom Corker Multi Tool 50 Dave Rudnick
Specialized Format SL seat 31 John Hayden
Specialzed Pro Forte SS jersey (lrg) 42 Jay Heins
Steelwool Gold single speed hub-set 9 Todd Fairhead
Specialized Atlas T shirt (med) 4 James Cowan
Specialized Graphic Jersey (med) 20 Dave Hendrycks
Specialized Sonoma Gel saddle 27 Steve Morris
Specialized Pro gloves (black/gold med) 57 Jeff Ryan
Specialized Mondo Pro tire 700x23 (black/blue) 23 Ingrid Coney
Specialized Sport wmn's gloves (med) 7 Rodd Heino
Specialized Comp wmn's gloves (med) 24 Paul Young
Specialized Ridge gloves (med) 54 Mr. Pold
Specialized XC lite gloves (med) 19 Mike Steneker
Specialized Performance Carbon jersey (lrg) 44 Cuylar Conly Swobo
Ladies Merino Jersey Green (sml) 1 Mark MacNab
Tall Tree T shirt blue (medium) 31 Kris Westwood
Tall Tree T shirt ladies white (medium) 49 Jason Abbot
Tall Tree T shirt blue (small) 29 Dale Danner
Tall Tree Arm Warmers 36 Chris Simmons
Tall Tree Arm Warmers 19 Scott Forsyth

Velocity Deep V purple and pink plaid rims (pair) 35 Andy Brown
Chrome Metroplis Messanger Bag (Orange silver) 47 Michael Dekelver
$500 towards a custom Steelwool Frame/Bike 41 Vince Caceres

Get the word out to your team-mates. All prizes can be picked up at Tall Tree Cycles, 255 Richmond Road. No substitutions, sorry. We'll re-raffle any prizes that are not picked up by close of business (4pm) Sunday, unless alternative arrangements are made.

Congratulations everyone, and thanks for making the ride AWESOME!

Ride of the Damned: Mini Wrap-up

2011-05-16T10:30:00.002-04:00

Photos are up! Click HERE.

Sunday's Ride of the Damned was a big success, thanks to the scores of riders and volunteers who came out despite cool temperatures and rain. Those who persevered were rewarded as we cleared the rain clouds and rode on into the sun. The dirt roads were nearly as good as they get, and the kilometers turned over with the welcome distraction of beautiful scenery at every turn. May is indeed a wonderful time to ride in the country! From all indications, everyone had a swell time, and when the swelling goes down, I think many will start thinking about RotD 2012! Hope so.

Lots of photos and video to come on the blog, along with finishing times. Because raffle tickets were not handed out to a few of the first teams to finish, we decided to hand out the rest, and draw numbers for prizes once everyone had a number. Edit: In order not to miss anyone, I've decided we'll draw from all the names of riders who attended yesterday's ride, along with the volunteers. This way nobody will miss out because they didn't wind up with a ticket. We'll draw on Tuesday, and post up the winners in the afternoon.

Special thanks go out to Kris Westwood for putting in the effort to get material for a little news piece on the ride today, can't wait to see it.

Well wishes do out to Deb Hine, who had to spend the day in bed with a detached retina today instead of joining us on the road. Get well soon Deb!

UNOFFICIAL FINISHING TIMES ARE UP, CLICK HERE

Please email me with any corrections. Times for teams are only ranked if the team completes the whole route with the same riders that started. If riders are separated, the last rider's time is the team's finishing time. I need a time for the last two Fresh Air/OBC riders.

matt@talltreecycles.ca

2011 Ride of the Damned - May 15

2011-05-13T16:00:00.000-04:00

UPDATED Friday, May 13
See sidebar for links to more event info.

14 Teams registered. We ride rain or shine. Please try to bring exacly change - $15 per rider. We will have cars to leave bags of dry clothes in for the day and coolers for perishable food for the BBQ. Registration covers 2 BBQ items and a drink. Additional items/items for guests will be available for a reasonable price. Bring change.

Solo riders please arrive close to 7:30 to be matched up with team-mates.

See you all Sunday!

Who: Audacious dirt loving bicycle riders
What: 5 person Raudax
When: Sunday May 15th, 2010, Registration @ 07:30-08:00, Departure @ 08:10
Where: Lac Leamy start and finish
Why: Adventure, camaraderie, life experience, tan lines
How much: $15 CAN/rider
Registration: Required by midnight, Monday, May 9th.*
Distance: 148k total
Route navigation: Via cue sheets (provided) - unmarked route, open roads
Elevation gain: Approximately 1500 meters
Stuff required: Helmet, properly functioning bike, 28-30c tires recommended, spare tubes, patches, pump, multi-tool.
Food required: Enough food and water for 72k before first stop. Next stop 26k later (Wakefield), then 50k to finish.
Food en-route: Snacks and water provided at 72k (Low) checkpoint, for purchase in Wakefield.
Food Apres: BBQ (carni and vegan) from 2pm with allotted portions provided for riders of food and drink, additionals for sale to riders and non-riders. Feel free to contribute food items, including desserts!
Fun Apres: Invite your spouses and kids for the BBQ!
Proceeds: Any and all proceeds will go to Bicycles for Humanity.
Draw Prizes from Steelwool (grand prize), Specialized and Norco!!!

*Registration: New this year, and only this year, is mandatory pre-registration. Pre-registered riders will be added to Tall Tree's club roster to ensure our liability is covered off. This simply means we need to provide a list of participants to the OCA, and these riders will be added to our club roster. This will not affect your affiliation in any other event, you simply specify your preferred club when you register for other events. This arrangement is necessary this year maintain the grassroots nature of the event, and should not be required next year. Team captains are asked/required to email their team rosters to matt@talltreecycles.ca by midnight, Monday, May 9th.

Teams: Yes, everybody must ride in a team. Teams differ from groups; team-mates go into the ride with their comrades' interests in mind, not just their own. This is what makes the RotD special. Teams are ideally 5 riders, but can range from 4-7 if necessary.

Solo riders/teams shy of riders: Please get in touch asap so I can hook you up with others. Provide me with information about your ability level and expectations for pace (this applies to riders I don't know). Invite yer friends, and have your friends invite their friends.

The Route: 11k Neutral start, 137k Official Route, approximately 1465m climbing. See sidebar for links to both maps. We will ride as a big group (or two if necessary) to the official start of the route, so if you use a GPS, you will only need the 137k route loaded.

Navigation: The route is NOT marked. Navigation is the responsibility of teams. We will provide two sets of cue sheets to each team, which are very simple to use. They will be available for download in electronic format early next week so riders can devise a method of mounting/carrying them in advance. GPS units will likely make navigation easier still but it is good to learn how the cues work for those times without GPS, or GPS failures. Printing out maps to distribute is pointless; they would be too hard to read. If you have a decent map, bring it along.

Food and Water stops:
#1 @ 61k (72 total): We will be providing water and bananas at the Gazebo in Low 61k (72 total) into the route. Many will want to take 3 bottles to cover this distance (budget for 1 bottle per hour, do the math). The Gazebo is checkpoint #1; everybody must sign in so all are accounted for. There is also a depanneur here, but there is no guarantee it will be open.

#2 @ 98k (109 total): Wakefield. Water at the spring and excellent food can be acquired from Pipolinka (washrooms and water on site). Amazing smoothies and tonics at La Foret in the same building.

BBQ: Hamburgers and dogs (both meat and veggie) will be on the grill. Registration fees cover a couple grilled items and a drink. We welcome dessert and snack contributions from all! We'll poll riders at registration to gauge food requirements for friends and family attending the BBQ.

The final stretch back to Lac Leamy will follow the bike/rec path from Mine road. I've done my best with the cues for this section, the distances are not be exact. Be vigilant, as there are not necessarily any signs to go by. Once crossed under HWY 5, we'll be retracing our route on the path from the neutral rollout back to the beech.

All riders will be required to sign in at the finish. Times will be recorded for complete teams.

2011 Mufferaw Joe: Spring Riding at its Finest

2011-05-02T10:26:00.000-04:00

Had to recycle an image from 2011...Rodd's bike didn't make it this time.

Sunday morning held a lot of promise as Alex and I drove west to Quyon for the Wheelers’ Mufferaw Joe. Sunscreen and a bit of summer embrocation on the legs, no base layers required, we ditched our vests before rolling out of the parking lot across from Gavan’s Tavern, warm sun on our skin.

Last year the Wheelers launched a ‘steady as she goes’ group about 10 minutes before the rest. This time around, John Large explained we’d roll out en masse, and allow a selection to occur naturally down the road. Before long, we were rolling on gravel for a bit, then onto the PBR rail trail. Despite a healthy cover of branches from recent winds, the trail was in good shape and proved pleasant to ride. Out onto the road again, we soon found ourselves on some relatively fresh gravel leading into a new section of old double track called ‘Magic Road.’ What a treat it was, rolling through pastoral fields and woods, a real gem from my perspective. A sand trap caught at least one rider…c’est la vie. Regrouping, we continued on and found ourselves in Ladysmith about 50k in for refuelling. The more spirited riders were off before all had come in, thus solidifying the main selection. But I sat around too long before heading inside for supplies, and waited 5 minutes for my interact transaction to go through. Walking out I noted almost all the riders gone, which led to a full pin chase with Alex to catch back on. Thankfully, the road was dirt, which favoured our abilities, and we reeled in group two, then group one without too much fuss. However, Nathan Underwood and David Sugden were still up the road, so I continued on at time trial pace and caught them after a more few minutes of hard work. From there, we continued on, expanded our group with a number of Rouleurs, EuroSports, and others, and worded hard into the wind as the kilometers turned over.

Of the remaining route, only two sections proved particularly challenging. The first was the trail skirting a lake 85k in. The frost must have just come out of the dirt, as the surface was power-suckingly slow. Here Peter Conn and Jean Christophe (EuroSports) shone, floating well and putting down smooth power. This was the hardest part of the ride of the ride for me, as my 25c tires dsunk deep into the ground. Coming out, we’d reduced our numbers, and ultimately spent the remaining portion of the ride as a small pack consisting of Nathan (Independent), Peter (RWR), JC (ES), David Bilenky (ES), David Sugden (ES), Russ Jones (OBC), and another Euro who’s name eludes me. Despite a heavy headwind, we progressed well, and turned onto the second challenging section, this time consisting of fresh gravel, with about 15k to go. No flats, we were through, however, a few kilometres later, the Euro I cannot name went down on the pavement while eating a snack. Scraped up, but otherwise ok, he was able to continue on, and we were back up to speed with 5k to go. Back in town, thoughts turned to homemade chilli and bread.

Once John and the next group arrived, the food was unleashed and we proceeded to enjoy the fare alongside our refreshing beverages. Draw prizes flew before long, and then it was time to roll back to town. I half expected to see Nathan on the road, but didn’t. He rode to the event and back, adding a good 100k to his day. Nice.

If you haven’t tried the Mufferaw Joe, but are comfortable with a dose of gravel, I recommend the event highly. The topography and mix of surfaces made for an interesting ride that will likely be just about right for folks with a decent base in the legs. The ride certainly makes for good preparation for our Ride of the Damned (May 15th), which features more climbs, and steeper ones at that. Tire choice for both rides should be similar to those used for Clarence-Rockland and the Almonte Paris-Roubaix. I was on my 25c tubeless Hutchinson Intensives yesterday, but they are not ideal. While the reinforced casing warded off damage, the lack of volume translated into a more punishing ride overall, i.e., draining. They felt great on the smooth pavement, but everywhere else they were lacking in ride quality. For the Mufferaw I’d lean toward something around 28-30c, and the same applies to the Ride of the Damned. There are no tubeless 28s on the market (or 30s, for that matter), so I’ll go with my 30c Grand Bois with Challenge latex tubes on the 15th. As the ride is not a race, handling and comfort on the dirt will be more valuable than raw speed on the pavement. So if your best option is a set of cross tires, ‘run what you brung.’

Thanks to the Wheelers for putting on a great ride, and to the fine gentlemen I spent the day with for your positive attitudes, whit, and smooth riding. I hope to see you all on the 15th for more all-road fun! Stay tuned for specifics, going up here Tuesday or Wednesday.

Tall Tree Cycles 5-Year Anniversary Sale!

2011-04-28T15:55:00.001-04:00

This Saturday and Sunday, Tall Tree Cycles will celebrate 5 fabulous years serving Westboro and beyond. From humble beginnings in a shed, the shop has flourished and become a hub for cycling enthusiasts of all stripes. Join the gang this weekend for a BBQ, stimulating conversation, and discounted shopping!

5% off all (in stock) 2011 bikes
20% of all (in stock) parts and accessories (including Bicycle Quarterly for your brain and DZ Nuts for your taint!)
Door crashers Saturday morning
Free BBQ action from 11:30 - 2pm

Shop hours are 10-5 Saturday and 12-4 Sunday.

Wednesday Ear Worm

2011-04-27T11:35:00.000-04:00

Riding this week? Here's an ear worm for the road. I know I'll have this playing in my head during the Mufferaw Joe on Sunday.

From the Trenches

2011-04-25T22:24:00.000-04:00

How about a couple Paris-Roubaix videos to kick off your Tuesday, which might be your Monday this week. Except better, because its Tuesday.

These videos are incredible. The first showcases Mavic's neutral wheel support during Roubaix (thanks to Big Ring for the tip-off). Its both fascinating and exciting. From a marketing perspective, its pretty well done. A long-time Mavic devotee, I've been pulled toward other brands over the last few years: Stan's, because they are the best tubeless rims available, and KinLin, which are excellent budget tubulars. I don't need much from Mavic's range these days, but nonetheless, this video got me thinking about what I might get from them. Why? Because the video conveys the invaluable role Mavic plays in each and every Roubaix, year after year, not to mention countless other races, including a couple I've actually raced myself. Not only do they put money into this support while maintaining competitive prices, they also benefit from a heap of experience working on the wheels they carry, not to mention their new products like the M40. So I'd say this video has me thinking about Mavic more than I have in a while, and kind of eager to see how the M40s develop (though I doubt I can afford them!).

Here's the M40 video. Roubaix was a big day for the M40; Van Summeren won on it.

Next up is the most beautiful cycling short I can recall. The super slow-motion film captures the intense shaking the racers' bodies take over the cobbles, and even more amazing, the impacts their tires make on the stones. Here it is clear why high quality tubulars are the tire of choice for the race (and just about all the other Pro Tour races). Running pressure as low as the riders are with a tubeless set-up might provide a similar ride quality, but the sidewall of a clincher rim is more prone to denting, and with such pressure there is a greater risk of rolling the tire. I believe the race mechanics set up the tires so that they just barely bottom on the hardest impacts, which they sometimes test by crushing the tire on a stair step. With latex tubes, air bleeds over the day, so they also tend to over-inflate slightly to ensure there is enough pressure for the last secteurs. Quite a delicate balancing act. Van Summeren finished on a slow leak. This video provides a glimpse of the riders and bikes at work in a way we could never see with our bare eyes.

On another note, local riders will be pleased to learn that the Gatineau Parkway is very close to being clear enough to loop without crossing snow. Over the long weekend I managed a few rides, and worked the Parkway in on both Friday and Saturday. On Saturday Rodd and I attempted the Fortune descent, and found only one sizable patch of snow/ice pack, which we both managed to crash on about 15 feet from where the pavement resumed. No problem, we've had plenty of crashing practice over the years. Unscathed. While returning from a Cascades--Wakefield-Farrelton loop today, I caught up to Tanya, and she informed me that the ice sheet had shrunk to about half Saturday's size already. So, I think the loop is good to go save perhaps a very short hike, if that in a day or two. Outstanding.

2011 Mufferaw Joe Sportif - May 1

2011-04-20T09:24:00.001-04:00

Yeehaaaaw!

If you fancy a swell ride, hosted by the Wheelers, in the Pontiac, put your cowboy hat on and get yourself to Quyon on Sunday, May 1st. We'll have a gaggle of Tall Tree riders out for the day, and when the swelling goes down, we'll enjoy some darn fine food together at Gavans. Sankant will be aflowin, I can assure you. Here's the lowdown from the Wheelers' site:

Well, we’re off. The 2011 Mufferaw Joe Spring Sportif has us peddling up the Ottawa, not quite as far as Mattawa, on the 1st of May.
So we’re up the Valley agin’, meeting in Quyon, at Gavan’s Hotel, the ideal spot to head back to for some homemade chow and a cold brew.
The ride will be about 130 km with some good dirty sections, steady 2×2 riding and some high speed jammin’ at the end.

“Well they say Big Joe used to get real wet,
From pushing a big gear and workin’ up a sweat,
And everyone will tell you, all the way up the line,
If you’re ridin’ with the Wheelers, life’s mighty fine!”
Details:

Download the KML GPS data file
Detailed course map
Sunday, May 1, 2011
We ride rain or shine
Hot homemade meal at the end, vegetarian option
$25 for members, $30 non-members
Start/Finish is at Gavan’s Hotel: 1157 Clarendon St. Quyon, QC
No license required
08h30 registration, 10h00 start
2 groups on the road, one “steady as she goes” and the other a little peppier
be prepared for weather and mechanicals
no-one left for dead intentionally

Preregistration available via Paypal.

Ottawa Valley Paris-Roubaix: A Day to Dangle

2011-04-17T21:54:00.000-04:00

Dangle.

Ok, lets get this post going by shifting gears to another reality show:

Ricky, Julien and Bubbles (the original Green Bastard From Parts Unknown) plot to capture a sasquatch (while searching for the samsquamtch that's been destroying their weed field):
Ricky: Bubbles, hold the bernoculars. If this thing's down there, Julian, I want you to shoot him, then I'm gonna jump on top of the @#$%sucker with a net and we're gonna have to beat him with everything we @#$%n' got.
Ricky: turns his attention to the camera crew]
Ricky: I could need some help from you dicks, alright?

Turned out to be a mountain lion, but they were ready for anything.

Inspiring, Trailer Park Boys is. After getting Rendalled at the Clarence-Rockland Classic last week, we Green Bastards agreed we ought to try to shake things up a bit come Saturday in Almonte. Press the issue, along with the meat. We'd try to make a move before the first woods, aptly named Forest Road, and thin the field to form an 'elite' group out of the woods. Maybe it'd work, maybe not, but one thing was certain: the woods would be crucial, akin to the real Roubaix's Forest or Arenberg (Secteur 18), except early rather than 160k into a race that's only 85k. Similar, except for the small fact that nobody ought to be shattered on entry.

The Forest of Arenberg, aka, the trench, traditionally falls as Secteur 18 in Paris-Roubaix. Some nice background on the Arenberg here.

Everyone has a plan 'till they get punched in the mouth - Mike Tyson

So we press the pace a bit on Quarry Road heading toward Forest Road. Its windy, quite, so our efforts amount to nothing. By 'we' I refer to Neil, who is with Kunstadt/Scott for the season, Imad, of the same team, and Rob, fellow Bastard. While the pace we set did shed some riders, it had no effect on those who would contest the race, so we eased up and waited for the approach to Forest Road. Todd and Alex moved up to shelter me, which was most appreciated, and we headed onto the highway for a short transition into the woods.

As usual, riders were aggressive heading into the woods. I headed in about 6th wheel, while Neil was right at the point. Expecting soft ground, we instead found ourselves rolling on frozen, fast dirt. I'd made the mistake of shifting into my small ring, expecting bog. Nope, instead, I lost ground and had to work hard to stay close to the front. Riders were all over the track, avoiding ice puddles, ruts, and other obstacles. Neil seemed to be driving the pace really hard, and continued as we shifted into the second secteur, separated by about 150m of dirt road. Here we found rougher conditions, and more ice. Carrying more speed than Osmond Bakker from behind, I attempted a pass through the weeds as Osmond dodged to avoid an ice trench. Our sides collided and Osmond bounced off, leaving me with nothing but the sound of crunching ice. I grimaced, hoping he did not land in the ice-water with his body. That'd be hideous. Following Evan McNeely up the right as Neil and others went hard on the left, we strung out a bit. Carnage ensued as Neil went over the bars at the stream crossing, which led to both Evan and one other down. I squeaked by unscathed, and was out on the road with Osmond, Imad, DSJ, and a few others with a bit of a gap. Aaron Fillion was back, and Osmond urged us to press the pace to keep him from connecting, knowing that Aaron would be a tough challenger to his chances. Looking around and finding no fellow Green Bastards, in addition to needing to recover from a near anaerobic effort through the woods, I was not prepared to drive the pace. Nobody else was willing to go 100% either, so Aaron and a significant number of others bridged up and formed a group of about 25. I suppose this constituted more of a front group than a break.

Rendalls outnumbered all other teams in the group, with DSJ, Aaron, Mason, Kiernan, Rob O and Glen Rendall (at least) in the bunch. Shades of Clarence-Rockland. DSJ attacked often, and Doug VdH and Warren of Nine2Five, Iman, Neil, and I chased. Eventually, Kiernan Orange road away, looking strong. After catching him and fending off some more Rendall attacks, he rode off again. After catching him again, Osmond and Mason escaped, while the rest of us looked at each other, wondering who might go.

As we progressed, our numbers slowly dwindled, and we approached the sandy switchback and long trail-like secteur at about 60k in, I reminded Neil to sit up and be ready for attacks off the top of the climb, and positioned myself at the front heading in. Shifting to my small ring, I pulled a Schleck, dropping the chain. As I coasted to guide it on with my hand, the pack streamed past. Fortunately, I had room to regain ground heading up, but was not about 8 back, with the strongest guys ahead. Sure enough, they drove it full gas off the top, and I chased to regain contact, ultimately following Evan with Imad on my wheel. Exiting the trail, we headed into a full head wind as the front group continued to hammer. We worked together to try to regain contact, ultimately working with Marc Boudreau and a couple others I can't recall...things get fuzzy. After pulling as hard and often as I could manage, and doing my darndest to follow Marc, I was back on the tail end of the pack. So gassed I was, I didn't even realize that a number of the other guys had not made it with me. I hung on until the attacks started flying, and being on the tail and recovering, I was completely unable to follow them. I kept it steady and watched them roll away. Ate food, drank, pedaled. My legs were ok, but I just didn't have the aerobic ability to go with them. Hang tight, try to keep them in sight, and hope to catch a few in or just after the woods.

Windy. But not demoralizing. Just hard to see the race ride away and not be able to do anything about it. I maintained visual contact, and could tell that the attacks were subsiding, but I wasn't gaining. Getting close to what I figured had to be the turn onto the final wooded secteur, I saw a rider get dropped, and could tell it was Kiernan. He'd worked hard earlier, benefiting his team-mates. I aimed to catch him.

The woods were once again more frozen than usual, and consequently, as rough as ever. In my small ring, my chain derailed, convincing me that a chain catcher is indeed a necessary addition. With nobody in sight in either direction, I simply got off, replaced it, and got back on. Coming out of the woods, it was clear I'd maintained my gap to Kiernan, and that he was cooked. Within a kilometer, he was sitting up waiting, and I was happy to let him take my wheel. As we headed into the twisty dirt road approaching the final paved road, I spotted a small chase group about 1 kilometer back. Warning Kiernan, I upped the tempo to solidify the gap, pressed on, sprinted out of the final turn, and crossed the line alone, ready to hear who'd taken the cobble. DSJ it was, with Neil on his tail! Second place to Neil Schiemann! While I thought I must have been somewhere between 10 and 15 in, in fact, I was 9th, since I'd actually dropped some of the guys I thought were ahead, to my surprise. So that's two 9ths in a row, and both on the Steelwool Truffle Pig cross bike, proving that it is indeed, a reliable companion.

Rob and Jim were in soon after, followed by Todd, Mike, Alex Michel (new TT rider), Steve, Anna, Andy, Jamie - in no exact order. Turns out Rob, Alex and Todd all crashed in the first woods, and Todd actually got his head run over by another rider! And his helmet is broken! Damn! Rob dangled off the front group out the woods, but was too gassed when the pace went up to stay. Jim tailed the group, pulling like a locomotive, dangled for 20k, but just couldn't get there. Steve had the best race ever, riding smart and strong the whole way. And Anna rode into second, behind Tricia Spooner, ahead of half the pack, stoked, smiling the whole time, and proud to have ridden with a strong group of guys as an equal contributer for the whole race, dropping many in the woods!!! Alex's race just didn't go well at all, but he sure did look good in the kit! And he treated my Secteur 18 loaner right. Andy had a steady ride, but Jamie suffered all day due to illness. The one cast member who's name has been conspicuously absent all this time is Dave Stachon, who was poised to be a big gun for us on Saturday after competing in the Cape Epic mtb stage race up to the beginning of April. Alas, Dave took a puncture in the first 5k, and packed it in. Compounded by all the crashes in the first woods, its safe to say we took a punch in the mouth, but hey, we'll be back next year.

I solicited the others to send me a pithy one-liner characterizing their races, but ended up getting full accounts, so I'm hoping they'll post up such morsels in the comments.

The first and only photos I've seen so far are here, and results are at cyclocross.org.

Next up, the Wheeler's Mufferaw Joe sportif on May 1st, followed by our Ride of the Damned on May 15th. Stay tuned for forthcoming details. We're looking for a few volunteers, so get in touch if you are interested.

Paris-Roubaix Ottawa Valley Style

2011-04-13T22:50:00.000-04:00

Its Wednesday night, its raining, and many a rider in the Ottawa Valley is thinking of Saturday, race day. Indeed for some, Sunday's Ontario Cup road race at the Calabogie Speedway will also be on the mind. Some will race both events, but most will likely chose one or the other. For us green bastards, the weekend is all about Saturday, Roubaix. A Saturday in Hell? Maybe. Probably not, the race is too short too make riders feel like they are dying...I hope. That sensation should be reserved for Paul's Dirty Enduro and cyclocross.

Five years ago, a number of our motley crew rode the Ottawa Bicycle Club's Roubaix for the first time. In an effort to keep the mood light, and level any disparities in fitness, we all rolled on our fixed gear bikes with fat tires. We chatted, looked around, shared chocolate with some ladies chasing from the back, stopped at the store for snacks. Each year we got a bit more serious about the event. In 2009, I raced a spring classics inspired event every weekend in April, from New York state to Toronto. With all the time we'd been spending exploring dirt and gravel backroads, the classics format was becoming our thing, the sort of races we spent all winter preparing for and looking forward to.

Kids pick up a lot. My daughter, who is 6, took this photo of Road magazine that was sitting around the house and set it up as the background on our iphone last month. She knew I'd love it. Sure did.

In 2010, a bizarre race landed me on the podium. Every edition of the Roubaix, like its mother race in France, brings surprise and intrigue. Saturday will be no different. The rain that falls tonight will meet the frost rising from the ground and conspire to create a slurry of dark matter, laying in waiting for our tires, and perhaps, bodies. If the forecast holds, we will ride through steady rain from start to finish, unlike any Roubaix I've done thusfar. Welcome it, embrace it, use it. The rain defeats many before they take their first pedal stroke. This Saturday morning will be all about the Belgian toothpaste; circles, brush in circles.

The route will differ from last year's edition, and the map can be found at www.cyclocross.org, along with important registration information (register before Thursday night to save $10). The route is beautiful, so even if you don't feel like you've got much race in you, pack your rain cape and come on out for a great ride. Just be sure to run tires 28c or larger, or pack lots of tubes. There's no broom wagon for this Roubaix.

For your amusment, check out the set-ups I've ridden over the last four years:

2007, fixed gear on the good 'ol Cross Check. Heavy wheels, heavy tires...Grand Bois were still a twinkle in Rodd's eye.

2008, we decided to run gears and try to hang. The elastic snapped after the second woods. It was really wet, so everyone in the bunch appreciated the frienders.

2009, serious this time. I rode this bike in three classics in April, and it was great, save for the lack of clearance for anything bigger than 28c. I used Challenge Parigi Roubaix's here, no flats...except Battenkill.

2010, problem solved. Custom Steelwool with room for fattie fat tires, up to 32 and 35c knobbies front and rear. I ran Grand Bois in 30c here, and suffered a flat caused by a cut. Despite/because of that, I finished 3rd. I still love these puppies, they are fast.

2011, Steelwool Truffle Pig team edition prototype. Same kit as above, but with Stan's Alpha/Chris King R45/Sapim CX-Ray wheels with Stan's Raven cross tires in 35, tubeless rear, latex tube front (blemish on casing precludes tubeless). This bike is best suited to the Roubaix of any I've ridden. I'll post some pics with more detail later on; it has a matching saddle now!

Clarence-Rockland Classic: How to get Rendalled

2011-04-11T10:56:00.002-04:00

Photo by Cam Cam

Battenkill and the Almonte Roubaix were carrots all winter for Jim, Jamie and me. I don't think I rode the trainer once without thinking about these races for at least a moment. With the poor riding weather through March, preparation for the kickoff in New York did not quite match 2010. Nevertheless, I was ready to go. Unfortunately, circumstances shifted for both Jamie and Jim, and both were forced to cancel the Battenkill plan and refocus on Clarence-Rockland. Fortunately, Jamie and I rode the course the previous weekend, and Jim had raced it in 2010. I was happy to spend the weekend with my family and still get to race. We'll hit Battenkill in 2012.

After a long winter, and a cold beginning to spring, consensus in the parking lot Sunday morning was that we deserved the mild weather and absence of precipitation. We'd start in the dry for certain, with a slim chance that it would start to rain late in the race. 85 or so kilometers of gravel and pavement to come, launching at a very agreeable 10am.

Launched by the town's Mayor, we were off at a reasonable pace, headed for the two climbs that come about 5k into the route. No one was interested in riding away just yet, so the pace was fine up these. Turning onto coarser gravel, we had our first taste of how dicey things would become. Staying up front and out of trouble was the best approach; Rob and Rodd were right there churning away.

Imad opted to ride away early on, and was joined by one or two. We didn't want to chase him down, as it was still early, and I personally was a little reticent about the wind. As is so often the case, the pace felt easy, as nobody wanted to do much work on the front. The tide turned as we rolled through a winding gravel section about 35k in. Being an open field, the whole Rendall team was present in the bunch. WIth their strength and numbers, it was certain that they'd start making moves; the question was when. Casey Roth, Derrick St. John, and Aaron Fillion began taking turns attacking. Neil, Rob and I would chase them down, then the other would go. It was a methodical rotation of attacks we had no choice but to follow. The were wearing us down, and we knew it.

A crash occurred right off my left elbow as Connor (I think) overlapped Aaron Fillion's wheel. I held firm as the rider toppled in my direction, but he went down and some carnage followed. Aaron was moving to the left, as one of his team-mates was 30 meters up, and another bridging. I picked my way through a few riders to follow Aaron, recognizing he was going, and this was the move that was going to stick. Plowing through soggy dirt, Aaron hit the gas, and I followed. But I just could not get his wheel. He opened a gap, then pulled himself up to the other two Rendalls, along with Warren McDonald. I held the gap, with nary a reinforcement on my wheel, for a couple minutes. Then I was done, and I knew I'd just lost my chance to contest the race at the front. Unless we could generate some team-work to drag them back.

Regrouping, Neil and Rob were ready to chase. We started rotating through, with about 25 trailing. Duncan Beard got into the rotation, as did Evan McNeely. Once Evan got revved up he was a juggernaught, too strong for the rest of us. I tried to recruit others to do work, particularly those who had no team-mates ahead. I guess they either figured there was no chance of catching, or they had faith in us pulling it off, because they were not willing to pull. On it went. Eventually, we decided to ramp it up and try to break off the riders we were dragging around, which led to attacks and counters from some of the guys who were obviously feeling pretty good.

Rob, Neil and I held tight and found ourselves turning the corner of the last paved section before the final climb sooner than I expected. We'd reeled in a few from the breaks ahead, and could tell that the final three or so were to far to catch, so this was it, the final group. Rolling into the base of the final climb I didn't know what to expect, from either my legs or the others, so I just kept it in the 50 tooth and churned up, legs protesting. A few came around, but we formed a group of about 10 at the top and continued on at a good clip. Martin Zollinger was off my elbow, and I knew he'd have a strong finish. We worked to Neil, Marty and I pushed the pace heading into the final two descents, and I took the lead position into the drop into the final kilometer. From here I knew I'd want to grab a wheel, and managed to get third or fourth as others came around. The sprint opened up a little early, and I had enough of my wits firing to wait. After three went I opened it up, head down. Alas, it was about 20 meters too early, and I was forced to sit before the line, which allowed a few to come around (I'd love to see this on video to compare against my memory, as its so foggy). Rob wound up right beside me without me even knowing it! So, it was a bit of a botch job with the sprint, but we managed 9th and 10th, which is nothing to be sad about amidst a strong field.

Further back, Jim finished with some very strong riders, capping his best road race to date. Further on rolled in Rodd and Jamie, Rodd having fallen victim to the crash I spoke of. From there it was Andy and Anna, both of whom flatted, Anna twice! She took a wheel from the truck the first time, then borrowed one from Marc Boudreau, who'd broken his frame, later on. Nice sportsmanship Marc! Anna had to slog away alone for much of the race, but never considered quitting. That's a victory in itself. She didn't think about it, she just did it. Chapeau.

Two Steelwool's in the top 10. Beauty. The Truffle Pig was awesome.

Classic leg shot.

Up front, Aaron took the win for the second year in a row, and Tricia Spooner captured the women's victory despite a flat. Emily Flynn took home the Junior Women's win, and Karl Hoppner took the Junior Men's title. Congratulations to all! RESULTS

So overall, the Classic was great. The course was marked well, the roads were in appropriate shape, and the traffic was controlled perfectly. A bit of food afterwards was welcome, and it was refreshing to see prizes for the mid pack finishers in each category. Great event Rendall's, thanks!

Clarence-Rockland Classic Pre-post

2011-04-10T20:24:00.001-04:00

Battenkill out, Clarence-Rockland in. Hard race today, time to go to bed. I'll post a report on Monday, hopefully with at least links to some of the photos taken from the photo car. It was a great season opener, or perhaps for some, a season opener to recede into faint memory, the sooner the better.

RESULTS