tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51737817791236808452024-03-18T15:07:23.785-05:00Biking through life...You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You’re on your own, you know what you know. And YOU are the one who’ll decide where to go.Rydn9ershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13365397419875871840noreply@blogger.comBlogger582125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5173781779123680845.post-31235240725386379852024-02-12T08:08:00.001-06:002024-02-12T08:08:17.813-06:00Has Spring Sprung?<center><a><img alt="Untitled" height="600" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53476733866_07a1271762_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></center><br />
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Hard to believe that about a month ago we were riding in feet of the white fluffy stuff in temperatures so low that it hurt your face to be out in it for more than a few minutes unprotected. <br /><br />
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Fast forward to yesterday when we headed down to Marysville to ride with the Hoffmans at Backroads Bicycle. We went from every inch of skin needing to be covered up to wearing a jersey and vest yesterday. I'm usually a winter person over the sweltering heat and humidity of Nebraska summers but after the sub zero weeks this year, I am more than ready for warmer temps to stick around. <br /><br />
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The real question is, will the temperatures stay warm or is this just a lull before the cold returns? I did see geese flying north the other day which is usually a good sign that the worst of winter is over but living in the midwest is a lot like being on a Duncan Yo Yo. Temps this week start out in the 50s but drop down into the 30s by the end of the week only to rebound back into the 50s next week... Lindy Loop here we come! It is the Gravel Worlds Winter Endurance this Saturday so I suppose it would be befitting that the temps were more winter like than spring like. <br /><br />
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Regardless if it stays warm or goes back to being cold, I hope you all got out and enjoyed the gravel this weekend because it was almost perfect. <br /><br />
<p> </p>Rydn9ershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13365397419875871840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5173781779123680845.post-44473294156283815642024-01-12T15:47:00.000-06:002024-01-12T15:47:33.070-06:00Snow Where To Go<center><a><img alt="Untitled" height="1024" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53420716728_a6470a1061_b.jpg" width="768" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></center><br />
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Took a trip out to Fraser, CO during the week of Christmas when the temps were cold in Nebraska but we has yet to get any real snow accumulation. They had plenty up in the mountains of Colorado however so we took the Fat Bikes up and got in a little riding, not as much as we would have liked but with most of Jackie's immediate family up there with us there wasn't much time for too much riding. <br /><br />
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They do know how to do up the Christmas festivities up there though, the fireworks display on Christmas Eve is something to take in if you get a chance. <br /><br />
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Not to be out done, we did have a blizzard here in Nebraska the day before we drove back. That made travel a bit more interesting than it should have been. All that mostly melted by the time we got around to the Saturday ride last week but the temps were still chilly. Side note, as I write this we are currently in another blowing snow warning with single digit temps and probably 10 or so inches of snow on the ground. <br /><br />
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Had a pretty good group on the ride on Saturday when you figure in the temps and the winds. Still haven't gotten around to replacing the Canon camera, definitely a step down on photo quality with the iPhone and screen grabs from the GoPro. <br /><br />
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Made it out for a decent 37 mile ride to Bennet and back, I think that was more than enough cold gravel for everyone involved. So far winter in early 2024 is shaping up to be a cold and snowy one, been since about 2009 when we had single snow events in the double digits for accumulation... or at least that I can remember. <br /><br />
Video version of the ride. <br /><br />
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<p> </p>Rydn9ershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13365397419875871840noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5173781779123680845.post-65225829189228201802023-12-13T20:55:00.000-06:002023-12-13T20:55:13.704-06:002023 Global Fat Bike Day<center><a><img alt="Untitled" height="340" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53378549226_383312cc31_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></center><br />
It's nutty to think that Global Fat Bike Day for 2023 was almost two weeks ago now! My how the time flies when you're... well, living life really, fun or not. It is alarming at times when you stop and think about just how quickly the days, week, month and years seem to go by at an ever increasing pace. Some days it seems like the days are like a tether ball arching around a pole, the shorter the rope gets the faster that ball travels around the pole until... WHACK! No more spinning. <br /><br />
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Well that was a bit of a dark turn, let's get this thing back on a positive axis. This was our 9th event, dating all the way back to 2015 when Fat Bikes ruled the biking industry there for a bit it seemed. We got more swag to give away in those first 2-3 years than some gravel events get now, it was crazy. Things have calmed substantially on the Fat Bike and the event has morphed to less swag and just more of a group ride with a chili cook off at the end, and you know what? That's okay, I kind of like the less hectic pace of the event now vs. it's heyday. <br /><br />
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Who needs swag when you can get all the smiles and comradery you could ever ask for. <br /><br />
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Camera took a shite so I'm down a camera right now and while the phone does an okay job it's no "real camera" for sure... then again it takes way better pictures than the camera makes phone calls, so there is that. Any way, bought the insurance due to other issues in the past with cameras so it'll get replaced after the holidays. Until then you get some subpar pictures. It's always a bit of an adventure getting 30+ fat bikes from the shop to Wilderness but it's great seeing people's faces as we roll by. <br /><br />
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The spin through Wilderness Park was pretty spirited at the beginning but then settled down to a more managable pace, as is always the case it seems people branch off of the main ride... and take unsuspecting people with them that follow thinking that they are following the main route. Herding cats man, just like herding cats. <br /><br />
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After the ride was the chili cook off, one of my favorite parts of the ride... so many great chilis to try and they are all good. <br /><br />
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This year in addition to gift cards for the top 3 chilis we also had gold, silver and broze medals. Joe took the top spot, Jackie and I took second and Gary rounded out the podium. I guess now we can say we make an award winning chili! Can't wait for next year, I hope this is a ride we can keep going for several years to come. <br /><br />
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Video from the day.
<p> </p>Rydn9ershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13365397419875871840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5173781779123680845.post-45104179780840169622023-11-26T12:06:00.002-06:002023-11-26T18:24:20.921-06:00365 on 38/17<center><a><img alt="Photo Nov 20 2022, 11 39 07 AM" height="677" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52518823081_a213428b95_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></center><br />
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Back in November of last year I was gifted the best gift a cyclist can get, a new bike. Not just any bike though, this one was the Salsa Stormchaser a singlespeed gravel beast from Mark and Renee of Backroads Bicycle. Not to have to go through FOMO Jackie picked up one for herself also and so began her love and my getting reacquainted with riding a bike with just one gear. <br /><br />
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We lucked out and had a fairly mild November and December last year so we were able to get out and put some miles on the Stormchasers almost immediately.<br /><br />
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Then the snows came and it wasn't until March of this year that the Stormchasers saw any time on the gravel again but during that time an idea was hatched. We had decided that we would register in the single speed category for all of the events in 2023. First up was the Washington Jefferson ride and after not spending much time on the Stormchasers over the colder months of winter, we struggled a bit on that one and I wondered if we might have bitten off more than we could chew. Only time would tell on that one. <br /><br />
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April came around and we had many more miles on the Stormchasesrs by the time Stay Fired Up in Kansas came around. We started that race in a very inauspicious manner as I had a flat right out of the starting gate... literally. Despite that we both took first place for single speed, albeit we were the only entrants but it was a tough course and we did well time wise and rode strong so there was a lot to be positive about. <br /><br />
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I'm not sure that the idea was to ride the Stormchasers exclusively during the spring and into summer but it seemed like everytime we went to ride we pulled them out of the quiver rather than one of our other bikes. <br /><br />
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Our next event was the Solstice Gravel Grinder out of Beatrice, Nebraska. For this one we entered into the relay race category with the Stormchasers despite there not being a single speed specific relay category. Everyone on the team killed it but we came up just short of the top spot and ended up in second place, losing to a much younger, geared team by only 20 seconds. <br /><br />
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By the end of June when we lined up for the Coast to Coast in Michigan we had several hundred miles on the Stormchasers but this was going to be our longest race on them and also the first time where there was real competition in the category of single speed for both males and females. 100 miles of Michigan gravel, sand and single track later and Jackie ended up taking 2nd in the women's and I took third in the men's single speed category. This was a really fun event and the scenery of the course was pretty amazing, if you're looking for a late June race to fill a spot on your calendar give the Coast to Coast a real look. <br /><br />
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Most of the summer had been hot and dry so we had anticipated a dusty, fast course for Gravel Worlds but 3" of rain overnight thwarted that plan. That was a difficult course for sure and it changed plans but we still did pretty well, Jackie finished fast enough for a third place podium spot and got to get up on stage. I missed third by a few minutes and took fourth in the men's single speed category... there was about an hour where I thought I had pulled off third but there was a 150 mile single speed guy that dropped down at the last minute to the 75 and once the standings were adjusted, that was that. <br /><br />
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In-between Gravel Worlds and the Pony Express Gravel Dash the Stormchasers got a major upgrade by way of some deliciously sweet, Cantu carbon wheels. We may have broken the "don't change anything right before a race" rule and Pony was going to be our second ever ride on the wheels.<br /><br />
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The Pony Express Gravel Dash ended up being a real battle in the 120 mile single speed relay category. This one was fast and dry, both the second and first place teams were pretty much neck and neck the entire race. We were flying, ended up finishing the 120 mile race in under 8 hours as a team with a combined mph average of almost 16 mph and walking away with the under 8 hours hardware and second place. I'd done the relay one other time on geared bikes a few years prior and even then with that team we only managed under 9 hours for the course... single speed doesn't necessarily mean slower it appears. <br /><br />
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The Pony Express was pretty much the end of our competitive gravel calendar but we just kept on rolling on the one gear for some fantastic fall miles. <br /><br />
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Backroads Bicycle in Maryville, Kansas put on a fun single speed only ride that saw around 15 riders, of those 15 I believe 8 of us were on the Salsa Stormchaser. That's how good of a bike it is, comfortable, fast, lots of room for bigger tires with still room for mud clearance and the smiles per mile are almost unbeatable. <br /><br />
This wasn't my first single speed, I entered into single speeds back in 2010 with the legendary Redline Monocog and rode that bike almost exclusively until 2014 when it was replaced by a Santa Cruz Highball frame I picked up from Ben in Seward. Still have that bike and it is starting to see new life on single track again. Also had a Redline 925 for a couple of years that was my "road bike" but I let that one go for a better road bike, it's still around the Lincoln area last I heard; sold it to Tracy H and I think she's still rocking it. When fat bikes came and gravel blew up I abandoned the one gear bike in favor of fat bikes there for several years, had it not been for the gifting of the Stormchaser I'm not sure if I would have rediscovered single speed again. Hell had it not been a Stormchaser I still might not have embraced it like we have. Like I said lots of companies make single speed gravel bikes but not everyone has gotten all the checkboxes checked like Salsa did. Single speed made me a better rider back when I was riding the Monocog exclusively and now again the Stormchaser has made me a better/stronger gravel rider... not to everyone's delight as I forget that not every ride has to be a fast ride but we are working on that one. It's just so easy to fly on that bike and it's made me re-evaluate some of my cycling goals and learn that with the right pairing of bike and rider I don't necessarily have to be a mid pack rider. After one year and over 2200 miles later, I can't wait to see what next season brings on one gear. <br /><br />
<p> </p>Rydn9ershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13365397419875871840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5173781779123680845.post-72329225446495861302023-11-17T21:18:00.001-06:002023-11-17T21:18:19.555-06:00The Rides Are Back In Town<center><a><img alt="Untitled" height="523" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53325806153_c7cb65040a_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></center><br />
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As much fun as summer is with all the things, the things to do, the things to see and the things to travel to; it is also nice at the end of the summer when things slow down a bit and not every weekend if filled with a gravel event of one kind or another. We are now in that time period which means that more regular occurrences of the Saturday ride from Cycle Works will commence once again. I've kind of missed the rides. <br /><br />
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The plan last Saturday was to head out to Denton and the Denton Wall but because of an error on my part we turned up too soon and never made the well. We still made it to Denton because while I'm not Ferdinand Magellan I can still find towns, so I got that going for me. It was an honest mistake, pulled up an old route labeled as the wall and didn't double check it... stuff happens. <br /><br />
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While we missed the wall we still found plenty of hills to go up and down, mostly up it seemed. And that headwind, don't even get me started on that... seems like if it's not blazing hot or Siberian cold around here the wind it do like to blow. Not a fan... ha, get it... not a fan, of the wind but whatcha gonna do except put your head down and pedal. It did make it feel like we were climbing most of the way to Denton even though we weren't actually. Mid-West Hills. <br /><br />
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Thanks to Doug we even managed a ditch beer stop, I'm a bit rusty on these rides and am slacking in the planning and the beerin. <br /><br />
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We did make a stop at Saro and Canyon Joe's on the way back into town, both were tasty. Not much in the way of pictures, camera is in for repair/replacement if they can't fix it so it's just the eye-phone right now. It takes decent enough pictures but it's a lot more difficult to get those quick snaps while riding so hopefully the Canon will be back in action soon. Sure would like it if someone out there would make a rugged camera that would shoot RAW and have the ability to customize camera settings like the advanced point and shoot cameras do. While they are good for pictures, they sometimes have troubles with the gravel dust and general jostling of the bike after a few years of abuse... someone help me here, please. <br /><br />
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Enjoy the video version of the ride, going to try to keep those going through winter also but how many times can you record the same ride starting from the same spot and still make it interesting. I guess we will see on that one. <br /><br />
<p> </p>Rydn9ershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13365397419875871840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5173781779123680845.post-44140097073186332742023-11-10T13:16:00.004-06:002023-11-10T22:34:35.586-06:00Shifting Is For Quitters <center><a><img alt="Untitled" height="533" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53318307846_54c34cac17_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></center><br />
Last Sunday was the singlespeed ride out of Backroads Bicycle in Marysville, aptly named Singlespeed Sunday. Which is pretty fitting since many folks consider those who find joy in not shifting as being in a semi religious cult. <br /><br />
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I felt like there was a pretty good turn out considering the singlespeed criteria for the ride, although we did have one rider that brought a geared bike but pulled his derailleur battery in a show of solidarity. Meant to be a ride more than a race, we all started at the same time and we mostly waited for everyone to catch up at the SAG stops. In all my years riding and leading group rides, I've never met one that didn't turn into a "race" of some sort. I mean you get two people on bicycles and they might ride together, you add one or two more and, well, you got yourself a good ole fashion test of speed and stamina. Not sure why it is that way but people are competitive, on a bicycle, merging when a lane ends on the road, getting to the check out first at the store, all of those scenarios and more often stoke the competitive fires within people. If you're not first, you're last! <br /><br />
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There was a bit of rain the night before which made everyone a little leary about some of the roads that were on the 50 mile course but there was also a pretty stout headwind for the first 12ish miles of the route heading south and despite the extra effort needed to get down the road the wind did a great job of drying out the dirt and gravel. <br /><br />
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With the exception of this hill here that measured in at a leg burning 22% grade, most of the course was just how I like it with plenty of hills to keep you from spinning out all day. <br /><br />
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Once we turned and started our way with the wind the roads really became spectacular, one section of 5 miles was almost entirely MMR and some even less maintained then minimum... subminimum maintenance roads if you will... but those were the best roads all day. <br /><br />
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The last 7ish miles back into Marysville was on the Blue River Rail Trail, also known as the Chief Standing Bear trail, Homestead trail, Jamaica North trail depending where along it's span you are riding it. While a bit spinny for a singlespeed, most of us who ride actually don't like flat for very long as it takes a lot of pedaling, it's a great resource for runners, walkers and cyclist. If you wanted to you could ride it from Marysville, Kansas all the way to Lincoln, Nebraska for 75 miles without ever getting off the trail. If you took the Rock Island at the new connector bridge you could take that all the way out to Wabash, Nebraska for 105 miles with only a few block of residential streets needed to connect the Rock Island to the MoPac trail. If you really wanted to get nutty you could connect the end of the MoPac at Wabash to where it picks back up again at the Lied Pedestrian Bridge via a 10 mile gravel section and take it all the way into Papillion, Nebraska for about 130 miles with roughly 11 ish miles not being trail. That's kind of mind boggling when you stop and think about it in our motor vehicle centric society.<br /><br />
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I really enjoyed the event and while still not everyone's cup of tea I do feel like the Salsa Stormchaser has really helped to "legitimize" singlespeed as a gravel option. Sure there are other singlespeed bikes out there and always have been, I've not see this many of one particular kind at one event ever. Out of 12 riders on the 50 mile course, 8 of us were riding a Salsa Stormchaser of one flavor or another. That's really saying something considering it's a bike that has only been out less than a handful of years and I have to say both Jackie and I are loving ours. <br /><br />
<p> </p>Rydn9ershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13365397419875871840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5173781779123680845.post-29609688614733934412023-10-26T22:22:00.013-05:002023-10-27T13:01:20.209-05:00Everything Old Is New Again<center><a><img alt="Photo May 15, 11 27 26 AM" height="480" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51184851459_e0310a0f04_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></center><br />
For most people Gilead Nebraska is just a dot on a map, if it's even a thought at all. With a population of 30 something, just inside Thayer counties eastern border on highway 136, it's a town you're not expected to know exists let alone the daily strifes, struggles and goings on of it's citizens. Hell to be honest if it weren't for gravel cycling and the Lazy Horse Gravel Grind, I too would be oblivious to it's existence but because of those things I know it exists and because I do it and it's people have become part of the extended gravel family. The last remaining business in that town is the Pioneers Inn, an old limestone building that looks like it's barely standing on a good day, but it's also the heart of a community that somehow seems to have beaten off death more times than they care to recall and maybe that's part of it's charm. The building itself was built in 1886 to house and feed railroad workers on the Rock Island Line, once Rock Island abandoned it's line through Gilead it became various other businesses in it's life until in 1986 the Keilwitz family open up the Pioneers Inn restaurant. In a town of 30 something people you'd think keeping a restaurant open would be a struggle and you'd be right but the community refuses to let it die. Several years ago, Karen and family thought about closing it's doors for good but the community outpouring and generosity kept her from shuttering the place. In August a storm rolled through the area lifting the roof off the building and depositing pieces of it throughout the town. Because of the age of the building insurance only covered the contents of the building and not the structure and estimates on a new roof were in excess of $100,000... closing the Pioneers Inn once again became a real possibility. Yet, once again, the village and surrounding communities heralded the call to help keep the Inn from fading into just another defunct old building in an almost defunct rural farm community. Several different groups got together and started raising funds for a new roof, the village offered up the community center as a temporary home for the Inn where they were able to server meals, asking only for good will donations. Because of all the support and rallying of the people around Gilead, there was a new stay of execution for the Pioneers Inn and plans to rebuild were formulated. <br /><br />
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Jackie and I recently took the reins of the Nebransas Gravel Grinder when Justin and Julie moved out of state, having passed through Gilead many times on different rides we decided that this year the Nebransas would contribute to helping if it could. We moved the start of the annual event from Diller to Gilead, started a Go-Fund-Me and asked that anyone participating bring a $25 cash entry this year to ride, all money going to the Pioneers Inn. For a traditionally free event with a reach not much broader than SE Nebraska and SE Kansas we were pretty amazed at the traction that the event page was getting and from the donations contributed. A bit over $3,100 at last count I believe but they are still trickling in. Last I heard total donations from all sources have exceeded $30,000 and work on the new roof has already begun. What started as a flat roof in 1886 and converted to a pitched roof sometime after will once again be reborn as a flat roof. <br /><br />
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The weather for the ride could not have been any better with temps only reaching the lower 70s and winds in the single digits. The route itself offered up tasty dirt roads by the spoonful. <br /><br />
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We also had fantastic SAG support from Matt's wife and mom, Melissa and Carol, who spent many hours driving some of those same roads to make sure the riders had what they needed. You can't buy support like that, which is a good thing because monetary compensation isn't in the budget for a free event. <br /><br />
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After a long gravel season on the single speed, this ride was just what I needed. Advertised as a casual ride it actually lived up to that billing and most of the long course folks rode the entire course as one big group. Sometimes Strava stats are great and all but nothing beats friendship and camaraderie. <br /><br />
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Even managed to make a new friend on the ride, he was a bit stinky but I helped him across the road so he didn't become gravel pizza. <br /><br />
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Thanks to all that came down to ride and all those who donated to the roof fund in one manner or another. Karen appreciates it, we appreciate it and the village of Gilead and surrounding communities appreciate it also. <br /><br />
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<p> </p>Rydn9ershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13365397419875871840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5173781779123680845.post-58189675857773881472023-09-21T17:47:00.003-05:002023-09-21T17:47:40.284-05:00Low Flying Clouds<center><a><img alt="Untitled" height="600" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53191947140_964f493525_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></center><br />
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Saturday was the Homestead Cycling Tour and it was a foggy one, I guess it's still better than the rain they had last year. This ride pretty much marks the end of the "gravel season" for us as far as organized events goes and it's always a good way to ride with friends and get back into the swing of slower rides. <br /><br />
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The fog sort of muffles the world making everything a bit more tranquil than it would be otherwise as long as you can keep the glasses from... uh, fogging up. <br /><br />
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There were those that did the full 72 mile course but most of us opted for the shorter 25 mile flavor, the short version meant that we didn't need to feel rushed and just got to hang out and enjoy the company of friends. <br /><br />
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Made for some decent photography also with the shapes of things lurking in the haze, here Pat and Amy leave us to continue their journey on towards Barneston. <br /><br />
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We made quick work of the ride back where peach pie, pumpkin seltzer and camaraderie awaited. Great ride, great friends and actually pretty great weather. <br /><br />
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Video from the ride. <br /><br />
<p> </p>Rydn9ershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13365397419875871840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5173781779123680845.post-53570000869675954282023-09-15T22:52:00.002-05:002023-09-15T22:52:29.508-05:00Just Like It Was Intended <center><a><img alt="PXGDRoute" height="272" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53190500465_436db8ed98_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></center><br />
Last Saturday was the Pony Express Gravel Dash down in Maryville, Kansas an event we've done several times now and always a fun time. This year, just like the original Pony Express route was designed, we signed up for the relay. While not on horses as originally ridden we opted to sign up for the 120 mile single speed category instead, single speeds eat a little less hay and poop a lot less than their equine bretheren. <br /><br />
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Our ponies for the event were the Salsa Stormchasers that we have been putting the miles on this year, freshly shod with new Cantu hoops which Mark and Backroads Bicycles worked tirelessly the week of the event to make sure they got setup and on the bikes. It's been a single speed sort of season for us this year putting roughly 1600 miles on the Stormchasers this year... the wheels on the other hand we only had about 30 miles on prior to the race. I know, never change anything big before a race. Good advice but what are rules for if not to be broken. <br /><br />
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As we have done for the past three years we loaded up the covered wagon and setup camp in the local park the night before the race so that we could partake in the spaghetti feed and pre-race festivities. <br /><br />
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New this year was the antique bicycle exhibit at the art museum in town, a lot of pretty cool old bikes were on display and rumor has it that they are going to try to make it an annual event to go along with the Gravel Dash. After catching the exhibit and finding some food we hung out at camp for a bit before retiring for the night, morning comes early you know and a growing body needs it's rest. <br /><br />
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Maryville has a pretty great downtown skyline, especially in the early morning glow of the sunrise. <br /><br />
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Our team, Iron taint and the greasy cheeks, consisted of myself, Justin and Jackie riding in that order on the relay. The team name? Well that sort of came off the cuff due to my proclivity to avoid chamois and chamois butter of any kind, on any ride, no matter the distance and everyone else's desire to grease the cheeks with that awful stuff. It's not like I haven't given it the old college try but it worked the opposite of what it was intended to do for me... worst, and only really, saddle sores I ever have gotten during a gravel event was when I was wearing both a chamois and butt butter... nope, my hinie prefers the only moisture on it to be of it's own doing while avoiding sitting on a sponge as well. <br /><br />
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Our competition for the day were Joe, Todd and Trisha Luke (not pictured here) as they were the only other single speed relay team that signed up. I think they are discussing their strategy of letting Trisha bring home the win here at the beginning of the race. <br /><br />
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Things got underway right at 7:30 am as we rolled out of town in a neutral start until we hit the gravel, albeit a spirited neutral start as is usually the case with these things. <br /><br />
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Once we got onto the gravel the pace quickly exploded, Todd and I swapped spots off and on for our leg of the relay and we ended up coming into the first relay spot at mile 42 with an average just under 16.5 mph. I'm not entirely sure we could have gone much faster without swapping out gears or at least I don't think I could have, the 38X17 was near perfect for the up hills and just a tad spiny on the flats but all in all a good gearing choice for the course. <br /><br />
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Being wrapped up in the event and the relay I didn't get too many pictures of the second leg swap in Axtel but our two teams were still neck and neck leaving out of there. Justin and Joe kept the speed up and finished their 31 mile leg averaging right around 15.5 mph. The fate of each team would be decided by the ladies on the third leg. <br /><br />
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Jackie did an amazing job on her 45 mile leg averaging roughly 14.5 mph but Trisha managed to pull away and get a 20 minute lead on her coming into the finish. Super proud of our entire team, everyone gave it everything they had and we fought right up to the very end. The weather was near perfect and the course was dry and fast and we managed to finish the 120 course in 7 hours and 46 minutes, which was pretty darn fast. Looking at the overall 120 mile finishers, our time would have netted us a solid 9th place finish in the geared category. Not so shabby for one speed if you ask me, not too shabby at all. <br /><br />
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<p> </p>Rydn9ershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13365397419875871840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5173781779123680845.post-6667055717577920922023-09-07T21:59:00.101-05:002023-09-08T10:11:12.366-05:00Legion Ride<center><a><img alt="Legion" height="400" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53172893734_99cd69f99b_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></center><br />
Last Saturday was the American Legion Post 197 ride out of Eagle, Nebraska. The ride has been going on since 2019 and it's a great <i>end of the season</i> ride and the fact that it includes a pie stop doesn't hurt it's street cred at all. <br /><br />
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Starting and ending in the city park in Eagle it is meant to be a ride rather than a race but if you want to light your hair on fire and take off nobody is going to stop you either. I do feel like they may have kept track of times and places and what not the first year but I think that went away for the second year but I could be wrong on that timing. <br /><br />
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The event is free to enter by email, free will donations are accepted and welcomed, and usually draws a fairly good crowd of folks from around the Lincoln and Omaha areas. <br /><br />
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You've probably heard of the three wise men... well these are the three wise asses, years of watching bicycles ride by has made their gravel knowledge pretty extensive and they aren't afraid to give you a bray of encouragement as you ride by. <br /><br />
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The single speed was in the shop getting new Cantu shoes so the Warroad was the bike of choice for Saturday, I have to say after riding one gear most of the summer riding with gears felt a bit odd. <br /><br />
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After sort of "getting after it" this year it was also nice to have an event that was just a ride and get to enjoy the stops and things like this pop up picture opportunity thanks to McColgan Photography. Sometimes there is something to be said for that back of the pack lifestyle. <br /><br />
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Larry the Cable Guy lives right here in Nebraska, not too far from Eagle... inspiration for Mater perhaps?<br /><br />
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The pie stop in Elmwood did not disappoint. Barry takes his pie selection very, very serious. <br /><br />
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Donation bucket for a military themed ride was spot on! <br /><br />
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We opted for the shorter route on Saturday so it was a quick spin back to Eagle after the pie stop and the end of another great Legion ride. Great event put on by the efforts of some great folks and all for free, you don't see that much these days now that gravel has become an business. <br /><br />
<p> </p>Rydn9ershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13365397419875871840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5173781779123680845.post-39919073501532239892023-08-30T19:07:00.003-05:002023-08-31T22:08:19.027-05:00Goal Is A Four Letter Word<center><a><img alt="Untitled" height="600" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53145796852_20a0f4da1c_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></center><br />
Goal is probably the only four letter word in my mental athenaeum I didn't use during Gravel Worlds on Saturday. Just like your supposed to do if you want to improve, I had set goals, I had done the prep work and put in the miles and I was as ready as I'd ever be to try to achieve the goals I had set for Gravel Worlds... <br /><br />
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And then in the midst of the driest, hottest summer in recent years; the skies opened up late Friday night and saturate Lincoln and the surrounding area with upwards of 3 inches of rain. I knew when I opened the garage door at zero dark thirty on Saturday morning, and saw that it was still raining, that any goals I might have had were out the window and there was a possibility that riding might not even be an option. To be honest I'm not much of a rain or mud fan, don't like it and have DNS'ed on other events when it seemed like a shit show was imminent. We honestly just stood in the opening of the garage staring at the damp world beyond for 2-3 minutes, neither of us saying much of anything. Finally we decided, after looking at the extended forecast and seeing that the showers were to end shortly, to loaded up the bikes and headed out. Rain and mud be damned. There aren't too many pictures from the race because it was <i>still</i> raining at the start so I opted not to bring the camera for fear of it meeting with an untimely death. Cameras and water don't much like each other and water always wins, I've experienced this first hand on a Guitar Ted Death Ride some years back and did not want to repeat that mistake. Since I was still going to race and was still attempting to do well that was alright with me, no camera to distract or take the focus off of going fast... and turning left. <br /><br />Right out of the gate as soon as we hit the gravel road on 1st street I knew it was going to be bad at least at the onset. Instead of skating over thick piles of gravel attempting to hold your line, you were slip sliding on mud the consistency of walrus snot on an ice flow... attempting to hold your line. This one section of MMR, pictured above, will for sure go down in Gravel Worlds lore and be talked about for years to come, the whole event will likely be known as the rain year but this one road was so much shoe and soul sucking mud. I lost my damn shoes twice carrying my bike on that road, twice! Yet I digress because as much as it sucked for those of us brave/dumb enough to to be riding it, you know who it sucked for even more? The race directors, the volunteers, the SAG stops and everyone who had a hand in planning and organizing the event. I can assure you with almost 100% certainty that nobody felt worse about the rain and this road than those who have been living, breathing, eating and sleeping Gravel Worlds for the previous 364 days. While there was a wet course given out, this one stretch of MMR needed to stay in because there was no other way to get to the check point without it. <br /><br />So, here we are in the middle of this muddy mess of a road, cursing to whoever would listen, carrying our bikes as best we could for the solid mile that this MMR existed and in the midst of it all there was a moment of humor to be had. An old farmer in an older F-150 had made the same mistake many of us had made and thought the road was okay to navigate by wheeled vehicle. He soon learned like we all did that riding/driving the road was near impossible. With bike firmly in my grasp and slung over by back I hear the roar of an engine and turn to see the old farmer white knuckling the steering wheel of his red pickup truck, a look part fear and part bewilderment on his face. He couldn't stop or he'd be stuck, he couldn't turn around, there were not options to take a shoulder to the left or the right and he couldn't give it full gas either because in addition to the clay mud on the road it was littered with dozens of mud zombies shuffling along carrying their bicycles. RAINS..... RAINS..... RAINS.... you get the idea. Rather than honk and yell he saw the situation as it was, neither of us wanted to be there on that road if we could have helped it but here we were, all of us up to our undercarriage in slick, slimy, momentum stealing Nebraska mud. So with much consternation the farmer slip slides his way down the road trying to not stop, to not end up in the ditch and to not hit anyone of the dozens of cyclists on the road, dodging us like traffic in the expert mode on Need for Speed. To his credit he piloted his truck with violence and grace, didn't get stuck and didn't flatten any cyclists. The whole time we were thinking <i>what kind of lunatic drives down a road like this?</i>, the whole time he was probably echoing that sentiment with a similar <i>what kind of lunatics ride a bicycle down a road like this?</i> <br /><br />
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Despite the trying and exhausting conditions if you look at the pictures of riders on the course, the one thing not absent are the smiles. Most of the people I talked to and interacted with were upbeat and positive and honestly seemed to be taking things in stride and enjoying the race. <br /><br />
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While my time goals went down the drain like runoff from the deluge I still wanted to push myself and see if we couldn't still make a go of it and in the end I did alright. First and foremost I not only stayed the course and started the race but I also finished and on that day finishing was something in and of itself. I was a full hour plus over what I had hoped to be but for a brief time it looked I took third in the 75 mile men's single speed category... and then they found a guy that slid down from the 150 mile single speed category and that put me into 4th. He must have been a last minute switch as he was still listed in the150 mile race, even worse he was fast and ended up with the top spot. The single speed category was a pretty close race looking at the numbers. The top 4 of us were all within 10 minutes of each other. The gap between 1st and 2nd was about 4 minutes, 2nd to 3rd was less than 3 minutes, 3rd to 4th was about 2 minutes. A race is what I had decided I was going to try for and in the end a race was what I got even if I was third loser. Good times were still had though... <br /><br />
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I got hugs. <br /><br />
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I gave hugs. <br /><br /></center>
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And I got to see Jackie kick ass and take third in the women's 75 mile single speed race! <br /><br />
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Gravel Worlds 2023 will be one for the books for sure, it was probably the single most difficult race I've ever done in probably the worst conditions I've ever raced in but at the end of the day it was also one of the most rewarding races I've done to date.<div> <br />Through adversity we discover things about ourselves that maybe we didn't know before, misery and miles provide plenty of time for self reflection and introspection. It's what you do with those thoughts that help to mold who you'll be in life. There is a distinct difference between physical discomfort and a physical injury, one tells you that you should stop and the other requires that you do. Knowing the difference between the two and not listening to that voice in your head trying it's best to convince you that things are much worse than they are goes along way when things get dark.</div><div><br /></div><div>There was plenty of physical discomfort to go around on Saturday, every single person who toed the start line on Saturday experienced that collective discomfort. Legs get tired, lungs gasp for breath, butts get sore and sweat happens... physical discomfort as daunting as it seems at the time isn't as powerful as drive, determination and positive mental attitude. If you chose to dwell on all the negatives that surrounded the rain you probably had a negative experience, if instead you chose to focus on the positives you probably had a positive experience. </div><div><br /></div><div>Not everyone you know can ride their bicycle at a high level over large distance, fewer yet will ever try. Push yourself, step out of your comfort zone, tune your mind out and embrace the suck. It likes hugs and it's always waiting for you over that next hill, make a frienemy out of it and just keep pedaling. <br /><br />
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Big thank you to the Gravel Worlds crew, you all are amazing people that put on an amazing event. </div><div><br />
Emporia is the self proclaimed Gravel Capitol of the World and they certainly have earned the right to claim that title but you can't talk gravel history in the modern era without including Lincoln, the Pirate Cycling League, Gravel Worlds, Corey Godfrey, Craig Schmidt, Chris Van Ooyen, Elizabeth Grindcore, Randy Gibson, Matt Wills, Aaron Gammel and so many more who I have forgotten to mention but they were there at the beginning of this grass roots gravel movement we are in today or at least responsible for our little piece of it here in Nebraska. </div><div><br />
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<p> </p></div>Rydn9ershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13365397419875871840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5173781779123680845.post-36714713362910540872023-08-23T18:08:00.001-05:002023-08-24T07:47:52.279-05:00Your Path You Must Decide <center><a><img alt="Untitled" height="600" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53135926889_38d186b8eb_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></center><br />
For a little green, hairy muppet so much knowledge and wisdom was packed in the little green body that was Yoda. Probably most remembered for saying <i>No! Try not. Do. Or do not. There is no try.</i> He took the young Luke from an innocent farm boy to one of the greatest Jedi by dispelling his little nuggets of witticisms on the young lad and forcing him to confront his self doubt and fears. At it's base though, by today's standards, their relationship would probably draw a lot of unwanted attention. I mean an old, weird guy who lives in a cave, befriends a young boy and convinces him to leave home and go live all alone with him in the swamp... sketchy! What does any of this have to do with anything, well, truthfully not much but I had to start this blog somehow.<br /><br />
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There was a time not too long ago, and definitely in this galaxy, that all I rode was a single speed Redline Monocog. That bike and I went everywhere and rode almost every surface, I was a one bicycle dude and that bicycle had but one gear... and then along the way N+1 happened and the Cog found its way out of the rotation in favor of fat bikes and geared bicycles and I sort of forgot how simple and rewarding single speed travel was. <br /><br />
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If you follow the gravel cycling world you'll know that this week is Gravel Worlds here in Lincoln and if you've followed the blog, you'll know that GW and I have had a rocky relationship as far as finishes go when it comes to the 150 mile version. I think I'm 2 for 4 on them, both finishes coming on the Pugsley and all failures on lighter, faster bicycles, it seems that perhaps I am better at suffering a slow agony rather than a fast one. To do well maybe I just need to embrace the suck as it were. <br /><br />
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All of that lead me to sign up for the Gravel Worlds Privateer in the single speed category and unlike most of my previous endeavors in gravel events I actually plan to try, there's that word Yoda, and see what I can do as far as racing it goes. That's a pretty big statement for a self proclaimed non-racer and to be honest I'm not entirely sure if this is a great idea or a stupid idea. The Stormchaser and I have done pretty well this year which contributed immensely to this decision. Results have been there also... kind of. I finish first (out of one) at Stay Fired Up, which wasn't easy despite being the only participant in the single speed category as there is a ton of elevation out there around Leavenworth, Kansas and probably a good reason there weren't many single speeders. Then we went up to Michigan and I got a legit third place finish at the 100 mile Coast to Coast race. Our three person relay team took second at Solstice riding single speeds against geared competition and legitimately I just feel faster on the Stormchaser as odd as that might sound to some. For one you have to attack every climb and bomb every descent because in a world without shifting, momentum is king. <br /><br />
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Gravel Worlds isn't exactly a single speed friendly course generally speaking but we are going to give a go and let the chips fall where they may... and if it doesn't work out well, Yoda has another profound statement. <i>If no mistake you have made, losing you are. A different game you should play. </i>Not that I would stop riding my bike, that's just silly but if you never try you'll never know what may be and if you try and fail... well, there are often great lessons to be learned in failure. <center></center>
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<p><br /></p>Rydn9ershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13365397419875871840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5173781779123680845.post-14459894373574009142023-08-15T22:00:00.010-05:002023-08-16T10:17:54.867-05:00A Kindler, Gentler Haddam Hounds<center><a><img alt="IMG_3028" height="541" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53113938027_5f9f5da6bc_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></center><br />
Saturday was the annual Haddam Hounds Hundy out of Haddam, Kansas. If you've never heard of Haddam, Kansas you're probably in the majority. With a population of around 100 souls and way off the beaten path, most people will never cross paths with this little map dot located literally on the edge of nowhere Kansas off of Hwy 36 just 10 miles north of the Nebraska border. Platted in 1868, it's name borrowed from Haddam, Connecticut, it's never really been a hotbed of activity for the world traveler but there did exist a "rival" town of West Haddam if you can believe that. Both towns decided to merge in 1874 to form the megatropolis of modern day Haddam, such as it is. Haddam is home to the Brown Honey Farm which is Kansas's larges honey producer and they used to be home to Rev Honey before it moved to Missouri and then recently shuttered it's doors. Probably also not widely known Rev Honey was a pretty good soda type beverage sweetened with honey and they were starting to branch out to energy drinks and honey "gel" packets for energy during cycling and running events. Both products pretty decent also in their own right. <br /><br />
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While it does have it's moments in history, Haddam today is probably best known, in the cycling community anyway, as the home of the Haddam Hounds Hundy. This year marked it's 7th occurrence, I have attended 3 of them myself and they all have been an adventure encompassing some gravel roads, some beautiful dirt roads and a smattering of "roads" that are barely, if at all, discernable from a farm field. <br /><br />
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This years route was rumored to be a bit milder than the offerings of the past so we decided to give it a go on the Stormchasers and hoped we wouldn't regret that decision. After getting to the event and talking to Todd about the route, he did in fact confirm rumors were true and stated he did so because there were a lot of new people to the event that he didn't want to scare off. Not sure how to take that tidbit... so, it's okay to try to kill your friends but it would be a fopa to try to kill a group of total strangers? With friends like that, who needs enemies. <br /><br />
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While there was not a single wagon rutted Oregon Trail type road on the course this year, it was not short on hills or rocky MMRs. <br /><br />
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Kansas farmers seem to have a soft spot for the wind turbine, I can't remember how many of these sights we rode past on Saturday. Seemed like every couple of miles there was a new one sprouting up out of the ground. Not a huge fan of what they do to the gravel roads in order to get the big trucks down them myself, for a "green" energy source they certainly don't adhere to the adage of leave no trace when propping them up. <br /><br />
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Our first SAG stop on route was at about mile 18 in the quaint little berg of Cuba, Kansas. Complete with what appeared to be a still operational blacksmith shop! Cuba, Kansas is named after the country of Cuba and there just happens to be a Geneva, Nebraska not too awfully far from Cuba, Kansas... an industrious gravel organizer could come up with a route to include both locations in a sort of a a Cold War Gravel Grinder if they were so inclined. It would have to be a big'un though since the most direct route between the two is already 60+ miles so to make a loop of it you would need to add a bit more than that. <br /><br />
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Cows on course is always an interesting time and we had at least four smaller cows wandering about between Cuba and Agenda, Kansas. <br /><br />
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Fun fact, more people are killed by cows each year than sharks! They look innocent but they are always watching and plotting your demise, just looking for the perfect time to unleash udder destruction on you. <br /><br />
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Had an opportunity to draft off a swather also once I was able to catch it, they look slow but don't let that boxy shape fool you. One could argue that drafting off of a swather might be grounds for disqualification for outside help, I argue that the swather was available for everyone on course and thus fair game. Since Haddam isn't a race perse the point is a bit moot in this instance but the argument does have some merit.<br /><br />
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Goat thinks it's a horse. <br /><br />
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Our last urban SAG was in the tiny village of Agenda, Kansas with a population in the 40s now but once boasted numbers above 200 in it's heyday when the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad still passed through. Not much is left now but it does boast an ice cream shop, a curio type shop and even a hidden garden. More on the garden is shown in the video link at the bottom, it's pretty impressive to be honest. <br /><br />
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There wasn't much between Agenda and Haddam other than dilapidated houses and wild flowers to we made pretty quick work of the last 20ish miles before stopping into the Haddam Cafe for some burgers before heading home. <br /><br />
Check our the video on YouTube for the rest of the story as Steve Harvey used to proclaim. <br /><br />
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<p> </p>Rydn9ershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13365397419875871840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5173781779123680845.post-44591524046538121382023-08-09T07:59:00.003-05:002023-08-09T13:23:48.940-05:00Flat Donuts and Dead Legs<center><a><img alt="Untitled" height="600" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53098002257_8994e8cf25_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></center><br />
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For the majority of the year Wilber, Nebraska lives in relative anonymity, another rural Nebraska farm town scratching out an existence as best it can. In early August for three days, however, Wilber thrives with it's annual Czech Days festival. Unlike many rural farm towns in Nebraska, Wilber has continued to grow each census. Platted in 1873 it's population in 1880 was 710 souls and it's continued to grow and at last census in 2020 the population was 1,937 souls. Fun fact... Dana Altman, head coach of the Oregon Ducks men's basketball team hails from Wilber and began his basketball career as a play at the now defunct Fairbury Junior College that was in Fairbury, Nebraska. Wilber has put on 62 Czech days and we have been organizing some sort of ride since roughly 2017, although I attended my first Czech Days in 2014. The starting location has changed from year to year but we have always approached from the east prior to this year when we shifted the start to Plymouth, Nebraska which is almost directly south of Wilber. <br /><br />
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The weather was fantastic for the ride with temps starting just below the 70° mark. The group was pretty big as we set sail on Saturday, matching our previous high number or riders in 2018 and I am sure the cooler temps helped in that aspect. There have been some scorchers in past years and even a rainy year or two so having the nice weather was a welcomed sight. <br /><br />
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The course this year ended up being relatively flat also which helped us make quick work of the 20-ish miles from Plymouth to Wilber. <br /><br />
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We ran into some friends who had ridden out from Lincoln and as is tradition we all touched the Wilber wiener that resides in front of Frank's Smokehouse. <br /><br />
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After the wiener we headed over to the Sokol Pavilion for brauts, kraut and kolaches. Sokol Pavilion was built in 1930 and listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1995. The Pavillion was originally the home for Sokol gymnastics, a Czech gymnastics organization that dates back to 1862 when it was founded in Prague. We didn't do any tumbling on Saturday but we did wrestle some beers down. <br /><br />
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As is also tradition, we stopped at the Wilber sign proclaiming it to be the Czech Capital of the United States. They aren't just blowing smoke either, the very first Czech Days in 1962 brought in 20,000 people and 60,000 people in 1965. Numbers are one thing but in 1963 then Governor Frank Morrison officially proclaimed Wilber to be the Czech Capital of Nebraska. If that weren't enough to cement the claim, in 1987 then President Ronald Reagan degreed Wilber the Czech Capital of the United States. So when Wilber makes the claim they have the pedigree to back it up. <br /><br />
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Official ditch beer sight, caught 'Grammin. <br /><br />
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Cooler temps in the morning gave way to high temps and more sun in the afternoon prompting a stop at the Red Zone in De Witt, Nebraska on the ride back. The Red Zone is your typical quaint small town Nebraska bar that time seemingly has forgotten but this one also doubles as a semi-shrine to the late, great Elvis Presley with several shelves of knick-knacks and bric-a-brac. No blue suede shoes were found in the establishment. <br /><br />
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Back in Plymouth a stop at the more modern looking Bart's Bar was in order for cold refreshments, we miss timed our arrival and hit the sad hours between lunch and dinner when the grill gets a bit of a rest so a liquid lunch is all we could muster up. Good ride, great group and as always a fun time at the Wilber, Nebraska Czech Days. <br /><br />
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Didn't get enough of Czech Days, check out the companion video. <br /><br />
<p> </p>Rydn9ershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13365397419875871840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5173781779123680845.post-58482519991659075912023-07-16T17:59:00.004-05:002023-07-16T17:59:31.550-05:00The Older You Get, The Older You Are<center><a><img alt="Untitled" height="507" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53040031805_5b14f718fd_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></center><br />
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As adults some of us refuse to celebrate the anniversary of our birth, I guess somehow thinking that if you don't celebrate it then it never happened... well there will come a day when you'll run out of birthdays so you might as well celebrate the ones you still have left. Jackie's birthday was officially on the 29th of last month but we were so busy that we didn't get to celebrate a ride with friends until this month but ride we did when we got the chance. <br /><br />
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The weather almost didn't want to cooperate with us, temps were really low for July and the roads would prove to be a little soft but sometimes when life gives you lemons you make a lemon birthday cake. <br /><br />
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There were several reroutes on the ride as we encountered roads that just weren't ridable but sometimes just going with the flow rewards you with fluffy balls of purr and it did on this ride. We happened to be standing around enjoying a ditch beer when these three adorable kittens came clamoring out of where ever they were hiding and were rewarded with as much affection as they could endure.<br /><br />
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The first stop on the birthday tour was the Side Trek bar in Harbine where beers, jello shots and a butterscotch "sperm shot" were consumed before moving on. <br /><br />
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Steele City and the Salty Dog was the place for lunch, got a few odd looks and chased off a few of the locals when we arrived but I think that is always the case when a bunch of sweaty, spandex clad cyclist show up en mass. We have been to the Dog several times on several different rides so it shouldn't be too much of a shock but it still seems to raise some eyebrows and cause some necks to crane when we walk in. <br /><br />
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Bridge beers followed lunch on the bridge heading into or out of Steele City, also a bridge we've been across multiple times but given it's precarious deck of planks I'd never noticed the limestone walls of the river banks before. I guess I was preoccupied with not dropping a wheel into the crevice between boards and launching myself face first into splinterville, sometimes you really do need to stop and smell the roses I guess. <br /><br />
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I have a propensity to moo at cows when I see them, most times they tend to moo back and we have a little cow-versation that neither or us quite understands but we do it anyway. This is the first time I've ever had a group jog on over and join in our group. The ladies of the pasture weren't even all that close, I'd say when I first bellowed my first moooooooo they were a few hundred yards away on the other side of a grove of trees. They ran around the grove and straight over to us to see what all the commotion was about and stayed there until we departed some 5-10 minutes later. I really need to get my hands on a cow to human dictionary, I might be making offers and promises I can't hope to fulfill and that would just be rude on my part. <br /><br />
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After leaving the ladies in the pasture we high tailed it home and grilled up some food, braut burgers not the hamburger variety as to not offend our new found friends. Cake was eaten, beers were consumed and conversations were had and this time we all understood what the other was saying. <br /><br />
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<p> </p>Rydn9ershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13365397419875871840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5173781779123680845.post-18644719425957063552023-07-01T15:56:00.001-05:002023-07-01T16:03:28.472-05:00Coast to Coast, LA to Chicago<center><a><img alt="Untitled" height="398" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53006691559_de295c5390_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></center><br />
Don't ask me why but Michigan has always been one of those bucket list states for me, no family there or any real reason other than I always thought it'd be a cool place to visit. I was not wrong. Late last year we decided to sign up for the Coast to Coast Gravel Grinder in Ludington, MI and take a week to travel up there and take in the sites along the way. Jackie had done the Coast to Coast in 2021 but due to navigational issues she got lost and missed the cutoff time at the checkpoint so never finished it, so there was a little bit of redemption for her in there also. It didn't take much, well zero really, convincing due to my strange affinity to the state.<br /><br />
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Last week we packed up the tiny teardrop and off we went on our adventure up north to see what there was to see and do what there was to do in Michigan... oh yea, and do a little gravel racing as well. <br /><br />
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Jackie does have family in Michigan so we did stop and spend the night there and visit for a bit. Growing up in both the Seattle area and in Montana, I'd say Michigan is Pacific NW meets Montana, except that's technically Idaho geographically but for the purposes of this story we will go with it. Depending on where in the state you are it really reminded me of both, closer to the shores of Lake Michigan and it had that Seattle vibe to it, minus the smell of salt water, further inland and it was heavily wooded and reminded me of my youth in Montana, minus the mountains of course because where we were Michigan was somewhat flat... "Nebraska flat". <br /><br />
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One thing I wasn't expecting was all the sand, not just on the beaches either where you'd expect to find sand but <i>everywhere</i> the entire part of the state where we traveled seem to be one giant sand dune. Talk about a great calf work out, try walking a few miles in fluffy, unbinding sand and that'll get those baby cows mooing. <br /><br />
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Friday night we pulled into the campground just outside of Ludington and on Saturday we made our way over to Sterns Park on the shores of Lake Michigan to toe the line for the 2023 Coast to Coast. I have to say the backdrop for this race did not suck, water, beaches and the quaint little coastal town wasn't the most horrible place to have a gravel race. <br /><br />
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As we were in the chute waiting for the start of the race, Mike came over and introduced himself. Mike is from the Chicago area and a reader of the blog, he recognized us from here and decided to come over and say hi. I'm glad he came over and we had a nice chat and again later on in the race when we saw him again... to be honest though it was kind of surreal at the same time, I mean I guess you don't realize that people actually read these things... you just sort of put it out there in the ether and never really think about it. It was a pretty cool experience also and I'm glad we got to meet Mike, thanks for stopping over and saying hi! <br /><br />
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Race started at 8 am and to be honest for us Nebraskans it was almost a little chilly to start with, luckily there was about 6 miles of pavement before we hit the gravel so a bit of time to get warmed up before the real fun began. <br /><br />
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Gravel was mostly a mix of really hard packed almost pavement like sections to a fair amount of loose sand at the beginning so you really had to pay attention to changing road conditions or you'd get sucked into a sand trap. Corn seemed to be a pretty common farm commodity in the area but man was it still pretty diminutive compared to the almost 4 foot tall stocks we have here already. Maybe Michigan is where baby corn comes from. <br /><br />
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The first three hours or 45ish miles we were cruising right along, probably averaging between 15-16 mph... then the horrible, sandy double track started rearing it's ugly head and things slowed down considerably. I knew it was coming because Jackie lamented about how bad it was the year she rode it and there had been rain the day before on that year so this year was bound to be worse, and it was. It was literally like trying to ride your bike on the beach is some sections, one stretch of this sand volleyball like substance was about three straight miles of slip sliding and walking with the bike. I was never so glad to see a real gravel road in my life after that section. <br /><br />
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The chill of the costal morning had also given way to the heat of the day farther inland, that combined with the longer stretches of sand had taken their toll and even after returning to more normal gravel the pace never did get back up to what we saw prior to those sections. We were still clipping along decently but instead of 15-16 we probably slowed to a more party paced 10-12 mph. Jackie had a bit of a battle with nausia, likel caused by the heat, the more difficult sections we'd just survived and the smoke coming down from the fires in Canada and Minnesota. None of that helped but we managed to keep moving and pushed on toward the finish line. <br /><br />
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We came back in the same way we went out so that last 6 miles was paved, not going all roadie or anything but after 90 miles of sand and gravel the pavement felt butter smooth and fast. We rolled into the end of the 102.3 miles with a 13.4 mph average finishing in 7 hours and 37 minutes of rolling time and were given a finisher sticker and stem cap. We shed our helmets and hydration packs and sought shade to sit down in and enjoy a cold chocolate milk. Unbeknowst to us, Jackie had taken 2nd in the women's single speed and I took third in the men's single speed category. We found out by scanning the QR code for results that was sitting near the announcers tent of all the ways to find out. Not a bad showing for some flat landers from the land of corn. Coast to Coast was a great event, well organized and while challenging at times due to sand it was a beautiful course, I'd do it again... as a matter of fact we may go back next year. If you're looking for an event outside the Midwest with a gorgeous back drop this might be one to consider on your calendar as well. <br /><br />
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<p> </p>Rydn9ershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13365397419875871840noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5173781779123680845.post-11282428371884626522023-06-29T17:00:00.003-05:002023-06-29T17:00:00.144-05:002023 Solstice Gravel Grind<center><a><img alt="Untitled" height="600" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52984752876_48dbbccbb4_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></center><br />It's been a bit of a busy week so the Solstice Gravel Grind recap is a wee bit late but as they say better late than never. This year Jackie, Doug and I entered the 100 mile Co-Ed Team relay... we were all supposed to be single speeding it, I think, but Doug opted for gears the week before so it was two single speeds and some gears for the race. There isn't a single speed category, yet, so it didn't really matter what bike you decided to ride, so there is that. <br /><br />
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When we rolled out of Fairbury it was already raining and it chased us to Beatrice which caused a rain delay and pushed the start back by about an hour while it down-poured and the thunder and lightening rolled through. Because of this, and the fact I've already destroyed one camera in the rain, the camera stayed in the car that day so most of the recap will actually be in the video since GoPros are waterproof. <br /><br />
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I took the first leg of the relay and surprisingly the roads, for the most part, weren't horrible. Sure they were soft and there was some mud but overall for it just raining they were in decent shape. I managed to get out to a pretty good start and was cruising along until just before Harbine when we rolled onto a 4 mile stretch of super soft road that really sucked the power and the average mph. As I rolled into Odell we were sitting in first place in the relay but the 2nd place team wasn't too far behind and their second person was a young kid who was fast. <br /><br />
Doug rolled into the second check point in 2nd place, the youngster passed us on course, and Jackie took off trying to catch up to the now first place teams second rider. She did eventually catch up and they swapped places back and forth but in the end gears and youth won out as the finish was a slightly downhill finish and the other team had gears and we did not. They ended up pulling out the victory by roughly 13 seconds. It was a great effort by everyone and it was a great race, maybe the race of the day and to be honest we would have been happy with third if it had worked out that way. Below are just a few random pictures from the day, one nice thing about doing the relay is it gave all of us time to hang out and talk to other riders at the checkpoints. <br /><br />
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I think the tables have been set already for a potential rematch next year but that's a long way away yet so we will see how things play out. <br /><br />
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<p> </p>Rydn9ershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13365397419875871840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5173781779123680845.post-68230155375248496542023-06-15T19:55:00.007-05:002023-06-15T19:55:58.724-05:00I have no responsibilities here whatsoever <center><a><img alt="Untitled" height="600" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52952514636_b8a6a49797_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></center><br />
There was a time not too long ago when I rarely if ever rode with a group of people and most of my cycling was a solo effort with the occasional meetup with a friend or two. It wasn't that I necessarily liked riding alone but prior to about 2012 all the rides I seemed to be able to find were fast paced road rides and I was not fast paced or really a road cyclist but I gave a few of them a go. Then I found the Cycle Works ride through Wilderness Park and I had found my people, sure it was a brisk pace but there were plenty of regroups and lots of friendly faces. Around 2014 the original leader of the ride moved away and it was rumored that the ride might just go away, not wanting that to happen I asked about leading it and as they say the rest is history. Hard to believe that some version of that ride has been lead by me or one of my friends for almost 10 years now. <br /><br />
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Gravel as been a great medium for cycling, the people who ride it are friendly and the sense of community is great. It has also lead to more fun group rides popping up in the area and we've been taking advantage of a few of those. <br /><br />
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One we have been hitting up recently is the Tuesday night gravel or TuNG that is put on by the Big Blue Biking Club in Beatrice, Nebraska. This one meets at and ends at a brewery and so far has seen a group of people with similar riding pace so they have been a bit spirited but nothing too crazy. While no drop is a really nice type of ride to have, it's also fun occasionally to "show and go" so to speak but even this ride has regroups so it's the best of both worlds I suppose.. or the worst of both worlds depending on your take. <br /><br />
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Another great one we've been frequenting as of late is the Backroads gravel ride out of Marysville, Kansas on Thursday nights when we can make it. Living sort or in between both towns it has been convenient making both when we don't have other responsibilities keeping us from riding. Rumor has it that this one is maybe switching to Wednesday nights to avoid conflicts with shop hours on Thursdays so we will see if that comes to fruition or not. Both are great rides with a fun crowd and as much as I love leading the ride in Lincoln on most Saturdays, it's been a lot of fun being able to just show up and ride without having any responsibilities whatsoever.
<p> </p>Rydn9ershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13365397419875871840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5173781779123680845.post-44830001392503878532023-06-05T21:31:00.007-05:002023-06-05T21:31:52.282-05:00At 9,000 Feet, Nobody Can Hear You Scream<center><a><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52930091130_0f3bbe3282_c.jpg" width="800" height="600" alt="Untitled"/></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script></center><br>
To say it's been a bit of a hectic few weeks would be an understatement, heck even the weeks leading up to the Lazy Horse were pretty hectic but since then it's been even more so. Gravel events and friends weddings have kept us pretty busy and things don't look to be settling down all that much in June either with both the Solstice and Coast to Coast coming up. To quote Ferris Bueller, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." <br><br>
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In an attempt to try to embrace those words, we loaded the 1120s on the back of the Jeep and headed out to the Winter Park area in Colorado for a few days of riding and relaxing. <br><br>
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They had really good snowfall amounts over the winter in the area so many of the creeks were flowing at or slightly above capacity, nothing flood level just yet but they were full for sure. Heck there was even still a little bit of the white stuff in the valley along some of the shaded paths and there was plenty still to be seen in higher elevations. <br><br>
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Day one of riding was just a casual ride up to the Winter Park ski resort on the gravel and paved paths. With the all but one ski run closed for the season the resort was pretty much a ghost town but as soon as Trestle opens for the mountain bike season it'll be back to it's normal crowds. It was kind of nice to roll through there and not have to duck and dodge people and the Fraser River Trail is a fantastic trail for sights and sounds. As is often the case, after a day of riding we finished up with a stop at Camber Brewing for a cold one. Camber is definitely our favorite spot for after ride refreshments but if you want to try something different there are probably half dozen or so other breweries in the Fraser/Winter Park area to wet your whistle. <br><br>
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Day two we got in a little single track, some new at "Phases" and some familiar just up the road from us. Phases was pretty fun but had a lot more climbing than the single track in the Fraser area. The 1120s did exceptionally well on the somewhat technical single track despite not being the best tool for the job, there were plenty of times during the weekend we wished we had the full squish bikes but we opted to bring only one bike each this time and the 1120s are great all around bikes. Of course with all that climbing and single track called for a cold refreshment, Fraser River Brewery got the nod on day two. <br><br>
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Took the following day off from the bike and got in a little hiking around the Grand Lake and Adams Falls area, also checked out the town of Grand Lake for a little change of pace. <br><br>
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The last full day there started out bright and early with a coffee and muffin stop at a new to us coffee shop in Winter Park and then about 14 miles of new single track before meeting up with Jackie's sister's family for lunch. This was some of the more technical single track we've encountered in the area and while the 1120s never complained we both were wanting for a little suspension again on this ride. It was also some of the bigger climbs of the weekend and we both were wishing we had less flatlander lungs on several of the climbs, 9,000 feet is no joke. <br><br>
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After lunch we got a wild idea to follow the Fraser River Trail the other direction to Grandby and back. On paper this sounded like a great idea, in reality it was still a great idea but it was a little more exhausting and intensive than I think we expected. FRT heading to Winter Park is a great trail of smooth gravel and pavement with gentle climbs and lots of shade. By contrast the trail heading to Grandby turns to single track and is rocky, technical in sections and has an adundance of climbing and it's 32 miles round trip. Probably should have scheduled that ride for a bit earlier in the week but we got it done and ended the week with a solid full day of riding. <br><br>
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The cherry on top of the day was a cold one from Camber Brewing while soaking away the aches in the hot tub. <br><br>
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<p> </p>Rydn9ershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13365397419875871840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5173781779123680845.post-17263306846024673662023-05-24T17:00:00.000-05:002023-05-25T14:24:29.412-05:00Cocaine Pony<center><a><img alt="IMG_9651" height="600" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52920637373_3380d76d67_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></center><br />
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Saturday was the fifth running of the Lazy Horse Gravel Grind out of Ohiowa, Nebraska. One of the unique aspects of the LH is that it's a gravel tour rather than a gravel race and usually the pace it much more casual. This was not really the case this year however, perfect temps, very light winds and a relatively flat course had the pace a bit more lively than years past. <br /><br />
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I was really attempting to keep the pace low at the beginning but started lagging a bit behind so I stepped it up, I can do any pace you want to do as far as fast or slow but once I get in a groove that's the pace I'm in for the rest of the day. So fast it was going to be on this day. It wasn't just our group though, everybody was flying and this kept the SAG stops pretty hopping. Seemed like all of the stops were wall to wall cyclists, that is not the norm for this event either. Generally we are spread out and there would only be a handful of people at the SAG at the same time. <br /><br />
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About the only thing slowing us down on Saturday was the train. <br /><br />
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The course was fantastic this year, not that it hasn't been in the previous iterations but this one was something special. A great mix of MMRs, flat sections, hills and a little bit of butt puckering deep gravel to keep you honest about things. <br /><br />
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There were a few changes as far as the communities we visited, thankfully Belvidere made the cut again this year. It's a great little town and the ladies of the town go all out with walking tacos and pies. <br /><br />
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Lost some of the initial group before Belvidere so I hooked up with fellow single speeders, Todd and Joe heading out to Bruning. <br /><br />
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Rolled into Bruning in record time drafting off of Team Angry out of Omaha. <br /><br />
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Oddly enough I'm not sure if anyone ate in Bruning like we usually do, one of the side effects of most of the riders sticking together in a big group is that lines were longer than normal and that might have contributed to the drinks only in Bruning but still one of my favorite stops. <br /><br />
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Dave hit his second or maybe third wind heading out of Bruning so I grabbed on and we cruised back to the end. I know I sound like a broken record here but this was a fast year, looking back at the previous 4 years of the event we only finished faster one year. In 2019 we finished in 4 hours and 10 minutes but it was also 10 miles less distance that year, this year we finished in 4 hours and 15 minutes at our highest average MPH of any of the years at 14.6 mph. It was also the first time I can remember not only being back before the prize give away started but being back with enough time to shower, eat and chit chat a bit. Crazy how nice weather and flattish course can really change the overall speed of an event, I think even some of the SAG stops were a little surprised at the speed and volume in which riders showed up this year. That has nothing to do with the event organizers and it's not a hit on the event in any way, it was just the perfect conditions this year for fast times laid down by everyone. Maybe next year there needs to be more hills to spread the group out. <br /><br />
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Fantastic event, fantastic weather, and fantastic friends to ride with. The crew that puts on the event are top notch also... I might be a little biased about that since I'm dating Jackie but she does put in a lot of work to help make the event what it is. They really have something special in this ride. If I had one hit on the event it would be that in all of the 5 years I've been going I have never, ever, ever won any of the SWAG... seems rigged to me. Kidding, slightly, maybe. <br /><br />
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<p> </p>Rydn9ershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13365397419875871840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5173781779123680845.post-428934441702509062023-05-17T05:52:00.001-05:002023-05-17T12:33:53.123-05:00S24O, WD40, UB40<center><a><img alt="Photo May 13 2023, 8 06 11 PM" height="600" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52902750449_81874739a0_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></center><br />
We as a society love our abbreviations and acronyms, they often get so ingrained that the meaning of the acronym or abbreviation is unknown to most people. Anyone know what the acronyms in the title stand for, without looking? WD40 = Water Displacement 40, because it took the Rocket Chemical Company 40 attempt to get the formula just right. UB40 the popular 80s pop band stood for unemployment benefit form 40 after the form you'd fill out in the UK to receive unemployement benefits... which as a band trying to make it you'd probably be familar with and probably need it. S24O stands for sub 24 hour overnight camping and the one we will focus on here in the blog, although all three could have been in use this weekend. Oddly enough bikepacking seems to be a topic of some discussion on the interweb blogs, maybe because it's getting to be summer and the season of the S24O. If you're into that sort of thing, NY Roll and Guitar Ted did a two part series where they discussed their preferences when it comes to bikepacking. Those can be heard <a href="https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy9iMmY3ODg5MC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw?sa=X&ved=0CAMQ4aUDahgKEwi4p8j2xPz-AhUAAAAAHQAAAAAQ4gE" target="_blank">HERE</a>. <br /><br />
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Saturday a few of us met at Cycle Works and rolled out to Conestoga Lake for a S24O, this was my second S24O and would be the first time trying out the new Big Agnes Copper Spur UL2 bikepacking specific tent. Intially we had gotten it for the Flint Hills bikepacking adventure but with the temps being colder than what we wanted to deal with the camping never happened. <br /><br />
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Tents went up fairly quickly and the chairs came out for a day of relaxing, cooking out and conversation. There wasn't a huge turn out but I feel like some of that was that it was Mother's Day weekend and some of it was the weather, we had several days of rain leading up to the trip and there was still chances of rain on the day and the next day. It's too bad really because it ended up being near perfect, temps were in the 70° range with a slight breeze and lots of cloud cover. I'm not a big fan of tent camping in the heat of summer so this was nice, even needed to pull the sleeping bag up over me in the middle of the night it got that chilly. <br /><br />
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The 1120s performed great again for the trip, if I have one thing I'd do different it would be that the rear bags need to be a little larger. That is my personal opinion or course, I could just learn to pack less and smarter. Other than that I have loved everything else about the bike. <br /><br />
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Food cooked over an open flame just seems to taste better and Saturday was no exception, we even had a bit of the perfect marshmallow toasting competition. Even if you don't win, eating the losing marshmallow is still a pretty good conselation prize. <br /><br />
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Woke up Sunday mornging to cooler temps and a bit of fog. As is the usual when sleeping in a tent, at least for me, everyone was up and at 'em super early. Some packed up right away and got headed back but we still managed a small group heading back to town. <br /><br />
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On the way back into town we decided to make a stop at Cultiva for some coffee and breakfast, it was a great decision. I ordered The Dude, one of my favorites, and it hit the spot. <br /><br />
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The Mother's Day call came it before we made it back home and an impomptu stop was necessary before making it back to our borrowed driveway parking spot and then the drive home. Great weekend, great temperatures and great group for the first S24O. There is another one in the plans for late September when temps start to cool down again, looking forward to it. <br /><br />
<p> </p>Rydn9ershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13365397419875871840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5173781779123680845.post-42402039431985072512023-05-09T19:23:00.002-05:002023-05-11T07:32:09.897-05:00Open Weekend Wandering<center><a><img alt="Untitled" height="600" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52877430081_5351fec85d_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></center><br />
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Had a bit of an oddity last weekend and ended up not having any planned rides or any plans at all really. Had plans for Saturday morning that kept us from the usual Saturday ride but at the last minute those didn't pan out and things opened wide up. Slept in a little bit on Saturday and then headed down to Marysville and some single track out at Alcove Springs. With the recent rains the "falls" were flowing on Saturday, not something you get to see all the time since the springs for which the area gets it's name are actually below the level of the falls so they don't contribute at all to them. <br /><br />
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Sunday was forecast to be a near perfect day for riding so we got up and at 'em a little bit earlier and plotted out a route that would take us through parts of Jefferson, Gage and Saline counties. Wanting to keep the ride at a reasonable distance we opted to drive over to Plymouth to start things out. <br /><br />
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We rolled east and north for a bit before getting into De Witt at around mile 10, De Witt like most rural communities have been declining in population since the railroads that made the towns pulled out. De Witt has managed to be one of them though that has been able to convince people to stay for the most part, it's only down about 200 people from it's heyday in 1890. Having a manufacturing business helps these small towns and De Witt has one of the better stories when it comes to that. De Witt is the home of THE original Vise-Grip pliers where William Petersen invented and started selling them in 1924 and continued to do so until 2008 when Rubbermaid, who bought the company in 2002, closed the plant in De Witt and moved production to China after which some say the quality of the tool dropped dramatically. That's not the end of the story though, some of this is fact and some is rumor and speculation but somewhere in the middle is the truth I suppose. When the company was sold and moved overseas the original die used to make the tools were supposed to have been destroyed but rumor has it that this never occurred, instead the die were squirreled away somewhere and kept secret. In 2018 Malco Tools purchased the old De Witt plant and began making a locking plier under the name of Eagle Grip. I'm not saying that the old dies were "discovered" again but look at an old pair of Vise-Grip locking pliers next to a pair of Eagle Grip locking pliers and you might just notice a few similarities. Vise or Eagle, which ever grip you prefer in your locking pliers one thing is for certain, that plant has helped to keep the town more prosperous than many town of their size. <br /><br />
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We were a bit early to De Witt and the bar wasn't yet opened so we pushed on to Wilber at around mile 20. <br /><br />
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Wilber has been a long standing ride with the group in August when they have their annual Czech Festival, this year will be their 62nd annual running of the event. There weren't any Kolache to be had on Sunday but a quick stop at Casey's for a slice solved the hunger issues. It was a little weird coming into Wilber from the <i>wrong side</i>, in August we have always approached town from the Lincoln side of things so coming at it from the opposite direction was a bit different. Not seeing the hoards of people, vendors and music was also a bit off-putting but all that will be back soon enough and we may just use this same route then for our Wilber ride. <br /><br />
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Some pretty decent MMRs out that way coming from the other direction, never met a dry MMR I didn't like. <br /><br />
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Sunday was the first really warm day so far this spring with temps nearing 90° and there wasn't much of a breeze to be had for a change so it was nice to run across a center pivot just outside of Plymouth that was trying to get the road to grow by watering it. That water was super cold and felt great on our sun baked skin, a little redneck A/C you might say. You do what you can to keep cool when the days get hot I suppose. Looks like rain most of this week so the riding will be down, hopefully next week we will be back to business as usual. <br /><br />
<p> </p>Rydn9ershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13365397419875871840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5173781779123680845.post-21053541504119058842023-05-02T18:00:00.001-05:002023-05-02T18:00:00.134-05:00It Takes Two To Make The Crank Go Round<center><a><img alt="IMG_2484" height="519" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52859563872_143b58e0d1_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></center><br />
Generally when you show up somewhere and you find yourself wearing the exact same shirt as someone else it's a bit of an awkward moment but if you're a cyclist you just look like a your on the team. Totally unplanned but half of us showed up to the Saturday ride flying the latest Pirate Cycling League colors, speaks volumes about the PCL and their ethos when people are willing to spend their money on a kit to support a club that really doesn't have dues or many rules and no real official membership is required. It's even more surprising when you consider that you may just run into someone with a jersey on at any gravel event you attend, not just in the midwest but almost anywhere you might go a pirate or two might be among you. <br /><br />
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Had a pretty decent group for the Saturday ride and why not temps are starting to get up there and stay up there, not quite the heat of summer yet but most days are in the 60-70 degree range. <br /><br />
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The plan was to head out in a generally north and west direction into the wind, end up at Malcolm and then sail back with the wind. It was a great plan and one we'd executed successfully dozens of times so nothing to worry about, right?<br /><br />
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During one of our regroups we pulled off to the side of a somewhat busy road on what would be the apron to someone's driveway to avoid being in the way of traffic. Normally not a big deal but you never really know who lives there so we were a bit uneasy when the lady of the house came out and began to walk up to our group. We were hopeful that we weren't being a bother and as it turned out we were not. She chatted us up for quite a while talking about how she often would watch the Gravel Worlds racers come by on the years when the course took them down the road in front of her house. We commented on the unique poles she had on her property and she shared the story of how her father who owned the house before her was blind and he had put up those poles and some string so that he could navigate the property without the aid of his eyesight. That was pretty cool in and of itself but then she explained that the colors on the poles were added by her, she used to work for a company that produces vinyl for school busses and other such things. The colors on the poles were scraps that were left over from some of the jobs that she brought home and applied to the poles to brighten them up after her father passed on. It's odd how the whole encounter started out a bit apprehensive and turned out to be a great bonding experience, she even offered the use of her driveway and hose whenever we rode by again and needed a place to rest or water for a water bottle. <br /><br />
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We took off eventually and continued the route, about mile 15 I went to unclip for another regroup when to my surprise instead of my shoe disconnecting from my pedal, my pedal disconnected from the bike! It didn't take long to see that the entire pedal had come off of the spindle, attempts were made to fix the pedal but most of the inside of the pedal had become road fodder when the pedal came off and putting it back on was futile. I've ridden Crank Brothers for years now and this was my first time having an issue with them but they have a sorted history of issues for some to include the spindles breaking off so I was thankful it wasn't that. Jackie and I turned around while the rest of the group moved on with the route. Let me tell you pedaling on just the spindle of an Eggbeater pedal is not the best way to get around in this world but we made it back to Cycle Works without any further issues. I decided to grab another set of pedals and then ride some of the route backwards and meet the group on the return. <br /><br />
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The shop didn't have anything Eggbeater except the very basic model and I had toyed with the idea of moving back to Shimano pedals so I pulled the trigger on a pair of Shimano M540 pedals that are very similar to the tried and true M520 pedals that it seems most SPD pedal folks use when they go with Shimano. The main difference between the two is the M520 has flat sides on the spindle for a pedal wrench and a 6mm hex head on the end of the spindle whereas the M540 only had the hex head on the end. I'd been toying with the idea of moving back to Shimano for a bit but with multiple bikes moving from one pedal system to another is a pretty good cost investment. It just so happened that I had been slowly putting flat pedals on a number of my bikes over the last 2 years so there weren't too many clipless only bikes left to change out, that along with the low end only Crank Brothers pedal available made the choice easier. I guess I'm and SPDer again. While I haven't had any issues with Crank Brothers except this one it is a good reminder to make sure you check things over on your bicycle on a regular basis. Had I done that I'm sure I would have noticed play in the pedal and been able to take care of it before it became an issue, live and learn I guess and in all honesty it could have been much worse than it was. <br /><br />
<p> </p>Rydn9ershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13365397419875871840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5173781779123680845.post-9908529287580270972023-04-25T23:04:00.001-05:002023-04-25T23:04:30.817-05:00Stay Fired Up - An Ass Kicker in Kansas<center><a><img alt="IMG_2378" height="467" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52845764119_bf32fcbc9a_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></center><br />
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Back when it was Cool Hand Luke Gravel Grinder we raced it, 2017 on the Pugsley and 2018 on the Fargo and it was a butt kicker both times. Since then they have changed the name due to legal reasons and are now going by the name Stay Fired Up, there are also rumors that the course was "tamed down" a bit from the previous versions but that was yet to be determined. It was a ride that sort of fell off the radar for what reason I didn't really know, it was always a fun one in a type 2 fun sort of way. I believe Doug was the one who mentioned it and Jackie had never done it before so that is how we found ourselves once again toeing the line in Leavenworth Kansas. <br /><br />
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The saying goes that Mama didn't raise no fools, Jackie and I decided we were going to enter the single speed category for Stay Fired Up and after the previous two times riding it I felt like that decision was going to test that old adage. Would we live to regret the decision or would we not, that was the question yet to be answered. Truth be told we were the only people in the single speed category in the 62 mile (actually ended up being 68 miles and some change) or the 100 mile and I think that say something about how difficult this course can be. All we had to do was finish and we'd get first place but we still had to finish and that certainly wasn't a guarantee going into the race. <br /><br />
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I think I made it all of 50 yards from the starting line when I noticed that my freshly pumped up front tire had decided to not remain pumped up and so it was that we had to pull over still within the shadows of the starting arch and pump the tire back up. I was hoping that it was just the valve stem that I had been struggling with and that after pumping it up things would be great... nothing like giving the rest of the field a 5 minute head start. We began the race in dead fucking last, like literally the sweeper van and then the sweeper volunteer rider were right behind us! <br /><br />
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Thankfully none of us went into panic mode and felt the need to burn all the matches to try to get back with the field. Instead we wisely just settled into a brisk but sustainable pace and it worked, by the time we hit about mile 15 we started catching up to and passing some of the folks on the back of the pack. <br /><br />
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By the time we hit the first checkpoint we were sitting pretty good, I figured we had passed at least a half dozen folks already so we were safe from the DFL. <br /><br />
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At the checkpoint who should be run into but MK who we met 6 years ago at our very first Cool Hand Luke (Stay Fired Up) event in 2017. How cool was that and very unexpected. After chatting it up for a few minutes MK and her friend sailed off into the gravel seas to finish up their race. <br /><br />
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As the day wore on so did the endless hills and the memories of the previous two races came back to me. Don't get me wrong it's a great event but the hills in that area of Kansas are relentless and they all seem to pitch up a couple of extra percentage when you near the top of them. I ain't bull sh#tting you either, just ask these two fellas! <br /><br />
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If you could convince your legs that things weren't all that bad the views held up their own. If you come to the event prepare yourself for the end of the race, some of the worst of the hills are stacked up near the end and if you're not mentally ready it'll be demoralizing. <br /><br />
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I was very grateful to see that pavement and know that we were only a few more minutes from the end and it was great seeing friends at the end as well, smiles all around. <br /><br />
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Jackie and I finished and that meant that we walked away with some pretty sweet medals, Doug was a bit disappointed because we had thought that there were only three men in the fat bike category but there ended up being four after someone made a last minute category change. Didn't find that out until after the race. Stoked to have finished and super stoked to have "won" but I'm not sure I'd do it on single speed again.. but never say never I guess. Great event, great friends and great times! <br /><br />
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<p> </p>Rydn9ershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13365397419875871840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5173781779123680845.post-85265206380224230352023-04-17T17:00:00.001-05:002023-04-20T13:10:53.163-05:002023 Flint Hills Gravel Ride - Day 4<center><a><img alt="Photo Apr 08 2023, 7 42 56 AM" height="600" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52822618919_12a64f195e_c.jpg" width="800" /></a><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js"></script></center><br />
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After three days of riding from Marysville it was time to get down to the reason for the ride, the 2023 Flint Hills Gravel Ride and Run. While the previous three days were fun and it was a really good time it was good to see everyone at the ride and to be in a larger group of friends. <br /><br />
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The lead group went out pretty spicy to begin the ride and that was okay by me, let them have it. I was perfectly fine just settling into a decent pace and letting the rabbits do that rabbit thing they do so well. <br /><br />
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It was a fantastic day to ride bikes with friends, as is almost everyday, and to my surprise nothing really hurt on Saturday like I thought it would. All systems checked out a-okay despite having already ridden 160+ miles at this point. The 30 mile route was the correct choice for the FHGR for sure, just enough distance to make it enjoyable without being out there all day. <br /><br />
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The group pretty much stuck together for the entire ride, some people being a bit faster and some a bit farther behind but it was good to ride with everyone. Came across the like with Jackie and Joe to finish the FHGR and to cap off 4 great days of riding. <br /><br />
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Rick and Jon weren't too far behind us and Rick even got the full Tour de France experience thanks to B Paul and myself. <br /><br />
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This was our first time at the event but we have decided it won't be our last, the event is pushed back one more week for next year in hopes that the majority of the burning is out of the way and the air is a bit more clear. It also seems like Mark might start doing the bikepacking adventure as an annual event also, I'd highly recommend this as well and combine the two. Put in that request and take the PTO, nobody is going to miss you at work that much and the lifetime memories you'll make will far out last your days at work. <br /><br />
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<p> </p>Rydn9ershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13365397419875871840noreply@blogger.com0