Monster Cross!

Some of the Design Physics squad geared up and took to Pocahontas State Park for the inaugural Monster Cross race this past Sunday. David Reid and myself rolled up in style on our bikes to intimidate the competition. This strategy had no effect whatsoever on our opponents but the chilly ride loosened up the legs a bit and got them ready for a long day in the saddle.

Once the race promoters figured out how to get 400 people organized in the starting area the race started. The start was a bit chaotic with lots of riders making their bid for the lead group. I'm not sure even the motorcycle rider leading us out knew where we were going.

Eventually we all found our way to the race course without any major incidents. The group contained some familiar faces and some unknown to me. It was encouraging to have an ally, David, in the group with me. I struggled early finding a smooth line to follow on the cross bike, kudos to the Giant's wheel, tire and tire pressure setup because I nailed some rocks, roots and even a stump while following mostly mountain bikers who just floated over any obstructions.

The main group single filed the new bridge crossing over the creek when the first major attack happened. The pace up the following climb was blistering, so much so I even had to feather the brakes around what would normally be just a slight bend on the climb. By the time the pace dropped back off I looked back and no one was there, like really no one. This is were my ally David and I parted ways. But wait who's that, it's Greg Wittwer! It's on now!

The race was super fun after that. I don't believe anyone even noticed me in the group of 12-15 and I just hung back for awhile. By around the half way point the attacks came and came hard. Most attacks came with questionable tactics from the Harley team duo. One rider would get to the front to pace then block while the other attacked. This is were I made my presence known and personally reeled in most attacks. While this all happened the group thinned out. Eventually my new found ally, Greg, disappeared.

The group now containing 7 riders blazed into the second and final lap. Both Harley team riders had tire issues shortly into the final lap and disappeared. This made me happy, it also left me alone with 4 (very fast!) mountain bikers. These four I knew all to well. But wait, who's that? It's Greg Wittwer back again! Greg, without a moments rest, attacks again. Once we reel him back I think he was ready to sit back for a while. Around this time the 6 of us got organized and formed a pretty efficient pace line to reel in the solo leader. Funny thing is I never even knew there was a solo leader 'til then. After all the attacks and pace changes I was not surprised someone could stay away, but the way we were going now he wouldn't stand much of a chance, would he?

After dropping Greg again the group continued on. We received time gaps from people along the course, 3 minutes, 2 minutes, 1 1/2 minutes.... We were catching him, but was it fast enough? Well, I wouldn't be there to find out as I was unable to keep their wheels with less than 5 miles to the finish. The newly added rooty field section on the course was my demise. I had to take a different line than the mtb's due to roots, in addition, I got hit with a nasty head wind and could not get back on their wheels. By that time the pace was flat out, short and hard pulls by all. Slowly the group disappeared and I made my way to the finish lonely with thoughts of what could've been.

Great race!

BTS Winding Down

Check the current standings as the series is winding down.  There is some cool swag up for grabs.

The preme winners from a week ago are:
Thom Flynn
Plassmido
Joe 'PRO' Fish
Toddy G

I have a 6 pack of Fruit 66 for each of you.  Good job on getting out there and training during our brutal winter...

BTS #26, West Creek

Well what a beautiful night for a night ride, with a large Design Physics crowd.

It started off a little shaky- in the parking lot before the ride I was showing David my new Industry Nine i30 wheels. He astutely noticed the front wheel was flat as flat can be. He asked if I needed help and I said “I’ll try it”. (He was having flashbacks of that flat I had last winter in the same parking lot, where he changed my tire in 25 degree weather and froze his fingers off. ) So I struggled to get the tire over the rim for about 5 minutes then sheepishly asked him for help, again. He very nicely changed the tire. I think I owe him some cookies at this point?

So the group started off. There were:

Myself (Sonya)
David Reid
Jeff Plassman
Todd Green
Jason Broussard
Thom Flynn
Shannon Bush
Joe Fish
Jim Fisher

The group eventually settled into a single-file pace line, going at a good clip. I was struggling on the hills to keep up but was staying with them ok. Then at about 2.5 laps into the ride, an attack happened, then someone’s wheel overlapped. Todd and I backed off (well ok, maybe he did, I don’t think I could have kept up anyway). We eventually caught up to Shannon and Jim. Todd pulled off to take a phone call I think, then Jim, Shannon and I got into a nice rhythm doing a revolving paceline. That was going fine and then at the 180 degree turn after the start of lap 3, my front wheel flatted again, luckily I didn’t crash as my bike felt like it had a mind of its own. Everyone offered to help me change it which was nice, but at this point I thought I’d call it a night and look for the culprit of the flats at home in the light. Shannon nicely rode next to me as I walked back to the car.

So on the drive home it started sprinkling, I wondered if my teammates were getting wet and getting bonus points…

2012 Pantani Ride

Once again the forecast was bleak going into the weekend. Friday weather forecasts ranged from an inch or two to half a foot. Given the steep nature of the routes gravel climbs it would be treacherous to get caught out in the mountains west of C-ville, and if you are real lucky you might get dragged out of the snow by some tooth challenged locals for 'who knaws whut'. Luckily we have a number of optimists in the RVA who like a good challenge / beat down.

If seriously long and steep climbs feed you need for pain, the Pantani ride delivers.

After the obligatory stop at Bodos for some great bagel sandwiches and coffee we made our way to the race start on route 666. David R, Toddy G and Myself exited the Mazda and got our bikes ready for some gravel and steep grades. A very civil start of the ride kicked the day off and I settled in with Todd for an honest days work.



This ride has some very nice scenery if you decide to stop concentrating on holding a wheel and enjoy the landscape.



Numerous sections of winding paved and gravel country roads compose the 1st part of the ride and allow a nice warm up for the silly steep fire roads that are in the "Lollipop" loop.

As the 1st major gravel climb tickled my quads, I heard what I thought was a bunch of dirt bikes coming up the road. That raspy thumping crack of a single four stroke has an unmistakable brraappppp! Soon, a gaggle of quad ATV riders passed me just as I made the right turn at the hill-billy hideout. I must say I was disappointed, dirt bikes are cool, ATV’s are for dorks! Anyway, I thought of how silly this climb would be on my Kawasaki and how honest it was keeping me on my Giant.

Todd and I ground out this climb and then bombed the mountain's backside on very steep fire-road descent. It was a bit quick in sections as I tucked in and hit top speed. My bike computer confirmed my suspicion that I was moving along at an honest forty plus.



At the bottom, we turned right and made our way to the start of a big, steep, climb on BrokenBack mountain road.



Eventually this part of the "lollipop" sends you back up the very steep fire-road descent that you rode earlier. It's very steep during the last few switch backs and can really give you an idea of where fitness is at.



After the big climb there is a long fast set of downhill gravel turns. As we headed south I could see the snow coming in with a gray and white fog engulfing the distant ridges.







As we pounded out the road back to the finish a few good snow flurries kept the scenery interesting. We were lucky to roll up to the Mazda just as the snow really started.






We packed everything up in a rush and got on the road just as it started to get pretty thick. Another great winter ride in the VA Mountains!

Schwalbe Racing Ralph Review

I just completed my first ride on the new Racing Ralph (26x2.25 TL PaceStar).  In one word these tires are incredible!!!

I mounted them using Stans No Tubes rim strip and sealant..  Mounting tires with a floor pump has always been hit or miss for me.  I could not get the beads seated on the new tires so I finally broke down and bought a cheap air compressor.  With the compressor they aired up on the first try.  There were hardly any pin holes to seal which is pretty amazing for a sub 500 gram tire.  Inflated to just over 20 psi in the rear and just under 20 psi in the front (according to my pump) and I was ready to roll.

The difference in the rolling resistance was obvious in the first minute.  These tires roll so fast it took me a while to get used to it.  Some of the downhills were scary fast vs what I was used to with my old tires.  It definitely took less effort to get up to speed and keep it there.

In the corners I felt like I was velcroed to the ground.  I have never ridden a tire that had so much grip.  I was railing corners at full speed that I used to slow down for.  When the trail got loose the tires would predictably break into a control-able drift.  Of camber roots....no problem.  Let it slide.  Once they hit dirt again they were stuck on the ground like glue.

With this increased confidence in the corners and  increased speed I threw down the two quickest laps on JRPS and FHP I have ever done!  Schwalbe has proven to me that sometimes you can buy speed!
  

BTS #19: WOW!

What an awesome ride today. The weather could not have been any better. After the frigid weekend, it was nice to roll a loop around JRPS dressed in nothing more then my kit and summer shoes.

I hope everyone was able to sneak out and enjoy some of the sunshine.

50 Point Week

That is right boys & girls - ALL RIDES THIS WEEK ARE 50 POINTS.  It is time to catch up on your points.  Some group rides, others any rides.  Let me know if you rode on an any ride day so I can update accordingly.

DING DING - the preme bell has rung.  Up for grabs this week is a case of Fruit 66.  The more you ride the better chance you have of winning!

BTS #17: Cold!!

Today's ride started out very cold! So cold in fact that I opted to drive over to Pocahantas rather then riding the bike like normal. With temps not expected to break 20* till after 10, I think it was a good choice.

Todd and I started rolling at around 9:30 around the Monster CX course as planned. We rolled a pretty nice pace in an effort to keep warm. Luckily, this plan worked and I felt comfortable after 30 minutes. Jason, Plassman, Mason and the Crofts joined us later in the morning to roll with us as we finished the ride. All in all, a good ride.

I tested out my new Schwalbe Racing Ralph CX tires today. Awesome tires that rolled really well on the gravel. I think these tires were faster and offered better grip then what I have been using.

Bundled up and heading out in the cold!

BTS #16 A Beginner's Perspective

This morning didn't start out looking promising for a ride. It was cold and drizzling, it rained last night and the sky was not looking good. Jim and I had lined up a sitter to watch the kids so we could actually ride together so come heck or high water, I was going out for a ride.

I must have been bitten by the mountain biking bug because for the first time ever, I was the one begging to go mountain biking while Jim was saying that we should probably hit the road. Like any good husband, he gave in, shot Euro Dave an email and found an appropriate place to ride. We hit the road and were on our way to Powhite.

On the way we saw that Euro D and Plassman were already there and Mason and Jason were on their way. We arrived and rode around until we ran into Euro D and Plassman. They said that they were rolling super slow and turned around to head in our direction. Before I had even clipped in they had vanished through the trees. As I tried to catch up, weaving around turns and dodging trees, I thought to myself, "I don't understand how it's possible to go any faster without slamming into a tree and looking like one of the witch decorations at Halloween."  The only way I could make sense of it is that they must have super Jedi powers. It's only then that I can fathom how they could dodge the trees at those speeds.  Then I started to think about it in Yoda's terms.

"Use the force." Turn your front wheel and your back wheel will follow.

"Truly wonderful the mind of a child is." Stop thinking like a mom and worrying about how you will carry the 1 year old if you broke your collar bone.

"The fear of loss is the path to the dark side."  You must commit when riding over logs, up rooty inclines and down steep drop-offs.

"Always in motion the future is." Look to where you want to go, not where you are.

It became clear to me. To become a better mountain biker I must simply become a Jedi knight like Obi-Dave and Obi-Jeff Kenobi.

BTS #16

With the weather we had overnight and in the morning, the feeling were that Powhite would be a better place to ride.  Good choice, it was money!  I think my tires were actually cleaner when I left than when I got there.  Plassmido & Euro D were hanging out (sweet man love style) in Euro D's car since they had been riding for two hours already and were getting cold waiting for me & Mason.  Jim & Kate were also there and said they saw two DP kits fly by them at Mach7.  We spun a lap before the Fishers bailed as they we already over an hour in.  The four of us rode for another hour plus, super chill pace.  Rumor has it Matt j hit up two laps downtown as he did not get the secret location change...  Erik B tried to sneak in some late afternoon points but got snowed on and almost received 50 demerit points... nice try!  Poco fire roads tomorrow morning will be interesting with a wind chill of around 15 degrees.  Bundle up and come on out for some extra points, it is bound to be a good time.

BTS # 13

No much to say about tonight's ride. Perfect weather with an awesome sunset to top it off. I met up with Jason and Mason for a quick spin. Ran into Tyler along the trail as well. It was a good ride.

Snapped a couple pics, one of the Springhill meeting spot where nobody was waiting for us.

Tyler rolling Forest Hill so fast my camera could hardly catch it.



The sunset was awesome!!  Can't catch it with the camera very well.



2012 VA Super Bowl Ride

During the week leading up to this storied event it seemed like half the team was going to make the ride. Countless emails flooded my in-box with declarations of intent and chaotic plans for a rag tag train of DP riders to caravan to the Briery Branch Community Center.



For most it was not to be. The night before the ride my email in-box was filled with declarations of doubt.

Luckily, one other intrepid rider would join me. Toddy G and I had a blast riding in some increadible scenery. Pictures can be worth more than words, I'll let them do the talking

It had to be done...

After the slew of 'I'm Out' emails that came across this weekend, the scales were tipped towards DP representation at the Super Bowl Ride gaining a few extra points.  After serious deliberation, the final verdict is points times (1.5).  So we now have a new BTS leader in Plassmido.  Toddy G also made a big jump up the leaderboard.  Look to the right for this week's rides.

Happy Birthday Euro D!

Feel free to smack Euro Dave on the ass next time you see him!  I am sure he is younger than 90% of the people on the team...

Euro D is so cool that he does not even have to look where he is going!

BTS #9: (EDIT - Fill in the blank) Bags

So we commenced on what has become the normal West Creek routine, pretty slow first lap followed by a  few more spirited laps.  We ran into a bunch of cycling traffic on the parkway this evening, with some (EDIT - riders who even make Euro Dave's riding style look good) thrown in for good measure.  I'm not sure of the reason, but these roadies thought it was fun to suck our wheel for a while, pass the group, then wait and do it again.  I remain confused by these roadie games...

Despite this annoyance, we were not going to let these guys mess up the night as the weather was perfect.  The group was just looking for a nice chill pace and I think we achieved that (with a few spirited sprints as the only exceptions).  Industry Nine wheels seemed to be the topic of discussion among the group tonight.  It is going to be sweet when we start fitting these to our bikes.   Nice group of 6 of us made the ride, here is a pic of my view most of the evening:

The group included:

Fish
Plassmania
Sonya
Todd
Shannon
Me

Looking forward to getting back on the mountain bikes this weekend.  Should be awesome!!