Atop Mt Helix

The trails are soggy, so took a road ride over 52, down south of 8, and up Mt Helix. Hit the top way too late, got caught in the dark coming back. Nice destination ride, though.

IMBA trail building class

Last weekend, the IMBA Trail Care Crew was in SD to work with SDMBA and local land managers. On Saturday morning, they lead an excellent clas on trail building. About 15-20 folks, mostly SDMBA volunteers, attended the session. The presentation covered trail design, layout, and construction, with a focus on creating trails that are sustainable, fun, and minimize user conflicts. Concepts such as stacked loops, bench cuts, flow, grade reversals, and insloped turns were illustrated with photos of trails from around the country. Having done a bit of trail work in the past, the session provided a coherent framework for the principles used in the field. I highly recommend this session to anyone who's doing trail work.

After the classroom session, we went to the Crestridge Ecological Preserve to practice. This area is a poster child for SDMBA efforts to collaborate with local land managers. The folks here really get the idea of sustainable, multiuser singletrack, and have a plan for developing a great trail system. A bunch of additional SDMBA volunteers joined the group and we cut in a long section of singletrack. We capped an exhausting but satisfying day with a parking lot picnic and some Arrogant Bastard (thanks, Rich!).

12 Hours of Temecula - November

Team Sherpa Dog limped into the 12 Hours of Temecula race on November 12. We were down on two counts: I'd had a cold all week, and we were without our pit crew. Diana, our usual Pit Boss extraordinaire, had work responsibilities. Mike and I would have to clean our own chains, feed ourselves, and keep track of time. But we had great weather, good course conditions, and were motivated for the final race in the 2010 series. After consistent, strong finishes in the January and June races, we carried a 1+ lap lead in the 2-person open division series competition. We felt confident that we would take home the champions' jerseys at the end of the night.

the final piece

When I first got the Motobecane hardtail, I sold the OEM wheels (I also swapped out the bars, stem, and seatpost). In their place, I used my Stan's 355 Race front wheel, which I had been using with the RIP only on race days. I did not have a ready rear wheel, so instead I shared my Stans Flow / Hadley wheel between the RIP and the Moto. Swapping wheels is a bit of hassle, and the Flow / Hadley combo is a little porky for a XC hardtail-cum-race bike.

The solution? A Stan's Crest rim on a Chris King hub w/ DT Swiss spokes. Mike built it with his usual care and the wheel (w/o tire or cassette) weighed in at 890 grams. I put a Small Block 8 on (the Flow had a Kenda Nevegal). The total weight difference (tire and wheel) was 400g or nearly a pound! As a result, the bike feels more balanced front to back, and more zippy. The rear is smooth like butter.

Mike starts building in the evening

And works into the night

Pretty light for a 29er wheel. This does not include the cassette.

SD 50 miler race report

I was breaking a rule... would I get away with it? "Don't make any changes right before a race." Everyone knows that. Tuning your shocks, changing tires, overhauling your bottom bracket - anything beyond putting air in the tires is a rookie move that invites disaster. But here I am, the night before the race, watching Mike build me a new rear wheel.

We finish about 11pm, too late considering my 5am alarm. I wouldn't have considered running the new wheel except that I knew Mike would build it right. Even so, I'm a little anxious. I dream about broken rear dropouts on my bike and wake up wondering if it's time to get up yet.

As we start the race, Elfin forest is covered in fog. From the base of the dam, we climb a mix of pavement and dirt until we're above the reservoir. It's tough to go out easy on this kind of an opening. After brief side trails, we descend to Lake Hodges. The descent is a nasty, steep, and loose gravel road scattered with water bars. One guy goes flying past me, but most folks are pretty restrained.

The trails on the east end of Lake Hodges are flat, and it's tempting to go too fast. I start racing. In an event this long, it's risky not to ride your own speed. But I get into a pace line and we're flying. Soon I'm making the turnaround and heading west. I settle in a little more after Del Dios park, but still quickly reach Hernandez Hideaway, the Dam, and the Steel Bridge.

Diana is waiting for me at the aid station at mile 24, near the golf course in San Dieguito River Park. I roll in around 1:40, which seems soon. It's awesome to have support on the course. Fresh bottles, a little lube on the chain, and I'm rolling again. There are many, many switchbacks. Not too steep, but very tight. They're lined with rail fencing (I guess this keeps people from cutting?), and while climbing you can grab the post with your inside hand and swing around.

Then we're on a bit of road and into the Lusardi loop (Black Mountain), which starts with a couple of long, steep power line climbs. Ouch. The bike is running great, though. The rear wheel is smooth like butter, and the Small Block 8 is hooking up well. I seem to be getting away with breaking a rule. I'm starting to feel the early hard pace, though. I try to eat more - my stomach is getting tired of Perpetuem, so time for a gel. I try to pace it out a bit, knowing the last half of the course is the tougher one.

Lusardi has fire road, then single track, then more fire road. Eventually I'm off the loop and back on the stem (we're racing a lollipop course, and a lollipop has a loop and a stem). Just after I turn onto the stem, I see a guy coming down the other way... is this guy lost? Did he drop his phone? Trying to be helpful, I ask if he's ok, but he just goes by. Then I realize - he's going the other way because he's just starting the loop. Now I feel like a jerk.

Some road, the switchbacks again, then I see Diana at the aid station and get a fresh bottle. My legs are on the verge of cramping and I keep thinking that the final climb is going to suck, and I will probably cramp up and have to walk. I realize I'm getting negative and setting up a self-fulfilling prophesy. So I change the tune and visualize being strong up the hill. I also try to pace myself and keep a little in reserve for the final climb. I am not even thinking about the rear wheel, and that is a good thing.

The single track at the top of the dam and around Hodges is fun. Then I'm on the road, riding up from Hodges to cross Del Dios Hwy and reach the base of THE climb. It's 800 feet and 1.1 miles to the top. On our preride, Scott and I climbed it in about 17 minutes. The start is steep, but I take it slow and make it to the flat(ish) section, which provides a chance to recover. Then the climb is moderate for a while, until I make a left and face the wall. Nothing to do but keep pushing the pedals over. I'm on the nose of the saddle with my chin out in front of the bars. Somehow I don't spin out, don't pull up the front end, and don't cramp up. It takes something like 20 minutes, but I'm just pleased to clean it.

Now a short trip through Elfin, mostly the main fire road, Tikes Hike trail, and then down the steep, loose, gravel-strewn, and twisty Cielo Trail. There's no one to catch, and no one to catch me. So I take it easy and make sure I get down in one piece.

Stats: 50 miles, 6k climbing, 4:28, 5th in sport category overall, 1st in my age group (35-39). I might have gone out a little hard, but was pleased with a good effort and result, especially considering that my training has been relatively unstructured this summer. And I broke a rule and got away with it. Thanks Mike!

Scott took third in sport at 4:16, Matt was 3rd in beginner, and Heidi and Rhonda were 2nd and 3rd overall women - nice job folks!

Kudos to Robert and his crew at Racers and Chasers for even considering putting this on. The logistics must be a nightmare, but it's great to have a long event right here in SD.

spectating the SD 50miler

If you have nothing better to do tomorrow, why not come out and heckle cheer at the 50miler? The weather will be great and you can fit a ride in at Lake Hodges while the race is further out on the course.

I think the best place to watch would be Del Dios park just off Del Dios Hwy (actually the corner of Lake and Date, map below). There is an aid station here and the race will pass through the area three times. First, after descending from Elfin, we pass through (mile 5ish) on our way east towards I-15 for an out and back. After the turn around (near the self storage facility just east of 15), we pass through again heading west (mile 23). This is when you can get a ride in, as the race will be on the San Diegito and Black Mountain sections for a while. Eventually, though, we head back to Del Dios park (mile 40) before heading back up to Elfin (ouch).

The race starts at 8am. I think 10mph is not an unreasonable pace. So racers should be getting down to Hodges by 8:30.


View Larger Map

SD 50 miler preview

The San Diego 50 miler (aka San Diego Multi Park Marathon) is this Saturday, Sept. 11.  Racers and Chasers is putting on the event, which starts in Elfin Forrest, drops down to Lake Hodges, makes an out and back east to 15, then continues southwesterly past Hernandez Hideaway, through San Dieguito, does a loop through the west side of Black Mountain (Lusardi), then goes back to Elfin.

There are good sections of single track in Hodges, San Dieguito, and Black Mt. There are also some decent dirt double track (aka fireroad) sections in Hodges and Black Mt. But there's some gravel and paved road too. Still, for being in town, it's a good route. Kudos to Robert (at Racers and Chasers) for putting it together; I know he had to negotiate with a bunch of different land managers to put this on.

The gravel road from Hodges (Del Dios Hwy and Date Ln) up to Elfin is brutal, and comes at about mile 45. It climbs 800 feet in 1.1 miles, giving 13.6% average grade. But near the top the incline goes to 32%! Guys will be cracking for sure. Otherwise, the course doesn't have any killer climbs. There are some steep power line climbs in Black Mt, and rollers elsewhere.

The weather is forecast for low 70s, so it should be a great day to race!

Here's the course map from Garmin Connect:

Is this normal?

A while back, John was kind enough to give a pair of 29er Kenda Nevegals that he couldn't use. I put them on the RIP9 and have been very happy. They hook up well and I don't have to worry about them even in nasty terrain. But they seem to wear quickly, and after my last ride I noticed a couple side knobs torn off. I guess that means I'm cornering hard? P.S. I have the Dual Tread Compound (DTC) version.

Notice that the side knobs have ripped away while the siping is still intact.

Suddenly singlespeeding

Actually, the single speed conversion took a while, it was losing the derailleur that happened suddenly. In engineering, failure testing is the process of finding the limit of performance by going past it. The same principle applies for bike skills, like cornering. Which is why I low-sided after losing the rear tire in a loose, sandy right turn. The sand was a curse and blessing, though, because it made for a soft landing. My rear derailleur managed to find a cobble, though, and sheared off at the hanger. The derailleur hanger is like a fuse; it's cheap and designed to break, sacrificing itself to save the more expensive derailleur and frame. Thank you, derailleur hanger. So, now what? I was <5min ride from the trailhead. Except that I rode to the trailhead, another 25min via 52 from Mast Blvd. Diana had ridden to work, so she wasn't coming to pick me up. There was only one option: single speed conversion, a classic trailside repair right up there with using a dollar bill as a tire boot. I was riding the hardtail, so it actually worked pretty well. I ended up in 2x5, which was good for riding up a long hill on the way home.

Not good

Better

Somebody like log rides

"Fire destroys and renews," according to signs put in Sycamore Canyon after the 2003 Cedar Fires. Someone seems to have taken this to heart after the recent, small brush fire in the east end of Sycamore Canyon. On Saturday, I noticed four small to medium sized log piles in the burn areas. They were pretty well constructed, solid and very ridable. But four, really? Here are photos of three of the four. It looked like a fifth had been scattered.

Thank you Sir, may I have another?

...and another....

and another! Note the log-bounded go-around on the right.

Twilight in MTRP

I'd blame the rattlesnake, but it's not really his fault. A late start and the approaching autumn equinox are the real reasons I am on the trails after dark. Stopping to nudge the rattler off the trail only delayed me a few minutes.

Soaking in the last of the heat, this guy did not want to move.

I'm on the usual west side route at Mission Trails: Calle Vida to the Rim, out to Portobella, up the climbs beside 52 to the rock ledge below North Fortuna, down e-ticket, through Suycott wash, and up s-turns. The light is decent but fading for the climbs.

As I head down the fall-line fireroads toward e-ticket, the full moon is rising over the Fortunas. It's a dim mirror of early morning rides; the full moon following the sun on a 12-hour delay. I lose the moon as I descend into Suycott wash. No daylight left, either, so now I'm riding by feel and memory.

In the dark, it helps to know the trail.

I'm not alone tonight; a line of riders with lights is descending from the Fortuna saddle. I have a light too, just a little LED headlamp, but it seems like cheating to use it now. Plus, I'd have to stop and get it out of my pack. There's enough light to see the trail by, though not really enough to see rocks in the trail. It wasn't a crash, more of an abrupt dismount. 'Don't go fast at night without lights' shouldn't require an object lesson, but I guess it does. I pick my way through the rock garden.

As I climb s-curves, I make the moon rise again. I figure this is an omen, I am going to clean s-curves in the dark. My rear tire spins out almost immediately - stupid omen.

From the top of s-curves, it's just a little further, mostly fireroad. It's really dark now. Before I leave the park and get back on the roads, I put on my red blinker and headlamp. You'd be crazy to ride on the roads at night without lights.

Cuyamaca to Laguna and back again

This weekend I took the Motobecane out for a Cuyamaca to Laguna transit - which turned out to be a beast of a ride. Scott, Heidi, and I leave the Oakzanita trailhead in Cuyamaca around 8, then climb the East Mesa fireroad (passing a few wild turkeys) to Deer Park. We descend into Pine Valley, cross the fireroad, and begin the climb up Indian Creek. About 2/3 of the way up Indian Creek there is a nasty rocky section (past the waterfall, which apparently was the site of an equestrian rescue last week) that I always struggle to clear. You encounter 3-4 rocks or step ups that you have to clear one after the other. On this ride, I 'basically' clean it, bouncing off my line on the very last rock that could cause problems - one that you could easily ride around under normal circumstances. I also spot a tarantula on Indian Creek, the first I've seen in a long time.

From Champagne pass, we ride down Pinball and up to Upper Noble Canyon, then take the BMX cutoff to Big Laguna Trail. The meadow is noticeably cooler (it's about 1000' higher than Cuyamaca). Here Heidi does a lap around the meadow, while Scott and I climb the Los Gatos fireroad and then down the trail. I finish my first camelbak (1.5-2 L) as we leave the meadow and head to Penny Pines, where we meet up with Heidi and fill up on water.

From Penny Pines we go back down Upper Noble, then climb up Pinball to Champagne Pass. I have not done this climb before, and it is long, rocky, and steep in places. Plus, we are getting into midday and the heat is noticeable. I think this climb is just as tough as coming up Indian Creek from Pine Valley, but being several hours in probably has something to do with it.

From Champagne Pass, we head out to Pioneer Mail and Sunrise Highway. As you leave the Pass, there is a short climb before the trail starts gradually downhill. Near the end of the climb, a rocky approach leads to a 6" step up. It's doable, but last week I was 0-4. So this time I pin it and grunt my way over - very satisfying.

We turn left on Sunrise Highway and ride down to the Lucky 5 ranch, then take the singletrack over to La Cima, then Upper Green Valley. This is a really fun section of trail that seems rarely used (especially Lucky 5 and La Cima). When we hit the Green Valley fireroad, we've been riding about 4.5 hrs and it seems like we should be just about done. But wait, there's more! The fireroad to Camp Cuyamaca has some nice stretches of washboard that remind me I'm riding the hardtail.

The final sections of singletrack - West Side Trail to Sweetwater, East Side Trail back to the car - are fun. The climb at the start of the East Side Trail is a nasty little kick in the shins. Scott and I push it; at this point we are in "get it done" mode. The final stretch (new trail?) from East Mesa to Oakzanita is a few minutes of fun, twisty downhill, reminiscent of San Juan Trail.

Final ride stats: 45 miles, 5k of climbing, 5.5 hours, 4+ liters of water. Great day in the mountains, beautiful weather (if a little warm), and good company.

RIP9 all-mountain makeover

Getting a race bike freed the RIP9 from being my do-it-all bike, so I gave it an all-mountain makeover. (And by 'I', I mean Mike, who actually did the work - thanks Mike!). Not that I'm very aggressive or planning to do drops or jumps, but the watchword is differentiation. Why have two bikes if they aren't all that different?

So far, the changes are on the front end:
Front fork: new 120mm Reba XX w/ 20mm thru axle and tapered steerer in place of old 100mm Reba Team w/ 9mm QR.
Front wheel: new Stan's Flow rim w/ Hope Pro 2 hub in place of old Salsa Delgados rim w/ XT hub
Grips: Odi lockon grips in place of my worn down rubber ones
Tires: new Kenda Nevegals on front and rear (thanks, John!)

Possible future changes:
Rear thru axle (the RIP has replaceable rear dropouts)
Gravity dropper seatpost (so I can experience the joys of seatpost failure like everyone else who has one?)

Before

Now things are getting serious... Let's do this!

The essential ingredient

I dub thee, "White Chocolate"

Tour de Noble?

Yesterday, Scott and I did Tour de Noble, or at least an abbreviated TdN. Here's what we did; you decide if it counts. We made an early start from the trailhead, rolling out at 7:15. It was about 45F, but quickly warmed as we climbed the road to the big oak, then down the fireroad to the Indian Creek turnoff. From Champagne Pass, we went down Pinball, up to Noble, and then to Laguna via the cutoff trail (aka, BMX trail). We rode the north side of the Laguna meadow, climbed the Los Gatos fireroad, then went down Los Gatos - whee! We went back up the same side of the meadow and out to Penny Pines. After topping off water, we went down Noble, including extra credit. Total ride time was 4hrs - exactly what we were aiming for, but putting us just a little late for Scott's noon appointment due to a slightly later start time.

What did we leave out? A proper TdN should probably start up extra credit (aka whore, which is how you spell extra credit backwards) rather than the road. There needs to be a full circuit of the meadow, and probably a couple more side runs, such as Wooded Hill, Red Roost, or Chico Ravine. Still, we road 30+ miles of SD's best trails in great weather with no crashes, so it's hard to ask for more.

12 Hour preview

Last weekend was the June edition of the 12 Hours of Temecula. A race report is on the way, but here's some background.

The 12 Hour format asks a simple question: How many laps of a short (~1 hr) course can you complete in 12 hours? The competition is broken into solo (aka hardcore or insane) riders and teams of 2, 3, 4, or 5 riders. Mike and I compete in the 2 person open category as Team Sherpa Dog. We usually trade off every other lap, ie, one of us rides a single lap and then the other person goes out. During our off time, Diana cleans up the bike, gets us fed, and makes sure we're back at the transition zone on time for the next exchange.

The 2 person category is both interesting and horrible.

race bike: arrival and setup

The RIP9 has been a good bike for exploring world of xc and enduro races. But it's a lot of bike for most of those courses, and I got interested in having a light, hardtail, 29er. After considering a few options, I settled on the Motobecane Team Fly29er: <24 lbs, titanium frame, Reba Race fork (100mm), and quality components (full specs). It's available as direct order only, which is a little nerve-wracking but an incredible deal.

I swapped a few things:

• Thompson seatpost for OEM Ritchey post (too short)
• 90mm FSA stem for OEM 115mm Ritchey stem
• QR seatpost clamp for stock non-QR clamp
• FSA SL-K bar (660mm wide carbon bar w/ slight rise) for OEM 570mm wide Al Ritchey bar - ridiculously narrow, I think my road bars are wider.
• Stans wheelset (front: 355 Race w/ AC hub, rear: Flow w/ Hadley hub) from OEM Vuelta wheelset

The bike arrived just after we left for a long weekend out of town (a neighbor accepted delivery). Oh, the waiting.... The bike was well packed and arrived in good shape. The welds were neat.

Though well packed and fully assembled, it needed some work. The cranks, BB, and steerer had not been greased. Mike tuned it up:

As equipped (for now):

Cancellara vindicated by video analysis

If you watched any of the spring classics this year, you saw incredible performances by Fabian Cancellara, including a few stunning attacks. Apparently there has been speculation that he used some sort of seat post-embedded electric motor.

Were Cancellara's decisive accelerations even humanly possible? How much power did he generate when he hammered the field at Paris-Roubaix?

Physics to the rescue! (Don't get to say that often enough.) The link takes you to an excellent post at Cozy Beehive where video analysis is used to determine Cancellara's speed, acceleration, and power output. There's also a clip of the race in case you missed it. For the sort attention set: the analysis suggests his move required over 1000 Watts during the attack. Humanly possible, but incredible.

Pump Track Madness

If you can't have a pump track in your own backyard, the next best thing is having friends with one. I'll save pump track physics for another post, but you know something is going on when you can ride around a circular track without pedaling.

Pump Track Madness from Ed Price on Vimeo.

Log a rythym

Video of the log ride at the Los Gatos / Chico Ravine connector in Laguna. It's very ridable if you hit it with some speed and keep your momentum. Definitely a case where the bigger wheels help - all the bumps seem a little smaller.


Los Gatos Log Ride from Ed Price on Vimeo.

Sorry for the bad math pun.

mid-week semi-epic

Blame it on Lit'l Peppers - went for breakfast yesterday and had a generous pastrami croissant. I was already planing to go for a ride, but after stuffing myself I resolved to do something special. Four and half hours, nearly 40 miles, about 4k of climbing; figure that put me in the black for the day.

GPS track in Google maps

From my house, I rode to the Claremont side of MTRP, out the Rim to e-ticket, over the Fortuna saddle, up Spring Canyon, over the ridge to Sycamore canyon, over the switchbacks, up and around Martha's Grove, and back the way I came (more or less - took a different side canyon into Spring, and took Suycott Wash and switchbacks climb out of MTRP).

A few highlights:

• The ride started and ended at my house, no driving involved. Except for a couple miles getting to and from the trailhead, it was dirt all the way.
• I haven't ridden the eastern side of Fortuna saddle for years, but the fire roads between the saddle and Mast Blvd were one of the first mtb rides I did in SD, back in 1995. Don't think I got any further up the eastern approach to the saddle than I ever did.
• Wildlife count included 3 roadrunners, 2 snakes (racers? looked like garters but without a dorsal stripe), 2 deer (just before the rock garden in Suycott), and of course lots of lizards.

MBA article on suspension designs

On more than one occasion I've gotten stuck trying to understand my bike's rear suspension. So I really liked the June 2010 issue of Mountain Bike Action, which has a pair of articles describing the challenges in rear suspension design and analyzing the most commonly used designs. I'm not usually a fan of MBA (aka Wankers Weekly, as Josh calls it)... too many press releases thinly disguised as 'reviews'. But this is an in-depth and informative article that helps explain current rear suspension designs.

I can't find the article on their website, so here's an excerpt. I can send you the whole article if you email me. The full article discusses 4-bar links, single pivot, and designs used by Trek, Specialized, Santa Cruz, Felt, GT, Haro, Ellsworth. The color figures are much better than b&w, too.

mind the gap

If I were ever to consider jumping a 15' gap, I would want to do it on something other than a 90s era hardtail. You go, Mike!

Gap Jump from Ed Price on Vimeo.

Traverse race report

Maybe there's a universe where 40+ miles of fireroad is a good idea, but it's not this one. So was the 8k+ of climbing supposed to make it fun? There had to be some reason I signed up for the Traverse, a 44 mile race across the Main Divide of the Santa Anna Mountains in Orange County. 

Disturbing Wildlife

Saw this guy at the top of La Costa on Saturday. He's a little obscured by the grass, but if you click on the photo to enlarge, you can see him pretty clearly.

He was on the trail when I saw him, then scooted off into the grass on the side of the trail. I was about six inches away when I got this shot. He was in full-on "you touch, you die" mode, with every barb and bristle completely extended.

1st person video from Vegas

Mark shot some nice video at Las Vegas. Check it out.

1) Bootleg canyon:

Bootleg Canyon - Boulder City, NV from Mark W on Vimeo.

2) Cowboy trails:

Cowboy Trails - Las Vegas, NV from Mark W on Vimeo.

Rocks are punier at 9/10ths scale

In physics we have the idea of scale invariance. Here's how it applies to mountain bikes: You can think of 29" wheels as 10/9ths the diameter of 26" wheels, but you can just as well think of the wheels as the same size but the 29er sees all the rocks at 9/10ths scale. So that means the terrain is about 10% smoother on 29" wheels. Of course, on the trail, additional factors affect ride quality (wheel flex, geometry, suspension, etc.), but wheel size matters.

The 29er wheel is larger than the 26, but the step is the same size:

Equivalently, the wheels are the same size and the 29er rides over a world that's 9/10ths as big:

photos from JDM

Matt Kellerman has a great write up of the Julian Death March with lots of amazing photos. If your thinking of doing the ride next year, this will give you an idea of what the course is like.

Archipelago Ride - ride report

In keeping with the "string of islands" idea, this ride report will be a string of impressions.

Archipelago Ride - pics and impressions

The Polynesians navigated from island to island in the Pacific. On the Archipelago Ride, you ride from open space park to open space park, tracing out some 40-50 miles through San Diego - from La Costa to Penasquitos. It's an amazing and thought-provoking idea. Amazing that we rode through and between La Costa, Elfin, Hodges, San Dieguito River Park, Black Mountain, and LPQ - almost entirely on dirt. Thought-provoking to imagine all the in-between spaces that could become an awesome trail network if they just had a little more singletrack and less fireroad, a little more advocacy, a little more access. Richard Julien is the man behind the Archipelago Ride. He's a tireless advocate for SD mountain biking, working to connect the archipelagos, build trails, and expand access. Many thanks for his efforts. Also, big thanks to North of the Border Bikes for their support and for opening up the shop for the after party.

Pics after the jump, ride report to follow.

JDM pics and writeup

Nice write up on the Julian Death March, with pics. Thanks again to organizers and volunteers.

Redefining epic

My idea of an epic ride is an all-day outing in the backcountry, something like Tour De Noble [description gps]. Check out bikepacking: multiday, 300+ rides. No support. The ante is upped.

Pulling ahead on downhills: pedal before resting

A downhill after a climb is a great place to recover. But if you're racing to the bottom, it's better to pedal past the top before easing up. The video after the jump demonstrates this in a very controlled setting, with two carts rolling down a pair of smooth ramps - analogous to cyclists coasting down a smooth hill.

Julian Death March results...

are here (preliminary). A little hard to interpret since there were several distance options, but...

There were 78 finishers total. 28 did the full 86 mile course, with Brent Prenzlow winning in 6:25:02. Another 30 or so riders did the 64 mile option, led by Clifford Clermont in 5:09:27.

I did the 64 mile option in 6:12:24, or 6th among those who only did 64 miles. But 11 more riders finished 64 miles before me and went on to ride loop 2. Nice work guys.

First in the women's division was a tie between Heather Ranoa (whose husband Jason runs the SoCal Endurance races at Vail Lake) and Shalyn Gates in 9:36:05.

Julian Death March ride report

"You probably shouldn't ride for the next several days." This was my doctor's advice on Friday, the day before the Julian Death March. Almost two weeks ago, I crashed at Bootleg Canyon, landing with a football-sized rock under my lower back. The soreness hadn't improved since, but riding hadn't made it worse, either. But during the last few days, I'd experienced some mild tingling and weakness in my legs and feet. Diagnosis: soft tissue bruising and swelling. Prescription: rest and steroidal anti-inflammitories (could I get some EPO w/ that?). Does that mean six hours in the saddle is a bad idea?

Sunset at MTRP

Tom pulls a wheelie at the end of a Wed night ride in Mission Trails:

Julian Death March Preview

Back in my college days I took a backpacking trip that started with a boulder and root infested "trail" that went straight uphill into New Hampshire's White Mountains. Ever since climbing hand-over-hand up the Black Angel Trail, I've given more consideration to the meaning of names. So it's with healthy respect that I approach the Julian Death March.

What I learned in Las Vegas

This weekend I learned that there are many pointy things in the desert. My first lesson came yesterday when I fist bumped a cactus. Full-finger gloves: 0; Staghorn Cholla: 1. Really, who puts a three foot high cactus right beside the trail? Luckily I had a chance to get out the tweezers during a regroup. My second lesson came during a climb today. In a moment of inattentiveness, I biffed my front wheel into a rock and pitched abruptly sideways and downslope, landing with a big pointy rock in the small of my back. No major damage, but ice and ibu are my new best friends. This crash happened during a ride on cross-country trails at Bootleg Canyon with Russell and Carrie. The ride was ill-fated, because soon after Russell had a major mechanical. He was climbing a short, steep pitch of rock when his rear derailleur snapped off at the mount. It was a bummer, but also an amazing display of brute force by Russell. 

We tried converting his Blur to a single speed, but without success. Russell headed back down, and graciously drove shuttle for the rest of the crew (who were doing some downhill runs). Carrie and I continued on the Caldera Trail. This view of downtown, with Red Rocks and snow-capped mountains in the background, was a great reward:

After riding we enjoyed a parking lot picnic in the back of Jason's truck before heading back to SD. It was a great weekend hanging and riding with everyone, and there is certainly more to Vegas than the Strip.

Vegas Day 3: Cowboy Trails

Today we headed back towards Blue Diamond and the Red Rocks area to ride Cowboy Trails. The Joshua Trees were in bloom, as captured by Carrie in this shot:

A fairly long and technical climb lead to a mesa-top trails filled with technical features, such as the one Beth is riding down:

It's vacation, the bikes need a rest (photo credit to Carrie):

Vegas, Day 2: Red Rocks

Today we went to the Red Rocks area outside of Blue Diamond, about 30 min drive from Las Vegas proper. While yesterday's riding at Bootleg Canyon was highly technical, today's trails were much tamer. We did about 20 miles of cross country riding through beautiful scenery. Starting at McGhies' Blue Diamond bike shop, we climbed gradually on an old roadbed.

We soon reached a trailhead parking area off Hwy 160.
Allison checks the map:

From here a few headed back towards town while the rest of us continued further out. From the trailhead parking area, we took an underpass/tunnel under the highway and began a long, gradual climb, eventually reaching about 5000'.
Allison and Chris top a rise on the climb:

We then looped around on Deadhorse trail, and our earlier climbing was rewarded with a fast, swoopy downhill run. 

Here's Russell flying past:

Once we got back to McGhies', we found that the other group had already split. However, they left us hats, shoes, and a cooler of cold beverages! So thoughtful...

Diana had been eyeing a t-shirt in the shop when we first rolled up, and since we were on vacation I decided to splurge (instead of being my usual tightwad self) and get her one. I gave it to her when meet up back at the house. She was pleasantly surprised by her present, and I was surprised to learn that she'd bought two for herself! Luckily, she ended up with three different ones.

Why we need mechanical engineers

So they can design brilliant features like the built-in bottle opener
on Allison's Santa Cruz Nomad. Perfect when you need to calm
the nerves after riding technical, rocky, exposed trails.

Bootleg canyon

For our first day in Vegas, we drove SW from town to Bootleg Canyon and did a couple of shuttle runs. The trails ranged from fairly easy (Girl Scout) to black diamond (Skyline) and featured lots of rocks, small drops, and exposure. Bring your technical skills for sure. We just rode a few miles, but there were no easy sections... you were constantly working to clear jagged rocks, hug a ledge, set up for a drop, or charge a steep up.

Chris at an overlook on Skyline trail:


Rolling a rock drop on Skyline trail:

Skyline Trail @ Bootleg Canyon from Ed Price on Vimeo.

The crew on West Leg Trail:

Bootleg Canyon Ladder drop from Ed Price on Vimeo.

Vegas, baby!

Bikes are loaded up for a day of shuttle runs at Bootleg Canyon. More
to come on shuttling vs riding up.

Vision Quest ride report

Short version:
I finished my first Vision Quest. Things went well: my legs were good, I had no mechanicals (thanks North of the Border!), and the weather, course, volunteers, and other participants were great. I finished in 50th place at 7:28:28. About 175 riders started the race, and 143 finished. First place went to Jeremiah Bishop, who came in at 4:45:14. Tinker Juarez finished 2nd, and Cameron Brenneman finished 3rd... on a single speed. Christine Grey was the first female finisher (and awesome preride leader).

Me descending Silverado Motorway

course map with photos

(Very) Long version:
Registration for the 2010 Vision Quest opened at midnight December 1st, and it sold out in about 45 min. I set an alarm to make sure I was up and able to get a spot.

New RIP9 frame

My warranty replacement RIP9 came in. Thanks to Chris at Adams Ave for working with Niner and building up the bike. The '09 model features major changes from the old version, including tapered head tube, hydroformed tubes, and replaceable rear dropouts (allowing rear thru-axle w/ adaptor dropouts)

RIP9 frame failure

My Niner RIP9 frame broke while climbing Cowles Mountain. Complete break of the two tubes running between the seat and chain stays. The frame was just under 2 yrs old - good timing, it's warranted for 2 yrs. Niner offered to replace the rear triangle for free or upgrade to the current model frame for $250. That's a great deal (the new frame has lots of improvements) so I'm taking it.

 

Niner