Redemption

This past Sunday was the Black Partridge Open race. I did really well in this race two years ago -- keeping ahead of two speedy ladies and riding well. Last year, I felt horrible on the bike. So, this year, my goal was do better than the year before. I'm sure the Racing Ralph's, rigid fork and starting the race overheated didn't help last year's performance so it wasn't asking much to do better this year.

The course is mostly fun singletrack with a few climbs. Rachael and I were the only ones pre-registered. I knew we'd have a small field but did not realize that we would be the only expert ladies lining up. Besides wanting to do better than last year, I also wanted to stay ahead of the sport ladies. We're off, at the same time as the expert guys, and I'm excited that I'm actually mostly keeping up with Rachael. I slide back some and, then, slide out on one of the turns. I'm still at times over-thinking logs and turning, trying to remember the tips Alison Dunlap gave us at the clinic on Mother's Day, and the sliding out didn't help. I see Rachael finishing going through the grassy start/finish area as I am entering it.

I had my Garmin wrapped around a foam thing on my handlebars and it starts coming loose my second lap. I try fiddling with it while riding so I don't have to stop. I spend way too long doing that and realize that I have to stop or I will likely lose it or break it. Not thinking clearly, I stop in the middle of the trail. Oops. I apologize to the sport guy that comes up behind me and, then, crap. A sport girl passes me. I am determined not to finish behind a sport lady again so I kick it up a notch. As I'm in the double-track, a little before the field and start/finish, I'm still wondering how far back the sport girl is and see Rachael up ahead of me. So, I figure to see if I can pass her. I realize I won't be able to make it stick but I figure why not. I actually cross the line to start lap 3 ahead of her. She says "You realize we have another lap, right?" I did but my body apparently did not. = )

I kept trying to push it the third lap but it was definitely harder -- I used up quite a bit of energy with the second half of the second lap and it was really hot. Still, I rolled in for second place four minutes behind Rachael. She was having some stomach issues but is still one heck of a speedy lady and extremely talented rider. So, I finished close behind Rachael, kept the sport girls behind me and rode pretty well. And, I got handed a plastic cup as I got on the podium. I'm wondering what the heck kind of lame award is this; and, then realize it has $40 cash and a medal inside. Sweet!

The photo is of Christopher at the park yesterday.

Thanks to those of you who have expressed concern/interest about my mom. She is a pretty private person but I will say that she is doing well and is one tough lady. = )

Matthiessen Race

(Photo courtesy of Jennifer Mosely)

Yesterday was the Matthiessen race. I was excited for this race as I did well last year and enjoyed the trails -- although, there was definitely some climbing. I was able to carpool with Bob Anderson and we headed out a little before 9 a.m. so we could get there early enough to preride. I wanted to at least ride the beginner's loop to get a feel for trail conditions, etc.

Soon before we got there it started raining. It let up as we picked up our number plates and, then, started again. There had already been quite a bit of rain during the past week so I knew the trails were going to be muddy. I also knew that some of the steep climbs would likely be unrideable. I did an easy lap while the beginners race was going on, trying hard to stay out of racers' way. There was a little rooted section that I should not have had any issues with but was anyway. The trails were pretty wet and starting to get a little bit beat up. I knew that by the end of my race they would be even worse but, hopefully, not terrible.

I ended up eating a Clif Builder too close to the start and didn't really get in a good warm up but I knew that turnout would be light with the weather/trails conditions. There ended up being only two women's expert racers. They wanted to combine us with the sport group but I plan on doing most of the Illinois series and wanted to make sure I got series points. The other girl was also up for an extra lap so we started at the back of the expert guys. We were off and it was definitely like the start of a 4B CX race as there were build ups at each of the turns around the trees before you head into the single track. I got ahead of Moriah (the other lady) right before the single track. The pace was still a little slow but not so slow that I wanted to pass the guys. It was slick but not bad and fun. I could hear Moriah breathing behind me so I knew she was right on my tail but I was feeling pretty good.

And, that's how most of the race went. Moriah was far enough behind me for most of the race that I kept telling myself to go at a good pace but mainly focus on not crashing or doing anything stupid. On the second lap, we were told that they were going to cut out the river section for the rest of the race. I was kind of indifferent to whether it was in or not. It was definitely muddy and added another climb but it was also fun.

Going through the trees, starting my third lap, I chatted with Hemme and others and gave some high fives. It was muddy but I was definitely having a good time. Soon after entering the singletrack, I managed to run into the tree -- at the a sharp right turn with a tree to the left of the trail. As soon as I hit it, I remembered doing the exact same thing the year before. I was amused as well as slightly embarrassed.

A little further into the third lap, I heard Regina behind me, who was doing the sport race. She asked to pass and I rode behind her for most of the lap until the hike-a-bike climb. Being so short, I'm always at a disadvantage on those. I let some guys get around me and continued riding -- seeing Regina a little ahead of me and wanting to push it to catch up to her but telling myself to go steady and not do something stupid to crash, knowing Moriah was somewhere behind and that I still had another lap to go.

I came through the finish soon after Regina and they told me I was finished. I figured they thought I was doing the sport race and told them I still had another lap. They said they were stopping everyone and I argued with them, wanting to do the four laps. I can see their point in wanting to stop everyone but it had only been 1:44 and the shortened lap would have only added another 20-25 minutes. Oh well.

I did get a totally awesome trophy and $80, which was very cool. Bob, Dennis Schuller, Steve and his wife Cindy and I got food at Duffy's before heading back. Not entirely vegan-friendly but I was able to get a veggie sandwich and fries and definitely enjoyed the company.

Christopher was excited to see the trophy and Tom was kind enough to hose down my muddy bike that weighed a heck of a lot more than it had in the morning. The next ladies trail ride is this Saturday, which should be fun. And, on Sunday, I get to celebrate Mother's Day with a mountain bike clinic with Alison Dunlap!!!! I'm so excited. = )

First Ride/Race

This Sunday was the first mountain bike race of the season. I was excited and apprehensive at the same time. The first race of the season is always exciting. Plus, the Sylvan Stampede course is one of the more technical ones and I've had a lot of fun racing it the past two years.

The course is pretty flat with lots of twists and turns, roots, rocks and some cement walls to go around. In other words, totally my type of course -- with the exception of several short straight cement/flat sections, which are good for drinking during but a part that favors speedier girls than myself.

Christopher really wanted another trip, as he had not had one since we went to cross Worlds down in Louisville in January. Tom agreed to come so Christopher could have his trip, which was one of my reasons for apprehension as it is well known how much Tom hates RV trips. I had also been training more this year and was a little apprehensive about how I would do in the race -- would the training pay off or had I tortured myself on the trainer for no good reason.

It was also chaotic in that we were still trying to get the Niner together and I did not get to ride the bike on dirt until preriding.

First, the bike -- oh my freaking god is it awesome. It is sexy and so light it is crazy. I still have to dial in the fit a little. I still have to trim the handlebars a little more (okay, have Richards trim the bars a little more) and figure out the stem and fork. But, after only riding it for approximately 30 minutes in the preride, I felt awesome on it during the race. = )

As for the race, there were only six girls at the start. I'm sure the weather scared some off and there was also a small turnout for last year's race but, man, there were only six of us -- which included several girls that I knew I had no chance in beating. So, it is a little hard to get in racing mode. Still, we were off and I tried hard to be speedy in the beginning straight section before the single track. Speed not being my strong point, it did not go as good as I would have liked but I was not last. The girl ahead of me crashed a couple of times which allowed me to catch back up to her and then pass her. However, on one of the bobbles/crashes, I ran into her back wheel and the lady behind me was able to get past both of us first. I remembered her getting past me last year and then not seeing her again. Unfortunately, that was the case this year as well.

I suck at starts and always feel like I'm going to die. Then, as the race progresses, I usually feel better and better until the end when I tend to start to bonk and mess up on stupid stuff that I can normally cleanly ride. I reminded myself of this fact as I thought I was going to redline and pass out, not quite halfway through the first lap, and tried to focus on riding smooth and trying to keep pushing it through the fast sections.

For the most part, I was feeling really good on the bike -- in terms of feeling comfortable on it. My arms and back were getting sore near the end and I still need to improve on speed/fitness, but that seems to be coming along as well. I would catch glimpses of Rachael from time to time. I knew she had been sick but I was still pleased that I was not extremely far behind her. Even sick, she is one speedy lady, particularly at a course like Sylvan.

It was raining during part of the race. The course held up really well but started getting pretty slick during the end of the last lap. I took things a little too conservative on the last lap and my lap times definitely show it. New bike and new tires -- as well as several near wipe outs caused me to let off the gas. I did however finish fifth and was not DFL, which is always a good thing. = )

Christopher had did the kids race earlier at noon. What is wonderful about this race is that they actually have them ride on a short bit of trail as opposed to just riding through grass. Even better, they gave him a water bottle with two packages of fruit snacks. He was absolutely thrilled to get the fruit snacks. He did very well. There was one slight incline that he got almost all the way up and then slid part of the way down, causing a small scratch on his leg. He told his teacher how he had raced, slid down a hill and had blood coming down his leg. He definitely made it sound more exciting. Maybe a writing career is in his future.

We were parked in a nearby parking lot where they had a big puddle/pond that you could throw rocks in! And, they had a big pile of rocks!!! A pile that was bigger than Christopher! For a five-year-old boy, there is not much better than that. = ) He also got to see Zoey and Casey, which he was excited about.

On the way home, we stopped by a Burger King that had an indoor play area and had a Transformers Bumblebee toy for the kids meal. So, for Christopher, the trip really could only have been better if it had been longer. Tom, on the other hand, was not happy. He kept waffling on whether to race and decided not to. He rode around a little bit before my race but, by the time my race was over, it was raining and he just wanted to start heading home.

I'll be taking Christopher on a little trip this weekend to check out a museum in Rockford and they are going to stay home for the next race so they can go to a gathering someone from Tom's work is having. = ) I'm very psyched to ride the Niner and for the next race, paritcularly as I rode well at Matthiessen last year.

Niner Review & Bike Obsessions

Before I get to riding the Niner on Sunday, I had to post a photo of Christopher sledding on Friday. I had to go to Morton Grove in the afternoon & initially felt bad that Christopher wouldn't be able to go sledding 'cause we'd be running errands. The snow had all melted by us when I picked him up around 3 p.m. so we were very pleasantly surprised when we found there was still snow in Niles, where this photo was taken.

On Saturday, I rode at Palos in the morning and then we decided to stop by Goodspeed Cycles since they had finally built up the small Niner E.M.D. I rode it around the parking lot & thought the geometry was a little better for me than the Ferrous. Christopher really didn't want to leave because there were some other kids there. They swapped the handlebars and stem and rearranged the spacers while we were there. I kept telling them they should do a demo on the trails so I could have a better feel of how it rode. I was very, very excited when they said I could take it and ride it on Sunday. I'm not sure if it is their normal procedure or because I've been in there several times for LIB as well as doing a fix-a-flat workshop in their old location and manning a table for Active Trans there last year. I almost wanted to skip the PSIMET team party so I could ride. = )

On Sunday, I set my alarm for 6 a.m. so I could get some time on the trails before they thawed. I spent about 3.5 hours out there. I really enjoyed riding it -- obviously, since I didn't leave until the dirt had just started sticking on the tires.

The geometry was still slightly off but fit me pretty good and it was so fun to ride. The one thing I wanted to see was how it was on steep climbing -- That is my main issue on the Ferrous. If I have the stem/handlebars at a good riding position, then I can't keep the front wheel down on steep climbs. If I have it so I can handle steep climbs, I'm a little too upright when riding on flats. But, with ice and permafrost, it was really hard to tell as most of the steep inclines weren't rideable.

The bottom bracket is a little lower than on the Ferrous and it has a triple in the front as opposed to just one chain ring on the Ferrous. The chain ring hit one log pile that I usually don't have any issues with. Probably partly lower BB, partly extra chain rings and, possibly, also a change in the log pile since I last rode there in the fall.

We weighed the bike with my seat on it and a bottle cage and it was one pound heavier than the Ferrous. But, they had heavier wheels on the Niner and not as nice components so it would probably be slightly less than the Ferrous if I built up the frame.

Awesome, right? My dilemma --I have also been obsessing over the Specialized carbon hardtail women specific 29er since I read about it last year. Any time I was in a shop, I would ask about them and no one ever had any info. I was beginning to think it just never made it into production. At the team party, Karrie tells me they were produced, she had one and sold it and is not sure when they will be available again.

They should be available in April. Only complete bikes -- with SRAM 2x10 (which Tom & I are both totally lusting after) and 165 cranks (which are on my CX bike and which I like). I could get a team deal but still a heck of a lot more than the Niner frame. Niner also makes carbon frames but only offers a XS in the EMD model.

So, I've been torn and obsessing for at least the past 24 hours now. = ) Tom also suggested custom titanium but that is really out of the budget and I don't think I could wait that long.

One thing is for sure -- we will be selling quite a few of my bikes and frames to pay for a new 29er. If you know any short riders -- send them my way. We're selling my Schwinn SuperSport DBX frame (size XS), my Trek XO (size 47) either as a frame and/or wheels or how it is currently built up with the Shimano stuff that had been on the Schwinn, my Gary Fisher Hi Fi full suspension mountain bike, an old hybrid bike and a small Santa Cruz Juliana full suspension frame that has a stripped real derailler hanger but that a bike shop says can be fixed (we still have to bring it to get an estimate for that though). We'll be posting info. on CraigsList hopefully very soon but shoot me an email if you know anyone who may be interested. = )

End of year/CX season report

The past month has been kind of crazy. After the Afterglow, was all the craziness of Christmas. Christopher got way too many toys, I was able to go ride singletrack on Christmas Eve -- so mainly good stuff but very busy.

New Year's Eve & New Year's Day I did the CX races at Indian Lakes Resort. I was able to get out and preride on that Friday. A course that helps if you have a lot of power, which is something I do not have a lot of. On Saturday, the 3/4 race could have gone better. But, it could have gone worse as well. I was 9th out of 23. I then volunteered at a course crossing. I looked ridiculous but I mainly stayed warm and I got to watch the women's and men's elite races at the same time. = )

After I was done volunteering, I got ready to do the Women's 2/3 race. There were seven starters with two breaking derailleurs. I finished 4th and was happy with my racing. After crossing the line, I grabbed my pit bike and immediately hopped in the car to go celebrate Christmas with my mom's side of the family. I arrived late and muddy but was happy to see everyone and eat way too much food.

On New Year's Day, we had a much smaller turnout. There were only 12 starters for the Women's 3/4. I raced really well and took 4th. The only bad part was I mistakenly thought I was in 3rd so it was a bit disappointing to realize I missed the last podium step. However, I got another upgrade point!!! Woo hoo! Granted, not that I think I'm Cat. 2 caliber yet but I'm still pretty excited that I now have 2 points.

Tom & Christopher showed up after my race. I was able to see them, volunteer and watch some of the men's & women's elite races. Only Ellie and I were signed up for the Women's 2/3 race. We were able to just do a parade lap and she was nice enough to let me win. That was very fun. = )

Then, it was off to Madison for Nats. We got there Tuesday. I prerode the course and was in an excellent mood. The morning of the race was just too hectic -- as things can get when you have a five-year-old and spouse with you. I did a lot of stupid things -- such as forgetting to change shoes, or at least clean out my cleats, before the start. I kept unclipping at the start and was almost dead last by the time we hit dirt. I would gain some spots and then either slide out or have a mechanical. I ended up 12th out of 19 finishers/23 starters. Bleah. Since that was the B race, I had hoped to do better.

Friday (Jan. 7) was the 35-39 Nats race. There were some Cat. 3's but an awful lot of Cat. 1 and 2's so I was hoping to race well for me but not expecting to place well. I was 12th out of 16 finishers/18 starters and was mainly pleased with how it went. I seemed to keep being attracted to poles/stakes however and felt a lot like a pinball bouncing around the course. It took me forever to track down the gloves I tossed during the race but I then scored a six-pack of beer. It would have been better if I actually drank beer but that's okay.

Not quite a full week later and we were trekking down to Kentucky for Worlds. I was excited for the opportunity but also not very optimistic. There were barely any other Cat. 3's registered and I came down with some type of stomach bug Wednesday night, spent all day Thursday in bed and went 24 hours without eating. Luckily, I was almost back to 100% by Saturday morning. Since you had to pick up your number the day before your race, I had the opportunity to preride the course on Friday. Lots of frozen ruts in what would have otherwise been a power course. The officials did, unfortunately, take out a technical section that I could ride.

The course stayed frozen for my race. I went back and forth with a couple of girls for most of the race. One got past me but I held the other one off. I did slip on the ice going over the barrier and went down hard on my left knee. Lots of blood on my skin suit and it is still actually sore. I ended up a lap down but was still very happy with how I did. I was 14th out of 17 out of a field filled with pros, speedy girls and an Olympian. A huge thanks to Tom who took off work Friday so we could go and who made sure that I could warm up and get ready for my race. = ) Another huge thanks to Rob Curtis who was in the pit for me in case I needed to switch bikes, cheered and, of course, gave me some awesome wheels to race on.

On the way home we stopped at the "Midwest's Largest McDonald's" which had an indoor tree-house playground. Christopher was a happy boy. We then stopped at another eating establishment before getting back on the highway so I could get a veggie burger and fries.

Last week was spent trying to catch up on various work projects. Sunday, I was able to try out a fat bike at 2Bici. My first time out I couldn't understand what all the hoopla was about. I came back tried the same section on my 29er and realized there were some perks. I went back out on the 15 Salsa Mukluk with the seat dropped more and forward and some air out of the tires. I liked it a lot more the second time around. I think I would definitely need a 13 or, more than likely, the XS 9:Zero:7. Unfortunately, a fat bike is not in the budget. I'm still trying to catch up on work stuff and have barely given much thought to 2012 except for realizing that my CX age will be 40.

Plowing Snow from Trails

 

Photo credit: Tom Cherry, Normal Parks Maintenance Supervisor

Does your community remove the snow from your trails? If so, you are in a lucky minority. Many cyclists who use paved paths will be waiting for the warm weather to thaw the mixture of snow and trampled down ice.

The town of Normal decided, in September, to begin removing the snow from some of the area trails. “We have been receiving a lot of requests from trail users who use the trails in the winter months,” said Garry Little, director of parks and recreation.

Normal has about 13 miles of trail and just began clearing the snow from approximately five miles of the Constitution Trail, Little said. “We did trail counts at various locations to find out which segments of the trails were the most used for recreation and for access to schools,” he said. “Some portions of the trail are used as sidewalks to get to schools – elementary, high school and also Illinois State University – and, also, for people getting to places of employment, either uptown Normal or the University.”

The snow will not be removed from the trails until plowing of the streets has been completed and only during regular work hours, Little said. With a small amount of snow, a sweeper will usually be used. “We already sweep the trail a couple times a week,” he said.

Some other communities that remove snow from all or some of the trails include Cary, Chicago, Decatur, Oswego, Springfield and Urbana. The University of Illinois also removes snow from its paths. Madison County Transit will remove snow from trails in rare instances. “MCT does not remove snow from its bikeways, unless the bikeways are in the immediate area of the Park and Ride lots. Although most of our urban trails are asphalt, some of the rural trails are limestone screenings. Plowing limestone trails would damage or remove the surface of the trails,” managing director Jerry Kane said.

“Residents in the community use the trails for winter recreation and enjoyment that may include walking, running, and cross country skiing. It is important to us to maintain these resources for our residents,” said Katie Hughes of the Cary Park District, which removes the snow on the entire 5.5 miles of trails it maintains. “The type of equipment we use depends on how much is accumulated during a snowfall event. The vehicles and equipment in our fleet that are used to plow include a tractor with a snow blower, a John Deere gator with a plow, a skid steer with a plow, and a truck with a v-plow,” she said.

The Springfield Park District removes the snow from all of the district’s trails “because we still have people that walk on them and ride their bikes on them,” said Jason Graham, assistant superintendent of park maintenance for the Springfield Park District. The trails are wide enough to use a truck with a plow attached and the snow is removed from the trails once the park district in finished removing snow from the district’s parking lots, Graham said.

The Chicago Park District removes snow on trails they manage, such as the Major Taylor Trail and the Lakefront Trail, spokesperson Zvez Kubat said. “We remove the snow as often as possible just because there are so many people that use the Lakefront Trail and other trails,” she said. “We have a lot of runners and cyclists that use that trail year round.” Like many of the other communities that remove snow from trails, how Chicago removes the snow depends on how much snow there is. “For light snow, we attach a broom to one of our lawn mowers,” Kubat said. “If there are a couple of inches, a plow is attached to a smaller truck.”

In 2005, the Northeast Regional office of the Rails to Trails Conservancy did a survey of 100 rail-trails from across the country. Almost half of the trails were asphalt and, of those, only about one-third did snow removal.

Some communities may believe that the cost of removing the snow from trails would be too expensive. But, the cost may not be as prohibitive as you would think, particularly if no additional staff is needed.

Gary Little estimates that it will cost Normal an additional $3,500 a year for the trail snow removal, which includes the “cost for fuel, supplies, maintenance and repair of equipment.” The Friends of the Constitution Trail donated $8,500 for a snow blower attachment for the city’s Bobcat.

LIB urges trail-maintaining agencies to plow at least half of their trails’ width, benefiting both those who want a clear surface and those who prefer the snow (e.g., cross-country skiers). Priority should be given to the most popular trails and to trails lacking bike-friendly road alternatives for transportation.

This article was originally published in the quarterly Winter 2012 issue of  Illinois Bicyclist.

Mud, 2nd trashed derailleur of season & rides

(Photo credit: Melissa Kelly)

Saturday was the Afterglow CX race. It was odd to go to a Chicago CX race & not be doing registration. I had the luxury of sleeping in until after 7:30, when I was woken up by Christopher. = )

I did not get to do this race last year. I had gotten the doc's okay to be on the bike but not race CX yet; so, I rode at Palos. The course was great. Some climbs but sand, cornering, mud and fun.

I lined up and started like crap, which has been a trend this year. I was then starting to do quite good for me and was going back and forth with some ladies but kept making stupid falls in front of Kristina Young. After the second dumb crash/fall in the sand, Kristina ran into the back of me. Soon after, I realized that my rear derailleur was screwed up. If I tried going into easier gears, it started acting not happy and I knew I was in danger of a major mechanical. I kept contemplating switching to my pit bike but opted to mash the harder gears. A.) I figured the disc brakes had an advantage on the course. B.) My pit bike has bad toe overlap which would definitely be a disadvantage on that course. And, C.) Last time I rode the Trek, the brakes were barely working. Tom had adjusted them but I had not had a chance to ride it since then -- meaning, the brakes could be working perfectly OR the brakes could not be working at all.

I soon lost a few spots and finished 16th out of 20. Could I have beat a few other ladies? Possibly but not swapping was a good decision. After the race, I noticed that my bike had a lot less mud build up than ones without disc brakes. I also rode the Trek after the race -- the brakes still definitely needed tweaking so that would not have been good.

It was depressing to get the mechanical but great to start to feel like I was racing well again -- even if it was only for part of the race.

On a good note, Tom found a shop on the way home -- Kozy's -- that had the derailleur hanger. I was able to buy 2 so I have a spare. On a bad note, this is the second race this year that has killed a derailleur hanger on my bikes, with the other being the USGP when I had to run my bike for more than half a lap to come in at 40th place.

I didn't stick around to cheer so I could get to Kozy's. On Sunday, I had the prospect of not having to get up early to go to a CX race. I thought briefly about sleeping in but the chance to ride my mountain bike won out. I set the alarm for 7 a.m. (which was not terribly early, at least) so I could get in a ride at Palos before the trails thawed. It had been way too long since I was on my 29er. It was a mellow ride but a lot of fun. I also had perfect timing. On my last bit of single track, some mud was just beginning to stick to my tires.



The decision of the day is whether to sign up for Worlds. I found out this morning that the registration fees go up tonight.