$100 Bike Challenge - Finale: Mission Accomplished!

When I last posted, the bike frame had been painted and clear-coated and was left to cure for a week. The final product turned out pretty nice and I was satisfied with it.

Reunited - frame and fork

Now the fun part, assembling the bike. First, the fork, headset, and quill which all went on easily. Next the bottom bracket and and crank set, went on fine but I notices the pedal were quite far out. Then I put on the rear wheel - I had removed the cassette and installed a freewheel - and quickly figured out that the chain line was not going to work at all. The free wheel was way too inboard and the crank too outboard! *&?%#@!! As you all know, the chain line is the key to a single-speed (SS); it has to be straight! So, I went out and checked with the experts. The guy at re-Rycles didn't know much about SS bikes but suggested that the bottom bracket (BB) spindle was too long. Next, I brought the frame in to the dudes at Tall Trees. They suggested a few things:

BB spindle too long,

• a mtb crank (which I was using) is further outboard because it has 3 rings compared to 2 on a road crank
• I could move the spacers on the rear hub to move it further out but that would require redishing the rear wheel

I have done 4 other SS builds, guess I had been lucky because I had never had any of these problems with the others. So, my option are: new BB, new crank, wheel rebuild or new wheel at that price.

Considering these options and my $100 budget, I decided to try one thing at a time starting with the cheapest. So, I started with the BB. I found one at Pecco's in Hull for $15! And not a really crappy one with plastic cups. I know it does not have great bearings, but it will do. This time I went with a 107mm spindle (the other was 113mm). Let's see what happens!

When I got home, I installed the new BB and then the crank. Well, what a difference! The cranks actually set totally flush with the spindle and gained about 1cm inboard on the drive side. Things were looking up. I put the rear wheel on and threw a chain on and 'shite'! Chain line still slightly off but not by just a couple of millimeters - slight bend in the chain. Now, how was I going to solve this bit. I put the bike away and decided to ponder this little puzzle.

See the bend in the chain at the top of the freewheel?

The next day I did a bit of research and do-it-yourself bike Guru Sheldon Brown (R.I.P.) had the solution - spacers between the crank bolts and spider. And, I just happened have 3mm spacers. I installed them as suggested and bingo! I got a straight chain line!! Pretty damn close anyway.

Spacers between the spider and chain-ring improved chain alignment

Straight chain line!!

I was finally ready to put the rest of the parts on, handlebars, brakes, seat and post, grips all went on with know. As I was adjusting the rear break, I notice something that almost made me want to throw the bike over the fence! The wheel was seriously out of true! @#$%&!!! I know that most shops charge a standard fee between $25 - $35 for truing wheel that would break my budget. So, I had to do it myself but I had never trued a wheel in my life.

So, where do you turn when you want to know how to do something? The Internet of course, and Youtube and plenty of video and I found one that I liked. I went ahead and put the bike on the stand, using the rear brake as guides and started tightening and loosening spokes as per the video I watched. After about 20mins, the wheel looked pretty good and wasn't rubbing the brake pads anymore. That's it, I can't believe it; I am finally done! The bike looks great and works great!

Grips matching the paint job

Our spokes-model shows off the new build!

This was my most rewarding build for many reasons: it was challenging, I learned a lot and it made Melissa happy!

Did I meet my objective of the challenge - under $100? Here are the details:

• Frame - $0 (from the trash)
• Paint materials $40
• wheel, tires, tubes $0 (already had those)
• Brakes, cables, housing, seat post, seat bolt $20 (Re-cycles)
• Brake levers, handlebar $0
• Grips $12
• Freewheel $10
• Bottom bracket $15
• Pedals $0
• Crankset $0
• Chain $0

Add it all up for a grand total of (drum roll...) $97! I should get a few stickers with leftover $3!

Now if you remember my very first post about this build (aka Part 1), I mentioned that I built myself a fixie. Well, take a look at the pics below. Took a few days to get use to riding fixed but I love it now and ride it every day.

Vintage Miele frame, Velocity Deep V rims - Nothing says Pimped-out like Purple!
Rides like a dream on 700 x 35 tires

Sweet chrome sweep-back handlebars with rim-matching purple grips

$100 Bike Challenge - Part 4: Paint job complete.

The painting of the frame is now done and I'm pretty happy with it. The final step, the clear coat, was the trickiest I thought. Few lessons I learned:
- Prep work is the key
- Never, ever touch clear coat before it dries
- Little mistakes can easily be fixed with low grit wet sandpaper
- Patience - don't rush it

I am allowing the clear coat to fully cure and won't build the bike until next Saturday. Hopefully for my next post, you will see the complete build. Here are some pics of the finished paint job.

$100 Bike Challenge - Part 3: Some Lessons Learned

So the frame has two coats of Ford Light Blue and is ready for the final step - the clear coat. I was keen to get the clear coat on and got set up quickly. I started applying the the clear coat and it went on very well. All was going smoothly until I noticed a glob of clear coat on the inside of one of the chain stays. I took the corner of a rag and very gently removed the offending glob - MISTAKE #1 - clear coat really sticks to paint! Touching it or trying to remove it will peel paint off!!! &%#@@!! Nothing I could do. Bike was still wet. Best to continue and deal with it after the frame dries. I also noticed a spot on the head tube where a tiny spot of paint had peeled.

Doesn't look so bad in this picture but I could not let that go...

I considered letting those blemishes go. But I couldn't. So, the next day I set out to fix them. I wet-sanded the offending spots then stood the frame on a drop-sheet in the garage and reapplied the blue paint. Took only few minutes and the frame was back like new. I placed at spotlight to help it dry quicker. I was pretty pleased with my job and went about cleaning up the garage. I opened the door to let some fresh air in (I don't know if you've been paying attention but I had been putting the frame on a stand to paint it - not this time though- MISTAKE #2). A gust of wind blew in which caused the frame to fall on the spotlight making a nice long gash in the paint, AAAARGH!!! Well, at least it was dry or it would have been worse. So, again I grabbed the wet sandpaper and smoothed out the gash, dried it and reapplied paint. Well, a disaster was averted and the frame looks fine. Although, it will need a bit more sanding and a few more coats of clear coat. So, stay tuned as I set out to apply what I hope will be last last coats of clear coat (I hope) and start the final assembly.

NCC Public Workshop

Hey folks,

Got this notice from Matt of Tall Trees fame. Anyone who can provide some constructive input should make an effort to attend. I regret that I'll be in England on business and will miss the event. Note the immediate deadline.

Public Workshop

Gatineau Park is an important natural area in Canada’s Capital Region, measuring 361 square kilometres. The park, which features rich cultural and historical attractions, and is a prime location for a range of outdoor recreational activities, receives more than 1.7 million visits every year.

Managing environmentally respectful recreation is a unique challenge and an important responsibility. The National Capital Commission (NCC) is initiating a recreational services plan that will guide current and future recreational activities and programs in Gatineau Park.

Have your say about the trends, preliminary assessment and initial strategic framework, during the first phase of the consultative process.

Tuesday, September 15, 2009
6:30 pm to 9 pm

Relais plein air du parc de la Gatineau
397 Boulevard de la Cité-des-Jeunes
Gatineau, Quebec

As this consultation will take the form of a workshop, registration is encouraged.

Please register by September 10, 2009, by contacting Emily Keogh at 613-239-5315 or emily.keogh@ncc-ccn.ca.

The second and last phase of consultation will take place in spring 2010, and will focus on proposals regarding modifications to infrastructure and activities.

$100 Bike Challenge - Part 2

In my last post, I had just finished giving the frame a second coat of primer and left it to dry overnight. The next day, I wet-sanded it again with 600 grit sandpaper to smooth out the surface. I then dried it with a clean cloth. The frame was then ready to be painted. I was very excited about this part, because the other steps had gone so well.

Melissa wanted a blue bike - light blue or baby blue, to be exact. So, I went to Crappy Tire to pick up some automotive spray paint. The colour I chose was Ford Light Blue. I was ready to paint! I started with the fork because if I screwed it up, I could do it over. Heck, I could go back to recycles and get another one for $5! Well, the first coat on the fork went on very nicely. Smooth like buttah! Sweet! It was time to do the frame. I set it up on the stand and started spraying very carefully, just very light passes. I didn't want any drips or bumps. I made sure I kept the spray nozzle clean by wiping it constantly with a rag. I went through one can of paint. Fortunately, I bought two. I finished the frame using one third of the second can. I held a trouble light in one hand and sprayed with the other. This allowed me to see if I missed any spots. Once the frame was done, I let dry in the garage for about 1 hr, then I took outside to check my handy-work. Well, the first coat look great with some minor imperfections and it wasn't bumpy at all.

Ford Light Blue automotive paint

I let the frame dry overnight and fixed the imperfections and gave it a light second coat the next day. I liked the end result and decided that would be it for painting. After drying for another 24hrs, the frame would be ready for the final step - a clear coat. That's for tomorrow's post!

The frame looking very fresh in its new colour

The $100 Bike Challenge - Part 1

This blog has been pretty quiet over the past couple of months. So, I am going to tell you about a couple of bike-related projects I have on the go. The first was building myself a fixie which I have done and is working very well. I've been riding it to work everyday.

My second project is the more interesting one (to me anyway). A while ago, Melissa challenged me to build her a ''good'' commuter bike for under $100 - basically using all the spare bike parts I have lying in the basement and in my garage. What I had in mind was to build her a single-speed (freewheel) commuter, something that would be very low maintenance. Earlier this summer, I had found two ''Supercycle'' (Canadian Tire brand) steel road frames - one blue, the other black - in the trash. They were beaten up but were structurally sound, no bends or dents. They are the right size for Melissa. She wanted a blue bike, so I decided to build-up the blue one.

Scavenging around in the basement and garage, I found all the parts I needed - cranks, BB, wheels, brakes etc. When I took the fork off the frame, I noticed one leg was slightly bent and there were some bearings missing. A quick trip to Recycles and the Bike Dump netted me a replacement fork and bearings for $5.

So, I was ready to build but one thing was really bugging me. Cosmetically, the frame was really beaten up - lots of dings, scuffs, scratches and some rust. I just couldn't let that go. It needed to be painted. So, I called around and the cheapest paint job I could find was $150. That would break my $100 dollar cap big time. The only option was to do it myself but I didn't want the frame to look like I just took a spray can to it. So, I started to search the web and I found this guy's blog. He provides simple step by step instructions on how to paint a frame. I read his posts very carefully and thought I could do it.

The original frame - Click on image to get a better idea of its condition

I began the process on Saturday and so far, it has gone very well. First, I needed to clean the frame with paint thinner then sand it with a low grit sandpaper. The trick here is to just dull the paint and smooth out all the rough spots. Once that was done, I had to clean it and prepare it for priming.

Frame primed and looking much better already

The first coat of primer turned out pretty good, not too many bumps or runs. I hung the frame out to dry for 24hrs. The next step was to wet some very low grit sandpaper (400 or higher) and gently go over the frame to smooth it out. I did so, then dried the frame and applied a second coat of primer. The frame was left to dry overnight again and wet-sanded. Now it's time to apply the colour...

Stay tuned for part 2 tomorrow.

24 hrs of Hot August Nights - Summary version

Very low attendance this year compared to other years. Not many teams from Ottawa that I knew. BRR mixed consisted of Mark M, Tanya, Papa G, Leslie Greene and Mark Pearson (subbing for Zamboni)

Rain started literally at the same time as the start of the race. Things got really slick by 1pm. It rained on and off until about 9pm. Chico and crew did a great job keeping course in reasonable shape.

BRR ran in 2nd place throughout and we were very close behind first. Things went fairly smoothly for us for the most part except for Mark P has an mishap during a night lap although he was able to finish his lap.

In the morning, we shuffled our order in an attempt to catch first. It was a great effort but we were not able to surmount the lead they had on us. We finished comfortably in second.

Overall, it was a fun race. Had it not been for the rain, it would have been fantastic. In my opinion, it was one of the best race course Chico ever laid out.

Manyt thanks to Melissa, Shay and Madison who fed us like and kept our camp organized for the weekend.

Here are some pics:

Mark on lap #1...

Post lap #1

Mark P. had a very wet and slick first lap...

The Vegan Vagabon put in some fast laps and always had a smile on her face

Mark P, Leslie, Tanya, Mark M, Papa G sporting some hardware

The Vagabond celebrating by stuffing her face with a huge vegan burger! mmmm!

My firt Triathlon!

Hi all

Been a long time!

Although I am a mountain biker at heart, I had to give the triathlon thing a try so I signed up for Ironman Canada!

Of course, Im no fool, who would do an Ironman as their first ever tri?
So, I did the Peterborough Half Ironman, seamed like a logical step.

Here's my report that I posted on Trirudy.com

Hi all

Check, first triathlon done! Here we go, Robert Berthiaume (Mr. Tri2cureCF himself), Martin Zollinger and myself are ready to battle.

The swim went well, I thru myself in the mix expecting a beating. But it wasn’t that bad, yeah a few hits and bumps, but I never felt that the other swimmers didn’t care and where ready to try to get ahead at my expense. I felt respected out there and I respected everyone also. Fun swim.

Into the transition I run, breathing so hard and very dizzy. Martin was already there and soon after headed out. I take off after him not really expecting to catch him on the bike, but I will sure try!

All went well, other then I crashed on the bike 3 KM in (first time ever crash on a road bike). Trying to do too many things on the go (lesson learned), I rubbed a side walk and went down. Hurt my knee and shoulder a little but nothing that would slow me down. After picking all my stuff up, check my ego, check the bike and off I went. I never saw Martin or Rob on the out and back. Great bike course but never caught Martin. A few minutes off.

Here we go, the run that I’m so not looking forward to. Transition to the run felt good, but soon after within a few KM, both quads cramped up! I had to walk it out while eating my banana and e-load caps. Started to run again and just after seeing Martin on an out and back thru the park, my left hamstring cramps. What a long 21 KM run this will be! But dealt with it fairly well and ran on.

Soon after, I see Rob on the run, I expect to see him pass me with a few KM to go, but I won’t go down without a fight. I catch Martin, run with him a bit, we admirer my left over food on the sidewalk where I crashed the bike and I run on. At 7-8 K or so, I tried to drink a little to much while going by a water station and was forced to give it all back 200 M later, stopping me until my stomach stopped rejecting the extra liquid, this to Martin’s pleasure as he ran by me with a few encouraging words. So I ran the next 2 K (passed Martin again) and then started to drink again one cup at a time with my e-load caps, gels and Tums. So other then stopping me during, it didn't affect me much.

All in all, I ran my 21 KM after the 2 K swim and 85 K bike with confidence and finished strong for me with a few new friends.

What a great experience. Whether it’s Adventure Racing or what ever, crossing a finish line, no matter my ranking is always great.

And I can't believe I was able to hold Rob off! Man can that guy run! He beat my run time by 17 min, but I still had 4 min to spare across the finish line! I ran as hard as I could and felt ok for the most part, almost enjoyable!

Still neither of us beat Ann's (my lovely wife) times in her home town.

Now, I want to get my running better as Rob will have more time to catch up for the marathon of IM Can! And he's getting stronger on the bike and he will master the swim soon enough. And as for Mr. Z, maybe I’ll get him on the bike at IM Can. Not that we are competing against each other or anything, just good motivation!

IM Canada here we come!

Thanks to all that have and are helping us along the way.

You can support our Tri2cure Cystic Fibrosis awareness campaign by purchasing a technical t-shirt at any Pecco’s. All sales and proceeds go to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation – Breathing life into the future.

www.cysticfibrosis.ca
Thanks to Pecco’s as always. www.Peccos.com

Thanks
Tobin
See you on the trails soon enough! I'll be back!

Solstice - March of the Damned

I was about to write a post on the BRR Mixed experience after the race the I thought it would be more interesting to hear about people's individual experiences at the race because this race will probably a memorable one over the years. I also thought it would be interesting to hear from all the BRR crew, not only the Mixed team. Rick and Tanya, who raced solo, have posted their own stories here and here.

I apologize for the length of this post but think about it as an "anthology" of sorts - a collection of short stories. Anyway, if you are reading this blog, it is likely because you got plenty of time to kill! I have not edited any of the stories, except for some formatting. Enjoy!

Ed Jager - BRR Filthy Old men

This was my first time riding with Big Ring Racing. It was great to ride with a cool bunch of people that love to bike as much as I do. The riding (and walking) in the mud was hard, but once I got my head in the right place it was great. Counting the other riders I saw and checking out the bats and frogs on my night lap help keep it fun, as did passing the guy carrying his kid's bike. That and knowing my light would only last 1h45m.

Lenny – Captain, BRR Filthy Old men

Lenny’s 2009 Summer Solstice Race Report - I was looking forward to testing my foundation at this race because I have worked relatively hard on it this year. I was a bit worried because I haven’t trained my top end very much but I don’t really need to because most of my riding buddies are stronger than me so I am often in zone 2 or above. On my 1^st lap I was able to ride my bike for a few hundred metres before hitting some mud that was so thick and deep that you could not pedal through it. At first I was disappointed but it was the same for everyone so I sucked it up and pushed (literally) through it. This lasted for about 3km and then most of the next 12km was OK. When I finished my lap I looked at my chain rings from the left hand side and all I could see was my granny ring! My chain dropped down in the first section that I had to run and I never bothered to try to move it back up because speed was not a factor on this course. I think I need a new team –“Granny Ring Racing”!

Many thoughts went through my head as I was doing my lap and a bit – yes I pulled the plug on my second lap. At first I was disappointed because I wasn’t racing but instead was just walking and running through the mud. I decided that it didn’t matter because I just wanted to have fun so I started joking around with all the other people out on the course. Most people would smile when I said there was lots of cold beer at my camp site! I walked off on my 2^nd lap at about 10:30 PM because I knew my teammates were questioning whether we should still be riding. Also, I heard a lot of people quit at the transition area after their laps were done. I decided that as the team captain I would take the lead and pack it in. I found out after I got back to the campsite that the organizers had come to the same decision. The trails were a real mess and the bikes were also taking a beating and I know it was the right call.

This year’s race was truly one to remember . . . or possibly forget!

Bill Trayling – BRR Mixed

As I reflect on my first Solstice 'mud-fest disguised as a bike race' experience, I would like to make mention of a few memorable moments ...

- the endless support from the non-rider crew, who spent hours trying to create a dripless mission control, while keeping us fed and entertained.

- the humbling opportunity to hammer home our team's last lap, generously offered up by Stef and supported by a group of teammates SO dedicated that they endured a gallant bushwacking experience in an effort to cheer me on, as I navigated the last few clicks of a very icky trail.
- and the hilarity of my final 50 metres, where I really thought the dude right in front of me WAS the 'competition' - leading to me scrambling to slap the chip on the reader (twice) in desperation - only to discover (during our manly embrace) that he was just some guy finishing a 2 and a half hour lap who wanted to mess with my head!

- I'd also like to comment on the impressive resilience of all those weekend warrior riders - those who arrived with their trailers and their big screen TVs who don't don the spandex too often. Guys like 'Phil', who generously saved me from a lonely walk on the pre-ride with his chain tool and quick link.

These folks are the ones who will really benefit from the 24 turned to 12. The Monday morning water-cooler convos were that much better with the Ecochallenge-esque experience fostered by the relentless rain. My hat (or rather my muddied helmet) goes off to them.

Finally, I'd like to thank my team. I came to this race through a connection to a very special person - and in the process, have made friends with a group of awesome people who are masterful at balancing great performance with great times.

Well, this event will make the history books! What a funny story: 1000’s of mature adults slithering, slipping and fumbling through thick, goopy, wet, mud; pushing their no-longer-rideable bike as fast as they can - just because…

Kari “T-Bone” Ferlatte – BRR Mixed

Well, this event will make the history books! What a funny story: 1000’s of mature adults slithering, slipping and fumbling through thick, goopy, wet, mud; pushing their no-longer-rideable bike as fast as they can - just because…

This weekend, as course conditions deteriorated, racers began to creatively strategize how to handle the slop. Some considered running with just the seat or a wheel and I smiled as event organizers blared out over the loud speaker that you must have your bike with you on the entire lap - now you know the history of the Kari/carry rule.

since we are talking about history, I thought I’d share a little story. This event was reminiscent of my first 24 hour solo experience in Kelso in 2002. It rained for 23 of the 24 hours, turning the course into a thick clay-based mud fest (I know you can relate)! I was wrecked from trying to carry, lift, drag, push or pull my 80lb mud laden steed through the mess. At about 4 am I just couldn’t drag that thing anymore, so I tossed it into the bushes and ran to finish another lap, I was exhausted. That’s when the event organizers told me that my lap wouldn’t count as I didn't have my bike, “Kari - this is a bike race” – they said. “oh, bummer... Show me the rule”, I mumbled in my state of fatigued bonk. They looked at each other and shrugged, there was no rule. And so the “Kari/carry” rule was born.

This weekend, as course conditions deteriorated, racers began to creatively strategize how to handle the slop. Some considered running with just the seat or a wheel and I smiled as event organizers blared out over the loud speaker that you must have your bike with you on the entire lap - now you know the history of the Kari/carry rule.

Doing the race in these conditions on a team rather than as a soloist, made the whole thing a blast! It was fun enduring the slippy goop for an hour or so, laughing all the way – knowing that you could return to your ‘race family’, clean up and recharge. It was an awesome weekend of mud, sweat and tears (of laughter)!

Leslie Green – BRR Mixed

Hi, I’m Leslie Greene, I’m the guest Big ringer, I’ve never done on-line dating. As I met my Husband Bill Greene, in 1991, well before On-line dating was invented. However, I have had very good fortune with On-line dating of a different sort. It was one week before the 24 Hour Solstice Race, in 2007… I did not have a team to ride on, and so I checked out the adds, on Chico’s Forum. Ah so many to choose from, apparently women who wish to race are highly sought after. I had my pick… but something about the way Stef worded the add for Machine Head Racing, caught my eye. We sent a few messages back and forth and we had a date.

We pulled off two SILVER medals that summer, both June and August. And In 2008 Stef and Gilles, invited me back, to race on Big Ring Racing, for two more SILVER medals. So here we are June 2009 and we just pulled off the ultimate, GOLD.

Thanks to you guys, in spite of wearing Chain Reaction ( My Husbands family shop), I’m feeling like part of the Big Ring Team. They say next year they will be sure to order me a jersey.

I first knew it was slick our there, when I witnessed a large fellow, wearing a big blue cape, go for a loop, and all he was doing was spectating right at the transition area. He ended up in a pile, and lost all his pocket change in the process. He sat there and plucked it out of the mud before attempting to get up.

As for the race, what luck… RAIN...RAIN… and more RAIN.
I mean this in all seriousness “I Love the Mud” in some weird sort of way. Brings back fond memories of racing, in Quebec. I guess this is why you Ottawa guys do so well in the mud, you are used to it.

My first lap was lap 3 for our team, and I was feeling the pressure, to get back before 4pm, so I could take my kids in the kids race. I remember seeing the 5 KM to go and thinking, well perhaps I can pull this off in 20 minutes, the rest must be flatter… Wrong even hiller towards the end, and it took me a good 30 minutes. I arrived at 3:50 p.m., ran into register and sign the waiver, then raced back to the tents, scooped up my kids, Connor, Emily, our babysitter Kayleige, Gilles and Amelie, joined us too. We drove to the Start area as it was much too muddy to drag the kids along the trail. We missed the youngest age group start so we just joined the 7-8 year olds. Connor was so upset the moment he saw the mud.

“ Mud, I can’t ride in the Mud.” He cries. I assure him it would be ok if I ran along side of him. In the rush I had floppy shoes on, and was not prepared for the soggy sliddy conditions ahead of me, when trying to run along with the kids race. After a few hundred meters he was of on his own, and I yelled. “ Meet you at the finish line.’
I back tracked and slid a lot, then caught up to him at the end, just in time, to help him through a mud bog. Chico had metals for all the kids, and they were all invited to play in the bouncy castles… and so they had a blast.

After that I had to get back to camp for dinner and get ready for my next lap. With the rain all but stopped for a few hours we thought, we were going to see some better lap times, but this was just not so. I went out after Gilles and the conditions were getting worst by the minute as it had started to rain again. At 6pm they had shortened the course by 4km, but this still did not, make the time shorter, my next lap was 30 minutes longer.

Some areas were so thick with mud that it was impossible to ride down. A friend warned me to obey the flag man in one particularly fast slippery, down hill section, and when I got there I knew why, the grass was flattened, and slick, the kind of corner that will take both wheels our from under you.

Near the end of my lap I was just about there, but the mud was so thick I had to push my bike through it. But then it just wouldn’t move, so I had no choice but to carry my 60 pound bike, it was like doing leg weights.

Thanks Team Big Ring, for making me a part of the family.

Zamboni – BRR mixed

6 am Saturday, I'm woken by a faint drumming sound off in the distance. A cold, damp feeling seeping through my sleeping bag. I open my eyes to droplettes pounding on my air matteress, slowing developing an indoor swimming pool in my oversized Costco special.

Merde. Il pleut.

So this is how it's going to be. Off to the car to retrieve my extra tarp, cover the tent, take a leak and back to the part of my matteress that was not yet

wet. Fortunately, the tent is so big the gear and clothes inside was not rained upon.

The day, as others have probably mentioned, was rain off and on. I don't mind riding in the rain but the mud that was generated by all that water and all those riders was just ridiculous. Not to mention the trail damage we had collectively inflicted on the course. To find out how bad the mud was, check the posting by the Vegan Vagabond, I'm sure she's got pics of her bike. I don't know how those solo riders managed. The mud laden bikes were much, much heavier than their dry wieght and at many times on the course, the wheels refused to roll. Carrying them was not very effective....not for long anyway. Once I got riding, I wasn't moving none too swift. In Formula One racing they call rain the "Great Equalizer". I think the saying holds true for mountain bike racing as well 'cause no matter how good your equipment or how much power you have in your engine, you can only go so fast or you're off the course and into the brush in the first corner, so it kind of levels the playing field.

I can honestly say I didn't enjoy that one lap I had to do. I think the high point of my race was when Capt. Gilles met me in the transition area and asked if I wouldn't mind if Bill went in my place... in the mud and 11 o'clock and night. How could I say no to that offer. I didn't.

This was the race that required the least amount of effort (one lap instead of the usual 4 or 5) and yielded the greatest result... First Place Finish.

At least we had a good time hanging out at camp. I got to enjoy everyones' company all weekend. Thanks to Melissa and Shay for all the work they do around camp, much appreciated.

Here's to great team-mates and to a dryer Hot August Nights.

Doctor Peter – BRR Filthy Old Men

We put in a solid 200+ age group team with experienced, decent-paced riders expecting a good race. We got the Solstice Mud Fiasco, which I’m sure is being detailed elsewhere. Personally, I have only few “good” memories of this race. One was coming across Tanya near the beginning of her 6th (and winning) lap, dragging her bike up a section of SingleMud (which is what SingleTrack turns into after 2000 people have gone over it in the rain). Tanya is not one to complain, so when she asked with incredulity “Am I the only person this is happening too?” referring to the wheels on her mud covered bike’s refusal to spin when she pushed it, I knew things were not quite going as she had hoped. I stopped, and tried to pick up her bike to see if I could figure out what was wrong by spinning the wheel. Perhaps her calipers were dragging a bit? First of all, I could barely lift her bike. I swear it weighed 100lbs. Then I noticed that she had put on her “triathlon” disk wheelset – you know, with the solid bit of material that extends from the hub to the rim to help cut down air resistance - except this disk appeared to be rudimentarily fashioned out of 3-inches of thick mud. Each of her spokes was like a giant mudsicle. We fished out the mud, giving Tanya a reprise for what I imagine was at least 45 seconds of relief before the disk reformed (like something out of Terminator 2).

I also enjoyed one particularly steep and, surprisingly, muddy descent where the race officials had placed a warning squadron at the top to tell riders to slow down. On my 2nd lap, in the dark, I approached this 6th in a line of riders. The five people in front of my all fell. “Didn’t you hear the people warning us to slow down!” I joked. Moments later I was sliding down the hill on my stomach myself. Oops.

On the 2nd lap I “rode” my Vassago Single Speed, it's first race experience. My rational for doing this was that it was lighter to carry up the hills and had fewer parts for mud to cake on. Given that I walked or ran about 2/3 of my second lap, it seemed a decent strategy. The mud-covered Vassago came in at about 50lbs, a good 30lbs less than my mud-covered Full-Suspension, geared, Epic.

The other thing I enjoyed were the beers around the campfire after the race was called.

This race should have been called after three hours. I lament what we did to those trails.

Phat Tony – BBR Filthy Old Men

I can sum up last weekend's race at Albion Hills in 5 words: Big Ring Racing's Gong Show. At least for me it was - my challenges began on Thursday night. I have gear, kids and wife packed up and ready to go but needed gas to make the trek to Toronto. Filled up no problem (no spontaneous gas figths broke out, which as we all know are quite risky and more of a problem for the male modelling world then MTB'ers anyway) but starting the car up again was more challenging than expected. The starter was dead. So we call up CAA and get a ride home from a kind friend on his wife's birthday (thanks James and Happy Birthday again Gill!). Luckily friday passed without any major setbacks which brings me to Saturday.

Wake up and as expected it's raining. No problem, Albion is a dry course so I figure how bad could it be? The Good Dr. picks me up at 8:30am and we head to Albion Hills. We get there in good time and decide to set up the tent. You know what makes setting up a tent much easier? Poles. Too bad we didn't have any. Have I ever mentioned the good Dr. is kind of a dumb ass? Did I mention it's raining? No matter, I've been dealing with his idiocy for years. My dear wife was coming up early in the afternoon so my son could ride in the kids race - I call her and ask her to bring our old tent that's in storage at her mom's place. We're saved!

With that problem seemingly solved I turn my attention to getting ready for my lap. Give the bike a once over - it's sexy and ready to go... check. I eat and get dressed - sexy in spandex and ready to go... check. I'm second in the rotation so I go to wait for the Other
Good Dr. on our team to come in. I wait, and wait and as I wait I see mud covered racer after mud covered racer come in. Hmmm - dry the course was supposed to be about 45minutes and it's over an hour now. Maybe Albion doesn't take this much rain as well as I'd hoped. The Other Good Doctor arrives after about 1hr20mins dutifully cover in mud and smiling and says "Good Luck!".

I set out and within the first 2-3 hundred meters I'm off my bike and pushing through mud. I think "Hmmm.. this could be a long lap. Maybe Kenda Karma's weren't the right tire today". Right then and there I decide that there will be no rushing this lap and the main goal is to not fall and hurt myself. The first 20 minutes or so involved a lot of slow riding and walking/pushing. Then I get to the middle third of the course and things start to get fun again. Slippery, but fun. I'm on my bike most of the time, it's taking all my concentration to stay upright but I'm passing a lot of people, which is always good for the ego especially when you're in challenging conditions.

I made it up a lot of climbs that I thought were impossible when I saw them but even though the tires slip on each pedal stroke the bike kept inching forward - cool. The Karma's may not be a great mud tire, but they weren't terrible. They didn't collect a lot of mud and as long as I stayed seated, they got enough grip to get up all but the muddiest uphills. Since I didn't see anyone else ride up those hills, I stopped worrying about my tires and just rode. Rest of the lap went much this way to the point of me actually having fun, or at least as much fun as one can have with mud in every crevice when not mud wrestling hot twin sisters, but I digress. Where the hell was I? Oh yeah, something about biking... So conditions stayed rideable right up until the end of the lap. Passed the fishing hole where the other Bing Ringers et all gave a much appreciated cheer and then the thick mud again. Walk a bit, ride a bit, walk a bit, ride until the final stupid uphill mud pit to the finish. Slog up, ride gingerly down and done! 1hr07minutes and I pass the baton the Good Doctors.

Head back to camp, drink recovery drink, remove most of muddy clothing, go hose off in world's coldest hose and that's where wife and eldest son (6 yrs old) find me. Saddistic wife takes over hosing dutings while I scream like a little girl. I haven't seen Hostel, but I'm pretty sure most of the scene's were something like that. I put on fresh clothes and take son to kids race (seperate blog post coming for little ringer's race).

Son and wife leave and I figure it's time to set up tent number two, which I gratefully see has poles. Have I mentioned that I am also an dumb-ass? What my tent made up for in pole-iness, it gave back in its lack of a fly, which is a nice piece of equipment to have on the rainiest weekend of the year when camping. I don't think this was specifically my fault, as the tent had been lent out since I last used it, but it can't be pure coincidence that neither of us could bring a complete tent set to the same race. We rigged up the tiny fly from the Good Drs tent and borrowed a tarp from the Other Good Dr and voila! A somewhat water-resistant shelter.

Not much more for me to report. Second lap was much the same as the first, just a little bit muddier and a little bit worse. I'll leave it to another Big Ringer to describe how our day ended. Spoiler Alert! Man was I hung over the next day (and the next).

Papa G – Captain, BRR Mixed

The most memorable moment for me actually happened after I was done racing. I had just completed my second lap and was cleaned-up and changed when I heard that the race was being shutdown. It was around 10:30pm, Steph, aka Zamboni, had just left to tag up with Leslie. After hearing of the shutdown, I was trying to calculate if we had enough of a lead (we were 40mins up) to secure first place should the other team send out another rider before midnight. I consulted with Kari and we thought it might be best to send Bill out, who was by far our fastest rider, to be safe. I talked to Bill and he was keen on going but was concerned that Stef mav not want to give up his spot but I knew that he would give up in a second.

As Bill ran back to his tent to get geared up and I am still talking to Kari, we hear Leslie go by camp, which is only 1 kilometer to the finish. Kari says “you got to go catch Stef at transition!” So, I jump on my clean bike with flip flops on, no light, no helmet. Let me remind everyone it’s 10:30 at night; I am trying to pedal as fast as I can – rubber flip flops don’t provide for much grip on carbon pedals – yelling at people on the road to get out of the way as I make out their silhouettes. I finally make to the transition area without much incident.

As most of you may know, the actual transition is located at the top of a hill and it had rained all day and night and all the grass had turned into mud. Here I am trying to push my bike up as fast as I can while my flip flops were being suctioned in about 4 inches of mud; the closer I got to the transition the deeper the mud got. All the while I am thinking that Leslie will get here before me and I won’t be able to tell Stef that Bill was coming. I decided to dump my bike and try to run which I wasn’t able to because my flip flops got sucked even more! Instead I tried taking giant steps which seemed to work and I finally made to transition and started yelling for Stef and he heard me and found me. I told him the plan and he was more than happy to let Bill ride. Bill showed up about 20 seconds after me and Leslie about 10 second after that! Phew! We made it. Bill rode a great lap and the rest is history. We got our first victory after 4 (or 5?) 2^nd place finish in a row.

While the riding (pushing) over the weekend wasn’t much fun, I really enjoyed sitting around the camp fire until 3am with the rest of the crew. I’m liking the 12hr concept!!

CLEAT PLACEMENT

Proper cleat placement is essential in preventing injuries up the whole kinetic lower leg chain; especially the knee.

There are a couple of different movements of the cleats to be set properly.

First of all the correct position fore and aft:
If they are set in the right spot you should be pushing through the ball of the foot for most people. So find the bump on the side of your big toe ( the ball of the foot ) and mark a dot on your shoes. Then line up the middle of the cleat with the dot. Some shoes do not allow you to move forwards far enough to line up with the ball of the foot. But that's OK; as long as you are not ahead of the ball of the foot. Reasons not to be in line with the ball of the foot include hot spots under the ball of the foot or an achilles problem.

Next the rotation needs to be set properly. 95% of the time how you stand and walk off the bike tells you how to set your cleats. For example if you stand toed out like a duck; then chances are you will want a toed out position on your bike.

Cycling is a fairly linear motion. But because the hip and knee joints are not mechanical hinge joints; but are ball and socket joints; there is a certain amount of conjunct rotation that occurs as you go around the pedal stroke. So if the cleats are set up properly your legs should be going where they want to go. Not in an uncomfortable unnatural direction for your body.


Here is a simple way to test your cleat rotation position. This is best done on a trainer.
It would be ideal if when you stopped pedaling you were in the middle of the float. This means that you can toe in and toe out equally. There is an equal amount of play on either side.

So to find out what your legs want to do on your bike:
Pedal X 5 - 8 or so pedal strokes. Stop at the bottom and try one direction ie: toe in/heel out to see how much movement/play there is.
Then repeat and test the other direction; ie: toe out/heel in to see how much play there is.
If for example you find that you have lots of toe in movement/play but little or no toe out; then that is where your legs are trying to go and you cleats aren't letting you go any further in that direction.

So you should adjust your cleats to give you more toe out.
To get more toe out you will need to aim the cleats in more. The opposite direction for more toe in. If the cleats are set up properly your legs should feel like they are going where they want to go. You shouldn't feel like you are fighting them.

With proper cleat set up your legs should be pedaling comfortably and injury free.

Mary Paterson
Bike2Body

Chico Racings Summer Solstice 09 "Snowman Mud" Fest

June 20/21 was this years anual Chico Racing Summer Solstice 24hr mountain bike event.
I chose to solo again this year, well for various reasons actually, but not the least of which is that last year was such a great solo experience that i was eager to duplicate that success. My results over the yrs have progressively improved due to training, organization and few other tricks which i'll save for my book which i may call "How to be a Great Solo 24hr Mtb Champion Like Me" (pic of me smiling and dirty and stuff)

This year I havnen't been on the mtb much, i got in only 85km of trail riding for this race which i believe i matched km for km in 6 laps, only 5 of which counted towards my standing. But i did have about 1600km of road riding so I wasn't worried about my legs. That 80km commute is awesome for getting in the klicks.

Preparation and organization of gear and campsite are important to me so after packing and driving and setup of the campsite which took until 10pm Fri night down in the "Fishin Hole" it was time for a beer and some shut eye.
I was having a great sleep Fri night until the heavy rain started, glad i picked up that Kenda KOT "King Of Tread", (this tire is scary looking, think tractor wheel but sharp), at the Moose as a last minute purchase on my way out the door.

I was hesitant to install these big tires on my race bike at first because of the rolling resistance so i at the last minute (theme here, never enough preparation) asked fellow Big Ringer Peter to switch them up for me as i headed off to the start line with the current Kenda Small Block Eights which were on my race bike already.
This proved to be stupid, or should i say StOoooopid! It was raining hard enough to wake me up 8 or 9hrs before the race! And it was still raining....I had asked Matt what he was running and he said he was running his dry tires so i figured good enough for Matt good enough for me. Think for yourself folks. Whatever Matt was riding was good enough for him anyway since he smoked that first lap like there wasn't any mud, i'd have been happy with that time on a dry day.

Lap 1

So after slipping and sliding around the first half of the course, the second half was much better as the ground back there drained away the surface water much better, I was glad I had asked for help with the mud tires as i was planning to use them right away. I came in switched my Giant race bike for my old Specialized which is my backup bike now with big knobbies, time to earn your keep old freind. I haven't ridden that bike in years for any length of time.

Lap 2

I immediately felt the benefits of these tires, on the rear was the mother of all mud tires the King of Tread and on the front was a Maxxis hanging around the tire pile in the garage thats been around for years, last minute decision to throw it in the truck once again. I was screaming thru the course without reservation for conditions whatsoever, it was great, i thought this is going to be awesome, i was giggly and happy cruising thru the muck like there wasn't any so i decided to have another lap on the Specialized before changing the wheels onto the Giant.

Lap 3 and 4

This is where things got weird with the mud. Lap 2 mud was soupy, messy, splashy stuff. Then the rain let up a little which caused the mud to stiffen and become thicker and stickier for lap 3. As i hit the muddy bog just outside the timing tent, i saw mud that reminded of a livestock stall on a farm, pigsty and such where the mud retains its shape after its been impacted. Riding through this quickly became no fun and as a solo its always a good idea to avoid pushing so hard through stuff that gains little time but kills the legs.
Anyway this turned out to be the theme for the first half of laps 3 and 4. As you pushed you bike thru the muck it would stick to itself and build up, hence the name "SnowManMud", on the tires to a point where the wheels would no longer roll. I at times put the seat into my right shoulder with the right across on the top tube, left hand on the left hand grip and pushed, sliding the bike to a place where i could remove the mud congealed - all over the bike - the old specialized was weighing 70ish pounds now and it wouldn't roll. There were some sections where something resembling riding was possible and once again the second half of the course was better and rideable, so it gave you some encouragement to go right on and do another lap, which i did.

Now i should mention that some riders had shown up well prepared and were actually riding past us in the bad stuff. I saw very skinny knobby mud tires that cut throught the muck easier and held less mud,I heard spray your entire bike with vegetable oil and the mud won't stick, be a really strong rider, whatever these guys were doing it worked for them and they were the envy of the race course.

Lap 5

Same old, same old, except that once in the second half of the course which was ridable before we found that it was now deteriorating to a point resembling the first part the course which had been shut down after my lap 4 for a shortened course.
During lap 5 i realized that this course was going south , particularly for solos. It was my feeling that on a team it would be more tolerable since its only one lap and then a long rest, so i figured the teams would continue until the course was shut down altogether, which fellow BigRingers did and gained first place in their category, as did Tanya, who by the way was also solo.
I was pretty much committed to hanging up my helmet for this one but Jenn, my fiance and support crew was doing her job making sure i went back out for my 6th lap. I didn't argue with her and did my job. I had borrowed Tobins light for this race and was excited about riding at Albion hills with over 1200 lumens combined head and bar mount, but decided not to subject my buddies lamp to this kind of abuse for no apparent reason so headed out with just a helmet mount.

I now pushed the bike -for the entire lap- until i got to the back section where i could duck under a ribbon and cut out 2 sections of bike pushing to save a good 45minutes getting back to camp. I felt i could maybe grunt through and steal some spots off of guys who dropped out but decided if they were ahead of me they deserved it and good for them, i trained to ride a bike for 24hrs, my best comes out in the second 12 so let'em have it and congrats! Time for a beer! When i got back the news was that the course was officially shut down. No surprise.

Big thanks,
To BigRingers Peter and Mark for the tech support in pit, like i said those tires in lap 2 were the high point of the race.
To Jenn her mom Doris and aunt Ruth for the as always awesome pit support.
And to the all the BigRing sponsors, especially Kenda and Prolink who's products worked so well in the crazy conditions.

See you at Hot August Nights, Solo!

Rick,
aka, Golonghardman