AtomicMiles

Fox Hunt

2011-11-02T13:08:00.000-06:00

Hell-O-Ween 2011 Ride

2011-10-25T11:41:00.000-06:00

October 28, 9:00 pm Corner Canyon
Meet at the EC

Costumes are highly recommended

2010

Strawberry Ridge

2011-10-22T18:54:00.001-06:00

Headed up to ride what we call the Strawberry Ridge loop w/ Brandon, Dan Z., and Dave G. One of my favorite UC rides. We managed to piss off plenty of men dressed in orange today.

Dan Z's Garmin Data

If you have ever rode 5th water down (above the hot pots up Diamond Fork), you probably remember one tricky drop/move. Here is a video from last year showing with Aaron S. showing how to ride it.

Three Forks Loop 7-10-10 from atomicmiles on Vimeo.

Today, Dave G. came flying down the trail not knowing the drop was there. He almost pulled it off, but ultimately went over the bars. It was a full-on yard sale on the trail. I was lucky to get to see it, but should have brought the video cam. Dave busted off his visor, smashed up his helmet and drew some blood above the eye.

Southwester Landscapes

2011-10-19T08:08:00.000-06:00

<a href='http://www.bing.com/videos/watch/video/southwestern-landscapes-time-lapse/20mk1gkt?q=viral%20videos&from=en-us_msnhp&rel=msn&cpkey=fafc161b-5be3-4076-94dd-10235aece709%7cviral+videos%7cmsn%7c%7c&src=v5:embed::' target='_new' title='Southwestern Landscapes Time-Lapse'>Video: Southwestern Landscapes Time-Lapse</a>

10 Things I've Learned About MTBing

2011-10-16T18:26:00.000-06:00

Go to VentureThere for more videos.

Danny Macaskill

2011-08-27T18:56:00.000-06:00

Must See Entertainment

2011-08-25T16:56:00.002-06:00

Dug

5 teeth pulled

2011-08-24T19:49:00.000-06:00

After an excellent ride in Corner Canyon this morning, I went in to get some teeth pulled. 2 teeth on the bottom and 3 on the top.

Why do such a thing? PCPP in just over a week. I went down to 39/26. Remember, I'm just trying to finish and survive the PCPP. Losing a few teeth from the chain rings should help.

In addition to the new chainrings, I put on some new brake pads and had a bike tune. The bike shop even cleaned off the cow pie residue from riding in Payson Canyon.

Payson Canyon Ride

2011-08-23T12:02:00.000-06:00

Here is the video Brandon put together.

In the video, there are some powerbar gel blasts (very tasty BTW) that I had licked and stuck to my top tube. Surprisingly, it worked quite well. Who needs a bento box??

Bike Gadget Geek

2011-08-18T09:36:00.000-06:00

You know you are a bike gadget geek when you get excited about something like this:

Garmin has been one of my favorite companies. I have owned an edge 305 and 705. They have taken care of me when a car ran over my Edge 705.

Full article here

How much you wonder? $1499 available March 2012.

Some questions I still have - What about a MTB solution?

A Post.... Finally

2011-08-16T12:51:00.003-06:00

I was chastised for not posting to this blog.

Here is the update:

I've been riding - not as much as I would like
The Park City P2P is coming up quick followed by LOTOJA the next weekend
My weight is good, but fitness isn't quite up where I would like it.

Lots of awesome cycling events have been happening. The Tour of Utah was fun to watch. Another, the Colorado Trail Race, was fun to follow.

Here is a link to a blog that gives a sweet report on the CTR--A guy with Type 1 diabetes.

http://livethinline.blogspot.com/

Happy Riding

Product Review: Maxxis Ikon 29er

2011-06-02T14:19:00.000-06:00

On a recommendation from the Holley's, I ordered up some of the new Maxxis Ikon tires.

My setup
Ikon 29er 2.20 exo (protection version) - claimed weight 575g
Mounted tubeless on Crest Rims.

Previous setup
Conti Race King 2.2 - claimed weight 650g
Maxxis Crossmark
Maxxis Aspen

I have had no problems with the Ikons. They mounted very easily--much easier than the race kings.. They have a similar feel to the race king, however, I like the fact that they are lighter, cost less, and have the exo protection. The tire grips well, especially on the corners. Maybe it is just in my head, but it feels smooth/fast as it rolls.

The Ikon is also offered in a 29er version without the exo protection. The weight is 520g.

Bottom line - my new favorite tire.

It feels like...

2011-05-26T09:49:00.001-06:00

I have a feeling in my gut. It is kind of like...
- black friday at Walmart
- being first chair at Sundance after a powder dump
- waiting for the start of the city Easter egg hunt
- trying to get a slice of pizza among a group of scouts

- I need to get in as much riding as possible, because it will probably rain again.

10 Commandments of UC Lunch Rides

2011-05-03T22:47:00.000-06:00

1. Thou shalt not say, "I'm taking it easy today".
2. Thou shalt not be late or you will be left.
3. Thou shalt covet thy neighbors bike
4. Thou shalt ride a single speed, own one, or covet one.
5. Thou shalt ride a 29er, own one, or covet one.
6. Thou shalt not ride, create, or refer to any illegal trails. If you do any of the prior, Kenny will probably get blamed for it.
7. That shalt give at least 3 different names to each trail.
8. Thou shalt stop and give thanks at the altar.
9. Thou shalt smoke the pipe. (see yesterday's post)
10. Thou shalt not complain that the trails are steep - this ain't corner canyon.

Lunch Meeting - Business Casual

2011-05-02T22:15:00.000-06:00

Brandon - aka Fancy Man showed up to the lunch meeting in business casual today.

Smoking the Pipe - Business Casual from atomicmiles on Vimeo.

Triple Rush

2011-05-01T08:27:00.000-06:00

A new reality show for cyclists on the travel channel

Go to BNQT.com for more videos.

RAWROD Video

2011-04-29T15:32:00.002-06:00

Brandon made a great video of RAWROD 2011.

White Rim TT 2011 from South County Ciclista on Vimeo.

Just so the world wide web knows....

2011-04-28T19:31:00.000-06:00

Dan Z. is human... His first DFL.

Oh, and the dry loop is in phenomenal shape. Excellent lunch ride today. My legs still haven't recovered from RAWROD.

RAWROD 2011

2011-04-24T22:04:00.002-06:00

Let me sum up the fast friday version of the Ride Around the White Rim in One Day with some pics and some observations.

RAWROD, the Ride Around the White Rim in One Day, is an incredible 100 mile ride in Canyonlands, Moab. Fast Friday is a self supported time trial (I treat it more like a casual self supported ride). Social Saturday is the same ride for those who want to ride it in a more casual setting with a support vehicle.

Weather was perfect - 75 and blue skies
My lack of fitness combined with a ton of sand made for a hard day. My time was nowhere near impressive, but I finished.
This year, I needed the 2 water bottles and the 3L camelback. Last year I finished only having used half of my camelback.
Brandon S. was very kind and stuck with me the whole day.
Post race food - Cherry Coke and Brats. The Brats were awesome and tasted incredible after the long day. Thanks Kenny and Elden
Dan Z and Rick S. are insane - RAWROD on friday, and then a race at Lambert on Saturday.
Huge group for Fast Friday - One rider ended up spending the night down on the trail (A story for another post)
Thanks to Jesse for giving us a ride down in the Mad Dog van.
I can attest that Brandon didn't break any laws. He exercised a high level of restraint and didn't throw any rocks off the cliffs.

RAWROD cometh

2011-04-14T11:03:00.001-06:00

In about a week, the Ride Around the White Rim in One Day will happen.

The White Rim is such an awesome place. I'm anticipating a day of pain and suffering--but it is worth it to ride the White Rim.

Here is the video from last year.

RAWROD TT - White Rim Moab from atomicmiles on Vimeo.

Slacking

2011-04-01T09:02:00.000-06:00

I can gauge how well I am doing at my riding/fitness by a few things.

1. How quickly I get dropped by the UC lunch ride

2. How one sided the conversation is as the group climbs the hill.

3. My lack of blogging posts.

Work has been extremely busy. So busy, that my wife feels sorry for me. It is time to get back into shape--otherwise, RAWROD will be a disaster. Here is my new program to jump start my training.

Sick Video

2011-03-30T09:41:00.001-06:00

Great Video sent to me by Ride29er

VCA 2010 RACE RUN from changoman on Vimeo.

Valparaiso Cerro Abajo 2010 1080p30 from Omar Salas on Vimeo.

Lunch Rides Resume

2011-02-17T11:40:00.000-07:00

This is how I felt after a lunch ride with Rick, Brandon, and Rico--Had my legs ripped off.

Frozen Turkey Ride - Thanksgiving 2010

2010-11-25T10:16:00.000-07:00

Dave G., Cori J., and Brandon (dressed like a robber)

I occasionally question my own sanity--especially this morning. Leading up to the Frozen Turkey Ride, I kept texting Brandon weather reports. Nonetheless, we went forward with the ride. It was cold this morning--possibly the coldest ride I've ever done. Brandon said it was 7 F.

I'm sure glad that I went. Once we were climbing betty, my core was warmed up. The sun eventually came out and made things even better. We paused at the rock altar and expressed thanks for singletrack.

What a great way to start Thanksgiving. On to Food, Family, and Football.

I'm looking forward to the draper velodrome

2010-11-16T18:10:00.001-07:00

The Draper Velodrome, from what I understand, will be concrete. The picture above is from the world championships. There should be plenty of carnage when the newbies hit the track in Draper.

Big News

2010-11-12T01:00:00.002-07:00

The weather is colder--I'm still riding. Even with the snow/rain, the cat litter lined trails in the UC are rideable.

Anyways - two bits of cycling news that you probably have heard about.

1. Draper continues to amaze me with their support of cycling. The city recently approved the master plan for not only a velodrome, but a crit course, pump track, and more. Check out the plan here. I may have to move to Draper.

2. Cross is finally returning to Utah County. Nov. 20 in American Fork. Details here.

Hell-O-Ween 2010

2010-10-29T10:05:00.000-06:00

The Hell-O-Ween Ride continues to grow. I'm not sure if anyone officially counted, but a guess was around 30 people. Some sweet costumes. The ride was a blast followed by a good breakfast at Denny's.

In addition to the Hell-O-Ween ride, the world night championship was held and a new belt holder was crowned.

Brandon and Rick also battled for a small prize to determine the winner from my small contest. Rick won a beanie to help keep his bare head warm in the winter.

Hell-O-Ween Ride 2010 from atomicmiles on Vimeo.

Here is a link to the pic's I took

And the winner is.........

2010-10-28T08:20:00.000-06:00

A couple of days ago, a small contest was posted. Of the entries sent in, no one had all of the answers correct on their first try. I found it strange that within seconds of each other, Brandon and Rick finally submitted the correct answers. Brandon's guilt must have got to him as he admitted a collaboration with Rick to get the correct answers. Rick quickly pointed out that the "rules were clear... there were no rules".
To determine a winner, a race between Rick and Brandon will be held--maybe tonight at the Hell-o-ween ride. Hopefully they put a serious amount of hurt on each other.

Answers:
1. Dave B.
2. Ricky M.
3. Rick S.
4. Kenny
5. Kenny's Bike he loans out
6. Dan Z.
7. Jon S.
8. Doug
9. Brandon
10. Rob R.
11. Brandon
12. Miles

A quick story about pic #11. When we were riding the "whole enchilada" in Moab, Jason W. walked up to Brandon and asked, "Hey Brandon, what are these?" He thought they were some new hi-tech bike part.

A small contest

2010-10-26T08:46:00.000-06:00

I commonly have problems with bike lust (I don't consider a it a problem or a disease, but my wife does). Below are some pics of bikes from some of the riders from the UC lunch rides (there are some draper/CC bike(s) too). See if you can name the owners of the bikes. EMAIL me atomicmiles at gmail.com. I'll find a prize to the first one who emails me with all the correct answers.

1.________________

2. _________________

3. _________________

4. ___________________

5. _____________________

6. __________________

7. _________________

8. ________________

9. _________________

10. ________________

11. __________________

12. ____________________

The Whole Enchilada - Video

2010-10-22T17:38:00.000-06:00

The Whole Enchilada from atomicmiles on Vimeo.

The Whole Enchilada

2010-10-12T08:18:00.001-06:00

Monday, was a day trip to Moab to ride the Whole Enchilada. Many of you are familiar with Porcupine Rim. Porcupine is the end of the whole enchilada. The Whole enchilada has starts at the top of the Lasal Mountains and gives you a full day of descending from 11,000 ft down to 4,000.

I met this fellow at the Porcupine overlook. He was a nice guy. I had to use some "stealth spy" skills to snag this sweet photo. I'll give props to anyone who gets out and rides a bike, but this guy was so fashionable that our group couldn't resist some good pokes - "That body armor will be the last thing that hits the ground" - "That's not body armor, it's a bib" "He ate the whole enchilada" etc....

The ride was spectacular. From Burro Pass, we dropped down through the pines.

Then we rode through the aspens.

And then the red desert.

Great company. Tons of fun. Video on the way.

Pic of the week

2010-10-05T08:11:00.000-06:00

Check out this sweet setup. I tweeted this pic already, but it is such a classic.

South Fork MTB

2010-09-24T11:05:00.001-06:00

It has been over two years since I rode South Fork. Back in 1998-2000, I would ride South Fork often on my GF Sugar 3. It was a hard ride for me. Many of the trees along the route have had me stopping and leaning against them while I hyperventilated.

It was fun to ride it this morning w/ Brandon S. Who knew that he would actually ride as late as 7 am compared to his normal 4:30 am. Not only was is absolutely beautiful, it was fun to realize that South Fork had become easier. 3 Laps - Great way to start the day.

Summer

2010-09-20T14:05:00.001-06:00

Summer from atomicmiles on Vimeo.

LOTOJA wrap up

2010-09-15T06:44:00.002-06:00

This will be brief.

This year, LOTOJA was intended to be a race for me, but by the time I reached the first climb, my legs told me that this would be a ride rather than a race. I suffered through the ride.

The Good
Weather was perfect. My parents were an awesome support crew. No mechanical problems with the bike. I finished with my best time. Drafting behind Shaun Bradley for a bit.

The Bad
Rumble strips coming out of nowhere. 35F from Logan to Preston. I didn't make my goal of a sub 10 ride. Limping across the finish line beaten down and wasted.

Time to move on. Lunch rides, night rides, and cross races. I'm ready to ride with friends for fun.

A lotoja letter from Brandon

2010-09-10T16:28:00.003-06:00

Here is an email from Brandon.

Miles,

Right now I know you are either traveling, checking in, or lounging around in your hotel room.

Just a few thoughts for your race tomorrow.

1 – Even though I know you just received your new AIR 9 Carbon putting skinning tires on it is not going to help. Although LOTOJA is a fashion show where people like to look cool, nobody there will even know what an AIR 9 Carbon with XX is. Better off to leave it at home even though you can lockout the front fork. This is a road bike race. You are better off riding the Scott.

2 – Don’t try and capture some cool video clips while riding in a pace line. If you forget “Roadies” can have quite the attitude and they just might not like it if you try and ask for them to wait up while you go and stage yourself up the road for a good video clip.

3 – Your wheels are not tubeless so don’t ride over anything you see thinking you are invincible. You will flat and there are no team cars regardless of how good Keith is a being a Team Manager.

4 – Be wary of who you make friends with on the road. Right when you think you are friends and they agree to all stop for that potty break is when they will drop you like a hot potato. There is no regrouping after the climbs/descents like on our lunch rides.

5 – Don’t try and answer your iphone while riding. Once again although mountain bikers have some handling skills and you reaching into your back pocket to pull out something like your iphone will send the peleton into an instant panic, thinking “he is going down. Clear!!”

6 – But most of all remember you signed up for this as FUN, trying to get a better time than last year. Please disregard any bad feelings or memories from the PCP2P.

Good Luck

Brandon

PCP2P Recap

2010-09-07T10:51:00.002-06:00

Saturday was the Park City Point 2 Point. I have a lot of jumbled thoughts and memories that I'm still trying to sort. My feelings for the race are just as scrambled.

The race organizers put on a top notch race. I was impressed, especially considering the PCPP is only in its second year. The course was challenging. It was well marked. Aid stations were very well stocked. Pre and post race entertainment, drawings, and food were great. Very well done.

Before the race, I had in my mind a time that I wanted to beat. This was based primarily on what some of the "lunch riders" had done the previous year. I lined myself up accordingly at the start line. I remember hearing Brad K. yelling at the crowd as he sorted himself to a different group "didn't you guys look at the finishing times from last year? Didn't you see how many people finished 10+ hours????" He proved to be correct as the majority of us should have sorted ourselves better.

Round Valley was fun and fast. By the time I reached silver lake lodge at Deer Valley, my bottles were empty. As I started the climb, I started cramping. I was shocked. I wondered why in the world was I cramping so early in the race. I would spend the rest of the day trying to keep the cramping under control. As long as I soft pedaled, I was fine. Anytime I put in a serious effort or put a foot down, I would lock up in pain.

My favorite parts of the course were the flagstaff loop, round valley, and skid row. The parts of pain were John's 99 (which is downhill, but bumpy and technical), the steps, climb up silverlake, and the re-route by Spiro. Check out the picture of Eric B's niner. He finished the race, 18 more miles, with his bike like this.

I would say my deep dark moments came after John's 99, on that lame dirt road and then going up the steps. I was not happy. I was thinking about pulling an Aaron S. and cutting off some of the route. I did run into Brad K. at that point and it was great to hear some words of encouragement from him. It helped me push on.

Some of the best moments were riding with people I know. It was a major boost to morale to ride with people like Jason M., Sam C., Keith P., and Adam L. The Mad Dog support crew was awesome. They had the right balance of taking care of me, but pushing me out of the aid station. It was also great to see Rick and Rico at the PCMR. Here is a link and here to pictures that Rick took at mile 60.

Hands down, the hardest race I have ever done (Take that with a grain of salt--my list of endurance races isn't very long). I am happy w/ my finish of 10:04. I had stop or paused time of 28 min. It was awesome to see people overcoming their pain and pushing through to the finish.

I did ride the new niner. The bike was awesome and performed flawlessly. I'll share more details on the bike later.

The Park City Point 2 Point 2010 from atomicmiles on Vimeo.

A letter to myself

2010-09-01T09:14:00.000-06:00

Dear Self:
Hello self, this is your innerself - you know, the voice in your head. We seemed to get past our differences on RAWROD and no doubt, we will have plenty of time to talk to each other on the PCPP. We've never done the Park City Point 2 Point so I thought I would write you this letter to help remind you of a few things for the race. I'm going to call you stupid and remind you of the many of the stupid things you've done in the past so don't let this hurt your feelings

1. Balance. Fight off the desire to take off from the start like a jack rabbit. Obviously, if you do this, you'll blow up. However, also be aware that you need to position yourself in Round Valley. Once you start the climb up skid row, the opportunities to pass are limited. Find the balance of pushing yourself and riding within your limits.

2. Eat & Drink, and then Eat & Drink some more. There is a reason why we have an alarm that goes off every 45 minutes. It's to help you once your reach a stupified state to remember to eat and drink. The temperatures in PC will be moderate and you may not feel like eating or drinking. If you don't, we will pay for it in the latter part of the race.

3. Deep Dark Place. At some point, you will reach a very deep dark place in the ride. Heck, you may be in that place all day long. You will start questioning your intelligence and sanity. You may even have thoughts of quitting. There is no easy way through these dark pits. You will have to push through it remembering that you have trained and are prepared for this race.

5. Throttle Back. About the time you reach Deer Valley, all ability to think clearly will most likely be gone. Don't be stupid and go full throttle on the downhills. This is where you are most likely to wreck. Pull it back a little to ensure you don't eat it and earn a sweet DNF. You wouldn't want to chip a hip or something lame like that?

6. The Carrot. Do remember how towards the end of an endurance race, you start fixating on a simple food that is waiting for you at the finish? Maybe chocolate milk, cherry coke, chicken tenders, watermelon, etc. Figure out what your carrot will be and start dreaming of it.

7. Enjoy the journey. Sounds like an overused motivational poster. However, remember that this is some of the finest singletrack around. It will be easier to tolerate the suffering if you can take in some of the beauty of the area and enjoy the trails.

8. Feed Zones. It is so easy to take a break in the feed zones. The minutes in the feed zones accumulate very quickly. Be aware of this and try to minimize your feed zone time.

Sincerely,

The voice in your head.

PCPP Recon - Round Valley

2010-08-30T21:55:00.001-06:00

Let me start out by saying that Park City has some of the most heavenly singletrack I've ever ridden. The abundance of trails and perfect temperatures makes me want to move to PC. Today was the final recon ride prior to the PCPP on Sept. 4. Dave B., Rico, Evil Banks, Derron, and I did the round valley section. We were rained on a few times, but the trails remained in great condition.

Leg 1, Part 1 - Fast Fast Fast. The gradient never gets very steep and for the most part, the trail is buffed and fast. Nothing very technical. Lots of places to pass.

Leg 1, Part 2, (I think its called Skid Row) was some more heavenly singletrack. Rarely do I give props to a climb, but this was a fun fast climb. Passing other riders through this part will be a challenge.

Leg 1 Part 3, I bailed out to get back to home responsibilities, but Rico and Dave made the climb to Silver lake. I had done this part a few weeks ago.

Leg 1 Part 4. I consider this really to be part of Leg 2. The climb up sunset and the rest of Leg 2 is where the elevation gets serious. Leg 1 - Parts 1,2,3 are fast and enjoyable--never any serious climbing.

Update - Still waiting for the Niner. This is like waiting for a kid to be born. Can I give revolution some pitocin? (They are a good bike shop--I'm just impatient.)

Bad Omen

2010-08-30T16:00:00.000-06:00

Saturday morning, I found this guy moving slowly across my driveway. I hope this isn't a biker's version of the black cat. STAY AWAY FROM ME SNAILS!!!

Update

2010-08-29T20:55:00.000-06:00

While the posting has been spotty, the riding hasn't.

The new bike is sitting at Revolution waiting for the BB30 Bottom Bracket so show. It is killing me. I wanted to have it in plenty of time to dial it in before the PCPP. Hopefully it is ready to go Monday or at the latest Tuesday. Do I still ride the niner in the Point 2 Point if I get it on Friday???

Tour of Utah Stage 2 Nebo

2010-08-20T12:03:00.003-06:00

Thursday I took the kids half way up the Nephi side of the Nebo Loop to watch the Tour of Utah come up. Brandon joined in and we strategically picked some switchbacks so we could see them below and above us.

My kids love going to the race. We all were given cow bells, noise makers, powerades, stickers, etc. Plenty of swag-- All before the race even comes by. We, of course, come prepared with some street chalk and have a blast writing messages on the street.

The race was awesome. I love watching the speed of the riders and realize that I would be the first picked up by the broom wagon at the tour riders pace. The other part the I enjoy is bike watching. It's probably more like bike lust. Carbon, carbon, and more carbon.

Short video & pics of the race.

2010 Tour of Utah Stage 2 - Nebo Climb from atomicmiles on Vimeo.

100% luck

2010-08-18T18:17:00.004-06:00

I drive a mini cooper and often have my bike(s) on top. Mini car, big bike.

Usually, I park the car outside. Today, as I was running some of the kids around, I thought I'll park in my wife's spot in the garage. As I drove in, SMACK!!!!!!!! I had forgot that my road bike was on top of the mini. Big time sinking feeling in my stomach. As I got out of the car, I saw this mark on the garage entrance.

I then saw that the bike was still on the car. I did a quick check over the bike. Handlebars-in one piece, no sign of damage. Front fork and headset--fine. I hurried and pulled the bike off the car and saw the saddle.

The nose of the saddle had just cleared the entrance of the garage. Scuffs on the saddle were the only damage. Boy, did I get lucky.

There was a bit of minor damage to the bike rack on the car. One of the q clips was bent. A rubber mallet quickly fixed that.

The first time I went by Keith's home, I immediately saw the damage in his stucco above his garage. I now have the bike tattoo on my house (not as severe as Keith's)

On a side note, I'm taking the kids to the Tour of Utah tomorrow. We'll be camped out at the start of the final climb up Nebo. I won't be dressed up in a gilly suit, beard, or dress. Just plain fans.

Strange Things

2010-08-16T11:53:00.005-06:00

One thing about going out on the bike is you never know what you are going to see. From wildlife to awesome wrecks, it seems there is always something to see. On a ride last week, I ran into this odd landmark.

Not only had this rock been painted a lovely shade of blue, someone had actually cut a 3 foot wide path through the meadow leading up to the rock. This is the the meadow North of the Dragon's Back spine in Utah County.

Crunch time this week for the PCPP. Following the leadville results has me excited for PCPP and for hopefully getting into Leadville next year. Congrats to those who rode Leadville.

Strawberry Ridge

2010-08-07T17:46:00.004-06:00

Another early am ride w/ Brandon this morning. The route was up cottonwood creek, up 2nd water to the strawberry ridge trail. Northward to 5th water trail, and descending down back to the diamond fork parking lot.

Climbing cottonwood creek is one of the my favorite climbs. Although it is located in Utah County, it isn't the typical straight up the hill trail. Gradual rollers lead you up to Rays Valley Road.

With the recent rain, the trails were in near perfect condition on the climb. 2nd water trail, normally a dust path this time of year, was packed and good climbing.

Brandon at the top of 2nd water hooking into Strawberry Ridge.

The descent down 5th water was awesome. There were a few sections of Mud. Brandon, one of the best descenders I know and skilled bike handler, had a few trouble corners with the mud. His front wheel slid out not once, but twice.

There are plenty of cows in the area. Brandon chased a group of ten or so down the 5th water trail.

I will be returning in the near future to do some more riding. Next time, Brandon and I are going to figure out how to incorporate the Center Trail in the loop.

After the rain

2010-08-06T11:59:00.001-06:00

Awesome ride this am in American Fork Canyon. Brandon did a good write-up. Here are a few pics.

3 week countdown - Niner Air Carbon

2010-08-05T14:47:00.008-06:00

Yes, the PCPP is 3 weeks away. However, that isn't what I'm referring too.

Revolution called yesterday and said they needed a few questions answered. 1. Do I still want the vana white Niner Air Carbon? 2. If I could get the Air Carbon in Tang earlier, would I want it? 3. (less important right now) What do I plan on running for the bottom bracket.

My answers

1. Yes, I still want the bike. 2. Hmmmmmmmm - Hard decision. 3. BB30

Revolution explained that I could have a tang frame in 3 weeks. The whites, because of tons of orders, would come sometime in the future.

I ran up to revolution today and checked out a medium tang that they were building up. The color was awesome in person as the stock photos were less than impressive. After seeing an actual bike, the decision was easy. I switched to the tang.

I've been picking up parts for months for my vana white niner. Now that it is tang, I'd prefer to have a black fork, but have already purchased this white one. Black 29er forks, w/ a tapered steerer, and 9mm drop outs are apparently rare and expensive. I did order one of the niner rigid carbon forks so that I can easily swap between rigid and travel.

With my luck, the niner will show up Monday after the PCPP. That's ok if it does--I'm beyond excited for it.

Mad Dog 4Life Photo Shoot

2010-08-03T10:10:00.005-06:00

4Life, a sponsor of the Mad Dog Race Team, arranged for a photo shoot Monday night up AF Canyon. It was fun to participate. 4Life is a great company and their sponsorship is appreciated. The photographer had us riding up and down several times the famous Tyler Hamilton wipeout corner.

On the way up to Pine Hollow for the photo shoot, I passed several riders climbing the canyon who were coated in salt stains and suffering. I wondered if I showed my suffering and pain like that when I ride. These riders happened to be the tail end of the ranatad riders. Maybe next year I'll put ranatad on my list.

Park City Point 2 Point Preview Ride

2010-07-31T15:00:00.006-06:00

The Park City Point 2 Point has been weighing heavily upon my mind. I finally got up to Park City w/ Dave to recon part of the course. Dave is heading to leadville in 2 weeks. He hit 60 miles of the PCPP. I only had time to do 40. He was hammering it on his SS. I brought along my purse and some gears.

This was the first time I had been on the PC trails. Awesome trails. Favorite of the day was the Flagstaff loop.

I'm happy to report that no one broke, chipped, or damaged their hips (sorry....couldn't resist the poke. My wife tells me all the time that I'm insensitive).

I love where I live

2010-07-15T17:00:00.005-06:00

Took another swig of AF Canyon this morning w/ Brandon and Kyle. We caught a ride up w/ Russ almost to the summit. I feel like I cheated, but it allowed us to get in more riding. We rode horse flat again, dropped down towards cascade springs (Brandon calls it the whoops), climbed Joy and then descended Mud Spring.

Kyle is heading off to law school in Arizona in a few weeks--I'll restrain from making lawyer jokes or comments about litigators. I think he is trying to absorb as much of this incredible terrain as he can before he heads south to the furnace.

Horse Flat / Mud Spring Loop

2010-07-14T18:27:00.002-06:00

Tuesday morning, Brandon and I rode a sweet loop. We climbed the pavement for a while, but it was the quickest way to the summit. We started at the tibble fork turnoff and climbed to the summit. We then rode the horse flat loop, and the ridge trail over to mud spring. This was my first ride on Mud. It didn't disappoint. Tibble is fun, but I give the nod to Mud.

Doing it again Thursday morning. 5:30 am at the tibble turnoff if you want some.

AF Canyon - Horse Flat, Mud Spring Loop 7-13-10 from atomicmiles on Vimeo.

Three Forks Loop

2010-07-10T12:27:00.003-06:00

Another sweet ride on a new trail. The Smith Bros. (not really brothers, but they could be since they coordinate their jerseys) took me on the three forks loop in Spanish Fork Canyon.

At the top of cottonwood, we were pounded by rain. It rained enough that we couldn't ride the center trail as we wanted--We had to stick to the paved road for a bit. It was still an awesome ride.

Short video shot w/ my iphone. No helmet cam today.

Thanks for the ride SouthCountyCiclista, and Shammytime. Time for a nap--these guys like riding early.

Three Forks Loop 7-10-10 from atomicmiles on Vimeo.

Tour de Payson Canyon

2010-07-04T22:02:00.004-06:00

I had never ridden any of the mtb trails in Payson Canyon. Saturday, Jesse and Brandon gave me the grand tour. (These guys like to ride early....)

Schram Creek
Lizard Lake
Rock Spring
Jones Ranch
Blackhawk
Frank Young
Bennie Creek

I'm sure I couldn't find my way around again, but what a bunch of awesome trails. The scenery was incredible.

Almost 30 miles of riding, 4600+ elevation gain. Perma-grin for the next 24 hours after descending Jones Ranch and Bennie Creek.

Tour de Payson Canyon from atomicmiles on Vimeo.

Deliverance

2010-07-01T20:54:00.009-06:00

Remember the dueling banjos from the movie deliverance? My brother and his family are visiting from Tennessee where he is 22 months away from finishing orthodontic school. We took the afternoon to get up to the mountains and ride deer creek south fork. Coming from 200 ft elevation to 8000 ft took a toll on him during the climbs. We had a great time even though he had a bee sneak into his jersey and sting him multiple times.

Some observation about people from Tennessee (you're not there yet bro, but maybe in a couple of years)
You’ve ever had to switch from “heat” to “A/C” in the same day.
You use “fix” as a verb. Example: “I’m fixing to go to the store
All the festivals across the state are named after a fruit, vegetable, grain, insect or animal.
You install security lights on your house and garage and leave both unlocked.
You know what a “VOL” is.
You carry jumper cables in your car…for your OWN car.
You think that the first day of deer season is a national holiday
You find 100 degrees fahrenheit “a little warm”.
You know all four seasons: Almost Summer, Summer, still Summer and Christmas.
You know whether another Tennessean is from east, west or middle Tennessee as soon as they open their mouth.
Going to Wal-mart is a favorite past time known as”goin’ Wal-martin” or off to “Wally World”.
You describe the first cool snap (below 70 degrees) as good pinto-bean weather.
A carbonated soft drink isn’t a soda, cola or pop…it’s a Coke, regardless of brand or flavor. Example: “What kinda coke you want?”
Fried catfish is the other white meat.

Garmin and Crank Brothers Customer Service

2010-06-28T10:35:00.003-06:00

If you are on the mailing list for the icup email list, a few weeks ago you may have seen an email announcing that a garmin 705 had been found after the Draper race. Oh, and it had been run over by a car.

Well, that was my garmin. I must have left it on top of my car when I drove away. BRILLIANT!!!!

As it turns out, I was lucky to retrieve it. Garmin was very cool when I called them. Even though it was out of warranty, for a very small fee, they replaced my Garmin.

In the same week, I broke a wing coming down dry canyon on my Crank Brothers Candy 4ti pedals. Crank Brothers repaired the pedals at no charge--even without a sales receipt.

Credit where credit is due. Impressive customer service.

Farewell Brad....Hello Brats!

2010-06-24T16:36:00.006-06:00

Although you may think I only talk about food, I do ride my bike.

Brad's farewell ride was held last night. Good sized group to say adios to Mr. Carborocket before he moves to Chicago.

The ride was a blast, but the food afterwords was perfect. Aside from being strong cyclists, these guys can make some awesome food.

Homemade Guacamole by Elden
Brats by Elden
Homemade bread by Kenny
Homemade cookies from Mark's wife Rachel

Thanks to Elden for hosting the party at his house. Video forthcoming.

Recovery Food

2010-06-17T15:50:00.002-06:00

No, that isn't a science experiment gone wrong. Everything about that is right. Next time your looking for a some lunch or dinner in Utah County, stop in at Bailey's Restaurant & Patio (535 N. State Street Orem--Shared space w/ Juice & Java). The sandwiches are awesome, but the hard boiled eggs are the best ever. I prefer the spicy eggs over the sweet eggs. I enjoy them so much, I had John make me up a whole jar. For a laugh, pay attention to John's filing system. Sandwich recommendations: Bailey's Best, Tuna Melt w/ the sweet peppers, Pastrami.

Bike riding has been fairly thin lately. I have been backpacking w/ the varsity scouts. We hiked in to Pittsburgh lake and across the GWT to Forrest Lake. Still plenty of snow up high.

AF Canyon morning ride / video

2010-06-11T13:37:00.000-06:00

Nice ride up AF this morning. It was one of the mornings where the weatherman was wrong in my favor. He had said it would be 40--thankfully he was wrong.

A short video of the ride - you'll understand why Kris has his shoes off at the summit.

AF Morning Ride 6-11-10 from atomicmiles on Vimeo.

Moose Goo and Poo

2010-06-10T19:43:00.004-06:00

Next week I'm going with the varsity scouts on a backpacking trip from Snowbird back to Lindon via the great western trail. I've been testing the dehydrated foods (all homemade) that I'll be eating on the trip. I decided to whip up a batch of Moose Goo - A high calorie goop that will be my lunch on the trail.

2 parts corn flour (not corn meal)

2 parts honey

1 part peanut butter

I modified the moose goo by adding 1 part nutella thus changing it from moose goo to moose poo. While it doesn't measure up to an apple fritter, it is actually quite tasty and would be an excellent on-the-go food for rawrod or Lotoja.

New Pavement

2010-06-08T18:44:00.002-06:00

I love new pavement. It just feels fast.

I rode up the alpine loop - provo side - during lunch today and ran into a crew repaving above Sundance. After waiting for a few minutes, the flagman let the line of cars continue on up the road. I only made it about 20 feet before I flipped around to get back on the old pavement. The new asphalt was sticking to my tires.

I love new pavement, but not immediately after it has been put down.

Dry Canyon Damage

2010-06-07T10:18:00.003-06:00

I went for a morning ride. When I came across the dry canyon parking lot, I saw this.

This is the junction of the shoreline trail and the dry canyon trail, just east of the stairs. Massive amounts of water have come down. My guess is someone broke the pipe. Every single retention pond in the neighborhood below was filled to the top this morning.

Draper ICUP Video

2010-06-02T07:44:00.001-06:00

ICUP Draper 5-31-10 from atomicmiles on Vimeo.

Draper ICUP short report

2010-06-01T09:52:00.000-06:00

(Pic pinched from Karl)

I'll summarize a bit of the race and let the video tell the rest of the story.

I really enjoyed the course. I saw quite a few that had wrecked or talked of the length being hard, but every person I spoke with gave 2 thumbs up on the course. Other than the one long climb, all the rest of the climbing came in short bursts.

First lap was a bottleneck for quite a while. It was much better once we hit climb on the dirt road. It was fun to do battle with Brannen all throughout the race. He unfortunately had a spill on the final lap.

I was filming the finish standing next to the organizer of these races - Ed. Our conversation was something like this:

Me: "Have the singlespeeders finished yet"

Ed: "I don't think so..... Did I have them do 3 laps?.... Wow.... Painful.... I just had them do the same amount of laps from last year."

Ended up 5th. I was happy with my race. Brannen and I had no idea how many were in front of us.

Night Race World Championship Pics

2010-05-28T08:12:00.003-06:00

The first ever Night Race World Championship was held at an undisclosed location, organized by an undisclosed individual.

The champion - southcountyciclista, 2nd carborocket, 3rd Cori.

Awesome ride - Thanks Rick.

As you look at the pics - take a look at everyone's number plates. A simple number can tell you a lot about a person.

The champion w/ the purse - literally

Great raffle after the race.

There is a certain "glow" about people who ride a custom sabrosa bike.

Brad chasing after Brandon

Brandon aka "dark helmet" and his "schwartz"

Kris' suggestion for caption

"My Precious"

Sundance weekly race 5-26-10

2010-05-27T10:00:00.000-06:00

Rode in the sundance weekly last night. Always fun to ride the sundance single track. 2.5 laps for the expert B (a category I probably shouldn't have been in).

The good:

First weekly race for me. Reasonable price.

Fun course to ride the SS

Not as much climbing as the ICUP course

Won some gloves in the raffle

Beautiful singletrack

The not so good:

I was so wasted on the last lap, I got sloppy on the downhill - went over the bars... AGAIN

Bent my front wheel - costly mistake

Landis

2010-05-26T15:39:00.002-06:00

He's a nut case, but his info on how to beat the biological passport is amazing.

Here is the article/interview

Did I get it right?

2010-05-24T12:34:00.000-06:00

Family and church obligations took me out of the soldier hollow icup race. My wife can attest that I was extremely grumpy on Saturday since I missed the race.

However I did get out and pre-ride the draper icup on Friday. I ran into Carl and he had just done the course and expressed the same confusion many others had mentioned. Check out his blog for some pics.

I rode the course aprrox 7.28 miles. I'm still wondering, Did I ride the whole course? Did I get it right?

Here is a link to the google earth file if you want a closer look.

Sundance ICUP Report, Photos, Video

2010-05-16T20:12:00.000-06:00

ICUP Sundance Spin 2010 from atomicmiles on Vimeo.

In classic Utah County fashion, the start of the Sundance ICUP is up a significant climb. It is an all out redline effort to get to the top of the climb where the single track begins. Places to pass are limited so I wanted to get to the single track before the pack.

In the sport 35-39, Mark M. from UMB has been dominating the races. In the video you can see that I tried to keep his wheel, but he pulled away on the initial climb and was never seen until the finish line. He is consistently putting a 3-4 minute gap on the second place finisher.

I was second to the singletrack and Brannen (part of the lunch ride group - Go check out his blog as he has some good pics) came in right behind me. Most of the slower bikers from other categories were kind enough to let us pass. Sweet singletrack with some exposure.

At the flathead ski lift base, the double track climbing up towards arrowhead (we didn't go all the way to arrowhead) doesn't look steep, but it was painful--especially on the second lap. Brannen passed on the uphill here and then I would catch him on the downhill-- a pattern that would be repeated a few times on the race.

The final descent on the lap came down front mountain right under Rays lift and onto the road right by the yurts. Then, another painful climb up the pave road back to the start line.

On the second and final lap, Brannen passed me on the climb. I kept him within my sights and hoped to pass him on the downhill. I would then have to gut out the final climb to the finish line. However, as I was chasing on the downhill, I hit a soft shoulder and my wheel washed out. I flipped right over the handlebars going right between two pine trees. Luckily, the ground was soft and spongy with years of piled up pine needles. A quick inventory that I was still in one piece and the bike was fine, I jumped back on the trail to finish the race. Any chance of catching Brannen was gone. Unfortunately the wreck slammed my camera hard enough that it didn't record the wreck.

The Sundance single track is awesome. A very fun course. Congrats to Brannen on 2nd--he's strong on the climbs.

The Mad Dog kits came in and I was impressed. I've bagged on blackbottom jerseys in the past, but I got to say, they've made some improvements. They have a better zipper now, and the bib shorts were super comfortable out of the package. A big "thank you" to Keith P. for managing the Mad Dog Team--it's practically a full time job for him.

Mormon Missionaries

2010-05-16T06:28:00.002-06:00

The ICUP report is coming w/ the video later today.

In the meantime, check out these guys.

Race Day

2010-05-15T07:03:00.002-06:00

Race day. There is nothing like it. The nerves are on alert. The stomach is uneasy--I don't feel like eating much. I continue riding the course in my mind planning areas to pass, curves where I can maintain speed, and optimal lines through obstacles. An hour or more of pain and suffering bliss is coming.

Lunch Ride Video

2010-05-08T09:53:00.000-06:00

Spring Lunch Rides from atomicmiles on Vimeo.

Fatty Monday

2010-05-03T13:17:00.003-06:00

If you come on a lunch ride down in the UC, let me translate a statement you might hear.

"I don't care what we ride as long as I can take it easy today"

Translation...

"Whatever we ride, I going to hammer it and inflict some pain on everyone else"

4 riders for the lunch ride... All show up in fat cyclist jerseys... Not planned. Ireland was in the best condition I've ever seen. Beautiful day.

ICUP Five Mile Pass

2010-05-01T16:28:00.004-06:00

Some Pics - Report to come.

This is what Cedar Fort looked like on the way out. However, great weather out at 5 mile.

Shafer

2010-04-29T09:20:00.003-06:00

Adam has put up a nice description and pictures of Shafer road. This is the entrance or exit for the white rim. His pics are the best I've seen at showing how insanely steep this climb is.

Adam's blog made the top 50 of the most influential cycling blogs/twitter. Fatty was number 2 behind NYC bike snob.

RAWROD TT - White Rim Moab

2010-04-25T20:35:00.000-06:00

Friday was the Ride Around the White Rim in One Day, time trial version. 100 mile ride through arguably one of the most beautiful places in the world.

As a rookie to riding the White Rim, I was nervous about the ride--especially since it was a self supported ride. You have to carry everything you could need in your pack--Food, Water, Mechanical, etc. The weather was also a concern. It was supposed to rain starting around noon through the rest of the day.

A group of 9 of us left from the the highway at 8:30 am (Brad K., Rick S., Jesse, Carson, Brandon S., Aaron S., Grizzly Adam, Keith, and myself). I knew I was riding with a group of fast riders and just hoped that I could finish within a reasonable time.

From what I understand, we rode the rim counterclockwise, which is the non-traditional route. Aaron S. had his front tire wash out on the horse thief descent. He went down hard cracking his helmet, scratching his sunglasses, and hammering his leg. He hiked back up to Horsethief campground and we assumed he would catch a ride with someone back to the vehicles at the highway.

With this being a time trial, it was each person for themselves. No one was waiting for anyone else and our group had splintered already. While descending down hardscrabble, I got a small gash in my rear tire. I thought the stan's would seal it, so I filled back up with air, but in a short bit, I was flat again. I put in a tube and headed on my way. I knew that because of my delays I was now last of the group and would be riding solo for the remainder of the 75 miles.

From Hardscrabble to Murphy's, it was a bit unsettling. I was the last rider, I didn't see anyone else on the trail, and a storm was moving in. If I was to have a catastrophic mechanical or a wreck, I would be in real trouble.

Since I was last, I stopped at some of the overlooks to take some video. I found a nice rock seat at mile 50 and 75 and called it my feed zones.

Once I was past Murphys and one more pinch flat, I got in a good rhythm. The sun came out and I felt better about things.

Near the end of the ride, I came to a fork in the road - one way to the visitor center and one way to Moab. I wasn't sure which way to go, so I stopped a hummer and started looking at their map. They were shocked when I showed them on the map where I had started from that morning. As I was looking at the map, Aaron S. came blowing by on the road heading towards the visitor center. I was amazed that he had made the ride after the spill he took on horse thief. I took off after him trying to catch him. I was able to ride with him for a bit, but he pulled away on schafers.

Schafers--I just don't have the words to describe this climb out of the canyon to the top of the rim. It is unbelievable that a road can be built like schafers.

The pavement back to the vehicles was a pain and seemed like it went on for an eternity.

After the ride, the homemade bread, and brats from Kenny were perfect. Great experience that I'm already looking forward too for next year (it must have not hurt enough). I normally don't film myself, but since I was all alone in the middle of nowhere, I started talking to myself and filming myself.

Stats from the ride:

Distance: 100.83

Climb: 6,491 ft.

Total Time: 9:35 -- Avg Speed 10.5 mph

Actual Ride Time: 8:24 -- Avg Speed 12 mph

Some of the scenery from the ride.

RAWROD TT - White Rim Moab from atomicmiles on Vimeo.

Lunch Ride Video

2010-04-17T08:42:00.001-06:00

Lunch ride 4-16-10 from atomicmiles on Vimeo.

P+90XXXXXL

2010-04-16T20:55:00.005-06:00

Had a great lunch ride today. Good sized crowd. Video coming.

I mentioned to Brandon on the ride today that I had been trying p90x and not been getting the desired results. He recommended this video to me and said that it's the best program he's ever followed.

Brandon's Exercise Program

Tax Day Pics

2010-04-15T18:35:00.000-06:00

What an awesome day - Temperature and trails were perfect. Trails were tacky, but not too muddy. Friday should be optimal.

Route was Betty, Belt, Frank to Altar, back down Frank, Dragon's Back to Race Course and back to shooting range.

I'm planning on another lunch ride Friday. Any are welcome.

Tax Day Lunch Ride

2010-04-15T10:31:00.003-06:00

I absolutely hate tax time. I will complain about it endlessly until someone reminds me that if I'm paying taxes that means I made some money.... and that is a good thing.

Come beat out your tax return frustrations or celebrate your tax refund on a lunch ride in the UC. 11:45 at the shooting range.

A reminder of what lunch rides are all about....

BST Lunch Meeting Part 1 from atomicmiles on Vimeo.

Lunch Ride

2010-04-12T14:49:00.002-06:00

Brandon and Kenny on the BST. The rider in the background is Dug - Yep, a Dug sighting in the UC on the "trail that must not be named".

Corner Canyon

2010-04-09T15:32:00.003-06:00

Lower corner canyon trails are awesome. Nice ride today. Thanks to Brandon B for showing me some new trails.

Carbon fiber-reinforced polymer

2010-04-09T08:41:00.002-06:00

I have an addiction to Carbon fiber-reinforced polymer.

I seek after components and bikes that are made of carbon fiber.

However, I rarely think about the limitations of this wonderful composite.

Julie Leth at Track World Championships

Trials riding

2010-04-07T07:58:00.003-06:00

As a kid, my dad had a couple of old trials motorbikes. We didn't engage in any insane tricks, but we would have contests to see who could ride the longest without putting a foot down following one another through the rocky foothills. Fun times and good memories.

Check out this fun video of bike vs. motorbike.

>

New platform

2010-04-01T08:04:00.003-06:00

I have ridden the 29er platform for only a year now and have been convinced that it is all I will ever ride. I have heard rumors of the 650B platform becoming more and more popular. While this is new and there are not a lot of choices, a new site has been launched for this platform. Check it out.

www.bike650b.com

Product Review: Awesome Strap

2010-03-31T15:35:00.003-06:00

Rick gave me a tip on the awesome strap by backcountry research.

So, why would I pay $9-12 when I can get a strap at Kirkhams for a buck ninety five? The difference is in the details. The awesome strap does exactly what it claims - It holds securely your co2, multitool, and spare tube. I emphasize the secure part. When it is cinched down, it doesn't move at all.

This is an excellent option to carrying your parts in a back pocket, camelback, or saddle bag.

What has the bike done for you?

2010-03-25T18:47:00.003-06:00

I don't like putting up pictures of myself. However, I will make an exception. Take a look at the two contrasting pictures.

Yeah, that's me before and after. Diet and exercise (primarily riding the bike). High of 230, now, 167.

Pics

2010-03-24T18:01:00.003-06:00

Another ride great lunch ride w/ Rick and Rico - Race course and then over to what I think is appropriately called lower switchblade. SS superfly's were required for todays ride (not really, but that's all that showed today).

Tomorrow will be some recon - Is Dragon's back clear?

Grass Roots Politics

2010-03-23T15:17:00.007-06:00

It's that time of year for neighborhood caucuses. At the lunch ride today we held the caucus. 4 members of the single speed party (Brad, Rick, Kenny, and myself) were present and 1 of the geared party (Justin). I'm happy to report that all decisions were done in a bi-partisan manner.

After a heated discussion, we elected a delegate (Kenny) and he decided we would ride the race course and then the switchbacks north of dry canyon BST (I want to call that trail switchblade, but I'm sure other names will pop up).

It was great to participate in this political process at a grass roots level.

Toyota Recall

2010-03-12T13:36:00.002-07:00

I drive a toyota truck and have wondered about the recall. Here is a little video on the toyota lawnmower recall.

Interview with a Professional Cyclist

2010-03-09T14:47:00.007-07:00

I often think of questions I would like to ask if I sat down to interview a professional cyclist. A few years ago, I had Levi Leipheimer blow past me on the alpine loop, but I didn't get to ask any of my questions. These are the questions I would ask of a local pro racer, continental racer, or a top level professional.

Here is my list in no particular order:

As far as I read in the media, nobody every talks about their pay. How much do you get paid to race? Do you do additional work/business on the side to help cover your expenses? What role do your sponsors play in your finances?
Obviously, you can't race at the top level your whole life. What are your career plans once you can't compete anymore? How do you know when it will be time to retire or scale back the racing?
Would you rather be wealthy with a high paying traditional job and compete in local races as an amateur racer, or be a top level cyclist? Why?
What is the best thing about being a professional cyclist and why? What is the worst and why?
What is the greatest success or highlight of your cycling career? What is your biggest dissapointment or regret?
Outside of cycling, what is your passion?
Are you married? If yes, how well does married life and professional cycling mix?
What kind of bike would you ride if you had your own choice (you can't choose your sponsors bike)?
What are your goals for this cycling season?
I won't ask if you have ever doped, but have you been approached or seen others dope? How big a problem is doping at your level?

There are only a few who read my blog, but if any professional racers want to answer my questions, I would be very interested and grateful. Nonetheless, I have my list to ask Levi next time he passes me on the Alpine Loop. :)

Open Invitation to Bart Gillespie, Alex Grant, Jeff Kerkove, Dave Wiens, Sonya Looney, Dave Zabriskie, George Hincapie, Levi, Lance, or any other professional.

What other questions would you want to ask a professional cyclist?

Red Rock Rampage ICUP

2010-03-07T16:04:00.005-07:00

The weekend was filled with a bunch of "firsts". I had my first ride on the new wheelset that were built at racers--Stan's crest rims laced to Chris King SS Hubs. This was the first time I had been on conti race king tires. Overall, I was thrilled with the new wheelset and how they performed. Bike weighed in right at 20 lbs. Sub 20 if I took off the bottle cage.

I have never done a mtb race before. I wasn't sure what to expect. All I wanted to do is not embarrass myself. I rode in the sport 35-39 division (on my single speed). Once again, I wasn't sure if I should be in this category or in the beginner category.

Coach Dan showing off his niner. It's hard to see in this pic, but there are two letters scattered around on this bike--XX. Note his SLR saddle that has had the cover, and what little padding stripped off. The socks are nice too.

Pro start.
Pro category start. From the start line, it is a dirt road and is an all out sprint. I sprinted the best I could, but on my single speed, I was spinning out. I had debated what gearing to run and ended going with the 32 x 19. My first lap I was happy to have the 19. Second lap, I was wishing for a 20.

While this looks like I'm getting smoked on the start here, this is coming through the feed zone at the start of the second lap.

This kid found his own fun. I wonder if his parents knew.

A few of the lunch meeting crowd. Kenny won the SS division, Rick took 2nd and Kyle 4th in the same division. The UC was well represented especially Racers and Mad Dog.

Here are my observations or things I need to learn from the first ICUP:

I need to be more aggressive in passing people. There were two washes in the race course and it was hard to pass in these washes. I got stuck behind some slow people in the washes from earlier divisions which allowed the leaders to get a large gap.
Hydrate better. I was near cramping on the second lap.
It felt good to "empty the tank". I gave it a solid effort and couldn't have dug down much deeper.
Riding a single speed in the sport division has its positives and negatives. I'm happy to say that the only time I was passed by anyone in my division was when I was spinning out on the flats or the downhill.
65 degrees and red dirt never felt better
I finished 11th in my group. I don't know how many were in the group. I am happy with the result but in no way satisfied.
My son came with me and we had a great time together.

Hot wheels

2010-03-01T09:11:00.006-07:00

Have you seen the show American Pickers and Pawn Stars on history channel? Two fun shows about negotiating and finding deals. Maybe it is because I'm from Ogden, but I enjoy perusing the classifieds looking for deals.

Over the weekend I found a wheelset that I wanted for an excellent price. When I called on the wheelset, the seller told me they were selling for her brother because he didn't have any time. In asking questions about the product, a guy with a smoker voice in the background kept barking out answers about the wheelset. Even though I had to drive to Magna to look at the wheelset, I really wanted the wheels. The background talker gave instructions for us to meet at the McDonalds in Magna. There wasn't anything extremely out of the ordinary, but every bit of this transaction was a little off or strange.

I met these people at McDonalds. Now, I have bought plenty of bike parts from the classifieds and without fail, anyone who was selling high end bike components always looked the part--they looked like they would be someone with a high bike or parts. Not these two. One individual was about 4 ft and change tall by 4 ft and change wide. Both sounded like they were on the 5 pack of cigs per day program. Nonetheless, they had the wheels that were new in the box.

Negotiating is one of my favorite parts of buying from the classifieds. I made my initial offer to them and waited for them to respond. Those moments of silence in negotiating are unbearable for some people - The rule is, he who first speaks loses. Surprisingly, these two fine specimens were more than willing to negotiate--especially when they saw the color of the cash. They were also jumpier than jackrabbits. As soon as that cash was in their hands, they were in their truck flying out of the parking lot. I didn't realize a 1980's ford ranger had that much pick up and go.

I don't know and will never know for sure, but I am guessing these are some stolen wheels.

Science Projects

2010-02-25T18:37:00.002-07:00

There were two similar projects at my son's 4th grade science fair.

My son's project tested how would a plants would do being fed salt water, sugar water, and water. In summary, the salt water killed the plants overnight, and the sugar water plants slowly died.

A girl in my son's class did a similar experience except she tested water, diet coke, and sprite. Her results varied from my son's - The sprite and normal water plants died. The only ones that lived were the diet coke plants.

Draw your own conclusions.

Coming together

2010-02-24T11:42:00.004-07:00

I've been slacking on the posts--here is what has been going on:

Signed up for the Park City Point 2 Point
Still riding, and hardly skiing
Rode with the big wig from Carbo Rocket. I suffered and he talked the whole way up North Suncrest.
Coach Dan has me doing some nasty intervals. Good pain. Good prep for the first ICUP race in St. George.
I have Racer lacing up a set of new wheels - SS King hubs w/ Stans Crest Rims.
I've been gathering some parts for the new PCPP bike (Niner Air Carbon). Although the frame isn't expect until sometime in March (if I'm lucky), I'm gathering all the pieces so it can be put together ASAP. XX Group is here - The cassette is a serious piece of bling.

Rejected

2010-02-09T20:24:00.001-07:00

To my dismay, I did not make it into leadville. I told myself I would be happy to get in, and relieved if I didn't get in. Now that I know, I feel quite disappointed. Don't the organizers know that I ordered the "leadville 100 special edition" Niner carbon air fully anticipating my acceptance into the race? I guess I'll have to rename the bike. Time to search for another race - PCPP, Laramie, Butte???

Pics from recent riding -

Alpline loop up to Aspen Grove.

My oldest son is finally tall enough to ride his road bike.

Back to riding

2010-02-01T18:27:00.003-07:00

After a week of sick kids passing germs from one to the next, it was nice to get out on ride w/ Aaron today for a road ride. We stuck to the light traffic pothole roads from Lindon out to Saratoga Springs. Weather was awesome--it just doesn't seem right for Feb. 1.

Aaron at the Saratoga Springs boat harbor pondering if he could cross country ski across Utah lake when it freezes over.

Park City Powder Cats

2010-01-28T11:56:00.002-07:00

On Tuesday, I had the chance to go snow cat skiing. The PC powder cats operate in the Uintahs with their base on a the thousand acre ranch in between Kamas and Oakley.

Fresh snow was coming down most of the day. The days prior, the storm dumped plenty of new powder. With the avalanche danger high, and low visibility, we skiied low angle runs throughout the day. Most of the runs were through glades of aspen trees to help give some depth perception in the flat light.

I have done heli skiing in the past up in Canada. The PC powders cats were much more relaxed than my experience in Canada. In Canada we were required to keep our tracks in a close pattern with the other skiers. With cat skiing, they would tell us of the dangers to the left or right and then let us go. The heli skiing runs were much longer, and the time between runs was very short. While with the cat skiing, there was plenty of time to rest in the cat.

The service and guides were great. Lunch was awesome. At a fraction of what heli skiing costs, cat skiing is a pretty good option. Especially considering that it is so close.

A father and son from California were in our group--one boarder, one skier. These guys are accomplished sculptors. Most of the runs were at or over 10,000 ft elevation--Those two noticed the altitude. The son, Greg, is the one who meets the tree.

Park City Powder Cats from atomicmiles on Vimeo.

Winter Riding Video

2010-01-15T07:24:00.001-07:00

Winter Riding from atomicmiles on Vimeo.

January 12 - still riding

2010-01-12T17:49:00.004-07:00

You get some strange looks from people when you tell them that you are going for a bike ride instead of going to lunch in the middle of January.

Today the lunch ride was a group of 9. We were even graced by the presence of Brad from Carbo Rocket.

Trail conditions are still excellent. It has been a while since I've put together a video. I got some good footage and will put one up in the next day or so.

The board of directors at the lunch meeting.

More Squaw

2010-01-10T18:05:00.002-07:00

I wouldn't have ever guessed that in the middle of January, I would have in more days of biking than skiing. I'm not complaining one bit other than wondering if I'll get my money's worth out of my Sundance pass. The squaw peak / lunch meeting rides continue.

Friday, Kenny set a blistering pace up squaw peak. Ricky kept up, and I fulfilled my lanterne rouge role. The conditions of the trail had completely changed. The snow was packed down and the tires were gripping. It was practically like riding on the dirt.

Late afternoon on Saturday, I made a quick run up to the lookout again. The trail conditions continue to change--With all of the sledders, snowmobilers, and 4 wheelers, the trail is becoming a sheet of ice. Climbing is still great, but I was a bit more cautious on the descent.

Friday - Kenny & Ricky
Saturday at sunset.

Winter Training - Last Week

Monday - 45 min. Bike Trainer - 1 Point

Tuesday - 1.5 hr Mt. Bike Ride -Squaw Peak - 1 Point

Wednesday - 1.15 hr Mt. Bike Ride - Squaw Peak - 1 Point

Thursday - 45 min. Bike Trainer - 1 Point

Friday - 1 Hr. Mt Bike Ride - Squaw Peak - 1 Point

Saturday - 1 Hr. Mt. Bike Ride - Squaw Peak - 1 Point

Total for week - 6 Points + 1.5 bonus of 3 = 9 Points

Here is Coach Dan's point system.

The points start over every week. Each day is worth up to a max of 3 points Only 6 days a week count for points (you have to take at least one day a week off) Points are earned doing only aerobic activities as follows: (weight lifting is cool, but no points for it)

1 point for each:
1 hour of outdoor cycling
1 hour of hiking, snowshoeing, or backcountry skiing
45 minutes of indoor cycling (trainer or spin class)
45 minutes of cross country skiiing
30 minutes of running
30 minutes of swimming

At the end of the week if you scored at least 1 point over 4 consecutive days, total points for the week are multiplied by 1.25 (25% bonus). If at least 1 point was earned over all 6 days, total weekly points are multiplied by 1.5 (50%) bonus. No fractions of points. So if you ride for 90 minutes, you get 1 point. You have to complete the 2nd hour to get the second point. With that said, riding 3 hours every day gives you 18 points, plus the bonus puts the total max points for a week at 27.