Boss Cross #2 Sunday!

Folks,
It's that time again. Boss Cross #2 is this Sunday at Platte Ridge Park in Platte City. Racing starts at 10:15 with Juniors and Women. A special thanks to the KCA for helping us reduce Women's 4 entries to $10. Maps and more info are up at www.bosscross.blogspot.com.

It's about that time!

No racing today.

I've raced 13 times over the last 10 weeks. I was very happy not racing this weekend. Part of me missed not pinning on a number (rather Kathy pinning it on for me), and lining up at the start line with the same 35 ugly dudes. The other part of me was very happy to sleep in, rake leaves, work around the house, and ride 50 miles of fixed gear. Today's ride was perfect. The kind of weather you dream about. 50 and sunny. Bibs, baselayers, ss jersey and vest. Paired with some mild embrocation. My absolute favorite attire.
It's hard to take racing too seriously. It's something I absolutely love to do, I know I'll never be that good, but it's one of the things that keeps me going each week. Not that my job is a tough one, but it's good to have something to look forward to. I love seeing hundreds of people lining up week after week, paying for 45 minutes of pain. I feel it's my job to get people to the races. Make sure they are dressed properly, their bikes are dialed in, and they know what they're doing. Each week, I have more and more customers that express interest in racing. Whether it's the local sprint triathlon, or a 'cross race. But, more than the aspiring racer, I like the new rider. The customer that pulled their '93 Huffy out of their parent's basement to ride with friends. Or the middle age parent that wants to ride with their kids. These are the people that keep me going. It's not the carbon fiber, shaved legged roadie. They know, or should know, what they're doing. I'm here to put more people on bikes, whether I sold them the bike or not. The more people that ride bikes, the more paths and trails we have, and the more racers that show up at races. It's a beautiful cycle. And I'm at the heart of it.

Trans Iowa

I'm in! Registration opened up yesterday to first-timers...and closed by the end of the day. I made my way in. It's nice to see a few familiar faces on the list. Now I only need to get my new ride!

Kansas State CX

Another new venue for this fine cross season. This one at St. Mary's University in Leavenworth. My legs felt heavy during my warm-up laps and the first lap or two of the race, but they soon worked their way into a pedal-pushin frenzy. The course had a nice uphill brick start followed by a treed section into a flowy hammering downhill into a fast barrier section. I was really railing the down hill section and trying to hit the barriers with speed. My brakes had their finest sounding "freight train" day yet. The section after the barries sent us through another treed section then another uphill brick followed by a very well built spriral. I felt pretty good most of the race, but never had the energy to keep track of the riders around me. I knew I had a chance to win the series, but my main focus was just finishing this race. I rode most of it with David White who was racing in the 30+ masters category. With a 5th place finish and a mental error on the part of another rider I was able to win the 3/4 De Stad Series. It'll be nice to race for free next year. I decided to test my legs and double up and race the 1/2/3 race as well. I felt alright for the first 7 laps and then my legs just stopped working. The last 3 laps were really painful, and the small hills felt like mountains. I know what kind of work I need to do in the off season to be ready to race with these guys next year.

Trans Iowa Registration

I sent in my Trans Iowa Registration. It is a post card style registration that fills up at 75 participants. I sent in a post card from two different post offices to make sure they would get there. The race opened to past participants on Tuesday, and opens to new comers this coming Monday. My post cards should be there on Monday, then it's really time to commit. It's going to be a long winter of soggy centuries and early mornings. After doing the Dirty Kanza the last two years, I'm ready to make the jump to Trans Iowa. The event will be extremely difficult, and the field is already incredibly stacked. Here's a shot of slater and I early in this years DK200.
Hopefully the weather will be cooperative. Iowa in the Spring can be unpredictable.

Vets Cross

Yesterday was Veteran's Cross at Leavenworth High School. This was my very first cross race 4 years ago. It's sad that the field used for the race will be a parking lot next year, but it's time for some new courses as well. This was definitely not my best race. I felt surprisingly good after Saturday's flogging, but I just could not get in the groove. After a strong start, and a good first lap, there was a wreck on a off-camber downhill turn. First, Second, and myself in 3rd or 4th went down. This put me in about 10th and trying to play catch-up. I went down on my own taking another turn too hot. That really knocked the wind out of my sails. I put my head down again and then tried to break though a taped section. Like I said, not my day. I just set into a tempo pace and motored on through the race. I ended up in 11th, and it probably knocked me out of series contention. I look forward to racing this weekend at St. Mary's. I think I'm going to double up and race the 1/2/3s as well. If you see me Sunday...hold me to this!

Rock Jayhawk Gravel

Saturday was the first Gravel road race of the year in Lawrence. Man it hurt. Cold and very windy with 25 others to share the pain with. The course consisted of a 5 mile neutral roll-out from town to the base of the "stair-step", then three 9 mile loops of gravel, each one up the stair step, with the finish at the top. I've always loved the fine roads of Douglas County, but fresh gravel up that steep climb really made things interesting. Brian Jensen attacked on the first of four times up the hill and really split things up, Adam Mills was really the only one who could follow. I pulled into 3rd shortly after the climb, and started my bridge up to Mills. I caught him about halfway through the first lap, feeling gassed, I was relieved to hear that he was good sharing a hard enough pace to keep the 3 chasers off our backs. We took turns pulling throughout the day with him putting time into me each time up the stair. I felt like I did my part to earn third. The whole field rode very strong with team mates John Giles finishing 4th and Josh Patterson finishing couple spots later. In the field we had 6 of us, which would've been more had promoting and volunteering not taken 3 more. I'm very proud to race with these guys on a weekly basis. The race was followed by lunch at Free State. Good times shared around a 10-top...and the Pumpkin Spice is truly on form this year!

Flyer

Boss Cross #1 Saturday!

It's almost here, this weekend is Boss Cross #1. The race is at Tiffany Springs Park and will be the Nationals Preview Course! Registration begins at 9:00 and racing starts at 10:15! See you there.

Consistency Counts

I've been very pleased with my racing so far this cross season. No wins yet, but I have been very consistent. Last weekend was the Boulevard Cup at Wyandotte County Park. Absolutely beautiful fall day with a good wind and a good course. There were some soft spots in the course that turned muddy as the laps went on, but for the most part it had some nice fast sections. This was another large field, so getting 6th out of 40+ I was pleased. I had a better start, but can't seem to hang with the lead group on the first couple laps. But, I continue to race stronger and pick riders off as the race goes on.
I've been sick going on 16 days now. Today was the first day that I actually felt good. I'm still not sure if I'll race Sunday after our first Boss Cross race or not.
This past weekend was another new 2-day race up at Smithville. After a very wet week, and cooler temps I expected it to be a mud fest, but the ground soaked up the rain quite well. Props to Mr. Locke for a very solid course. I didn't feel strong in the soft sections by the barriers, but the rest of the course was cool. Once again another slow start, followed by a lap of pinning it to make the lead break. I was able to use my strength in the corners to pass riders then accelerate on the straights. We had a strong 5 man group off the front and then came the attack by Matt Baugher. He pulled away so quickly that the rest of us just sat there. He held strong for a couple laps then his teammate Jason Knight bridged up to him. I tried to take Jason's wheel, but couldn't. But this got me into 3rd securely. I fought hard for the last 2 laps to keep 4-5 off my wheel and managed to pull away toward the end. Very happy with 3rd, but the 1-2 punch hurt.
Sunday was much of the same. I had a little better start and once again a break of about 8 was established toward the end of the first lap. There was a first lap prime, so there was no messing around. The course had been slightly modified and it took me a couple laps at race pace to get comfortable with the changes. Overall, I liked the second day's course better. I think it flowed better, and took out some of the monotony of the climbing. By the end of the second lap there was a 2 man break and I was leading the chase group. Each lap I continued to ride guys off the back of the group and before long there was just 3 of us chasing. As the race wore on I slowly pulled away from my group...not any closer to the leaders, but enough to establish 3rd place again. The last lap I turned myself inside out trying to maintain my position and possibly gain time on 2nd place. Overall I was happy with back-to-back third places. Consistency does count.
Time to get ready for our race. There is a beautiful wooded section that the likes of Bart, Sven, Niels, and Erwin (and any other Belgium) would be proud of.
See you all Saturday. Check out www.bosscross.blogspot.com for further details.

Early season cross

The first few weekends of cross have been pretty good. I've been getting acceptable results, and even pulled home some cash one night. I've been sick for two straight weeks and not riding during the week, but racing hard on the weekends...and I don't seem to be getting any better. Imagine that!
The first weekend of local cross was in Lenexa at the sar-ko park. New venue, new course, and new racers. All of the field sizes have increased this year, and so has the speed of a lot of the dudes. It's an brawl to get the hole-shot, and I'm having to fight the whole race to get a top-10 finish. I love it! I got 8th at Lenexa, and felt like that's where I belonged. After a terrible start, and even worse first lap, I put in a hard effort to break into 10th and pick a few guys off during the middle part of the race. The last 2 laps I just held my position. I wasn't going to move up, and I sure wan't going to let the 2 guys behind me catch me. I actually had control of my spot in the race for the last 2 laps...if only that spot was 1st place instead of 8th.
The next local race was another new venue out in Topeka. This will be the race that all other races are compared to all year (until Boss Cross 1). It was a night race out at Hearltand Park race track, a groomed dirt track. Great venue, with a very fun a fast course. This was the first race where a 1x10 almost didn't cut it for me. Once again I got a slow start and had to play catch up the whole race. Fortunately, I had the power to pull away from the majority of the field. The dirt track was extremely fast, and I was nearly spun out in my 11t on every lap. The last lap I buried myself trying to catch first place and ended up in 2nd by about :06 seconds. Still made $50, so the drive to Topeka was worth it. The only bad part is after racing at 7:30pm and hanging around for a while, then driving home, I still hadn't recoverd for the 10:30 race the next morning in Lawrence.
The next day was Chris Cross out at Clinton Lake. Good sized field, and I had a much better start. Going into the second lap I was in 4-5 pulling away with the lead group. 20 meters after the pit I hit a huge hole in the course and my front brake seized up. My wheel wouldn't spin at all, and it took me til after the race to figure out what happened. I ran the 500 meters to the pit grabbed my pit bike and it was time to play catch up again. I managed to reel in 15 or so riders to pull of 16th place...not pleased. It turns out that my left brake/shift hood had moved and it pulled the brake cable tight. I guarantee that every bike I worked on that week was working flawless, but my own bikes never get the attention they deserve.
Until next time.

Levi's first ride!

Last weekend was the famed Octoginta ride in Lawrence.
Kathy and Levi and I spent the weekend in Lawrence enjoying the cycling and the local grub. After a sub-par result in the TT we cruised the streets, had a couple meals and sold some stuff at the swap-meet. Made enough money to make the weekend worthwhile. Saturday night I bolted a rod-like contraption into the Burley trailer and hooked Levi's car-seat into it. The extra 60 pounds behind the bike makes a big difference. Should make for some good training though. The FWC (future world champion) did great on his first ride. We pulled into the first sag right as he was getting hungry. Found Mom, ate a little breakfast and then headed back down the road. He got a little fussy one other time but for the most part he really seemed to enjoy the ride.

Interbike and Cross Vegas

Apparently there's guys in the industry that get sick of going to interbike year after year. I'm glad I'm not that bikes haven't become that stale for me yet. I look forward to interbike...it's my one excuse to go to Vegas each year. This trip was an adventure for sure. Hershey and I went out early Wednesday morning and came back late Thursday night. We both brought cross bikes as I raced Wednesday evening. We also decided to camp and save a little money on hotel. The show was really fun. Not an extremely innovative year for the industry (besides the new electronic Dura Ace), but all the bikes looked really good and the attention to detail was there. Cross Vegas was awesome. The course was a rolling field with a nasty run-up and a couple other short steep climbs. One of those climbs became a run up for me on one lap as I somehow managed to come unclipped when I stood up. At 110 racers it was the biggest cross field I had ever done. There were call-ups for the first 25 or so riders and I managed to get in the 5th row. My start was solid and I had already moved up a couple spots when we looped back through the start/finish area. At one point going during the 2nd lap I was top 15 and moving up...when I came unclipped on that aforementioned hill. I lost about 7 spots and was struggling to catch back onto the chase group. I was riding really well in the long straights and running well, but another bobble going into the final turn cost me another spot or 2. I finished top 25, but not sure of my final place. I felt good, but the dry dusty air did a number on my throat and lungs.
The Pro race was a blast to watch. We had a perfect spot in between 3 sections where we could run from side to side to catch all the action. Mr. Armstrong showed up and it was fun watching him suffer. I'm not sure he knew what to thing about world class cross racing. The only other time I've watched all the top riders race was at nationals last year, and those conditions weren't favorable for speed. It was amazing to see how fast they go on grass courses. Trebon pulled off an impressive win against a pretty stacked field. It was cool to be up close and personal with the riders after the race. Maybe next year I'll hang around and race the industry cup crit also.

Busy September.

This has been an extremely busy month. First a quick wrap-up on The Tour of Missouri. Man what a blast! I got to drive the team RV for Health-Net for the first 5 days of the TOM. These guys are extremely nice and down to earth. It's cool to see how a small budget/big time team does it. Everything is such well organized chaos. Basically, I drove the team to the start, hung out, made sure they were comfortable. Then when the race started I drove to the finish, found an awesome parking spot, went for a ride then got to work on preparing for their arrival. When they finished each stage it was my job to corral them back to the team area and get them to the hotel. Then off to a predictable meal of steamed veggies, pasta, soft chicken and salad. At least we had the option of 10 different desserts each night. The team didn't have the best of weeks racing, but they did have a few things go their way. Rory Sutherland captured his second consecutive NRC title, the team captured it's 5th consecutive NRC title, and they signed Floyd Landis for next season. Things are looking up for the team.
I came home to a week of catch-up before heading to Lincoln for the Pirate Cycling League Good Life Gravel Adventure. This race deserved a long name. You could tell that the guys that put on this event had a fun time. No race entry, no support, but guaranteed good times. Those of us that came up from the KC/Lawrence area were fortunate to stay at Dave Mcleod's in-laws house. It's nice to stay in a house instead of a hotel at any race. The 135 mile gravel race started at 6:00 am with a 2.5 mile neutral start. Then it was on. It was like a full blown dk200 sprint start, but in the dark. Those with decent lighting (like myself) had a distint advantage. Before I knew it the lead group was 8, then 6, and then 3. I was suprised to be in the top 3 at the first of 4 checkpoints. Which involved a casey's general store and purchasing a Nebraska Lotto ticket (which would all be pooled together at the end of the race and we were going to split our millions!). The chase group of 5 was pulling in as we were leaving the first check. The next check 15 miles later, we got out before the chase group pulled in: Out of sight; out of mind!
I knew that Matt Gersib was the strongest rider I was with (sorry Peter), so I attacked at about mile 55. I went hard for 30 mile until the 3rd check and got out before 2nd place saw me. I really started to hurt about mile 105 and had to hang out at the 4th and final check for a good 15 minutes. 2nd place pulled in as I was putting my shoes back on (damned hot spots). I knew he would catch me soon, as he looked much fresher than I felt. Then at mile 110 after being off the front for 55 miles by myself he caught me. I tried to attack a couple times to see if he had blown his load bridging up but it a futile effort and ended up hurting me more in the long run.
He put a lot of time on me in the last 20 miles and I really learned what hot spots felt like. I've never felt so helpless in my life.
I pulled in at mile 135.something in 9 hours 16 minutes. My feet hurting worst of all! The ride felt good for the most part, but a win would've felt even better.
A big thanks to the PCL crew for a great event, Dave for his hospitality and Peter for being Peter. Interbike wrap-up to come soon!
It's Cross Season!!!

57 and rainy

It sure feels like cross season out there.
With a very successful and fun short track series behind us, we now look to cross season. It's going to be a very exciting year for cross in KC. 16 races, 2 gravel races, and of course the National Championships! There look to be some very exciting new venues as well. We will be using Tiffany Springs Park for our first Boss Cross on 11/1, Platte Ridge Park in Platte City on 11/30 and English Landing Park in Parkville on 12/28. There's only 3 short weeks until the very first cross race of the season, at a new venue in Lenexa on the 28th.
This coming monday is the start of the Tour of Missouri. It's going to be a very fun week. Sunday we have 2 events planned at the Prairie View store. 10:30am ride with Health-Net professional team. Then at 5:00pm Liquigas will be there for an autograph signing. Great chance to meet and ride with the best professional cyclists in the world.
Monday morning I head off on a great adventure, driving the Health-Net team RV for the week. I'll spend my week going from city to city and hanging out with the team.

8/14 and 8/21 short track results

8/14

B Race

1 Craig Harding 9 30:09 15 15
2 Wes Robertson 9 30:15 12 12
3 Tyler Tate 9 30:58 10 17
4 Chuong Doan 9 32:25 8 8
5 David Matthews 8 32:52 7 7
6 Darin Crisman 8 33:00 6 6
7 Michael Gier 7 31:50 5 9
8 Julie Funk 7 31:58 4 4
9 Eric Pacheco 6 30:34 3 3
10 Jeremy Haynes DNF 0 10

A Race

1 Jim Cummings 16 46:40 15 30
2 Joe Fox 16 48:56 12 12
3 Larry Jones 15 47:38 10 10
4 Dan Robinson 9 50:32 8 8
5 Mike Folendore DNF

8/21

B Race

1 Dave McLeod 10 30:30 15
2 Wes Robertson 10 30:40 12
3 Andrew Slater 10 31:00 10
4 Jeremy Haynes 10 31:55 8
5 Rich Bowman 10 32:45 7
6 Tyler Tate 10 32:58 6
7 Chuong Doan 10 33:31 5
8 Ted Smith 9 30:51 4
9 Mark Kern 9 32:30 3
10 Darin Crisman 8 31:25 2
11 Chuck Fredericks 8 32:27 1
12 Carter Jones 7 30:00 1
13 Eric Pacheco 7 32:01 1
14 Chris Thomas 7 32:44 1

A Race

1 Graham Aldridge 17 46:18 15
2 Jim Cummings 16 46:17 12
3 Chris Hershey 15 45:40 10
4 John Harter 15 45:45 8
5 Larry Jones 15 47:22 7
6 Andrew Slater 14 47:50 6
7 Tyler Schumaker 13 45:50 5
8 Dan Robinson 10 45:05 4

Boss Cross Short Track results

8/7 B Race
PLACE NAME # LAPS TIME POINTS SERIES POINTS
1 JOHN HARTER 10 31:30 15 15
2 LARRY JONES 10 31:43 12 12
3 JEREMY HAYNES 10 33:50 10 10
4 PETER KRAUSE 10 34:23 8 8
5 TYLER TATE 9 32:47 7 7
6 BRIAN CHASM 8 32:26 6 6
7 DANIEL JARMAN 8 35:16 5 5
8 MICHAEL GIER 7 32:43 4 4
9 ROBBIE PLOWMAN 7 34:52 3 3
10 CHRIS THOMAS 7 36:20 2 2

A Race

1 Jim Cummings 15 46:04 15 15
2 Doug Long 15 46:44 12 12
3 Chris Hershey 13 40:38 10 10
4 Peter Krause 9 29:59 8 8

Colorado

This past weekend we went out to Vail, CO to ride for a few days. I took both the road and mountain bike so I could ride anything and everything. Friday morning my Dad, Larry and I went out for a 2 1/2 hour mtb ride. It's great to be able to ride straight from your front door to super buff single-track. That afternoon Larry, Kathy, Tarah and I went out for a short road ride to loosen the legs up before Copper Triangle. 15 miles toward Vail Pass and downhill all the way home. That night was the first of many dinners in Vail and we enjoyed all the fine food and drink that Vail has to offer. Saturday morning we got up bright and early to start on the Copper Triangle. 78 miles over 3 mountains (Fremont Pass, Tennessee Pass, and Vail Pass). Tarah, Kathy, and I rode most of it together back to Vail, then they called it a day at the house. After 60 miles Kathy needed to feed Levi and Tarah's body was falling apart. When we got to Vail Village, I was told that my dad had 45 minutes on me with 18 miles left. I took off up Vail Pass, legs feeling fresh. It was by far the fastest I'd ever climbed Vail Pass. When I finally finished in Copper after the descent my dad was 2 minutes ahead of me. It was all I had, but it wasn't enough. After a couple beers and a quick talk by Davis Phinney we headed back to the house for more food.
Sunday morning my dad and I got in 15 to spin the legs out. The rest of the day we just relaxed and strolled around the farmers market. I bought some Ski's from Pepe's. Some Volkl Tiger Sharks that I demo'd in February. Super stiff skis that remind me of my System6. It'll give me an excuse to get out to Vail more now that I own some killer skis.
Monday We got up and rode Vail Pass again. This one didn't hurt as bad as Saturday, but it's still a tough climb. Tarah, Kathy, Levi and I then packed up and headed home. We stopped by Trifecta Multisport in Littleton to see Todd and Christian. Very cool shop with a great layout.
This week I've been playing catch-up and trying to get ready for BOSS CROSS SHORT TRACK! See you out there.

Short Track!

The first annual Boss Cross Short Track is only 9 days away! We have been working with the City of Kansas City for over 6 months just to get permission and permits.
The event will be the next 4 thursdays (8/7, 8/14, 8/21, and 8/28) at Tiffany Springs park in the Northland. Riders of all abilities and bikes of all kinds are welcome. There will be two races, a B race and A race, with series champs being crowned in each category after the final race.
Hopefully, after an awesome cross season last year we won't disappoint. This will just be the start to an even better cross season with new venues and tougher courses.

Here's all the info you need.

Boss Cross Short Track!

Get ready for Cross Season without having to put away the mountain bike! Races will be cross style with a fast 1 mile loop. Mountain bikes and cross bikes are allowed.

Tiffany Springs Park @ 152 and Hampton Rd. (Rock Quarry).

Four Thursdays in August, 8/7, 8/14, 8/21, 8/28.

Two race categories. B Race 6:30: 30 minutes A Race 7:15: 45 minutes.

Races are $15 per event (1 day license included) or $50 for whole series.

Directions: From the south/west take I-435 North to 152 east. Exit at Hampton Rd. and turn left (north). Go 1 mile to entrance to Tiffany Springs park. Parking will be at back of park.

From the east take 152 west to Hampton Rd. and turn right (north).

Cannondale and Shawnee

It's been a couple weeks since I've posted anything and a lot has happened. The Cannondale dealer meeting was a blast. I really enjoyed spending time with other dealers and I learned a lot. Some of these shops have been around 80+ years and they have a lot of knowledge to share. I got to ride a lot while I was out there. The first day we went out for a 40 mile road ride on the new Six carbon. Incredibly smooth riding bike and very responsive. Totally different ride from my current System6. Thursday we went out for another 40 miles. The first 20 we were in the company of Ivan Basso. Very nice guy, uber-euro, and obviously incredibly strong. I then met up with a couple local guys and followed them around the mountains for another 20 miles. Friday morning was a quick ride around town, then that afternoon I went out on the mountain bikes for about 3 hours. I chose to ride Cannondale's new Moto carbon. 160mm of travel (way too much for around here) but in the mountains it was a blast. It climbs fairly well, but when you point it downhill it's faaast! I came back with a few new scars and bruises, but it was a blast.
Hershey and I registered for 24 hours of Landahl as a 2 man team, only to find out last week that it was canceled. In prep for it we each did Shawnee Mission 6 hour solo. Very tough race. Rocky course, 100 degree weather, and I lost a bottle on my first lap. My hydration level got too depleted and I just couldn't recover. I was taking a lot of time b/t laps and trying to re-fuel, but the race got the best of me. 7 laps in all, I was a little disappointed. Next year I hope it doesn't fall the day after my birthday either since that was my yearly birthday century. RIM 12 hour is only a few weeks away and I have a lot of work to do.

4th of July

Had a great weekend of riding and tons of time with family and friends over the long weekend. Thursday I went into work late and got in a good 50 mile ride in the morning with Jeremy, Peter, and my dad. We decided to use that route for our 4th of July ride from the shop as well. I was stoked when I showed up to the shop the next morning for the ride to see 32 people there ready to go ride. We rode the 40 mile loop, and while we were gone my brother-in-laws grilled out for us. Great ride and great weather all weekend long. Saturday morning I rode down to my cousins farm in Butler, MO. 85ish miles straight south into a constant headwind. It was a nice ride though, very scenic and I had never ridden those parts. Kathy drove down to meet me and spend some time with that side of the family. Saturday evening we went to our farm in lathrop with Levi and the dogs. It was the first time the dogs had been up there with decent weather where they could just run around. We stayed the night, shot some fireworks, had a big fire, ate a big breakfast then came home. The dogs slept all day on Sunday.
I leave tomorrow for Park City, Utah for the Cannondale dealer trade show. 4 days of riding and playing on all the new toys. Apparently, Ivan Basso is leading a group ride on Thursday, so that should be interesting. I'll be back Saturday with a full report.

Bikes and Family

It's been a busy couple weeks and I figured it was time to drop a few lines. No races the past couple weeks for myself, but our team had a great showing yesterday at Baldwin City.
I've been riding a lot, mostly commuting, but the miles have been feeling good. I didn't ride much Saturday or Sunday, but instead slept in and spent extra time with the family. We got a group together Friday and rode to the farmhouse in Lathrop. It was Kathy's second ride back since Levi, and she did great. We rolled in about 8:30, just beating one of the most amazing storms I've ever seen. We sat on the porch eating BBQ and enjoying the company of friends and family. Saturday I worked on the fence with my dad and Derek, and went down to Power Plant that evening to hang out with the team, and take some pictures. We had a lot of guys out of town so we didn't have the whole team, but those who came down are the ones that have been doing all of the racing. The team is really strong, and I think the next couple years will be exciting.
Tarah and Tristan got engaged last weekend, and they are planning a wedding for next June. The family is growing all the time!
I've got big plans for riding this weekend, and hope to get in a lot of miles. Next week I'm going to Park City Utah for the Cannondale show. 4 days of riding in the mountains on some sweet bikes...should be a good time.

Ironman Kansas 70.3

I'm glad this race is over.
It's been a busy few months with the new store and new baby, and my training has taken a major hit. I got in one swim prior to the race, and when I saw Kathy at the halfway mark of the run I realized that that was my longest run of the year. It's nice to know that I have the fitness to finish, but my speed is not even close to what it once was.
Tarah, Carter, and I spent the night at Bundy's house to get an extra hour of sleep, which was definitely nice, but 4:45 is still early.
The swim went exactly as planned...slow. 36:30-37:00, somewhere in there. I felt alright though and I took my sweet time at the first transition to make sure I was ready for a tough bike course. It only took about 15 miles to realize that I had not completely recovered from the Dirty Kanza and my legs were still pretty useless. The was a nasty section of headwind from about mile 34-42 and it made everyone suffer. It was blowing in a nasty storm that would affect the rest of the race. I came off the bike at 2:46.37 with a 20.2 average. Not too bad, but it was time to see if I had anything left to run 13 miles.
The first couple of miles felt surprisingly good. I was stopping and walking the aid stations, and drinking as much as I could. I didn't feel like eating anything solid, so I took in a bunch of Gatorade, water and a few power gels. The run course was great. Rolling terrain, that wound through Bloomington Park at Clinton Lake. A good mix of pavement, and gravel and great crowd support. Next year I will be camping out there for sure. There were markers every mile, but I didn't see the 8 mile mark. So when I got to mile 9 I was pleasantly surprised. I then only had 4 more miles and I tried to pick it up a bit. That only last a mile until my legs really started to hurt. I was afraid of cramping so I backed it off a bit. Mile 12-13 was pretty easy and it's always nice to see my family out there cheering me on!
Thanks to Kali, Derek, Beth, my Dad, Kathy and Levi for all of your support! And a huge congrats to Tarah, Larry, Carter, Todd and Diego for awesome races. It was nice to see all of my customers out there on their bikes!
Final time was 5:26.50-something. 34 minutes off my pr, but all things considered I was pretty pleased with my effort.
Now I can focus on my riding and whatever adventures await me!

Dirty Kanza

Well I've had a few days to recover and take in the whole experience, and finally have a few minutes to write about it...so here goes.
Friday, extremely busy day at work. I worked at the old store and was able to cut out at 4:30. Picked up Slater and Kristen, and rolled into Emporia at about 7:00. Picked up packets, met up with the others, and piled 5 of us, 5 bikes and enough perpetuem for a lifetime into one small hotel room.
Rider meeting was at 5:45 and the race started promptly at 6:00, despite a slight threat of tennis ball sized hail.
Rolled out in neutral start until the gravel and then it was on. Mr. Hughes was not messing around, and spent much of the first 10 miles or so about 25 meters off the front. Once the pace picked up it was decision time. Last year I went too hard the first 100 and was not able to finish. This year I decided to back off and pace myself a little better. Our team held together pretty well for the first 40 or so. Bundy had mechanicals, Waller flatted, so Slater and I rolled into Madison together. Kristen was not far behind, so when we pulled out of Madison, we slowed the pace to keep the team together. At about mile 60, after a couple deep water creek crossings, we go head to head with Texaco Hill. Some awesomely nasty hills filled with oil rigs, cows, and wind. By the end of the big hill it was Brandon, Waller and myself, and Brandon was still having major mechanicals. We had to stop and work on his bike for a while, and Kristen rolled past us.
We caught up to her at about 95 and the 4 of us rolled into Cottonwood Falls together.
Waller and Slater had enough at this point and opted to call it a day. I refueled, rehydrated and rolled out with Chris Berger from Lawrence. The next 10 miles or so were pretty tough. Not too hilly, but just mentally tough with a nice headwind. Berger and I flatted at mile 115, which was actually a much needed rest. We then rolled through a really pretty section in the trees with some nice clear creek crossings. We took a little splash bath to cool of and kept on moving. Met up with Lelan from Emporia who was having flat troubles, and him, Kristen and I rode the next 30 miles together at a nice "easy" pace.
The three of us took off at mile 154 together and I was feeling great. I cranked it on the first hill and had a 1/2 mile before I knew it. I decided just to push it to see if I could hold this pace over the next 40 miles. I felt great until about mile 190 when I made a right hand turn onto some dirt road that had been rutted out by 4x4 after the last rain fall. The next 8 miles were very slow moving, but I could see Emporia in the distance, so all was good.
I called Kathy with about 2 miles to go to let her know I had made it. I then really bonked. I actually had to eat a powerbar with less than 2 miles, I thought my legs were going to fall off.
I finished at 15:15.15. 201.82 miles. Very long day, and it's going to be a long year preparing for next year. And Trans-Iowa is only 11 months away...

5 more days

DK is in 5 days and I think the bike is ready, hopefully I am.
This past weekend I got in 3 nice rides and spent a lot of time with my family. I had 3 days off work and it was fantastic. Saturday was nasty in the morning, but I got in 2 hours of single speed gravel up north late afternoon. Kathy's family was in town for Levi's Baptism on Sunday. I got in an hour before church on the single speed again. After the Baptism, we had a luncheon at my Dad's house, and for the first time since our wedding all of the family was in one room at one time. It was a lot less akward than I thought it would be.
Monday we got in about 55 miles of road with a very fun group. We rode the Weston loop counter-clockwise. The Waldron gravel was in perfect shape and it got my excited for this weekend.
I'm leaving KC at 4:00 Friday afternoon, picking up the Lawrence kids and should be to Emporia around 7:00. Plenty of time to pack 5 of us into a hotel room, get a few hours of sleep, and go play on our bikes for 15-17 hours.
Full report to come on Sunday. Until then...

Bike week is finally over

After a very long week of riding (395 miles of road/gravel and singletrack), my legs are shot. It was a great week for riding with nice weather, good group rides at both shops, and even a MTB race up in St. Joe. In prep for the Dirty Kanza I thought it would be a good idea to ride to St. Joe on my cross bike and then race. I left at 8:30, which was supposed to be 8:15 and rolled up to registration at 11:25. Almost 50 miles with about 25% on gravel and a N headwind the whole way. I never thought it could be 85* in mid May and we could still have a N wind. The roads were in great shape and I got to ride a lot of new ones once I passed Deerborn.
It was my first XC race in a couple years and I forgot how fast those are from the gun. I got the hole shot in the sport class, but that didn't last long. At the end of the first lap I was in second with 3rd and 4th not too far behind, and I could feel my legs wearing out already. I ended up getting 4th in sport coming home with a medal, t-shirt and a beanie. Heartland puts on a great event and the trails were really nice and twisty.
My new wheels for the Superfly will be done this week, so the next race will be on that.
This will be a mellow week for riding with on 12 more days til the DK, it's pretty much all that's on my mind.

Grrrravel

Good riding Saturday. Left my place at 7:00 rode some backroads to Leavenworth, met up with Puskas, then headed south to Lawrence to meet the others. Brandon, Kristen, John, Andrew and Cody (on a single speed), showed up at mile 40 and we rolled on to Oskaloosa. Casey's was a life saver and I enjoyed a couple Snickers and some honey bbq Fritos. The pace had slowed but we pushed on to Perry and then west toward Topeka. I finally had to take the road home to Lawrence and meet Kathy and my family for a Mother's Day dinner at Free State. 104 miles, a little over half on gravel. Hopefully after a long week of commuting and a couple more long rides I'll be ready for the Dirty Kanza.
It was nice to have the whole weekend off. Lots of riding Saturday and lots of time with Levi and Kathy on Sunday. Two weeks until his Baptism and Kathy and mine 1 year anniversary! Good times to come.

Tuesday night smackdown

Last night I rolled up to the Tuesday night ride to see a swarm of Wheel jerseys. 4 from the wheel and 4 from the wheel/chamois butt'r. I knew I was in for a treat. The ride went good, I held on with dear life as Ryan, Fred and Dan continually attacked. It was all I had toward the end just to keep a wheel. After 45 miles of throw-downs, Elliot was cross-eyed and I didn't know if I would make it back home. The ride home afterward was nice and easy until the last hill. It's been a long time since I've considered walking a hill. It's always nice coming home to Levi and Kathy...they make everything better.
Saturday we have a gravel ride planned. The route looks to be about 110-115 miles of random gravel b/t here and Lawrence, followed by some lunch and relaxing at Free State.

Superfly is just that...

First ride this morning on the new Superfly...and it is just that. It's light, responsive, handles surprisingly well. The trails were a little soft and sloppy in sections, but for the most part were in great shape. Not sure about the handlebars yet, but I'll give it a couple more rides.
This past Saturday I signed up to do a 300k ride that started here in Liberty. Probably not the smartest thing to do having a week old baby at home and going off very little sleep. I got in 85 miles and called it a day. The ride started at 6:00, and I was home with the family by noon, so that was nice. The 186 would have been some nice training for Dirty Kanza, but my body just wasn't having it.
Heres a picture of Levi from last week. I'll post some current pictures soon.

Baby and Bikes

Levi is one week old. It's amazing how much he changes and grows on a daily basis. He is a great eater, and learning to be a good sleeper. He's only up twice a night to get fed and changed. I do my part in changing him, but I'm yet to adapt to feeding.
I've got to build two of the coolest bikes in the last 24 hours! My Fisher Superfly came it...23.0 lbs with pedals. Should be under 22 lbs after a while. I look forward to a season of racing on it!
My dad also ordered a Look 586. This bike has graced the cover of every major cycling publication in the last couple of months, but the pictures don't do it justice.
It is hands down the coolest bike I've ever worked on. Full Campy Record, Fulcrum Racing Zero wheels w/ Easton cockpit.
Baby Pics to come soon!

Baby Fox!

Levi Joseph Fox was born on Thursday April 17th at 9:01 am.  He was a large little guy at 8lbs 15oz and measuring 21 inches long.  Mother and Baby are both doing great!  

Kathy and I are very happy and blessed to have such a beautiful little boy, and have such a caring family.  

Pictures to come...be careful he's pretty cute!

The loss of a Friend

All of us at one time or another have experienced the loss of a friend or loved one.
Here at Cycle City, we have just suffered the loss of one of our own employees. Scott Allen passed away this morning, around 6:00.
Friday evening, after experiencing pains in his chest and neck he decided to go to the ER. He suffered a heart attack on his way to the ER which caused him to flip his Jeep. Things did not look good from the start, but he is a strong man and everyone was willing him to pull through. He was on life support through the weekend, and passed this morning.

Our thoughts and prayers are with his family. He and his wife, Jen, have a 5 1/2 year old and she is due with their second in June.

There will be a benefit ride for Scott and his family soon.

New Store!

New store has been open a month now and everything is going great! Bikes are coming in and going out the door, and we've been busy with repairs. The new bikes are really solid (I've added 3 more to my wish list).
The roads over here are great, and there's a lot of undiscovered routes. I haven't been able to get in a ton of riding, mostly just commuting and weekend rides. Hopefully we'll be done with this nasty weather soon.

Baby Update:
Kathy was due yesterday, but no action from the little guy yet! Doctors Appt. Monday, so hopefully he'll be ready to come out soon!