The DirtBlog

Get Ready for Odin's Revenge...

2012-02-01T14:35:00.002-06:00

Odin... from the Odin's Revenge website.

Our good buddy CQ and his band of gravel lovin' hooligans are fixin' to unleash Odin's Revenge on up to 75 well-prepared riders this June 29-30. Starting and finishing in the town of Gothenburg, NE., the event will traverse approx. 180 miles of fantastically scenic western Nebraska dirt and gravel roads. Sign-up is set to begin on Valentine's Day (Feb. 14), via a TransIowa-style postcard system.

Image grabbed from CQ's blog that may or may not be part of the Odin's Revenge course...

Full details on the race and registration process, as well as contact information for the event promoters, can be found on the Odin's Revenge website.

Another image from CQ's blog that, if I were a bettin' man, I'd bet was part of the Odin's Revenge course.

Get out and support these guys... They're famously good hosts and it's sure to be a top-notch event!

The New, Improved Salsa Mukluk 3 Review...

2012-01-30T12:23:00.001-06:00

Blogger has outdone itself now. In a move I'm still struggling to figure out, my recent review of the Salsa Mukluk 3 has gone completely missing on my blog. I was away from home visiting family over the weekend when it happened, so I'm not even sure exactly when it happened. But the real bummer is that I didn't have a back-up copy of the original review, so long story short, here is the replacement for the missing review. Hopefully there is some additional perspective included that the original review didn't have. Enjoy!

DirtBlog Review: 2012 Salsa Mukluk 3

I bought my first fatbike back in mid-December, a 2012 Salsa Mukluk 3, and now with more than six weeks of riding and nearly a thousand miles accumulated under its tires, I've formed some very strong opinions about the performance and value the Mukluk brings to the table. As you'd expect for a bike retailing for well under $2,000, I've swapped out a fair number of parts, but surprisingly (to me at least), not as many as I thought I would, and I think that's quite simply because the folks at Salsa did a great job of spending the dollars they had at their disposal.

The Mukluk 3 is based around a 7005 series aluminum frame that Salsa designed to be able to accommodate the widest tire/rim combinations currently available on the market -- the 100mm Clown Shoe rim and 4.7-inch Big Fat Larry tire. Both are products by Salsa Cycles' QBP stablemate, Surly, and while the combination reportedly doesn't leave the bike with a ton of extra clearance at the seatstays and chainstays, it's cool Salsa designed the frame to be future proof, even though the bike is specced off the floor with narrower 82mm Rolling Darryl rims and 3.8-inch Larrry/Endomorph tires.

The 3.8 Surly Larry running tubeless on a Rolling Darryl (82mm width) rim. Note the stock Salsa skewer has been replaced with the rear skewer from a Mavic Crossmax wheelset in an attempt to cure front end flex experienced early-on in my time with the bike. It seems the inertia big wheels generate would make a through axle fork a great idea. In fact, I'm not the only one talking about this...

That said, running tire/rim combinations that wide will absolutely require a Mukluk 3 user to make drivetrain modifications, which Salsa outlines online in a blog post that you can check out here. The mods aren't hard to make, and will increase the user's enjoyment significantly. Even with the stock tire/rim setup, I ended up truncating my cassette into an 8-speed, which consisted of removing the smallest 12t cog and spacing the remaining eight cogs over as far to the drive side as possible. This eliminated the tire rubbing the chain experienced in the 24/36 combination, which on a fatbike is a more commonly-used gear combination than the 36/12 being lost. In practice, this has proven true as well, for while I often use the 14t cog, I have yet to want for the missing 12t.

Count the cogs... If you look closely, you can see that I've removed the 12t cog, making the 14t my new "high gear". No, I don't miss the 12t. Also shown here is the SRAM X7 rear derailleur, KMC Z99 zinc-plated "rust buster" chain and Salsa 170mm rear hub.

As you might expect, the handling of the Mukluk 3 is dominated by those massive fatbike wheels and their dominating inertia. Even though I'm running the Larry/Endomorph tires tubeless, each wheel is still easily two pounds heavier than any other bike I've ever ridden, and the momentum and inertia that generates on the trail is impressive. It dominates the riding experience. Salsa has done an admirable job of developing geometry that harnesses that inertia and allows it to be piloted at high speeds on twisty trails. I'm not sure that, over time, fatbike geometry won't evolve to be slacker, with more fork offset, but I think Salsa is leading the way as far as production bikes go with low bottom brackets, 170mm rear hub spacing, long headtubes and geometry that allows riding confidently in a wide variety of conditions, from snow to dirt, to rocks and roots.

I've found the SKS GrandM.O.M rear mud guard to be a great addition to my Mukluk 3 on days that might get a little sloppy. It's got enough width to completely cover my rear Endomorph, keeping my back side clean. Photo: N. Swanson

Mods I've made to my Mukluk to attend to performance issues have been relatively few. The brake levers had to go immediately. I first used a pair of Avid 1.9L levers I had in the parts bin, but realized I had a pair of 950-series XTR levers on my Big Mama that have offset built-in for GripShift and immediately set about swapping them out. Wow... What a difference that made. I can now brake without having any of my hand on the shifter. Fantastic! Since I'm using a set of WTB Original Trail grips with the inner flanges cut off, I'm using spray paint to adhere them to the bars. I use lock-on grips on all my other bikes, so the thought of slipping grips is not something I want to entertain! Though a bit messy, the spray paint solution is quite effective.

The current control center. Shimano BL-M950 levers from the mid-90s sit aside modern SRAM X7 shifters and WTB Original Tral grips. Bars are OEM-only Salsa Bend 3 models with 17-degrees of sweep. While I like the stock bar, I'd like to try the company's Bend 2 model in the offered 23-degree bend.

In addition to the levers, I also replaced the stock Avid BB5 brakes with a set of older BB7s I had in the parts bin. This gained me increased adjustability, as well as modulation and power courtesy of stiffer, one-piece calipers. The difference the braking system changes have made is dramatic. If I were going to recommend one change to the bike for every owner, I'd recommend replacing at the very least the brake levers, and then the calipers second.

The Moots Cinch seatpost added significant quality to the ride. Upgraded Avid BB7 brake calipers provided a similar increase in braking quality, especially when paired with XTR M950 levers.

Two other modifications I made were fit and comfort related. I swapped the stock 110mm Salsa stem out for a 100mm Salsa ProMoto Ti stem, and the stock Kalloy seatpost and WTB Pure V Sport saddle for a Moots Cinch seatpost, and have been swapping between two WTB saddles -- the SST and Silverado Team. Currently I'm riding the Silverado, and it's working well.

The Salsa Minimalist rack, WTB Silverado Team saddle and XTR M950 brake levers are the three most recent component changes to my Mukluk 3, all of which are clearly visible in this image.

I am also now running Salsa's Minamalist rack on the front of my Mukluk, simply because I can. The bike includes mid-blade rack mounts, which allow a multitude of options, including the Minimalist. It's proven sturdy, durable and good looking -- a great addition to the bike.

The Minimalist rack integrates cleanly with the Mukluk's mid-blade rack mounts, as well as my Gino light mounts from Paul Component Engineering.

Back in December, I didn't have any idea that I'd fall as hard for fatbiking, or my Mukluk, as I have. But sitting here six weeks later, I have to say I'm smitten. I've been riding and racing for more than 20 years, and this bike has shown me a whole new world of cycling I never knew existed. And believe it or not, it's a world I find myself spending the majority of my time in now... I'm not the only one that's been lured to the fat side. You might just be next.

Photo: Jen Deep

Missing Mukluk test...

2012-01-30T10:22:00.003-06:00

I'm working to restore the Mukluk test that has mysteriously gone missing... I quite frankly am struggling to figure out what happened. I've never had a post simply disappear, but it seems this one has... Strange.

In the meantime, here's a couple of shots from my good buddy and teammate, Nathan Swanson, from Saturday's slip 'n slide ride through Wilderness Park. It was a hoot!!

AG reacts to the icy tread conditions after Nathan and Fob hit the deck and he and I had to do some major evasive maneuvers to avoid hitting Nathan. Truth be told, the whole episode was a bit of scary fun... Rollin' the singletrack dice.

Looking forward after his wipeout, Nathan catches AG and I chatting before we resume rippin'.

Back on the trail, it's primo conditions for our adventures.

We got out just before the temperature warmed up enough to soften the trails up... Perfect.

The Fat Revolution...

2011-12-19T13:05:00.001-06:00

It seems the "next big thing" has arrived in MG's bike room. Yep, I got a fatbike. And to say that I'm stoked is probably the understatement of the year. This is the bike I've been waiting my entire cycling life to own!

Back in the late-winter/early spring of 1990, when I was still a senior in high school, I first met Cycle Works owner, Kris Sonderup while working as a salesman at The Athlete's Foot. I sold Kris a pair of running shoes, and, in the course of our conversation that day, Kris invited me into his shop to test ride a couple of his mountain bikes, as I was interested in trading in my '87 Schwinn LeTour for something with a little fatter tires.

It wasn't more than two weeks later, and I was test riding Trek mountain bikes with Kris at the corner of 27th and Vine, in the waning days of the original Cycle Works location, in a converted car wash building on a corner across from its current location. Since I was still a senior in high school, I couldn't afford to pay the entire $400 + tax price of the Trek 850 I bought up-front, so I put it on layaway and began dreaming of the adventures I'd have with it. I imagined riding up and down steep hills, piles of snow, and just going out and seeing what's out there... regardless of whether there's a trail or not.

What I didn't understand at the time were the true capabilities of the mountain bike as a vehicle with which to travel vast distances. When I finally got my new Trek out of layaway and began riding in earnest, I soon realized I was no longer confined to a 'local' riding setting. The world was truly mine to conquor. And once Niterider began pumping out awesome lights, I was no longer constrained by the light of day either, making it possible to travel just about anywhere I wanted on my bike, anytime I wanted to go.

And in the nearly 22 years since I bought that first Trek 850, I've been fortunate to have traveled to incredible places -- Arizona, California, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wyoming and more -- simply to ride and/or race my bicycle. I've spent the night on my bike (multiple times), acquired 34 screws and four plates in my body courtesy of lunacy on my bike, and wouldn't trade a single thing for the experience.

So what's that have to do with fatbikes?


The next chapter of fat-tire adventure has arrived...

Well, back up to the time while my Trek 850 was on layaway... when I thought "adventure" was akin to bouncing over big snow piles downtown and going out to "see what there is to see" in parts of parks I'd never seen. Once I actually got onto my Trek and started riding, I realized that type of riding wasn't really the best use of a mountain bike. But on a fatbike like my new Salsa Mukluk, it's a whole lot more fun! I was describing the experience to my lovely wife, Laura, the other day, and after stammering around trying to come up with adjectives that related my Mukluk back to traditional bikes, I finally told her that it's almost like a new sport altogether... Like back in the '80s when all we had were road bikes and mountain bikes rolled onto the scene. It's like that... only doing it to mountain bikes! That's what I'm sayin'!! It's BIG!

To wit, yesterday, just messing around over on the Nebraska Wesleyan campus, I rode up to a set of five concrete steps at about 12mph and simply pedaled up them without slowing down. Whoa... That was cool. Other than barely clipping a crankarm on the top step, it was silent and smooth. I'd never try that on a 26" or 29" mountain bike.


Even without a tapered steerer, that's still a beefy front end!

When I built the bike, I set the rims/tires up tubeless right away. I pulled the tubes out when I trued the wheels and used Gorilla Tape to seal the rims up. I'm running my signature "getto blend" sealant, which has been perfect for cold weather running because it's specifically blended to stay liquid at sub-freezing temperatures. The tires sealed up without unusual drama and have been holding air reliably despite my shenanigans. I've been running between five and 12psi, depending on what I'm riding. Fatbikes like low pressure. 12psi is a LOT...

The layout is just like a mountain bike, only bigger. Hub spacing is 135mm front, 170mm rear -- appropriate for the job.

You can see the 10mm shorter-than-stock, 100mm stem, the trimmed-for-GripShift WTB Trail grips, and the upgraded Avid BB7 brakeset I'm running, as well as the Jandd frame bag -- a relatively standard item for me.

I didn't change too many other things on the bike compared to a box-stock Mukluk 3. I swapped the stem out for a 10mm shorter model, as the 110mm stock model felt slightly long to me. Perhaps it was the combination of the stem and the Salsa Bend 3 handlebar, which uses a forward sweep to offset its generous 17-degree bend. Regardless, I had an appropriate stem in my toolbox, and if you were buying a Mukluk, your Salsa dealer would work with you to swap out stems, if necessary. That's one of the values of buying local.

The Salsa Bend 3 handlebar features a wrist friendly 17-degree sweep. SRAM GripShift shifters work well with Bar Mitts or other "pogie" style handlebar-mounted hand covers.

One small change I also made was to the braking system. I pretty much shelved the entire stock braking system, which consisted of Tektro levers and Avid BB5 disc calipers (160mm rotors), replacing them with a set of Avid BB7 calipers with Avid levers from my parts bin. I changed the calipers to gain larger pads and increased ease of adjustment, while I replaced the levers to enhance every aspect of the braking performance, from power and modulation, to the very important tactile "feel" at the lever. It's all better with the new, revised setup. I also changed the stock grips, which were very crappy Velo silicone, to a set of trimmed WTB Trail grips, which work very well with the stock SRAM X-7 Grip Shift. I used spray paint to install the grips to keep them from slipping on the bars in the cold, frosty and often condensate-heavy conditions the bike will frequent.

As you might imagine, this is the bike I plan to be riding most this winter, and so far, that's borne out to be true. It's a fantastic partner for cold weather exploring and I feel like I may just be scratching the surface on a whole new type of riding that really appeals to me.

I'll keep you posted on how it's going...

One Of the Best Things About My 2011 MTB Season -- My Giant Anthem X-29...

2011-09-13T14:44:00.002-05:00

Dirtblog readers and folks in the Midwest mountain bike scene have gotten used to seeing me on my pretty polished silver Giant Anthem X-29 1 during the 2011 mountain bike season. It's a bike I dearly wanted to race, so I feel very fortunate to have been able to race it this season.

Racing my Anthem X-29 to 20th place overall at the 2011 Dakota Five-O (2010 placing was 63rd overall). Photo: Patty Wixon

The Anthem X-29 was a bike I first thought about almost exactly one year ago, while I was racing at the 2010 Dakota Five-O. At the time I was racing a very nice titanium hardtail -- a bicycle I continue to own and admire today -- but I was also on a course that brought out the distinct advantages of the full suspension bikes the riders around me were astride. I'd raced a Salsa Big Mama the season prior, so I understood the power of big wheels and full suspension, and the Giant's Maestro dual-link suspension design was one that 26-inch riders had acclaimed for its pedaling and bump absorbing efficiency. So when I learned the company would be launching a 29-inch Anthem X in late-August of 2010, I was quickly interested.

MG at the 2011 Dakota Five-O. Photo: Rory Stone

Thanks to my sponsorship by Cycle Works and The Moose's Tooth in Lincoln, in late-December 2010 I took delivery of a shiny new Giant Anthem X-29 1 and built it up for its inaugural ride on Christmas Day. Since that time, it's been a fantastic adventure together. And in the end, I won a handful of races, finished second overall in the 2011 Psycowpath marathon series, and recently finished 20th overall at the 2011 Dakota Five-O (out of 700 participants). And while I think I was overall in better shape this season than I have been in the last few, I also think the bike had a lot to do with the consistently high placings and victories I earned in my mountain bike races.

Riding to the check-in of the 2011 Dakota Five-O with Lis Reinkordt, one of Nebraska's finest up-and-coming endurance, cyclocross and heck, just all-around bicycle racers. Oh, and she makes films too. Photo: Nathan Swanson

What's really cool about the Anthem X-29 is it's not a specialist. For as incredible as it is at descending, it's equally good at making me a better climber. In fact, two attributes specifically that help me climb better are the bike's stiffness laterally, and the Maestro suspension's independence from pedaling input, which allows me to focus on powering the bike up steep climbs while the suspension soaks up bumps, roots, rocks... whatever is on the trail. This keeps the tire in contact with the ground, driving the bike forward with consistent traction. My former Salsa teammate, Tim Ek, described me as "having Velcro on my knobs" during one fast descent during the Dakota Five-O, and that's exactly what the Fox RP3-damped Maestro suspension feels like it gives you. That, and confidence.

Confidence... Priceless. Photo: Kyle Hansen

So I'm hopeful I'll be back on an Anthem X-29 again in 2012 (click the link to view 2012 specs on the Giant website), and based on early conversations I've had with my team, it sounds like I will. YEAH!!

One cool note about the Anthem X-29 is that, like many Giant bicycles, you can get much of the same performance as the bike I win races on for much less than the $3675 retail of the top of the line bike I ride. In fact, there are Anthem X-29 models starting at around $2000, and with 2011 models on sale, now is a great time to stop by Cycle Works and check one out!

My Dakota Five-O write-up on DirtRagMag.com...

2011-09-09T12:44:00.001-05:00

Click to read my recap of the 2011 Dakota Five-O on the Dirt Rag Magazine website. Thanks to Josh Patterson at Dirt Rag for the opportunity to write the story, and to Patty Wixon for the photographs that accompany the story.

Hey MG, Where Ya Been???

2011-08-23T14:27:00.002-05:00

It's been a wild past month... Where to start? On the last week of July, I both lost my grandpa and my employment, the latter of which turned out to be a blessing, as I was able to spend my grandpa's final days at his side. And I had my eyes open for a new job already, so this just gave me the time (and urgency) to ramp that effort up.

Racing to a class win at the Cornhusker State Games the day before my grandpa passed away. Photo: Kyle Hansen

To this point in my life, I've been fortunate to have had very little experience with the death of relatives close to me, but the passing of my grandpa Gersib put me face-to-face with the death of one of the people I love and respect most... Someone I've always looked up to. So even though in many ways I was relieved for grandpa when he passed, I still have tears in my eyes as I type these words. Because I still miss my grandpa. He taught me a lot of good lessons about faith, loyalty, the value of hard work, how to be a detail-oriented person, and how to have fun. I was fortunate to get more than 38 years with him, and I know that.

Racing to a hard-fought third place finish at the Psycowpath race at Swanson two weeks ago after flatting out of the lead on the first lap. Without CO2 quick-fill cartridges, I was forced to use a hand pump, which slowed my flat repair. The reality was Lucas Marshall & Eric Brunt were riding super fast, but the result was enough to move into the Marathon series points lead with one event remaining. Photo: Kyle Hansen

The Gravel Worlds rider meeting... For the second time this season, I had a rear derailleur snap off due to mud in the drivetrain, which (unlike at the Dirty Kanza 200) caused me to DNF at around mile 50. Photo: Cornbread

So now I'm busy looking at my options for the future, and I'm looking at a lot of options. In a perfect world, I'd put something together with one (or more) of the bicycle-related companies I've already got a relationship with... But there are a lot of more local things happening as well, so we'll see what pans out. I feel thankful for the friends I have who have stepped up and made contacts for me and reached out to me with opportunities they know about. If you know of a good opportunity for an experienced marketing and public relations professional, please get a hold of me through the comments below.

Hangin' with Rafal at the second oasis, 10 miles from the finish of Gravel Worlds. Thanks to Kristi Mohn, I had already been back to my house and changed out of my lycra, so I was in full spectator mode by this point. Thanks to Schmitty and his family for the awesome accommodations at the second oasis! Photo: Anita Gammel

In the end, I'm confident all this has happened for a reason, and that whatever comes in the 'next evolution' for Laura and I will be as it's supposed to be for us. I just have to trust the process and make the moves that feel like the best ones for myself and my family. Keep us in your thoughts and prayers.

Sunday's Bacon +++ Ride Details...

2011-07-22T09:43:00.001-05:00

MW turned 40 years young this past Tuesday. To help him celebrate, please join us for a special extended version of the Bacon ride Sunday at 6am from the Mopac trailhead at 84th Street in Lincoln. We'll ride to Platte River State Park to chow down and meet up with a group Rafal is leading that's coming down from Omaha. Then, with bellies full of sweet, smoky bacon and sweet rolls, we'll roll onto Plattsmouth, where we'll dip our toes into the swollen, angry waters of the mighty Missouri. MW, JP and I have been talking about this for a while now, so last week, when MW mentioned wanting to make it happen, I thought, "why not?" I hope you can join us.

Here is the route we'll follow (which is mostly gravel roads, with some dirt roads and a little pavement):

Or, view the entire map on Google Maps

See you Sunday at 6am -- Mopac trailhead at 84th Street in Lincoln.

Cheers,
MG

The 2011 Dirty Kanza 200 -- Redemption...

2011-06-14T16:37:00.010-05:00

Dave Foster captures an elated MG with Dallas-based gravel grinder, Steven Thompson after the finish.

Going into the Dirty Kanza 200 this year, I had a pretty significant monkey on my back. Not only had I not finished the previous edition of the DK200, I also did not finish Trans Iowa v.7 earlier this year due to a number of failures, so more than ever it was especially important for me to get this done regardless of what it took to get there. As a result, I came in very well prepared. And true to Kansas Flint Hills form, it took me every single trick in my bag to get me across that finish line. Here's to being prepared!

Dave Foster captures the start of the 2011 Dirty Kanza 200. Rolling out with more than 300 other riders is cool...

The day started off uneventful enough in front of the Grenada Theatre in downtown Emporia. Led out by three Emporia Police cruisers, more than 300 racers thundered southwest out of town. It's always an awesome feeling in the pack early on at the 'Kanza, rolling at high speed with literally hundreds of other gravel racers... Unfortunately, less than two miles into our first gravel section, 2010 race winner, and my Cycle Works/Moose's Tooth teammate, Corey Godfrey pulled off the front with a flat rear tire. Bummer dude... I knew I'd see him again though. He was riding way too strong for us not to see him again.

Cornbread captured this image from the front of the lead pack prior to his first flat of the day, less than two miles into the first gravel section. Bummer...

The "flat tire scenario" was one that would be repeated a number of times throughout the day for several top riders. Few were spared at least one flat. Dennis Grelk had at least one. I had two (both in the 46c Bontrager I was running on the front -- the 35c Schwalbe on the rear was rock solid!). Oh, and yes, I was running tubes for this race due to the wheelset I was running. But flats weren't the worst of my problems... but I'm getting ahead of myself, so, back to the race.

The ride to the first checkpoint was FAST, despite being the leg that was pretty much fully against the wind. There was so much fast pack riding that our average speed was nearly 20mph at the checkpoint. It was very cool and a lot of fun. At one point just after ascending Texaco Hill, eventual race winner Dan Hughes and I were chatting about the epic conditions we raced in during the 2008 edition of the race, and how easy it was for us to ride at 21.1mph sitting ten riders back in the line. We laughed at how fortunate we were at still being able to do this after all these years, and went back to work. For each of us, our days would end quite differently. Shortly after our conversation, Dan went to the front and quite literally blew the pack up, reducing it from 35 riders to 10-15 very quickly, and less shortly thereafter. The hammer had swung and victims were falling quickly.

Dave Foster catches our chase group coming into checkpoint #1. That's Matt Brown immediately to my left, and Troy Krause over my left shoulder, so I was in good company.

Unfortunately I ended up being one of those victims, so that was the end of the front group riding for me, at least until after the first checkpoint, when the front group would come back together during some on-the-course confusion about the route that worked out in my favor.

Since I'd ridden many of these roads before and was paying attention to the map, I was able to make the necessary turns to stay on course and avoid the extra miles several leaders had to ride. But I was clearly not as strong as the top riders and so when the pace ramped up again, I was quickly blown out the back door and was once again on my own. No matter though, I was content with rolling at my own pace as we entered the full heat of the day, which was formidable.

MG rolling into checkpoint two, captured by Dave Foster.

In fact, the heat between checkpoints one and two was the most severe of the day. Despite being just 40 miles in length, the stretch was the only one in which I fully depleted my hydration. Pretty insane considering I had a full bladder and two full bottles when I took off from CP1. I also had my first flat tire of the event, while following Cornbread down a rocky descent that also gave him a pinch flat. But I made it, and thanks to the Dockhorn and Gammel crews (thank you so much!!) I refueled and made my way over to the local convenience store and sat with Iowa gravel vet, Mike Johnson and enjoyed some tasty gas station food for ten minutes or so. Oh, the delights of gravel grinders!! If you don't partake, you're missing out on one of the best parts of it.

With a full belly I got back onto the road toward CP3. But what's funny about the third leg was that just about everything in the first 3/4 of the leg could just as well have been forgotten due to the thunderstorm that appeared on the horizon about 15 miles from CP3. What I initially thought would bring us simple relief from the heat ended up bringing marble sized hail, torrential downpours, threatening lightning and would fundamentally change the face of the event. Competitors by the dozens immediately chose to stop racing and crawl into the safety of their support vehicles.

I was committed to not being one of those affected by the weather though. "That's why I came prepared," I thought to myself as I pulled my rain jacked and knee warmers out of my Mountainsmith bag and onto my body. But I had no idea of the depth of the adventure I was getting myself into at that point... The fun was just getting started for me.

As the hail lessened, the rain continued and we rode on, until we came upon a series of unmaintained "B" roads, which many riders were simply walking, many through the ditch. I, perhaps foolishly, rode the first of these roads, which gathered cheers from several riders, notably the father & son duo of Curt and Colin Shelman of Paceline Products, makers of Chamois Buttr. Of course I suffered my second flat tire of the day during this, so it really didn't gain me anything, but while I sat and fixed my flat, a local sherriff told me about more coming storms and how crazy we were for doing what we were doing. As I finished fixing my flat, I thanked him and continued my muddy slog.

It was about a half mile after that the face of the race would take a distinct change for me. As I ascended the next muddy climb and shifted into my 28t cog in the rear, the mud and grass hanging from my rear derailleur caused it to get pulled into the rear wheel, immediately ripping it and the derailleur hanger from the frame and bringing me to a quick stop.

Standing on a dirt road in the middle of Kansas with a now unridable bicycle in a driving thunderstorm, I ran through my inventory of tools and spare parts in an attempt to revive my Dirty Kanza dream. And fortunately I'd thrown in a Connex 10-speed quick link, which proved to be exactly what I needed to ditch the derailleur, cut the chain and turn my wounded La Cruz into a singlespeed. And so, with 50 miles left to ride, I had a 38x15 gear with an insanely tight chain, and as long as it didn't blow up, I had a bike. Now I just had to get it across the line.

After perhaps the best pep talk ever from Aaron Gammel's son, Wyatt at CP3, I hit the road with just 40 miles to go to the finish. Feeling like there was nothing that could stand in my way, I did the best I could to push the big 38x15 up to speed, and found that doing so helped me pick off racers ahead of me with relative consistency. This was the case until I came up on Curt and Colin Shelman, and we rode together until Colin flatted about 6 miles from the finish. Up to that point, we were plotting a finish together, but for whatever reason, I chose to ride ahead -- a bad move on my part as it turns out, because I quickly missed a turn at Americus and rode off course for several miles, letting Curt and Colin back around me, so I finished just behind them, in 39th place overall (of 67 finishers, 26th place open male), in 17 hours 43 minutes.

Father and son duo, Curt and Colin Shelman finish the Dirty Kanza 200 together. Bravo gentlemen!! Photo: Dave Foster

Just a moment later, MG rolls across the line a very happy man. Photo: Dave Foster

It was one of those days where just finishing felt like winning, and you could see that on my face as I rode across the finish line. The monkey was off my back and out of the picture and balance had been restored. All was, and is, very good.

Last night, after more than a week, I finally got around to tearing my La Cruz down and giving it the thorough cleaning and rebuild it needed. After a new derailleur, hanger, chain, cables and other misc. parts, it's once again functional and I'm looking forward to riding it soon.

Thanks to Cycle Works and The Moose's Tooth of Lincoln for their support of my racing this season, and once again to the Dockhorn and Gammel crews for their checkpoint support during the race. I have been so blessed to have your support, and I just can't thank you enough. And thanks also to my beautiful wife Laura for supporting my passion for competing in events like the Dirty Kanza 200, because I know it takes a lot of sacrifice on her end to enable me to do what I love to do. Life is good indeed...

Edit June 24... Proof for Courtney Hilton... Since you accused me of not completing the DK200 course, I feel compelled to offer up proof. Here it is, complete with the extra bonus miles ridden after missing a couple of turns, most notably at Americus during the final leg.

Edit #2... June 28 -- Courtney followed up with me in a private message and clarified his comments. Apparently he meant them not as an accusation of cheating, but more as a reflection of my position on the course when the storm hit. Saying/writing one thing and meaning quite another is something I'm familiar with, so I can't be too bummed with anyone for that. All is good. My apologies for getting defensive. Because ultimately the only one that needs to know I finished legitimately is me, and I understand that. Thanks for the reminder, Courtney.

Kicking Off the 2011 Mountain Bike Season...

2011-04-04T17:01:00.001-05:00

I kicked off my 2011 mountain bike season with the 3-hour marathon at the Swanson River City Shootout. It was technically the second race of the Psycowpath series, but it was the first race hosting a marathon class. And the racers showed up in force. We had the largest class of the day (barely beating out the cat 2 men), with 27 men and two women taking to the dirt.

Jim Winklepleck is just out of the picture, off the front as we get ready to head into the singletrack on the first lap. Look at my shiny new Giant Anthem X 29-1! Thanks Cycle Works!! Photo: Heather Wolff

The race started off fast, with "The Man in Black", Jim Winklepleck, taking off from the line like he was shot from a gun. I entered the singletrack on Jim's wheel in second place and we comfortably rode at a nice, high tempo for the first lap. Thanks to Jim's strong riding, we'd forged perhaps a 10 second lead on the rest of the pack after a lap and a half of riding, but I could sense it was time to make a move, so I went to the front and put the power down. Lucas Marshall was moving up through the field behind us and I knew without a doubt he was my strongest competition on the day. If I could keep him chasing me, I hoped he'd tire from the effort.

My plan came close to working had it not been for a mouth full of PowerBar Gel Bites. On lap seven (of eight), I ravenously tore into a pack of gel bites, unfortunately a little too fast and dropped the entire package, so I had to get an entirely new one (my last one), which took me a long time to do. And when I finally got into the second package, I put the whole thing into my mouth so I didn't have to do it twice. So I had basically had a big mouth full of gummy bears... And that's when Lucas caught me -- as I was trying to chew 10 gummies simultaneously, and breathe at the same time while my heart was beating @175BPM. Yeah... not good.

Back up-to-speed after my feed debacle... No, I wasn't too happy at this point. Photo: Heather Wolff

So by the time I got all that crap inhaled (thankfully not into my lungs), I was able to get back up to full-speed, but the bummer was by that point, Lucas was at least a minute ahead of me, and we were so evenly matched that I couldn't make it up. I could ride his speed, but no faster. It was cool though. We had a good race. He earned it, and I know it's just the first of many great races to-come.

I'd like to thank Cycle Works and the Moose's Tooth for their support this season. My new Giant Anthem X-29 1 worked incredibly well out at Swanson. You might not think a course like Swanson is rough enough to warrant full suspension, but a quick check of both O-rings on my Giant reveals I was using every millimeter of the suspension travel. And I enjoyed the benefit of the bike's 100mm of travel on each of the eight laps I completed during the three hour enduro. Thanks again Team Rasta!!

Cheers,
MG

Hoss Headlines All Hail the Black Market Blog Today...

2011-02-21T17:09:00.000-06:00

Now that's a good weekend...

The VelEau Installed on the LaCruz

2011-02-21T14:30:00.003-06:00

VelEau, originally uploaded by MGersib.

With the coming of longer gravel grinders, I'm testing a new option that will give me extra capacity without forcing me to resort to carrying a pack. This is the VelEau. Lincoln-native, now Oregon-based speedster, Trevor Norland hooked me up with the product's inventor. I'll have a full report coming soon, but you can learn more now at www.VelEau.com.

The Lonely Forest Gives Bicycles Starring Role in New Music Video...

2011-02-03T14:48:00.002-06:00

Turn Off This Song from World Famous on Vimeo.
That's bassist Eric James Sturgeon on his SS 29"er... along with guitarist Tony Ruland, drummer Braydn Krueger and lead singer John Van Deusen.

If you're reading this blog, I have a feeling you'll get into what the guys from The Lonely Forest are singing about.

Enjoy!

The Third Jewel...

2011-01-31T09:45:00.001-06:00

Titanium Triple-Play -- Please welcome the "Bike With No Name", a titanium drop bar-specific mountain frame with design influences from Salsa's Ti El Mariachi and Fargo frames, to the MG family of fine rides. You're gonna' see a lot of this bike in the future... A huge THANK YOU to Gnat for choosing me to be the frameset's final owner.

The New Giant Anthem X-29 1... First Pictures

2011-01-10T10:04:00.000-06:00

Nathan Swanson captured me Saturday at the midpoint of our ride. At this point I was super stoked. My setup was progressing nicely and I was riding the bike with awesome confidence.

This shot highlights the primary changes I made to the bike, which were to add a 1-inch Bontrager rise bar I had in the parts bin (and a sweet Salsa Pro Moto Ti stem while I was at it) to get my fit dialed in, and a more aggressive Schwalbe Racing Ralph 2.25 front tire instead of the stock Maxxis Crossmark 2.1.

This left side shot shows the Anthem X-29s Maestro dual-link rear suspension design, which when paired with the Fox RP-23 Boost Valve rear damper, offers very efficient, responsive pedaling and seamless bump absorption. It's also notably a very laterally stiff frame, and its stiffness allows for a very high degree of feedback to be transmitted from the tires' knobs to the grips. It's almost unnerving to experience at first the sensation of knobs breaking free from the earth when felt through the grips. But once you become accustomed to the bike, you realize it's a very responsive and empowering bicycle to choose. I feel fortunate to be able to race one this season!

The 10-speed Shimano Deore XT DynaSys components are excellent performers overall. I particularly like the 42t big ring, which allows me to stay in "the ring" more of the time relative to the old-school 44t (a good thing for me).

Part of the bike's awesome stiffness is courtesy of the tapered 1 1/2-inch-to-1 1/8-inch headtube, with its matching Fox F29 FIT RLC fork. I feel really fortunate to be able to ride these awesome, top-of-the-line components, which I should add, has been made possible this season by Cycle Works in Lincoln, Neb. If you've never been in to see their awesome Lincoln stores, you owe it to yourself to check 'em out.

Weekend Monstercross Project Uncovered...

2010-11-08T09:03:00.004-06:00

It's amazing the difference a set of tires can make...

I've been mulling over a tire change for the Vaya for a while now and this weekend it finally happened. From Bontrager, I had Cycle Works order me one of the 1.8 (44/46) Jones XR front tires and 1.75 (42/44) XDX tires for the rear. Both are available with the company's excellent tubeless-ready casing, which requires the use of sealant to run tubeless and uses a tubeless-ready bead.

So I mounted the new tires up Friday night and rode them for the first time Saturday. And let me tell you, my Vaya has taken on a totally new character. It's one I'm entirely smitten by too! It's gnarlier, faster, better handling and eminently more capable, both on singletrack and ironically, on gravel as well. These tires rule!!

I took the Vaya out again on Sunday, this time with a pretty big local group. I wanted to see if the magic I felt when riding alone would transfer to a group ride situation. And sure enough, it did. In fact, it might've fared even better in that realm, as the advantages of the burly, bouncy, yet fast rolling tires were even more pronounced when compared to skinnier, sketchier, or fatter, slower options. For days like these, they seem like the perfect choice...

So that's the latest from here. Hope your rides are revealing new discoveries as well.

Cheers,
MG

What's 'Ol MG Been Up To?

2010-10-14T11:04:00.016-05:00

I got a message from my friend Jim Cummins (co-promoter of the Dirty Kanza 200) the other day. He was giving me grief for not posting since Aug. 27th, and I suppose he's got a point. I've been bad about updates, but that's only because it's been a really busy month. So with that in-mind, here are a few images from the past month of MG's life. I didn't shoot most of this stuff, you'll notice, because I actually lost my camera this month... much to Mrs. G's chagrin. Oh well. You win some, you lose some. This one may be lost for good. You just never know.

Lucas Marshall shot this great one of me bunny hopping the barrier at the Swanson CX two weekends ago.

Another Lucas Marshall shot from the Swanson CX. I finished 8th in the Open 1/2/3 on my beautiful Salsa La Cruz Ti. I was lovin' the feel of the Tufo tubulars on the Swanson grass. At 34 psi, I was getting great traction and awesome bump absorption.

One more of Lucas' shots from Swanson. He had some great action photography from the race, as usual.

Here's a shot from Anne Savery, wife of Sunday race winner, Mark Savery.

In late-Sept., I raced at the Sugar Bottom Scramble in Iowa City, where I finished 8th place in the Pro/Cat 1 class. Not a terrible result, but a couple of places out of the money. Bummer... Photo: Jordan Hanson

Sept. 18 gravel action on rural Lancaster County roads. Photo: Cornbread

Sept. 11: Heading out to gravel north of town with the PCL crew. Photo: Cornbread

Here's one of me from the Dakota Five-O up in Spearfish, SD. This was definitely the highlight of my 2010 mountain bike season. Photo: Patty Wixon

Another Patty Wixon shot from the Dakota Five-O.

Here's the Ridge Riders' shot from the start. Check out Smokey Bear, who started us off. Very cool...

Yeah, it's been a fun last month or so... Hope it's been great for you too! With fall upon us, it's the best time of year to get out and ride. So take advantage and get out and have fun!

PCL Gravel Worlds -- A few defining images...

2010-08-27T13:38:00.018-05:00

Scenes from the lead pack, 15 miles into the race... Photo: MG

Another shot from the lead group paceline. Photo: MG

Headed for carnage, just after passing through the intersection at 40th and Davey Rd.

That's my right knee touching down at 23 mph, after touching wheels with the rider in-front of me. This set off a chain reaction crash behind me that, while scary, turned out much better than it could have been from an overall injury standpoint. Photo: CVO

Feeling like my day was over at that point, all I really cared about was getting the other riders back on their bikes and rolling. Photo: CVO

Jay Thomas was the final rider, aside from myself, to get back underway. I appreciated Jay's calm composure though the calamity. Though visibly injured, Jay's focus was clearly evident as well. Photo: CVO

My Salsa La Cruz Ti was pretty twisted up from the carnage. Using a 3-way "Y" allen wrench out of CVO's trunk, we were able to get it straightened out, for the most part, and after about 20 minutes of work, I was back on the road.

There was a little road rash on my elbow...

And a little more on my leg (more in places I couldn't show you)...

But in the end, the crash made for a day that was a lot lower key than it was when I was riding in the lead group. I rode alone for a lot of the day, or with cool cats like Mike Johnson, or Adam Blake, both from Iowa. And while I was super shelled at the finish, at least I finished. Officially, I was credited with 25th place, which is fine. I can't complain at all about the finish, and have nothing but thanks to give to Cornbread, CVO and everyone else that helped put the Gravel Worlds on this year, and also to everyone at Salsa Cycles and Cycle Works for their support this season. I'd also like to thank Rob Versteegth at Oakley in Iowa for his continued support.

Look for my full report and story to-come in the next issue of Adventure Monkey -- the Magazine.

GRAVEL WORLDS!

2010-08-16T09:49:00.001-05:00

GRAVEL WORLDS 2010 from nocoastfilms on Vimeo.

Stolen Lynskey Pro 29: Keep an Eye Out...

2010-08-12T12:04:00.004-05:00

Here's a picture of Ryan's stolen Lynskey. Read more about it on this MTBR.com thread, and see more pictures on Ryan's Flickr site.

A rider named Ryan from Iowa came over to race at the Tranquility Tire Tantrum this past Sunday. Unfortunately, his super sweet Lynskey Pro 29 mountain bike (S/N 7783) was stolen while he was at the race. That's not how we like to treat our guests! So if you happen to see this bike around, please call the local police immediately, and get a hold of Ryan.

Thank you,
MG

Building a Lifetime of Adventure...

2010-08-10T09:27:00.010-05:00

Several of you requested shots of the new Salsa La Cruz Ti, so without further ado, here you go! Yes, it rides as sweet as it looks.Look at that awesome downtube!

The complete bicycle...

To say I feel fortunate is an understatement...

Look at those welds!!

Isn't she lovely?

The awesome Woodchipper handlebar in a 46cm width on a 100mm ProMoto Ti stem. Quality up front.

Thanks for looking! Now get out and ride...

Have a great day,
MG

CX Frame for Sale -- Salsa Chili Con Crosso -- SOLD!

2010-07-29T10:25:00.016-05:00

Looking for a new 'cross rig? If you're around 6 feet to 6 feet, two inches tall, you couldn't do much better than this super cool 2010 model year Salsa Chili Con Crosso frame. It's a size 55 in Salsa's sizing for that particular frame, which corresponds (roughly) to a "traditional" 58cm horizontal TT road/cross frame.

When you enlarge this picture, you can see the one scratch in the frame (from mud on the rear tire rubbing the left chainstay during the Jingle Cross last fall), which has been touched up. With a wheel/tire installed, it's virtually impossible to see.

Flattened chanstays and seatstays give a super smooth ride quality. Without looking, it's tough to believe you're riding an alloy-based frame. The Chili Con Crosso is made from Salsa's Scandium tubing, which is a Scandium-enhanced 7000-series alloy.

Super clean welds throughout the frame highlight its quality... The Salsa LipLock seat collar is included.

A reinforced headtube is plenty strong. More sweet welds too... Oh, and this one is being sold without fork. It'll work well with any of the current generation of carbon 'cross forks though. I was running an Alpha Q QS20, which was a nice fork (not the best ever, but a good fork).

Pepperman says you need a new bike!

Leave a message or give me a shout if interested. First $300 (plus any applicable shipping) steals the show... (Update 8/18/10: Frame is sold.)

Thanks for looking!

The Ponca 155... Yeah, it was good.

2010-07-20T07:57:00.002-05:00

Early morning foggy dirt road with the wind at our back... Story to come.

Ponca 155 is Saturday... Are You In???

2010-07-15T10:59:00.004-05:00

We'll be taking off from the D Street mansion (1510 D Street) at 4am sharp Saturday morning. If you're gonna' go, let the PCL know about it here, so you can be factored into "the plan."

Hope to see you Saturday.

Cheers,
MG

Six Months with the Salsa Vaya -- My Review on Gravel Grinder News...

2010-07-14T08:52:00.004-05:00

Thanks to Guitar Ted for the opportunity to submit my review of Salsa's awesome Vaya to his Gravel Grinder News site. He also reposted the review to the Cyclist site. Check 'em out!

It'd be a good idea to head on down to your local Salsa Cycles dealer to test ride a Vaya for yourself soon, then let the adventures begin!

Cheers,
MG

The Halo Effect -- My Latest Post on the Salsa Amigos Blog...

2010-07-08T13:54:00.004-05:00

Enjoy reading, and I hope you're able to get out and ride your bike today!

Cheers,
MG

Salsa Sol Sessions and Fargo Ride Images...

2010-06-28T11:13:00.016-05:00

Gnat gives the 10-strong group the lowdown at the start of the ride.

Gnat was our fearless ride leader for Friday's Fargo ride in the Minneapolis area.

The view from the top tube of my Salsa Fargo as we rolled out of Lebanon Hills.

"Hero Gravel"

Good times were had by all.

Of ten riders present, six were aboard Fargos... A great turnout. Gnat's course demonstrated the bike's strengths perfectly too.

Salsa marketing man, Kid Riemer captures me flying on the Rock Lake loop on Saturday.

Another Kid Riemer shot of the Sol Sessions group, from Saturday night.

Lunchtime on the Rock Lake Loop. Photo: MG

Horkey... The hat says it all.

Thanks to Gnat, Kid, Bobby, Tim, PK, Ryan, Odia, Katie and everyone else who made the 2010 Salsa Sol Sessions and Minneapolis Fargo ride a super fun event to be a part of.

Have a great week,
MG

The 2010 Dirty Kanza 200 — When Luck Runs Out…

2010-06-11T10:13:00.002-05:00

The Dirty Kanza 200, through Gnat's lens...

I wish I was able to say this was going to be a tale of success at the Dirty Kanza, but instead my third DK200 ended up being a distinct opportunity for learning for me on a lot of levels. Unfortunately, as is often the case with such learning experiences, my eureka moments came in the midst of adversity and more than a little bit of suffering.

The race started off in a bit of a calamity, as I pulled a complete bonehead move and forgot my helmet at home. It wasn’t nearly as bad as it could (or should) have been, because when I mentioned to Gnat that I’d forgotten my lid, he casually handed me the helmet on the tailgate of his Element and said “here you go – it’s brand new. I’m going to ride in my old helmet anyway. I don’t want to wear a brand new helmet on a ride this big.” Seriously?! What an incredible friend and a truly selfless gift. Thanks Gnat.

OK, so bullet number one dodged, and five minutes ‘til the start, I locked my car up and rolled over to the start line, brand new Bell helmet on my head. I said hi to Guitar Ted, Cornbread, Troy and several of the Lincoln crew. It was about then that I took a glance down at my cages to see that I had no water bottles. Apparently my helmet fiasco got me so flustered that I forgot to grab my bottles from my cooler.

Now less than a minute from the start, I took off for my car to grab my bottles. With the temperatures projected to be in the upper 90s during the day, I couldn’t go without water. It was necessary. Somehow, I managed to get to the car, acquire my bottles, lock the car and roll back to the start of the race just as the police lead-out was starting to roll. Perfect… Bullet number two dodged successfully.

With the race underway, I figured it’d be smooth sailing from that point on. However, this being the Dirty Kanza 200, my logic was completely flawed. In fact, I had absolutely no idea what I was about to get myself into. I’d soon find out.

Salsa riders at the front of the pack just before my first flat at approximately mile 20. (That's me on the front/left.) Photo: Cornbread

Roughly 20 miles into the race, as my Salsa Cycles teammate Joe Meiser and I led the field on a two-track dirt road, I did a manual wheelie through a dip in the road. Unfortunately, right where I set my front wheel down, I hit a sharp edged flint rock hard enough that it sent reverberations up my fork and into my frame. Immediately latex sealant began spraying in multiple directions, suggesting that I had not only pinched through the tread on my tubeless tire, but also through the sidewall… Not good. I raised my right hand to signal I’d flatted and pulled off the trail. I was able to get the sealant to eventually seal both cuts in the tire up (with two CO2 cartridges), but by the time I was back on my bike the lead group was more than a mile ahead of me on the road.

It was here that I probably made my worst strategic error of the entire race. I was able to occasionally catch glimpses of the lead pack ahead of me and given the headwind, I could see the trailing riders were pedaling relatively easily. I desperately wanted to get back to the shelter of the pack, so I went to work in an attempt to chase it down. Unfortunately, while I worked for nearly 30 miles, almost all the way to the first checkpoint, I was never able to latch back onto the pack. But I burned a lot of valuable energy trying.

It was energy I should have saved for later in the event, in retrospect.

With each passing rocky section on the course, a couple of riders from the front pack would be seen on the side of the road fixing flats. Attrition was taking its typical toll, as it does every year at the DK200. A crash in the front pack took down several riders including Lincoln’s Troy Krause and Dennis Grelk from Iowa, who was clearly pretty injured when I rode up on him and Troy following the incident. After fixing his bike and cleaning his body up, Troy would soldier on to finish 7th, an incredible performance, while Dennis is suspected to have gone for medical attention. He had a bad cut on his chin that may have required stitches. I didn’t see Dennis again all weekend, but have since heard from him via email. He’s OK.

Running tubeless, my Schwalbe Marathon Extreme 40c rear tire sustained more than a dozen pinches and cuts from aggressive riding in the Kansas flint rock which were sealed by the tubeless sealant as I rode. Interestingly, while it was evident (from the dried latex on the seat tube) that sealant had blown out of the tire as it sealed, no air needed to be added to the tire at any point during the ride. Sweet... It works!

I pulled into checkpoint one feeling strong, but the day was really just starting to heat up, literally and figuratively. And when it did, my earlier efforts quickly began haunting me. As the daytime temperatures climbed into the mid-90s and the course began traveling with the wind, I began to suffer badly. And while I was able to use my Vaya’s stable handling to make up time on the downhills, I was just riding along on the uphills.

I took a longer stop at the second checkpoint. A peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a cold towel on the back of the neck (courtesy of Debbie Sue and Tyler Dockhorn) brought me back from the red zone and revived my spirits. As I tried to get myself back into order, I felt for Troy Krause as he worked on his road rash sustained in the earlier pile-up. His spirits were still good and he was still riding strong — impressive.

It was “only” 38 miles from checkpoint two to checkpoint three, but it was a tough, demanding 38 miles including two flat tires (that were perpetuated by the tire problems caused by my first flat). I was forced to stop no fewer than four times during the leg, and as I rode into the town of Alma and the third checkpoint, I swore there would be no more racing for me that day. But as I sat at the convenience store in Alma, it was less than five minutes before Gnat walked in. He’d made up some serious time on me during the third leg of the journey. I confided in him that I was worried I was going to get 20 miles into the 60 mile segment and have a meltdown similar to the one I had coming into the checkpoint we were sitting in.

But against my better judgement, I continued on alongside Gnat. The next 20 miles of the race would have us travel through some of the steepest, most remote hills on the entire course before the conditions began to level out a bit in the final 40 mile stretch to the finish. Mile-by-mile, Gnat and I painfully ground our way up and flew down the Kansas B-roads, hoping the sun would set and take the day’s heat along with it. Unfortunately for me, the heat issues I was having before checkpoint three were reemerging as we rolled into the town of Eskridge, at approximately mile 165. I was literally falling asleep as I rode, which isn’t a good sign. And as we rolled into the gas station at Eskridge, there was Anita Gammell (wife of Lincoln racer, Aaron Gammell) at one of the pumps, fueling her vehicle. I asked if I might be able to get a ride with her back to Emporia if I pulled the plug, to which she said yes. With that, the quest to complete my third Dirty Kanza 200 was done.

While I wish the end result had been different, I can’t say that, given the circumstances it could have ended up any better. I have to realize why I failed to complete the race, and quite simply I pushed too hard too early. Once I had my first flat tire, I should have continued to ride a pace I could sustain, instead of trying to catch back up to the leaders. If there was a fatal flaw in my race, that was it. My haste was my downfall. What’s funny is that it even occurred to me while it was happening, but I couldn’t help myself to stop it. I was like a dog chasing a big, juicy steak. I had to try.

My Salsa Vaya following the Dirty Kanza experience. Considering the substantial amount of abuse the frame and wheels took, it survived in very good shape.

Hopefully I’ll take away lessons from this experience that will help me succeed at the Dirty Kanza next year, as well as in other future races. I guess we’ll see when the time comes, but it’s important for me to say that I had fun while it lasted this year. Thank you to Jim Cummins and Joel Dyke, the Dirty Kanza 200 co-promoters and to the city of Emporia, for welcoming us with open arms. Thanks also to Eric Benjamin, the Adventure Monkey, and his wife Jen, for their hospitality in giving us a great place to stay during our time in Emporia. Congratulations to Eric on his epic finish in the event, as well. Great riding, my friend! Thanks to Gnat for not only lending me his brand new Bell helmet and quite literally saving my day, but also for riding the last, and hardest, 25 miles of my Dirty Kanza with me this year. I know we’ve had some other, more graceful miles together, but these are the ones that make us stronger. I’d also like to thank Kid and the crew at Salsa Cycles for the support this season and for building the awesome Vaya for me to race in the Dirty Kanza. It was the perfect bike for the event. I rode 165 miles and didn’t even have a blister or sore hands the next day! Amazing…

I’d also like to give a big thank you to Debbie Sue and Tyler Dockhorn, as well as the Gammell family (Anita and kids). Without the support of Tyler and Debbie Sue, I would not have made it as far as I did this year, and without the Gammells I wouldn’t have made it back into Emporia after my day on the bike ended. Thanks again to all!

Gnat's Dirty Kanza Recap -- Good Stuff...

2010-06-09T15:47:00.002-05:00

Read Gnat's recap of the Dirty Kanza 200 on the Salsa Cycles blog. Photo: Gnat

Wacky Weekend...

2010-05-17T11:18:00.005-05:00

I was comfortable in the early lead Saturday at the Wagontrain 12-hour. Photo: Brooks Carveth

Looking around the 'ol Inter-web today, it seems as if I'm not the only one that had a little bit of a vortex weekend... Not sure what was up, but the 12-hour at Wagontrain was about the only notable thing I did over the weekend. And then even that wasn't all that notable, except for the fact that I pulled out while leading after 6 1/2 hours of racing after hitting the ground in a corner and suffering a minor finger injury that made it painful to use the front brake. And on the tight, twisty Wagontrain course, that wasn't a good thing, so I decided to be safe and keep the rest of my body in one piece.

Don't worry about my finger though... It'll be fine. It's a little sore, but it's already way better than it was. It dislocated partially when I went down, but went right back into place, so it's swollen but totally functional. I'm sure my arthritis will be great when I'm 75... ;-)

It was a good field out at Wagontrain though. I had fun riding with Lucas Marshall and Shawn Hansen, who is now riding in the rasta colors of team Cycle Works. Nice... Good to have you as a teammate, my friend.

Unfortunately, it looks like I won't be heading up to Cable, Wisconsin for the Chequamegon 100 this weekend. I simply don't think my schedule will allow the time off from work right now. It's a good thing and a bummer simultaneously... But it is what it is. I'm OK with it, mainly because I'll be up there in June for the Salsa Sol Sessions. In some ways, I'd almost rather ride those trails than race on them... They're that good.

So that's what I've got for you on this cloudy start to Bike-to-Work Week 2010. It was a Fargo into work for me today... Oh yeah! I hope it's a great week for you too.

Gov. Heineman Declares May 8 - 16 as ‘See Nebraska Week’

2010-05-06T10:52:00.005-05:00

These are the types of great views Nebraska has to offer... Photo: MG

Gov. Heineman Declares May 8 - 16 as ‘See Nebraska Week’

(Lincoln, Neb.) Gov. Dave Heineman today kicked-off ‘See Nebraska Week,’ which runs from May 8 to 16 and encourages Nebraskans and other travelers to learn more about vacation options in Nebraska. Several new tourism campaigns were developed this year to promote opportunities for summer travel across the state.

“We want to encourage more Nebraskans and their families to take advantage of travel opportunities throughout the state,” Gov. Heineman said. “Visiting a site along one of our nine scenic byways or exploring our state’s history on a road trip will lend the traveler not just an off-the-beaten-path experience, but a summer full of memories.”

Travelers in Nebraska spent more than $3.7 billion in Nebraska on overnight trips in 2009, and annual spending in the state has increased by more than $2 billion since 1990. Nebraska’s tourism industry provides more than 42,000 jobs and is the third leading industry in the state.

The Nebraska Byways Passport program highlights the many destinations along the state’s scenic byways. Travelers are encouraged to pick up a souvenir passport at one of 27 participating locations along Nebraska’s nine scenic byways and collect stamps from each location visited for a chance to win a prize.

The Division of Travel and Tourism has also created a program encouraging young people to help plan their family vacation. The History Along Nebraska’s Byways program supplements the Nebraska history curriculum offered to fourth graders and will be distributed to 1,140 schools across the state. Designed with the help of educators, the materials include a Nebraska map with icons for various historical locations across the state, a Nebraska byway history video and classroom activities including crafts, worksheets, interactive games, and field trip activities. Subjects include state symbols, American Indians, map reading, explorers, pioneers, forts and military bases, among other topics. More information is available online at historywithtyler.com.

The division is also offering a new RVNebraska brochure with information to make the most of a trip along Nebraska’s scenic byways, including details on campgrounds along byway routes and top attractions.

Nebraska remains one of the most cost-effective destinations in the nation for travelers. AAA consistently names Nebraska one of the top five most affordable vacation destinations in the United States, with average daily vacation costs for a family of four well below the national average.

Richard Baier, Director of the Nebraska Department of Economic Development, said, “Nebraska offers travelers great value and great attractions. After a long winter, this summer is a good time to get out and see a new part of the state.”

Travelers can find interactive maps, road trip ideas, trip planners and more online at VisitNebraska.gov.

# # #

TransIowa v.6 - Tales of Good Friends, Bicycles, Gravel and Mud...

2010-04-26T01:32:00.005-05:00

So how'd it go for 'ol MG? Watch the video...

Thanks to our support crew, Brent "Butch" Johnson and Nathan Swanson, and to Guitar Ted, David Pals and all the volunteers who made TransIowa v.6 happen, even though it wasn't able to completely. And thanks to my incredible wife Laura for giving me the opportunity to train for an event like this and have it go down the way it did. At least I'll have good fitness going into May, and hopefully my knee will be less sore very soon. It doesn't feel bad as long as I don't pedal hard on it, for the most part, so that's encouraging. Thanks also to Cycle Works in Lincoln, Nebraska, my local shop sponsor, as well as to Rob Versteegth at Oakley.

My final thank you goes out to the folks at Salsa Cycles. If you watched the video, you saw me ramble on (it was a long day...) about how great my Vaya worked in the heinous conditions at TI v.6, but I'll just write a bit about it as well -- it was stable, smooth and had no problems dealing with the inclement conditions. The 40c Schwalbe Marathon Extreme tires were absolutely awesome too... They're a stunningly good match for the handling and capabilities of the Vaya frame.

It was really cool to see so many folks from from Salsa riding the event. I like to believe that companies made up of actual riders will build better bikes, and that's why I love riding Salsas. My Vaya was exactly the bike I wanted to ride at T.I. Thanks again Salsa, particularly Kid and Jason. You guys are the best.

Massive props go out to Co-Champions, John Gorilla and Joe Meiser. Also super notable was the ride of the third-place finisher, Lincoln's own Corey "Cornbread" Godfrey. Nice ridin' brother... Oh, and Omaha hard man, Eric Brunt finished in fifth, which was very impressive. His riding on the road was also very strong.

CVO at the Bone Bender

2010-04-21T10:21:00.001-05:00

2010-04-18 at 12-18-18, originally uploaded by LanterneRougeici.

I was perusing LanterneRougeici's images from last Sunday's Bone Bender 3/6-hour mountain bike race and found this cool shot of GB CVO racin' and having a good time.

The Bone Bender Was a Blast...

2010-04-19T11:46:00.004-05:00

MG on the podium after snaring second place at the six hour at the Bone Bender at Smithville Lake. Photo: CVO

There was a good Nebraska contingent at the Bone Bender 3/6 hour at Smithville Lake near Kansas City this past weekend. I saddled up my new Salsa Ti El Mariachi for six hours of fun, and even with a stacked field, ended up riding well enough to walk away with second place on the day. It was a good day on some awesome trails ridin' fast with good buddies.

As we roll into TransIowa week, I'm happy to say I didn't overextend myself with the effort at the Bone Bender, because it's gonna' be time to really get the game faces on... This is the Big One. It's time.

First Pics of the Ti El Mariachi...

2010-04-07T14:07:00.010-05:00

Thanks to Salsa Cycles for building the Ti El Mariachi. This really is a dream come true! Look for a ride report right here on the DirtBlog soon. Until then, I'll be the one out on the trails with the unmistakable smile plastered across my face...

Happy trails!

Cheers,
MG

My 20th Mountain Bike Racing Season Kicks Off...

2010-04-05T17:14:00.004-05:00

MG givin' it all she's got at the Jewell Park MTB Time Trial. Photo: Heather Wolff

While I can't say that I'm absolutely ecstatic about my 14th place finish Saturday at the Jewell Park MTB time trial, I also can't say I'm totally surprised either. The 19 minute effort is really not well-suited to my current strengths as a racer, but I gave it my best shot anyway and had a great time doing it. Oh, and I did it on my Fargo to-boot. That was awesome, because that bike rips through the tight trees at Jewell!

Man, we've got some guys going fast around here right now... It's pretty cool to see. I guess it means I'd better go home and build me up a new titanium El Mariachi so that I can be more competitive, 'eh?!! Good thing my new frame came in today! :-)

Have a good night,
MG

Good Racing Coming Up...

2010-04-01T14:25:00.008-05:00

Nope, this is not Nebraska... MG rides recently in Moab, Utah. Photo: D. Chase, Redstone Cyclery

It's gettin' to be racing season and starting this weekend the races are coming on hot and heavy.
Nebraska's 20th anniversary Psycowpath Series kicks off Saturday with the Jewell Park Time Trial. If you'd like to get seeded in the time trial, be sure to get pre-registered by Friday. I'm definitely gonna' be hitting this one... Should be fun. I'll be taking the El Mariachi up.

On April 10, the United Federation of Dirt is hosting the River Trail Mountain Bike Challenge at the Lawrence, KS River Trails. Those guys always put on a great event, so I'd recommend you check that one out. I probably won't be able to make the trip, but if you're able, I bet it'll be a good time.

The following weekend is stacked to the hilt. Lincoln's own Pirate Cycling League is putting on the Tour of Dirt Roads III on Sunday, April 18. This is typically an 80-100 mile dirt and gravel road ride, and the first two editions of the ride featured big, fast groups and awesome routes. If you're in town that weekend and are up for a good dose of Vitamin G, this is where you can get some. Cornbread and the crew will be rollin'.

The Bone Bender 3/6-hour MTB Odyssey at Smithville Lake in Missouri is also coming up on April 18. This is a sweet venue for those who love tasty singletrack. It's probably where I'll end up going, and it sounds like CVO, MW and perhaps a few other Lincoln locals will be in the same boat. Nothing against gravel, but we're gonna' get plenty of that over the course of the season... The Big Mama's itchin' for some action!

Then on April 24-25 is the Big One -- TransIowa v.6. If I make it through this one, my 2010 season will be looking very good. Keep your fingers crossed...

Hope to see lots of you out on the trails and at events coming up this month!

Cheers,
MG

Feels Like Cycling Weather...

2010-03-08T08:18:00.004-06:00

This is Saturday and that's me off the back, in the distance, fighting a bike that wouldn't stay in one gear for any length of time from the wet gravel getting thrown by my front tire. Photo: Cornbread

It was a good weekend of riding. Saturday was tough with mud foiling my 10-speed drivetrain on the Chili Con Crosso and banishing me from my original group in favor of pavement and smoother pedaling.

Sunday I chose my singlespeed El Mariachi 29er and met up with Jim Craig's crew in Panama for the pre-ride of the Panama Enduro course, which is gonna' be pretty sweet this year. Jim took his local knowledge and set up a sweet little gravel 40-miler. It's got some good sized hills, some nice scenery and excellent roads, for gravel aficionados, that is. That race will be Sunday the 14th of March, Panama, Nebraska. Details are at the AngryCowAdventures.com site. Czech it.

Saturday will be the PCL's Lincoln-?-Lincoln ride, which will be a big question mark, but will be big fun. Don't kid yourself. Have you ever done a PCL event that hasn't been a blast? Come riding a bike fit for gravel and ready to ride about 50-60 miles. That's what I'd say... I'm guessing the call will be to go out against the wind and come back with the wind. I could be wrong here, but that makes for a nice ride... So come out and ride, 'eh? It'll be a heck of a good time. Details will be up soon on the PCL blog. Oh yeah, you know you wanna' check that one out...

Hopefully this week I'll be building up the new gravel bike I'll be racing this season. I'll keep my fingers crossed and hope for the best... I have all the parts I need to build the bike. The tires are even aired up.

The 2010 Race Season Starts With the CIRREM 100K

2010-02-28T22:16:00.007-06:00

Thanks to Bob and the crew at the Cumming Tap in Cumming, IA for hosting the 2010 CIRREM 100K.

The 2010 race season is off and running and I decided that, despite the wicked chest cold I've been suffering through for more than two weeks, it was worth the drive to central Iowa for the CIRREM 100K gravel grinder. Race promoter and honch pedaler, Kent Carlson had personally invited me to participate and I wasn't going to be a no-show. My lovely wife and I are always game to hang with our nieces and Laura's sister, too, so it wasn't hard to talk her into making the trip with me. So even though I'm still hacking something fierce, I not only made the call to race, I decided to do it on my singlespeed. It is the bike with fenders, and I knew those would come in handy later in the day, and it is also the easiest bike to clean when it gets really messy (no derailleurs, cables or cassette to have to clean around). So, SS it was.

Which, in retrospect, was probably a good call... It made the race more of a "social ride" for me, because I've only been on two rides in the past two weeks, I've gotta' be honest. I've been really sick... So I don't have a lot of juice. But the good news is the singlespeed was just what I needed. It kicked my butt and made me humble. By the end of the day, as my good friend Dave Pals and I rode in together, I was totally worked. Fully done. I'd given it all...

That said, I still took time to have fun out on the course. I met some new people, including Rich Hendricks from Duluth, who said he knows my new Salsa Cycles Teammate Tim "Eki" Ek well, and was himself riding strong. In fact Rich (I think jokingly) asked me to "tell Eki next time you talk to him that it was me pulling his butt all over Duluth yesterday." But then the conversation turned to Charlie Farrow and TransIowa, and I kinda' tucked that little nugget away until I got a Google alert yesterday on my name (which is easy to do -- when your name is Matt Gersib, everything that appears online is your own). Rich had mentioned our conversation about Charlie in the race report on his blog, and Eki commented on it... And I recalled his comment about the whole "pulling his butt around."

Funny, because these awesome posts about Eki's experience at TransIowa last year, where he finished second to Salsa's own Joe Meiser, just got posted earlier today on the Salsa Amigo's blog. You definitely want to check those out. They're long, but well worth the time to read. Eki's one heck of a bicycle racer and a damn fine writer too... But I digress.

The fun also included stopping to have a beer at the midway point of the race, which ended up being about a 35 minute stop. I'd been riding with a variety of fast guys up to that point, pulling up to the midway with Dennis Grelk, himself a solid hammer. He was getting stronger. I was on the other end of the curve for the day. A beer seemed like a good call.

Scott, Andy... beer.

It was at that point that my friend Scott Sumpter rolled up. He's the evil genius behind BikeIowa.com and one heck of a fun guy to spend just about any length of time with. We proceeded to down one of Budweiser's best, chat up just about everyone we could at the midway, which gave Dave Pals time to get his stuff in order too, and were off again. We even had not one, but two dogs running with us... And that's why I love gravel. More fun for your fun buyin' dollar.

Soon the hills got big and my smile got erased. I'll put it this way: I was running a wheelset with XT hubs that are 2 seasons old. They've never had any issues with axle locknuts coming loose to this point, but Saturday, I pedaled hard enough on my singlespeed on a gravel road climb to loosen the hub at the cone on the drive side. Damn.

I also had to walk one climb... (the cemetery climb) but I'm pretty sure I made everything else. Not fast mind you, but I rode 'em. Maybe I'm sheltering my memory from something and walked another climb? It seems like there might've been another, but I can't put my finger on where it would have been.

Anyway, I ended up rolling back into the Cumming Tap with Dave Pals, in a tie for about 47th overall, if memory serves. I'm not even going to go out and double check it, because if it was 47th or 48th, does it matter? Of course it doesn't. I had fun. I only hurt myself in a good way and it'll make me stronger in a couple of weeks. All good things.

I was riding my beautiful green '07 Salsa El Mariachi singlespeed because I'm just getting started building my new Salsa Vaya up. If it had been a little cleaner of a day, I would have rolled on the Chili Con Crosso, sans fenders. It would definitely have been faster, but I would have gotten much dirtier. When I get the Vaya built, that'll be the cool thing, I'll be able to easily run fenders and be fast. Cool... Anyway, thank you very much to the folks at Salsa Cycles for their support this season.

Also, thanks to Cycle Works in Lincoln, NE. I'm in the process of building up several new Salsas and the parts and technical support I get at the shop level from Butch, Tony, Damon, Kris and everyone at Cycle Works is top-notch. Whether you go into the original CYcle Works at 27th and Vine or the new store at 70th and Pioneers, you'll get solid advice and awesome service.

Finally, I want to give a special thanks to my friend Rob at Oakley. Their eyewear is the best. If you tuned into the Olympics, that should have been abundantly clear. Their eyewear was on the faces of seemingly every athlete at the Games. There's a reason. They're the best. Check out the Jawbone for cycling this season. You won't be sorry.

Guitar Ted... Not a One-Trick Pony... But a Darn Good Guy.

2010-02-19T11:11:00.005-06:00

MG finishing TransIowa v.5, by Guitar Ted. Photo: MG

So this past Tuesday I was home sick with the nasty cold that everybody's been coming down with lately. So when I finally got out of bed at almost 2pm and wandered out to see what the mailman had delivered, it was with great surprise that I found this gem packaged delicately inside a large manila envelope with an Iowa return address.

It seems Guitar Ted, my big wheeled Brother to the east, has some skills he's been holding back! This is his interpretation of my TransIowa v.5 finish last year, and I have to say, it's a good one... I feel very, very fortunate to have been given this very generous gift.

This means so much to me because it immortalizes what was one of the most impactful single rides of my entire life. And it's something I know was not insignificant for Guitar Ted to do and complete, and for someone as busy as him, that's a really special thing too.

Thank you Guitar Ted. I can honestly say that my friendship with you has made me a better person, and that's a testament to you, my Brother.

Hope you're having a great time up with Jason, Kid and the crew up at Frostbike. I wish I was up there with you guys...

Great News...

2010-02-15T08:58:00.003-06:00

The headline from the Salsa Cycles Amigos Blog today reads:

"Introducing Matt Gersib: Salsa Sponsored Rider for 2010"
Not much to say right now other than thanks guys!! It's gonna' be a great season.

Cheers,
MG

Are You Ready For The Vaya?

2010-01-25T14:38:00.003-06:00

The new Vaya is ready for adventure. Where the adventure takes you is your business... Photo: Salsa Cycles.

One of the most impactful new models Salsa Cycles introduced last year was the Fargo. It was an off-road adventure touring bicycle like no other that had come before it. Well, now meet the Fargo's road-going sibling - the Vaya. Combining the Fargo's proven format, layout and bottle/rack mounts (read: carry anything) with a lighter tubeset and steeper, more road-worthy geometry is a winning ticket in my book.

It's the first "road bike" that's been compelling enough for me to actually want one since my Bontrager RoadLite of 1997... Now that's impressive!

What makes this all desirable for me is the fact that this isn't just a pavement pounder... and it doesn't use rim brakes. Those two things are the silver bullets that sold me. Anyone that knows me knows that I love discs, and I also don't love being confined to blacktop. In fact, it could almost be said that I prefer gravel. That's why this bike is right up my alley. It can hang on any road I choose to ride with a simple tire swap. Sweet...

Frameset or complete bike. As is the case with all Salsa Cycles, you've got a choice. Photo: Salsa Cycles

Speaking of sweet, did you catch an eye full of that color? Anyone that's a fan of dirt and wild blue sky is gonna' dig the combination Salsa chose for the Vaya. To say I'm a fan would be an understatement.

The best part is that the Vaya is already on its way to Salsa, so dealers will have them in-stock in limited numbers starting in late-February. If you're looking to add a little adventure to your life, get on down to your local Salsa Cycles dealer. They'll show you the way.

Gravel Grindin's Gettin' Better Than Ever...

2010-01-12T08:50:00.007-06:00

2010 is going to be a banner year for cyclists looking to do a little gravel grindin' with their buddies. For riders in the Midwest, these events represent one of the best ways to truly get "out there" and experience a true adventure, as dirt roads reach some of the most remote, beautiful places in states like Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota and Missouri. Heck, even in mountainous states like Colorado and Wyoming, it'd be easy to put together awesome gravel grinders of 200+ miles, but I digress.

Long-time staple events like TransIowa and the Dirty Kanza 200 have already filled their 2010 fields. The DK200 field recently filled its expanded 160 rider field limit in just 12-hours! Amazing!!

Two events coming up, and that haven't filled their fields (that I know of), are the CIRREM 100k in Des Moines on February 27, and the first-ever Gravel World Championships, AKA, the Good Life Gravel Adventure, which starts in Lincoln, Nebraska Saturday, August 21 at 6am.

The Pirate Cycling League (PCL) is also going to be hosting two more low-key gravel grinders in March and April, both of which will take off from Lincoln. Details will be up soon on the PCL Website for the PCL "Lincoln-?-Lincoln", and the PCL "Tour of Dirt Roads III". Keep an eye on the Website for more.

MG's Best of 2009, Part 1 - The Best Ride...

2009-12-27T19:47:00.009-06:00

The TI v.5 finish -- Success feels good...

As I sit here at the end of probably the strangest Christmas weekend ever, at least being snowed in has given me plenty of time to reflect on 2009. It was a darn good year...

I've participated in a lot of rides, races and other events over the course of the year, but one event stood head and shoulders above the rest in terms of the sense of accomplishment it gave me in my completion of it. That event was TransIowa v.5, the 300+ mile, 25+ hour gravel grinder. To finish something like TransIowa is at once an empowering and a humbling experience.

TransIowa Checkpoint #1 -- Matt Gersib, Ben Shockey, Matt Wills and Jeff Bonsall

You're empowered by the fact that this ride is absolutely achievable, but also humbled by the fact that it takes the right mixture of nature, preparation, luck and skill to successfully achieve the finish. If any one of those factors fails you, your TransIowa experience will be cut short, often relatively quickly. In 2008, the weather transpired to take almost the entire field out. In 2009, even in idyllic conditions, only 16 or so of the 65-plus starters finished the race. That's called attrition... When you have that kind of attrition even in ideal weather, you know you've got a tough event on your hands.

I'm going to be on the line at TransIowa v.6 in late-April, 2010. I don't know what Mother Nature has in store for us this year, but I'll do my best to be ready for whatever comes my way. What's cool is now that I've finished one, it seems imminently more achievable than it did last year at this time. So I'm looking forward to TI v.6 with optimistic confidence, but whatever happens, I know that it'll be an awesome adventure, and that regardless of the outcome, I'll have given it my best shot. Even if I never finish another one, at least I can say I've got one under my belt.

The Man, the Myth, the Legend... Guitar Ted! Photo: Guitar Ted Productions

Thanks to Guitar Ted, David Pals and all the other volunteers who make the TransIowa experience a special, memorable one for all of us. It was definitely my #1 event of 2009... and considering the events I've participated in this year, that's saying a lot!

Here it Is Again... One of Those "Never Say Never" Moments...

2009-12-17T21:12:00.007-06:00

I always do this... Whenever I say I'm "never" going to do something, I always end up eating my words. I'm not even going to run thorough my long history of "nevers," because for anyone that knows me, they'll know this one is a wing dinger...

I'm selling my Bontrager Ti Lite.

It's definitely something I said I'd never do, and until Salsa decided to develop the El Mariachi in titanium, I wasn't even considering it. But the tipping point has arrived... I have to face the reality that I am a 29-inch wheel rider now and focus my resources there. To have such an incredible bicycle as this Ti Lite sitting pristine and unused borders on a crime. It's potential has never been fully realized. It's been sitting unridden for almost three full years now, since I built my green El Mariachi in March of 2007.

This bike is the definition of great handling in a 26-inch hardtail.

Details: It was built in 1996. It's a 19-inch, size large. The frame was built by Sandvik/TST. The bike includes a very special fork. The crown is a special Bontrager reduced-offset crown that RockShox made for Keith Bontrager during the 95-96 Judy era. The fork itself is a Y2k RockShox Sid SL (which use the same diameter/spacing as the Judy did, so the Sid stanctions went right into the Bontrager crown... An excellent way to get a fresh fork while preserving Bontrager's intended handling.

The bike's drivetrain is set up 1x8, with a SRAM Rocket shifter (trigger-style) shifting a Shimano Ultegra rear derailleur across a 12x32 XTR cassette. The wheelset uses Shimano Deore XT hubs laced to a Mavic 221 rim in the rear and a Bontrager Red Label rim in the front (the stock front wheel). I built the rear wheel and it has at most five rides on it. Both wheels are true, round and evenly tensioned. Tires are Intense -- a Cross Country 2.25 in the front and a System 2 2.0 in the rear. The crankset is a RaceFace Evolve DH with a single 36t Salsa chainring and a sweet stainless steel TMCO/Monkey Wrench Cycles chainguard. Thomson 27.0mm seatpost w/WTB SST saddle. Salsa stem w/Answer ProTaper 2-inch rise bar. Deore XT V-brakes w/KoolStop pads and Avid Speed Dial 2.0 levers. Ergon E1 grips.

Interested in getting yourself a great new titanium hardtail? One that's at once a piece of history, yet is as relevant and great handling today as it was the day it was built. Well then, get a hold of me. This Bontrager Ti Lite just might be what you're looking for. I still can't believe I'm selling it...

Quick edit: I'm also willing to part with just the frame/fork/headset/seatpost and stem. Since it's a 1-inch steerer, doing the frame and fork thing at least is the best way to go, and the 27.0 seatpost is a somewhat non-standard size, so I'll include that with the frameset as well.

Please contact me at dirtstories at gmail.com if you're interested in learning more.

Thank you!

Going Big... Salsa Serves Up the El Mariachi in Ti.

2009-12-11T09:02:00.007-06:00

My favorite hardtail - the Salsa El Mariachi - will be available soon in the magic metal, titanium. Count me in! Photo: Salsa Cycles.

Salsa's been pretty cagey in what it's had up its sleeve for next season, but the lid got blown off the candy jar a couple of days ago by a post on MTBR.com and subsequent revelations on the Salsa Amigos blog. Long-story-short, the big news (for today) is a titanium, geared-specific version of the awesome El Mariachi 29-inch off-road frame.

Isn't she lovely... Photo: Salsa Cycles.

There aren't many details at this point, but you can see from the photos that the tubeset is nicely manipulated, graphics are classic and subtle and as you'd expect, the details (such as downtube/suspension fork clearance) appear to be well-sorted. And in conversations with Salsa's folks during the bike's development, it's clear they were taking their time, sweating the details. They didn't rush this beauty to market... That much will be clear, I think, when we see the finished product.

So until more details are released (which reportedly will be soon), let's just enjoy the photos and revel in the fact that there's now a sweet new option for big wheel riders with a gold metal addiction!

I know it's the bike I'll be astride for a lot of races in 2010... What? You didn't think I'd be able to resist putting one of these into my quiver, did you? Heh heh heh... My order's already in.

Have a great weekend,
MG

Fresh Tracks in Snowy Wilderness Park...

2009-12-07T09:05:00.009-06:00

Fresh snow = good riding. Photos: CVO

A lazy, late-sleeping morning and an overflowing honey-do list meant yesterday's ride didn't start until there was at least a couple inches of snow on the ground. Was I bummed? Heck no! It just meant CVO and I got to rip fresh tracks through Wilderness... And it was good. CVO even brought his camera to prove that it actually happened.

We happened upon good buddies Butch and MW out around the mid-point of the park too... They were enjoying the park just like we were. We rode with them the rest of the way through. Believe it or not, Butch was riding Schwalbe slick tires, and was making it look surprisingly easy!

Safe!

Thanks for the images, and for the good time in the park, CVO. I hope we can get out there again tonight...

Cheers,
MG

MG Rippin' Down Mt. Krumpet on the Fargo...

2009-12-01T09:16:00.001-06:00

IMG_6236, originally uploaded by Mauro Heck.

There weren't many folks left late Saturday afternoon on Mt. Krumpet after the pro men finished at Jingle Cross. Most of the fans had already made their escape for the awards ceremony, or their cars and a hasty exit. But as I dropped in at the top of the muddy descent, I spied photographer Mauro Heck perched just to the left of the trail, waiting patiently for me, as if he'd gotten word that I was on my way down. It had been discussed among a few of us that I was going see how the nasty portage we'd all been slogging up all day fared as a descent. Apparently Mauro caught wind of my plans...

Thanks for sticking around to snap a shot. I was stoked to see it online.

Cheers,
MG

One Good Shot...

2009-11-25T08:50:00.003-06:00

Thanks to the Paxton Coyote for this shot from Sunday's Lincoln Cyclocross race...

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Lincoln CX -- Riding around anonymously in the pack...

2009-11-24T17:27:00.009-06:00

MG preparing to descend Hooligan Hill on Sunday. Photo: Cornbread

With the conclusion of the Lincoln Cyclocross weekend this past weekend, my racing season in Nebraska is finished for 2009... It went out with more of a pffffft than a Bang!, but I guess that is what it is... It's over nonetheless. Now I've just got Jingle Cross over in Iowa City this weekend, and then I'll be done.

Cat 3 State Champion, Jesse Petersen (Monkey Wrench). Photo: Michael Dixon

I have to say that I'm a bit surprised at how I feel about things right now too... For as much as I wanted to race before the weekend last weekend, I didn't find myself all that inspired once we got down to the racing itself. Saturday was OK... I ended up finishing 10th without feeling like I over-extended myself at any point in the race, so I was feeling like I'd set myself up well for a strong race Sunday. Unfortunately, a crash trying to pass James Blake on the first lap Sunday twisted up my bars and sent me back to my car to fix them, putting me in last place, 3/4-lap down by the time I pulled back onto the course, just one lap into the race. I spent the rest of the race as a lapper, simply racing to not get lapped by the entire field. It was depressing and embarrassing, but I figured it'd be more embarrassing for me to drop out unceremoniously, so I stuck in it and rode slow, painful laps around the course.

My sincere thanks goes out to everyone who cheered for me around the course, despite the fact that I was clearly off the pace Sunday. I'm sorry I wasn't able to race better for everybody who came out, especially my beautiful wife Laura.

MG racing on Sunday. Photo: Michael Dixon

I'd also like to thank the companies who have supported me so well during the 2009 season, including Salsa Cycles, Oakley and Monkey Wrench Cycles of Lincoln. I feel extremely fortunate to ride exactly the bicycles I want to ride, and be able to wear the absolute best eyewear and apparel available anywhere from Oakley's amazing line, and the service I get from the guys down at Monkey Wrench Cycles ties it all together. It's an awesome setup and there are a few folks that deserve special thanks: Jason Boucher at Salsa, Rob Versteegth at Oakley, and Nate Woodman, Eric Peterson and Mark Janike at Monkey Wrench Cycles. Thank you all for your support, and for allowing me to promote your business through my riding and racing! I look forward to an even bigger and better 2010 season!

Thanks again,
MG

Skyview CX -- Got the first one out of the way...

2009-10-26T11:55:00.007-05:00

Nate Woodman (Monkey Wrench Cycles/Ibis) takes the high road over the barriers. He was the only one taking this road. His effort earned him third place in the Cat 1/2/3 race Saturday. Nice race Nate!

It was a surprisingly un-messy weekend up in Norfolk at the Skyview Cyclocross Classic this past Saturday. After a couple inches of snow had fallen Thursday night, all expectations were that the course was going to be a sloppy mess, but that didn't turn out to be the case Saturday and it turned out to simply be soft and energy sucking. I made an interesting decision to race the 40 minute Cat 3/4 race at noon, then try to follow that up with the hour-long Cat 1/2/3 race at 3pm, after a 2+ hour break.

The Cat 3/4 podium -- My next race wouldn't end up so triumphantly... Photo: Elkhorn Valley Cycling Club

Let's just say I won't be trying that experiment again anytime soon. While the Cat 3 race went well (I took the win), I was totally unable to rally my legs again for the 1/2/3 race. It was immediately apparent that I didn't have anywhere near the leg power of the top five guys in the race, and it was almost an act of divine grace when my tubeless rear tire blew off the rim at the end of the first lap, as I got a little too aggressive on an off-camber left hand corner trying to make up time on one of the few sections of course I could actually ride well with weak legs.

One shot of me in the Cat 1/2/3 race. Photo www.LucasMarshall.com

I could have walked around to the pit, grabbed my Fargo and continued on, but it would have just been adding insult to injury at that point. The highlight of my day had already passed... It was at the end of the Cat 3 race. I needed to just be happy with how I rode in that race and learn the lesson it taught me -- don't do two races in a day when I'm signed up for the A (1/2/3) race. It doesn't work...

But one thing that did work Saturday was my Salsa Chili Con Crosso. It was AWESOME! Man, I couldn't have asked for a better performing bike on the course Saturday. While some folks have made the jump to carbon on their 'cross machines, I'll let 'em have it. I'm stickin' with my Scandium race machine... It's light, efficient, handles great and rides exactly the way I want it to. To say that I'm happy with my new Chili is an understatement.

On the way to getting the victory in the Cat 3/4 race Saturday. Photo: Elkhorn Valley Cycling Club

The Chili has always been one of the best, most completely balanced frames in the Salsa line, and this year's frameset is no different... I've been fortunate enough to race some of the most reputable 'cross bikes in the world and this is hands down the best 'cross racing bike I've ever owned. Thank you to Jason Boucher, Salsa Cycles and the folks at Monkey Wrench Cycles for giving me the opportunity to race it this season.

Thanks also to the folks at the Elkhorn Valley Cycling Club for hosting us at Skyview Park and for putting on the race. It was well-run and a great race. Race director, John Downey did a great job and I really appreciate the effort everybody up there went to in order to put the event on and set up a good course for us to race on. Thank you very much!!

See the Elkhorn Valley photos here.

See Lucas Marshall's photos on Facebook (must be a friend of Lucas to view).

The 2009 Big Wheeled Ballyhoo... It Was Fun While It Lasted.

2009-10-12T20:35:00.021-05:00

The Cycle Works/Giant demo, ready to go Friday afternoon. Photo: CQ

After more than six months of planning, the 2009 Big Wheeled Ballyhoo went off this past weekend at Potter's Pasture near Brady, Nebraska. And well, it was going to be an awesome event... It started out really good. Friday was killer... I wish I'd have been able to get there earlier than I did, which was at about 4:30pm, but the realities of securing the raffle items, packing everything in Laura's Subaru (which used to seem much roomier) and getting out to Brady, which with multiple construction zones, was more than 3 hours away, it got late quick.

Getting the check-in started Friday afternoon. It was still about 50 degrees at this point... Photo: DJ, The Biking Fools

When I got out there, things were already hummin'... Folks were arriving and already hitting the trails. Sweet! We got the registration set up and started checking riders in, and then I went to set my tent up. At this point, the night ride was about to get started, so I figured, "what the hay, I'll go ahead and hit it."

The ride before the night ride I went on. Photo: DJ, The Biking Fools

Kyle and I took off at dusk with about a group of a dozen folks that came in from all over the country... It was super cool. It still blows my mind to think that in the group we had riders from Oregon, Colorado, Minnesota, Iowa and Nebraska representing. It wasn't just a bunch of locals... Despite the threatening weather, riders traveled in from all over to participate in the Ballyhoo! I feel a huge debt of gratitude to guys like Cory Heintz, who rode for almost three weeks to Colorado, then drove the rest of the way with friends to participate in the Ballyhoo. That's cool.

The lineup of super sweet Giant XtC demo bikes waits for action Friday afternoon at the Cycle Works trailer. Photo: CQ

Butch Johnson from Cycle Works was there, leadin' the charge on one of the sweet new Giant XtC 29er demo bikes, along with the guys from Minnesota on their Trek 69er singlespeeds, running 32/17, if memory serves. Holy COW that's tall gearing, gentlemen! No wonder they were literally flying up the climbs. They left me in the dust on the first climbs, but as the pace moderated a bit, I was able to get back onto the bus.

But as we crested the first climb, we saw the first of what would end up being many snowflakes that weekend. It added a cool, surreal element to the ride that anyone whose been on a snowstorm night ride will immediately relate to. And as we met up with Chad Quigley, who'd had light issues earlier and had to link up with us, we started down Hornitos, one of Potter's Pasture's premier descents. It was rippin'... And little did I know, it'd be the best descent I'd get all weekend.

A few moments later we rolled into camp to the hoots and hollers of about 25-30 folks gathered around the bonfire listening to banjo music. That was a cool way to end the ride!

Our friend Steve Potter was there. He's the Man behind Potter's Pasture. And if you ask him about it, he'll humbly state that he's "merely the caretaker of the land for a while," but I think we're really fortunate to have somebody that's willing to share his amazing natural resource with us, simply for us to enjoy. We are the lucky ones and we all owe Steve Potter a huge THANK YOU, even though this year, despite our best laid plans, the best part of the Big Wheeled Ballyhoo went unrealized due to the 6-9 inches of snow that fell over the entire area.

The Man, Steve Potter, takes a few moments to chat up Matt Fuller and Wes Trout from Lincoln. Wes brought out his two wheel-drive Christini that he recently scored for a song off of eBay. Steve Potter took the bike and promptly rode to the top of the steepest climb in the Pasture, proving that is was possible to ride, just not exactly pleasurable or fast. Having both wheels driven was pretty sweet in the sketchy snow too... Talk about a specialist bike! Photo: CQ

Honestly, we were fortunate we weren't 20 miles west in North Platte. They got 17 inches of snow... So in retrospect, we should be thankful for what we didn't get! But that said, it's hard to feel lucky when six months of planning are largely nullified by an act of nature that is completely out of your control. That just sucked.

My camp, Saturday morning... apparently before I got up. Photo: CQ

On Saturday morning, I awoke in a pitch black tent, only to realize I was waking up more than an hour late (and a half hour into the start of the breakfast). The snow had piled so high on my tent that it blocked out all the light, and I was so bundled up in my sleeping bag, apparently I didn't hear my iPod that was set as my alarm clock. Whoops!!

Visions of breakfast. Todd and DJ -- The Biking Fools

So I quickly got dressed and got outside to find that our pancake guy wasn't going to show (even though his super pancake cooker was hooked up and ready to go), so we were left to cook pancakes in Paul Brasby's camper, two at a time. In fact, Paul was already hooked up and cookin'. What a stud. Since folks were getting up slowly, somehow the cooking pace worked out with a little patience on the participants' parts (which we were extremely grateful for -- thank you very much!).

Kris and Butch finish packing the Cycle Works trailer before hitting the snowy road Saturday morning. Photo: Llama

With everyone fed, Kris and Butch from Cycle Works decided to pull up the stakes and head for Lincoln. Since there weren't going to be any demo rides going out, there wasn't really any reason for them to stick around, so they took off. After a quick powwow with Chad, Kyle and Paul, we decided it'd be best to hold the raffle for the Sette Razzo 29 and Misfit Dissent framesets, Oakley Frogskins sunglasses, Red Bull DVDs and Dairy Queen gift certificates at noon Saturday instead of noon Sunday, so that folks could go ahead and hit the road themselves if they wanted. So we went ahead and did it...

The winners... Kelly Klein (left) is the winner of the Sette Razzo 29 frame, while Bob Wieck (right) is the winner of the Misfit Cycles Dissent frame. Photo: DJ, The Biking Fools

While most of the folks filtered out of the pasture progressively following the raffle drawing, a hardcore group of folks stayed around, which eventually dwindled down to about six overnight campers. Little did we know, all of us would be treated to an awesome campfire grill-cooked dinner by our good buddies, Wes Trout and Matt Fuller, including some of the best burgers I've had in an awfully long time. Thanks guys! That was exactly what the doctor ordered!

Sunday morning came, and with it the realization that we had to reconnect with the society we'd willingly unplugged from two days earlier. In many ways, we didn't mind that we hadn't ridden our bikes. It was still an incredible experience... To spend a weekend camping among the creatures in the woods is an amazing gift, and is something not enough people take the time to do in today's plugged-in, Internet-age society.

I appreciate the gift Steve Potter has given us in the ability to visit and enjoy his incredible Nebraska singetrack paradise, and I hope you too will someday find the peace and sheer joy that hides within that magnificent piece of land.

We were fortunate to have several great sponsors that stepped up in support of the 2009 Big Wheeled Ballyhoo, all of which remained steadfast in their support throughout the weather-related fiasco. These included Cycle Sport of North Platte, who sponsored the port-a-potties. That was clearly a major sponsorship, and Patty was a early and pivotal supporter of the Big Wheeled Ballyhoo. Thank you to Patty and Cycle Sport!

Brent "Butch" Johnson and Kris Sonderup of Cycle Works in Lincoln were on the scene at the Ballyhoo with a trailer full of Giant XtC 29er demo bikes for folks to try out. Cycle Works and Giant were also co-sponsors of the Saturday morning pancake breakfast, which didn't quite turn out as we'd planned. That said, the food pantry in North Platte received a donation of the supplies we didn't end up using, which will go to feed families in need, and that's a good thing. Thanks again to Butch, Kris, Cycle Works and Giant Bicycles for their support of the Big Wheeled Ballyhoo!

The elated winner of the Oakley 4-legged Frogskins. Photo: CQ

Rob Versteegth at Oakley has been providing me with support for the past couple of seasons and the limited-edition 4-Legged Oakley Frogskins we gave away were the direct result of my relationship with him. It's at moments like this, when I'm typing paragraphs like these last few, that I feel so fortunate... Because this is where I realize that I have a lot of really, really good friends. And Rob is one of them. Anyone who knows me well knows I am absolutely fastidious about my eyewear, and Oakley sunglasses are the eyewear I've chosen to wear, whether I'm paying for it or not, since 1989, no ifs, ands or buts. So to be able to give the gift of Oakley eyewear is something I was especially proud to be able to do at the Ballyhoo.

Kelly Klein, winner of the Sette Razzo 29 frame, courtesy of PricePoint. Photo: CQ

PricePoint stepped in and donated one of their incredible Sette Razzo 29er frames for the raffle, as well as tubes, patch kits and tire levers for the rides. It was a really cool thing to do and the frame was much nicer than I expected it to be -- I have to admit. We were all dumbfounded by the sweet welds, cool features and insanely low price. But ultimately, we just all wished we were the ones that won it... But that honor went to Kelly Klein. It'll be his first 29er... Perfect. Thanks again PricePoint!

Thanks to my good friend Jason Boucher at Salsa Cycles for providing one of their incredible Fargo framesets for planned Fargo Ride leader and ultra-honch endurance racer, Corey Godfrey to ride. He never had the opportunity to use the bike for its intended purpose, so we're going to look for a future opportunity to hook up with the folks from Salsa and do a Fargo ride that'll show off both the Fargo's and Cornbread's formidable and diverse talents. He's already writing about racing 'cross on the Fargo, which if I recall, isn't exactly what it's designed for... But that said, I bet he still makes it go really fast on a 'cross course! These two guys are two more of those friends, like Rob Versteegth, that I'm just so fortunate to be able to call friends. Thanks to both Jason and Cornbread, and to Salsa Cycles for their friendship and support of the 2009 Big Wheeled Ballyhoo! You guys really are the best.

Taylor "Surly" Weichman, who works at Red Bull's NE ad agency, hooked us up with several cases of Red Bull's new Cola, as well as a bunch of Red Bull Rampage DVDs that we gave away during the raffle. That Red Bull Cola is AMAZING! If you're a cola fan and you haven't tried it yet, you owe it to yourself to pick one up. In fact, the most impressive thing you can do is to take a look at the ingredient list and notice how real the ingredients are... Strong and natural, just like they say it is... Thank you Taylor!

Thank you also to the folks at the Dairy Queen in Brady. They donated several gift certificates for Ballyhoo participants to win in the raffle.

Finally, thank you to everyone involved in the planning and execution of the 2009 Big Wheeled Ballyhoo, including Matt Bergen, Paul Brasby, Matt Gersib, Guitar Ted, Chad Quigley and Kyle Vincent. Regardless of the hand Mother Nature dealt us, we made the best we could of the situation and those in attendance appreciated the effort. It was a worthy undertaking and I'm proud to have been a part of it. Thanks again.

Kansas City Cup... A Pretty Good Trip.

2009-09-20T23:20:00.006-05:00

I went down to Kansas City for the inaugural race at the Swope Park trails and man, was I glad I did. That's some extra sweet stuff they've got going on down there. Man, you want technical, rough, twisty and oh, did I mention rocks? Yeah, they got 'em. Lots of 'em. If you've ever been to Perry Lake, or Clinton Lake... It's that type of place. Landahl Park doesn't have anything on Swope... It's sweet.

And I was surprised to find that I can actually still race xc! Whaddya know?!! In a race that was fast enough that super honch Cameron Chambers finished second, I was actually able to pull off a fifth place finish overall, and third in the 30-39 experts. But let me tell you, I need to do at least three xc races each season to remind myself that the hardest endurance race start is like a walk in the park compared to a pro/expert xc start. Holy shit. Ironically, I actually rode the second lap faster than the first, because I didn't have traffic blocking my deal and was able to let my Big Mama do her thing (which she did very well, thank you very much, Salsa Cycles!! My bike was a HUGE part of my success today).

Thanks also to Craig, Scott, Jim and all of the folks at Heartland Racing Productions. They put on some of the finest produced events in the Midwest, hands-down. I've said it before and I'll say it again, promoters from anywhere could learn a thing or ten by coming down and taking a look at how these guys put their races on... how they do their raffles, how they set their podiums up, how they take care of their participants. It's really good. You feel how much they care about you. And that's what, ultimately, makes people want to come back, and tell their friends about it... Plus, they raised more than $1,000 for the Swope trails, and that's really cool.

I wanted to give one final shout out and thanks to my bro Rob at Oakley. The Jawbone Transitions SOLFX sunglasses I've been racing with this past month have been absolutely the finest eyewear I've used and today's conditons, where we were going in-and-out of the trees a lot, made the most of the Transitions lenses. It was humid in the trees too, and the vented lenses made a big difference in their ability to keep fogging at bay. I was stoked. Thanks again for the opportunity to race with them. I feel very fortunate.

Where Have I Been? Working, Riding... Living.

2009-09-08T08:51:00.004-05:00

The day after my Maskenthine win. Ripping it up at Potter's Pasture during a "planning meeting" with Guitar Ted, Chad Quigley, Kyle Vincent and the rest of the crew we'll be working with to bring you the 2009 Big Wheeled Ballyhoo. This is the "Sweetness" climb. Photo: Llama

Yeah, yeah... I know. The content on the 'ol Dirtblog has gotten a little stale lately. It's funny, because it's not for lack of potential content that I haven't been posting... It's simply for lack of time to write posts. This past weekend was pretty low-key, but I just kept the 'ol computer turned off the entire time. It was a holiday and I made the most of it.

Last weekend I was able to pull off my first victory of the season on the mountain bike in the Marathon (3-hour) class at the Maskenthine round of the Psycowpath series, which was near Stanton, NE. I finished approximately six and a half minutes up on Ryan Feagan of the BikeMasters team. Midwest Cycling's Larry Kitner was third, about 12 minutes back. I rode my Salsa Big Mama at Maskenthine, and the choice of big wheels and full suspension was absolutely the right call on the bumpy, fast and rolling lake-side course. I was able to complete eight circuits of the five-plus mile course in just over three hours of racing.

Lap 1 of the Maskenthine Marathon -- Ryan Feagan (BikeMasters) leads, while I'm sittin' in second on my Salsa Big Mama. We'd switch positions for the finish, but otherwise, it was a pretty uneventful race. An uneventful win is still a good win, though... I'll take it!!

It was my first ride with my new Oakley Jawbone Transitions SOLFX eyewear, and let me tell you, once you ride a mountain bike with Transitions lenses, you'll be spoiled for anything else. These things are AMAZING! The light level your eyes see is practically constant and always optimal, regardless of whether you're in a canopy of trees, or out in the open, in bright sunshine. No longer do you need to search for a "happy medium" lens that'll work OK for both scenarios.

Photo courtesy of Oakley

Now you can have the best lens for both situations... and everything in-between. Oakley's VR50 lens was already my favorite "in the canopy of trees" lens gradient, so it's the perfect base point to start from. And that's where my lenses on my Jawbones start from -- the VR50 gradient, and they get darker from there, depending on the light level. As it gets brighter, they get darker -- automatically. Man, it's sweet.

Oakley's signature technologies are also present. Jawbones feature High Definition Optics (HDO), which use Oakley's patented XYZ Optics to extend lens clarity without distortion all the way to the edges of the lenses. Jawbones also feature Oakley's Hydrophobic technology, a permanent coating that sheds water, sweat, dust and smudges, making lenses stay clean longer as well as easier to clean when needed. This is HUGE when you're on the bike, especially riding off-road in the dirt and dust over the course of a long ride or race.

Oakley's three-point fit is also present in the Jawbone, and the model features the company's exclusive Unobtanium earsocks and nosepiece, which increase comfort and actually become stickier as perspiration and activity increase. The fit of the Jawbone is one thing I particularly appreciate, as I'm often wearing these glasses for up to 12 hours at a time. Less comfortable eyewear would leave pressure points that would give me headaches. How do I know this? I've had it happen... and happen often with other brands' models. That's why I went back to wearing Oakley eyewear exclusively. It fits better, especially when you've got a helmet on.

The Switchlock technology of the Jawbone is what sets the new model apart from all models that came before it. Consisting of a lock that resides under a hinged nosepiece and a hinged arm that encapsulates the lower portion of each lens, the Switchlock simplifies the lens changing procedure to allow the easy selection of the optimal lens gradient for any light condition. Each pair of Jawbones comes with two sets of lenses standard, in contrasting colors, so my Transitions lenses came with an alternate set of lenses in Fire Iridium, which are ideal for very bright light conditions -- the one type of conditions the Transitions lenses aren't ideal in. So unless it's totally dark out, I'm pretty much covered. And yes, Oakley makes clear lenses for the Jawbone, so eventually, I'll have a pair of those too. For now, I just use my clear Flak Jackets. It's not like those aren't good enough!

The HD Polarized Jawbone -- This is the one Guitar Ted is wearing now. Photo: Oakley

In addition to the Transitions SOLFX model I have, the Jawbone is also available in a variety of frame and lens tint options, including Oakley's highly regarded HD Polarized option, which is what Guitar Ted went with. The company also offers the Jawbone through their Oakley Custom program, which lets you choose all the options, for your own, 100-percent unique pair of shades. Very cool...

Being used to the Flak Jacket, which doesn't have a full frame around the lenses, I wondered how I'd like having a full-frame sports sunglass again, but in all honesty, after my initial "hey, I can kind of see the frame down there" impression when I first put them on, I never again noticed the frame. It was simply not an issue. What I did notice however, was the absolute amazing performance on the bike these sunglasses provided. Whether it's picking my way through rocks at 5mph, or blasting down the road at 25mph, the Jawbone provides solid protection and doesn't fog, shift or do anything weird. Optics are second to none, as is typical with Oakley eyewear, and the Jawbones have a very high quality feel to them. They are expensive, to be sure, but experience tells me they are worth every penny. Visit Oakley.com/jawbone to learn more about the Jawbone for yourself, then get into your local Oakley dealer and try a pair on. See for yourself... I guarantee you'll immediately understand what I'm talking about.

Join us at the 2009 Big Wheeled Ballyhoo

2009-08-19T09:52:00.006-05:00

October 10-11, 2009 -- Potter's Pasture near Brady, Nebraska

Map it on Google Maps

www.BigWheeledBallyhoo.com

RSVP and qualify to win a pair of limited-edition retro Oakley Frogskins
(must be present at the Ballyhoo to win - see Website for details)

Don't miss it!!!

Contemplation...

2009-08-11T14:07:00.021-05:00

Gnat sent along this great shot of some high-quality mid-ride contemplation by a bunch of good buddies during the recent Minneapolis Fargo ride. This is me in my element... Why do I have an office job again? See more great shots at www.gnatlikes.com.

MW and I worked out on the bike side at Wilderness Park last night and thanks to a large collaborative effort, the park is pretty much dialed at this point from a "no trees down" standpoint. We've gotten most of the trees that were blown down in the storm last Tuesday morning out of the trail and it's all rideable.

That said, the trail is wet south of the creek crossing on the bike side. After the sun and warmth Tuesday, it's probably a little better, but don't expect miracles. It had standing water Monday night. We were riding through the grass the entire time. Please don't put a rut down the middle of the trail.

So thanks for enjoying the park responsibly...

Now for a recap from Saturday's Tranquility Tire Tantrum (TTT)...

The start of the Tranquility enduro. That's Cornbread leading it up with myself and Jeff Johnston in tow. I believe this is the start of the second lap. Photo: Jer Cook.

Thanks to the promoters of the Tranquility Tire Tantrum. I ended up finishing second to Cornbread in a long, hot race. The course at Tranquility Park was in primo shape, but the 105 degree temperatures made enjoying it a challenge. Fortunately there was a stiff wind to keep us a little cooled down, but there's only so much wind can do when it's a hundred and five degrees outside and the sun is beatin' down on your back. My upper arms, white from wearing short-sleeve jerseys, got super sunburnt wearing a sleeveless jersey for the first time in several months.

Cornbread and I traded the lead a couple of times in the first lap before he took the lead for good at the end of the lap. He was just too strong and I simply settled into a comfortable pace in second place and rode alone for most of the rest of the race. My only real challenge came in the form of the heat and simply maintaining my hydration. Otherwise, it was all good. I was just one step from the top of the podium... but there was nothing I could do about a clearly stronger rider. One thing I know as fact after 20 years of racing. You can beat someone a lot of different ways, but a clearly stronger rider that isn't dumb will beat you nine times out of ten. That tenth time is the time his bike broke... Cornbread's bike didn't break Saturday. He was dialed-up tight and rigged for racin'. If you're reading this, nice work Corey...

The difference: Cornbread (top) and I (bottom). The look on the face tells the tale of the race... I think these images were taken on the fourth or fifth lap. Photo: Jer Cook

After five laps (of six), I stopped and drank two complete bottles of water. I hadn't been drinking enough... No wonder I was seeing stars!!! All of the sudden, I was able to ride fast again, so the sixth lap was actually one of the best of the race. Oh well, that's OK. If I had to do it, at least it was fun.

Floatin' the wide-open Tranquility downhill. Photo: Michael

The hydrophobic coating on the lenses of my Oakley Flak Jacket eyewear worked incredibly well to keep sweat spray that was coming off my body from compromising my vision. I couldn't even tell it was hitting the lenses, even though I had a full-body coating of salt after the race. The hydrophobic lens coating is another way Oakley's eyewear is superior to everything else out there. Check it out -- once you see it in action, you'll agree it's true.

My El Mariachi was perfect for the twisty, flowy Tranquility course. Photo: Michael.

I raced my red Salsa El Mariachi hardtail at Tranquility and wasn't sorry one bit. It was great to race that incredible bicycle again. Totally familiar and comfortable at full-speed... In fact, it gets better the harder you push it. The one challenge I had was shoehorning that massive 27 inch Salsa Pro Moto handlebar I have on there through the narrow tree cuts they have up there at Tranquility in a couple of spots. That is a conscious choice on my part though, so you pay to play, I guess. I like wide bars and I can not lie. You other brothas can't deny...

With that, I'm outta' here. Gonna' go for a walk with Laura. No ridin' for me tonight.

Memories From My Trip Up North...

2009-07-30T20:52:00.020-05:00

I traveled north to Minneapolis for a long weekend this past week to spend some time with my good buddy Gnat and big time big wheel blogger, Guitar Ted and an otherwise rotating cast of characters. Over the course of four days, we hit some incredible trails in Minnesota and Wisconsin, many of which I'd never ridden before, and I met a bunch of super talented riders that I'm now fortunate to be able to call friends.

For your entertainment, here are a few selected images to tell the tale of the journey:

Captain Bob shows off his massive cheese and sausage biscuit, procured from the local Speedee Mart during Friday's Fargo adventure. Power food to the max! And healthy too...

The tree frogs came out to hang with us in-camp at Lebanon Hills. This little guy actually lived in the piping of the picnic table.

TransIowa v.5 champ, recent Tour Divide finisher and Salsa Cycles engineer, Joe Meiser came out to ride with us. I got a fast lap of the Lebanon Hills singletrack in with him on my Big Mama on Thursday night, then got about half of Friday's ride in with him before he broke off to head into work. What a stud...

Big group rollin'... Friday's ride was a big Fargonaut loop around Minneapolis. We got almost 60 miles of combined pavement and dirt in, all told, linking all of the city's singletrack via urban bike paths. Long story short, it was AWESOME! We had a killer ride, but we didn't kill anyone. Perfect...

Mudlegs... The Minneapolis river bottom trails not only left a gritty, sandy coating on my legs, it wasted the Avid disc brake pads on my Fargo. Time for new pads!!

Three Amigos... Gnat, Guitar Ted, Captain Bob. Thanks for the great memories.

Here's Murphy-Hanrehan Park Reserve, a one-way singletrack multi-user trail in the Minneapolis metro area. It's an example of what Lincoln's Wilderness Park could be some day... Some day in the future.

See Lincoln Parks and Rec -- One-way, directional trails can work... and work well! Here's proof.

It's Log. It's Log. It's big, it's heavy, it's wood. It's Log. It's Log. It's better than bad, it's GOOD!
Photo: www.GnatLikes.com

One of the superbly-built stunts in Murphy. The teeter is about to totter....
Photo: www.GnatLikes.com

It's just another Fargo Friday...
Photo: www.GnatLikes.com

Ripping the CAMBA Trails, from Gnat's perspective. I'm the third rider from the front. It was an incredible day, as you can clearly see from this photo... the best day of riding yet this year.
Photo: www.GnatLikes.com

After Gnat led us into the Namekagon Town Hall at blazing speed. He was absolutely flying!!!
Photo: www.GnatLikes.com

This is good livin'... It was my first time to the Chequamegon Forest, but I'm pretty sure it won't be my last.

Thanks to all of my hosts over the weekend for the hospitality and awesome time. I look forward to the next time -- when we can actually have Kevin riding with us!!

XXC Issue #3 is Available... Check it Out...

2009-07-28T10:32:00.005-05:00

The third issue of e-magazine XXC, The Adventure Solo magazine has just been released. Editor Jason Mahokey has included stories in this issue from Lincoln homeboy Corey "Cornbread" Godfrey on the 2009 Dirty Kanza 200 gravel grinder, and Salsa Cycles' head honcho, Gnat, on his adventures on the Maah Dah Hey trail in North Dakota. Pretty cool.

Download the entire Issue #3 of XXC at http://xxcmag.com/XXCThree.pdf.

Enjoy!

A Fun Weekend...

2009-07-21T00:16:00.012-05:00

Almost getting crop dusted at the Farmhose Classic, near Lathrop, MO. Photo thanks to the DirtBum.

This past weekend was my first double race weekend in quite a while. Both races ended up pretty good too. Saturday was a nice, gravel affair in north central Missouri, the Farmhouse Classic, hosted by birthday boy and all around strong man, Joe Fox. Not only did we enjoy some ultra-fine gravel, we also were treated to some of the best pulled pork barbecue any of us had ever eaten... It was really incredible. Thank you doesn't seem like nearly enough, but I think from the smile on Joe's face, just being around his family and friends with a bunch of bikes was exactly how he wanted to spend his 26th birthday. Happy birthday, Joe! I'm honored to have been able to spend it celebrating with you!

I was on my Salsa Chili Con Crosso for the Farmhouse Classic. I actually had my Fargo with me as well, but ended up pulling the CCC off the rack. I wasn't sorry either. It was the right choice. It's hard to go wrong on a strictly gravel ride with the Chili Con Crosso. It's as good as it gets and Saturday just provided further proof as to why.

Sunday was the 25th annual Cornhusker State Games. I was entered in the mountain bike race and though the classes were pretty small, the quality of the riders was very high. I'd be racing against the likes of guys like Darin Schlake and Nate Woodman, so there were some fast guys there. That said, it was a super fun day to race bikes, and aside from Darin and Nate, I was able to hold my own against the assembled competition.

I rode my Salsa Big Mama on Sunday and it was perfect for the bumpy Branched Oak area one course. Horses have frequented area one over the past year, making the trails really pock marked, yet it's still a fun place to ride as long as you're equipped with a bike like the Big Mama that can deal with the choppy bumps. I do have to say however, the course was in much better shape than I thought it'd be... It's been much worse this year and the Cycle Works crew did an admirable job of whipping it into shape for the race. Thank you very much! Thanks also to the volunteer radio folks who came out in force to man the course.

Riding into the finish. That's Cycle Works team rider and Nebraska moutain bike icon, Paul Chapman, on my wheel. (All photos thanks to Nebraska Adventures.)

End of lap two, I'd just taken a hand-up from Laura, who you can see in this photo in the right background, about 100 yards back down the trail. Thanks for the hand-ups Laura!!

The roll-out... Monkey Wrench Cycles' lead strong man, Nate Woodman, led from the gun. Before the second lap was complete however, Darin Schlake had moved past and solidified a lead he'd never relinquish.

Lining up... That's eventual race winner, Darin Schlake on the far left. Runner-up, Nate Woodman is next to him. I'm the 'other' Monkey Wrench jersey on the front line.

Thanks to Nebraska Adventures for the Cornhusker State Games photos... See all of 'em on his Flickr site.

Oakley Square Whisker -- Big Style, Svelte Package...

2009-07-13T17:36:00.006-05:00

One of the defining components of summer is a great pair of sunglasses. That's why I'm so excited about the new sunglasses I've been kickin' around in the past couple of weeks -- Oakley's new Square Whisker. Thanks to Rob Versteegth at Oakley for giving me the opportunity to try them out.

They're part of Oakley's "Active" collection, which means that while they can be used for activities like running and cycling, they're not made exclusively for that stuff. They're more for active lifestyles, let's say... That said, I used them this weekend on the bike, and they worked really well. The only particular downside is the lack of easy lens interchangeability, which compared to their sporting glasses (like the Jawbone, Radar or Flak Jacket) is definitely a negative. Otherwise, they looked, fit and performed really well on the bike.

The frames are built from Oakley's C-5 metal alloy, which the company says makes them comfortable and durable. I just can't believe how thin the earstems are while remaining durable enough to function... Amazing. Plus, Oakley's superb Three-Point Fit and UNOBTANIUM coated earstems combine to keep the Square Whiskers exactly where you place them on your face, regardless of the conditions, moisture or heat.

High Definition Optics crafted from Oakley's durable Plutonite lens material meets ANSI Z80.3 impact protection and optical performance standards, and its clarity extends the entire lens surface. The patented XYZ optics are exclusive to Oakley and provide a noticeably clearer, sharper sight picture at all angles of vision, especially when you're looking off to the side. Plutonite lens material also filters out 100 percent of UV-A, UV-B and UV-C rays, as well as harmful blue light up to 400nM.

The best part is that the Oakley Square Whisker is available in a variety of frame color and lens tint options, starting at just $135 MSRP. That's a great deal for an awesome quality pair of sunglasses! Polarized models start at $200. There's even a Polarized Titanium model (you have to ask how much?). Check out the Square Whisker options page to learn more about colors, lenses and pricing.

Thanks Joe and Anni!!

2009-07-10T11:51:00.003-05:00

Thanks to Salsa Cycles' Joe Meiser and his wife, Anni for stopping in Lincoln Wednesday night on their way back from Joe's awesome performance at the Tour Divide for a slice, some great brews and great conversation at Yia Yia's. I didn't get any pictures, but thanks to Showen for settin' it up!

Have a great weekend!
MG

Beautiful Day for a Bit of BACON...

2009-06-29T11:42:00.015-05:00

The Platte River Posse -- Looks like we weren't the only "bikers" looking for a bite to eat at the Platte River State Park buffet Sunday morning...

The scenery sure is beautiful this time of year in Nebraska...

JP, Fob and DK head east down the Mopac with dreams of sweet bacon on their minds... It won't be long before they've got what they're after.

The new control center on my Fargo, consisting of an On One Mary bar, upside-down and a 100mm, zero-rise Salsa CroMoto SUL stem. Note the 'new' 8-speed rear end the bike is sportin' (indicated by the 8-speed thumb shifter), along with the mountain bike control center. For technical riding, it's definitely much better.

Lookin' down the trail...

At rest...

The view from the cockpit...

See ya' next time...

The Bacon Ride happens pretty much every Sunday during the cycling season. There's a different cast of characters each week, but that's just part of the fun. The pace varies from super mellow to a little bit hard, depending on who shows up. It takes off at roughly 6am (or 6:25am, as it was this past Sunday) from the Novartis Trailhead at 84th Street and Hazelwood Drive.

Gary Fisher Was There, Man...

2009-06-26T22:59:00.001-05:00

KQED Public Radio - Forum

Host: Scott Shafer

Guests:

Charlie Kelly, creator of the Repack races and founder of the first magazine devoted to mountain biking
Gary Fisher, founder of Gary Fisher Bicycles and mountain biking icon.
Joe Breeze, founder of Breezer Bikes
Wende Cragg, one of the first female mountain bikers and a photographer whose pictures are featured in "Klunkerz."

More info:

Charlie Kelly's Mountain Bike Hubsite : includes photos from the early days of mountain biking.
Klunkerz.com : official site of the documentary.

Fargo Freeride...

2009-06-19T01:15:00.003-05:00

MG in downtown Lincoln, NE. 6.11.09. Bike: Salsa Fargo. Caught by Cornbread...

Salsa's Joe Meiser Sits Third at the Tour Divide

2009-06-16T10:28:00.004-05:00

In this shot, race leader Matt Lee is already off the screen, past Helena, MT and Salsa Cycles' Joe Meiser is rockin' it in THIRD PLACE on his drop bar Fargo! He's riding alone, but in close viscinity to two other riders -- Kurt Refsnider and Chris Plesko. I think this is the race for the podium that's shaping up and it's gonna' be a good one.

See the latest Tour Divide updates on the SPOT Leaderboard.

Another Wilderness Park Victim...

2009-06-15T11:58:00.004-05:00

Jon Taylor's El Mariachi-- it got ruined yesterday in Wilderness Park, apparently the victim of another head-on collision -- It was a great bike whose end came too soon, but ultimately, I'm just glad Jon is OK... I wonder who it was that he hit???

So I went out to Facebook today and almost immediately saw this picture of Jon Taylor's wadded-up El Mariachi -- the victim of a Wilderness Park incident yesterday, apparently. It made me wonder if that weird message that came through last night on the THOR board had something to do with it... Perhaps somehow I'm getting blamed for Jon's accident, or they think that I was the "other party" in the accident.

First off, let me say that I was in no way involved in the accident and that I'm very sorry this happened to Jon and whoever he hit. Based on the looks of Jon's bike, I can't imagine the other person is feeling too spry today...

Second, it's not the fault of Jon or the person he hit that the park is not maintained, directional or effectively marked with signeage. It's not my fault, or the fault of any other recreationalist who rides their bicycle at Wilderness Park. The volunteer work I do clearing overgrowth at the park makes the trail safer, not less safe, for myself and for ungrateful folks like the person who wrote into the THOR I Power Forum last night.

Maybe it's time to start looking at houses in Omaha... What do they have, like five great places to ride mountain bikes within the metro area? If Lincoln isn't careful, they could pretty easily lose the one trail they currently have. I don't know that for certain, but what I do know is that the park's primary bicycle trail maintenance guy is about to quit volunteering his time due the ungratefulness of both fellow riders and the city... That's all I know.

Yep, Omaha's starting to look pretty darn good... Jewell Park was a real hoot a couple of weeks ago. Swanson's an e-ticket fun ride. L&C is all that and a bucket of Gummy Worms and you've got Tranquility right there and Platte River State Park just a hop, skip and a jump away.

Hmmm... Perhaps I'm paling on Lincoln?

Coward...

2009-06-14T21:32:00.005-05:00

Earlier today I got an email while we were at the Saltdogs game... it was from the THOR 'I Power' trail work forum. Since I'm the 'trail leader' at Wilderness, I get the trail work reports when someone logs one through the THOR Website. Well, today someone sent one in through the site. It was somewhat humorous and I thought I'd share it...

Here's the text:

We received a report regarding
Wilderness

Where work is needed
Safety Issue
Matt Grisub needs to slow down, stop the ride-by lop-and-drop.

Considering they couldn't even spell my last name right, obviously it wasn't someone that knows me well. Furthermore, I wasn't even in Wilderness Park today... I rode the Mopac.

But if they're speaking to the overall situation at Wilderness, and the fact that I'm actually one of perhaps three people maintaining the corners on the bike trail, so that there's a line of sight in them, I'm not going to apologize for that. If somebody else wants to take up the mantle and do some trail work out there, please do so. I invite the assistance.

And if you've got an ax to grind with me, my phone number is 402-314-2150. If you're too much of a coward to leave your name in an email, or a real email address to respond to (yes, I did try to send an email to the email address provided -- it didn't work), I don't really have anything further to say about this.

And spell my name right next time please.

Salsa's New ProMoto Ti SUL Stem and ProMoto Carbon Bar...

2009-06-10T11:32:00.008-05:00

Light and stiff, but not jarring. I've traditionally shied away from 31.8mm handlebars due to their massive stiffness and the resulting wrist wrenching harshness they imparted on the ride. Well, the ProMoto Carbon 17 degree handlebar has the stiffness for which the big diameter bars are renowned, but definitely doesn't have the harshness. It's a nice combination.

The ProMoto Ti SUL stem is quite a piece of work in itself. This is a brand new product for Salsa, and is only offered in a 31.8mm diameter bar clamp, so those wanting to use it with a 25.4 or 26.0mm handlebar will need to invest in a set of shims (I actually own shims in both diameters already).

Cold forged alloy construction +-5 degree rise, sub-150g weight (depending on length of course), good looking graphics and a jet black finish with swanky titanium bolts all around make it a nice piece to look at. It's easily the nicest stem Salsa's ever produced. The stiff, box section design makes it a pleasure to ride too. Confidence inspiring is the term that immediately comes to mind. It's a control center I feel absolutely confident about pointing at the roughest section of the trail, with full knowledge that it can take it.

Learn more about Salsa's new ProMoto bars and stems at www.salsacycles.com and click on 'Components' in the upper menu bar.

Great Article in Today's Lincoln Journal Star...

2009-06-04T09:18:00.007-05:00

Ben enjoys some water and a quick bite at the first checkpoint of the 2008 Good Life Gravel Adventure, the 135-mile race that Ben finished -- and finished strong at -- Read his account of the journey here. I'm sure we'll see him again this year and I'm looking forward to it. Photo: Cornbread

Lincoln's Ben Dinger, the original "Chubby Super Biker" was featured by Cindy Lange-Kubick in the June 4 edition of the Lincoln Journal Star. You can check out the online edition of the story here, but be sure to pick a newsstand copy of it up as well. The Journal Star is a strong supporter of cycling in Lincoln and many of the staff (including our own good buddy, Jesse Petersen, Lange-Kubick, Joe Duggan and publisher, John Maher, to name a few) are cyclists themselves. I'm a subscriber and hope you either are, or will consider becoming one today. Click here to subscribe to the Lincoln Journal Star.

Congratulations on the awesome story, Ben, and thanks to Cindy Lange-Kubick and the Lincoln Journal-Star!

The Blessing and Curse of Wilderness Park...

2009-06-01T08:26:00.012-05:00

Sunday... Despite being sore from my run-in with Joel and kinda' hung over from JP and Frankie's excellent wedding, I worked 'til dark at Wilderness Park, trimming back branches to improve the line of sight in corners. I don't like head-ons in the park and I'm not going to stop riding out there...

It's been a long time since I've run head-on into anyone in Wilderness Park, so when Joel Smith and I came face-to-face this past Saturday it was almost surreal how quickly everything happened. I just happened to be the first person in the group I was riding with. I don't think either Joel or I was going too fast. I actually went out yesterday (Sunday) and spent the entire afternoon and evening pruning back branches in corners, and I paid particularly close attention to the area where Joel and I hit. It needed to be trimmed back.

So you might be wondering -- did we get hurt? Well, believe it or not (if you know us both), Joel got hurt worse than I did. He and my bike got tangled up pretty bad, and it resulted in a broken left wrist and some stitches for him, and a broken shifter, fork guard and wrecked rear rim on my bike. I just have some bad bruises and a swollen left knee and forearm, but am otherwise OK. I got really lucky. When I saw Joel, I got my weight started going right, so when we hit, I kind of glanced off of him and flew into a cedar tree on the right side of the trail. When I landed, I was on my back and I looked up and was at the base of the tree... like a big cradle. Joel was untangling himself from the bikes yelling that he'd re-broken his arm (at the front of plates he had installed in his left forearm from a prior injury). Sadly, because I too have plates in my arm, I knew exactly what he was talking about. All I could say was "I'm sorry Joel," because I knew it sucked and there was nothing I could do to make it better.

You know, I sat in a meeting with Lincoln Parks and Recreation managers four years ago, and then again last year and asked them to make Wilderness Park a one-way marked trail, so that we could avoid conflicts like this, but they refused. I wonder what it's going to take to get them to consider that option?

Parents reading this -- would you want to take your kid out to Wilderness Park for a mountain bike ride, knowing Joel Smith - a former professional-level racer - just got his arm broken in a head-on collision at non-racing level speeds?

Over the next few days, I'd like to show how a one-way trail saved mountain bike access at the Betasso Preserve in Boulder, Colorado and how one-way mountain bike trails may be the key to making mountain biking at Wilderness Park safer, more appealing for residents and people coming into town from the outside and ultimately, more fun for everybody. Watch for that to-come in upcoming posts in the next couple of days.

We need to do something...

Here are some pictures from JP and Frankie's Wedding...

Congratulations to two of my very best friends on their marriage and thanks for letting Laura and I celebrate with you Saturday night. We had a blast!! The ride from the wedding to the reception was something I'll never forget. Talk about a Bike Fest!! We had it goin' on!!!

Finally, here are a couple shots of my El Mariachi, post accident... Notice the missing fork guard, and the sheared-off left side shift lever. What you can't see is the potato chip rear wheel, which will roll on for a little bit in a very band-aid fashion, but will need to be replaced soon.

Have a great week!
MG

Taking Stock...

2009-05-18T17:25:00.014-05:00

MG in "Yunto" during lap 5 of 6 at the Platte River Battle Royale. Photo by T. Nelson. See more of Troy's Platte images here.

It's been a bit of a whirlwind past month... Let's see, in four consecutive weekends, here's the score:

JP's bachelor party in Moab -- mountain biking nirvana, everybody wins -- 4 weeks ago
TransIowa v.5 -- 314 miles of gravel roads in Iowa, 8th place overall -- 3 weeks ago
Platte River/Psycowpath Battle Royale -- 2nd place in the 'marathon' division to a very strong and determined Corey Godfrey -- 2 weeks ago
Branched Oak 12-hour MTB -- 2nd place solo to the impressively fast youngster, Lucas Marshall -- this past weekend

Lumpy from the MTB Goatheads blog posted this cool video from the Branched Oak 12-hour:

In the video, that's race promoter Jim Craig and I shaking hands at the front of the pack as we roll-out, just before the neutral roll-out ends and the true racing begins. Good stuff... Thanks again for the video, Lumpy!

It's been a fun past month of riding and racing. Though I don't have a firm total, I estimate that I was able to get close to a thousand miles in on the bike during the past month between riding and racing, and that's a pretty good month for me... perhaps one of the best ever. For that I'm extremely thankful.

I could not have done any of this without the support of my beautiful wife Laura, or my sponsors, Salsa Cycles, Monkey Wrench Cycles and Oakley. Whether it was my Salsa Big Mama saving my tender behind out at Branched Oak, my Oakley Flak Jackets repeling sweat from the lenses so I could continue to see for 31 hours straight during TransIowa without a single lens cleaning, or any of the parts and service I get from the guys down at Monkey Wrench on a daily basis, the companies I'm working with now are as good as it gets and I recommend their products from first-hand experience. My lovely wife Laura, on the other hand, is one-of-a-kind... top of the line. If it wasn't for her, it would be a lot harder for me to be me. I realize that makes me very fortunate and so once again, I'm especially thankful.

Looking forward... Memorial Day weekend:

It seems like forever since I've had a weekend spend with Laura and just ride and catch up on things around the house. I guess it's pretty typical for this time of year... You go all winter with just about every weekend free, but now it's just slammed to the hilt until about October.

Well, this Memorial Day weekend, we're doing something different -- we're staying in Nebraska and playing it low-key. We've just been "on" for too many consecutive weeks and it's time to rest, recharge and focus on getting some projects done at home. Yep, it'll be perfect.

The Bacon Ride will be starting up Sunday @ 6am from the Mopac trailhead at 84th Street in Lincoln. This is a good one... Ride out to Platte River State Park for the brunch buffet, then back to Lincoln. It's an 80-ish mile round trip with good times all around. Don't miss it.

Hope to see you out on the trails soon.

Cheers,
MG

Big Wheel Ballyhoo 2009

2009-05-15T09:39:00.006-05:00

Guitar Ted is bringing his Big Wheeled Ballyhoo to Nebraska's Potter's Pasture October 10-11, 2009. It's something you won't want to miss, as there's going to be 2 1/2 days of big wheels, beer, bands and one of the best private singletrack stashes in the state. It's gonna' be a great time. Sponsors currently include Gary Fisher bicycles and Salsa Cycles, along with Cycle Sport of North Platte, and other companies will be announced soon.

Corrected: CQ on his Big Mama on "Two Dogs" @ Potter's Pasture - by Llama - from Potter's Pasture MTB

There's a close-knit group of locals from the North Platte and Ogallala area plus myself, working with Guitar Ted on this project and we've gotten a very positive response both locally and from the bicycle industry at large. Those "locals" include Kyle Vincent, Matt Bergen and Chad Quigley. We'll be supplemented by a cast of PCL castaways that I'll bring with me from Lincoln and it sounds like we're going to have representation from our good buddy Dave at Redstone Cyclery out in Lyons, Colorado. If we're lucky, that means we might even see the new stuff from Intense and Turner comin' on down with him... Wouldn't that be sweet? I've heard from a couple of shops in Lincoln too who are talking about joining in -- until they firm up their plans, I won't call them out just yet however. The more the merrier, as far as I'm concerned...

Potter's Pasture has some good singletrack. You'll be stoked...

There's going to be guided singletrack rides and Salsa Fargo-sponsored singletrack/gravel "blends," so there's will be a ride for virtually every type of big wheel dirt lover. Plus, did I mention, there's going to be live music, great beer and free camping too?!! Yeah, this is something you've gotta' get onto your calendar and be sure to check out. I'm just sayin'... You'll be sorry if you miss it. It may not happen twice in Nebraska. If we lose the Ballyhoo Brewdown, the event could go to another state in 2010. Don't know what the Ballyhoo Brewdown is? Better visit the Website and find out... http://bigwheeledballyhoo.com/

Weather's Lookin' Good For This Weekend...

2009-05-13T10:53:00.005-05:00

I was just out on NOAA's Lincoln weather page and saw that, despite a chance of rain Friday that might dump a bit of dampness on the Branched Oak Area 7 race course, this weekend's 12-hour MTB race should be rockin'. Race promoter, Jim Craig and I have been talkin' and we think this moisture we've had will set the course up just right. It was pretty dry coming into this week, so the rain should be just what the Dr. ordered.

Looks like it'll be a great weekend to race bicycles off-road in Nebraska! Hope to see you out there at the race. For full race details, visit the Branched Oak 12-Hour Relay page on the Angry Cow Adventures Website.

Hope your Bike to Work week is going super, too. I'm three for three. This morning was a bit damp because I wanted to ride the Fargo in, but I got 'er done without making too much of a mess. ;-)

Cheers,
MG

Byways for Bicycles

2009-05-08T14:00:00.005-05:00

"Byways for Bicycles" -- in the May issue of The Prairie Fire newspaper. Read it online at www.prairiefirenewspaper.com/2009/05

Finish Line

2009-05-08T13:30:00.001-05:00

Finish Line, originally uploaded by k.steudel.

Matt Gersib finishing Trans Iowa (Photo: k. steudel)

TransIowa v.5 Official Results Are In...

2009-05-06T12:03:00.002-05:00

... From the TransIowa Blog, 05/04/09:

Trans Iowa V5 is in the books. First off, here is the results with times..

1st- Joe Meiser 24r, 52min

2nd- (tie) Dave Pramann/Tim Ek 24hr, 52min

3rd- (tie) Jason Novak/Travis Braun (1st SS/Fixed) 27hr, 10min

4th- Matt Braun (2nd SS/Fixed) 27hr, 13min

5th- B.J. Bass (3rd SS/Fixed) 28hr, 53min

6th- Charlie Farrow 31hr, 18min

7th- Andy Stockman (4th SS/Fixed) 31hr, 18min

8th- Matt Gersib 31hr, 30min

9th- (tie) Ben Shockey(5th SS/Fixed*)/Matt Wills (5th SS/Fixed)

10th- (tie) Jeremy Fry/George Vargas 31hr, 58min

11th- Paul Jacobson 32 hr

*Note: Ben Shockey is the second fixie rider to ever finish a Trans Iowa event.

Check back for a brief synopsis later on this site and a full blown, detailed report soon on Guitar Ted Productions.

(MG note: This was out of 52 starters -- that's some serious attrition!!)

TransIowa v.5 - Mission Accomplished...

2009-05-04T13:59:00.009-05:00

I've done a lot of things in my life, but none quite compare with what I just went through in the middle of Iowa over the past two days. To say I've seen a lot would be an understatement and I feel I'm just starting to scratch the surface on the lessons I'll learn from the experience. I don't even feel qualified to tell the tale of the journey quite yet. Frankly, I'm surprised to even be awake.

For as solitary of a journey TransIowa, and other ultra-endurance events are made out to be, it takes the support of a lot of people, both at the event and in other places to be able to ride 320 miles on a bike, so in lieu of me blathering on and on about this or that about what went on during the race, how about I take a few moments to thank the people who made it possible for me to do it. I'll sprinkle in a few pictures from the few I shot along the way, mostly from Saturday morning as the sun was coming up.

If it weren't for my beautiful wife Laura, who I met exactly 16 years ago today, this absolutely would not have been possible. Thank you. For as long as we've known eachother, I've been a bike racer and I understand it takes a very, very strong and special person to love and support that weird passion. I am so incredibly fortunate to have her on my team. I appreciate all that you do to keep our lives running in my absence, and that you're able to handle an un-mowed back yard, because I was gone racing my bike all weekend (and of course now my knees hurt too bad to go out and mow it right now...).

The view I saw a lot during TI v.5 -- #60, Matt Wills.

I would not have finished TI v.5 this year if it hadn't been for the great company and perfect pace set by Matt Wills, himself now a two-time TransIowa finisher (both times on singlespeeds, no less). Matt is typically pretty astute when it comes to pacing and I'm typically pretty keen to go out too hard, so I knew after 10 miles, when MW wasn't in the group I was in, I was riding too fast. I knew that wasn't my game plan, so I held up and waited for MW and Jeff Bonsall to ride up to me. Man was I glad I did... it was the best decision I made the entire day. Sometimes to finish, you've gotta' let the lead group go. Maybe not for Joe Meiser (the race winner, who is an awfully nice guy himself...), but for me, it was just the ticket. Anyway, I digress, but thanks again MW. You were the glue that kept it together for me in TI v.5. I owe this one to you.

I also owe a big thank you to fellow TI v.5 competitor, Skip Cronin for his tire sacrifice at the second checkpoint. Skip was dropping out of the race and I was having a rear tire failure that would have been disasterous to my chances of finishing. With my only option for a hand-up being from a fellow competitor, or procuring a 700c tire from one of the establishments in the small Iowa town we were in, Skip's misfortune in the race turned fortuitous for me in terms of my ability to now finish the race on a tire that was complete. Skip's War Axe war wagon Suburban also once again powered the Nebraska crew's race effort, this time with Oscar... ummm, I mean Oliver at the helm. ;-) Thanks again Skip.

Thanks to Oliver Banta for coming along with us and providing us a bailout for those who chose to accept it. Thankfully I wasn't one of them this year, but it was afully nice knowing you were only a phone call away. I talked to at least four fellow competitors during the race who had no such bailout plans, so if they failed in the race, they were basically screwed. Thanks for sacrificing your weekend so that we weren't placed in that situation. I sincerely intend to make it up to you somehow... I don't know exactly how yet, but I will. Thank you.

Thank you to Guitar Ted and David Pals for putting on this crazy race. Man, without you two, I wouln't have anything to talk about here! I admire you both and thank you for your work to promote the sport of cycling. I can't wait to see you both soon, when I'm a little more coherent and we can celebrate this awesome race. Thanks again for puttin' it on!!

Thanks to fellow competitors Ben Shockey and Andy Stockman for riding with MW and I for at least half the event. It was way more than half the event for Ben, yet he actually thanked me at the finish for helping him through the event... I feel like I owe him a debt of gratitude. We all contributed to eachother's success, and I think that sums up what we're all kind of feeling right now, the realization that we completed something that, while it won't change the balance of the world, in a lot of ways, it's something that's a pretty big thing. And we did it with a minimal amount of drama. It was in large part due to the company of Ben and Andy... Thanks again guys.

Finally, thank you to my sponsors -- Jason Boucher at Salsa Cycles; Nate, Eric and Mark at Monkey Wrench Cycles and Rob Versteegth of Oakley (who ironically, is Iowa's Oakley rep). These are the folks that I want to work with and who have been generous enough to also want to have me riding with their gear. Thank you so much for your support.

The bike setup I was on was my Salsa Chili Con Crosso with a seatpost-mounted Bontrager rack and rack-mounted trunk. That allowed me to not carry a bag on my back, which was my downfall last year. I was glad to be on an older bike too when we got into the muddy B road sections... either that or a ti bike, but I don't have any of those. Some of the really fast guys were on sweet new ti bikes though... Anyway, Monkey Wrench Cycles is your source for Salsa Cycles in the Lincoln area. They're downtown at 1225 P Street.

I used Oakley Flak Jacket eyewear -- VR28 lenses during the day, clear lenses during the night -- and they were, as always, perfect. The hydrophobic coating kept dust and sweat from sticking from the lenses, and them from needing to be cleaned, even in heavy dust. That was a major time saver.

My body is not doing too bad. My knees were really hurting yesterday, but are merely hurting today. More than anything, I'm just tired and need to eat a lot. What I'm looking forward to is the boost in fitness this is going to give my body if I'm able to just rest enough to let it take root. That'll be really sweet...

I'm really happy for Joe Meiser, because I know he worked super hard for the win this year and he deserves the title. It's many years in the making and it was good to see him finally realize his goal. He got hosed by a derailleur hanger and wheel failure last year and I've been hearing rumors about the hardcore training rides he'd been doing. The minute he arrived and I saw the bike setup he pulled out of his car, I had him pegged for the win. In fact I even said to MW -- "Meiser's gonna' take it this year," when we were standing in the parking lot of the hotel watching Meiser put his wheels on Friday afternoon.

So, with that the first of my TransIowa v.5 recaps is in the books. I hope you enjoyed, or at least weren't too bored by it. But if you got to this point, chances are you weren't. Thanks for reading, now get out and ride your bike!! It's a nice day out!!

Cheers,
MG

JP's Moab Bachelor Party Memories...

2009-04-29T11:11:00.006-05:00

Super photog, Mitch Kline (www.mitchkline.com) catches me in the act, enjoying myself completely on Moab's classic lower Porcupine Rim trail (edited, earlier mistakenly referred to as LPS). When you look at the full-size shot, give a look to my rear tire where it's in contact with the ground... Yeah, I was chargin'! (And no, I didn't get a pinch flat.) Check out the rest of Butch's shots from our Moab adventure on his site by clicking here.

Mom's New CrossCheck... Czech It.

2009-04-20T10:05:00.001-05:00

Foxy Mama...

2009-04-11T00:55:00.001-05:00

A Very Special Salsa Could Be Yours...

2009-04-01T10:23:00.004-05:00

My good buddy Jason, AKA Gnat, the GM at Salsa Cycles up in Minneapolis, is selling a very special bike from his personal quiver. It's a custom Carl Strong-built Salsa El Mariachi 29er with S&S couplers, making it an ideal travel bike. Full details can be found by clicking here, which takes you to his sale page on the Gnat Blog.

Somebody better snatch up this bike, pronto, because it's one of a kind... and it's incredible.

Action: MG @ Wilderness Park on the Big Mama...

2009-03-31T23:25:00.006-05:00

Rider: Matt Gersib | Bicycle: Salsa Big Mama | Location: Wilderness Park - Lincoln, Nebraska
Music in first 30 sec. video segment: "Immortality" by Pearl Jam, from Live at Benoroya Hall, 10/22/2003

Return of allergy season... and a new WTB drop bar on the Fargo.

2009-03-25T12:16:00.009-05:00

The Fargo got a new handlebar last night. I traded the Salsa Bell Lap handlebar I'd been running to try a new generation WTB Dirt Drop. Hopefully the increased flare of the ends will alleviate the occasional issues I had with the Bell Lap's ends hitting my knees in corners on singletrack. We'll see...

One thing I've already noticed is that the drop section of the WTB bar is shorter than the drop section of the Bell Lap, making for fewer effective/available hand positions with the WTB. We'll see if that turns out to be a negative issue over time.

Wow... With the wind, rain and warmer temps, it's clear that allergy season is back in full-force for me at least. I hope all of you are weathering the pollen count better than I am... but regardless, welcome to Spring!!

In other news, Bike Pedalers new south location is now open at 1631 Pine Lake Road. I got a message from co-owner Sean Craig earlier this morning announcing today's grand opening. Check it out when you get a chance. When I crawl out of my allergy-induced haze, I'll definitely be rollin' by to see the new digs. The photos I've seen sure look cool.

BTW, sorry for the phone pics but my camera battery was dead when I went to snap pics with it this morning... and of course my charger is somewhere not to be found. So this was the best that I could do quickly.