XXC Issue #4

XXC SEASON ONE: ISSUE FOUR PAGE 1 XXCMAG.COM

[ introduction ] [ introduction ]

“Experiencing” the mud of the mountains. “Experiencing” the mud of the mountains. Photo by Jason Mahokey Photo by Jason Mahokey

W elcom e to XXC #4. I think this m ay be m y favorite issue so far! N ot only are there som e am azing reports and photos from the U.S., the race coverage went truly global with great stories from the Salzkam m ergut Trophy in Austria, The K ielder 100 in the U.K . and the epic 47th Annual 3 Peaks C yclocross race in N orth Yorkshire, England. It was awesom e for m e to work on these stories. The Salzkam m ergut has captured m y interest for years and was one of the first races to pique m y interest in the M arathon and XXC race form at. It was also great to work w ith the super report and im ages that Joolze D ym ond shared from the U.K .’s FIRST 100 m ile race- The M ontane K ielder 100.

Along w ith the race reports we have an am azing W ilderness 101 photo gallery by Abram L andes, an interview w ith 2009 N .U.E. Single Speed D ivision C ham pion G erry Pflu g, product reviews, and m uch, m uch m ore.

W hile this m ay be the m ost race heavy edition of XXC yet, I think you w ill find that stories and photos continue to tell so m uch m ore than that of just “com peting.” W hen you read the words and see the photos from Andrew C arney’s 2009 C olorado Trail Race or M ichael L oranty’s Soggy Bottom 100, you see that despite racing, there rem ains a sense of adventure and the desire to experiences new places. There rem ains an adm iration and respect for the beauty nature offers us as we race. You w ill be rem inded to not take for granted the “arena” in which we com pete, to take the tim e to look up from your heart rate m onitor. To not just look at the wheel in front of you or over your shoulder, but to look around you, and truly take in what racing can offer: The chance to spend hours, som etim es days in the saddle of a m ountain bike, away from work, away from the stresses of life, to go new places, m eet new people, and EXPERIEN C E life.

Jason M ahokey xxcm ag.com

W elcom e to XXC #4. I think this m ay be m y favorite issue so far! N ot only are there som e am azing reports and photos from the U.S., the race coverage went truly global with great stories from the Salzkam m ergut Trophy in Austria, The K ielder 100 in the U.K . and the epic 47th Annual 3 Peaks C yclocross race in N orth Yorkshire, England. It was awesom e for m e to work on these stories. The Salzkam m ergut has captured m y interest for years and was one of the first races to pique m y interest in the M arathon and XXC race form at. It was also great to work w ith the super report and im ages that Joolze D ym ond shared from the U.K .’s FIRST 100 m ile race- The M ontane K ielder 100.

Along w ith the race reports we have an am azing W ilderness 101 photo gallery by Abram L andes, an interview w ith 2009 N .U.E. Single Speed D ivision C ham pion G erry Pflu g, product reviews, and m uch, m uch m ore.

W hile this m ay be the m ost race heavy edition of XXC yet, I think you w ill find that stories and photos continue to tell so m uch m ore than that of just “com peting.” W hen you read the words and see the photos from Andrew C arney’s 2009 C olorado Trail Race or M ichael L oranty’s Soggy Bottom 100, you see that despite racing, there rem ains a sense of adventure and the desire to experiences new places. There rem ains an adm iration and respect for the beauty nature offers us as we race. You w ill be rem inded to not take for granted the “arena” in which we com pete, to take the tim e to look up from your heart rate m onitor. To not just look at the wheel in front of you or over your shoulder, but to look around you, and truly take in what racing can offer: The chance to spend hours, som etim es days in the saddle of a m ountain bike, away from work, away from the stresses of life, to go new places, m eet new people, and EXPERIEN C E life.

Jason M ahokey xxcm ag.com


[ contributors ]

Thanks to all the generous contributors of XXC #4. W ithout them , XXC w ould not be possible.

Please visits their blogs and w eb sites by clicking below .

Abram Landes - aelandesphotography.com Ian M cVety - ilm -photography.co.uk C hris Strout - cstrout.blogspot.com

Andrew C arney - andrew -carney.blogspot.com Jason M ahokey - thesoiledcham ois.com

Paul Errington - shoestring-racing.blogspot.com Joolze Dym ond - w w w .joolzedym ond.com

w w w .sportograf.com Nam rita O’D ea - nam ritaodea.com

M ichael H erm an Phil Ingham Eddie Allen

Jack K unn en - jhkunn enphoto.com M ichael Loranty

Bob Popovich - bobs-photogallery.com Gary Sm its - xtrphoto.com D avid Story - m om bok.com

Travis “M etro” W illiam - tsw im ba.blogspot.com Gerry Pflug - spkgoaters.blogspot.com

Tom Doyle Jam es Olsen, M anu el Tenorio, M ark Schinde

and Brittany Nigh for additional photo contributions

Special thanks to JoErin “W ifey” O’Leary, and Brenn an “B-M an” M ahokey for love and support.

Fam ily, friends, team m ates and 2009 sponsors for their generosity and help. Ian K ilm ister for a kick in the junk and M ozzer for keeping m e honest.

C over im age by Abram Landes, aelandesphotography.com

Salzkam m ergut Trophy by Paul Errington 3 Tw in Six/X XC Contest W inners 9 M y K ind of Tow n by C hris Strout 12 The Last Frontier, The Soggy Bottom 100 by M ichael Loranty 19 The Colorado Trail Race by Andrew C arney 24 2009 N U E Overall Results 33 Interview : Gerry Pflug- One Gear & A Series Title by Jason M ahokey 34 W ilderness 101 Gallery by Abram Landes 38 100 M ile History, The M ontane K ielder 100 by Joolze Dym ond 49 18 Hours On The Farm , Scouts Honor by Travis “M etro” W illiam s 58 U CI M ountain Bike M arathon W orld Cham pionship W inners 63 The Ram blings Of A Three Peaks Obsessive by Phil Inham 65 2009 Three Peaks Photo Gallery by Ian M cVety 71 EnduroN ut Corner by Nam rita O’D ea 77 Dealing W ith A Training A ddiction by Jesse Stevens 78 Product Review s by Jason M ahokey 80 Fast Energy On The Cheap by Jason M ahokey 82 Com ing Clean W ith a N ew Love... by Jason M ahokey 83 Finish by Jason M ahokey 84

[ contents ]

http://aelandesphotography.com/

http://ilm-photography.co.uk/

http://cstrout.blogspot.com/

http://andrew-carney.blogspot.com/

http://www.thesoiledchamois.com/

http://shoestring-racing.blogspot.com/

http://www.joolzedymond.com/

http://www.sportograf.de/de/shop/start

http://www.namritaodea.com/

http://picasaweb.google.com/cyberherm/Wilderness1012009#

http://www.flickr.com/photos/eddieallenbc/sets/72157622471175304/

http://www.jhkunnenphoto.com/

http://www.bobs-photogallery.com/

http://xtrphoto.com/

http://mombok.com/

http://tswimba.blogspot.com/

http://spkgoaters.blogspot.com/

http://picasaweb.google.com/Motionmonkey01/08140918HrScoutsHonorMtbRace303ish278MegIsh?feat=email#

http://aelandesphotography.com/


SALZKAMMERGUT one gear and no suspension in a world of carbon fiber pervery

TROPHY by Paul Errington

Photo by sportograf.com


This year for me has been pretty disjointed. With the advent of the new Genesis Bikes/Alpkit team coming late last year this year has been all about sorting the little details: Getting new riders, deciding how the team will operate and what our goals are.

In all this although I have been following my normal training as laid down by Mark Forgy in Colorado I have struggled to get a race calendar together that really fit with my new goals on the bike of going as big as possible. I had a cool 2 week cycling tour planned which I had to shelve due to finances and my 24 hour race goal was cancelled. I tried to get racing as much as possible but I felt like I was a little lost. Then I remembered Salzkammergut Trophy!

I had a set time booked off work and it just so happened that this race fell on the first weekend of this time. My friend Matt Barton had done Salzkammergut a year or so previous and it took him 15 hours and he is a good rider! The basis of this event is almost a single 208km lap race with 7000m of climbing. Single speed rideable? I had to find out.

I mentioned the possibility to James Olsen at Genesis Bikes of hitting this race road trip style. Driving out to Austria, doing the race then trucking to France to catch the Tour and bag some big road climbs and cheeky single track. Luckily he was instantly sold on the idea and convinced the gods at Madison to provide a van for the trip and generously contribute fuel and ferry costs to the cause.

With the trip loosely planned we still had to find another passenger to share the driving and luckily my brother, Guy, decided that it was a trip he couldn’t miss and joined the now 3 of us bound for Austria and big climbs!

“Almost a single 208km lap race with 7000m of climbing.

Single speed rideable? I had to find out.”

The Euro-road trip race van. >

XXC SEASON ONE: ISSUE FOUR PAGE 5 XXCMAG.COM The Euro-road trip race van courtesy of the “gods at Madison.”

My Brother and I left Manchester on Thursday morning and en route called in at Alpkit for some supplies for the trip. Namely Excellent T’s and a sleeping bag for my bro. The guys also sorted some stickers for some guerilla marketing on the trip. Leaving there we drove to Madison at Milton Keynes to meet James and load the van up, and load up we did. With a good supply of spares and now 2 bikes each we were set. Only one more stop to meet Paul West to collect a couple of jerseys and new shorts for the race. Then all that was left was to catch our ferry which we did with about 20 minute s to spare.

Arriving in France it was my turn to drive and the idea being to drive for a few hours then park up and camp but being the endurance type I decided I could drive straight through to Bad Goisern, Austria from Calais in one hit only stopping to refuel, a drive of around 10 hours. To say I was a little ti red would be an understatement but my bro kept me entertained during the small hours and we arrived at the race campsite on the Friday morning leaving all day to relax in the sun and eat and drink.

Drink I did! The weather was scorching. I sunk bottle after bottle of SIS electrolyte drink fearing dehydration before such a massive effort. In the sun we set my bike up with an 18t sprocket on the back instead of usual 16t. 32x18 I hoped would be just low enough to muscle the long climbs but not so small I lost a ton of time on the fast open descents. We then fit a fresh set of Continental Race Kings (2.2 on front and 2.0 on back). The bike was looking real fast.

Out of nowhere you could hear thunder in the distance and black clouds were rolling in fast. In no time we were forced to take refuge in the back of the van as the rain hammered down. This didn’t look good. After an hour it stopped and seemed to be moving further down the valley.

After a trip to the race village, which was full of trade, stands, a big area to eat and generally a great atmosphere it was decided a reasonably early night were needed as race start was 5am.

I woke up with my alarm at 4am. At first I didn’t register the sound all around the tent but quickly I became aware that this sound was rain, and lots of it! My brother told me I was mental for going out in this and I had to agree although you don’t drive over 1000 miles to cry off racing for fear of ge tting wet. I had already laid all my gear out in the van so I quickly got ready, adding to the layer a waterproof jacket. Forcing food down my throat trying to cram in as many calories as possible James joined me in the van, I was expecting no one to be up at this hour but he said he was going to come down to start and take some pics. Welcome company.

The ride down to the start was in the dark and by the time I got there I was already soaked. Reassuringly a lot of people were already there and the big crowd eagerly awaited the start. While I am sure by no accident the organizers played AC/DC’s ‘Highway to Hell’ track as the start gun went. What had I let myself in for?

“I am sure by no accident the organizers played AC/DC’s ‘Highway to Hell’

track as the start gun went. What had I let myself in for?”

> Soaked at the start. Photo by James Olsen

XXC SEASON ONE: ISSUE FOUR PAGE 6 XXCMAG.COM The Euro-road trip race van courtesy of the “gods at Madison.” >

As everyone shifted up the gears on the flat road I had to jump wheel to wheel spinning like a mad man trying to get up the field although this flat didn’t last too long. After about 2km we started what I knew was the first climb of 10km and 800m gain. I soon started to make my way up the field as everyone eased into a steady pace and I had to turn my gear of choice.

The weather showed no signs of letting up with lightening and claps of thunder nerve rackingly close, especially when I realised all these Euro boys riding their exotic carbon machines and me riding the biggest piece of steel on the mountain!!!

The riding was good, the climbing although relentless was pretty much manageable in gear I had chosen. The descending was a mix of fast fire road with some tech stuff thrown in. Although I was running technically a dry tyre I still had an acre of grip and passed a lot of the guys that seemed to be struggling in the technical stuff. The great thing about riding rigid is usually the only way to get away with it is ride everything full on so you can “glide” over as much as possible without getting bogged down which means you can be as fast, if not faster than guys on suspension. And in the mud rigid singlespeeds are king!!

At well placed intervals on the course were feed stations stocked with locks of good things to eat and isotonic drink to restock bottles. On advice I had ditched the hydration pack and gone for water bottles instead, a good move as it would have driven me mad. The number of people manning the stations was amazing! The weather was horrendous but still people were out there marshalling and manning the stations, not to mention the spectators on the course.

I had no watch, GPS or computer so just had to guestimate my position. This wasn’t an issue as I felt super comfortable on the bike. Stacks of power and was following a well laid down feeding plan which kept me feeling good, and although it never stopped raining, you can only get so wet, and as I was warm enough I was happy. This was until the raindrops started to get bigger, and come down slower, and settle! SNOW!!!

“...you can only get so wet, and as I was warm enough I was happy.

This was until the raindrops started to get bigger, and come down slower,

and settle! SNOW!!!”

Wet but warm enough. Photo by sportograf.com

>

XXC SEASON ONE: ISSUE FOUR PAGE 7 XXCMAG.COM >

At the tops of the climbs the temperature really started to drop and the feed stations took on more of the appearance of POW camps with riders huddling for warmth and shelter. Luckily this weather is standard fair for any British rider so it was not felt so bad. My hands went numb and I couldn’t brake, so descending was tricky, but as soon as I got lower I warmed up and were good again. Some of the feed stations had warmed some drinks up which was most welcome. At one feed station I drew a small crowd of disbelievers at a single speed bike competing in this distance race. I had one guy poking my chain and another trying to shift an imaginary gear with my brake lever. Ielt like I had just wandered into a different world in which its inhabitants although may have read fantastical tales on these one geared beasts they had never actually experienced one first hand. I also discovered that single speed is called single speed in all languages.

As time passed I worked out that I was over the half way point. We had had the 100km leading race guys pass us now, and I was mixed up in the much shorter race entrants. At a feed station I was listening to a marshal explain to a racer where he was a gesticulating a cut off at around 150km. Unfortunately no one spoke English and I have no experience of Austrian or German so I guessed that we were maybe a little off the pace and were going to come close to missing a time cut off. How had this happened?? I had felt good the whole time out on the bike. I really pressed on after this point out of the saddle on the gas on all the climbs and not stopping for anything.

When I got to a railway crossing the barriers were down and I was told to stop. I assumed that we would be going over crossing when we could and as I waited a marshal cut off my transponder. I was a little lost and the same happened to a fellow competitor that had also stopped. My heart sunk. I had missed a time cut off. Devastated I rode back to the campsite. How could I have felt so good and been so slow??

Moving fast, numb hands and all. Photo by sportograf.com


Photo by sportograf.com

How was I going to explain to James, my brother and sponsors that they had backed me to complete this epic race on a singlespeed and I had had come up short?? I was a little angry too as glancing at the marshal’s watch while he cut off my transponder I noticed I had 6 hours till race end and only I guessed 60km to do it. I could easily do it!

My toys came out the pram and I tore off the race number from the front of my bike. As I got to the campsite ready for the disappointing looks of James and Guy I saw James coming towards me relieved he had found me. Apparently the race, due to the snow and severe weather conditions, had been stopped. I was immediately relieved that I hadn’t

failed but then just as quickly very angry that I hadn’t been able to finish. I had ridden the worst and been out on the bike for 10 hours! This was the first race that I had ever ridden that had been stopped.

Nothing left to say or do, a well earned shower was taken and plans discussed about next year and how we would come back and do it again. Bikes and kit packed we drove towards France. Results were posted and although I’m not sure what they are based on, or when they called it a day I was 31st. Not too shabby for a man with one gear and no suspension in a world of carbon fiber pervery.

“Apparently the race, due to the snow and severe weather conditions, had been stopped.”

“Apparently the race, due to the snow and severe weather conditions, had been stopped.”

Twin Six Night Ride Photo Contest Winner 24 Hours of Nine Mile, Wausau, WI

by Mark Schindel



Twin Six Night Ride Photo Contest Winner The 12:12 TORQ, Yateley, Hampshire, UK

by Joolze Dymond


http://www.twinsix.com/


Chicago is known for many things: awesome pizza, super-tall skyscrapers, Wrigley Field. But the “land of the stinking onion” – as the Potawatomi Tribe called it – is hardly the first place mountain bikers and erstwhile XXC racers think of when they’re looking for dirt; in fact, the Windy City may be one of the last.

So it’s with no small amount of civic pride that the Chicago dirt community has produced some pretty impressive XXC results in recent years: podium spots at 24-hour Nationals, podiums and top-5s and 10s at other 24-hour events, top-20 results at NUE 100-milers. In fact, even as this is written, Brad Majors – a downtown Chicago resident and die-hard Cubs fan – is in the running for a top spot in the season-long Granny Gear 24 Hour National Points Series.

So how has a city with zero elevation gain, one that produced Al Capone and Ferris Bueller, become such a hotbed for long-distance mountain biking?

Continued >

The author at the 2009 24 Hours of Big Bear Photo by Theresa Svoboda, iPlayoutside.com

Background photo by Chris Strout

XXC SEASON ONE: ISSUE FOUR PAGE 13 XXCMAG.COM Continued >

Single track is illegal within the Chicago city limits, but there are a few local options for Chicagoans looking to get their fix. Most are in far-flung suburbs, like Rock Cut State Park in Rockford and Deer Grove in Palatine, and perhaps none is better known than “Palos,” an island of green in the Cook County Forest Preserve system situated about 25 miles southwest of the city in the suburb of Western Springs. Palos is like so many things in Chicago: engineered.

It’s not so much that the 50 miles of trail have been carefully crafted, although the local IMBA-affiliated club, Chicago Area Mountain Bikers (CAMBR), have been working hard for years to improve the trail system. Rather, it’s the land itself, as what started out as an early- century golf course catering to the rich and famous was taken over by the U.S. government and turned into the graveyard for the Manhattan Project.

That’s right: Chicago mountain bikers cut their teeth riding trails built on top of the remains of the first functioning nuclear reactors.

There are granite markers noting this dubious distinction, and many of the riders who were around in the early days of mountain biking remember when a portion of the preserve was fenced off as a containment area during a large- scale cleanup operation. Tests and monitoring by the government continue to show that the park is safe, but there are running streams and now-vacant groundwater pumps, and rumors abound about the cancer cluster that has formed in the homes near Archer Avenue.

For the XXC crowd based in Chicago, though, Palos seems to be more of an afterthought. “I don’t go to Palos because the trails are two-way,” Evanston resident and endurance racer Brittany Barran-Stanley said. “I go to Kettle instead.”

“Kettle,” as its known, is a local favorite, despite the fact that Palos is free, and much closer. Because it’s a Wisconsin State Park, Kettle requires riders to purchase a trail pass (annual passes are available) and pay for parking, two minor inconveniences Chicago riders are willing to put up with. Perhaps most importantly, the trails are one-way, meaning the risk of a collision is almost none, and riders can just cut loose.

The John Muir and Emma Carlin trails at the Southern Unit of the Kettle Moraine State Park in La Grange, Wisconsin, is nearly a 2-hour drive from Chicago, but has become the go-to trail system for many a Chicago mountain biker. “I used to ride Kettle when it was across the street at the Nordic [running, horse] trails,” said Amy Dykema, also of Evanston. “They tried to get rid of us, filmed us to show how dangerous mountain biking was. There were petitions circulating, and I was passionate about Kettle, so I brought some back to Chicago bike shops to help keep open the trails.

“I call it ‘green therapy,’” Dykema said, “or ‘Wisconsin therapy.’ If you don’t go, you definitely miss something – there’s just something about being out up there in the fresh air.”

Kettle boasts miles of trails from beginner to expert, with improvements made to the system each spring. Just this year, the final touches were made on the “connector” trail between Muir and Carlin, and now putting together the largest loop means 26 miles of 100% single track.

Some riders mix it up. “An ideal week for me includes a long ride at Kettle, and a shorter ride at Palos during the week,” said Johnny Sprockets shop manager Sean Palmer. (No, not that Shaun Palmer.) “But that’s ideal – some weeks it doesn’t happen. This season has been kind of horrendous for Palos riding” because the trails become ribbons of mud as soon as it rains.

Photo by Chris Strout.


So what about staying in the metro area, or riders looking to reduce their carbon footprint? Driving for four hours round- trip just to ride trail seems sort of crazy, but Chicagoan Paolo Urizar summed up the attitude of most XXC folks in the concrete jungle: “All roads eventually lead to dirt,” he said.

“I met Dave Norton in 2005,” Urizar noted. “That was sort of a turning point in my endurance riding. We hit it off, and he knew every single backroad, backwoods, everything around the metro area of Chicago. He couldn’t tell you where he rode, but he had it so engrained that he could connect La Baugh Woods to Cicero then ride a connector back to Devon, then to another woods, on and on eventually up to Wisconsin – all on dirt.”

Norton seems to have a nose for dirt. “I have my routes,” Norton said. “Especially during the winter, I train on the Lakefront Path, or I’ll ride on Damen or Montrose (streets), sometimes Lawrence, out to Elston. Resist SuperDawg, and get on the path out at Devon. Then it’s a dreamland.”

Even better, Norton said, getting out of the city on an exactly 3-hour ride would be “out Lawrence to River Road. Then singletrack up to Algonquin Road, maybe do a loop or two, then back on streets. Pancake flat, just a steady hard ride. Of course, you can’t do it during rush hour.”

Because of the extensive forest preserve system within Cook County and the surrounding collar counties, and because of a legacy of equestrianism, there are hundreds of miles of crushed-gravel and dirt bridle paths in the metro area. The longest of these, the Des Plaines River Trail, runs almost uninterrupted from near Chicago’s O’Hare Airport to the Wisconsin state line. And although it’s not legal, as

with many of the preserves in the area, the DPRT has thin ribbons of single track shooting off every so often deeper into the woods.

Even the 18-mile, paved Lakefront Path along the Lake Michigan shore has illegal single track, with a half-mile of sandy walking path right up against the barriers of Lake Shore Drive just south of Fullerton, another mile or so on the South Side, and more next to the lake near the crushed- limestone running paths around Montrose Harbor.

Long-time racer D.J. Burns has perhaps been racing XXC longer than anyone in the Chicago area, and counts three Leadville finishes among his many wins and accomplishments. “I’m a sick individual,” he said. “I ride more miles in the winter than I do in the summer! Come summer, I don’t even want to see the Des Plaines River Trail.”

Because he lives nearby, he rides the DPRT extensively when it is frozen hardpack, doing tempo rides to train for races like Leadville. “By February, you’re up to maybe 6 hours out there,” he said. “But it’s flat. Leadville is challenging, with the altitude and the climbs. But I trained on all that flat stuff for years.”

Although he has used indoor training time in the winter months, Burns said he prefers to be outside, especially for the longer rides. “You have to have the mindset for it,” he said, “and the clothing. You can’t ride through the winter unless you’re prepared. But we are fortunate to have a lot of trails in this area – I used to ride up to the state line, make dinner on a burner, then ride home. Or I’d ride from my home up the Des Plaines River Trail to Wilmot [Wisconsin], race the XC there, and then ride home. I would even do quite well in the race!”

Continued >

Paolo Urizar at the 12 Hours of Northern Kettles Photo by Brittany Nigh

“All roads eventually lead to dirt.” - Paolo Urizar


So there are at least a few options for riders looking for their time on dirt, but what is it about long-distance mountain biking – and XXC racing in particular – that draws the Chicago crowd?

It seems there’s a progression: First, a rider gets into mountain biking, either from a roadie background or on dirt. The rider tries out XC racing in the Wisconsin Off-Road Series (WORS), the largest state-wide mountain bike race series in the country; or participates in the “Midwest World Championships” at the 40-mile, point-to-point Chequamegon Fat Tire Festival. Finally, there’s just something about going long – and when you mix it all together, a passion for XXC is born.

“If I’m going to do 3 hours on my own, it’s a lot more time in my head,” Barran-Stanley said. “I’m better at the longer stuff. There’s more solitude, less stress.”

Like Barran-Stanley, many Chicagoans plan their summer racing around the Wisconsin Endurance Mountain Bike Series (WEMS), which features races at trail systems all over the state, offering different challenges at each venue. The 9-race series incorporates 3, 6 and 12-hour races (or 25, 50 and 100-mile distances) at each event, offering even novice racers the chance to challenge themselves against the course and the clock to finish as many laps as they can before time expires.

“I like the WORS scene, and seeing everyone; it’s like a big circus,” Barran-Stanley said. She started racing the longer-distance WEMS races just this season, after road racing and XC. “I love WEMS races a lot more than the WORS races. When you’re out there by yourself, it’s just you against the clock. Even when I’m passed by a 12-hour guy, we’ll just start chatting. And it’s thrilling to have 15 minutes left to finish your lap.”

Furthermore, Barran-Stanley said XXC poses its own challenges. “There’s a science to it. It’s about you, pacing your body. Whereas with WORS, you can feel like shit but you know it’s only going to be for an hour.”

However, being based in Chicago poses difficulties. “I spent 18 years trying to get out of Wisconsin,” she said, “and now I’m up there every weekend.

“Chicago’s a great city, but as far as outdoors, not so much,” she said. “The lake is great for kayaking, but riding? Sheridan Road, again? Really?” She and her husband, who also rides and races, have vacationed out West, and are interested in moving to the Pacific Northwest. “There’s great people here [in Chicago], but that’s why you have a guest room. I mean, what’s it like to not ride the same trail every week?”

Urizar, a life-long Chicagoan who started in BMX and eventually took up road cycling and then XC racing at WORS events, cites riding with Norton as his inspiration for XXC. “It sort of combined the two things I loved,” he said, “riding long, and exploring, all on dirt. He kind of had it all in his head, this general sense of direction. I learned early on that ‘going for a little ride up north’ meant a 4-hour sufferfest.” He said that exploration makes Chicago a fun place to train.

For Dykema, another life-long Chicagoan, it’s a manifestation of a lifetime of bike love. “I grew up in the city, and only got to ride bikes when we visited my grandmother,” she said. “We were between Old Town and Near North [neighborhoods], and my parents were afraid of letting me have a bike – gangs would steal bikes from kids in the park at that time. But I grew up reading the Schwinn catalog, and at some point took a repair class from Turin bikes, and learned about bike culture. It was wonderful, and I wanted to know more!”

Chicago resident Brad Majors at the 2009 24 Hours of Big Bear Photo by Theresa Svoboda, iPlayoutside.com

Continued >

She remembers a “goofy” mountain bike race in Lincoln Park, where the promoters hosed down part of the park for racing around in circles in the muddy grass. The Specialized pro team attended the event, introducing Chicagoans to mountain bike racing. That, plus a grassy event later in the far northwestern suburbs on a horse farm, were the two closest, non- technical races accessible to city dwellers new to the sport. “To this day, I imagine some people in Chicago think that’s what mountain biking is all about,” she said. There were other events in the area as well, such as the Pumpkin Smash at Palos, the Northern Illinois Off-Road Series (NIORS), the DORC series in suburban Naperville, and the 12 Hours of Palos. There were more “local” races then than there are today.

For her part, Dykema began traveling to far-flung races, and credits early NORBA Nationals in Michigan and later in Minnesota, in addition to Chequamegon and the Cactus Cup in Galena, IL with helping to legitimize the sport in the minds of Midwesterners. She eventually took up 3-hour racing, and still competes at WORS XC events too. “I like the people, I like being a part of a community, you can go to a race anywhere and become a part of that community,” she said. “And I really like what happens out on the course. I’m a future-focused person, but instead of obsessing about the future, racing makes you be present in the moment, sharpens your mental skills.”

Plus, it’s a good escape, she said. “It’s like all the stuff you’ve been worried about all week, once the race starts it all goes away and you’re totally focused on what you’re doing,” she said. “And then you come home, and you spent all that time not thinking about it.”

Although other shops sell mountain bikes in the city, perhaps none is better known for its support o f XXC than Johnny Sprockets, with two locations in Chicago. As Palmer noted, they are fighting a bit of an uphill battle: “People come into the shop and say, ‘I used to mountain bike, but then I moved to Chicago,’ he said.

“I think it’s something we’ve subconsciously developed in the past,” he said. “We’re all mountain bi kers. We brought in brands like Niner, Pivot, specifically because they weren’t being represented in Chica go. That helps set us apart.”

Because the shop staff rides, “we really want to try to show people that this is something you can d o,” he said. “It’s almost more fun because it’s not so obvious, it doesn’t immediately pop up. It’s been th is thing that’s been this passion in the shop, and we sort of infect each new generation of employees. We jus t keep finding the right people until they buy a mountain bike -- I’ve harassed 3 different people thi s year alone!”

That said, “it’s not just a job, there’s a passion,” he continued. “If you talk to any of us about m ountain biking, you have to be prepared for a long conversation. We have that passion and we want to instill that in other people, share it.”

Palmer and other shop employees are XXC racers themselves, taking part in 24-hour races and select WEMS events, when the retail schedule will allow it. He has his own take on the urban “single track” along the lakefront: “At a certain point you know every square centimeter of those 18 miles,” he said. “My favorite little section is the gravel that runs behind the outhouse. I look forward to that. Somethi ng that isn’t pavement makes my tires feel a little skittish, just to get my body used to the beating is sta y on the gravel as much as possible. Pump up my tires, lock out my fork, pass people on the right -- they jus t hear that crushing gravel. Anything that’s not pavement is a welcome relief.”

And being in Chicago? It’s a source of pride. “Not to be too much of a fan boy, but seeing what othe r guys from Chicago do – you see it’s possible. It’s a symbol of something,” he said. “I could see it in ho w well Dan [Brennan, a friend and fellow XXCer] did at La Ruta in 2006. We were talking to all these guys from Crested Butte, Aspen – they had two questions: Where are you from, and what place are you in? The look of astonishment on their face when he said ‘Chicago’ was worth the suffering.”

“We used to joke: What’s the best training for hot tropical jungle? Cold, flat Midwest,” he continued. “But you’re only limited by your perception. For me, the success of Chicago racers negates excuses -- it’s been done. For the future, the thing I hope the most for is that there’s more of a community. Some sort of critical threshold – in tri it’s happening, and there’s no reason Chicago can’t shake off its meat and potatoes image, can coexist with guys running around in spandex.”


Sean Palmer of Johnny Sprockets Photo by Manuel Tenorio

Amy Dykema Photo by Gary Smit, xtrphoto.com

Continued >

Urizar has been giving that community a lot of thought in the past couple of years. He and Norton, along with fellow “Dirtbag” Brian Parker, began evangelizing getting dirty to the powerhouse XXX- AthletiCo team several years ago. Born from that was the annual “T.A.R.O.R.D.” (Take A Roadie Off- Road Day) at Palos, and trips to the 24 Hours of 9 Mile in Wausau, Wisconsin, with groups of riders who might otherwise never have ridden a mountain bike.

To continue the love, the trio conceived and built “The Bonebell” – thebonebell.com – an online clearinghouse of information and

community, centered around the Chicago dirt scene. “We realized very few teams from Chicago were going to these races, and it would be nice if we could help spread the word,” Urizar said. “We needed to help people rethink mountain bike riding – what you saw in a freeride video is what people thought mountain biking was like.”

They got together in late 2007, and decided that what they wanted to create is a place where people can find information, and discover for themselves how accessible mountain biking can be. “There are people out there doing it, it’s not just one or two whack jobs,” he said. “There’s an entire contingent from Chicago showing up for these long races. Where are they coming from? We know them, we wanted to create something that highlights them, distilling the information – it’s not just a fad or a passing item, this is something that can endure. We’d like to cultivate that.”

Urizar said information is key to breaking down barriers. “It’s not just racing, it’s also cycling advocacy, just getting people off-road,” he said. “When we mean off-road cycling, it’s more than the freeride mentality, it’s the entire concept of getting off-road, period -- where are the best places to get off-road, whether it be with your family or in preparation for a multi-hour endurance race.”

Ultimately, the vision is that The Bonebell will help create more opportunities. “Chicago has a stigma – but you can actually train very well,” he said. “You obviously have to ride a lot of road, but the off-road opportunities are there, you just need to use them in your training regimen. One of the things we’re trying to do with The Bonebell is work with local land managers to help CAMBR, highlighting access issues. On-line it’s easier to get the word out, get the attention to it.”

To that end, The Bonebell supports IMBA and CAMBR, along with World Bicycle Relief, with a portion of its proceeds of sales of branded merchandise. “That’s the epitome of mountain bike community,” he said. “We want to give that back to the rest of the cycling community, so they can peak in and learn about it.”


So while it may never rival the destinations of Moab or Pisgah, Chicago does have its allure for mountain bikers going for the long haul. From the die-hards at Johnny Sprockets; to the community-building efforts of the Bonebell, CAMBR and others; to the racers burning up the roads and trails and heading across the Cheddar Curtain each weekend, mountain biking is alive and well in the Windy City, and poised to make its own unique mark on the world of XXC.

Norton said one single moment he experienced summed up Chicago riding perfectly. “There I was, on beautiful single track. Out there all alone, with a lot of deer. I stopped, and there, all within my sight, was a blue heron, a homeless person and a buck with antlers. At that moment, a 747 flew overhead. The expressway was right there. I mean, where else are you going to get that?”




Click here or visit the XXCmag.com blog post titled “XXC Xtras” for more on how these Chicagoans train for XXC racing.

http://www.xxcmag.com/site/Windy_City_Training_1.html

XXC SEASON ONE: ISSUE FOUR PAGE 18 XXCMAG.COM Photo by Chris Strout.

http://www.worldbicyclerelief.org/



Photos by David Story, mombok.com

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Experiencing someplace new is one of the most alluring aspects of mountain biking, and racing is an easy way to find otherwise unknown rides in unfamiliar places. Of course soaking up the sights and sounds are often an afterthought when you tread the fine line between the ability to see straight and anaerobic implosion. The same holds true for ultra endurance events. After all, a 100-mile race is still that, a race. And while the pace is slower and there is more time, it is often difficult to focus on anything other than the fact that you are racing and it hurts.

As a grad student-turned-scientist I’ve been fortunate enough lug my bike along on work trips to Italy, New Zealand, and all over the US. And most often I end up racing, usually some place stunning, and then having to go back and take it all in the next day because I was too busy drooling all over my stem during the race. This summer brought a trip to Alaska, and as luck would have it there

just so happened to be a 100-miler going on. The plan was to race, spend a week on vacation with my family, and then get to work. I decided send to my bike home after the race, and was determined to use the race as a chance to experience Alaska’s backcountry, racing be damned.

The night before the start of the Soggy Bottom 100 I pedaled down to the Seaview Bar in Hope, Alaska looking for signs of a bike race. Self described as a grassroots gathering, with timing, but no prizes, the event seemed to suit my needs exactly. I could simultaneously satiate my competitive nature and enjoy the scenery. The requisite site of bike-laden cars, and a small cardboard sign posted on the railing of the bar gave me the all too familiar pre-race jitters. After some inquiry, I met Carlos Lozano, the organizer of the Soggy Bottom. An eager host, Carlos invited me into his sweet camper-van to escape the rain and get

info on the course. After a thorough description of the course, Carlos revealed an elegant glass trophy for the winner and a $100 prize for the first person to break the course record. My plan flew out the window.

The course for the Soggy Bottom was rather unique in that it was an out-and-back that had riders traveling both directions on the same trails. Because of this participation was limited to roughly 50 riders. From Hope the course covers 5 miles on mostly dirt road to the Resurrection Creek Trail. After a gradual 25-mile climb to Resurrection Pass, the trail descends for 12 miles to checkpoint 1 at the Coopers Landing trailhead. From here the course climbs back to Resurrection Pass on the same trail, and then descends for approximately 10 miles on the Devil’s Creek trail to the trailhead and checkpoint 2. From here it is back up to Resurrection Pass, and then continuing down the Resurrection Creek Trail to finish at the bar in Hope.

Early morning mist was nearly gone for the 9:00 am start. A sizable crowd of supporters and curious fisherman witnessed the departure of nearly 40 riders from the Sea View Bar. In lieu of a warm up I went to the front of the race and set a stiff, but not blistering, pace that saw a group of six emerge a few miles up the road. Not long after we hit the trail a lone rider started to creep away, and after some initial hesitation I made my way across to him and away we went. Evan, the eventual winner, and current course record holder, is an Anchorage ex-pat, chasing the pro cycling dream in Utah. We rode upstream weaving through willow filled floodplains – an ideal place for a bear to take a rest from fishing - at a conversational pace. I learned that Evan had just come from elite road national and undoubtedly carried along good form too. His form, and the fact that he was between any unsuspecting bear, and me made me happy to be on his wheel.


Before long we climbed into forests of black and white spruce, the valley walls closed in and pushed us upwards. The steady rhythm of gradual climbing was intermittently interrupted by small drainages flowing into the main stem of Resurrection Creek. Evan’s chain broke as we ascended one of said drainages and I found myself in the lead. After assuring me he had everything necessary for the repair, Evan promised he’d be coming for me. Given the seriousness of his threat, I upped the pace. Soon thereafter the grade decreased, and the tree cover became less dense. Treeless peaks made themselves visible as I neared the alpine valley that constitutes Resurrection Pass.

A weathered wooden sign marked Resurrection Pass. I wanted to stop and soak it up. But, I was feeling pretty good, and in the lead. The morning’s climb had been comprised mostly of double track, not to be derogatory; it had roots, technical bits, and lines. Double track is good, and this double track was great. Single track is better. Near Resurrection Pass the trail narrowed to single track. It was tight, and a little twisty, dry, and a little loose. This section of trail is the kind of trail that you wish would never end. It meandered back and forth across the valley, circumnavigating azure lakes.

Continued >

Cruising sweet Soggy Bottom trails. Photo by David Story, mombok.com


Descending towards the Coopers Landing trailhead, a large black head popped up above the brush to witness my approach, alerted no doubt by the bells on my bag, the only piece of equipment required. Unable to see ahead on the trail, I stopped and yelled, challenging the bear to a death match. It ran away. Just then Evan caught up to me, and we high-tailed it out of there. After a bit of steep stuff the trail flattened out and I found myself chasing, in second place. After one last steep section I was at the first checkpoint, refueling with a peanut butter and Nutella sandwich, and in no particular hurry to leave.

Right away I knew the climb out wasn’t going to be fun. There are worse climbs than the one leading from Coopers Landing to Resurrection pass. It has two steep sections that are several miles in length apiece, punctuated by a longer rolling flat stretch in between. My legs weren’t interested in riding fast at all, so I maintained a steady pace and thought about the sweet riding awaiting me at the top of the climb. When I arrived there over an hour later my chances of catching the leader had greatly diminished.

Since the race was not much more than half over, and there were only two checkpoints, I took the opportunity to grab some food and even snap a few photos. There were a few spectators and even a photographer and I chatted with them for a moment. The view back down the valley was great, and I was truly enjoying it. Before long Chuck DiMarzio and Pete Basinger came into view, and my racer instinct said time to go.

The Devils Creek trail was unquestionably the highlight of my race. Devils Pass itself was slightly higher and flatter than nearby Resurrection Pass. As such tussock tundra was the dominant vegetation and the trail stretched endlessly to the horizon. As a rider from the east coast accustomed to riding in temperate forests this was completely different. The landscape was expansive, and this made me acutely aware of my diminutive stature in the grand scheme of things. Eventually the trail, like Devils Creek, plummeted into the valley below. The descent was treacherously fast with a false flat at the bottom.

Some of the “soggy” in the Soggy Bottom. Photos by David Story, mombok.com

Continued >


With two riders not far behind, I wasted little time at checkpoint two. The out-and-back nature of the course made it easy to know where your competitors were. I had passed the leader early on in the descent and knew that he was at least 30 minutes ahead of me. However I soon found out just how close behind me the third place rider was. The climb up Devils Creek did not go well for me, at all. I cursed my 30t little ring and choked down a gel. If I could just make it back to Resurrection Pass I thought, I should be able to hold onto second place. Near the top of the climb Chuck DiMarzio passed me like I was pretty much standing still.

Back in the pass I was actually able to pick up the pace and keep second place in sight. It was easy to make myself go fast when the trail was so fun. I yo-yoed back and forth, at times coming within 10 meters of second, only to have him open up a big gap again. As we neared Resurrection Pass, and the beginning of the final descent back to Hope, the gap began to steadily grow. I began plotting my comeback, and even considering the possibility of a tactical finish, when it dawned on me that I was about to blow right by the place I had wanted to stop at early in the morning. And why, so that I could, maybe, get second place? As I dug through my pack for the camera and some food the urgency of bike racing melted away. I was enjoying the moment, and it was great.

The Soggy Bottom 100 is a no-frills affair, organized by the Alaska Endurance Association. The route is reportedly just over 109 miles in length. Like many events riders are, for legal purposes, on a self-supported solo excursion. Given the remote nature and inaccessibility of most of the course there are only two checkpoints, and these are minimally stocked. Riders are advised to have their own support, although as an out of towner I was treated very well, and Carlos, the organizer, went out of his way to make sure all my needs were met.

Like any good 100, the after party is great. Most racers camp at the start/ finish, directly across the street from the bar. The town of Hope is less than two hours from Anchorage, on the Kenai Peninsula. Everyone I met was more than eager to offer advice on where to ride, and I suspect it would be easy to spend a week riding in the area. Alaska is a hard place to get to, but if you ever go you need to do the Soggy Bottom 100.

Check the Alaska Endurance Association section of the AKspokes.com forums for more info.

Vistit www.mombok.com to see more of David Story’s photography.

Photo by David Story, mombok.com

XXC SEASON ONE: ISSUE FOUR PAGE 24 XXCMAG.COM C ontinu ed >

O ver the past w eeks I’ve been stru g g ling to find the tim e, energ y, and the creative ju ices to w rite som ething abou t m y experience on the C olorado Trail. I’m beg inning to realize w hy folks don’t w rite m u ch abou t big events su ch as these. It’s ju st so difficu lt to pu t su ch an im m ense experience into w ords on paper. D ays spent in the su n, evenings spent in the rain, nig hts spent in the cold on u nfam iliar grou nd, and m ornings spent in the cold pre-daw n glow all w hile plodding slow ly (at tim es very slow ly) tow ards a goal that seem s so far aw ay. Su re, I’ve spent a lot of tim e ou t of doors in m y life pu rsu ing different ou tdoor and athletic pu rsu its; how ever the w orld of m u lti-day m ou ntain bike “racing” w as and still is V E RY new to m e. So, m y largest goal for the event w as pou r the ego ou t of m y cu p and fill it w ith experience and know ledge for events su ch as this. I w as at the start line w ith rou g hly 6 w eeks of prep tim e, good fitness, and open eyes. W hat I experienced over the next w eek is near im possible to convey on paper or even in pictu res, and anyone w ho w as ou t there know s this. H ow ever, here are som e w ords on paper...


The story starts in Ju ne w hen a good friend and m y brother convinced m e to su ck it u p and try C TR this season. I ju st w asn’t getting the experiences I craved from the races I did this spring, (not m u ch adventu re or com m itm ent needed for an XC race) so I w as in search of som e good old fashioned adventu ring. Fast forw ard 6 w eeks and I’m su ddenly at W aterton C anyon trailhead w ith packed bags and a g iddy m ood. I say hi to the folks I know, adm ire D ave N ice and his plentifu l booze su pply for the jou rney ahead, eat som e m ore Poptarts, drink som e m ore coffee, and before I knew it w e w ere riding. C hatter on the roll ou t w as plentifu l and I w as fu ll of anticipation to pu t som e m iles u nder the tires. The first few sections flew by and I w as settling into a groove fast. I stopped in B ailey for som e liqu ids and som e ice cream before

heading ou t on hig hw ay 285. Tw ice on the hig hw ay I saw am bu lances ru shing u p the road and tw ice I feared it w as for a racer, bu t tu rns ou t everyone m ade it to K enosha Pass ju st fine. Ju st after K enosha Pass I cam e u pon Scott M orris, Stefan G riebel, Jason Shelm an, and E than Passant, w e w aited ou t a brief rain storm below G eorg ia Pass before continu ing on. O nce over G eorg ia I knew the trail and m ade qu ick tim e to G old H ill w here I stopped to m ake som e dinner and w as soon joined by Scott M orris and Stefan G reibel again. A fter dark, Scott and I m ade ou r w ay partly u p 10 m ile before stopping for the nig ht. W e both didn’t w ant to pu sh too hard the first day know ing that there w as still 370+ m iles to go. I w as still fu ll of adrenaline so sleep w as... so-so.

Georgia Pass

Rolling out for CTR09


D ay tw o started w ith m u ch anticipation and w e w ere m oving a shade before 4:30. B eing above tree line for su nrise is an incredible experience, even if I w as pu shing m y bike. The pictu res I took u p on 10 M ile don’t do it ju stice, and the m ental stoke batteries w ere fu lly recharged by abou t 6am . The sig n of a good day to com e. Scott and I stopped for a qu ick breakfast at C opper m ou ntain before heading u p to Searl and K okom o Pass. I hit a w all on the w ay u p, bu t a brief rest ju st below tree line perked m e u p. B etw een the tw o passes w e cam e u pon D ave H arris w ho w as ju st chipper as can be (ok so he w as chipper(ish) bu t the altitu de w as g iving him a rou g h go of things). A fter K okom o Pass, bom bing dow n to C am p H ale throu g h fields of w ildflow ers w as a hig hlig ht of the trip and doing it w ith D ave H arris and Scott M orris (tw o g u ys w ho have

been to the rodeo a few tim es) w as even better. O nce back below 10K or so, D ave’s eng ine starts to fire on m ore than one cylinder so he w as off like a cheetah on speed. Scott and I rolled into L eadville and prom ptly fou nd the first bu rrito stand in tow n. D ave’s Spot show ed him at a u ber-shady hotel, bu t tu rns ou t he cashed in at the su per ocho, so w e scooted ou tta tow n. D arkness fou nd Scott and I arou nd Tw in L akes u nder a fu ll m oon. The trail w as fast and m y m ental clou d had cleared so I w as having a great tim e floating along alongside the lake u nder a fu ll m oon w hile thinking to m yself “This is w hy I ride bikes”. It’s am azing how even w hen you r body is exhau sted, all it takes is som e beau ty to clear the m ental haze and instantly charge the stoke batteries.



Ju st as I opened m y eyeballs the next m orning, D ave rode past (he had left the hotel at 2 am ) w e all exchanged a few w ords and I m ade a com m ent as I slow ly stood u p from m y bivy - “Is this w hat it feels like to be old?”. W ell, a w ord to the w ise, don’t m ention old m an in the presence of D ave H arris - he m ay take it personally - H A . A s I saddled u p, I noticed that I felt better than the day before - good stu ff. L ater that m orning w e m ade it to B u ena V ista and Scott and I once again headed to the first bu rrito shop w e saw, bu t this tim e I packed an extra one in m y bag. 2lbs of beans and sou r cream is som e seriou s fu el! Then off to C ity M arket w here w e fou nd D ave H arris hu nkered dow n on a picnic table su rrou nded by food. A fu ll box of C hex anyone? I filled every nook and cranny w ith food and crossed m y fingers that it w ou ld last the 200+ m iles of hellish trail to Silverton, the next su pply point. In hindsig ht, I shou ld have cou nted m ore carefu lly, bu t hey, I’m not su re I cou ld of fit m u ch m ore in anyw ay. L ater in the afternoon ju st after Princeton H ot Springs, m y bike su ddenly groaned and then I w as su ddenly pedaling air. W hat the? A closer look revealed a shattered granny gear. C rap!

So, I pu shed u p the steep hike-a-bike w ith Scott and rode to the first jeep road that headed dow n tow ards Salida. W e parted w ays, and I bom bed nearly 20 m iles and 2000 feet into Salida hoping to get there before the shop closed. A ll of a su dden I w as riding alone for really the first tim e in 3 days. It w as a bit odd. Scott and I had a nice rhythm going and being solo so abru ptly w as a bit strange. I m ade qu ick tim e in tow n and w as back to w here I left the trail ju st a few m in after dark. A t this point m y m ind clicked back on and I pou nded ou t the m iles u ntil 2 am . I passed a few people stopped on the trail and spoke w ith a few w ho later said I w as talking so fast they cou ld hardly u nderstand w hat I w as saying… .I w as O N ! I stopped not becau se I w as tired, bu t becau se I knew I needed to get sleep for the days to com e. In fact, m y m ind w as racing and it took m e aw hile to fall asleep....m aybe I shou ld have ridden all nig ht?

Downhill into Buena Vista

A shattered granny.

D ay 4 started ou t w ell, and by this point m y rear had hardened and the legs had pu shed ou t som e fatig u e. I cou ld fall into a rhythm easily and ju st let the hou rs slip by. Fooses C reek, M arshall Pass, and M onarch C rest, all gone in a haze. A t som e point at the start of Sargents M esa, I ran in to C hu ck Ray from N ederland as he w as patching a tire. I stopped to chat and before I knew it w e w ere riding together and riding w ell. H ig h alpine m eadow s w ere passing u nder ou r tread and I w as lovin’ life. Then arou nd dark, the w ind picked u p and it began to rain. First, straig ht rain, then diagonal rain, then com pletely sidew ays rain. W e qu ickly pu t on ou r shells and then began to bom b throu g h the m eadow s in search of som e thicker trees to take shelter in. E ver fly (w ay too fast) on narrow single track in a m eadow at 11K , in com plete darkness, in cold sidew ays rain? W ell, tru th be told, it’s kinda fu n actu ally. C hu ck and I fou nd som e trees and to the best of C hu cks know ledge, the next section w as su per slow so w e decided to hu nker dow n early, eat som e food and try to stay dry.....it kinda w orked... K inda.

The next m orning w e pou nded ou t the next bit of trail, w hich tu rned ou t to not be bad at all, and as w e noticed, it didn’t hardly rain another few m iles u p the trail....fig u res. W e finished of another section before starting the L a G arita W ilderness detou r. It started fast, bu t soon w e fou nd ou rselves battling a severe headw ind. “W e” by the w ay, w as a trio at this point as w e joined u p w ith B rian Taylor from B ou lder earlier that day. The road w ent fast bu t the riding w as tiring. A s w e neared the end of the detou r the w ind really picked u p and it even started to rain a bit. E arlier in the day I had started to take seriou s note of m y food su pply, I knew sections 22 & 23 w ere going to be agonizing ly slow bu t I w as starting to have serou s dou bts abou t w hat I had. A t the end of the detou r w e started tow ards Spring C reek Pass and to m ake a long story short I stopped and laid ou t m y food and options ju st to be su re. Rou g hly 900 calories w as all I had, and that w as for dinner and all of sections 22 & 23 and into Silverton. I had already been skim ping and that w as less that I cou ld have easily eaten for dinner. C hu ck w as in a sim ilar situ ation so w e decided to do the sm art thing and bail to L ake C ity. Su re w e cou ld have m aybe hu nted a M arm ot, eaten rocks or som ething, bu t starting those sections ju st w as not a sm art m ove.


The slog out of Fooses Creek.


W e gave B rian som e of the food w e had since he w as continu ing on and started riding dow n into L ake C ity in the dark. It w as a very difficu lt choice to m ake since I have never not finished a race I’ve started in 10 years of racing bikes in som e capacity. H ow ever, it w as the sm art m ove and in m y head I’m happy know ing that I w as capable of m aking the sm art call instead of being stu bborn abou t it.

O nce in tow n C hu ck and I fou nd the only open restau rant and (tru e to ou r lu ck) ju st as w e w alked inside they said the kitchen w as closed...fig u res. So w e ate the cold pizza they had on display and w hatever else w as in ou t eyesig ht w hile standing at the cou nter and that they w ou ld sell u s. C old nachos, dry cake, cold pizza, heck yeah w e’ll take it all! C hu ck and I then attem pted to find a hotel for the nig ht, bu t they w ere all booked u p by Texans, so w e did the only log ical thing, w ent to the bar, had som e PB R, and then rolled ou t of tow n and cam ped in som e bu shes next to the river. It rained on u s again.

The next day w e ate breakfast in tow n and fou nd a local w ho w as w illing to g ive u s a ride u p to the top of C innam on Pass (the old C TR rou te). A ctu ally he fou nd u s, bu t that’s a com pletely different story for a different day. So w e ju m ped in his janky tru ck and he 4 w heeled u s to the top. It w as a bit sketchy at tim es, bu t w e got to the top in one piece. C hu ck and I then rode dow n into Silverton stopping at several old m ining sig hts to do the tou rist thing. O nce in Silverton, I ate lu nch w ith C hu ck and his fam ily before w e split paths. I loaded u p on food and starting riding u p to M olas Pass solo. O nce there I stopped early and enjoyed a nice su nset and a big cam p dinner. I had fou nd a sw eet cam p spot w ith a nice view of a lake and it w as m ade even better w hen arou nd du sk som ew here back in the w oods som eone began picking aw ay at a banjo...perfect. XXC SEASON ONE: ISSUE FOUR PAGE 31 XXCMAG.COM

C ontinu ed >

Bored waiting for dinnner.

I w oke before su nrise and frozen. Sleeping in a w et bag for the 3rd nig ht in a row w as a tad u ncom fo rtable, bu t the last nig ht I w as arou nd 12K so it got darn cold. So cold in fact that m y w ater bottles had frozen. I w asn’t horribly cold bu t cold enou g h to not sleep. So, I got u p, started som e coffee and m u nched on som e frozen bars for breakfast. The rest of the da y I m ade m y w ay dow n into D u rango. I even ran into a friend at a gas station, w hich I w as not expecting bu t it did pick m e u p a bit. O nce in tow n I crashed in a park, let m y ride know w here I w as, and passed ou t for a few hou rs u ntil she fou nd m e sleeping in a su nny patch of grass.

So in the end, I’m content know ing that I m ade the w ise call and that physically I cou ld of easily c ontinu ed on. A lso keeping it together m entally after breaking m y chainring w as a little victory in m y m ind. I learned a lot, saw som e am azing things, m ade som e new friends, and got to ride m y bike throu g h the m ou ntains for a w eek. So can I really com plain ?

C ongrats to everyone w ho finished!



Photo by Tom Doyle

WOMEN 1 Betsy Shogren (Cannondale Factory Racing) 2 Karen Potter (www.bikect.com/Danielson) 3 Danielle Musto (Kenda/Tomac/Hayes) 4 Brenda Simril (Motor Mile Racing) 5 Laureen Coffelt (RB’s cyclery) 6 Denelle Grant (Bike Factory Racing/Gary Fisher 29er) 7 Emily Brock (Faster Mustache)

MEN 1 Jeff Schalk (Trek Racing Co-Op) 2 Christian Tanguy (Team Fraser/Cannondale) 3 Chris Eatough (Trek Racing Co-Op) 4 Michael Simonson (Gary Fisher 29er Crew) 5 Josh Tostado (Bach Builders) 6 Rob Lichtenwalner (visitpa.com) 7 Greg Kuhn (Team Fraser) 8 Garth Prosser (Cannondale) 9 Andrew Gorski (Speedgoat/SPK/Salsa) 10 Aaron Oakes (Bulldog/Cyclecraft) 11 Andy Applegate (Champion Systems/Cannondale) 12 Ryan Heerschap (Team Bulldog/Cycle Craft) 13 Justin Farmer (JF2R/Bicycle World Rgv/Clif Bar) 14 Kristofer Karwisch (Biowheels/Reece-Campbell) 15 Bradley Schmalzer (Team Bikeman.Com/Twin Six/Kenda) 16 Lee Simril (Motor Mile Racing) 17 Christian Baks (Pawling Cycles) 18 Doug Milliken (Team Latitude/ARBT) 19 Mac Johansen (Blue Sky Velo) 20 Martin Kozera 21 Vincent Schultz 22 Jason Mahokey (XXCMAG.COM/Pro Bikes) 23 Jeff Plassman (Margaret) 24 Timothy Koch (Gripped Racing) 25 John Griffiths (NYCMTB-Peak Bikes)

SINGLE SPEED 1 Gerald Pflug (Speedgoat/SPK) 2 Roger Masse (Tiek Racing Coop) 3 Matthew Ferrari (Freeze Thaw Cycles) 4 Gunnar Shogren (Cannondale Factory Racing) 5 Mark Elsasser (Independent Fabrication) 6 Ronald Sanborn (Mclaw’s Cycle & Fitness) 7 Russel Henderson (NCCX /Industry Nine) 8 Jason Morgan (I9) 9 Nathan Kraxberger (Sid’s-Cannondale) 10 Dave Holmes (Gary Fisher 29er Crew) 11 Brad Wagner (Team Afd)

MASTERS MEN 1 John Williams (Bike Line of Newark, Delaware) 2 David Kelnberger (Fisher 29er Crew) 3 James Wilson (Human Zoom) 4 John Wyrick (Bio Wheels) 5 Ed McCalley (Bike Zoo /Team Ed) 6 Mathew Davies (Hudson Valley Velo Club)

results NUE’ 09

*Final results listed are that of racers finishing four or more races and qualifying for the overall series. For more information on the NUE series visit usmtb100.com.

< Karen Potter

(2nd Women’s overall) and Betsy Shogren

(1st Women’s overall) celebrate with Pua Sawicki

on the Wilderness 101 podium. >

Jeff Schalk took his second Men’s

NUE title in 2009. Photos by

Michael Hermann

http://www.usmtb100.com/


Photo by Jack Kunnen

one gear and a series title G erry Pflug Interview:

one gear and a series title G erry Pflug Interview:

XXC talks with 2009 NUE Single Speed Series winner Gerry Pflug > XXC talks with 2009 NUE Single Speed Series winner Gerry Pflug >

XXC: You raced the NUE series geared in 2008? What made you decide to go single speed in 2009?

Pflug: I can’t say exactly what made me switch over from the open class to racing the single speed class for sure. I think it was the combination of needing a new challenge, being sick of doing drivetrain maintenance and also the fact that I rode my single speed a lot during the off season.

XXC: Was there a particular race that you thought suited a single speed perfectly?

Pflug: The best course for a single speed would be the Lumberjack 100. The course is just fast and flowing single track with no major climbs or long open sections to slow the speed of a single speeder down.

XXC: Was there a NUE race this year that at some point you thought “why in the hell did I go with the single speed?

Pflug: The thought of why I torture myself the way I do (singlespeed or not) goes through my head at every NUE race. I seem to question my sanity every time I do a 100 mile mtb race. I think the difficulty and challenge of competing at a NUE Race is why I like doing them so much. With all of that said, though, the toughest course for me, by far, was the Breckenridge 100 this year. I think the combination of the high altitude and super long climbs there was what made the course a single speed killer.

XXC: Can you share a bit about your ‘09 race bike and set up?

Pflug: The bike I raced at most of the NUE Series Races in 2009 was a stock 19” Kona Big Unit 29er. Up front, I ran a Rockshox Reba Race Front Suspension Fork, or a White Bros Rock Solid Carbon Fork (depending on how technical the course was). For wheels, I used either Mavic Crossmax or Fulcrum Red Metal UST Wheels. The cranks I used were made by Middleburn and they had a one piece 32T chainring mounted. The other stuff on my bike was a mix and match of other parts to complete the build. I learned over the years to not always use the lightest stuff on my bike because I have a tendency to be a bit hard on my equipment.

XXC: What sorts of rides do you find yourself doing in a given week and what bike do you find yourself on the most?

Pflug: During the summer, I almost exclusively ride on my single speed 29er. I use it on everything from roads to trails to fire roads. I keep the gear a little stiffer than what I would use for racing and use it as a Swiss Army Knife, do anything type of bike. If I have a road race coming up, I will ride my road bike for a few days before the race to become reacquainted with it. Now, with cross season being here, I will pretty much always ride either my single speed cross bike or my racing cross bike. I am kind of unique when it comes to training. I don’t have a coach. I don’t use a heart rate monitor or power meter. I don’t have a specific training program or really follow any type of schedule or program. Basically, I just like to ride and have fun with it. If it feels like a chore or something I don’t want to do, I have learned not to do it.


Gerry Pflug on his way to the single speed victory at the 2009 Wilderness 101. Photo by Bob Popovich

“Basically, I just like to ride and have fun with it. If it feels like a

chore or something I don’t want to do, I have learned not to do it.”

XXC: Rich Dillen (www.teamdicky.blogspot.com) reported that you eat Lebanese Salami for breakfast and the forearms of aid station volunteers during the race, but somehow I don’t believe that, ha! What sort of nutrition do you favor during the 100 mile races?

Pflug: I would love to know how Rich found out about my top secret diet. He claims he learned about it on Facebook, but even my closest friends were unaware of my strange, but effective diet. I am still upset at him for disclosing my personal diet information. Seriously, though, I really don’t have any “must haves” for the NUE races. I usually pack one or two gel flasks, two energy bars of some kind and some Fig Newton cookies. I will grab some chips and other various stuff along the way if I feel like I need it. For hydration, I use about 3-4 bottles of water and 3-4 bottles of some type of energy drink like Gatorade or Heed. I also find that a swig of Coke later in a race is always nice for a quick boost of energy.

XXC: How do you balance a full time job, family, and training?

Pflug: I really don’t know how I do it to be honest with you. I can tell you it is hard and stressful thing to do at times, as I am sure everyone else will tell you that has to find time for all of this stuff. I can certainly say having a wife that is as understanding as mine is about riding and racing is a huge help. She has definitely been a big help and very understanding about my riding. I think most other women would have kicked me to the curb a long time ago. A lot of my ride time comes from commuting back and forth to work on my bike. I think over time I have just found a way to balance my training/racing around my family and job.

XXC: You’ve been racing for a long time. What keeps you motivated and coming back each year?

Pflug: It has been a long time. I started racing BMX in 1980, switched to road racing in 1984 and then added mountain bikes to the mix in 1989. I think my motivation comes from the enjoyment I find from riding my bike. I am really not out to conquer the world by racing my bike. I ride to have fun and racing just adds to the enjoyment of it all.

XXC: What’s winter training like? Just cross, or do mix in some other activities to keep fit until March or April?

Pflug: From September until December, my life is almost exclusively cross riding and racing. Once cyclocross season ends, I do all kinds of things including: downhill skiing, XC skiing, snowshoeing, running, weights, cardio equipment stuff, hiking and pretty much anything else to stay active. By late January or February, I will start logging some longer miles on the bike again.

XXC: While many racers slow down as they age, you seem to actually be getting faster! What do you credit that to? Do you do anything differently now then say when your were 25 or 30?

Pflug: Man, you do ask some tough questions. This is a question that is hard for me to answer, since I do not keep a log of my fitness activities. I don’t feel like I am doing anything different. I have always been one to just go out and do long rides. Maybe all of that riding over time is what has given me a competitive advantage over others.


“I am really not out to conquer the world by racing my bike. I ride to have fun and racing just adds to

the enjoyment of it all.”

Gerry enjoying some well earned winners champagne. Photo by Michael Hermann

XXC: You have had success at multiple disciplines; cross, road, xc, and xxc racing. Hell you even raced BMX! Is there one format that you find you love the most and why? Or do you find they all play a part in your fitness and motivation?

Pflug: To give the best answer to this question, let me explain my racing history a little better. As I mentioned, my cycling life started with the BMX bike. I rode that thing like a nut everyday when I was a kid. I would take it out on long rides (20+ miles at the age of 12), build jumps, do freestyle stuff with it, and of course race it. I attribute my bike handling skills to this early BMX riding. I started racing road bikes after buying a road bike to train for BMX racing. I soon found that I enjoyed riding my road bike more than my BMX bike. Not long after buying my road bike, I gave up the BMX bike altogether and started racing road. If mountain bikes and mtb racing was as advanced back then as it is now, I bet that I would have skipped the road racing thing and gone straight to the mtb. But, since mtb racing was pretty much nonexistent back then, I pretty much became a pure roadie until the early 1990s. I did a few mtb races during college, but did not become fully absorbed into mtb racing until the mid 1990s. Since that time, I have continued to do some road racing every year along with all of my mountain bike riding. Cyclocross racing was not real big in the Pittsburgh area and even nationally until fairly recently. I have taken cross pretty seriously during the last five years, but this is the first year where I will be doing cross racing exclusively from September until December. So, basically, each bike has a purpose for me and they all still play an active role in my racing, except for BMX.

XXC: Will you be back racing the NUE events in 2010 on your single speed?

Pflug: I do plan to return to the NUE Series in 2010. After I did the Shenandoah 100 with gears, I decided that I definitely liked the challenge of using a single speed bike more than my geared bike for these long races.

To read more about Gerry’s 2009 season and his coming cross season check out his blog at at spkgoaters.blogspot.com.


2009 season highlights: “I definitely liked the challenge of using a single speed bike

more than my geared bike for these long races.”

This place reserved for lowbrow comment about Gerry’s “Big Unit”. Photo by Gerry Pflug

2009 Cohutta 100: 1st Place Single Speed 2009 WVMBA XC #2: 1st Place Single Speed (won racing with no seat for 16 miles!) 2009 Mohican 100: DNF due to mechanical issue

2009 Stoopid 50: 1st Place Single Speed 2009 Lumberjack 100: 1st Place Single Speed 2009 WVMBA Wayne Ultra: 1st Place 2009 Breckinridge 100: 2nd Place Single Speed

2009 Wilderness 101: 1st Place Single Speed 2009 Fools Gold 100: 1st Place Single Speed 2009 Shenandoah 100: 9th Place (Geared) 2009 NUE Single Speed Series Title

http://spkgoaters.blogspot.com/


Photo by Michael Hermann


Photo by Abram Landes, aelandesphotography.com














Photo by Abram Landes, aelandesphotography.com Photo by Abram Landes, aelandesphotography.com





http://princetontec.com/

XXC SEASON ONE: ISSUE FOUR PAGE 49 XXCMAG.COM Words and photos by Joolze Dymond


Septem ber 5th, 2009 is a date that w ill be etched on m any m ountain bikers’ m inds as a day w hen enduro history w as m ade and the m arathon racing bar raised in the U K , w hen the inaugural M ontane K ielder 100 got underw ay. B oasting a 100 hu ndred-m ile loop that w ou ld take riders ou t of their com fort zones and far beyond, the M ontane K ielder 100 race w as a race like no other. The idea inspired by sim ilar events in the U SA , w as alw ays going to stru g g le w ith no

Racing through the damp and misty landscape. Photo by Joolze Dymond, joolzedymond.com

Continued >

racing allow ed on bridlew ays in the U K and the sheer scale of the land involved. Stepping u p to the m ark w as the K ielder Partnership along w ith the Forestry C om m ission w ho w ere m ore than delig hted to be part of B ritish history m aking and so the trails of K ielder Forest and N ew castleton w ere u tilised to bring the dream of 1 lap, 1 rider, 1 race, 100 m iles to life. M ontane stepped in early on w ith their su pport, along w ith A ccelerade, w ho provided m u ch needed energ y bu rsts, U SE , Sing u lar, Joolze D ym ond Photography, Pu rple M ou ntain, Saddle Skedaddle and XC Racer and as they say the rest is now indeed history!


In the ou tset the organisers w ere only expecting a sm attering of entries, a 100 riders at best, expecting ju st 20 to finish and perhaps m aybe ju st one death along the w ay. A s it w as, over dou ble that nu m ber actu ally entered w ith 200 riders from near and far, (som e as far aw ay as A m erica and Sw itzerland m aking this a tru ly international race) actu ally lining u p on an early brisk Satu rday m orning to take on the challenge and see if they cou ld w in… It w as to be a race not only against each other bu t also against physical and m ental tiredness, not to m ention the clock as the tou g h and u nrelenting cou rse took a harsh toll throu g hou t the day. C onditions w ere ideal, w ell it w asn’t raining for a start and the cool bu t calm w eather saw the race beg in in earnest. W isely the organisers had strateg ically pu t into place 4 cu t offs, w ith riders expecting to average 8m ph to reach each one in plenty of tim e to continu e on. For m any it w as a m ile too far and as the day w ore on the race becam e a real battle of attrition w ith rider after rider finding them selves defeated by the task in hand. First casu alty of the day cam e after ju st 2 m iles as sing le speeder M arty’s freehu b exploded, leaving a short bu t disappointing w alk back hom e w atching as the clou ds of du st w hipped u p by hu ndreds of riders disappeared over the horizon.

The cou rse itself w as pieced together w ith local know ledge from Sim on B anks, w ho threaded the trails effectively arou nd the valleys, w eaving this w ay and that, constantly clim bing or descending, hooking u p stu nning technical single track w ith gru elling, fire track slogs, interspersed w ith the occasional pu ddle of doom , w hich cou ld occasionally sw allow a biker w hole… O ne of the m any hig hlig hts, apart from the m u ch needed food stations w as the epic crossing of the Scottish border, entering reiver (raiders) cou ntry, an area renow ned for centu ries for raiding, theft, constant fear and m isery. The crossing point w as m arked w ith a fanfare from a lone piper along w ith stream s of bu nting, Scottish Saltpetre’s com peting w ith St.G eorge C ross flags. A s the riders em erged from the heavy m ist they reached for a ‘crossing’ fee w ith w hich to pay the piper thu s ensu ring sm ooth passage into Scottish lands. It soon becam e apparent to all involved that the reiver repu tation has long since been replaced by a m u ch friendlier ou tlook and riders w ere greeted at the N ew castleton feed station and throu g hou t the race w ith incredible enthu siasm from local people w ho volu nteered to help. A disappointing walk home.

Photos by Joolze Dymond, joolzedymond.com

Continued >

“...stunning technical single track w ith gruelling, fire track slogs, interspersed w ith the occasional puddle of doom , w hich

could occasionally sw allow a biker w hole...”


Continued >

A s the race u nfolded, all the categories u p for grabs in this u niqu e race w ere close fou g ht affairs w ith ju st a handfu l of m inu tes separating the w inners from the ru nners u p in m ost occasions, w hich in the epic scale of rac ing for w ell over 8 hou rs is an incredible achievem ent for all involved. Rig ht from the start a sm all band of riders s oon m ade it apparent that they w ere keen to take the first title in the open m en’s field and as su ch they qu ickly establi shed a pu nishing tem po that opened u p a considerable lead. In this com pact grou p w ere international endu ro specialist Ian L eitch, along w ith

elite riders Sim on E arnest, A u stralian M ike B lew itt, N eal C ram pton and K eith Jones. B y the crossing point this had dw indled dow n to 3, w ith C ram pton taking them into Scotland, closely follow ed by B lew itt and E ar nest. L eitch having pu nctu red now fou nd him self in no m ans land as he fou g ht on in 4th spot trying hard to bridge

the gap. Finally after nearly 8 and half hou rs in the saddle at fu ll effort, N eal C ram pton crossed the line to take the first 100-m ile off road race w in after a tou g h fig ht. Sim on E arnest follow ed ju st 3 m in s later

to take second w hile A u stralian M ike B lew itt cam e hom e after a m echincal problem ou t on the trail, 11 m inu tes later in 3rd. In fact ju st 35 m ins separated the top 8 finishers in the m en’s open,

a real close call w here anything cou ld of happened to u pset the balance in the closing tages as riders fou nd their brake blocks

being hu ngrily devou red by rou g h K ielder grit.

Keeping it moving through the Kielder grit. Photo by Joolze Dymond, joolzedymond.com


Continued >

Women’s winner Mel Alexander finished in just over 10 hours. Photo by Joolze Dymond, joolzedymond.com

In the w om en’s race, M el A lexander fresh from 2 w eeks in the Sw iss A lps took control half w ay throu g h the race relieving Jenn H opkins of her early lead. A lexander continu ed her focu sed ride to com plete the race in ju st over 10 hou rs; H opkins claim ed second 43 m ins later, w hile A m y B aron-H all picked u p 3rd w ith her sterling ride. H er 12hrs and 18 m ins doesn’t sou nd too great in com parison to H opkins and A lexander bu t w hen you factor in that she rode the fu ll distance on a rig id sing lespeed it brings it all into perspective! H er epic ride saw her pick u p another prize as the first fem ale singlespeeder too. A rou nd 20 or so SS ers (Sim ply Sadistic or single speeders how ever you w ant to look at it!) took part, m aking this


Continued >

tou g h race, even tou g her! Pau l E rring ton took the honou rs in this category after a show dow n w ith D ean Taylor along the w ay!

In the m en’s vets race it w as yet another show dow n of tw o closely m atched rivals, M ichael Pow ell and N ational M arathon C ham pion D avid H ayw ard. In fact H ayw ard w as relu ctant at first to enter su ch a dau nting race and then he fig u red he’d have a good ou ting w ith Pow ell to com pete against! Thu s ensu ed a ding-dong battle that saw the lead sw itch and change nearly as m u ch as the terrain. Tow ards the closing stages of the race it looked like Pow ell m ay have at last the u pper hand, bu t it w asn’t

A single speed racer finds the energy to crack a smile. Photo by Joolze Dymond, joolzedymond.com

“200 riders started, 130 riders actually com pleted the race, no one died.”

“200 riders started, 130 riders actually com pleted the race, no one died.”


Continued >

to be as ju st a handfu l of m iles to go Pow ell blew, leaving H ayw ard to su rge throu g h to take the w in w ith Pow ell com ing hom e ju st 3 m ins later in 2nd, ju st able to hold off Jam es D ’A rcy in 3rd. Janet Prier took ju st u nder 12 hou rs to take her place on the top step of the vet’s w om en’s podiu m over 1 hou r ahead of Sally D aw, w hile A nna B aird fou g ht strongly on to pick u p 3rd w ith ju st u nder 14 hou rs in the saddle.

The last prize of the day, a sort of ‘L antern Rou ge’ or in this case the U SE Pink C am o lig ht of last place love w as aw arded to M ike M cTim oney, w ho stag gered in dead last, u nder cover of darkness after 14 overly epic hou rs on his tru sty single speed, he very nearly didn’t earn this honou r, bu t being the gentlem an he is, he kindly let a you ng lady finish ahead of him ! Ju st goes to prove that chivalry does

pay! Throu g hou t the day a steady stream of riders m ade their w ay back to K ielder castle for a free beer and bu rger, the area w as aw ash w ith tales of epic battles both physically, m echanically and m entally w on and lost! C onsensu s w as that this w as a brilliant event, su perbly organised, one that has been m issing from the U K calendar and that now established has raised the bar for u ltra m arathon racing in this cou ntry. Riders w ere also in aw e of the su pport and friendliness of the local com m u nities w ho helped m ake it a race to rem em ber for all the rig ht reasons.

200 riders started, 130 riders actu ally com pleted the race, no one died. O f those, ju st 25 finished in less than 10 hou rs. Plans are already u nderw ay by m any w ho entered to com e back and do it all again, bu t faster. For fu ll resu lts and inform ation abou t this now legendary race, check ou t: w w w.kielder100.co.u k

The consensus? BRILLIANT EVENT! Photo by Joolze Dymond, joolzedymond.com

http://www.sip-events.co.uk/kielder-home.html


Photo by Joolze Dymond, joolzedymond.com

Click here or visit the XXCmag.com blog post titled “XXC Xtras” for rider impressions and

highlights from the first Montane Kielder 100

http://xxcmag.com/site/Kielder_Page_1.html

http://www.tifosioptics.com/interchangeable/index.html


We all know XXC racing and epic rides are fun, but as the shirt says... “Sometimes ‘fun’ hurts pretty f*cking bad.”

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*International orders please contact XXC at [email protected] for shipping information. Supplies are lim ited.

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on the xxcmag.com blog.

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http://xxcmag.com/site/Blog/Entries/2009/8/12_2010_Trans-Sylvania_Mountain_Bike_Epic.html


It w as beau tifu l w arm evening in G oochland V irg inia 10 hou rs ago w hen you toed the line w ith som e of you r best friends and the reg ions fastest m ou ntain bikers bu t now it’s 2am and you have already spent the past 5 hou rs qu estioning w hy you ever thou g ht riding 18 hou rs solo w ou ld be a great idea. W as it for the personal challenge? D id you r bu ddy con you into doing it becau se he w as a solo g u y him self? D id you have a m om entary lapse of reason after riding the sw eet flow ing single track trails at the Scou t C am p? You can’t seem to rem em ber bu t it’s not really im portant rig ht now as these are ju st som e fleeting thou g hts to take you r m ind off of the task at hand. W hat is im portant rig ht now is that a trail side sig n ju st rem inded you that you are exactly one “all u phill” m ile from the sm iling peppy volu nteers in the tim ing tent w hich m eans that you are one m ile from log g ing another lap and hitting you r pit for som e m u ch needed caffeine to keep you r sleepy eyes open.

You ’ve got this! You dow nshift looking to g ive you r legs a bit of help and hopefu lly avoid another painfu l cram ping episode bu t you get nothing. You look dow n and realize that you ’ve already been spinning the 22T x 32T gear for the past 5 m inu tes. Ju st as you are thinking that you are toast, a polite fem ale voice annou nces “O n you r left” as a very attractive m id 30’s cyclist passes you on the clim b. You r m ale ego finds that m u ch needed last dose of oom ph that you needed to m ake it to the tim ing tent.

A s you roll into the tim ing tent you form u late a gam e plan: 1st you w ill head to you r pit for a bit of real food and m aybe som e electrolytes. Then you can nab a qu ick hot show er to w ash off the past 10 hou rs of sw eat, dirt, blood and w hatever that sticky green stu ff is on you r leg that you ’ve been ig noring for the last few laps. A fter that w onderfu l show er you can don a fresh team kit then craw l into you r com fy bu nk bed at Fort Ferg u son for a qu ick 45 m inu te nap w hile you r lig hts and iPod are charg ing then hit the trail for another lap feeling like a new m an. Yeah that sou nds like heaven. You politely tell the tim ing volu nteers you r racer nu m ber to log you r lap and ju st as you are w alking aw ay they say “C ongratu lations you are cu rrently in 4th place, keep u p the great w ork! It looks like the leaders are slow ing dow n a bit.”

W hat!....W hat? You sneak arou nd the corner and take a look at the m ost recent standings on the resu lts board. Su re enou g h there you are in 4th place ju st abou t 8 m inu tes behind 3rd place not cou nting the lap that you ju st com pleted. This m eans that the podiu m is w ithin reach. You ’ve got 8 hou rs to reel it in. You check the resu lts again and su re enou g h the leaders are slow ing dow n a bit each lap. You w ork a little fu zzy m ath in you r head and realize that you need to m ake a choice. D o you take that show er & a nap then saddle u p again to hold a top 10 finish or do you chase the leaders in hopes of a spot on the podiu m ?


Photos by Travis Williams

Continued >


Photo by Travis Williams

Continued >

W ho the hell are you kidding? You ’ve pu t a lot of tim e, m oney and training effort into you r daily schedu le specifically for this race. A fter a bit of encou ragem ent from fellow racers and a hig h five from you r bu ddy w ho’s in the holding pen w aiting for his team m ate to com e in, you ru sh over to you r pit to change batteries in you r lig hts, grab som e fresh bottles and stu ff a few extra gels and pow er bars in you r jersey pocket.

You ’re chasing the podiu m ; it w asn’t really ever a choice now w as it? You ju st needed that little bit of info to inspire you and rem ind you of w hy you are here. D eep dow n you love the pain and g u ilty pleasu re that endu rance racing brings you . You love testing you r body’s lim its to find the point of failu re. You u nderstand that you are a w eekend w arrior m id pack endu ro racer and you know that w hen M onday rolls arou nd and you head back to you r 9 to 5 job there w on’t be anything that com es close to m aking you this happy. So w ith a new carrot on you r stick you pu sh on throu g h the nig ht in search of that daybreak lap and that g u y in 3rd place.

The 18 H ou rs on the Farm “Scou ts’ H onor” better know n as “The 18 H ou r Race” m ay ju st be one of the M id-A tlantic’s best kept secrets as far as grassroots endu rance races go bu t, the problem w ith secrets is that they don’t stay secret very long. In B lu e Ridge O u tdoors M agazine’s N ovem ber 2007 “B est O f The O u tdoors 07” issu e the 18 H ou rs on the Farm race w as ranked 2nd favorite “E ndu rance M ou ntain B ike Race” beaten only by the long standing classic 24 H ou rs of B ig B ear. The 24 H ou rs of C onyers and B u rn 24 H ou r race took 3rd and 4th places respectively. If that doesn’t say a lot abou t the race w hat does? H ow abou t an entry fee that typically stays u nder $100 rig ht u p u ntil race day? A sw eet venu e that inclu des electricity, ru nning w ater, variou s shelters rang ing from Tee Pees & H u ts to a Fort w ith several room s containing bu nk beds as w ell as plenty of field space to pitch you r tent, several private hot show ers, actu al bathroom s (non of those dirty ou t of T.P. porta johns), a hu ge indoor post race breakfast fit for a king, w ireless internet onsite, and som e of central V irg inia’s finest sw eet flow ing sing le track that w ill keep you on you r toes every second of those 18 hou rs.

“Deep dow n you love the pain and guilty pleasure that

endurance racing brings you.”

“Deep dow n you love the pain and guilty pleasure that

endurance racing brings you.”


The venu e is one of the big factors that m ake this race so special. W hile the race w as orig inally held on som e nearby trails in a pu blic park, the races fou nders Pete Schiffer and E d Jones m anaged to secu re a great w orking relationship w ith The Scou t M aster and his Scou ts at the H eart of V irg inia Scou t Reservation in G oochland V irg inia. W ith a hearty dose of sw eat equ ity E d Jones (better know n as Cycles E D thanks to his bike shop/cu stom fram e bu ilding shop appropriately nam ed Cycles E d) and som e volu nteers from variou s local cycling clu bs expanded an existing Scou t trail netw ork and crafted it into one of the best 10 m iles of endu rance race cou rse that you w ill ever ride. Plans are cu rrently in m otion to add an additional 2 m iles of trail du e to be com pleted before the 2010 race bring ing the trail system to a sw eet 12 m iles of bliss.

This year w ith E d’s blessing Richm ond A SR stepped u p to host the race and allow E d and his w ife Jodi the rare bu t m u ch deserved chance to be on the other side of the tim ing table; both finally racing the event and both on handm ade Cycles E d bikes. Tw o Richm ond A SR m em bers B illy M offett and B ill Sw an (w ho collectively have extensive race experience and podiu m w ins rang ing from short track XC , 24 hou r solos, m u lti day epic stage races, 100 m ilers and adventu re races) took the reig ns and pu t on a show that w on’t soon be forgotten. O ne of the best things abou t the race is that as big as it’s grow n over the years it still rem ains a grassroots event. W hile there aren’t any m ajor car m anu factu rers fu nding it and you w on’t see any hu ge stages w orthy of another 80’s hair m etal band’s reu nion tou r or the L ance A rm strong paparazzi you w ill be racing on incredible trails for cold hard cash, sw eet prizes and killer schw ag. There is also a great vendor fair that inclu des am ong other things food for sale and m assages for those of you racing on a team or you solo racer types w ho like m id race breaks. The good new s for you solo folks is that you w on’t be racing C hris E atou g h, Tinker Ju arez, Pu a Saw icki or Rebecca Ru sch for the pu rse bu t don’t be fooled into thinking that reg ional bad asses like Robert A nderson, Jim m y M cM illan, Shaw n Tevendale, D enelle G rant and Francine Rapp are going to take it easy on you .

“...one of the best 10 m iles of endurance race course that you w ill ever ride...”

Photo by Tom Doyle

Continued >


Photo by Travis Williams

Then again, now that I’ve let the cat ou t of the bag w ho know s w ho all w ill be toeing the line next year? I g u ess you had better keep an eye over on the Richm ond A SR blog to get the m ost cu rrent inform ation on the 2010 18 H ou rs on the Farm race.

Richm ond A SR w ou ld like to thank the follow ing people and com panies for everything: E d & Jodi Jones, The H eart of V irg inia Scou t Reservation, Row lett’s B icycle, Princeton Tec, H aw ley B icycle Produ cts, B lu e Ridge M ou ntain Sports, C hiro C enter of VA , Ru n Ride Race, C ontes B icycle, C rossroads C offee & Ice cream , Palini D rive, The G oochland Fire D epartm ent and E .M .S., the incredible Richm ond A SR team (and the su pportive u nderstanding sig nificant others) and the cou ntless volu nteers w ho keep the good tim es rolling. See you all next year!



bu t w as laid low by a flu viru s the w eek before. A year later I tried again and cam e dow n w ith a food allerg y w hich took six m onths to sort ou t. I tem porarily gave u p at that point and w ent along in 2005 to w atch and see w hat the fu ss w as all abou t.

A short m orning spent at C old C otes - not the m ost spectacu lar point of the race by any m eans - w as m ore than enou g h to get m e hooked. I cam e aw ay convinced I had to ride the race, if only to sam ple the atm osphere from a com petitor’s point of view. The heady m ix of a stu nning landscape, three m onu m ental clim bs and the sheer, lu dicrou s im probability of tackling them on a frag ile ‘C ross bike had grabbed m e.

A nd so, in 2006, I rode and com pleted m y first edition of the race. I w as alm ost overw helm ed by the experience and genu inely thrilled to have com pleted the event in one piece. C alling m y fam ily to report on m y su ccessfu l attem pt, I fou nd m yself strangely choked - overcom e w ith the kind of em otion I had only ever felt before at the birth of m y dau g hter. B lim ey, I thou g ht, this thing has really got to m e.

XXC SEASON ONE: ISSUE FOUR PAGE 65 XXCMAG.COM Contin ued >

W elcom e to the random ram blings of a Three Peaks obsessive as I look back at m y variou s attem pts at the race and share som e of m y experiences along the w ay. I encou ntered epic adventu re, soaring em otions and the odd hu m orou s interlu de as I took on ‘C ross’s tou g hest challenge… . This is m y story.

The sky is a flat g rey in every direction. W here Pen-y-G hent shou ld be, the horizon is saw n off by low m ist. The other horizon is dom inated by a g iant qu arry, scratched from the hillside, as thou g h by som e g iant claw s. U nder m y feet, the grass is heavy w ith au tu m nal dew. A rou nd m e the car-park is filling u p steadily. I have a deep-rooted loathing for the final hou r or so before any race: I hate the overpow ering anticipation, the nerves, the fear of having m issed som e cru cial part of m y preparation or forgotten an essential piece of kit, the em pty, u nknow n echo of pains soon to be endu red.

This year’s Three Peaks C yclo-C ross race w as m y third attem pt at this u niqu e event. B y rig hts it shou ld’ve been m y sixth, at least. I first entered back in 2003,

Original photo courtesy of Eddie Allen

Trying not make a “complete pig’s ear” of the road section. Photo by Eddie Allen

at the race’s service points. H ow ever, the feedback from m y w ife and dau g hter after the event w as not as positive as I had hoped: “w e didn’t see m u ch of you , did w e?” That w as a great opening line. W ell, w hat did they expect? D oes L ew is H am ilton’s pit crew say the sam e to him ? D idn’t’ they u nderstand that the less tim e I spend w ith them , the better they had done their job?

Then there w as m y father, draw ing m e to one side, later that evening, to tell m e that they had nearly not m ade the first service point at C old C otes in tim e. Apparently, w hilst all the other su pport crew s w ere haring dow n the cou ntry lanes intent on getting into position, m y other half had decided to call off for m orning coffee. M y father is, like m e, anxiou s if pu t u nder tim e pressu re and he had clearly had a trying tim e of it as m y w ife and dau g hter had tried to balance the job of su pporting m e w ith their ow n expectations of w hat a day ou t in the D ales m eans. So, w hen the fam ily annou nced that, sadly, they w ou ld not be com ing w ith m e this year, it w as not exactly a su rprise.

W hilst w e’re on the su bject of the strange ritu al of receiving service at the Three Peaks, it’s w orth g iving it som e thou g ht if it’s you r first tim e. A good deal of tim e can be lost if you don’t plan you r service carefu lly. M y ow n experiences illu strate this.

B efore m y first attem pt, m y father and I thou g ht w e had the w hole thing u nder control. W e correctly anticipated that the big gest problem w ou ld be finding each other am ongst the crow ds - bear in m ind that there are now over 500 riders in the event, the m ajority of w hom w ill have som eone w aiting for them at both C old C otes and Ribblehead. W e cam e u p w ith the, apparently, foolproof plan that m y father w ou ld w ear a flu orescent tabard - I’d spot him a m ile aw ay, w ou ldn’t I?


I entered the 2007 event, only for it to be cancelled becau se of the foot and m ou th ou tbreak in sou thern E ngland. B u t in 2008 I w as back again and ju st over fou r and a half hou rs after rolling ou t from the start at H elw ith B ridge, I had finished the race once again - cu e m ore u nexpected em otion and eu phoria.

A nd so on to 2009 and w ith the dew soaking throu g h m y shoes, I joined the qu eu e to collect m y riding nu m ber and tim ing chip from the incongru ou sly sm all race H Q . A badly tim ed cold had settled on m e on the W ednesday before the event and for a cou ple of days I w as convinced I w ou ldn’t be able to ride. H ow ever, a late rally on the Satu rday m eant that I w as there, a bit chesty, bu t ready to go again.

A ctu ally, after reading this back, I g u ess you ’d be forg iven if you form ed the im pression that m y life is m ade u p of long bou ts of illness, interspersed w ith the occasion healthy day. In actu al fact, the opposite is tru e: I’m blessed w ith the constitu tion of a horse, ou tside that cru cial last w eek of Septem ber.

M oving sw iftly on from equ ine m atters, and w hilst talking of the last w eek of Septem ber and m y w ife, there’s a sm all, diplom atically sensitive issu e every tim e I ride the race. U nfortu nately it coincides w ith m y w ife’s birthday or the w eekend w hen it is du e to be celebrated. H ow do you do the decent thing and celebrate properly, bu t at the sam e tim e avoid alcohol and late nig hts? W ell, if you have an u nderstanding w ife, it’s ju st possible. The big gest problem is not talking endlessly abou t the race, w hen you really need to be at you r m ost sensitive and m ost attu ned to you r loved one’s needs. It’s pu re tortu re as, in com m on w ith m ost m en, if there’s one thing w hich w ill get m e talking, it’s one of m y obsessions.

K een to tackle the problem , last year I w ent on the offensive: I persu aded m y fam ily to com e along and su pport m e at the race and to help m y father, w ho is now m y tried and tru sted su pplier of food and drink


You can im ag ine m y consternation as I em erged from the m ists at C old C otes to be greeted by the sig ht of a crow d of several hu ndred people strew n dow n the hillside, the m ajority of w hom seem ed to be w earing flu orescent tabards. It looked m ore like roadw orks on the M 1 than a ru ral bike race. M ore by lu ck than ju dgm ent, w e located each other and I fu elled u p and shot off into the m ists.

W hen I dropped dow n tow ards Ribblehead for the second service, I told m yself that the race w ou ld now be m ore spread ou t and that the crow ds of su pporters w ou ld be sm aller. The tru th w as that there seem ed to be even m ore people w aiting in the shadow of the g iant viadu ct. W hat’s m ore, they w ere spread ou t dow n half a m ile of farm track. A gain, the flu orescent tabard seem ed to be the garm ent of choice.

Fate then intervened to add fu rther layers of confu sion to an already difficu lt scenario. I w as forced to slow dow n and pick m y w ay past the eager hoards, all craning their necks, looking for their rider. H ow w ou ld I ever pick ou t m y father? W ell, perhaps he w ou ld see m e and call ou t to m e. That m ig ht have w orked if, at that m om ent, an exceptionally w ell-know n and popu lar local rider w ho shared m y C hristian nam e hadn’t cru ised u p behind m e. The crow ds on either side eru pted. E veryone w as calling ou t his nam e, keen to w ish him w ell and catch his eye for a friendly w ave. O f cou rse it took m e a w hile to reg ister w hat w as going on. To m e, it seem ed as thou g h su ddenly a sea of total strangers had taken it u pon them selves to greet m e like a long-lost friend. It w as only after a nu m ber of slow and stressfu l m inu tes that I finally located m y father, w ho had helpfu lly placed him self at the very far end of the service area “so I w ou ld stand ou t” he later told m e, grinning, as I related m y difficu lties to him .

B u t I dig ress. Retu rning to this year’s event, it w as w ith som e relief that I fou nd m yself qu eu ing w ith the 500 plu s other riders w aiting for the off. M oving off dow n the road, I kept station in a very tw itchy pack, breathless both w ith the su dden exertion and w ith lau g hter at the attem pts of a sm all nu m ber of self-appointed peloton police to get som e sort of discipline into hu ndreds of riders, m any of w hom w ill never have ridden a Road race. B rakes squ ealed, voices bellow ed, thick knobbled tyres hu m m ed on the tarm ac as w e rocketed throu g h H orton-in-Ribblesdale.

W ith w ell over fou r hou rs in the saddle ahead of m e, I had planned not to go too hard too soon. So, natu rally, I prom ptly forgot that and arrived at the first off-road section dripping w ith sw eat, w heezing alarm ingly and already at m y lim it. E ventu ally I settled dow n as riding gave w ay, first to pu shing and then to carrying the bike.

M y preparation for this year’s event had inclu ded som e specific training at m y secret training facility. The pain of clim bing the near 45 degree slope of Sim on Fell had had a seriou sly detrim ental effect on m y perform ance on the su bsequ ent clim bs in the 2006 and 2008 events and this tim e I w as determ ined to prepare m yself for the steepness and leng th of that cru cial first clim b.

“A pparently, w hilst all the other support crew s w ere haring dow n the country lanes intent on getting into position, m y other half had decided to call off for m orning coffee.”

Racer support along the way. Photos by Eddie Allen

B ack to the race and I g u ess I’d better cu t to the chase and pick ou t a few personal hig hlig hts of this year’s event.

H aving m ade a reasonable start and got m yself over Ingleborou g h in decent fettle, I then proceeded to m ake a com plete pig’s ear of the road section u p to W hernside. This is a straig htforw ard ru n, w hich is a great opportu nity to catch a lift on a faster rider’s w heel and grab som e food and drink. If only!

I first chose to eat a bag of chips - and don’t all w rite in telling m e off for m y antiqu ated re-fu eling habits, it w orks for m e - on the dow nhill section from C old C otes to Ingleton and only su cceeded in inhaling m ost of the chip fragm ents as the slipstream u pended the bag into m y face. I then cou g hed them u p for a cou ple of m iles, m issing several passing w heels in the process, before finally trying to settle m yself dow n w ith a drink. I prom ptly dropped m y nearly fu ll bottle and had to stop and retrieve it. Stream s of riders seem ed to be passing m e and I totally lost m y rhythm .

L u ckily, the bu lk of W hernside rearing u p ahead of m e seem ed to re-focu s m y thou g hts and by the tim e I w as off and carrying m y bike again I w as back in the groove. W hernside w as the only hilltop not w reathed in clou d and I took the tim e as I cycled along the ridge to look arou nd m e. The railw ay viadu ct lay far below. A ll arou nd the hig h hills of the w estern dales rippled into the distance. D entdale nestled close by and, on the horizon, the H ow g ills’ rou nd backed su m m its w ere clearly visible. I then m ade the m istake of pointing ou t to another rider that the view s w ere su perb. H e gave m e a strange look and rode on in silence.

The descent off W hernside is a cracker. It’s technical, varied and very exciting, w ith narrow lines and lots of potential trou ble. H ow ever, it flies by in a w hirl of du st and you ’re soon onto the long road section dow n to H orton-in-Ribblesdale and the foot of Pen-y-G hent.


Contin ued >

I live in the Pennines, bu t finding a su itably accessible and steep hillside on w hich to train proved m ore difficu lt than expected. That w as u ntil I rem em bered a tale I’d heard a few years ago of a rider w ho trained for the event by scaling the grass- covered dam bank of a local reservoir. A reccent ride to the reservoir revealed that it cou ld have been m ade w ith preparing for the Three Peaks in m ind. The banking w as steep and sm oothly grassed. It w as also hig her than I had expected - a qu ick cou nt of the flig ht of concrete steps w hich ran u p the face of it and bit of m ental arithm etic later and I realised I had fou nd the perfect 200 foot hig h training clim b.

Prepare for this or prepare to fail! If this sou nds a bit extrem e, I hold m y hands u p - g u ilty as charged, bu t if you have ever ridden the Peaks and cu rsed as you fitness and streng th ebb aw ay as you clam ber, crab and stag ger u p that first w all of a clim b w ill u nderstand that anything w hich redu ces the debilitating su ffering is a good idea. It’s also an event w hich am ou nts to an obsession to m any of u s. A nyw ay, three tim es a w eek for three w eeks I rode the 10 m inu tes u p to the dam and clam bered u p the banking fou r tim es. M y first effort took alm ost 4 m inu tes bu t by the tim e I w as w inding dow n m y training I had got that dow n to u nder three m inu tes. So, I hear you all cry, how m u ch faster did you go as a resu lt of the training?

W ell, the evidence is that it did nothing to speed m e u p. M y first attem pt at the race, in 2006, w as blig hted by tw o pu nctu res. The second attem pt saw m e pick u p only one and I w ent 3 m inu tes qu icker - saving very close to the am ou nt of tim e it takes m e to change a tu be. This tim e I avoided pu nctu res altogether and w ent three m inu tes qu icker again. So, if you exclu de the flats, m y tim e for the event has pretty m u ch flat-lined. H aving said that, I m ay not have gone any qu icker this tim e, bu t I felt a lot m ore com fortable on the clim bs and I w ill have no hesitation in repeating the grass bank training next year. If only to avoid the pain of Sim on Fell.

Photo by Eddie Allen


From there, it’s repu ted to be one hou r to the finish. A ll I know is that the clim b, m u ch of it rideable, is w here you learn m ore abou t you r fitness than you ever w anted to know. I’ve su ffered cram p there in the past bu t, thanks perhaps to the nasally ingested crisps, I didn’t this tim e and althou g h tired, I m ade good progress, even getting a rou nd of applau se for a clean ride throu g h the tricky rock section half w ay u p the w alled track.

O u t on the u pper slopes of the m ou ntain, riding stopped, w alking began and the m ists descended. It’s this section w hich sees one of the strange ritu als of the event: as you clim b grim ly u pw ards, you are m et by faster riders com ing dow n. The protocol seem s to be to offer a grim sm ile and a nod of the head if you are on the w ay u p and a cheery g rin and a shou t of encou ragem ent if you are on the w ay dow n. In tru th, there’s a su b-plot, w ith those com ing dow n effectively saying “I’ve beaten you ” and those com ing u p having to soak u p the inevitability of the situ ation. For m e there’s alw ays been the shock of seeing riders descending w ho you think you shou ld beat. Sim ilarly, on the w ay dow n there’s a flood of pride as you see riders you respect still m aking their w ay u p the slopes.

Finally at the top of the final peak, it’s im possible not to feel a prem atu re sense that you ’ve finished. The back-breaking clim bing is indeed done, bu t there’s still perhaps the m ost dangerou s descent ahead of you , a heart-in-the-m ou th ride w ith other cyclists, senses deadened by exhau stion, clim bing head-dow n tow ards you .

I m anaged to have another of m y less organized interlu des as I began to com e back dow n, picking the w rong lines repeatedly and then falling heavily onto rocks as I failed to u nclip cleanly for a short stretch of ru nning. I got u p, pride hu rt, bu t otherw ise O K and from then on got things back together fairly w ell.

A qu ick w ord at this point abou t the tim ing in this year’s event. W e w ere all g iven a dem o of the tim ing m ats, w hich w ou ld be on each m ou ntain top, at the start as w e sig ned on. Riders of big endu ros and sportives w ill be fam iliar w ith these m ats, w hich look like large strips of carpet. I idly w ondered w ho w ou ld have the ardu ou s task of hau ling them to the su m m its. I needn’t have w orried. The m at on Ing leborou g h w as sm all, bu t nothing com pared to the tiny squ ares of m aterial on the tops of the other tw o m ou ntains. A nd to add to the slig htly com ic effect, they w ere m ou nted in su ch a w ay that you cou ldn’t ride over them , bu t instead had to w ave a leg at them as you passed by. It w as very effective, bu t it did rem ind m e m ore of a dog cocking a leg at a lam ppost than it ou g ht to have done.

A final tim ing challenge aw aited riders at the finish, w here the m ats do requ ire a degree of co- operation from the riders and several individu als had to retu rn to re-cross them , having w on hectic sprint finishes, bu t failed to reg ister w ith the sensors. It w as all taken in good spirit by the m ajority, as w as the g ravel su rface of the final tu rn into the finish, w hich cau g ht ou t a su rprisingly large nu m ber of riders w ho had ridden the 5000 plu s feet of u ps and dow ns w ithou t a crash only to slide to earth w ithin tou ching distance of the finish line and u nder the eye of the race’s m erciless com m entator.

“5000 plus feet of ups and dow ns w ithout a crash only to slide to earth

w ithin touching distance of the finish line and under the eye of the

race’s m erciless com m entator.”


M y ow n ru n into the finish w as not w ithou t incident. I em erged at the bottom of the Pen-y-G hent path in H orton and forked left ou t onto the road u nder the carefu l g u idance of a bu sy m arshal, placed there to help riders integ rate w ith the passing traffic. To m y su rprise I em erged alongside a police car and for a few u ncom fortable m om ents I had visions of being pu lled over for dangerou s riding as w e “proceeded” - to u se a policing term - side-by-side. O ne of m y m ore vocal Yorkshire C yclo-C ross acqu aintances, w atching at the road-side, w itnessed the incident and enjoyed him self im m ensely shou ting a lou d w arning to m e and then bellow ing w ith lau g hter.

The final cou ple of m iles into the finish on the road are, on paper, an anti-clim ax, bu t are actu ally the scene of a nu m ber of very sm all, very short road races, often featu ring half a dozen or less riders, w ho battle like Tou r pros to gain an extra place at the finish. I du ly got involved in a peloton of fou r and ju st lost the bu nch sprint. In m y first Three Peaks I becam e so engrossed in a last-gasp battle w ith another rider that I overshot the final tu rn and had to do a u -tu rn and craw l over the line w ith m y tail betw een m y legs. It’s that kind of race - there’s alw ays som ething happening, alw ays a fresh challenge ju st arou nd the corner.

The finish, w hen you reach it, is a m assive relief. It’s also a great social gathering as you catch u p w ith you r m ates, share tales of the day and hear the new s of another inevitable Rob Jebb w in. O nly this tim e, it didn’t qu ite finish like that, did it? “Cyclist w ins bike race” qu ipped one rider in a reference to M r Jebb’s statu s as a ru nner first and forem ost and a cyclist second, the opposite of that of the victoriou s M r C raig. To m e it’s ju st incredible that som eone can com plete an event w hich takes m e fou r and a half hou rs of extrem e effort, in less than three hou rs. It’s a m ystery how they do it and I’ll be back again next year to explore the m ystery again.

“To m e it’s just incredible that som eone can com plete an event w hich takes m e four and a half hours of extrem e effort, in less than three hours. It’s a m ystery how they do it and I’ll be back again next year to

explore the m ystery again.”

Tha author after 4.5 hours “exploring the mystery.” Photos by Eddie Allen



A rider expertly ascends the technical rocky terrain of Pen y Ghent lane - not easy on skinny tyres.

Photo by Ian McVety, ilm-photography.co.uk


Racers see their path marked out before them as they start their first ascent of the day towards the summit of Ingleborough.



Trevor Page, (Lune RCC) demonstrates the art of descending tricky, technical drop offs on skinny tires.


Nearly there, just the final descent down the rocky lane towards Horton-in-Ribblesdale




Rob Jebb, (WHEELBASE/Cannondale/Gorebikewear), has won this event 7 times. Nick Craig (Scott UK) finally beat his nemesis.

The pain becomes unbearable




Having made the top step of the podium for the second time, (the first being 1991), 40 year old Nick Craig, (Scott UK) keeps his rivals down. 3rd Neil Crampton, (Crosstrax) and 2nd placed rider Robb Jebb, (WHEELBASE/Cannondale/Gorebikewear).

Visit ilm-photography.co.uk for a complete gallery of photos from the 2009 3 Peaks race.

http://ilm-photography.co.uk/


off the bike [ [ food - training - nonsense


Prep time: 10 minutes, Cook time: 10 minutes

Ingredients: 4 lamb rib chops Extra-virgin olive oil Sea salt Black pepper 1 cup fresh or frozen blackberries 1 tbs balsamic vinegar

4 cups boiled red potatoes, halved, skin on 1-2 tbs garlic (fresh, pressed or from a jar) 1 1/2 tbs butter 1/2 cup evaporated skim milk 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese Sea salt

Lamb Chops with Blackberries and Garlic Parmesan Smashed Potatoes

Sports Nutritionist and Topeak-Ergon endurance racer Namrita O’Dea, MS, RD, LD shares a recipe for lamb chops with blackberries and garlic parmesan smashed potatoes. The perfect way to end a day in the saddle or stoke the fire for the next days adventure.

Nutrition Info Per Serving: Total calories: 675 Total fat: 23 g (30%) Carbohydrate: 77 g (45%) Protein: 41 g (25%) Recipe makes two servings.

Image by Trey Shoemaker

Directions: Preheat oven to 450*F. Saute the garlic in the butter in a skillet over medium heat until the garlic and butter have browned. Toss potatoes in garlic butter mixture and add salt to taste. Transfer the potatoes to a mixing bowl and add milk. Mash potatoes with fork until desired consistency and mix in parmesan cheese. Add more salt to taste.

Brush olive oil onto lamb chops sparingly. Sprinkle both sides of the lamb chop with salt and pepper. Sear both sides of the lamb chops over a very hot skillet, just until each side has browned. Transfer the lamb chops to the oven and cook for 3-4 minutes.

In a skillet over medium heat, cook blackberries with balsamic vinegar until a sauce is formed. Serve blackberries over the lamb.

Blackberry Bonus! Blackberries are a great source of antioxidants, which boost the immune system, combat free radicals, and help fight off colds and flu.


Pushing yourself to the limit is part of why we love our sport and the part of the reason we chose XXC over XC. This desire to test the limits of our capabilities is little understood by those who don’t share it and perhaps even less understood by ourselves. What I do understand is that getting faster, training harder and racing more is a bit of a drug and it’s so addicting that sometimes your gonna need some outside help coming down off the high. This is a lesson that most of us are gonna have to learn more than once for it to stick, and it’s the reason I believe we all need a highly qualified coach.

Let us start at the beginning of the year. After a 2008 season sidelined by an overuse injury (patellar tendentious) I was anxious to jump back into the saddle and train longer and harder than ever before. Retrospectively it may have been a better idea to work back in slowly, however this is a story of what did happen not what should have happened, but I digress. January brought the annual Florida training camp, and this year I was able to spend a good 7 days in Ft. Lauderdale riding 90% alone at 250+ watts for 700 miles. If you know anything about wattage you may know that riding at that level in training in January is often ill-advised because as it was in my situation you return from your ride completely wrecked and ready to crumble everyday. However like a crack addict selling his shoes to get the next fix I could feel some fitness coming around on the 4th day and continued to keep the pedal to the metal, hoping it would only get better. And that’s exactly what happened. I returned from Florida to see my Steelers win the super bowl and to find that my legs were already in the mood to kill. The month

preceding training camp was spent on the trainer doing intervals to prepare myself. That’s right, training to train. And in the months post training camp I’d get back on the trainer (often even when the weather outside was decent) and do 5+ days of 3 hour

interval laden rides each week. And boy was it paying off, as any of my very tired riding buddies would have told you I was flying and it was only Feb/March, you can only get faster from here right? Wrong.

My goals for 2009 included some lofty finishes in the NUE series events and winning the 12 Hour Duo/

Pro class at Dirt, Sweat and Gears. Peaking in April definitely wasn’t part of the plan. But as I look back over training diaries and files, my fitness was certainly higher in those months than it turned out to be in the important summer months. The addiction was hitting me so hard that I would go on the local Tuesday night hammer ride, then go off and do more intervals by myself to get a longer/harder workout. As Dirt, Sweat and Gears rolls around my level of fitness was incredible and I was absolutely flying on the bike. Unfortunately for me and everyone else who participated this year, it was Dirt, Sweat and Tears and we were able to ride lap 1 in its entirety and then walk for 11 hours. Afterwards I was so ruined by the sustained effort that I couldn’t eat or drink before I went to sleep. And I still rode my bike for 2 hours the next day! Is it any surprise that the next week I was stricken with a bad case of the flu? Lucky for me I do have a strong immune system though and as my flu symptoms abated I decided to do a stay at home training camp to prepare for the Mohican 100. This consisted of 30 hours of road riding and 500 miles and 10 hours of mountain biking in 7 days.

Continued >


Feeling great about the training I felt really prepared for the Mohican 100, so instead of taking a couple days off to rest I rode straight through to the race and justified it by “actively recovering”. Mohican was acceptable, but I could feel the tiredness in my legs and 20th place wasn’t exactly what I was hoping for since I spent the first 3 hours in the top 10. On the trip home from Ohio I decide that I was going to race my single speed the next day at a local race in Eleanor, WV as a power training session (this even sounds dumb to me as I read it). You get the idea by now, so I’ll skip ahead a little and say that I raced 6 times in June including a 100 miler, 2 XC races, a 12 hour race (Big Bear) and even a short track. By July my motivation for training and racing was completely gone and every time I hopped on the bike I felt slower.

I’m guessing that there are some of you out there right now reading this who are shaking your heads and saying “this all sounds very familiar”. Undoubtedly there are also some who are thinking “you’re nuts” as well, but that’s OK. You see we aren’t nuts we’re sick and it’s a sickness we’ve brought on ourselves by reading diaries, Twitters and Facebooks of top road and mountain professionals. What you rarely read in conjunction with the accounts of 9 hour training rides is the account of the days they spend doing absolutely nothing with their feet in the air.

Here is the reason I’m telling you this story (If your wondering why you just spent 5 minutes of your time reading about some insane man in West Virginia). Don’t make the same mistake that I made. You take a lot of care preparing and selecting your bike for the year of racing. You spend a lot of time planning out the season and trying to train yourself into the best condition possible. And there is the problem- “training yourself” is rarely the best idea for someone who takes his or her racing seriously. Some people need to be accountable for doing their hard workouts and some people are like me and need to be accountable for their rest. I have an excellent professional coach who is helping me work through my psychosis and although I would highly recommend everyone use my coach, I know that the expense is too much for some. My advice: If you can’t afford to pay a coach, get some of your training partners or local fast guys to look at your training and give you their thoughts. And ACTUALLY listen to what they are telling you, they may not be professionals, but they are athletes too and it’s easier for them to see the holes in your logic objectively. Whether your goal is to win an event or finish, chances are you’re going to need some help to complete it successfully.

Do some research and hire a coach for 6 months and you wont be sorry. If you simply cant afford one, buy some of your buddies dinner and bring your training diary with you. I’ll bet they will have more suggestions than you can keep track of, so bring a pen. Starting to feel the effects of addiction at June’s 12 Hours of Big Bear.

Photo by April Stevens.


Product Review The byeKyle Simple Strap

By Jason Mahokey

The Simple Strap is one of those products that is indeed so simple that when I first saw it I thought “Brilliant idea, but there is no way I’m paying for a velcro strap when I can use tape or make my own.” In reality I’m not the kind of guy to successfully make my own, and I’ve always had visions of myself franticly struggling to remove layers of electrical tape to get at my tube during a race. So in the end I usually just ended up stuffing my tube in a pack, or taking up yet another jersey pocket.

As this season progressed I found myself riding and racing packless and wanting to keep as much off my back as possible. I was just about to reach for that roll of electrical tape, when a Simple Strap found its way to XXC World HQ.

It took about all of 3 seconds for even this simpleton to figure out the Simple Strap. Get your tube, place on stem (or post), put the rubber side of the strap against the opposite side of the stem, wrap, loop, pull, velcro, done. Holds tight, looks PRO, and most importantly... it works!

It still seems strange to me to pay for something so simple, but for about the price of one tube lost along the trail due to faulty tape, it seems worth it.

The byeKyle Simple Strap is available for $6.99 with free shipping at www.byeKyle.com.

A Simple Strap out for a simple cruise. Ride photo by Jason Mahokey. Product photo courtesy of byeKyle.

Stem or post, the Simple Strap grips

like a champ

http://www.byekyle.com/


Every so often a product comes along that you can’t believe that you went so long without. The Mount ain FeedBag by Epic Ride Research is just such a product. I never really even thought about it until I was laying out Cornbre ad’s article about the Dirty Kanza 200 in issue #3 of XXC. He mentioned the FeedBag and then I remembered seeing a racer at the Lumberj ack 100 using one. I tracked down the web site and ordered one back in July., and I have to say it rocks! As I mentioned in my re view of the byeKyle Simple Strap, I’m about done with hydration packs. I don’t like the weight on my aging back. The Mountain Feed Bag allows me to take all the food and supplies I need and not worry about a pack. Just the feedbag and a some bottles will do me fine.

I used the FeedBag at the Wilderness 101 and at the Shenandoah Mountain 100 this summer as well as a ton of long rides in the mountains, and it has allowed me to easily access bars, gels, electrolytes and even my camera withou t fumbling around in my jersey pockets or bothering with a pack. Yeah sure, I had some EPIC bonks at the 101 and the SM100 but it w as no fault of the bag, that was ALL me baby! The bag was still stuffed full of ignored snacks as I walked along thinking about takin g a DNF.

The bag has held up well with 300 to 400 miles of riding with it, except for one small hole in the s tem side pocket netting, but that was my fault for letting a steel multi tool bounce around in it for 10+ hours at the Wilderness 101. Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!

Photos by Jason Mahokey

It’s like the endurance racers equivalent of the

“man purse” only cooler.

Product Review Epic Ride Research Mountain FeedBag

By Jason Mahokey

The bag can be easily sinched tight or opened with one hand and as the E.R.R. website says “...it saves you time and effort. Bottom line, it keeps you rolling.” Very true!

If you do long rides (and I know you do or why would you be reading XXC??) then I highly recommend the Mountain FeedBag. It’s like the endurance racers equivalent of the “man purse” only cooler.

The bag retails for $30.00 and is available in Royal Blue or Titanium (shown), with left or right side mounting options. For more information or to order visit Epic Ride Research at epicrideresearch.com.

http://epicrideresearch.com/index.php


Homemade Chocolate Gel 136 Calories 30g Carbohydrates 10g Sugars 00g Protein 140mg Sodium 65mg Potassium 0g Fat 23mg Magnesseum 195mg Choloride

At the beginning of every season I try to scour the bike shops and Internet for good deals on the gels I like. I buy 3 or 4 boxes and I’m done. And at the END of every season I always run out. By mid September or so my racing is about done, weekday rides get shorter with little need for pockets full of gel, and I find myself too cheap to spend coin on more gel for my longer rides. So I choose this time of year to experiment with other sorts of on the bike nutrition , including giving a go at making my own energy gel.

In the past I’ve made a variety of gels with everything from left over carb powders, to brown rice syrup, and they all turned out OK. Early this fall I did some Googling, some experimenting, and some modifying and I think I finally made a gel that I truly like and that closely compares to that of a leading store bought gel.

If you subscribe to the philosophy of taking in only complex carbs during your race or have some sort of hardened disdain for all things corn syrup then this gel won’t be for you. This gel is about as nutritious as some jelly beans washed down with a can of Coke, but if you are looking something in gel form that gets carbs and calories in your system fast, is dirt cheap and easy to make, then this gel is for you.

Keep in mind I am in no way a nutritionist, this “product” has never been endorsed by anyone, and probably never will be. In fact if it gets endorsed by anyone it will probably be that chubby kid down the street that drinks 6 bottles of Mountain Dew as he plays his PS2.

The base of this gel is Karo Light Corn Syrup which has a sweet vanilla-ish taste, but overall it’s pretty neutral, thus allowing you to add really whatever sort of flavor you want to. I chose chocolate because I like chocolate, but you can of course add whatever flavor you like. I also think thing that chocolate would allow for a tasty caffeinated gel in the future for even more of a kick in the junk. I’m still working on that one!

Many gel recipes add sea salt or other types of sodium. I chose to add Elete to my gel for some extra Electrolytes. I know many of you are also looking at this and saying “chocolate syrup??” No, I’m not mad, we’re just using a tiny dab to add some flavor. Don’t get crazy with it. There may be some other healthier ways to get the chocolate flavor, but the syrup was dirt cheap. So chocolate syrup it is!

Give it a try this off season. Have fun and see if you can come up with a gel that keeps you going and saves you some coin for race entries and bike parts!

Homemade Energy Gel fast energy on the cheap by jason mahokey

1 Gel Flask

2 Tbsp of Karo Syrup

1 Tsp or less of chocolate syrup, just enough to flavor

1/2 cap of Elete (a few drops)

Add water to thin gel to desired consistency

Add ingredients, shake, ride, eat.

Store Bought Gel Pack 120 Calories 28g Carbohydrates 10g Sugars 00g Protein 200mg Sodium 40mg Potassium 1.56g Fat

Total cost is about 50¢ or less per serving depending on what you use and where you buy it. Compared to roughly $1.05 to $1.25 or more per serving of store bought gel packs

How do they compare? Ingredients and supplies:

Endorsed by Chubby Kids & Cheap Bastards World Wide!


Back in the late 80s, early 90s, I use to be the kind of guy that could listen to M orrissey and Iron M aiden in the sam e m ix tape. Then as I m oved on to art school, I pretty m uch ditched the cock sure heavy m etal stuff all together. I found it really didn’t fit m y personality and pretty m uch com pletely em braced the sad bastard m usic of The Sm iths, M orrissey and The C ure. I also found that there was a whole lot of indie and punk m usic that got m e going in the sam e way as m etal used to.

Fast forward 18 years- O K I still listen to way too m uch sad bastard m usic and that’s O K , but som etim es I just want BIG , dum b rock w ith loud gu itars and som e rock swagger to roll along to. M uch of the sum m er I spent listening to a lot of stuff like The W hite Stripes, Social D istortion, O asis, Eagles of D eath M etal, and N O W ... M otorhead. M otorhead? Yeah, m etal. N ot sure what the hell got into m e!

I think I pretty m uch have to blam e m y friend Brad. You see Brad has developed a thing for m etal in the past year or so, and often races with the sounds of the Siberian tiger riding, sword w ielding, “Rainbow In The D ark” loving Ronnie Jam es D io in his ears. I also

think that Brad im agines him self riding throu gh the landscape of a Frank Frezeta painting filled w ith im ages left over from his days as a D & D geek (I assum e he was). But hey, with the results Brad put up in 2009, he can listen to whatever the hell he wants!!

I’m still not sure what m otivated m e to download M otorhead to m y iPod. M aybe it was recently seeing the video for “Ace of Spades” and being rem inded that the song does indeed sort of cook. And that som etim es it’s kind of fun to be a vicarious bad ass. Even when it’s a 66 year old, “warts and all”, cigarette sm oking, heavy m etal bass gu itarist w ith a voice that sounds like he gargles with razor blades.

All M otorhead songs are basically the sam e: a super fast beat, w ith L em m y wailing on about cars, war, fighting, chicks, booze, and going fast. W hile I won’t be donning any leather wrist bands or torn, nut hu gging jeans anytim e soon, I do have to say that their recent album “M otorizer” cooks! If high speed, pedal fast, loud rock & roll is what you want, it’s got plenty. And som etim es that’s a good thing. N ow if in the next issue I start talking about how I’m listening to Iron M aiden again, please SO M EO N E have an intervention!


O ver the past season I took hu ndreds of photos and rode thou sands of m iles, bu t these pics of m y son B rennan du ring a 3 m ile rail trail ride this su m m er ju st m ay be m y favorite.

W e packed lu nches, rode a m ile and a half, ate, and then rode back. I love these photos not ju st becau se they are of m y favorite little person in the w hole w orld, bu t becau se of all the other things they represent to m e as w ell.

The top photo w ith B -M an sporting the “fist of rock” is on the w ay ou t. H e’s having fu n, pu m ped, and looking forw ard to tim e on his bike. Ju st like you and m e du ring those early m iles of an epic ride or race.

The second photo is of cou rse on the w ay back. The ride is nearly over, and w ith .5 m iles to go, exhau stion has taken over. A gain, you and m e, m ostly m e, have su rely felt this w ay from tim e to tim e. I think I stru ck that exact pose at abou t m ile 90 of this year’s Shenandoah 100!

The best part of his “bonk” w as that he didn’t cry, he didn’t qu it, and I didn’t go all “W al M art dad” on him and scream . W e stopped, chatted and then eventu ally raced to the car. I w on of cou rse. I m ean I w as riding a 29er, and he had those tiny w heels! Sadly that’s not tru e, he w on and I rem ain w inless in m y racing career. W e w ent on to talk abou t ou r “epic” ride for the rest of the nig ht.

I also think of how m u ch B rennan and kids in general soak u p w hat they see u s do. This su m m er w e had m any a L e M ans style ru n to ou r bikes, and I prou dly w atched him do pretend pit stops for lig hts and food as he did endless laps on his bike throu g h the hou se.

I spend a good am ou nt of tim e on m y bike and traveling to races. I’m thankfu l that B rennan adm ires that and doesn’t resent it. I’m glad that at 5, he view s his bike for not ju st w hat it IS, bu t w hat it C A N be: A w ay to have fu n, see new places, pu sh you rself to do things you thou g ht you cou ldn’t, and provide m em ories to share w ith friends and fam ily. E ven if that new place w as a trail side picnic pavilion, the thing he thou g ht he cou ldn’t do w as a finish a 3 m ile ride, and the m em ory w as lau g hing abou t being allow ed to pee on the side of the trail.

Thanks to all of the folks that contribu ted to X XC #4. I’m glad you shared you r talent and m em ories w ith u s.

Jason M ahokey xxcm ag.com the finish

XXC SEASON ONE: ISSUE FOUR PAGE 85 XXCMAG.COM Photo by Michael Hermann

Fin.

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XXC Issue #4