Next Year

This is probably the time I should start thinking about what I plan to do next year, race-wise anyway. With the risk of copying Dicky’s post from yesterday, I'll go ahead and address the elephant in the room...


Single Speed USA

SSUSA next year is up in Copper Harbor, Michigan, which doesn't sound too bad until you actually look at a map and realize that it's way the hell up there.

Kinda like a big “Fuck you Canada, this is 'Merica!”


Thinking I could drive like I did last year to Minnesota, I started planning my route and saw that it would take about nineteen hours. Holy shit. While only three more hours than the trip to MN, that leaves minimal fuck-off time on the way up there. I'm really not sure I want to do that. I know there are several people here in Charlotte that would take the trip with me and all that (and I'm sure it would be a blast), but damn.


I guess you could say I'm about seventy percent against making a decision to go back to SSUSA next year.


That doesn't mean I've completely ruled it out though. The trails look fun as shit and I do like driving long distances (by myself if need be.) I'm just not sure about going that far for what could be a minimal amount of riding. I might be better served taking a road trip somewhere else instead, like out West somewhere.



Registration is filling up fast, but that's not really a deciding factor. Judging from the last two years, I could still just show up and “race.” So, I guess I really don't have to make a decision right now. Nothing is holding me back (other than being unable to make decisions) so there's no reason for me to figure it out anytime soon.


Damn it. I wish someone would just tell me to go (or not to.)


Cue a text from Dicky in 3...2...1.

Keep Going Or Turn Back?

Yes, I’m continuing from where I left off here.

At our unofficial aid station (number four if you're keeping track), we were having a good time heckling, drinking, providing beer hand ups, and socializing with those that stopped to hang out.  We were getting low on beer though, and we knew we had to get going somewhere.  Rumor had it that the “real” aid station was just up the road (and up the rest of that gravel climb), but some folks just wanted to turn around and head back to civilization (and where it was certain there was beer.)  Even though I was hurting like hell from my crash, I didn’t care.  My plan was to stay wherever the majority of our group went.

We eventually decided just to keep riding the course, and if my shoulder wasn’t hurting so bad I might have had a lot more fun.  Fireroads turned to singletrack, singletrack turned to freshly cut, twisty goodness, and then everything turned to rocky as hell downhill.  It was painful, but at least my legs didn’t hurt.  We were still pretty much all together, and we kept each other going for the most part.  Once in a while I would end up all alone, and I wondered to myself why the hell I didn’t quit riding.  My shoulder was fucked (and possibly getting worse), but I thought that being on my bike was better than anything else I could’ve been doing at that point in time. 

Stupid thoughts in my head aside, I was enjoying most of the trail.  At one point I was flying down a fast hill, and I saw Shanna on the side of the trail picking berries.  I looked over at her and she made me laugh.

“Free snacks from Mother Nature.”

Shit like that made the whole day worth it.

After what seemed like forever, we finally found “official” aid station number one.  I drank a little and rested, and the remainder of our crew tried to decide what the plan was.  I was still going with the flow, even though I knew at that point I should probably start making my way towards some kind of medical attention.  Luckily, the group was ready to head out and make our way back.  We “climbed” one more big hill.

Once we made it up that hill, we hit the downhill again.  I was familiar with it since we rode up it previously, but that didn’t make it any better.  It was just rocky enough that it beat the shit outta me with my rigid fork, and when we finally reached the bottom my shoulder hurt so back I wanted to puke.  We hit the road section back towards the lodge, and luckily I started feeling a little better (because I wouldn't get beat up on the trail again for a while.)

When we started getting back into civilization, I noticed that some of our group pulled off the road and into someone’s driveway.  When I finally rolled up I noticed that we had been invited to hang out with some local Minnesotans.

How very courteous those Midwestern folks were.  They didn’t even make fun of my hillbilly accent.

We didn’t stay long, since we weren’t far from the end of the course.  A few turns, crossing some busy streets, and some painful climbs has us rolling back to the finish…

And to some beer served to us by the locals.

I can’t believe I made it back.  I was mentally exhausted more than anything, and my shoulder pain was so bad that it didn’t even matter anymore.  All I wanted to do was kick back and look up in the sky, hoping that I would just float away.

I made it.  It was a lot harder that it should’ve been.

But, Single Speed USA was over.

There was an after party to attend though, and I wasn’t sure I would make it. 

Tomorrow, I’ll peel myself off the ground and finish this story.

Hang in there.  I did.

The Road Ahead

Apparently it leads to Minnesota. That’s right, registration for the biggest party in the U.S. has opened and it is filling up fast (less than 40 spots remain.)  Single Speed USA is in Winona, MN this summer, and I’m pretty excited about it.  Last year, I made the trip to Vermont (mostly because George was hosting the race) and I had a blast.  I’ve never been to Minnesota before, so I figured, “What the hell.”

Or as the kids say for every insignificant thing...YOLO.

I haven’t made any travel plans as of yet, but I’m 99.9% sure that I will be driving up there.  I don’t care for flying, plus I like being alone behind the wheel for extended periods of time.    It looks like about a sixteen hour drive, which doesn’t sound too bad.  Well, at least on the way up.  The drive home will probably suck worse than anything that has ever sucked.

Bring it on, I’m ready.

In other news, I have immediate travel plans for this weekend.  Bright and early tomorrow morning, TomTom and I are heading down to Conyers, GA for this:

Yup, once again I’m going to the Southeast Bike Expo.  I had a lot of fun last year, so hopefully this year won’t be any different.

Unless there is moar fun.  Yes, moar.

I won’t be spending the night like I did last year though, which also means that I won’t have to babysit Dicky because he drank too much beer.  We’re leaving bright and early tomorrow morning, and coming back late that night. 

I told you I like driving.

Anyway, I have other shit going on after the Expo, so don’t come back here on Monday looking for me.  Tuesday will work better.

Is that good for you?

It’s Never Too Early

Even though it’s barely December, I’m already starting to think about my summer vacation.  This past summer, I took a trip to Vermont for Single Speed USA.  Next summer, I’m hoping to return to Single Speed USA.  However, I won’t be going back to Vermont.

Yup, the “race” is being held in Minnesota.  Winona, MN to be exact, and 1,079 miles from my house here in Charlotte.  I don’t care for flying so I guess I’ll start planning another mega road trip.  Last time I drove all over the place to get to Vermont (driving from through Buffalo on the way there), so I should be used to it.  I don’t have any people to see on the way up to Minnesota, but at least I’ll get to travel to places I’ve never been before.

Some of the places I’ll visit for the first time include Knoxville, TN, Louisville, KY, Indianapolis, and Chicago.  I do like driving, and I’m looking forward to my adventure on the open road.  The details haven’t been released just yet though.  All I know thus far is that SSUSA will be on August 17^th, which is between the last two races in the Southern Classic Series.  I’m still not sure if I’m gonna do that whole series again though.  If I do, it’s gonna be a rough few weeks.

I’m looking forward to the gathering of single speeders though, that’s for sure.

In other news, I’ve been busy trying to secure some sort of team representation for next season.  I’m still down with Bike29 (as long as George keeps it around), but I’m looking to change things up a bit.  I got some news yesterday about flying some new colors for the 2013 season, but I’ll save that for when the time is right.  Let’s just say that it will fit well with my drinking and riding habits.

Speaking of drinking, I’m back to that too.  Now that I feel much better, I’ve been sipping on the sauce again.

And that’s all I have to say about that.

The Aftermath

After crossing the finish line for Single Speed USA, I was spent (remember my interview?)

The fun didn’t stop there though.  With no water to drink (and not wanting to climb down into the mountain stream for fear of not getting out), I went right back to beer.  I did my best to help finish off the kegs with Thom, Dejay, Paul, and George.

And watching Thom get his ass blown off by firecrackers…

And the subsequent “brawl” between Thom and Dejay…

After that I had to ride all the way across town to get back to my truck at the start, putting my total mileage for the day over forty.  I had the option of riding my bike to the start, and after passing by my hotel on the way I knew I had made a mistake.

After what seemed like forever, I made it.  I drank about a gallon of water, got some food, and drove back to my room to clean myself up.  It was time to hit the afterparty, where the Black Owls were playing.

Dough and George seemed to be enjoying the show…

Until George started busting out his fancy dance moves on Thom.

It was a good way to wind down.  I had a few beers (including some with Eddie and Namrita), and cut out of there to get some sleep.  The next morning I had plans to get out and ride, but I was pretty much worthless. 

Instead I did a little sightseeing…

And found some of Vermont’s finest cuisine:

Later that evening, we had another get together, and this time it was pretty tame.  More beer (including the leftovers form the keg), and Dejay even cooked us some burgers.  Before we ate though, George showed off his awesome track standing skills.

And we hung out until the sun went down (and beyond.)

Since Dicky never showed up, the kiddie pool we setup for him became a place to discard the empty beer cans.

The next morning I had to hit the road, and I was sad to leave Vermont.  It was a great “race”, drank some good (and not so good) beer, ate great food, and I met a lot of cool people.  Well, since all the cool kids ride single speeds, I guess that was easy to do.  I really appreciate the hospitality that George, Mandy, and the rest of the Vermont folks showed me while I was there.  I brought home a lot of great memories for sure.

But, I brought home a lot more than memories…

Yeah, I’ll get into that another day.

Before I forget, there is a bike festival this weekend.  Southern Spokes, is coming up quick.  I’ve been so busy, that I actually forgot to mention it.  It will be held this weekend at Lake Norman State Park, and will start Friday night with an open house at First Flight Bikes in nearby Statesville.  Saturday will be all about riding bikes, and there will be a movie and even camping.  Today is the last day to register, so head over to the website to get your name on the list.

I’ll be there, and maybe I’ll tell you some of the “behind the scenes” stuff from SSUSA that I didn’t talk about on here.

Single Speed USA Part 2

Continuing on...

At the halfway point, there was plenty of this:

The “aid station” was stocked with all sorts of booze, including beer, whiskey, and tequila (courtesy of Drunk Cyclist.)  Most people drank a lot.  In fact, we drank so much that it was hard to tell that we were “racing.”

Just ask Daisy Dukes Guy:

Or Unicorn Man:

Even Sandie the school girl got in on the action, discussing the finer points of 40oz drinking with Wonder Wo-Man:

Mandy was there, and asked if I was having fun.  I was riding my bike and drinking, so I answered in the affirmative.  As much as we wanted to though, we couldn’t stay there all day.  

A group of us took off from the rest stop…

Every single one of us drunk as shit.

We crossed the road and hit some more trails, and they went up, up, up again.  All of us were suffering, but at least the alcohol numbed the pain a little bit.  When we got to the top, there was a fun downhill section.  I flew through it, taking the worst lines possible.  I was full of confidence because I was pretty much wasted, and luckily I didn’t bust my ass.  I think our whole group rode better because of that rest stop.

We exited the singletrack into a clearing, with no course markings in sight.  We were lost…again.  Daisy Dukes Guy and Wonder Wo-Man did their best to help figure out where we were.

They took off down the hill, but the rest of us weren’t sure if that was the way to go.  We hung back and had another beer, and then we decided to back track.  We eventually rolled up on the course sweeper with a couple of other guys, and he directed us to the turn we missed.  We had a pretty good group of drunken idiots riding along trying to survive, and we rode like that for a while. 

At one point when we stopped to regroup, I happened to look down and notice something on Sandie’s fork.

That pretty much summed it all up.

We kept going, having no idea how far we had to go.  I heard someone say we had twelve miles to go, and I wondered if I could make it.  As the alcohol wore off, the suffering increased.  I decided that I didn’t want to be out there anymore, so I picked up the pace and left everyone behind.  I was hurting, but at that point I had no choice.  I popped out of the trail and into a parking lot, and I thought that I was almost finished.  I was way wrong.  I crossed the road and headed up a steep climb, full of switchbacks that seemed to go on forever.  I eventually made it to the top.

I forgot to mention that I grabbed a beer to go, and used my Awesome Strap to hold it in place.

After all that shit I still had a little more gravel road climbing.  I felt like it took forever, and there was no end in sight.  I started to think I was gonna die out there in the woods, and no one would ever find me.  Buzzards were circling overhead, wairing for me to fall over and take my last breath.

Just then, I hit a long section of really fast, swoopy downhill stuff.  It was fun as hell, but I kept wondering when the next climb would come.  I was tired, but I still had a smile on my face from all the fun stuff.

And just like that I heard a crowd of people cheering and I saw a bridge up ahead.

I had just finished the most horrible and most fun thing I’ve ever done.  Six hours in the saddle on one gear, well over thirty miserable miles, and a shitload of alcohol.  I really enjoyed Single Speed USA, and I’m glad I made the trip up there.  Big thanks to George and Mandy (and anyone else around there that helped) for hosting a kick ass bike event. 

Maybe tomorrow I’ll get into the aftermath.

On The Road To SSUSA

I left the farm in the wee hours of the morning last Friday, and made the long, boring drive across New York State to get to Vermont.  I put the hammer down so I could get there in time to meet George at the shop.  Once I got most of the way across NY, I headed north towards Lake Champlain. 

The drive took me through the Adirondack Mountains, so it was actually pretty nice.  After not paying attention to my GPS though, I ended up missing the bridge I planned to take across the lake.  I had to decide to either backtrack a lot, or take the ferry across.

Even though I was scared of sinking, I opted to save myself some driving.

It actually wasn’t too bad, and the captain of the ship let me sit upstairs to scare the shit outta me even more.  At least I got to take a photo of Vermont before I sank to the bottom.

Since I happened to catch the ferry right as it was leaving (and we didn't hit an iceberg), I made really good time getting to my destination…

The Bike 29 mothership. 

When I pulled into the parking lot, I spotted Eddie and Namrita, but I didn’t get a chance to say hi right away because George ran out to greet me. 

After a quick tour of the shop, I was informed that it was lunch time (at 3 p.m. for some reason.)  We immediately went next door to have a drink with the locals and the out of towners.

When we got back to the shop (after a few beers), Thom finally showed up.  He had to get his shit ready for the big race.

Just as I was getting comfortable, George kidnapped me and forced me to drive across town to acquire kegs of beer.  I’m not sure if he paid for them, so I took a photo of him taking them out of there in case the authorities start snooping around.

Then we went to another shady part of town to find the taps/cooler and such. 

I think Rambo lived there or some shit.

We got back to the shop and I took it upon myself to start nosing around.  I found a cooler I wanted to use, but then I was told that it was not the cooler I was looking for.

I kept snooping around, but decided that I should stop when I spotted man-panties hanging on the wall.

I got the hell out of there, because I still needed to check in my room ten miles up the road in Stowe.  It didn’t take me long to get there, and I was really pleased with the view.

And the Stowe Bike Path is right behind it…

I got settled in my room and took my bike to go get something to eat.

At that point I’d only been there a few hours, and already I’d had a few beers, gone for a ride, and hung out with a ton of cool people.  With the “race” starting in the morning, things could only get better, right?

You’ll have to wait until Monday for that part.

You knew I was gonna drag this shit out, didn’t you?

Well, if you can’t wait, then check out the video that Thom took after I finished. 

Watch more video of 2012 SSUSA on thom.cyclingdirt.org

That should hold you until Monday.

“Little” Mountains

The little lady and I snuck over to the Uwharrie National Forest on Saturday to enjoy some “mountain riding”, and we couldn’t have picked a better day. It was warm, bright, and sunny, and when we got there the place was packed. It seems like the new trail work over there draws more people these days. There were tons of people we knew getting ready to hit the trails, and some people we’ve never seen before. We drove back to the camp, and the plan was to take a nice, easy ride to get Little Miss Sunshine used to a little “rough” riding.


The trails at Uwharrie are tougher than anything here locally, so it’s a good way for us to do a little “training.” She has high expectations this year since she’s on a new team, and I just wanted to torture myself on the single speed.

Not only are the trails pretty rad out there, but the scenery is nice too.





We rode everything clockwise, which now is the “easier” way. When I say easier, I mean that the downhill stuff is a little longer. I had to take it slow, since I was riding on only one gear.



The night before, I decided to man up and switch back to my trusty 18 tooth cog to give me more of a challenge. The 19 sounded like I was taking the easy way out, and I don’t need that so early in the season. I have to get stronger in preparation for a long year, and mashing my way up steep climbs on a tough gear seemed to be the way to go.



I never had to walk. Not even once. The climbs hurt like hell, but I was able to mash my way up all of them. We stopped every so often to take in the sights and regroup, but I felt like I had chosen the right gear. We didn’t set any new course records out there, but I know Little Miss Sunshine was having a good time.



It looks like Uwharrie will be my new “training grounds”, and I plan to ride there quite a bit. My decision to switch back to the 18 tooth cog for my SS was a good one, and who know, maybe I’ll be riding it on a 17 one day soon. Maybe I will actually be ready for Single Speed USA.

I can feel myself getting stronger with the force.



Speaking of SSUSA, you are shit outta luck if you didn’t sign up. All 100 spots sold out last week, and now there is a waiting list. You better get over there and get on it so you can ride with me in July.


It’s gonna be a good ‘ol time.