When I was in college I had a cinematography class. We didn't shoot one inch of film. Instead we spent our time shooting still photos, learning the craft of exposure, film speed, etc..one of our assignments was to shoot several photos of the same object. I of course shot pictures of my bike.

Well, I decided to repeat the task, this time with my Canon D60, and my Van Dessel Ramble Tamble SS. Hope you enjoy! For the entire album click here.

Ah, Spring. From seventy degrees to forty, and back again. That is Spring on the Wasatch Front. But the schizophrenia is not limited to the mountains. Currently there is a freeze warning for Moab, Grand Junction, Paradox Valley...in short, Grand Loop country. Three weeks ago I rode in Moab under sunny skies, one week ago I rode in Moab under rainy ones.

What's to be done? Take it in stride I suppose. With the Rim Ride getting short changed I had planned on this being a big training week. Instead, I am feeling sluggish, with cold symptoms. I get that sleepy, droopy look around 6 PM. It is late March, the body is tired and the weather is lame.

All signs point to rest.

It's easier to tolerate the bad weather after a summer full of hot dusty heat. When the world is thawing, and arm warmers craving to be shelved, these set backs are to be expected. However, that still doesn't make them any easier to swallow. Alas, there is nothing to be done, so nothing will be done.

Except perhaps, appreciate this desert season. After the KTR I most likely won't see Moab until late October. The summer months are the high country months. The days above 10,000 feet, the hike-a-bikes through summer snow pack, and the endless single track winding over ridge after ridge after....

Spring is the time for the desert. And despite the clogging mud of last week, I will take those days and save them for future basement rides and spin classes. Despite the stubborn Utah winter, it's hard not to smile and know, that summer is at the door.

The Ridge Trail 157

From my album 2 Wheeled Photos

I finally got around to adding some new links to the blog roll. It took me long enough. They are all good reading, so go enjoy!

Dave Chenault
Marko Ross-Bryant
Tom Purvis
Craig Barlow
Bernice Pierson
Ed Ellinger
Eddie Odea

Tom Purvis has a great explanation for how he named his blog, Team Velveeta:

"As of 2007, racing mountain bikes has been part of my life for 10 years, and I have been riding them for 20. As a cross-country racer, I was never a standout. I have not stood on a race podium since I left the Beginner Category. But I've done relatively better on longer, more difficult courses. After doing my 1st 24 Hour race I noted: "I am like Velveeta--I'm not very good, but if you leave me out all night I don't get any worse."

Well said Tom, well said!

More and more I find myself turning toward the single speed. Maybe I am feeling the effects of getting derailed on Saturday, but when I pulled into my garage I could have sworn the SS was mocking me. It had this way about it, as it hung against the wall, a sort of "You never learn" attitude.

I think all Vikings were once Ninja's. But is it possible to be both at once, I wonder...

My day ended early, but it was still a good day.

It started early as well. 4 AM early. A light mist filled the air and the streets were wet with recent rainfall. Dave Harris and I rode the black streets toward the start line. I had flashbacks to another wet dark morning in August, following DH to another hundie start....

Later, the sun rose, although you'd never know it. The only clue was the black sky slowly fading to grey. Along Bar M, Arches National Park filled the horizon. Fields of slickrock shone an odd silvery color, and the fresh rain brought out the fragrance of the desert. Riders around me were all smiles.

The light drizzle turned to rain, and above me to the west the rims we would climb and descend were shrouded in mist. I loved the thought of creeping through the slickrock like a ghost in the wet cloud cover. Fortune, or misfortune, had other plans and soon enough I was sitting trailside watching the race pass me by.

I was disappointed, but not overly. It was just sheer bad luck. Every race, every race, people fall victim to mechanical problems. Saturday was my turn.

I managed to get to 191 where I was very happy to see Fred's wife checking off names. She offered my a ride into town and I gratefully accepted.

The Rim Ride ended far to quickly for my taste. Today I feel restless. But another race looms, another big day, another story to tell.

I'll add the RR to the ever growing list of races where I have "unfinished business", pocket the list and keep it handy for '08. Although I have a nagging feeling that the RR route will wear my tire tracks before then.

Moab was rainy and wet. No mud until about mile 20. The mud was terrible, but short lived. Mile 24, my derailleur hanger snapped. I tried in vain for the next 30 minutes to make a single speed out of my bike. I should have just brought the single in the first place :)

My race ended so early that I am home in Orem while the race still goes on....

“The phoenix hope, can wing her way through the desert skies, and still defying fortune's spite; revive from ashes and rise.”

--Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra--

In a few hours I will head down to Moab for the Rim Ride. 2 Weeks ago I pre-rode most of the course and came away from that doing everything I could to talk myself out of racing. But even as I was doing so, I could feel the pull of the slickrock, the beckon of the sand, and the siren song of far off horizons.

I love UPS and their "2 Day Air". Normally I am fairly patient when a package is on the way. This particular one is a Jandd frame pack however, and I am planning on using it on Saturday. So I ordered faster shipping so I could get it dialed in a bit. It should have been here 4 days ago. Arrgh!

2 Day Air means sitting in Illinois for 2 days...

Before:



After:



But don't call me Britney.

Each day I seem to have something I intended to write about. And then the day is over before I ever get a chance to do so. Ah well.

The weather is way to nice for this time of year. Winter is going to make at least one more appearance. It always does. Winter always has to get in the last word. But for now, I am enjoying the war temps, dry dirt and blue skies.

The Rim Ride is Saturday. It is going to be hard. Really hard. I am going to give it my best, and do everything I can to finish that beast. This week will be about getting gear, mind and body ready to rumble.

I have been putting a bit of thought into lightweight sleeping bags, bivy's and pads. Budget is always an issue, and lightweight stuff isn't always budget friendly. But that doesn't stop me from pouring over websites, blogs and frequenting the local camping stores. I love gear browsing, and seeing all the cool stuff out there.

Why am I looking into this gear? Well it is NOT to do the GLR. I don't think that race is for me. At least not yet. Perhaps down the road...maybe. However, I do like the idea of doing some multi-day bike trips. The KT, White Rim, CT and others might be a fun way to camp, and bike all at once.

Do any of you multi-day vets have any suggestions?

And finally, I have a whole bunch of new blogs I need to link up. I plan on doing those in the next day or two. I love how many people are writing about their riding.

OK, that's all for now.

Every now and again, I am reminded why I love unsupported mountain bike races. I love reading about the adventures and challenges that people face while being alone, in the desert, or in the snow, and how they overcome those challenges. There is no money, no press, no trophies waiting at the finish line. And thankfully there is none of this garbage.

I enjoy watching road racing, but to become to heavily involved in it would sap the love of 2 wheels right out of me I think. Give me my underground races, my long mountain rides, and my lack of any license or category ranking. If you like to race on the road, that is great. I honestly enjoy riding my road bike. But the ongoing spew from the sport's top governing bodies is ridiculous.

I like this point of view, which Elden posted on his blog. The post is written by "BotchedExperiment", who is frequently mentioned on the blog. Check it out, it makes sense.

I realize mountain biking suffers from some of these same issues. But it's not anywhere near the level that pro road cycling has reached. Let's hope it remains that way for a long time to come.

Sorry for the rant.

I rode about 60% of the Rim Ride course. Initial thoughts? Ouch.

This is going to be a burner. I think finishers are going to be few. This is not a dirt road laden hundie. It is one techy trail after another. There are a few reprives here and there, but for the most part you have to pay attention, or else you will find yourself kissing the slickrock.

It was a lot of fun spending the day out there with some new folks. Fred has strung together a massive epic. I will admit, it left me pretty intimidated. At this point I am leaning toward doing the race, although last night I felt otherwise. I am just not sure I can resist the siren song of a Moab epic. Regardless of how difficult it may be.

Route finding was not a big issue. Fred was with us, but he sort of let us pick our way along, if we missed a turn he'd let us know, and then he'd mark the turn better. The cue sheet is key. Learn it and use it. Also learn to watch for small blue ribbons scattered throughout the course. These are your friends, and evidence that you are on the same path Fred designated.

Why do I think finishers will be few? Darkness. If you are not to the Gold Bar Rim turn off by 4 or 5 PM, you stand a good chance at having to pick your way through the most difficult part of the route in the dark. Even good lights will not be of much use. The route finding is hard, and the riding extremely slow and technical.

Planing on ridding SS? I was geared 32x18 on my 29er. I needed 32x20. I think it would have made a big difference for me.

Overall, this is going to be a huge undertaking. It's a difficult route, that gets harder the further you go. Fred designed it that way. The views up high on these various rims are spectacular, and worth the trouble to get up them. But again, this is going to rough. Maybe to rough? That is what is both pushing me away and pulling me in.

I snapped a bunch of photos, you can see the whole album here

Here is one of my favorites. It is taken from up on the Gold Bar Rim singletrack (blue dot trail). You can see Moab far below, and the La Sals in the distance.

Yesterday I had a legitimate off road ride on some of the local trails. There was a little snow, a little mud, but mostly it was good dry dirt.

Tomorrow morning I am heading to Moab for some RRM recon. It should be fun. It looks like Saturday we will have a few guys from different states meeting up to pre-ride. Thinking of coming? The latest plan was to meet at Mondo Cafe at 7 AM Saturday morning.

I should have some good pictures, and good stories on Sunday.

Until then!

The Fat Cyclist is holding a raffle to support Dave Nice in his 2007 GDR Attempt. $5 buys you a ticket, but more importantly it helps Dave try and become the first fixed gear rider to finish the GDR. Last year his attempt was thwarted by a thief just a few days into the race.

Head over to the Fat Cyclist and enter the raffle!

Good luck Dave, I think a lot of people will be pulling for you this summer!

I have slowly begun my regular training routine again, and honestly, it has been a slow process. I am not going to rush back from a solo 24 in February. This coming week looks promising though. Next weekend I am planning on being in Moab to pre-ride the Rim route. According to this thread, others will be down there as well.

UtRider asked me via my comments section how I recover from a solo 24. The short answer is: Sleep and eat. The week following a solo 24 I find myself nodding off during the day quite a bit. I try my best not to fight that, and just allow myself to get some nice afternoon naps in. Sometimes work schedules get in the way of a good nap though. In that case, I just try and get to bed earlier in the evening.

The other thing I do is eat. A lot. I try and eat good foods that will help my body heal and recover, but sometimes I get a guilty craving for some quality junk food. I usually allow myself to indulge.

After a week or so I start getting in mild workouts. Some on the bike, some off. I take it slow, and I don't try and push anything. It is a day by day process as I see how I feel. The last couple of weeks I have been on the floor doing a lot of regeneration work from this book. The deep massage workouts are painfully good.

There is also a time of mental recovery. I try not to get to heavy into planning the next big thing. I like to give myself a break from the normal tunnel vision I tend to get when it comes to training and racing.

So, that is it in a nutshell. Nothing to technical or top secret. Just a lot of R&R really.