There are some things that I don't even really want to write about, but at times, I feel prompted to say something. This is one of those times and yes, I'm going to write some stuff that maybe I shouldn't! We'll see!
It all started when I began to start to submit articles for The Biking Hub , a website dedicated to the mountain biker. My write ups were about introducing folks to the concepts, advantages, and disadvantages of 29"ers. To be honest, my articles are probably a bit sanitized from my usual rustic flair that I use here. So, no inflammatory remarks, nothing like that. ( Which I don't think I do much of here either!) Anyway, there is a comment section after each article. I began getting comments from a certain poster over a week ago. Just one random comment, which was a little negative and provoking. Then after last weeks article, the commenter was downright nasty, referring to me as being "egotistical and pompous". (Note: the comment was deleted by the webmaster and the commenter was banned) There was more to it, but I think we all know what a troll is.
So, what's the point? Well, I could have gotten upset. I could have ranted back at him in the comment section. Both would have been wastes of my time. The thing is, you just can't respond, because that's what the commenter wants. It's like verbal terrorism. I just won't stoop to that level. Nope, not gonna do that! If someone wants to have a calm discussion about my views without resorting to childishness, I'm all for it.
What's going on here? I think it's one of two things. The commenter is bothered by what I write because it's challenging his/ her empirical viewpoint of mountain biking, or they are just picking a fight to pick a fight. Maybe both! All I know is that you aren't making a difference in life if there isn't a reaction to what you are doing. Sometimes that reaction is negative. Sometimes it's positive. At least I'm impacting someone to the point of acting, although it wasn't my intent to motivate a hater!
Well, for whatever reason, I hope you are getting something out of this blog that's a benefit to you. But please.................don't be a hater!
Nobody gets anything good out of that!
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
Give Peace a Chance
There are some things that I don't even really want to write about, but at times, I feel prompted to say something. This is one of those times and yes, I'm going to write some stuff that maybe I shouldn't! We'll see!
It all started when I began to start to submit articles for The Biking Hub , a website dedicated to the mountain biker. My write ups were about introducing folks to the concepts, advantages, and disadvantages of 29"ers. To be honest, my articles are probably a bit sanitized from my usual rustic flair that I use here. So, no inflammatory remarks, nothing like that. ( Which I don't think I do much of here either!) Anyway, there is a comment section after each article. I began getting comments from a certain poster over a week ago. Just one random comment, which was a little negative and provoking. Then after last weeks article, the commenter was downright nasty, referring to me as being "egotistical and pompous". (Note: the comment was deleted by the webmaster and the commenter was banned) There was more to it, but I think we all know what a troll is.
So, what's the point? Well, I could have gotten upset. I could have ranted back at him in the comment section. Both would have been wastes of my time. The thing is, you just can't respond, because that's what the commenter wants. It's like verbal terrorism. I just won't stoop to that level. Nope, not gonna do that! If someone wants to have a calm discussion about my views without resorting to childishness, I'm all for it.
What's going on here? I think it's one of two things. The commenter is bothered by what I write because it's challenging his/ her empirical viewpoint of mountain biking, or they are just picking a fight to pick a fight. Maybe both! All I know is that you aren't making a difference in life if there isn't a reaction to what you are doing. Sometimes that reaction is negative. Sometimes it's positive. At least I'm impacting someone to the point of acting, although it wasn't my intent to motivate a hater!
Well, for whatever reason, I hope you are getting something out of this blog that's a benefit to you. But please.................don't be a hater!
Nobody gets anything good out of that!
It all started when I began to start to submit articles for The Biking Hub , a website dedicated to the mountain biker. My write ups were about introducing folks to the concepts, advantages, and disadvantages of 29"ers. To be honest, my articles are probably a bit sanitized from my usual rustic flair that I use here. So, no inflammatory remarks, nothing like that. ( Which I don't think I do much of here either!) Anyway, there is a comment section after each article. I began getting comments from a certain poster over a week ago. Just one random comment, which was a little negative and provoking. Then after last weeks article, the commenter was downright nasty, referring to me as being "egotistical and pompous". (Note: the comment was deleted by the webmaster and the commenter was banned) There was more to it, but I think we all know what a troll is.
So, what's the point? Well, I could have gotten upset. I could have ranted back at him in the comment section. Both would have been wastes of my time. The thing is, you just can't respond, because that's what the commenter wants. It's like verbal terrorism. I just won't stoop to that level. Nope, not gonna do that! If someone wants to have a calm discussion about my views without resorting to childishness, I'm all for it.
What's going on here? I think it's one of two things. The commenter is bothered by what I write because it's challenging his/ her empirical viewpoint of mountain biking, or they are just picking a fight to pick a fight. Maybe both! All I know is that you aren't making a difference in life if there isn't a reaction to what you are doing. Sometimes that reaction is negative. Sometimes it's positive. At least I'm impacting someone to the point of acting, although it wasn't my intent to motivate a hater!
Well, for whatever reason, I hope you are getting something out of this blog that's a benefit to you. But please.................don't be a hater!
Nobody gets anything good out of that!
Monday, April 03, 2006
Rain Check
If you live in the Mid West, you probably had your ride shortened, rearranged, or cancelled altogether by the rains that swept through the area. I'm no different. I didn't get nearly the riding in that I had wanted to, not that my body would have put up with it. A strange soreness in the muscles was felt on Sunday, so I relaxed all day instead of riding. Not that I missed much. It was miserable here most of the day anyway. By the sounds of things outdoors right now, the wind is roaring out of the North West, which should make up for any lost riding yesterday by putting the hurt on the commute to work this morning. Thanks...........I guess?
Inbred Update: I did manage to get some progress made on the Inbred last night. I installed the Chris King pink headset sinister style, ( You'll have to wait for the pictures if you don't understand) The crazy thing was that I was able to install the headset cups by hand. Hi-yaah! One sharp blow on each and they were in! I also got some measurements taken with the wheels on her to find out what I need for a stem. Actually, I have one that would do the job, but it's a painted stem in electrical cord orange. Not going to happen! I'm ordering a black Salsa stem in the same length and rise to use instead. I've agonized over the handle bar set up way to long. I wanted to go with a Titec H-Bar, ( not available yet) or another Midge bar, ( $60.00 retail), but I decided that I'd go with a bar I already have. I've even used it last year on an eight hour ride with no complaints, so I'm going with the Old Titec 118 titanium flat bar. At least I can use it until I decide on something else, or my options open up a little more. One thing I do know, that titanium bar is smoooooth! Finally, I've been reading with some interest about saddle choices and the SLR by Selle Italia keeps coming up. I'm going to check into that, but the front runner is still the Fizik Arione right now for this bike.
Nothing too exciting today! Look for some Sea Otter product release news later in the week. If anything rant-worthy comes up, I'll be on that, too. Inbred Updates, Trans Iowa news, and local race and training news will all be featured coming up soon as well. Have a great day!
Inbred Update: I did manage to get some progress made on the Inbred last night. I installed the Chris King pink headset sinister style, ( You'll have to wait for the pictures if you don't understand) The crazy thing was that I was able to install the headset cups by hand. Hi-yaah! One sharp blow on each and they were in! I also got some measurements taken with the wheels on her to find out what I need for a stem. Actually, I have one that would do the job, but it's a painted stem in electrical cord orange. Not going to happen! I'm ordering a black Salsa stem in the same length and rise to use instead. I've agonized over the handle bar set up way to long. I wanted to go with a Titec H-Bar, ( not available yet) or another Midge bar, ( $60.00 retail), but I decided that I'd go with a bar I already have. I've even used it last year on an eight hour ride with no complaints, so I'm going with the Old Titec 118 titanium flat bar. At least I can use it until I decide on something else, or my options open up a little more. One thing I do know, that titanium bar is smoooooth! Finally, I've been reading with some interest about saddle choices and the SLR by Selle Italia keeps coming up. I'm going to check into that, but the front runner is still the Fizik Arione right now for this bike.
Nothing too exciting today! Look for some Sea Otter product release news later in the week. If anything rant-worthy comes up, I'll be on that, too. Inbred Updates, Trans Iowa news, and local race and training news will all be featured coming up soon as well. Have a great day!
Rain Check
If you live in the Mid West, you probably had your ride shortened, rearranged, or cancelled altogether by the rains that swept through the area. I'm no different. I didn't get nearly the riding in that I had wanted to, not that my body would have put up with it. A strange soreness in the muscles was felt on Sunday, so I relaxed all day instead of riding. Not that I missed much. It was miserable here most of the day anyway. By the sounds of things outdoors right now, the wind is roaring out of the North West, which should make up for any lost riding yesterday by putting the hurt on the commute to work this morning. Thanks...........I guess?
Inbred Update: I did manage to get some progress made on the Inbred last night. I installed the Chris King pink headset sinister style, ( You'll have to wait for the pictures if you don't understand) The crazy thing was that I was able to install the headset cups by hand. Hi-yaah! One sharp blow on each and they were in! I also got some measurements taken with the wheels on her to find out what I need for a stem. Actually, I have one that would do the job, but it's a painted stem in electrical cord orange. Not going to happen! I'm ordering a black Salsa stem in the same length and rise to use instead. I've agonized over the handle bar set up way to long. I wanted to go with a Titec H-Bar, ( not available yet) or another Midge bar, ( $60.00 retail), but I decided that I'd go with a bar I already have. I've even used it last year on an eight hour ride with no complaints, so I'm going with the Old Titec 118 titanium flat bar. At least I can use it until I decide on something else, or my options open up a little more. One thing I do know, that titanium bar is smoooooth! Finally, I've been reading with some interest about saddle choices and the SLR by Selle Italia keeps coming up. I'm going to check into that, but the front runner is still the Fizik Arione right now for this bike.
Nothing too exciting today! Look for some Sea Otter product release news later in the week. If anything rant-worthy comes up, I'll be on that, too. Inbred Updates, Trans Iowa news, and local race and training news will all be featured coming up soon as well. Have a great day!
Inbred Update: I did manage to get some progress made on the Inbred last night. I installed the Chris King pink headset sinister style, ( You'll have to wait for the pictures if you don't understand) The crazy thing was that I was able to install the headset cups by hand. Hi-yaah! One sharp blow on each and they were in! I also got some measurements taken with the wheels on her to find out what I need for a stem. Actually, I have one that would do the job, but it's a painted stem in electrical cord orange. Not going to happen! I'm ordering a black Salsa stem in the same length and rise to use instead. I've agonized over the handle bar set up way to long. I wanted to go with a Titec H-Bar, ( not available yet) or another Midge bar, ( $60.00 retail), but I decided that I'd go with a bar I already have. I've even used it last year on an eight hour ride with no complaints, so I'm going with the Old Titec 118 titanium flat bar. At least I can use it until I decide on something else, or my options open up a little more. One thing I do know, that titanium bar is smoooooth! Finally, I've been reading with some interest about saddle choices and the SLR by Selle Italia keeps coming up. I'm going to check into that, but the front runner is still the Fizik Arione right now for this bike.
Nothing too exciting today! Look for some Sea Otter product release news later in the week. If anything rant-worthy comes up, I'll be on that, too. Inbred Updates, Trans Iowa news, and local race and training news will all be featured coming up soon as well. Have a great day!
Sunday, April 02, 2006
And Now For Some "True" Stories!
Trans Iowa pictures for you. Just the "B" roads . 
As you can see, the roads are saturated with water. No riding here for me! The gravel was soft and squishy in spots. And to think, it rained most of the night after these photos were taken!
This gravel "B" road is like a bad driveway!
I actually drove this mile section in my car, but it was pretty sketchy! Big ruts, mudholes and lots of undulations here. The condition of most of the roads was "okay". It was wet and soft everywhere. We got more rain last night which is only compounding the situation. More traffic on these already soft roads will rut out the surfaces that were smooth most of the winter. We are forecast to get more rains throughout the week, so it's going to get ugly. After that, it's supposed to dry out a bit. It will take a week to really dry things out, ( my estimate) so if it does stay dry, then T.I. won't be too affected by all of this. Except that if it stays dry, the road graders will have plenty of time to spread the fresh gravel where ever they need too! In fact, I did see a few miles of that already.
Can we come out from hiding? Whew! I'm sure glad that it's April 2nd. All those contrived, lame, and boring "press releases" that come out are not fooling anybody. And then there's the stuff they pass off as press releases on April 1st! Give it a rest guys, nobody is laughing anymore.
Build it! I am descending into the bowels of Guitar Ted Labratories to assemble some more of the Inbred today. I hope to present an update on that soon. I originally had hoped to have this rig on the trails by now, but certain parts delays have extended the finish date out a ways. I'm still hoping to run this bike at the Dirty Kanza in May, so we'll see.
Is Tom Boonen human? The guy is the second coming of Johan Museuew, or so they say. I sure hope Tom's not an emulator of all of Johan's practices! That would be very unfortunate. However; it sure is amazing that this fellow has dominated the early spring classics like he has. The guy has rock star status in his home country, and a very powerful team behind him. I say, "Enjoy it while it lasts!" These things tend to come and go very quickly. At least he hasn't suffered the "curse of the rainbow jersey"! Whoops! Hope I didn't jinx him!
As you can see, the roads are saturated with water. No riding here for me! The gravel was soft and squishy in spots. And to think, it rained most of the night after these photos were taken!This gravel "B" road is like a bad driveway!
I actually drove this mile section in my car, but it was pretty sketchy! Big ruts, mudholes and lots of undulations here. The condition of most of the roads was "okay". It was wet and soft everywhere. We got more rain last night which is only compounding the situation. More traffic on these already soft roads will rut out the surfaces that were smooth most of the winter. We are forecast to get more rains throughout the week, so it's going to get ugly. After that, it's supposed to dry out a bit. It will take a week to really dry things out, ( my estimate) so if it does stay dry, then T.I. won't be too affected by all of this. Except that if it stays dry, the road graders will have plenty of time to spread the fresh gravel where ever they need too! In fact, I did see a few miles of that already.
Can we come out from hiding? Whew! I'm sure glad that it's April 2nd. All those contrived, lame, and boring "press releases" that come out are not fooling anybody. And then there's the stuff they pass off as press releases on April 1st! Give it a rest guys, nobody is laughing anymore.
Build it! I am descending into the bowels of Guitar Ted Labratories to assemble some more of the Inbred today. I hope to present an update on that soon. I originally had hoped to have this rig on the trails by now, but certain parts delays have extended the finish date out a ways. I'm still hoping to run this bike at the Dirty Kanza in May, so we'll see.
Is Tom Boonen human? The guy is the second coming of Johan Museuew, or so they say. I sure hope Tom's not an emulator of all of Johan's practices! That would be very unfortunate. However; it sure is amazing that this fellow has dominated the early spring classics like he has. The guy has rock star status in his home country, and a very powerful team behind him. I say, "Enjoy it while it lasts!" These things tend to come and go very quickly. At least he hasn't suffered the "curse of the rainbow jersey"! Whoops! Hope I didn't jinx him!
And Now For Some "True" Stories!
Trans Iowa pictures for you. Just the "B" roads . As you can see, the roads are saturated with water. No riding here for me! The gravel was soft and squishy in spots. And to think, it rained most of the night after these photos were taken!
This gravel "B" road is like a bad driveway!
I actually drove this mile section in my car, but it was pretty sketchy! Big ruts, mudholes and lots of undulations here. The condition of most of the roads was "okay". It was wet and soft everywhere. We got more rain last night which is only compounding the situation. More traffic on these already soft roads will rut out the surfaces that were smooth most of the winter. We are forecast to get more rains throughout the week, so it's going to get ugly. After that, it's supposed to dry out a bit. It will take a week to really dry things out, ( my estimate) so if it does stay dry, then T.I. won't be too affected by all of this. Except that if it stays dry, the road graders will have plenty of time to spread the fresh gravel where ever they need too! In fact, I did see a few miles of that already.
Can we come out from hiding? Whew! I'm sure glad that it's April 2nd. All those contrived, lame, and boring "press releases" that come out are not fooling anybody. And then there's the stuff they pass off as press releases on April 1st! Give it a rest guys, nobody is laughing anymore.
Build it! I am descending into the bowels of Guitar Ted Labratories to assemble some more of the Inbred today. I hope to present an update on that soon. I originally had hoped to have this rig on the trails by now, but certain parts delays have extended the finish date out a ways. I'm still hoping to run this bike at the Dirty Kanza in May, so we'll see.
Is Tom Boonen human? The guy is the second coming of Johan Museuew, or so they say. I sure hope Tom's not an emulator of all of Johan's practices! That would be very unfortunate. However; it sure is amazing that this fellow has dominated the early spring classics like he has. The guy has rock star status in his home country, and a very powerful team behind him. I say, "Enjoy it while it lasts!" These things tend to come and go very quickly. At least he hasn't suffered the "curse of the rainbow jersey"! Whoops! Hope I didn't jinx him!
As you can see, the roads are saturated with water. No riding here for me! The gravel was soft and squishy in spots. And to think, it rained most of the night after these photos were taken!This gravel "B" road is like a bad driveway!
I actually drove this mile section in my car, but it was pretty sketchy! Big ruts, mudholes and lots of undulations here. The condition of most of the roads was "okay". It was wet and soft everywhere. We got more rain last night which is only compounding the situation. More traffic on these already soft roads will rut out the surfaces that were smooth most of the winter. We are forecast to get more rains throughout the week, so it's going to get ugly. After that, it's supposed to dry out a bit. It will take a week to really dry things out, ( my estimate) so if it does stay dry, then T.I. won't be too affected by all of this. Except that if it stays dry, the road graders will have plenty of time to spread the fresh gravel where ever they need too! In fact, I did see a few miles of that already.
Can we come out from hiding? Whew! I'm sure glad that it's April 2nd. All those contrived, lame, and boring "press releases" that come out are not fooling anybody. And then there's the stuff they pass off as press releases on April 1st! Give it a rest guys, nobody is laughing anymore.
Build it! I am descending into the bowels of Guitar Ted Labratories to assemble some more of the Inbred today. I hope to present an update on that soon. I originally had hoped to have this rig on the trails by now, but certain parts delays have extended the finish date out a ways. I'm still hoping to run this bike at the Dirty Kanza in May, so we'll see.
Is Tom Boonen human? The guy is the second coming of Johan Museuew, or so they say. I sure hope Tom's not an emulator of all of Johan's practices! That would be very unfortunate. However; it sure is amazing that this fellow has dominated the early spring classics like he has. The guy has rock star status in his home country, and a very powerful team behind him. I say, "Enjoy it while it lasts!" These things tend to come and go very quickly. At least he hasn't suffered the "curse of the rainbow jersey"! Whoops! Hope I didn't jinx him!
Saturday, April 01, 2006
Elite Level Tri Event.....In Iowa?
I don't normally get into the subject of triathalons here, but you have to be scratching your head on this one. An elite level, full on tri event in Des Moines, Iowa? Wow! It's a World Tri championship and Olympic qualifier! That's just plain nutty. All these world class atheletes decending upon Iowa in the middle of June. Hope they like humidity and corn!
Anyway, that's pretty cool for Iowa to land that sort of event, yet it's an unbelieveable thing to a native Iowan like myself. I guess I'm just used to our rustic, rural type of viewpoint on things. I'm sure all the Iowa triathelete community is giddy this morning about the news.
.......then again, it is April Fools Day!
Who knows............
Anyway, that's pretty cool for Iowa to land that sort of event, yet it's an unbelieveable thing to a native Iowan like myself. I guess I'm just used to our rustic, rural type of viewpoint on things. I'm sure all the Iowa triathelete community is giddy this morning about the news.
.......then again, it is April Fools Day!
Who knows............
Elite Level Tri Event.....In Iowa?
I don't normally get into the subject of triathalons here, but you have to be scratching your head on this one. An elite level, full on tri event in Des Moines, Iowa? Wow! It's a World Tri championship and Olympic qualifier! That's just plain nutty. All these world class atheletes decending upon Iowa in the middle of June. Hope they like humidity and corn!
Anyway, that's pretty cool for Iowa to land that sort of event, yet it's an unbelieveable thing to a native Iowan like myself. I guess I'm just used to our rustic, rural type of viewpoint on things. I'm sure all the Iowa triathelete community is giddy this morning about the news.
.......then again, it is April Fools Day!
Who knows............
Anyway, that's pretty cool for Iowa to land that sort of event, yet it's an unbelieveable thing to a native Iowan like myself. I guess I'm just used to our rustic, rural type of viewpoint on things. I'm sure all the Iowa triathelete community is giddy this morning about the news.
.......then again, it is April Fools Day!
Who knows............
Friday, March 31, 2006
Friday News and Views
Shimano's new XTR designs make their "debut".
If you haven't seen it yet, here are the pictures of Shimanos new XTR gruppo......at least some of it.
This was grabbed from Litebikes site and is apparently a foreign publication, because I can't make out the language. At least the pictures are a little clearer than the Shimano release that's also shown, below.
Here is the "official" brochure we got at the shop yesterday. Our first reaction was, "Gee, it looks like SRAM!" Followed by, "That's the ugliest lever I've ever seen!" in regards to the Dual Control lever in the upper right of the picture.
My impressions beyond that are these: Shimano has stumbled a bit in the looks department before. Now with the re-design of XTR, they have tried to emulate the SRAM look and have failed miserably. The "X" motif is clunky, contrived, and, dare I say it, ugly. It is reported to be only 129 grams for the rear derailluer, though, so it's got that going for it! The Dual Control lever is absolutely hideous. The Rapid Fire pods com back and improved! Yea! The hydro lever can be purchased separately, double yea! The wheels lose the goofy spoking pattern, which was totally unnecessary for off road bikes. The XTR level spud better have killer bearings with awesome seals, or I don't see the point. It's for all intents and purposes the same design as the current high end SPD pedal. Not that the old design is bad, just that XTR usually meant far better, and lighter than the next step down.
Orbea Alma 29"er due at Sea Otter: The Orbea Alma 29"er is touted as one of the lightest, if not the lightest, 29"er frames to be made available for XC racing in a 29 inch format to date. Also, it's the first widely available carbon fiber 29"er frame. Although that's a bit of a misleading statement because, 1. It's not the "first" carbon fiber 29"er ever, ( Trimble, Calfee...) and 2. It isn't really available, since it's thought that the entire first production run has already been spoken for! Finally, it's only available in a size large, at least for the time being. Other sizes are rumored to be in the works. If the sell through on the first production run is any indication, I'm sure we will see further expansion of the lineup from Orbea. Interestingly, the European market is the motivation for Orbea to produce this frame in a 29 inch format. And here all we have heard is that the Europeans just do not care for 29"ers. Hmm.......
Cannondale 29"er in the works?: Our "Amish" Cannondale representative was at the shop I work at yesterday. (I say he's "Amish" because he said, "No pictures! They steal my soul!") I put forth my theory that the Lefty equipped, hardtail 29"er was already in testing to be realeased in the fall of '06. He didn't have any convincing arguments against that for me. In fact, he didn't really argue the "fact" at all. It's interesting to see that after all the reports of dealer reps canvassing the shops for theoretical 29"er sales figures, and the reports of different shop employess having seen "secret file folders" about a 29"er project that Cannondale is being so tight lipped about the whole affair. Seems almost like reverse psychology, doesn't it? It's as if they are being tight lipped to help fuel the fire of rumors, with the added stoking of the informal poll and "secret file" sightings. Hmm.............maybe I'll just stop talking about that C'dale 29"er then!
A bit more Trans Iowa Recon: I'm doing some "touch up" work on Trans Iowa course recon this weekend. I'm bringing the camera, so perhaps there will be a report filed this weekend some time! I'm taking a bike, so I can combine a little training in with it. Hopefully, tomorrow is as nice as they say it will be!
Have a great weekend! Ride hard!........err.......that didn't come out right! Have fun riding a bike this weekend! (That's better)
Friday News and Views
Shimano's new XTR designs make their "debut".
If you haven't seen it yet, here are the pictures of Shimanos new XTR gruppo......at least some of it.
This was grabbed from Litebikes site and is apparently a foreign publication, because I can't make out the language. At least the pictures are a little clearer than the Shimano release that's also shown, below.
Here is the "official" brochure we got at the shop yesterday. Our first reaction was, "Gee, it looks like SRAM!" Followed by, "That's the ugliest lever I've ever seen!" in regards to the Dual Control lever in the upper right of the picture.
My impressions beyond that are these: Shimano has stumbled a bit in the looks department before. Now with the re-design of XTR, they have tried to emulate the SRAM look and have failed miserably. The "X" motif is clunky, contrived, and, dare I say it, ugly. It is reported to be only 129 grams for the rear derailluer, though, so it's got that going for it! The Dual Control lever is absolutely hideous. The Rapid Fire pods com back and improved! Yea! The hydro lever can be purchased separately, double yea! The wheels lose the goofy spoking pattern, which was totally unnecessary for off road bikes. The XTR level spud better have killer bearings with awesome seals, or I don't see the point. It's for all intents and purposes the same design as the current high end SPD pedal. Not that the old design is bad, just that XTR usually meant far better, and lighter than the next step down.
Orbea Alma 29"er due at Sea Otter: The Orbea Alma 29"er is touted as one of the lightest, if not the lightest, 29"er frames to be made available for XC racing in a 29 inch format to date. Also, it's the first widely available carbon fiber 29"er frame. Although that's a bit of a misleading statement because, 1. It's not the "first" carbon fiber 29"er ever, ( Trimble, Calfee...) and 2. It isn't really available, since it's thought that the entire first production run has already been spoken for! Finally, it's only available in a size large, at least for the time being. Other sizes are rumored to be in the works. If the sell through on the first production run is any indication, I'm sure we will see further expansion of the lineup from Orbea. Interestingly, the European market is the motivation for Orbea to produce this frame in a 29 inch format. And here all we have heard is that the Europeans just do not care for 29"ers. Hmm.......
Cannondale 29"er in the works?: Our "Amish" Cannondale representative was at the shop I work at yesterday. (I say he's "Amish" because he said, "No pictures! They steal my soul!") I put forth my theory that the Lefty equipped, hardtail 29"er was already in testing to be realeased in the fall of '06. He didn't have any convincing arguments against that for me. In fact, he didn't really argue the "fact" at all. It's interesting to see that after all the reports of dealer reps canvassing the shops for theoretical 29"er sales figures, and the reports of different shop employess having seen "secret file folders" about a 29"er project that Cannondale is being so tight lipped about the whole affair. Seems almost like reverse psychology, doesn't it? It's as if they are being tight lipped to help fuel the fire of rumors, with the added stoking of the informal poll and "secret file" sightings. Hmm.............maybe I'll just stop talking about that C'dale 29"er then!
A bit more Trans Iowa Recon: I'm doing some "touch up" work on Trans Iowa course recon this weekend. I'm bringing the camera, so perhaps there will be a report filed this weekend some time! I'm taking a bike, so I can combine a little training in with it. Hopefully, tomorrow is as nice as they say it will be!
Have a great weekend! Ride hard!........err.......that didn't come out right! Have fun riding a bike this weekend! (That's better)
Thursday, March 30, 2006
What's Your Motivation?
My wonderful wife, Phyllis asked me the other day, "Are you guys going to do this (Trans Iowa) next year? And you know........it made me think. My first reaction was that I didn't know. Actually, I hadn't even thought about it, and said as much to her when she asked. I mean, we haven't even run Trans Iowa V2 yet, so thinking about doing it again hasn't crossed the radar screen for me........yet! She agreed, yes, it might depend upon how this one goes, so we'll wait and look at that later.
Well, I didn't wait too long to start thinking about it. Trans Iowa is one of those things in life that you don't do for the usual reasons. You know, like money, or fame. It's not one of those things you have to do, like a job or a moral obligation.So, why on earth would I do it? (I asked Paddy H. the same thing in his "Ted-terview") Well, I think I'm doing this one, in2006, for different reasons than I did it last year.
Last year, I did Trans Iowa (as in help put it on- not riding in it!) because Jeff had this hair-brained idea, and I jumped in, just to see what would happen. I'd never done anything like that, so I took it as a challenge and rolled with it. I was blind. I had no idea what to expect, or what to look for exactly. Now, this time, I'm a little wiser.......or maybe a little sicker........depending on your viewpoint!
This time, I challenged myself to do a better job. This meant that I had to take a good look at criticisms of last years event. I sought out advice from some of the experienced and well respected members of the endurance community. I adjusted. I put in more time. (I still am putting in time!) I tweaked everything that Jeff and I agreed to tweak. To that end, I feel like I'm meeting the challenge and am in a good posistion to overcome the challenges. We'll see how it goes at the end of April. Anyway, that's one of the reasons I'm doing this again this year, but it's not "the" reason.
No, what it boils down to is two things, really. First, it's about cycling. I wouldn't even get involved if it wasn't about riding a bike- even if I do not get to ride one in T.I. I love to see others playing out their passion for cycling, too. That's gratifying for me. Secondly, and most importantly, it's about the people.
Paddy H. spoke about this in the piece we did together. It's all about people and what relationships you build. It's about the stories, the lessons, and the inspiration you recieve and give away during the process. I know for a fact that there wouldn't be a Trans Iowa if it wern't for my relationship and respect for Jeff Kerkove. Trans Iowa wouldn't be as good as it is if it wern't for the invaluable assistance and advice we recieved from Mike Curiak in developing our idea. It really would have sucked without all of the help we recieved from the fine folks in Hawarden and Decorah. I got to meet a ton of really interesting and inspiring people through this event. I cherish that. That's why I am involved in Trans Iowa.
Of course, Trans Iowa will end some day, just like it started. Nothing like that lasts forever. Maybe it'll be this year. I don't know. I just know that I'm glad I got to do it from the standpoint of dividends that I reaped from the people involved. That's what makes it worth it. That's what could make it not worth it, as well. It's about the people. If the experience with the people goes south, then the effort won't be worth the trouble.
So, will I be doing this again next year?
....................we'll just have to see about that come about May of this year!
Well, I didn't wait too long to start thinking about it. Trans Iowa is one of those things in life that you don't do for the usual reasons. You know, like money, or fame. It's not one of those things you have to do, like a job or a moral obligation.So, why on earth would I do it? (I asked Paddy H. the same thing in his "Ted-terview") Well, I think I'm doing this one, in2006, for different reasons than I did it last year.
Last year, I did Trans Iowa (as in help put it on- not riding in it!) because Jeff had this hair-brained idea, and I jumped in, just to see what would happen. I'd never done anything like that, so I took it as a challenge and rolled with it. I was blind. I had no idea what to expect, or what to look for exactly. Now, this time, I'm a little wiser.......or maybe a little sicker........depending on your viewpoint!
This time, I challenged myself to do a better job. This meant that I had to take a good look at criticisms of last years event. I sought out advice from some of the experienced and well respected members of the endurance community. I adjusted. I put in more time. (I still am putting in time!) I tweaked everything that Jeff and I agreed to tweak. To that end, I feel like I'm meeting the challenge and am in a good posistion to overcome the challenges. We'll see how it goes at the end of April. Anyway, that's one of the reasons I'm doing this again this year, but it's not "the" reason.
No, what it boils down to is two things, really. First, it's about cycling. I wouldn't even get involved if it wasn't about riding a bike- even if I do not get to ride one in T.I. I love to see others playing out their passion for cycling, too. That's gratifying for me. Secondly, and most importantly, it's about the people.
Paddy H. spoke about this in the piece we did together. It's all about people and what relationships you build. It's about the stories, the lessons, and the inspiration you recieve and give away during the process. I know for a fact that there wouldn't be a Trans Iowa if it wern't for my relationship and respect for Jeff Kerkove. Trans Iowa wouldn't be as good as it is if it wern't for the invaluable assistance and advice we recieved from Mike Curiak in developing our idea. It really would have sucked without all of the help we recieved from the fine folks in Hawarden and Decorah. I got to meet a ton of really interesting and inspiring people through this event. I cherish that. That's why I am involved in Trans Iowa.
Of course, Trans Iowa will end some day, just like it started. Nothing like that lasts forever. Maybe it'll be this year. I don't know. I just know that I'm glad I got to do it from the standpoint of dividends that I reaped from the people involved. That's what makes it worth it. That's what could make it not worth it, as well. It's about the people. If the experience with the people goes south, then the effort won't be worth the trouble.
So, will I be doing this again next year?
....................we'll just have to see about that come about May of this year!
What's Your Motivation?
My wonderful wife, Phyllis asked me the other day, "Are you guys going to do this (Trans Iowa) next year? And you know........it made me think. My first reaction was that I didn't know. Actually, I hadn't even thought about it, and said as much to her when she asked. I mean, we haven't even run Trans Iowa V2 yet, so thinking about doing it again hasn't crossed the radar screen for me........yet! She agreed, yes, it might depend upon how this one goes, so we'll wait and look at that later.
Well, I didn't wait too long to start thinking about it. Trans Iowa is one of those things in life that you don't do for the usual reasons. You know, like money, or fame. It's not one of those things you have to do, like a job or a moral obligation.So, why on earth would I do it? (I asked Paddy H. the same thing in his "Ted-terview") Well, I think I'm doing this one, in2006, for different reasons than I did it last year.
Last year, I did Trans Iowa (as in help put it on- not riding in it!) because Jeff had this hair-brained idea, and I jumped in, just to see what would happen. I'd never done anything like that, so I took it as a challenge and rolled with it. I was blind. I had no idea what to expect, or what to look for exactly. Now, this time, I'm a little wiser.......or maybe a little sicker........depending on your viewpoint!
This time, I challenged myself to do a better job. This meant that I had to take a good look at criticisms of last years event. I sought out advice from some of the experienced and well respected members of the endurance community. I adjusted. I put in more time. (I still am putting in time!) I tweaked everything that Jeff and I agreed to tweak. To that end, I feel like I'm meeting the challenge and am in a good posistion to overcome the challenges. We'll see how it goes at the end of April. Anyway, that's one of the reasons I'm doing this again this year, but it's not "the" reason.
No, what it boils down to is two things, really. First, it's about cycling. I wouldn't even get involved if it wasn't about riding a bike- even if I do not get to ride one in T.I. I love to see others playing out their passion for cycling, too. That's gratifying for me. Secondly, and most importantly, it's about the people.
Paddy H. spoke about this in the piece we did together. It's all about people and what relationships you build. It's about the stories, the lessons, and the inspiration you recieve and give away during the process. I know for a fact that there wouldn't be a Trans Iowa if it wern't for my relationship and respect for Jeff Kerkove. Trans Iowa wouldn't be as good as it is if it wern't for the invaluable assistance and advice we recieved from Mike Curiak in developing our idea. It really would have sucked without all of the help we recieved from the fine folks in Hawarden and Decorah. I got to meet a ton of really interesting and inspiring people through this event. I cherish that. That's why I am involved in Trans Iowa.
Of course, Trans Iowa will end some day, just like it started. Nothing like that lasts forever. Maybe it'll be this year. I don't know. I just know that I'm glad I got to do it from the standpoint of dividends that I reaped from the people involved. That's what makes it worth it. That's what could make it not worth it, as well. It's about the people. If the experience with the people goes south, then the effort won't be worth the trouble.
So, will I be doing this again next year?
....................we'll just have to see about that come about May of this year!
Well, I didn't wait too long to start thinking about it. Trans Iowa is one of those things in life that you don't do for the usual reasons. You know, like money, or fame. It's not one of those things you have to do, like a job or a moral obligation.So, why on earth would I do it? (I asked Paddy H. the same thing in his "Ted-terview") Well, I think I'm doing this one, in2006, for different reasons than I did it last year.
Last year, I did Trans Iowa (as in help put it on- not riding in it!) because Jeff had this hair-brained idea, and I jumped in, just to see what would happen. I'd never done anything like that, so I took it as a challenge and rolled with it. I was blind. I had no idea what to expect, or what to look for exactly. Now, this time, I'm a little wiser.......or maybe a little sicker........depending on your viewpoint!
This time, I challenged myself to do a better job. This meant that I had to take a good look at criticisms of last years event. I sought out advice from some of the experienced and well respected members of the endurance community. I adjusted. I put in more time. (I still am putting in time!) I tweaked everything that Jeff and I agreed to tweak. To that end, I feel like I'm meeting the challenge and am in a good posistion to overcome the challenges. We'll see how it goes at the end of April. Anyway, that's one of the reasons I'm doing this again this year, but it's not "the" reason.
No, what it boils down to is two things, really. First, it's about cycling. I wouldn't even get involved if it wasn't about riding a bike- even if I do not get to ride one in T.I. I love to see others playing out their passion for cycling, too. That's gratifying for me. Secondly, and most importantly, it's about the people.
Paddy H. spoke about this in the piece we did together. It's all about people and what relationships you build. It's about the stories, the lessons, and the inspiration you recieve and give away during the process. I know for a fact that there wouldn't be a Trans Iowa if it wern't for my relationship and respect for Jeff Kerkove. Trans Iowa wouldn't be as good as it is if it wern't for the invaluable assistance and advice we recieved from Mike Curiak in developing our idea. It really would have sucked without all of the help we recieved from the fine folks in Hawarden and Decorah. I got to meet a ton of really interesting and inspiring people through this event. I cherish that. That's why I am involved in Trans Iowa.
Of course, Trans Iowa will end some day, just like it started. Nothing like that lasts forever. Maybe it'll be this year. I don't know. I just know that I'm glad I got to do it from the standpoint of dividends that I reaped from the people involved. That's what makes it worth it. That's what could make it not worth it, as well. It's about the people. If the experience with the people goes south, then the effort won't be worth the trouble.
So, will I be doing this again next year?
....................we'll just have to see about that come about May of this year!
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Spring Ahead
This is the time of the year when things change and change fast! It was just last week that I was still dealing with winter hours at my job at the bike shop, getting off early in the afternoon and going in late in the morning. Yesterday, I pulled my first nine hour shift of the season. It was just a week or so ago that Mr. 24 was still out there training and shooting video on his new digi-cam, and now he is telling stories of his first event! The nut has turned. This coming weekend, daylight savings time starts here for us. Evenings will have more light. Roadies will take to the county roads for the traditional Tuesday and Thursday night training rides. Off we go again! Busy as bees with no time to get things done like we want.
Part of the wake up call for Jeff, Carl, and I is the shop's annual spring sale which starts today. Crazy! Repairs start coming in. People start getting tense. People taking in jobs get too "promise happy", and cause me grief. Work speeds up a notch......no, make that three notches! Did I mention that people start getting tense?
On a much more fun note: I took delivery of my On One Inbred 29"er fork yesterday. Wahoo! Now I can start getting more of that bike assembled. Brake order is going in today, (The rather pedestrian but effective Avid BB-7 discs) along with an order for compressionless housings. Still up in the air about handlebars as some of the ones I'm interested in are on back order or out of stock. Drat! At any rate, I'll be getting some build progress pictures up soon! ( Anybody out there got any Jones H-Bars they want to part with, by chance?)
Something that I'm interested in finding out about is how crank length is going to affect my single speeding capabilities on my 29"ers. Here are the specifics. First, I currently am running 177.5mm Cooks cranks with a 37 X 20 ratio on Bontrager 2.2 X29" tires. I am going to be running 180mm cranks on the Inbred. I also have 170mm cranks that I can swap out to for another comparison. Here's what I'm thinking of doing. I could quite easily set up the three cranksets with the same size rings, use the same freewheel out back, and the same wheelset. I then could use the different cranks on a training route, and possibly guage the difference in effort, and see how my legs and body get along with the differing crank lengths. Sound crazy? I'm thinking this might be fun, so let me know if that's an interesting thing or not.
That's today's post for ya! I hope it's spring already where you are and that your out riding more. Enjoy it while you can!
Part of the wake up call for Jeff, Carl, and I is the shop's annual spring sale which starts today. Crazy! Repairs start coming in. People start getting tense. People taking in jobs get too "promise happy", and cause me grief. Work speeds up a notch......no, make that three notches! Did I mention that people start getting tense?
On a much more fun note: I took delivery of my On One Inbred 29"er fork yesterday. Wahoo! Now I can start getting more of that bike assembled. Brake order is going in today, (The rather pedestrian but effective Avid BB-7 discs) along with an order for compressionless housings. Still up in the air about handlebars as some of the ones I'm interested in are on back order or out of stock. Drat! At any rate, I'll be getting some build progress pictures up soon! ( Anybody out there got any Jones H-Bars they want to part with, by chance?)
Something that I'm interested in finding out about is how crank length is going to affect my single speeding capabilities on my 29"ers. Here are the specifics. First, I currently am running 177.5mm Cooks cranks with a 37 X 20 ratio on Bontrager 2.2 X29" tires. I am going to be running 180mm cranks on the Inbred. I also have 170mm cranks that I can swap out to for another comparison. Here's what I'm thinking of doing. I could quite easily set up the three cranksets with the same size rings, use the same freewheel out back, and the same wheelset. I then could use the different cranks on a training route, and possibly guage the difference in effort, and see how my legs and body get along with the differing crank lengths. Sound crazy? I'm thinking this might be fun, so let me know if that's an interesting thing or not.
That's today's post for ya! I hope it's spring already where you are and that your out riding more. Enjoy it while you can!
Spring Ahead
This is the time of the year when things change and change fast! It was just last week that I was still dealing with winter hours at my job at the bike shop, getting off early in the afternoon and going in late in the morning. Yesterday, I pulled my first nine hour shift of the season. It was just a week or so ago that Mr. 24 was still out there training and shooting video on his new digi-cam, and now he is telling stories of his first event! The nut has turned. This coming weekend, daylight savings time starts here for us. Evenings will have more light. Roadies will take to the county roads for the traditional Tuesday and Thursday night training rides. Off we go again! Busy as bees with no time to get things done like we want.
Part of the wake up call for Jeff, Carl, and I is the shop's annual spring sale which starts today. Crazy! Repairs start coming in. People start getting tense. People taking in jobs get too "promise happy", and cause me grief. Work speeds up a notch......no, make that three notches! Did I mention that people start getting tense?
On a much more fun note: I took delivery of my On One Inbred 29"er fork yesterday. Wahoo! Now I can start getting more of that bike assembled. Brake order is going in today, (The rather pedestrian but effective Avid BB-7 discs) along with an order for compressionless housings. Still up in the air about handlebars as some of the ones I'm interested in are on back order or out of stock. Drat! At any rate, I'll be getting some build progress pictures up soon! ( Anybody out there got any Jones H-Bars they want to part with, by chance?)
Something that I'm interested in finding out about is how crank length is going to affect my single speeding capabilities on my 29"ers. Here are the specifics. First, I currently am running 177.5mm Cooks cranks with a 37 X 20 ratio on Bontrager 2.2 X29" tires. I am going to be running 180mm cranks on the Inbred. I also have 170mm cranks that I can swap out to for another comparison. Here's what I'm thinking of doing. I could quite easily set up the three cranksets with the same size rings, use the same freewheel out back, and the same wheelset. I then could use the different cranks on a training route, and possibly guage the difference in effort, and see how my legs and body get along with the differing crank lengths. Sound crazy? I'm thinking this might be fun, so let me know if that's an interesting thing or not.
That's today's post for ya! I hope it's spring already where you are and that your out riding more. Enjoy it while you can!
Part of the wake up call for Jeff, Carl, and I is the shop's annual spring sale which starts today. Crazy! Repairs start coming in. People start getting tense. People taking in jobs get too "promise happy", and cause me grief. Work speeds up a notch......no, make that three notches! Did I mention that people start getting tense?
On a much more fun note: I took delivery of my On One Inbred 29"er fork yesterday. Wahoo! Now I can start getting more of that bike assembled. Brake order is going in today, (The rather pedestrian but effective Avid BB-7 discs) along with an order for compressionless housings. Still up in the air about handlebars as some of the ones I'm interested in are on back order or out of stock. Drat! At any rate, I'll be getting some build progress pictures up soon! ( Anybody out there got any Jones H-Bars they want to part with, by chance?)
Something that I'm interested in finding out about is how crank length is going to affect my single speeding capabilities on my 29"ers. Here are the specifics. First, I currently am running 177.5mm Cooks cranks with a 37 X 20 ratio on Bontrager 2.2 X29" tires. I am going to be running 180mm cranks on the Inbred. I also have 170mm cranks that I can swap out to for another comparison. Here's what I'm thinking of doing. I could quite easily set up the three cranksets with the same size rings, use the same freewheel out back, and the same wheelset. I then could use the different cranks on a training route, and possibly guage the difference in effort, and see how my legs and body get along with the differing crank lengths. Sound crazy? I'm thinking this might be fun, so let me know if that's an interesting thing or not.
That's today's post for ya! I hope it's spring already where you are and that your out riding more. Enjoy it while you can!
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
"Ted-terview": Patrick Humenny Part II
Today's post is the completion of the Patrick Humenny inteview. I hope you all enjoy this, and I want to thank Paddy for being so gracious to me in participating in this. On to the text.......
G-Ted: While we're on the subject of money, some noise was made last year about entry fees for some of the larger 24 hour venues. Do you see a problem there? Should racers quit whining about this? Or, should promoters cut back on the "extras" to get entry fees down?
Paddy: Ya, I definitely agree that there are certain race organizers out there that are just out there to make a buck, ( give or take a few thou'). I think it could be a problem if it wern't for the fact that there is so many other options out there for 24 hour races....And other endurance events are put on by other organizers. Keep in mind, from what I've seen, categorically speaking, it's the solo racers that are getting the raw deal by certain 24 hour race series companies, ( rhymes with gremalin?). If you went and polled the relay crowd, you might get a different opinion. In the end, it comes down to choice. If the entry fee is too expensive, look elsewhere, it is shitty that guys are trying to monopolize the 24 hour solo racing scene, maybe that's where a "governing body" could come along and make it a fair playing field.... That's another can o' worms though.......
G-Ted: World's, endurance series, and National Championships. Does any of this make sense, or even matter? Is it a good doirection to go in for the sport of endurance racing, or is it a bad thing?
Paddy: Yes and no. I think some form of organization is a great thing for endurance cycling. That doesn't mean that every person that puts on a race has to be affiliated with some governing body. But the growth of endurance racing is at the point where if you wanna call your race the "World Championships", you just have to be the first guy out of the box to do so. It seems like a bit of a "gong show" really.... It seems that, especially in the solo racer camp, it's a bit of a mixed bag, but I think racers are wanting something different, some structure..... Or someone else to host "World's"?.... It's a loaded question, may be getting a loaded answer.... I raced "world's" two years ago, thinking it was the "cat's ass", fairly ignorant to the "politics" surrounding whether or not it was "World's". I guess in a way, I believe until some rider comes along, dethrowns Chris Eatough, with the success he has had in 24 hour solo racing, it's hard not to say that he's the best solo 24 hour racer out there. I think U.S. Nationals at 9 Mile should prove to be the big test of the solo 24 hour talent out there, ( especially in the U.S.) this year. Of course, it may also prove that you don't have to host the "world Championships" to get the best talent going head-to-head.... Perhaps Moab will be the same way.... We'll just have to see who shows up I guess. I wonder how Chris would do riding across Iowa, Kansas, or Nebraska....sans support, on the other side of that, I wonder how I'd do ina a race with full team support. If you want to make a dent in 24 hour solo racing, it's as important (more so, some might say) than your training. I am in no way comparing myself to him, simply letting my mind wander. I'll run for cover now!
G-Ted: Being a Canadian Resident, your training and racing schedules are a bit different. Do you ever have an "off season", or do you go from endurance racing to cycle cross to cross country skiing and back again every year? It seems that while you had your blog, we could see that you were rather busy!
Paddy: I'm not sure if that's because I live in Canada, maybe more because of the climate here in Manitoba, which is much like Minnesota and Wisconsin. The last few years, I've gone from XC races and endurance stuff in the spring and summer, to cyclo-cross in the fall, then to XC ski marathons in the winter months, and back again. I've also been injured more. Broke some ribs last February, messed up my L-5 vetebrae in June, a little carpel tunnel/ tendonitis post T.I.V1, a really messed up swollen knee that I had drained a few times from a bad crash in August, some ill timed food poisoning, blah, blah, blah.... Those injuries over the last yer have definitely made me re-think how much I can handle doing. This last winter, I definitely scaled back on how much skiing I did, as I only did two short races. I guess you could call that an off season.... Getting ready for the coming bike racing season had a bit to do with it..... Hard to say though. I don't feel that I'm at a level where I need to take a couple weeks off or whatever, because I don't put in silly/ crazy hours per week on the bike. If I'm sick, I rest. If I'm injured, I get bitchy....
This time last year, I was just getting back into any type of "shape" after breaking my ribs in February. Bike racing is what I enjoy the most. Classic skiing has more become cross training to keep my heart thumpin' in the winter, as has running, ( more for my dogs sake though) and downhill skiing too, I guess. It sucks, but it's hard being a grown up and not be able to play every day. I'll keep trying though. I guess riding my stationary trainer more lately makes the cycling side of my life seem more serious....specificity training, maybe..... I'm just glad the temps are closer to 0 degrees Celcius these days, nothing beats riding outside with snowbanks still taller than me......and my toes will thaw out, eventually.....I hope.
G-Ted: Speaking of the blog, you have been on, then off, then on, and now off again with that. Is it a distraction for you? Is there any value in the blog culture from an endurance racing standpoint? Maybe we should all just shut up and ride!
Paddy: Ya, computers are dangerous things, at least for me. They're time suckers. You can waste so much time on nothing but trash, and that's even without all the nud-ee stuff! I'd really like to get rid of my computer, but it's pretty hard to register for races these days without one. I think most of the blogs out there are cool, and there is value to them, that is, if you are honest about what you have to say. It really bugs me when I read a blog and I feel that I've just read an advertisement....or bullshit....or both. If you think a product is cool, great. Just quit trying to stuff it down my throat... There was times where I got sucked into that a bit, too. That bothered me.....so I killed mine, a couple times, this time for good. Sorry Mom. Plus, actions speak louder than words seven days a week, and I have some mid-pack results to get!
G-Ted: Any words of sage advice for the endurance racing freaks out there? Beer or Ale? Stout or Mead? Vikings or Ninjas?
Paddy: Sage advice?? Nothing Zen comes to mind.....I guess, stay healthy, try to kep it fun.... Egos aren't cool, and remember, there's always someone faster than you, ( just noticed Dallas touched on this on mtbr)unless you're on the sauce......and I don't mean warm Guinness.....Mmmmm......widgets.
Again, Thanks Paddy! I hope everyone enjoys that! There will be more "Ted-terviews" coming in the future, so look for those soon!
G-Ted: While we're on the subject of money, some noise was made last year about entry fees for some of the larger 24 hour venues. Do you see a problem there? Should racers quit whining about this? Or, should promoters cut back on the "extras" to get entry fees down?
Paddy: Ya, I definitely agree that there are certain race organizers out there that are just out there to make a buck, ( give or take a few thou'). I think it could be a problem if it wern't for the fact that there is so many other options out there for 24 hour races....And other endurance events are put on by other organizers. Keep in mind, from what I've seen, categorically speaking, it's the solo racers that are getting the raw deal by certain 24 hour race series companies, ( rhymes with gremalin?). If you went and polled the relay crowd, you might get a different opinion. In the end, it comes down to choice. If the entry fee is too expensive, look elsewhere, it is shitty that guys are trying to monopolize the 24 hour solo racing scene, maybe that's where a "governing body" could come along and make it a fair playing field.... That's another can o' worms though.......
G-Ted: World's, endurance series, and National Championships. Does any of this make sense, or even matter? Is it a good doirection to go in for the sport of endurance racing, or is it a bad thing?
Paddy: Yes and no. I think some form of organization is a great thing for endurance cycling. That doesn't mean that every person that puts on a race has to be affiliated with some governing body. But the growth of endurance racing is at the point where if you wanna call your race the "World Championships", you just have to be the first guy out of the box to do so. It seems like a bit of a "gong show" really.... It seems that, especially in the solo racer camp, it's a bit of a mixed bag, but I think racers are wanting something different, some structure..... Or someone else to host "World's"?.... It's a loaded question, may be getting a loaded answer.... I raced "world's" two years ago, thinking it was the "cat's ass", fairly ignorant to the "politics" surrounding whether or not it was "World's". I guess in a way, I believe until some rider comes along, dethrowns Chris Eatough, with the success he has had in 24 hour solo racing, it's hard not to say that he's the best solo 24 hour racer out there. I think U.S. Nationals at 9 Mile should prove to be the big test of the solo 24 hour talent out there, ( especially in the U.S.) this year. Of course, it may also prove that you don't have to host the "world Championships" to get the best talent going head-to-head.... Perhaps Moab will be the same way.... We'll just have to see who shows up I guess. I wonder how Chris would do riding across Iowa, Kansas, or Nebraska....sans support, on the other side of that, I wonder how I'd do ina a race with full team support. If you want to make a dent in 24 hour solo racing, it's as important (more so, some might say) than your training. I am in no way comparing myself to him, simply letting my mind wander. I'll run for cover now!
G-Ted: Being a Canadian Resident, your training and racing schedules are a bit different. Do you ever have an "off season", or do you go from endurance racing to cycle cross to cross country skiing and back again every year? It seems that while you had your blog, we could see that you were rather busy!
Paddy: I'm not sure if that's because I live in Canada, maybe more because of the climate here in Manitoba, which is much like Minnesota and Wisconsin. The last few years, I've gone from XC races and endurance stuff in the spring and summer, to cyclo-cross in the fall, then to XC ski marathons in the winter months, and back again. I've also been injured more. Broke some ribs last February, messed up my L-5 vetebrae in June, a little carpel tunnel/ tendonitis post T.I.V1, a really messed up swollen knee that I had drained a few times from a bad crash in August, some ill timed food poisoning, blah, blah, blah.... Those injuries over the last yer have definitely made me re-think how much I can handle doing. This last winter, I definitely scaled back on how much skiing I did, as I only did two short races. I guess you could call that an off season.... Getting ready for the coming bike racing season had a bit to do with it..... Hard to say though. I don't feel that I'm at a level where I need to take a couple weeks off or whatever, because I don't put in silly/ crazy hours per week on the bike. If I'm sick, I rest. If I'm injured, I get bitchy....
This time last year, I was just getting back into any type of "shape" after breaking my ribs in February. Bike racing is what I enjoy the most. Classic skiing has more become cross training to keep my heart thumpin' in the winter, as has running, ( more for my dogs sake though) and downhill skiing too, I guess. It sucks, but it's hard being a grown up and not be able to play every day. I'll keep trying though. I guess riding my stationary trainer more lately makes the cycling side of my life seem more serious....specificity training, maybe..... I'm just glad the temps are closer to 0 degrees Celcius these days, nothing beats riding outside with snowbanks still taller than me......and my toes will thaw out, eventually.....I hope.
G-Ted: Speaking of the blog, you have been on, then off, then on, and now off again with that. Is it a distraction for you? Is there any value in the blog culture from an endurance racing standpoint? Maybe we should all just shut up and ride!
Paddy: Ya, computers are dangerous things, at least for me. They're time suckers. You can waste so much time on nothing but trash, and that's even without all the nud-ee stuff! I'd really like to get rid of my computer, but it's pretty hard to register for races these days without one. I think most of the blogs out there are cool, and there is value to them, that is, if you are honest about what you have to say. It really bugs me when I read a blog and I feel that I've just read an advertisement....or bullshit....or both. If you think a product is cool, great. Just quit trying to stuff it down my throat... There was times where I got sucked into that a bit, too. That bothered me.....so I killed mine, a couple times, this time for good. Sorry Mom. Plus, actions speak louder than words seven days a week, and I have some mid-pack results to get!
G-Ted: Any words of sage advice for the endurance racing freaks out there? Beer or Ale? Stout or Mead? Vikings or Ninjas?
Paddy: Sage advice?? Nothing Zen comes to mind.....I guess, stay healthy, try to kep it fun.... Egos aren't cool, and remember, there's always someone faster than you, ( just noticed Dallas touched on this on mtbr)unless you're on the sauce......and I don't mean warm Guinness.....Mmmmm......widgets.
Again, Thanks Paddy! I hope everyone enjoys that! There will be more "Ted-terviews" coming in the future, so look for those soon!
"Ted-terview": Patrick Humenny Part II
Today's post is the completion of the Patrick Humenny inteview. I hope you all enjoy this, and I want to thank Paddy for being so gracious to me in participating in this. On to the text.......
G-Ted: While we're on the subject of money, some noise was made last year about entry fees for some of the larger 24 hour venues. Do you see a problem there? Should racers quit whining about this? Or, should promoters cut back on the "extras" to get entry fees down?
Paddy: Ya, I definitely agree that there are certain race organizers out there that are just out there to make a buck, ( give or take a few thou'). I think it could be a problem if it wern't for the fact that there is so many other options out there for 24 hour races....And other endurance events are put on by other organizers. Keep in mind, from what I've seen, categorically speaking, it's the solo racers that are getting the raw deal by certain 24 hour race series companies, ( rhymes with gremalin?). If you went and polled the relay crowd, you might get a different opinion. In the end, it comes down to choice. If the entry fee is too expensive, look elsewhere, it is shitty that guys are trying to monopolize the 24 hour solo racing scene, maybe that's where a "governing body" could come along and make it a fair playing field.... That's another can o' worms though.......
G-Ted: World's, endurance series, and National Championships. Does any of this make sense, or even matter? Is it a good doirection to go in for the sport of endurance racing, or is it a bad thing?
Paddy: Yes and no. I think some form of organization is a great thing for endurance cycling. That doesn't mean that every person that puts on a race has to be affiliated with some governing body. But the growth of endurance racing is at the point where if you wanna call your race the "World Championships", you just have to be the first guy out of the box to do so. It seems like a bit of a "gong show" really.... It seems that, especially in the solo racer camp, it's a bit of a mixed bag, but I think racers are wanting something different, some structure..... Or someone else to host "World's"?.... It's a loaded question, may be getting a loaded answer.... I raced "world's" two years ago, thinking it was the "cat's ass", fairly ignorant to the "politics" surrounding whether or not it was "World's". I guess in a way, I believe until some rider comes along, dethrowns Chris Eatough, with the success he has had in 24 hour solo racing, it's hard not to say that he's the best solo 24 hour racer out there. I think U.S. Nationals at 9 Mile should prove to be the big test of the solo 24 hour talent out there, ( especially in the U.S.) this year. Of course, it may also prove that you don't have to host the "world Championships" to get the best talent going head-to-head.... Perhaps Moab will be the same way.... We'll just have to see who shows up I guess. I wonder how Chris would do riding across Iowa, Kansas, or Nebraska....sans support, on the other side of that, I wonder how I'd do ina a race with full team support. If you want to make a dent in 24 hour solo racing, it's as important (more so, some might say) than your training. I am in no way comparing myself to him, simply letting my mind wander. I'll run for cover now!
G-Ted: Being a Canadian Resident, your training and racing schedules are a bit different. Do you ever have an "off season", or do you go from endurance racing to cycle cross to cross country skiing and back again every year? It seems that while you had your blog, we could see that you were rather busy!
Paddy: I'm not sure if that's because I live in Canada, maybe more because of the climate here in Manitoba, which is much like Minnesota and Wisconsin. The last few years, I've gone from XC races and endurance stuff in the spring and summer, to cyclo-cross in the fall, then to XC ski marathons in the winter months, and back again. I've also been injured more. Broke some ribs last February, messed up my L-5 vetebrae in June, a little carpel tunnel/ tendonitis post T.I.V1, a really messed up swollen knee that I had drained a few times from a bad crash in August, some ill timed food poisoning, blah, blah, blah.... Those injuries over the last yer have definitely made me re-think how much I can handle doing. This last winter, I definitely scaled back on how much skiing I did, as I only did two short races. I guess you could call that an off season.... Getting ready for the coming bike racing season had a bit to do with it..... Hard to say though. I don't feel that I'm at a level where I need to take a couple weeks off or whatever, because I don't put in silly/ crazy hours per week on the bike. If I'm sick, I rest. If I'm injured, I get bitchy....
This time last year, I was just getting back into any type of "shape" after breaking my ribs in February. Bike racing is what I enjoy the most. Classic skiing has more become cross training to keep my heart thumpin' in the winter, as has running, ( more for my dogs sake though) and downhill skiing too, I guess. It sucks, but it's hard being a grown up and not be able to play every day. I'll keep trying though. I guess riding my stationary trainer more lately makes the cycling side of my life seem more serious....specificity training, maybe..... I'm just glad the temps are closer to 0 degrees Celcius these days, nothing beats riding outside with snowbanks still taller than me......and my toes will thaw out, eventually.....I hope.
G-Ted: Speaking of the blog, you have been on, then off, then on, and now off again with that. Is it a distraction for you? Is there any value in the blog culture from an endurance racing standpoint? Maybe we should all just shut up and ride!
Paddy: Ya, computers are dangerous things, at least for me. They're time suckers. You can waste so much time on nothing but trash, and that's even without all the nud-ee stuff! I'd really like to get rid of my computer, but it's pretty hard to register for races these days without one. I think most of the blogs out there are cool, and there is value to them, that is, if you are honest about what you have to say. It really bugs me when I read a blog and I feel that I've just read an advertisement....or bullshit....or both. If you think a product is cool, great. Just quit trying to stuff it down my throat... There was times where I got sucked into that a bit, too. That bothered me.....so I killed mine, a couple times, this time for good. Sorry Mom. Plus, actions speak louder than words seven days a week, and I have some mid-pack results to get!
G-Ted: Any words of sage advice for the endurance racing freaks out there? Beer or Ale? Stout or Mead? Vikings or Ninjas?
Paddy: Sage advice?? Nothing Zen comes to mind.....I guess, stay healthy, try to kep it fun.... Egos aren't cool, and remember, there's always someone faster than you, ( just noticed Dallas touched on this on mtbr)unless you're on the sauce......and I don't mean warm Guinness.....Mmmmm......widgets.
Again, Thanks Paddy! I hope everyone enjoys that! There will be more "Ted-terviews" coming in the future, so look for those soon!
G-Ted: While we're on the subject of money, some noise was made last year about entry fees for some of the larger 24 hour venues. Do you see a problem there? Should racers quit whining about this? Or, should promoters cut back on the "extras" to get entry fees down?
Paddy: Ya, I definitely agree that there are certain race organizers out there that are just out there to make a buck, ( give or take a few thou'). I think it could be a problem if it wern't for the fact that there is so many other options out there for 24 hour races....And other endurance events are put on by other organizers. Keep in mind, from what I've seen, categorically speaking, it's the solo racers that are getting the raw deal by certain 24 hour race series companies, ( rhymes with gremalin?). If you went and polled the relay crowd, you might get a different opinion. In the end, it comes down to choice. If the entry fee is too expensive, look elsewhere, it is shitty that guys are trying to monopolize the 24 hour solo racing scene, maybe that's where a "governing body" could come along and make it a fair playing field.... That's another can o' worms though.......
G-Ted: World's, endurance series, and National Championships. Does any of this make sense, or even matter? Is it a good doirection to go in for the sport of endurance racing, or is it a bad thing?
Paddy: Yes and no. I think some form of organization is a great thing for endurance cycling. That doesn't mean that every person that puts on a race has to be affiliated with some governing body. But the growth of endurance racing is at the point where if you wanna call your race the "World Championships", you just have to be the first guy out of the box to do so. It seems like a bit of a "gong show" really.... It seems that, especially in the solo racer camp, it's a bit of a mixed bag, but I think racers are wanting something different, some structure..... Or someone else to host "World's"?.... It's a loaded question, may be getting a loaded answer.... I raced "world's" two years ago, thinking it was the "cat's ass", fairly ignorant to the "politics" surrounding whether or not it was "World's". I guess in a way, I believe until some rider comes along, dethrowns Chris Eatough, with the success he has had in 24 hour solo racing, it's hard not to say that he's the best solo 24 hour racer out there. I think U.S. Nationals at 9 Mile should prove to be the big test of the solo 24 hour talent out there, ( especially in the U.S.) this year. Of course, it may also prove that you don't have to host the "world Championships" to get the best talent going head-to-head.... Perhaps Moab will be the same way.... We'll just have to see who shows up I guess. I wonder how Chris would do riding across Iowa, Kansas, or Nebraska....sans support, on the other side of that, I wonder how I'd do ina a race with full team support. If you want to make a dent in 24 hour solo racing, it's as important (more so, some might say) than your training. I am in no way comparing myself to him, simply letting my mind wander. I'll run for cover now!
G-Ted: Being a Canadian Resident, your training and racing schedules are a bit different. Do you ever have an "off season", or do you go from endurance racing to cycle cross to cross country skiing and back again every year? It seems that while you had your blog, we could see that you were rather busy!
Paddy: I'm not sure if that's because I live in Canada, maybe more because of the climate here in Manitoba, which is much like Minnesota and Wisconsin. The last few years, I've gone from XC races and endurance stuff in the spring and summer, to cyclo-cross in the fall, then to XC ski marathons in the winter months, and back again. I've also been injured more. Broke some ribs last February, messed up my L-5 vetebrae in June, a little carpel tunnel/ tendonitis post T.I.V1, a really messed up swollen knee that I had drained a few times from a bad crash in August, some ill timed food poisoning, blah, blah, blah.... Those injuries over the last yer have definitely made me re-think how much I can handle doing. This last winter, I definitely scaled back on how much skiing I did, as I only did two short races. I guess you could call that an off season.... Getting ready for the coming bike racing season had a bit to do with it..... Hard to say though. I don't feel that I'm at a level where I need to take a couple weeks off or whatever, because I don't put in silly/ crazy hours per week on the bike. If I'm sick, I rest. If I'm injured, I get bitchy....
This time last year, I was just getting back into any type of "shape" after breaking my ribs in February. Bike racing is what I enjoy the most. Classic skiing has more become cross training to keep my heart thumpin' in the winter, as has running, ( more for my dogs sake though) and downhill skiing too, I guess. It sucks, but it's hard being a grown up and not be able to play every day. I'll keep trying though. I guess riding my stationary trainer more lately makes the cycling side of my life seem more serious....specificity training, maybe..... I'm just glad the temps are closer to 0 degrees Celcius these days, nothing beats riding outside with snowbanks still taller than me......and my toes will thaw out, eventually.....I hope.
G-Ted: Speaking of the blog, you have been on, then off, then on, and now off again with that. Is it a distraction for you? Is there any value in the blog culture from an endurance racing standpoint? Maybe we should all just shut up and ride!
Paddy: Ya, computers are dangerous things, at least for me. They're time suckers. You can waste so much time on nothing but trash, and that's even without all the nud-ee stuff! I'd really like to get rid of my computer, but it's pretty hard to register for races these days without one. I think most of the blogs out there are cool, and there is value to them, that is, if you are honest about what you have to say. It really bugs me when I read a blog and I feel that I've just read an advertisement....or bullshit....or both. If you think a product is cool, great. Just quit trying to stuff it down my throat... There was times where I got sucked into that a bit, too. That bothered me.....so I killed mine, a couple times, this time for good. Sorry Mom. Plus, actions speak louder than words seven days a week, and I have some mid-pack results to get!
G-Ted: Any words of sage advice for the endurance racing freaks out there? Beer or Ale? Stout or Mead? Vikings or Ninjas?
Paddy: Sage advice?? Nothing Zen comes to mind.....I guess, stay healthy, try to kep it fun.... Egos aren't cool, and remember, there's always someone faster than you, ( just noticed Dallas touched on this on mtbr)unless you're on the sauce......and I don't mean warm Guinness.....Mmmmm......widgets.
Again, Thanks Paddy! I hope everyone enjoys that! There will be more "Ted-terviews" coming in the future, so look for those soon!
Monday, March 27, 2006
"Ted-terview": Patrick Humenny
I first met "Paddy", as he is called, at Trans Iowa in '05. Actually, I first heard of him when I saw his name on the roster and thought, "Why would a guy drive all the way from Canada to do this first time race?" So, I was intrigued right at the start. Then, Mike Curiak comes up to me at the Algona checkpoint last year and said something to me about a crazy man running a 44 X 16 singlespeed and did I know him. Add to that the fact that he was one of the nine finishers out of 51 at last years Trans Iowa, and I just had to get this guy interviewed. Well, the time is right, as they say, so without further adieu, lets dive in, shall we?
G-Ted: I know you've been in competitive skiing events along with endurance biking. How did you get into all of this? Give us some backround here!
Paddy: I've been racing bikes, ( XC, CX, a bit of road) for about 8 or 9 years. (Started in Sport, moved up to Expert/Comp and Elite when I was racing gears). Been into bikes since I could ride 'em. I'm 29 now, almost 30, dammit. The last 4 or 5 years I've been getting more and more into the longer endurance stuff, point to point enduros, 12/24 hour races, that kind of silliness. The first "endurance type" race I did was an 18 hour bike race at Roseisle back in July of 2001, (The Pan Am mtb race was there) put on by a fairly renowned adventure racer named Kurt Gibson. I remember racing the first 4-5 hours of it like it was a two hour race. I blew up hard, felt sorry for myself at my pit for about 3 or 4 hours, ate a couple of cold Whoppers and some Cokes, talked myself back on my bike, and ended up third out of a dozen guys. That race kinda was the start of it from a bike racing standpoint. I won it the next year. I've gradually tried to concentrate more on the long stuff, even organized a pretty sucessful, low key 24 hour race for a few years a while back. The ski racing part started about a year after my wife got really serious into XC ski racing. Naomi has been racing bikes almost as long as I have. She tinkered with the solo stuff, as well, but got more serious into XC ski racing five years ago. I figured she shouldn't have all the fun racing 50k's around the Mid-West. Plus, it looked like an easy way to get my ass handed to me by 60 year old Wisconsin grannies on wooden skis.
G-Ted: How did you develop your training regimen? Was it by your own design, or did you follow a certain philosophy? Nutrition strategy? Rides to nowhere? Is any of your training specialized towards riding fixed gear/ single speed?
Paddy: I don't really have a training regimen. Check my race results if you don't believe me! I've read a few books on how to eat right, train right to "peak" for events..... Maybe I haven't stuck with certain programs long enough to see if they work, maybe due to a short attention span thing, maybe I'm too stubborn, I don't know. I've talked about getting a coach, consulted with a few....... I seem to have a hard time having someone tell me what, in general, I already know I need to do....... I guess a coach would help with motivation, that said, I have my wife for that. But my thinking is, if you really wanna do well in a race, go out on a ride, do intervals, put in the time, eat, drink, and rest, and roll with it. I'm not a pro, it's a past time for me. I have a wife, a mortage, a full time job, all that stuff. Too much structure and it isn't fun anymore. You could say all my riding/ training is geared towards fixies and 1 X 1's as that's pretty much the only type of bikes I own and ride. So, my riding style and equipment is geared more that way. I do have a full squish, geared bike, but it's pretty dusty......haven't ridden it in a while.
G-Ted:I know you work in a shop. How do you balance your work during the busy times with your training needs?
Paddy: Ya, great. Just what everyone wants to hear. GTed's interviewing another bike shop lackey, ha ha! Yeah, I'm the manager at Olympia Cycle and Ski, and have been working there for five years now. The beauty of my posistion there is that I make the schedule, so I can take off whenever. .......I wish that was true. Seriously, it can be tricky with any job. ( I work 40-50 hours per week) The fun part with where I work is that we ( staff of 15 of which 6 are full time) all ride alot. Most of us race at some level, so we are always fueling each other talking about rides, races, all that fun stuff. Some days I'd love to just close shop and ride.......O.K., that's every day really. But ya, it definitely can be a bit of a juggling act, balancing work, a happy marriage, riding, and four furry "kids". Though my wife, Naomi, rides/ races too, our two dogs come with us on trail rides and our two cats could take us or leave us!
G-Ted: What is it about events you enter that attracts you to them? Severe suffering, scenic views, or is it something intangible? Why on earth would you do Trans Iowa, for instance?
Paddy: Whoa, now the hard questions start. I think what attracts me to the longish events I seem to be doing lately has alot to do with the crazy folks you meet doing them, and the stories and experiences you learn from them. Most having been positive. Like I said before, this is my past time, I'm not trying to go "pro", chasing a contract or trying to please sponsors. I just really like to ride and race my bikes, as fast as I can. Endurance races just seem to fit the bill for me. Trans Iowa is one of those races I'll enjoy doing as long as it exists.
G-Ted: Is the higher cost of fuel going to force you to cut back or make different plans in your schedule for the year?
Paddy: Cost of travel (gas), gear, Life, definitely has affected the races I've gone to in the past and will in the future as well. My truck isn't the thirstiest vehicle on the road, but it's not a TDI either. That said, there seems to be growth in endurance racing in that there is more and more "grass roots"/ "not for (much) profit" races popping up everywhere, especially in the Mid West. I'd say the hardest part for me is not so much what races can I afford to drive to, from a money standpoint, as I think you can do some pretty epic events pretty frugally these days, but how many races my life and my body will allow me to do between April and November. That seems to be my reality, and I'm sure this holds true with 99% of bike racers out there. I'll do what I can and enjoy every minute of it........at least in hindsight!
That's the first half of the interview. I'll post the second half up for tomorrow! Look for it then!
G-Ted: I know you've been in competitive skiing events along with endurance biking. How did you get into all of this? Give us some backround here!
Paddy: I've been racing bikes, ( XC, CX, a bit of road) for about 8 or 9 years. (Started in Sport, moved up to Expert/Comp and Elite when I was racing gears). Been into bikes since I could ride 'em. I'm 29 now, almost 30, dammit. The last 4 or 5 years I've been getting more and more into the longer endurance stuff, point to point enduros, 12/24 hour races, that kind of silliness. The first "endurance type" race I did was an 18 hour bike race at Roseisle back in July of 2001, (The Pan Am mtb race was there) put on by a fairly renowned adventure racer named Kurt Gibson. I remember racing the first 4-5 hours of it like it was a two hour race. I blew up hard, felt sorry for myself at my pit for about 3 or 4 hours, ate a couple of cold Whoppers and some Cokes, talked myself back on my bike, and ended up third out of a dozen guys. That race kinda was the start of it from a bike racing standpoint. I won it the next year. I've gradually tried to concentrate more on the long stuff, even organized a pretty sucessful, low key 24 hour race for a few years a while back. The ski racing part started about a year after my wife got really serious into XC ski racing. Naomi has been racing bikes almost as long as I have. She tinkered with the solo stuff, as well, but got more serious into XC ski racing five years ago. I figured she shouldn't have all the fun racing 50k's around the Mid-West. Plus, it looked like an easy way to get my ass handed to me by 60 year old Wisconsin grannies on wooden skis.
G-Ted: How did you develop your training regimen? Was it by your own design, or did you follow a certain philosophy? Nutrition strategy? Rides to nowhere? Is any of your training specialized towards riding fixed gear/ single speed?
Paddy: I don't really have a training regimen. Check my race results if you don't believe me! I've read a few books on how to eat right, train right to "peak" for events..... Maybe I haven't stuck with certain programs long enough to see if they work, maybe due to a short attention span thing, maybe I'm too stubborn, I don't know. I've talked about getting a coach, consulted with a few....... I seem to have a hard time having someone tell me what, in general, I already know I need to do....... I guess a coach would help with motivation, that said, I have my wife for that. But my thinking is, if you really wanna do well in a race, go out on a ride, do intervals, put in the time, eat, drink, and rest, and roll with it. I'm not a pro, it's a past time for me. I have a wife, a mortage, a full time job, all that stuff. Too much structure and it isn't fun anymore. You could say all my riding/ training is geared towards fixies and 1 X 1's as that's pretty much the only type of bikes I own and ride. So, my riding style and equipment is geared more that way. I do have a full squish, geared bike, but it's pretty dusty......haven't ridden it in a while.
G-Ted:I know you work in a shop. How do you balance your work during the busy times with your training needs?
Paddy: Ya, great. Just what everyone wants to hear. GTed's interviewing another bike shop lackey, ha ha! Yeah, I'm the manager at Olympia Cycle and Ski, and have been working there for five years now. The beauty of my posistion there is that I make the schedule, so I can take off whenever. .......I wish that was true. Seriously, it can be tricky with any job. ( I work 40-50 hours per week) The fun part with where I work is that we ( staff of 15 of which 6 are full time) all ride alot. Most of us race at some level, so we are always fueling each other talking about rides, races, all that fun stuff. Some days I'd love to just close shop and ride.......O.K., that's every day really. But ya, it definitely can be a bit of a juggling act, balancing work, a happy marriage, riding, and four furry "kids". Though my wife, Naomi, rides/ races too, our two dogs come with us on trail rides and our two cats could take us or leave us!
G-Ted: What is it about events you enter that attracts you to them? Severe suffering, scenic views, or is it something intangible? Why on earth would you do Trans Iowa, for instance?
Paddy: Whoa, now the hard questions start. I think what attracts me to the longish events I seem to be doing lately has alot to do with the crazy folks you meet doing them, and the stories and experiences you learn from them. Most having been positive. Like I said before, this is my past time, I'm not trying to go "pro", chasing a contract or trying to please sponsors. I just really like to ride and race my bikes, as fast as I can. Endurance races just seem to fit the bill for me. Trans Iowa is one of those races I'll enjoy doing as long as it exists.
G-Ted: Is the higher cost of fuel going to force you to cut back or make different plans in your schedule for the year?
Paddy: Cost of travel (gas), gear, Life, definitely has affected the races I've gone to in the past and will in the future as well. My truck isn't the thirstiest vehicle on the road, but it's not a TDI either. That said, there seems to be growth in endurance racing in that there is more and more "grass roots"/ "not for (much) profit" races popping up everywhere, especially in the Mid West. I'd say the hardest part for me is not so much what races can I afford to drive to, from a money standpoint, as I think you can do some pretty epic events pretty frugally these days, but how many races my life and my body will allow me to do between April and November. That seems to be my reality, and I'm sure this holds true with 99% of bike racers out there. I'll do what I can and enjoy every minute of it........at least in hindsight!
That's the first half of the interview. I'll post the second half up for tomorrow! Look for it then!
"Ted-terview": Patrick Humenny
I first met "Paddy", as he is called, at Trans Iowa in '05. Actually, I first heard of him when I saw his name on the roster and thought, "Why would a guy drive all the way from Canada to do this first time race?" So, I was intrigued right at the start. Then, Mike Curiak comes up to me at the Algona checkpoint last year and said something to me about a crazy man running a 44 X 16 singlespeed and did I know him. Add to that the fact that he was one of the nine finishers out of 51 at last years Trans Iowa, and I just had to get this guy interviewed. Well, the time is right, as they say, so without further adieu, lets dive in, shall we?
G-Ted: I know you've been in competitive skiing events along with endurance biking. How did you get into all of this? Give us some backround here!
Paddy: I've been racing bikes, ( XC, CX, a bit of road) for about 8 or 9 years. (Started in Sport, moved up to Expert/Comp and Elite when I was racing gears). Been into bikes since I could ride 'em. I'm 29 now, almost 30, dammit. The last 4 or 5 years I've been getting more and more into the longer endurance stuff, point to point enduros, 12/24 hour races, that kind of silliness. The first "endurance type" race I did was an 18 hour bike race at Roseisle back in July of 2001, (The Pan Am mtb race was there) put on by a fairly renowned adventure racer named Kurt Gibson. I remember racing the first 4-5 hours of it like it was a two hour race. I blew up hard, felt sorry for myself at my pit for about 3 or 4 hours, ate a couple of cold Whoppers and some Cokes, talked myself back on my bike, and ended up third out of a dozen guys. That race kinda was the start of it from a bike racing standpoint. I won it the next year. I've gradually tried to concentrate more on the long stuff, even organized a pretty sucessful, low key 24 hour race for a few years a while back. The ski racing part started about a year after my wife got really serious into XC ski racing. Naomi has been racing bikes almost as long as I have. She tinkered with the solo stuff, as well, but got more serious into XC ski racing five years ago. I figured she shouldn't have all the fun racing 50k's around the Mid-West. Plus, it looked like an easy way to get my ass handed to me by 60 year old Wisconsin grannies on wooden skis.
G-Ted: How did you develop your training regimen? Was it by your own design, or did you follow a certain philosophy? Nutrition strategy? Rides to nowhere? Is any of your training specialized towards riding fixed gear/ single speed?
Paddy: I don't really have a training regimen. Check my race results if you don't believe me! I've read a few books on how to eat right, train right to "peak" for events..... Maybe I haven't stuck with certain programs long enough to see if they work, maybe due to a short attention span thing, maybe I'm too stubborn, I don't know. I've talked about getting a coach, consulted with a few....... I seem to have a hard time having someone tell me what, in general, I already know I need to do....... I guess a coach would help with motivation, that said, I have my wife for that. But my thinking is, if you really wanna do well in a race, go out on a ride, do intervals, put in the time, eat, drink, and rest, and roll with it. I'm not a pro, it's a past time for me. I have a wife, a mortage, a full time job, all that stuff. Too much structure and it isn't fun anymore. You could say all my riding/ training is geared towards fixies and 1 X 1's as that's pretty much the only type of bikes I own and ride. So, my riding style and equipment is geared more that way. I do have a full squish, geared bike, but it's pretty dusty......haven't ridden it in a while.
G-Ted:I know you work in a shop. How do you balance your work during the busy times with your training needs?
Paddy: Ya, great. Just what everyone wants to hear. GTed's interviewing another bike shop lackey, ha ha! Yeah, I'm the manager at Olympia Cycle and Ski, and have been working there for five years now. The beauty of my posistion there is that I make the schedule, so I can take off whenever. .......I wish that was true. Seriously, it can be tricky with any job. ( I work 40-50 hours per week) The fun part with where I work is that we ( staff of 15 of which 6 are full time) all ride alot. Most of us race at some level, so we are always fueling each other talking about rides, races, all that fun stuff. Some days I'd love to just close shop and ride.......O.K., that's every day really. But ya, it definitely can be a bit of a juggling act, balancing work, a happy marriage, riding, and four furry "kids". Though my wife, Naomi, rides/ races too, our two dogs come with us on trail rides and our two cats could take us or leave us!
G-Ted: What is it about events you enter that attracts you to them? Severe suffering, scenic views, or is it something intangible? Why on earth would you do Trans Iowa, for instance?
Paddy: Whoa, now the hard questions start. I think what attracts me to the longish events I seem to be doing lately has alot to do with the crazy folks you meet doing them, and the stories and experiences you learn from them. Most having been positive. Like I said before, this is my past time, I'm not trying to go "pro", chasing a contract or trying to please sponsors. I just really like to ride and race my bikes, as fast as I can. Endurance races just seem to fit the bill for me. Trans Iowa is one of those races I'll enjoy doing as long as it exists.
G-Ted: Is the higher cost of fuel going to force you to cut back or make different plans in your schedule for the year?
Paddy: Cost of travel (gas), gear, Life, definitely has affected the races I've gone to in the past and will in the future as well. My truck isn't the thirstiest vehicle on the road, but it's not a TDI either. That said, there seems to be growth in endurance racing in that there is more and more "grass roots"/ "not for (much) profit" races popping up everywhere, especially in the Mid West. I'd say the hardest part for me is not so much what races can I afford to drive to, from a money standpoint, as I think you can do some pretty epic events pretty frugally these days, but how many races my life and my body will allow me to do between April and November. That seems to be my reality, and I'm sure this holds true with 99% of bike racers out there. I'll do what I can and enjoy every minute of it........at least in hindsight!
That's the first half of the interview. I'll post the second half up for tomorrow! Look for it then!
G-Ted: I know you've been in competitive skiing events along with endurance biking. How did you get into all of this? Give us some backround here!
Paddy: I've been racing bikes, ( XC, CX, a bit of road) for about 8 or 9 years. (Started in Sport, moved up to Expert/Comp and Elite when I was racing gears). Been into bikes since I could ride 'em. I'm 29 now, almost 30, dammit. The last 4 or 5 years I've been getting more and more into the longer endurance stuff, point to point enduros, 12/24 hour races, that kind of silliness. The first "endurance type" race I did was an 18 hour bike race at Roseisle back in July of 2001, (The Pan Am mtb race was there) put on by a fairly renowned adventure racer named Kurt Gibson. I remember racing the first 4-5 hours of it like it was a two hour race. I blew up hard, felt sorry for myself at my pit for about 3 or 4 hours, ate a couple of cold Whoppers and some Cokes, talked myself back on my bike, and ended up third out of a dozen guys. That race kinda was the start of it from a bike racing standpoint. I won it the next year. I've gradually tried to concentrate more on the long stuff, even organized a pretty sucessful, low key 24 hour race for a few years a while back. The ski racing part started about a year after my wife got really serious into XC ski racing. Naomi has been racing bikes almost as long as I have. She tinkered with the solo stuff, as well, but got more serious into XC ski racing five years ago. I figured she shouldn't have all the fun racing 50k's around the Mid-West. Plus, it looked like an easy way to get my ass handed to me by 60 year old Wisconsin grannies on wooden skis.
G-Ted: How did you develop your training regimen? Was it by your own design, or did you follow a certain philosophy? Nutrition strategy? Rides to nowhere? Is any of your training specialized towards riding fixed gear/ single speed?
Paddy: I don't really have a training regimen. Check my race results if you don't believe me! I've read a few books on how to eat right, train right to "peak" for events..... Maybe I haven't stuck with certain programs long enough to see if they work, maybe due to a short attention span thing, maybe I'm too stubborn, I don't know. I've talked about getting a coach, consulted with a few....... I seem to have a hard time having someone tell me what, in general, I already know I need to do....... I guess a coach would help with motivation, that said, I have my wife for that. But my thinking is, if you really wanna do well in a race, go out on a ride, do intervals, put in the time, eat, drink, and rest, and roll with it. I'm not a pro, it's a past time for me. I have a wife, a mortage, a full time job, all that stuff. Too much structure and it isn't fun anymore. You could say all my riding/ training is geared towards fixies and 1 X 1's as that's pretty much the only type of bikes I own and ride. So, my riding style and equipment is geared more that way. I do have a full squish, geared bike, but it's pretty dusty......haven't ridden it in a while.
G-Ted:I know you work in a shop. How do you balance your work during the busy times with your training needs?
Paddy: Ya, great. Just what everyone wants to hear. GTed's interviewing another bike shop lackey, ha ha! Yeah, I'm the manager at Olympia Cycle and Ski, and have been working there for five years now. The beauty of my posistion there is that I make the schedule, so I can take off whenever. .......I wish that was true. Seriously, it can be tricky with any job. ( I work 40-50 hours per week) The fun part with where I work is that we ( staff of 15 of which 6 are full time) all ride alot. Most of us race at some level, so we are always fueling each other talking about rides, races, all that fun stuff. Some days I'd love to just close shop and ride.......O.K., that's every day really. But ya, it definitely can be a bit of a juggling act, balancing work, a happy marriage, riding, and four furry "kids". Though my wife, Naomi, rides/ races too, our two dogs come with us on trail rides and our two cats could take us or leave us!
G-Ted: What is it about events you enter that attracts you to them? Severe suffering, scenic views, or is it something intangible? Why on earth would you do Trans Iowa, for instance?
Paddy: Whoa, now the hard questions start. I think what attracts me to the longish events I seem to be doing lately has alot to do with the crazy folks you meet doing them, and the stories and experiences you learn from them. Most having been positive. Like I said before, this is my past time, I'm not trying to go "pro", chasing a contract or trying to please sponsors. I just really like to ride and race my bikes, as fast as I can. Endurance races just seem to fit the bill for me. Trans Iowa is one of those races I'll enjoy doing as long as it exists.
G-Ted: Is the higher cost of fuel going to force you to cut back or make different plans in your schedule for the year?
Paddy: Cost of travel (gas), gear, Life, definitely has affected the races I've gone to in the past and will in the future as well. My truck isn't the thirstiest vehicle on the road, but it's not a TDI either. That said, there seems to be growth in endurance racing in that there is more and more "grass roots"/ "not for (much) profit" races popping up everywhere, especially in the Mid West. I'd say the hardest part for me is not so much what races can I afford to drive to, from a money standpoint, as I think you can do some pretty epic events pretty frugally these days, but how many races my life and my body will allow me to do between April and November. That seems to be my reality, and I'm sure this holds true with 99% of bike racers out there. I'll do what I can and enjoy every minute of it........at least in hindsight!
That's the first half of the interview. I'll post the second half up for tomorrow! Look for it then!
Sunday, March 26, 2006
Sunday Morning Edition
A quick little post for your Sunday morning..............
Jeff Kerkove Races the Quachita Challenge Today! He should do quite well, as he is looking rather fit lately. Here's to Jeff having an excellent race! Look for a race report from him come Monday afternoon when he is expected to arrive home.
"Ted-terview" of Patrick Humenny: I have recieved the text of the Paddy H. interview, and let me say this..........it's gonna be good! Look for it to be posted on Monday morning!
That's it for this morning! I have a training ride scheduled for this afternoon, so maybe I'll post something from that if there is anything of note to post. Have a great Sunday, ya'all!
Jeff Kerkove Races the Quachita Challenge Today! He should do quite well, as he is looking rather fit lately. Here's to Jeff having an excellent race! Look for a race report from him come Monday afternoon when he is expected to arrive home.
"Ted-terview" of Patrick Humenny: I have recieved the text of the Paddy H. interview, and let me say this..........it's gonna be good! Look for it to be posted on Monday morning!
That's it for this morning! I have a training ride scheduled for this afternoon, so maybe I'll post something from that if there is anything of note to post. Have a great Sunday, ya'all!
Sunday Morning Edition
A quick little post for your Sunday morning..............
Jeff Kerkove Races the Quachita Challenge Today! He should do quite well, as he is looking rather fit lately. Here's to Jeff having an excellent race! Look for a race report from him come Monday afternoon when he is expected to arrive home.
"Ted-terview" of Patrick Humenny: I have recieved the text of the Paddy H. interview, and let me say this..........it's gonna be good! Look for it to be posted on Monday morning!
That's it for this morning! I have a training ride scheduled for this afternoon, so maybe I'll post something from that if there is anything of note to post. Have a great Sunday, ya'all!
Jeff Kerkove Races the Quachita Challenge Today! He should do quite well, as he is looking rather fit lately. Here's to Jeff having an excellent race! Look for a race report from him come Monday afternoon when he is expected to arrive home.
"Ted-terview" of Patrick Humenny: I have recieved the text of the Paddy H. interview, and let me say this..........it's gonna be good! Look for it to be posted on Monday morning!
That's it for this morning! I have a training ride scheduled for this afternoon, so maybe I'll post something from that if there is anything of note to post. Have a great Sunday, ya'all!
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