Fun Friday

Today, I’m gonna make this one short.  First, let’s have a public service announcement…

Yeah, that’s scary.  We have a few of these little bastards around here.  That being said, I’m getting out of town for a while.  Work has been more stressful than ever, I’m just getting over Death Virus 2015, and I need a break.

I’m heading to the hills after work today for some camping and mountain bicycle riding.  I loaded up my truck this morning, and last night I got my bike ready for some mountainy fun.

Who gives a shit.

Happy Friday.  See y’all next week.

Local Is Better

Yesterday was a much needed day off from blogging.  I’m getting back to normal from Death Virus 2015 I think.  Who gives a shit.  Let’s move on.

Back before the 6 Hours of Warrior Creek, I had to do a little work on my bike to put it in “Endurance Mode.”  Mostly that meant putting on an easier gear, but it also meant that I had to see what lingering issues I had.  I noticed that my standard cog for everything around here was getting worn, but I guess after a few years of use and abuse that happens.  Luckily, I have a friend that can help.

Photo credit:  Joel Watson

If you are a single speeder (or have been around the bike scene here at all), you know that the photo above is Shanna, owner of Endless Bike Co.  She’s pretty rad, and a friend to pretty much anyone that rides in the dirt.  Recently, pinkbike did a pretty cool article about her.

East Bound and Down:  Shanna’s Endless Stoke

Very nice.  Anyway, I knew I needed some new stuff, and she was kind enough to bring along some items last weekend for me to stare at and touch.  She didn’t have everything that I needed right there on the spot (I'm pretty needy), but a few days later she sent me a lovely care package of single speedy goodness.

Sure, I needed a new cog (and stickers of course), but what’s that other thing?

It’s “The 1 Ring”, which is a narrow wide chainring.  Duh.  Anodized to match the cogs perfectly, I just had to have one.  Since my old “other brand” chainring was worn and needed to be replaced, I thought that it would be a good idea to go local this time.  I’m glad I did, because this thing is the shit.  It’s light, and it feels much stronger than anything I’ve used before.

I couldn’t wait to get this shiny new stuff installed, and luckily it didn’t take much time at all.  Now the sexy factor of my bike has increased tenfold.

There’s your money shot.  Who gives a shit.

With some locally made products already on my bike, it feels good to add another.  Shanna is good people for sure, and I really appreciate the support that she gives me and the rest of us wacky single speeders. 

Go get some shiny new Made in the U.S.A. shit for your own bike.

That Was It

A few minute break to eat and refill bottles turned into the end.  I had the chills and ended up wrapping a towel and my jacket around myself to stay warm.  I drank fluids, ate a little, and nearly froze to death.  People kept checking on me, most of them asking if I was okay.

“Yeah.  I’m just trying to rest for a minute.  I’m going back out.”

An hour later I was still in my chair, unable to move.

Eastwood walked up outta nowhere, fresh off of a ride at nearby OVT.  He seemed concerned too, but also happy that he had someone to hang out with instead of trying to catch people in between laps.  He sat down in a chair next to me and busted out one of his beverages.  I offered him a cup for it, which meant that I had to get up and walk to the back of my truck.  I figured that I needed to try to move around a little.

It was quite difficult, but I eventually could walk again.  I realized at that moment that getting back on my bike would have been a shitty idea.  I guess I didn’t really have a choice in the matter when I sat down, but whatever.  My body was done.  Trying to fight some kind of illness/infection and forcing it to mash gears on a single speed was like having a race car in the red.   

I was done, but not really disappoint.  I got to hang out with some cool people, including these two rad dudes…

And I saw Nick “Dip n Spray” Barlow ride away with some stranger on a tandem…

And the most important thing of all?  I didn’t miss the 6 Hours of Warrior Creek.  It’s a tough race, but one of the most fun things I can do on a bicycle each year.  The folks up there put on an awesome event each and every time, and I realized this past weekend that I would almost die trying to be a part of it.  The friends that I got to hang out with, the rad trails, and the great weather made it worth getting my ass dragged outta bed to at least ride a part of it.  It was a good time.

Once I eventually felt like walking a little more (after the race was over), I spent the rest of the afternoon wandering around to random people just to hang out.  I apologize if you were one of the people that I was talking to and then suddenly I was gone.  I don’t remember much, honestly.  It was like being drunk, without the fun part of you know, actually drinking.  Once I finally felt like I could ride in a vehicle again, I didn’t feel like I could drive.  I let the little lady drive my truck for only the second time ever, just to make sure we would get home.

I must have been wiped out.

So yeah, it wore me out.  Again.  And as always, I had fun even though I suffered.  I can’t wait until next year.  Maybe I’ll feel better by then.

Sick Day

In order to get up to Wilkesboro with plenty of time to get setup for the 6 Hours of Warrior Creek, my alarm was set for 5:00 a.m.   When it went off Saturday morning,  the first words out of my mouth were, “I don’t wanna go.”

I was really sick.  It really started hitting me late Friday evening, but I’m sure it was set in motion by racing in the cold the weekend before.  I really didn’t want to get out of bed, even though it would’ve meant missing the biggest race of the year.  The little lady was already up and moving, and went she said something to me I repeated myself.

“I don’t wanna go.”

“Oh, you’re going” she said, “I don’t want to hear about how you missed this race because you were sick.”

She was right, but I really felt bad enough to consider missing it.  Nevertheless, I eventually got up, got dressed, and loaded up the truck.  We headed north a little behind schedule, but we would still have plenty of time to spare.  All I could think of was taking a nap as soon as I got there.  The little lady lectured me a little bit, telling me that if I have a fever, I shouldn’t race.  Well, I did have a fever, and I did plan to race.  I mean, I dragged my sick ass outta bed…

The drive went by fast, and once we got there I thought I felt good enough to ride.  It’s a six hour “race”, which meant that I didn’t have to be in a hurry.  I got all set up and once everyone else started rolling in I sorta forgot about how bad I felt.  I said a lot of hellos and good mornings to everyone, and before I knew it we were lined up at the start.  I took my spot towards the back of the pack and got ready to roll.

The parade lap around the campground was a nice warm up, and rolling with Good Guy Greg, Shanna, and the Lowcountry Crew was a good way to keep me from forgetting how shitty I felt.  Once we hit the singletrack, I saw the little lady waiting with her camera.

Well, I was “racing” I guess.  Our group rolled together at a nice pace, and I really didn’t feel like I was killing myself out there.  My legs felt stronger than ever, but I had a little trouble breathing.  I tried to forget about it, instead focusing on the fact that I was having fun.  I was on my bike, not at home in bed.

Photo cred:  Chris Green

As the lap went on, the miles ticked off quickly.  We were having fun as a group, chatting away and stuff.  They really kept my mind off being sickly and I appreciated it.  Once we neared the end of lap one I made the decision to pass through the pit and head right back out for lap two.  My crew wouldn’t be there though…

What a dumb decision.  Or so I thought.  I was riding strong, but I soon realized that without the group I had on the first lap I wouldn’t make it.  I toughed it out and picked up the pace, refusing to get off and walk when the climbing got tough.  I was dizzy, coughing, and had snot flying everywhere. 

I still looked good enough for photos though:

Photo cred:  Chris Green

I don’t remember much about lap two, other than the fact that I rode everything pretty well.  With about a mile to go my water bottles were empty, which meant that I would definitely have to stop for a refill.  My legs felt so good that I didn’t want to, but…

I hit the pavement loop around the campsite and gunned it towards the start/finish line.  I heard people yelling my name here and there, but I couldn’t look away from the road.  Once I rolled through the line I pulled over and tried to remove my arm warmers.  After a long struggle I got one of them off.  In the meantime, I saw TomTom yelling something encouraging at me although I really couldn’t hear.  The only thing I heard was fellow Niner Ambassador Bonnie K. asking me if I was okay.  I looked over in that direction and I think I said, “Yeah.”

I walked my bike the short distance to my pit and sat down.  I was just gonna sit there for a minute or two, refill my bottles, grab a quick bite to eat, and head back out.  I grabbed a drink out of my cooler (not beer, thank you), put a towel over my head, and…

I couldn’t get up.

More tomorrow…

Fun Friday

The weekend is finally here.  It’s a holiday for a lot of people today, so that could explain the shitty traffic on the way home from work yesterday and the light traffic this morning on the way in.  I guess I'm very thankful for it.  You know, because there are worse things going on.

Tomorrow, myself a couple hundred of my closest friends are gonna play in the woods.  It will be fun in a weird way.

I know everyone will be happy to see me tomorrow.  In fact, I’m sure that’s why most of them signed up for the 6 Hours of Warrior Creek in the first place.

Yeah, sure. 

Anyway, I’m in a hurry to get today over with so I can get on with my weekend.  Tomorrow is gonna be rad.  On Monday, you’ll most likely see the first of several posts about my “race.” 

See y’all then.

Race Prep

The biggest race of the year is coming up in just two days.  This Saturday is the 6 Hours of Warrior Creek.  I am excite.  This will be my sixth time in the event (I only missed the very first one) and every year it does not disappoint.  Although it’s tough, it really is a fun race and that’s the whole reason I even do it.

Remember kids, riding your bike is fun.

I don’t have any goals, other than to go out there and ride as much as possible for six hours.  Sure, I had some success last weekend in a little cross country action, but that doesn’t mean that I expect this one to be a breeze.  In fact, I’m not even considering a chance on the podium.  Who gives a shit.  I’m just there to ride, hang out with some of the coolest people in the bike scene, and enjoy some of the best singletrack in the state.

Yeah, I said that.  It’s really a great place to ride.

Anyway, since I’m “competing” in the single speed class, I had to do a little bike work last night.  I took of my standard local (and apparently cross country lap racing friendly) 18t cog and replaced it with something that I could stand to push for six hours.

Yeah, it’s an easy gear.  If you weighed 230 pounds you’d want something easy too.  Sure, it will be way too spinny at first, but later in the day I’ll be glad I did it.  Well, maybe.  I’m sorta having second thoughts on my gear choice.  I’m a lot stronger than I have been in years past, and my fitness level is pretty good at this point in the season.  Maybe I can run something harder.  Maybe I’ll change it again before Saturday.  Maybe I won’t.  Who gives a shit.

I also took the time to go over my bike again, checking to see if there were any issues from my race last weekend.  I did have to tighten up the headset a little, and I found some other issues while I was at it.  I definitely needed a new chain.

The picture keeps loading upside down.  Just stand on your head and everything will be right.

I’ve been using the KMC 610 for quite a while now.  I haven’t broken one yet, and other than getting a little sloppy after prolonged use I’ve had no issues.  It’s heavier than some other single speed chain options out there, but I’m heavy too.  I like having something tough that I can’t break.

I also finally remembered to do something else that’s been put on the back burner for some reason.  In the past few rides/races, I’ve noticed my foot slipping out of the pedals every once in a while for no particular reason.

Well, I guess there is a reason.

Luckily, I get some good support from Crankbrothers, so I had a new set on hand to swap out.

Much better.  Last night’s test ride confirmed it.

Since I’ll be racing quite a bit more this season, I knew I had to thoroughly go over my bike to make sure it wouldn’t fail on me.  I had a list of things to check/replace, and after taking care of maintenance issues there was only one thing left…

Now my bike is ready. 

My legs feel good, and that nasty shit in my lungs is all but gone.

I’m ready for six hours of suffering.

Maybe.

No Joke

Since I’ve been doing this blogging thing, I’ve tried some phoney April Fools post just because it seemed like it would be fun.  It usually works, especially the one I did last year.

I just don’t feel like doing it today.  Not a big deal.  Besides, there are plenty of other things out that that other people do to make funny.

Ewwww.

It’s not too late if you want to do something.  Here's a list of easy pranks you can try on someone if you so desire:

Top 20 Best Prank Ideas

Some of them are good I guess.  Number eleven is probably the best and would get an awesome reaction.

Anyway, the real significance of April 1st is that it’s the start of 30 Days of Biking. 

You know, the annual event where you pledge to ride your bike every day in April?  It doesn’t matter what kind of ride.  You could hit some sweet jumps, tear up The Pisgah, or just ride up to the local watering hole to grab a beer. 

It’s easy. 

Just take the pledge.

I see a lot of trips for beer coming up in the next 30 days.

Happy April 1st.